Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

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

While waiting for the rest of the Hunting Party to arrive, Gandr stood at the edge of a massive lake, large enough that it was impossible to see the distant shore unless you ascended high into the sky.The Fortress Turtle was similar to an Aspidochelone, the island-sized earth elemental that Vahn kept in the Garden of Avalon. Instead of being an island, however, it resembled it loosely resembled it's namesake, appearing much like an organic fortress. There were even several types of Shinheuh that lived within its mossy black shell, many of which would support the monstrous turtle the moment it was under attack.If he were being honest, Gandr wasn't particularly fond of the idea of arbitrarily killing creatures. He, or, more specifically, Vahn, would even ignore most monsters unless they were directly attacking a town or a group of people. After all, they were simply trying to live their lives, and, so long as they didn't proactively cause damage to the environment, it almost felt wrong to kill such majestic and colossal creatures.Seeing the Fortress Turtle just lazily sunbathing in the middle of the giant lake, an area it was not known to wander from, Gandr harbored no delusions about who was in the wrong. The only crime the Fortress Turtle was guilty of was defending its territory when other Regulars tried to hunt in the region. It never went out of its way to attack the Town of Beginnings, yet, for the sole reason that its existence was an inconvenience for the Regulars hunting in the region, it was given the designation of a King, fated to be hunted by those who wished to accelerate their ascent up the Tower.Reminding himself that this same logic applied, not just to Shinheuh, but most monsters he had met across the Records, Gandr gradually suppressed his misgivings about what was to come. This was just another expression of 'survival of the fittest', one of the fundamental laws that served as the foundation for most worlds. Just as the Fortress Turtle hunted millions of smaller Shinheuh over the course of its long life, it would now become the prey to a much stronger predator...Shaking his head, Gandr took a half-step back to evade what appeared to be a large Sailfish. It was about three meters in length and possessed a needle-like nose that allowed it to cut through both Shinsu and water with ease. There was also a segmented dorsal fin on its back, appearing much like a series of spined barbs that were netted together by a thin and flexible membrane.Just as other creatures never really thought about their prey, Gandr decided to stop worrying about things he actually had total control over. There was nothing 'forcing' him to kill the Fortress Turtle. Its death was necessitated by the situation, but, if he really wanted to, he could always purchase a different contract. Instead, he had selected the Fortress Turtle 'specifically' due to its passive nature and relatively slow reaction time. After all, he would rather the Fortress Turtle be sacrificed than risk the lives of his friends...With the oversized Sailfish doubling back for a second attempt at skewering his body, Gandr took another half-step, this time reaching out with his right hand, cutting the Shinheuh along the side using the nail of his right index finger. This ended up shaving the upper half of the creature's body clean off, killing it almost instantaneously as the two halves separated cleanly.Though he was unable to use Severing Laws, Gandr's mastery of Sword Laws translated to virtually everything, his own body included. After all, the default pinnacle of swordsmanship was to become one with the blade. This was a state he had achieved long ago, so, even without a sword in hand, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that every part of Gandr's body was a finely-honed blade.After storing the Sailfish into his Inventory, Gandr decided to relieve some tensions by unequipping his clothes, leaving only a pair of swim trunks, before diving into the sapphire blue waters. He could let Vahn worry about the ethics of slaying Shinheuh. His persona was supposed to be that of a hot-headed shonen protagonist who only had bouts of insight when his friends needed good advice. At times like this, the only thing he needed to concern himself with was the next moment, so, with his stomach demanding sustenance, Gandr decided to do a little fishing before the rest of the Hunting Party arrived...---Thanks to the [REquip] system that had been supplied to all of them, Anak was able to fix her dress, good as new, by the time the group had escaped from the expanding horde of Little Rock Fish. This was yet another benefit of being in Vahn's Familia, one that was viewed as a literal Godsend by the females within the group. Even Anak wasn't an exception to this, as, despite not caring about being seen, she didn't like appearing in a sorry state. She would rather be seen completely naked than in a tattered dress, so, immediately after her wounds had been wrapped, she promptly fixed the state of her clothes.Unfortunately, even with her increased healing factor and the boons of Shinsu, it still took time for Anak to recover from her injuries. Thus, almost immediately after they escaped the group of Little Stone Fish, Baam looked towards her, worry visible in his countenance as he asked, "Are you okay, Anak?Even if she knew he was legitimately concerned about her, Anak still felt annoyed by the fact that Baam had drawn attention to her injuries. She didn't like being pitied in the slightest, but, before she could lambast the boy for his 'thoughtless' remark, Endorsi lightly nudged in in the shoulder, saying, "Don't be a jerk..." in a flat tone.Though she felt even more annoyed by Endorsi's remark, Anak looked around to see that everyone, excluding Baam, had blame visible in their eyes. This caused her to loudly snort, but, rather than say anything excessively rude, she just grumbled, "I'm fine..." before walking ahead of the group.Seeing Anak walk off, her bandaged tail swaying with each step, Baam was tempted to call out to her. Like she had for Anak, however, Endorsi interrupted his attempt, gripping his shoulder with her vice-like strength as she said, "Leave her be, Baam. Girls don't like clingy boys, you know~?"Misbelieving that Endorsi was referring to Rachel, Baam's mood immediately turned depressive, his eyes losing a bit of their luster as he replied with a dry laugh. This caused Endorsi's brow to twitch while Khun, standing off to the side, released a tired sigh. As for Rak, he just released a loud yawn before saying, "Give me some chocolate."