Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Following the Lighthouse to Gandr's last reported location, Khun had a frown on his face as he saw neither hide nor hair of the mischievous young Vanargandr. The only thing that indicated someone had been in the area at all was an eerily artistic blood spatter.Noticing the eerie crescent, Baam couldn't help but fear the worse, but, before he could express his concerns, Endorsi beat him to it, saying, "That brat must have gone to investigate the Fortress Turtle up close. Seriously, that kid doesn't know the meaning of the word restraint..."Having reached the same conclusion himself, Khun nodded his head in agreement, patting Baam's shoulder as he said, "Let's make camp away from the shoreline. Don't worry about Gandr. That boy can-"Interrupting Khun's remark, a plume of water erupted from the edge of the lake, promptly followed by a lithe and athletic figure landing a few meters away from the group. This was obviously Gandr, who, after sensing the arrival of the Hunting Party, promptly returned to the shore with more than a dozen different types of Shinheuh in his Inventory.After shaking the water free from his hair and fur, Gandr adopted his usual smile as he stared back at the quintet and asked, "Are you guys hungry? I might not be as good as Phae, but I'm confident in my skills as a chef."As everyone was still a little surprised by Gandr's scanty appearance, Rak was the first to respond, smacking his chest with a hard thump as he said, "Nonsense! Leave it to me, Fluffy Black Turtle! I will show you how to properly grill fishies!"With Rak's thunderous tone breaking them free from their spell, Endorsi ceased gawking at Gandr's dew-covered frame, her expression turning sour as she kicked the large Crocodilian in the leg and shouted, "As if! Your version of cooking probably involves skewering fish over an open flame! Gandr is a lot more reliable than you, gator-brains...!"Though he was a lot larger than Endorsi, Rak was forced to take a few steps back, reeling from the force of the kick. This gave him the urge to hunt the ghost-eyed woman, but, having come to understand the Tower wasn't his former hunting grounds, he held himself back, snorting as he asked, "Do you even know how to cook, Ghost-Pepper Turtle...?"Rather than take offense to Rak's remark, Endorsi just crossed her arms, a confident smile on her face as she retorted, "Ha! I've been learning how to cook from Ms. Phae. Besides, even if I didn't know how to cook, it wouldn't matter. There are plenty of people willing to cook for me. Isn't that right, Gan-chan~?"Turning her head to the side, Endorsi was expecting Gandr to immediately take her side, but, rather than paying attention to her squabble with Rak, he was standing next to Anak, asking about her tail and other injuries. This caused her brow to twitch noticeably, eliciting an uproarious laugh from Rak while Baam and Khun just prepared a make-shift camp off to the side...---After helping Anak to properly treat her wounds, Gandr prepared food for the entire group, skillfully cleaning and preparing the Shinheuh with more appetizing appearances. The others had offered to help, but, after seeing how skilled he was, they quickly realized they would just be in the way. As a result, Gandr was able to demonstrate his skills as a hibachi chef, cooking food using a large metal plate and smiling every time someone paid him a compliment.Since this was their first time eating Gandr's food, even Anak and Rak had expressions of pleasant surprise on their face, tails wagging happily as they ate several large portions. As for Endorsi, she appeared to suffer some kind of mental damage, falling silent for several minutes before a look of determination appeared on her face as she said, "Gandr! Become my personal chef!"Without any hesitation whatsoever, Gandr's expression became mock-serious as he immediately replied, "I refuse!" in a curt tone. Then, without having to pay attention to what his hands were doing, he skillfully flipped more than a dozen similarly sized pieces of fish before using a small basting brush to cover them in a light glaze. This caused a savory aroma to immediately permeate their surroundings, but, thanks to Khun's Lighthouses generating a thin spherical barrier, the smell was unable to travel more than a few meters.Like a spoiled child who had just been denied their favorite dessert, Endorsi glared back at Gandr for several seconds before adopting a 'serious' expression on her face, raising the hem of her skirt ever-so-slightly as she said, "Come on. Don't you want to be the personal chef of a Princess? Once you get a bit older, I can make it worth you while~?"With the exception of Baam, everyone gathered around the hibachi plate understood the not-so-hidden meaning containing within Endorsi's words. Gandr, however, just responded with a deadpan expression as he plainly remarked, "Maybe I'll consider it once you