Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With their departure scheduled for the following morning, Vahn gathered the members of Team Wolf Pack, sans Parakewl, within his room. As for the latter, he had promptly been ejected, not just because Vahn had said so, but because he had disregarded orders during the Submerged Fish Hunt. His actions had not only jeopardized the entire plan but, rather than accept responsibility for his mistake, he had actually attempted to spin the blame onto others.Fortunately, though the revelation caused quite a bit of bitterness, Rachel's betrayal had left even Baam feeling a lot less forgiving. As a result, Parakewl had no allies arguing for his inclusion in the group. To make matters even worse for himself, the fool attempted to cause a scene, approaching Vahn with the intent to shout in his face. This resulted in Phae sending him flying into the wall with a backhand, a cold expression on her face as she told Gandr to drag the unconscious man over to the Medical Ward.Following these orders exactly, Gandr ended up grabbing Parakewl's ankle, dragging him from the room rather unceremoniously. Then, once he had returned, Vahn gathered everyone's attention, his expression slightly apologetic as he said, "Sorry about that. Though I try to be lenient with people, I have little tolerance for opportunists who would readily betray their comrades if it meant they could secure benefits for themselves. That man would have become a cancerous element, festering within the party and putting everyone's dreams at risk in the pursuit of his own..."Resisting the urge to sigh, Vahn took a slow and steady breath to calm himself before adopting a more serious expression as he added, "Enough of that...I have gathered you all together for three reasons. First, I will explain to you the type of existence I am. Once you have a better understanding of my power, I will then offer you a choice. Lastly, once everyone has made up their mind, we will all discuss our future objectives. In regards to that last one, you should know that I have no actual goal in this Tower. I am simply passing through, but, due to the nature of my existence, it is certain that I bring great change to this Tower."With the atmosphere immediately becoming tense, it was Khun who built up the courage to raise his hand, asking, "So, what exactly are you then? I mean, other than an Irregular..."Grateful for the young man's assist, even if it was unnecessary, Vahn offered a curt nod toward Khun before explaining, "Though I am the Sage Dragon Emperor I purport myself to be, I am also a God that represents Infinite Possibilities. In my tenure as a Deity, I have presided over Space, Time, and Creation. Most importantly, however, I represent the myriad paths in which people walk. Mine is an existence that drastically influences the fate of those around me, and, through me, people, planets, and even other Gods are able to shape their own destinies."Though they had expected a lot of things, none of the people present expected Vahn to proclaim himself a God. Even Anak, who was usually indifferent in such situations, had a rather incredulous look on her face as she asked, "What about Phae and Gandr...?"Rather than answering for them, Vahn allowed the duo in question to explain, starting with Phae adopting her usual smile as she said, "As I told you previously, Gandr and I are extensions of my Lord. Though it isn't entirely accurate, you can consider me the aspect that represents my Lord's creativity and desire to care for others. As for Gandr, he is a little different...in the end, however, he is another extension of my Lord. Soon enough, there will be others like us, each unique entities in their own right, but, when it ultimately comes down to it, we are all part of a much greater whole..."Following Phae's explanation, Gandr adopted an apologetic expression, his ears drooping rather pathetically as he added, "Please don't think of this as us deceiving you. It just wouldn't have been possible to convince you of the truth without first building rapport. If my Master had called himself a God on the very first day, none of you would have believed him..."Since the majority of them still didn't believe Vahn's claim, no one could really argue against the truth contained within Gandr's words. Fortunately, without any prompting whatsoever, Baam was able to ease the growing tensions by stating, "I trust in Ms. Phae, Mr. Gandr, and Mr. Vahn! Even if they are Gods, they are still good people! I wouldn't be nearly as strong as I am today with the help of Mr. Vahn. Don't you agree, Mr. Laure?"Though he had been lying on the ground with his eyes closed, Laure had been listening closely to the conversation happening around him. Thus, in response to Baam's words, a tired sigh escaped his lips as he sat up and replied, "Yeah, yeah, no need to shout.". Then, after looking lazily over at Vahn, he moved the conversation forward by asking, "So, what is this 'choice' you wanted to offer us?"Appreciating the man's directness, a smile spread across Vahn's face as he stroked his beard for a few moments before answering, "Outside