---After promising to convey Yuri's messages to Gandr, Endorsi, and Anak, Vahn enjoyed a pleasant meal alongside Phae before remarking, "I'll be meeting with Marble after this. Watch over the kids while I'm away."Amused by Vahn's words, Phae issued her characteristic giggle before replying, "Certainly. I doubt anyone will target them within an area designated for Regulars, but it is better to be safe than sorry. Don't worry, I am quite confident in my ability to defeat even Rankers if absolutely necessary~."Since they were effectively his words, Vahn couldn't help but respond with a chuckle of his own. He quite enjoyed talking with both Phae and Gandr, so, even when nobody was looking, he carried on the intrapersonal communication in the hope that it would expedite the development of their Egos. This was a notion that both Phae and Gandr shared, obviously, so it wasn't uncommon for them to have long discussions with just the three of them.Finished with his meal, Vahn helped Phae clean up before promptly departing from the room via teleportation. Spatial transference was actually easier than high-speed movement within a field of Shinsu, so, while he would continue to move around normally using Phae and Gandr, Vahn wanted to establish himself as a powerful psychic capable of crushing things with his mind, freely levitating his body, and teleporting. He also intended to master command magic, or, more specifically, the method to infuse his authority and intent into words.Though he had never been able to use it effectively outside his Realm, Vahn knew that Authority was one of the most powerful Laws in existence. Those with enough mastery could literally order things to die, and, so long as their will was more powerful, the target would have little choice but to comply.The curious thing about this ability was that, much like how Sword Laws could affect even concepts, those with enhanced mastery over Authority Laws could bend reality itself to their will. This was the type of power one would expect from a Tier 6 or 7 entity, so, rather than put it off, Vahn intended to focus all of his efforts into developing his Authority until even the most distant stars in the night sky obeyed his will.With this in mind, Vahn ignored the stunned expressions of various Regulars as he gracefully landed near the entrance of Marble's Vocational Office. They all assumed he was a Ranker, so, the moment he appeared, they quickly moved aside so that he could pass. After all, Rankers were effectively the Nobles of the Tower, and, so long as they didn't cause trouble, powerful Rankers were even allowed to build Kingdoms and Countries in the Outer Tower without fear of censure.Continuing to ignore the group of gawkers, Vahn surprised them greatly by joining the shortest of three lines. This all but confirmed his status as a 'Regular', but, perhaps as a result of his grandeur, the person standing immediately in front of him turned statuesque the moment they looked back to see what all the commotion was about. For a brief moment, it looked like they were even going to let him pass, but, after seeing the 'disarming' smile on Vahn's face, they promptly turned around and continued to wait nervously for their turn.Fortunately for the young Regular, one of the staff members came over to inform Vahn that Marble was waiting for him upstairs. Immediately after receiving this notice, Vahn nodded toward the tiger-like woman, who literally had the features of a tiger, before teleporting directly into Marble's office. This surprised the petite Ranker quite a bit, but, as someone who had lived for nearly five hundred years, she quickly regained her bearings, asking, "You are the Sage Dragon Emperor, correct?"Before nodding his head in affirmation, Vahn pulled out the six-winged Winged Tree Badge from his Inventory, tossing it over so that she could confirm its authenticity. Shortly after that, she returned it to him in a respectful manner, presenting it with both hands as she said, "Please don't go throwing this around in the future. It might not mean much to you, but it carries great meaning for those of us who seek a life outside the Tower."Nodding his head in understanding, Vahn accepted the Winged Tree Badge from Marble, admiring it for a few moments before pretending to place it into his interior breast pocket. This was enough to put Marble at ease, a dainty sigh escaping her lips as she explained, "I have received orders to provide support for you and your party for the duration of your stay on the 3rd Floor. The others should have received similar orders by now, but I will confirm it later this evening. Now, is there a particular reason you have come to my office? So long as it does not jeopardize my position as a Test Admin, I will do my best to meet your needs."Returning a smile in response to Marble's seriousness, Vahn resisted his instinctual urge to pat the petite woman's head as he replied, "I just wanted to make sure everything was going according to plan. For now, I will continue to watch over and guide the team of Regulars I have taken an interest in. If there was anything at all, I would ask that you coordinate with the others so that I can take all of your Special Tests. If you're worried about revealing your affiliation with Wolhaiksong, feel free to include unaffiliated Administrators as well. Regardless of their difficulty, I am certain I can complete any Special Test without incident."Though she would normally be skeptical of such words, Marble, like all members of Wolhaiksong, knew just how ridiculous Irregulars could be. Even Gandr had completely taken her by surprise, so, considering he was a subordinate of the man standing before her, Marble had no doubt regarding the veracity of Vahn's claim. Thus, with a serious expression on her adorable little face, she nodded her head and answered, "I understand. I will inform you the moment preparations have been made. Is there anything else you need?"Unable to restrain himself, Vahn caused Marble to become statuesque as he reached out his hand, patting the top of her head as he replied, "No, thank you. You have been a great help..." before he even realized what he was doing. At that point, however, it was already far too late, so, rather than retract his hand, he continued to caress the petite woman's head with a somewhat wry smile on his face...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Gandr be like, "Not my problem (O,...,O)~!"','Mmm, chocolate...','The first step towards becoming the God of Petting~!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

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

Chapter 1756: Frustration