mature..."Though he was talking about her personality, Endorsi misconstrued Gandr's words to imply that she was lacking in feminine charm. This caused her ghostly-eyes to glow slightly, her expression turning dark as she silently reminded herself, "He is just a brat...don't let his words get to you..."While Endorsi was mumbling to herself, Gandr slid a heated plate filled with several strips of sashimi and a few glazed vegetables towards her. This wasn't enough to restore her mood, but, after taking a few bites of the inordinately delicious food, a satisfied smile spread across her face as she chimed, "You're going to be my personal chef one day. I have already made up my mind~."Selectively ignoring Endorsi's words, Gandr slid another serving of fried rice towards Anak before turning to Baam and asking, "Are you already finished eating?"Returning a smile in response to Gandr's question, Baam explained, "I'm still not used to eating a lot of food. It was very delicious though. Thank you very much, Mr. Gandr!"Though he found it strange that the Primordial Sin of Gluttony had the smallest appetite among the members of Team Wolf Pack, Gandr chose to pay it no mind. There were more outlandish things in the Records, so, considering Baam's Innate had yet to awaken, there was no sense in fussing over it.Since everyone else had nearly had their fill, Gandr took the opportunity to prepare a large quantity of food for himself. He ended up preparing several tens of kilograms of food, devouring nearly his entire body weight in sashimi as everyone, excluding Rak and Anak, promptly lost their appetites...---Deciding to return on foot, Vahn was unhurriedly moving through the Town of Beginning's streets, passively mapping his surroundings while staring at his right hand. There, mist-like energy could be seen swirling in his palm, it's color reminiscent of gentle rays of sunshine peering through clouds in the wake of a storm.Though he had always assumed that a Tier 6 Record would allow for greater mastery over the Laws, Vahn never expected to awaken a skill related to Petting the moment Marble resigned herself to her fate. She ended up offering no resistance to his touch, and, after a few seconds had passed, a subtle light began to radiate from her body as the system informed him that he had obtained the [Taming] and [Subjugation] Skills.[Taming] and [Breeding] were the Skills most commonly associated with the Position of Anima, the exceptionally rare ability that allowed people to control and rear Shinheuh. [Subjugation], however, was an order of magnitude more frightening, as, rather than allow the user to exercise control over Shinheuh, it had the effect of 'forcibly subjugating all living creatures'. Vahn even suspected it was the precursor to an Innate, one he wasn't quite sure he wanted to possess.Fortunately, even if [Subjugation] would be 'extremely useful' under certain circumstances, it wasn't like Vahn was forced to use it. Rather, even if it activated passively, the Skill would only take effect if he accepted the affected as his Subordinate, Retainer, or Believer. This made the Skill relatively safe to use, and, so long as he used it without malicious intentions, Vahn knew it would be very effective for grooming and spurring the growth of various different creatures...While thinking about the feasibility of literally subjugating Floor Guardians, Vahn was more than a little surprised when a green-skinned man suddenly intercepted his path, shouting, "There you are! I've been looking everywhere trying to find another member of our Team! Show me the way to our Inn this instant, you trash...!"Since he was nowhere near the location of the Inn, Vahn had never expected to encounter Parakewl during his aimless wandering. He couldn't help but wonder if the man had some kind of Innate that allowed him to track down and annoy people as, despite being referred to as a town, the Town of Beginnings was a loose circle with a diameter nearing 80km. This meant there were more than 5000 square kilometers for the man to explore, yet, in spite of this, he somehow managed to find the one person most annoyed by his presence...For a brief moment, Vahn was tempted to test his newly acquired [Subjugation] on the annoying green-skinned man. Unfortunately, his sense of responsibility wouldn't allow him to abandon one of his Subordinates, so, after suppressing the urge, he simply teleported away. If Parakewl was able to continue finding him throughout the duration of their stay on the 3rd Floor, he might reconsider the man's position within Team Wolf Pack, but, for the time being, he had absolutely no interest in a man who went around calling people trash and screaming about revolution.Seeing the target of his ire spontaneously disappear, Parakewl began to stamp the ground in place, his mouth opening to unnatural proportions as he screamed, "You trash! How dare you ignore the great me!? Aren't we supposed to be on the same