of the Tower, there is a concept known as Familia, a word meaning Family in an ancient tongue. Simply put, a Familia is comprised of people who have either been acknowledged by a God or adopted as their surrogate children. In exchange for the power of belief, nothing more, the Gods reward their children by bestowing their Blessing upon them. This is often in the form of a Familia Crest, an emblem that is inscribed upon the back using the Language of the Gods. Though the crests can differ between Gods, mine provides you with the opportunity to shape your own destiny. To make things easier to understand, try and imagine the Questing system popularized in RPGs and other games. My Blessing gives you the ability to accept such Quests, and, so long as you complete them, you will be able to boost your capabilities, obtain rare items, and, in certain circumstances, change everything from your race to your gender. With my Blessing, there is no path you cannot walk."As the Tower was a place that specifically gathered people who had strong desires, Vahn's words had a deep impact on everyone present. They were like the seductive words of a Headon himself, promising 'everything', seemingly without asking for anything in return. The only thing Vahn had mentioned was the 'power of belief', prompting Shibisu to ask, "So, how does the power of belief benefit the Gods? There must be something you get out of this exchange."Nodding his head in affirmation, Vahn went on to explain, "Though it varies drastically between different planes of existence, the power of most Gods is proportional to the amount of belief they are able to garner from their followers. In other words, the greater their following, the greater the strength of the God. I am a bit of an exception to this rule due to representing Infinite Possibilities, but, like other Gods, I still benefit greatly from the quantity and quality of my followers."Ever the astute young man, an understanding glimmer flashed across Shibisu's eyes as he smiled and said, "So, in other words, the stronger we become, the more you benefit? Does this mean you intend to establish a religion or something as you climb up the Tower?"Finding the man's words rather amusing, Vahn issued a light chuckle before shaking his head and explaining, "Though we benefit more from our direct followers, the power of belief doesn't actually require such direct methods. Just by virtue of my existence, my power will grow exponentially as I climb up the Tower. After all, fame is also a form of belief, so, once my exploits become known, it is only a matter of time before I become one of the strongest beings in the Tower. The main reason I am giving you this choice is due to the fact that I simply have no interest in the Tower or its politics. I will open the way forward, helping as many people as I can along the way. Then, once the time for my departure has come, I will place those I have observed to be of noble character in charge of the Tower."Though they still sounded like the promises of a Devil, a few of the Regulars present couldn't help but swallow in response to Vahn's words. He was basically telling them that, so long as they worked hard, they would eventually become the rulers of the Tower. This was especially intriguing to people like Khun, who, for a number of reasons, strongly desired to conquer the Tower. Were it not for his propensity to mistrust other people, he would have been the first to agree to Vahn's proposition.In the end, surprising nearly everyone present, the privilege of being the first to agree went to Nare, who, with a gleam in her eyes and a small amount of drool leaking from her mouth, promptly raised her hand and shouted, "I'll do it! I'll accept your Blessing...!"As he was sitting immediately to Nare's left, Hong Chunhwa was the most surprised by his youthful-looking lover's outburst. Before he could ask her if she was certain, however, she happily explained, "I'm not very strong, and, even if I pushed myself to my limits, I would eventually become a burden the rest of the party. My original goal for climbing the Tower was to obtain enough money to start my own breeding business. If I can become a powerhouse in the process, there's no way I'll pass up on such an opportunity...!"Hearing Nare mention becoming a 'powerhouse', a lot of the other Regulars in the room seemed to make up their own minds. Thus, starting with Anak, nearly everyone else ultimately accepted Vahn's proposal. The only exceptions to this were Rak, who loudly insisted he was the strongest, and, much to the surprise of many, Hatsu. His reasoning was that there were no shortcuts to the true zenith of swordsmanship, so, even if he ultimately lagged behind everyone else, he was determined to reach the pinnacle through his own effort.Hatsu's conviction gave the others a reason to reconsider, but, as there didn't seem to be any major downsides, it was hard to pass on the opportunity to control your own fate. This was especially true for those with tragic pasts and great ambitions, Khun, Anak, Endorsi, and Baam being chief among them. Khun, in particular, had the greatest ambitions among everyone else present, as, unlike Baam, who didn't really have a plan, Khun had made all kinds of preparations prior to climbing the Tower.Fortunately, though he wouldn't learn this until much later, Vahn genuinely had no interest in the Tower and its affairs. He also wasn't trying to exploit or mislead any the Regulars present, at least not in the way many of them suspected. Rather, because of their friendship with Gandr, Vahn saw the rather peculiar group as his friends. He was the type that would even help a complete stranger if they were in need, so, when it came to his friends, Vahn had a propensity to go a little overboard when it came to helping them achieve their dreams.With that in mind, starting with Nare, Vahn took each of them into the Little Garden, returning mere minutes later with the red-faced girl in tow. This earned him a few looks of suspicion, but, with Nare fervently dismissing any accusations while also attesting to the existence of the 'Quest Board', there weren't any major issues. The girls had simply overlooked the fact that the crest was placed on their backs, meaning that they would need to expose themselves in order to have it applied. Fortunately, there were only three girls present, so, with Anak not really caring about being seen naked, the only real problem was Endorsi. As for the boys, none of them cared about such things, so, with Phae and Gandr assisting with Anak and Endorsi, Vahn ultimately accepted nine new Children into his Familia, a few of which had some 'very' unique statuses...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'RIP Pickle','Hatsu is, unsurprisingly, a very resolute individual','Cucumber be like, "What? It's just being naked."')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Though it was not uncommon to find multiple people with the [Child of Destiny] Innate, Vahn was a little surprised to learn that nearly every member of Team Wolf Pack had it. The only two who were exempt, at least among the people who had accepted his Blessing, were Chunhwa and Nare. As for the rest, even Ship Leesoo, better known as Shibisu, was in possession of the coveted Innate, albeit only with a Grade of C.Unsurprisingly, Baam's [Child of Destiny: SSS] was the highest-graded within the group. His Shinsu Tension was also double that of anyone else present, rivaling Vahn's at a ratio of 100:1. Even Anak and Endorsi, both possessing the Innate [Jahad's Blood Curse], had a Tension of 50:1 while people like Khun and Laure, descendants of the Ten Great Families, possessed a ratio of 30:1.While the name [Jahad's Blood Curse] was obviously a red flag, there wasn't much Vahn could do about it in the present moment, so, until it became a bigger issue, he would discuss the matter with the two Princesses using Phae as a proxy. The far more concerning revelations were, unsurprisingly, related to Baam.Not only was Baam a monstrous 9,983-years-old, but his Race also purported him to be equal parts Human and 'Primordial Sin'. The Primordial Sins, better known as the Seven Sins, were an extremely common concept within various Records. These included Pride, Wrath, Greed, Lust, Sloth, Envy, and, of course, Gluttony. Baam seemed to be directly related to or was the Primordial Sin of Gluttony, as, not only did it reflect in his Race, it appeared within his Innates, quite literally, as the [Primordial Sin of Gluttony: (sealed)].Though it was currently sealed, Baam obviously benefitted from possessing the [Primordial Sin of Gluttony] Innate, as, within his Skill category, he had the Skills [Adaptive Body: S], and [Absorption: B]. The former allowed him to consume and adopt the traits of anything he had directly absorbed into his body, seemingly without limit. This included everything from different forms of Shinsu to even 'techniques', the latter of which Gandr had experienced personally.Prior to the revelation of Baam's unique origin, Vahn, Phae, and Gandr had merely assumed the boy was extremely talented. Instead, it seemed like he had the ability to, quite literally, absorb the talent of others, including their experience and techniques, by simply receiving their attacks. So long as he was directly affected by the ability, his body would 'instantly' memorize it, allowing him to make use of virtually any attack he had ever been hit with.The only limitation of Baam's current ability was that his [Absorption] was only Grade-B, at least for the time being. This meant he couldn't absorb 'everything', his specific limitations revolving around skills and abilities that were derived from an inordinate amount of mastery or powered by types of energy not traditionally found within the Tower. In essence, though he could adapt martial skills, he could only 'master' them up to the grade of his [Absorption]. As for skills derived from other energy systems, he could probably manage with weaker forms of energy, but, as was often the case, he had no way of adapting skills derived from Source.Fortunately, even if Baam was incompatible with sword techniques or magic, his ability to master all forms of martial arts just by experiencing them would be extremely beneficial. He could also master virtually any Shinsu technique that was used against him, irrespective of element, so, while he might not be a conventional prodigy, it wasn't an exaggeration to say Baam had monstrous potential. The only thing he needed was time and careful guidance, two things he would find plenty of within the Tower and under Vahn's tutelage...