Team!? Where is your sense of camaraderie...!?"Having teleported several hundred meters away from Parakewl's location, Vahn was unable to hear the man's abrasive outburst. Then, after a few more precautionary teleportations, he took a seat in a large found plaza, exhaling a tired sigh as he looked towards the sunless sky above. Since they were currently indoors, there were no natural lights within the Tower. Rather, before the Workshop spent thousands of years installing artificial lighting on each of the Floors, emulating the day-night cycle, it had been a place of perpetual darkness and gloom.Closing his eyes, Vahn imagined what it must have been like for the pioneers who had climbed the Tower prior to the establishment of the Jahad Empire. It must have been a terrifying ordeal, but, as the prize was having all of their wishes granted, he could imagine countless people willingly taking up the challenge. They had likely spent millennia, if not even longer, just trying to tame the Tower and its inhabitants, slowly emerging as the 'Native Species' that were largely wiped out during the formation of the increasingly notorious Empire.Inhaling a deep breath, Vahn exhaled yet another sigh as he opened his eyes, lazily observing the countless Regulars who were doing their best to try and realize their dreams. There were more than three-hundred-thousand residents in the Town of Beginnings even though it was only the 3rd Floor. This number would skyrocket into the millions whenever you reached one of the bottleneck Floors, yet, compared to the approximated 120 billion people present within this Tower, even this number was considered small.Had this been his Empire, Vahn would have done everything in his power to allow the residents of the Tower the opportunity to achieve their dreams. After all, many of them spent hundreds of years proactively trying to climb the Tower, yet, because of a broken system, they were forced to stop on certain floors just to avoid being killed in various power struggles. It, honestly, made him feel a little suffocated, not because his own path was limited, but because he could 'feel' the desperation of the Regulars wanting to climb...people he could help with a simple wave of his hand...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Rather than 'hungry', Endorsi seems kind of thirsty xD...','Don't worry, Gandr. Baam's appetite is steadily growing...','A power that could change everything...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

After what felt like an exceptionally long day, the members of the Hunting Party were the last to return to the Inn. Shortly after that, everyone gathered together within Vahn's room to eat dinner together, a mandate he had passed down as the God of the Familia.Vahn believed people became closer during meals, especially when good food was involved, so he insisted that everyone share at least one meal together. This would help strengthen their sense of unity as members of the same Familia, and, most importantly, it would prevent anyone from feeling excluded. After all, when you combined delicious food with potent liquor and healthy competition, it was only a matter of time before the walls around the heart were breached.The only troublesome part about having everyone eat within his room, excluding the cleanup, was that Vahn became a lot more approachable after a few drinks. The presence of Phae actually served to deter the men from approaching him more than the women, so, by the end of the evening, Vahn had Anak napping in Phae's lap to his right while Hwa Ryun continued pouring drinks to his left. As for Endorsi, she became emboldened by the presence of alcohol, so, for the last hour or so, she had been lingering around Gandr like a vengeful spirit waiting to possess an unsuspecting victim.Though Vahn found Gandr's suffering rather amusing from an outside perspective, the fact he also experienced the suffering directly left him feeling slightly exasperated. It didn't help that she was a confident and beautiful woman who was more than three-hundred-years-old. This, combined with the fact he could read her body language and intentions like an open book, gave Gandr a not-so-subtle urge to simply 'educate' the inexperienced woman every time she attempted to seduce him.Shaking his head, Vahn gathered everyone's attention by nodding towards Phae, prompting her to loudly clap her hands and say, "Everyone! My Lord wishes to say a few words! Please listen closely!"With Anak and Laure also peeling open their eyes to listen to what he had to say, Vahn adopted a firm yet guiding tone as he said, "It is nearing 10 PM. Everyone will be expected to gather by 5 AM for training so I would encourage you to get plenty of rest. This training will be mandatory until you reach the 20th Floor, so make sure you are mentally and physically prepared. If you fail to make the necessary preparations, you are guaranteed to experience some suffering..."Though there were mixed reactions to his words, the one thing everyone present understood was that they were getting kicked out of Vahn's room. Fortunately, the other two rooms were flanking Vahn's, so, even if they were a little intoxicated or tired, they could make it back without issue. The only person who was unable to return on their own was Anak, but, thanks to Phae carrying her, she made it back to her room without issue.With even Hwa Ryun leaving thanks to Phae's insistence, Vahn was finally able to kick off his shoes and relax. There were still conversations taking place in both rooms, primarily related to tomorrow's training, but those had very little to do with him. This was a strange thought to have, considering he was both Phae and Gandr, but Vahn didn't pay it any mind as he slowly slipped off into the endless abyss of unconsciousness for the first time in a very long time...---Opening his eyes, Vahn found himself in a familiar setting, one that had long since lost any meaning to him. Instead of being the one strapped to a table, however, he found himself staring down at his own emaciated body, feelings of guilt welling within his chest as the voice of a woman coldly stated over the intercom, "Dr. Andrews. You are authorized to proceed with the extraction of the subject's forelimbs. Remember, the fate of your wife and your daughter are on the line here...if you want their disease to be cured, you will complete the operation without incident. Your Hippocratic Oath has no value within this place."Though the surgery had yet to begin, Dr. Andrews relied on the attending Nurses to wipe the sweat from his brow as he shakily replied, "I understand, Dr. Keenly. I knew what I was getting myself into when I signed up for this procedure. So long as my wife and daughter are cured, I am willing to do whatever it takes..."Despite the boldness of his words, Dr. Andrews couldn't help feeling a little sick to his stomach as he stared down at the emaciated boy on the operating table. He had never seen someone so pitiful, yet, instead of helping the boy, he was about to take away even more from him. This caused him to doubt every decision he had ever made in his life, the single exception being his decision to use the boy's blood to cure his wife and daughter. They were the two most important things in the world to him, so, even if he had to sell his soul to the Devil himself, he would do everything within his power to make them well again.Resolving himself to retire the moment his wife and daughter were treated, Dr. Andrews picked up the bone saw glistening on the table to his right. Then, for the first time since his arrival, he locked eyes with the boy, a shiver running through his body when he saw the fear and desperation within the youth's glowing green eyes. This made him feel borderline suicidal, but, having already made his decision, Dr. Andrews swallowed hard, saw in hand as he lightly muttered, "God forgive me..."---Replacing the unbelievable nausea feeling of nausea that had permeated his entire existence, Vahn soon found himself laying in an extremely comfortable hospital bed. This caused him quite a bit of confusion since he had never seen such a room in his entire life. It was almost like a hospital room had been combined with a suite, and, though his entire body ached, there was a powerful cocktail of drugs flowing into his body through an intravenous drip.Before Vahn could make sense of his situation, a woman wearing a wig walked into the room, her face gaunt and visible tears within her sunken eyes. She looked like someone in the later stages of cancer treatment, yet, in spite of the suffering she was clearly going through, a fierce determination was visible in her loving gaze. This caused Vahn's nose to feel sour, and, before he realized it, tears were welling within his eyes as he called out in the voice of a young girl, "Mommy..."Though 'her' body ached beyond belief, Vahn, or, more specifically, Chelsea Thomas, forced herself to reach out towards her mother. In response, the woman, Ariel Thomas, promptly moved from the entrance of the room to her daughter's beside. There, the two held hands as Ariel sat down, forcing a smile onto her face as she said, "Don't worry, sweetie. The Doctors in this hospital are the best in the world. They have a treatment that is guaranteed to cure our illness. You just need to hold on a little longer...you're my little warrior, aren't you...?"Ignoring the pain the action caused, Chelsea nodded her head in response to her mother's words, answering in a sobbing tone, "We promised...to fight...together..."Nodding her head, Ariel brought her daughter's hand to her mouth, kissing the emaciated fingers as tears began trickling from her eyes. This caused Chelsea to feel like her heart was breaking, but, at the same time, a desire to survive welled up inside of her. She didn't want to make her mommy and daddy sad, so, no matter how much pain she had to experience, she would continue to fight until she could fight no longer...