---Though Baam's status was the most interesting among the newest members of Vahn's Familia, that didn't mean there weren't other surprises in store. These included Endorsi's [Child of Destiny] being SS-Rank, heavily implying she was a Heroine, Anak's actual name being Anak Permata, and, though it wasn't really that relevant, the fact that Khun was only 17 came as quite a surprise. This made him the youngest person within the group, as, despite their appearances, Anak was 338 while Nare was 33.Even more surprising was the fact that Endorsi seemed to have some relation to the Primordial Sin of Lust, even if it was only a distant relation. Her Innates were [Child of Destiny:SS], [Jahad's Blood Curse: (-)], [Starved Princess: A], and [Champion of Lust: (sealed)]. This heavily implied that she was originally intended to be one of Baam's love interests, and, to a lesser extent, it also explained why she was such a vain woman.Fortunately, at least for the time being, Endorsi's [Champion of Lust] was still sealed. Had it already been awakened, there was no way of knowing what kind of personality she would have possessed, but, consider Baam was an exceptionally pure boy, despite being the Primordial Sin of Gluttony, it was safe to assume that the Seven Deadly Sins were a little different in this Record. Still, that didn't mean Vahn, or, more specifically, Gandr, could drop their guard around the woman.Prior to her encounter with Yuri, it was pretty obvious that Endorsi only saw Gandr in the same vein as a younger brother. Now, the seeds for something 'more' had been planted, so, with less than 20 months before the inevitable reunion with Yuri, Endorsi would undoubtedly feel a little pressured to act. Gandr would either need to distance himself from the woman in some way or, better yet, invite her to participate in Baam's training. As for Anak...well, even after her encounter with Yuri, she didn't seem to change much at all.If there were any women Vahn and Gandr needed to worry about, they would be Hwa Ryun and Ha Yuri Jahad. The former's Belief was steadily growing, and, though she was unlikely to take proactive measures, Vahn knew how scary 'devout' women could be. As for Yuri, she seemed to have a rather 'dangerous' preference, and, most troublingly, a decisive mentality. She was similar to Aoko in that regarding; the type of woman who, once she had made up her mind, would continue to pursue her objective without second-guessing herself.Though all ten of the Great Families were bound to be a problem, the Ha Family, in particular, was like a minefield from Vahn's perspective. They were basically Amazons, and, though they were able to produce male offspring, the matriarchal household was overflowing with powerful, resolute, and beautiful warrior women. Yuri was bound to inform her Great Grandmother, known to be one of the top three beauties in the entire Tower, of her findings on the 2nd Floor. From that moment onward, it was only a matter of time before members of the Ha Family came seeking Team Wolf Pack, eager to find a mate or simply enjoy a good fight.To make matters even worse, the youthful-looking woman traveling with Yuri was clearly a member of the Eurasia Family, another of the Ten Great Families. Her childish appearance, combined with her pink hair and eyes, characteristics commonly associated with Eurasia Family Descendents, were both dead giveaways that this was the case. As for why this was a problem, well, for reasons neither Vahn nor Da Vinci had been able to fully comprehend, women with perpetually youthful appearances and quirky natures seemed to be intrinsically drawn to him.Vahn had thought that his older appearance might serve as a deterrent, and, while this was indeed the case in most situations, it seemed to work against him in others. He didn't even know the name of the woman who had accompanied Yuri, yet, with what could only be described as an impish grin on her face, she fearlessly passed over her contact information. This would allow him to contact her using his Pocket, and, so long as he wasn't inside the Inner Tower, which limited communications to other residents of the Inner Tower, they would be able to communicate between Floors.Since it could be useful to have a High Ranker's contact information, especially one belonging to one of the most powerful organizations in the entire Tower, Vahn had little choice but to add the impish woman's contact information to his Pocket. There was a good chance she had been asked by Yuri to exchange contact information, so, even if accepting raised a number of dangerous flags, there were more benefits to be had than losses to be suffered. After all, even if the Eurasia and Ha Families became 'very' insistent in the future, they had no hope of 'forcing' him against his will.With a Realm filled with innumerable beauties, many of which made the women in the Tower look rather plain, Vahn wasn't in a hurry to expand his harem. Rather, if he could reach Tier 7 without any additions at all, he wouldn't be particularly disappointed. His nature made this nigh-impossible, but, at the very least, he could limit the number of additions by proactively avoiding situations where his more troublesome habits came into play. Fortunately, in the very near future, he would have quite a bit of protection against such circumstances...---Following the application of everyone's Familia Crests, Vahn had Phae explain both the Quest Board and the Skill Tree while everyone sat around engorging themselves upon the food he had proffered forth from his Inventory. The combination of delicious food, high-quality alcohol, and the sense of unity everyone had from belonging to the same Familia caused the atmosphere to quickly become festive and lively. This was aided by the fact there were actual Quests related to things like drinking competitions, arm wrestling, and various forms of gambling. As a result, it quickly became clear that the Quests functioned as promised, allowing some to learn new skills on the spot while others were able to obtain items, seemingly out of thin air.Needless to say, things became 'very' competitive once everyone realized they could literally grow stronger while playing games and simply having fun. Unfortunately, much to Khun's chagrin, it was impossible to 'cheat' the system by deciding who would win beforehand. Though it was possible to fool people, manipulating the outcome through subterfuge and strategy, you couldn't openly cheat the system by picking and choosing the victors. The rewards were also dependent on the individual difficulty of the Quest, so, if victory was almost assured, the Quest might only be E or F-Rank. If you had absolutely no chance at victory, the Quest could be as high as S-Rank.Using the [Arm Wrestling Tournament] as an example, it was graded as an F-Rank Quest for Gandr. For Endorsi and Anak, it was C-Rank, and, as could be expected, it ramped up to S-Rank for people like Shibisu, Nare, and even Chunhwa. Their reward potential was also exponentially greater, but, as could be expected, it was impossible for them to win without Gandr, Anak, or Endorsi throwing their matches. The moment they gave up or went easy on someone, the Quest would either retroactively downgrade its difficulty level, or, in most cases, simply become invalid.Fortunately, there were more than enough Quests to give everyone a chance at receiving suitable rewards for their effort. There were even Quests related to playing board and card games, the latter being far more popular due to the presence of alcohol and the relative simplicity of most forms of gambling. After all, the easier the rules were to learn, the easier they were to exploit by those who had mastered them.Perhaps as a result of her [Greedy Nymph] Innate, Nare ended up being inordinately skilled when it came to card and dice games. She even seemed to get a substantial boost to her luck whenever the game involved the exchange of points. As a result, she ended up securing quite a number of points for herself, and, though the rewards for F-Rank Quests weren't that great, even tiny drops of rain, in high enough quantities, could fill a lake...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Other people have to train for years. Baam be like, "Hit me! I want you to hit me...!"','Vahn is underestimating his power as a DILF xD...','Imagine asking your enemy what they did to get so strong and they reply by answering, "I played Five-Card Draw and Blackjack every day for a year...!"')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Even if he had expected such an offer, as recruitment into the Ten Great Families was very common within the Tower, Vahn couldn't help but look at Yuri like she was a mental patient. Then, with what could best be described as a 'perfect deadpan', he somberly asked, "Are you determined to test the limits of my patience? You would ask me, an Emperor, to abandon my own family name and accept the name of another? Have you completely lost your mind? Will you not be satisfied until you have thoroughly insulted me?"Having momentarily forgotten the fact that Vahn was both an Emperor and an Irregular, even Yuri couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. Her 'instincts' as a member of the Ha Family had all but demanded she offers him the privilege of joining her family, completely forgetting his status and the pride that undoubtedly accompanied it. As a result, an embarrassed laugh escaped her throat as she awkwardly scratched the back of her head.Realizing that Yuri was just an idiot, not someone going out of their way to try and insult him, most of Vahn's frustrations quickly abated. His expression also relaxed into a calm smile as he asserted, "I have no need for any title or status found within this Tower. I entered this place as the Sage Dragon Emperor. I will leave it as such."As this was the second time she was hearing Vahn mention leaving the Tower, Yuri