---Feeling a sensation similar to whiplash, Vahn suddenly found himself on-stage at a large convention center. His hands were tightly holding onto the sides of an elegant wooden podium adorned with a variety of different microphones. Opposite from him, separated by what appeared to be a panel of bullet-proof glass, thousands of people had gathered together to hear him speak on foreign policy and the rising tensions in the Middle East...---With the caffeine provided by half-a-dozen energy drinks fueling him, Vahn found himself furiously clicking his right mouse button as his left hand danced across various hotkeys on his led-lit gaming keyboard. Though he was wearing soundproof headphones, he could still feel the vibrations of the crowd as they demanded victory from him. Fortunately, after his most recent stay in the ICU, he was back and better than ever, more than prepared to defend his title as the greatest Starcraft 2 player in the entire world...---After experiencing precisely 1,317,042 different viewpoints, Vahn found himself suspended within a seemingly infinite expanse. He wasn't alone, however, as the silhouettes of countless people could be seen staring back at him from within the darkness, their eyes reflecting the only source of light in the entire area, his body.At first, Vahn felt naked and vulnerable under the unwavering eyes of so many people. He felt like a tiny rabbit that had been surrounded by a pack of wolves, each appearing hungrier than the next. It was an extremely unnerving feeling, one that caused him to instinctually suppress his light until the only thing visible within the void was his emaciated body.Fortunately, almost immediately after he had curled up into a fetal position, Vahn found himself staring at a pair of feet that were only a few centimeters from his face. This horrified him at first, but, as he looked up to see who the dainty white feel belonged to, he saw someone he had never expected to see...the face of a young woman with green eyes...Without him willing it, the light emanating from Vahn's body expanded exponentially, exposing all of the people who stood in his surroundings. If he were to look closely, he would see that most of them were smiling back at him, expression of pure gratitude visible on their faces. Unfortunately, he was completely unaware of this as the only thing on his mind was the woman smiling down at him with love and compassion exuding from her entire being...---Waking with a start, Vahn sat up to find himself in the middle of a heavily destroyed landscape, a thick layer of sweat covering most of his body. He instantly recognized this as a place that existed within his Realm, but, rather than focusing on this aspect, he shifted his attention toward the figure who had been allowing him to use her lap as a pillow.Seemingly amused by his stupefaction, the woman, a buxom Cat Person with short, two-tone, black hair and peculiar yellow-green eyes issued a light chuckle. Then, before he could make any sense of the current situation, she grabbed his head rather forcibly, somehow overpowering him despite the fact he had infinite strength within his Realm. As a result, Vahn found his face buried in the woman's chest, a calming aura and an extremely nostalgic scent pervading his entire existence as she stroked the back of his head and explained in a familiar tone, "You really know how to make a girl worry...if I didn't pull you back into your Realm, you might have destroyed the entire Inn..."Though he had been mortified by the fact that he was powerless within his own Realm, Vahn's body immediately relaxed when he realized the woman's identity. At the same time, his hands naturally made their way around her willowy yet impeccably soft waist, embracing her by pure instinct. This elicited another light chuckle from the woman, who, instead of pushing him away, exuded a wispy rainbow hue from her palm as she continued to stroke his head. Then, as he quickly descended into another deep state of unconsciousness, Vahn heard the woman whisper, "Sleep...let your Big Sister watch over you for a little while longer...in this place, we have all the time we need..."Punctuating her words, the woman, Sis, planted a delicate kiss on the top of Vahn's head before falling to the side while still embracing him. Almost immediately thereafter, Vahn's body defaulted to his fourteen-year-old form, the version of himself that had appeared at the very beginning of his journey through the Records. Then, over the duration of several months, he gradually transitioned through each of the forms he had assumed during his journey, reliving everything as Sis continued to firmly embrace him...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Endorsi skirting around landmines xD...','Wat...?','(OwO)...!!!')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

Chapter 1758: Reflection