was considerably less surprised than most of the people present. Before she could ask about his methods, however, Evan stepped in, reminding her, "Princess Yuri, this is neither the time nor the place to discuss such things. We should recover the Black March and leave this Floor before Evankhell returns. I'm certain the Test Director would also appreciate our swift departure."Hearing Evan's reminder, Yuri turned towards the direction of Director Yu, a discontented frown on her face as she complained, "You're quickly making your way up to the top of my shit list..."With no way to retort the Princess' words, Director Yu just offered an awkward laugh as a bead of sweat rolled from his forehead. This elicited a loud snort from Yuri who, after crossing her arms and thinking for several long seconds, turned towards the black man with white hair, demanding, "Kurudan, give me your badge. I'll make sure to pay you back later."Though the burly man didn't seem at all enthused by Yuri's demand, he only hesitated for a brief moment before removing the six-winged badge from his vest. Then, after handing it to Yuri, the latter fearlessly approached Vahn, standing near eye-level with him as she held out the badge and explained, "This is the Winged Tree Badge representing a high ranking member of Wolhaiksong. So long as you hold onto this, it will deter most people from trying to seek trouble with you. Once you reach the 77th Floor, you can either return the badge or consider becoming an official member. You might have a lot of power and potential, but, even if you end up becoming a monster on the level of Phantaminum, Enryu, or Ureko, there is only so much you can do on your own. Don't go seeking death just because you were an Emperor in the Outside, okay...?"Understanding that Yuri was trying to express her concerns, even if her primary goal was recruiting him into whatever faction she was a part of, Vahn accepted the peculiar badge before saying, "Don't worry, even if they were significantly more powerful than me, I'm not someone that can be defeated with conventional means. Still, I'll hold onto this. So long as Wolhaiksong doesn't turn out to be just another corrupt organization, I wouldn't mind being associated with them."Hearing Vahn's words, the four people wearing Winged Tree Symbols sewn into their clothing all looked toward him with visibly offended expressions. Even the young man from the Khun Family, who had previously been focused on his handheld gaming system, looked over with an annoyed glower on his face. As for Yuri, she just laughed in an easy-going manner before 'lightly' patting Vahn on the shoulder and saying, "Don't worry! Even though Wolhaiksong gets blamed for a lot of things, it is mostly just propaganda. The only goal of Wolhaiksong is to find a way out of the Tower, not rule over it. They do their best to avoid politics entirely, only taking action when one of the Ten Great Families gets out of hand. By the time you reach the 77th Floor, you should be able to figure out which organizations are worthy of your trust. Until then, try not to do anything too crazy."Finished with her words of advice, Yuri 'lightly' pat Vahn's shoulder before turning back to the rest of her group and saying, "Come on! We're leaving! Evan, you lead the way!"As members of Yuri's party, even if it was only temporary, everyone promptly moved in response to the Princess' command. The only exceptions to this were Director Yu, for obvious reasons, and Evan Edrok. The former had no association with the group so it was only natural that he remains seated, silently sipping his cafe latte while pretending to ignore everything that was happening. As for Evan, he seemed to have something to say as, rather than immediately follow after Yuri, he stopped for a brief moment in front of Vahn, asking, "What are you...?" in a hushed tone.Having noticed the not-so-subtle 'fear' contained within the Silver Dwarf's eyes, Vahn just smiled in response to the man's inquiry before answering, "I have stated it before. I am Vahn Aldrnari Mason, the Sage Dragon Emperor. As for the answer to your 'actual' question...just know that I am not one who follows a set path. I create my own and guide others to do the same. Don't worry, your worries are unwarranted. Now, run along, Mr. Edrok. The Princess will be upset if you keep her waiting..."Though he was annoyed by Vahn's words, Evan was also considerably relieved by them. The former, at least from his perspective, was an incomprehensible 'void' that obscured the crossroads of fate. It was almost like he was a black hole, swallowing the fates of everything he came in contact with and making it difficult to see the future. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, however, as one of the roles of a Guide was to convince people that their fate was constantly changing based on their actions.Since Silver Dwarves, similar to Red Witches, could innately tell when someone was lying to them, Evan had no reason to doubt Vahn's words. As a result, he offered a curt nod in response, saying, "I hope your path isn't too destructive..." before chasing after Yuri. The four members of Wolhaiksong immediately followed after him, but, as was often the case, for reasons Vahn had tried and failed to comprehend; the child-like woman hung back a bit, smiling like an imp as she handed him a slip of paper with a number on it and said, "Call me~!" before sticking her tongue out and running after her companions...---After hearing about what had happened from Baam, Khun was both infuriated and relieved. If not for the pain it would cause Baam, he wouldn't have hesitated to kill Rachel for daring to betray all of their trust. Fortunately, Vahn had intervened, preventing the absolute worst-case scenario while also providing a 'solution'. This made it seem like he was in complete control of everything that was happening, but, considering the alternative was to continue harboring a traitorous serpent in their midst, Khun was grateful for the Imperial Trio's presence...As this thought crossed his mind, Khun shifted his attention to where Phae was treating Rachel, his brows furrowing slightly. Before he could think to ask her any questions, however, Baam seemed to have followed his gaze, a somewhat bashful smile spreading across his face as he said, "Ms. Phae is really amazing, isn't she? All of the people from the Aldrnari Empire seem incredible..."Seeing the rosy hue of Baam's cheeks, an incredulous feeling spread throughout Khun's mind and body, compelling him to laugh. This caused Baam to stare back at him with a confused expression on his face, exacerbating Khun's laughter before the latter ultimately pat his friend on the shoulder and said, "I never expected you to be into older women..."Realizing what Khun was implying, Baam's face became beet red as he knocked aside the former's hand and exclaimed, "It's not like that, Mr. Khun! Please don't say things like that...!"Amused by his friend's reaction, Khun's smile turned somewhat affectionate as he resumed patting Baam's shoulder, this time saying, "Relax. I was just messing with you. You'll have to be more thick-skinned if you want to avoid getting teased in the future. Besides, Ms. Phae is presumably involved with the Emperor. I don't think she would mind being crushed on, but I can't imagine her returning anyone's feelings."Hearing Khun mention Vahn, a resolute light flashed across Baam's eyes as he gazed toward Rachel and said, "Mr. Vahn is really amazing...it's like he sees through everything. He is also very powerful and kind...if possible, I also want to become someone like that...I think I could help a lot of people if I was as strong as Mr. Vahn..."Adopting a similarly serious expression on his face, Khun was barely able to resist exhaling a tired sigh in response to Baam's words. He couldn't be sure, but he got the impression that the Emperor was systematically 'grooming', not just Baam, but all of them. Though this would undoubtedly result in them becoming much stronger, there was no way of knowing what kind of price they would have to pay in exchange for such power. Nothing in this world ever came free, so, even if Vahn, Phae, and Gandr were legitimately kind people, they were bound to expect 'something' in return.Since there wasn't really much he could do to change the current situation, Khun surprised Baam by reclining backward, his gaze focused on nothing in particular as he looked up and said, "I think you have the potential to help people, even without power...promise me, Baam...no...nevermind...so long as you continue being yourself, I have nothing to complain about..."Though he was confused by Khun's words, Baam emulated his friend's action, reclining back so that they were both staring up towards the ceiling before saying, "Let's change this Tower together, Mr. Khun...I think, so long as I have my friends by my side, we can overcome anything this hellish place throws at us..."Surprised to hear such words from Baam, of all people, Khun couldn't help but fall silent for several seconds, an expectant smile spreading across his face as he placed his hands behind his head and replied, "I don't really have a choice when you put it like that...well, not that I'm complaining. It was always my intention to conquer this Tower. Doing so with friends will surely make things a lot more interesting...very well, Baam. Count me in...let's show this Tower what we're made of...together..."Hearing Khun's reply the smile on Baam's face became even larger, the glow in his eyes growing ever brighter as he nodded his head and happily chimed, "Yes, Mr. Khun~!"---With the eventual return of Endorsi, Anak, and Gandr, the Submerged Fish Hunt had finally come to an end. As for Vahn, he had a short discussion with Director Yu before heading to the transfer room to await everyone's return. Then, after placing Rachel inside the Little Garden, he, alongside the rest of Team Wolf Pack, enjoyed a preliminary celebration as the Suspend Ship began its gradual return toward Evankhell's Resort...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Yuri is very aggressive o_o...','Vahn, Sage Dragon Emperor, Loli Magnet','This isn't your average bromance...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1747: Decision