Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

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

As his consciousness slowly returned, Vahn found himself enveloped in an extremely comfortable sensation. It was pleasant to the point of inspiring lethargy, so, even though he knew he shouldn't continue sleeping, Vahn nestled closer to the aromatic warmth, hugging it tightly as he tried to go back to sleep.It wasn't until he heard an affectionate giggle that Vahn's awareness fully returned, his mind kicking into high gear as his eye snapped open. Then, even though he felt a strong inclination to continue nestling into them, Vahn extracted his face from Sis' paradoxically smooth yet firm breasts to make eye contact with the cat woman staring at him with a loving smile.Taking advantage of the fact Vahn had turned his face toward her, Sis planted a tender kiss on his forehead before combing back his messy hair and saying, "If you're still not ready, we can stay here for as long as you need. You've earned the right to be pampered...at least a little..."With Sis stroking his head, Vahn felt a calming energy wash over his body as her warmth continued to spread through him. It gave him a strong urge to let go of his worries and continue sleeping, but, understanding there were more important things that required his attention, he managed to resist the temptation, a cool sensation washing over his mind as he stated, "Thank you...but I have already slept long enough..."Humming in response to Vahn's words, Sis continued to comb through his hair for several seconds, this time without using [Hands of Nirvana]. It was only after she had fixed most of his bed hair that she replied, "Perhaps...I still think you could sleep a little longer, but, if this is your decision, it is my duty to support it. It's a shame, though...I really enjoyed seeing your sleeping face..."Though her facial features gave her a mischievous appearance, similar to Chloe, Vahn couldn't help feeling awed by the overwhelming love visible in Sis's gaze. He didn't even care that she had lightly pinched his cheek, the corners of her smile curling upward slightly as she mused, "Well, your awake face isn't so bad either. It's no wonder all the girls fall for you...you're a handsome little devil, aren't you~?"Feeling uncharacteristically embarrassed by Sis' words, Vahn managed to extricate himself from her embrace, his eyes sweeping over their surroundings for a brief moment before instinctually opening the system interface. There, he received confirmation of his suspicions, a smile spreading across his face as he read the effects of his new Innate: [Universal Mind].----------------------------------------------[Universal Mind]Rank: Innate (E) *Innate Skills cannot be identified. Attempts to do so will result in a backlash.*[Passive]: All things in the Order of Creation are One. Absorbs the knowledge and experience of all beings created through the user.[Active]: [Template]: Allows the user to develop nascent Egos in accordance with their will.[Active]: [Partition]: The user is able to separate Secondary and Tertiary Egos from their Principal Axis of Consciousness.[Active]: [Unification]: The user is able to link Secondary and Tertiary Egos to their Principal Axis of Consciousness.----------------------------------------------Though he had always expected his Mind Innate to be very powerful, Vahn couldn't help but feel that his [Universal Mind] was inordinately powerful. It might not be very useful to a 'normal' person, but, as someone who could freely create bodies, Vahn could theoretically populate an entire world with different versions of himself. There were bound to be numerous restrictions, especially with it being E-Rank, but, so long as he continued trying to improve, there were no limits to what he could accomplish with such an Innate.As that thought crossed his mind, Vahn noticed that he was actually missing a Skill, one that had been with since the very start of his journey. In response to this, Sis, seemingly just as aware of his thoughts as usual, explained, "[Chainbreaker] has always been the template for your Mind Innate. Now that you have awakened something like [Universal Mind], combined with the fact you can no longer die, the only thing limiting you is your own perception and comprehension. Even this isn't a true limitation, however...after all, you now have the ability to create versions of yourself that are wholly dedicated to a specific task. If you wanted to, you could just sit back and allow all of your creations to do the heavy lifting while you focus on the things that really matter to you..."Hearing Sis' explanation, Vahn could actually imagine himself relaxing in Avalon, spending time with his family, and generally enjoying life while countless versions of himself worked hard to achieve his goals. It was a very tempting notion, but, even if they were actually just extensions of himself, Vahn had never been the type to just sit back while others worked hard. If he had such a nature, he would have relied on Shadow Clones a long time ago, so, after silently contemplating his future decisions, Vahn matched Sis' gaze, returning her smile as he asked, "Where's the fun in that...?"Though he was bound to benefit greatly from the creation of several different Egos, Vahn was more than satisfied with just Phae, Gandr, and Sis. He might make other versions of himself in the future, but, rather than put them to task while he sat in the back, he would work alongside them to reach their unified goals. After all, if he wanted to just create extremely obedient yet capable servants, he had always been able to do so.Fortunately, even without him having to ask, Sis responded with a curt nod, explaining, "Even if it is not originally your Innate, the [Keeper of the Akashic Tome] is currently a part of you. Since entities such as Phae and Gandr do not have fates, there is nothing preventing you from naming them. You can even recreate some of your favorite characters from the Records you were unable to visit. There are no limitations, only your personal inhibitions."Hearing Sis' response, Vahn briefly imagined populating a world with all of his favorite characters, separating their Egos from himself and allowing them to roam freely within his Realm. There were actually a number of characters he had always wanted to meet and interact with, chief among them being people like Naruto, Luffy, and Ichigo. He had also had a bit of a crush on characters such as Hinata, Nami, and Yoruichi, the first due to her kindness, the second due to the empathy he felt regarding her plight, and the third because she was beautiful, confident, and had the ability to turn into a cat...Almost as soon as that thought had crossed his mind, Vahn's eyes rounded his view suddenly split into four. Three of these views were focused on his shocked expression, but, from the perspective of his original self, Vahn was thoroughly at a loss for words as he stared at the three realistic versions of the characters he was just thinking about. This included a young and absurdly adorable Hinata, a curvaceous and beautiful Nami, and an extremely lithe yet toned Yoruichi.Though he was surprised by the sudden appearance of the three girls, Vahn couldn't help but tilt his head to the side as he noticed that Yoruichi was only a few centimeters taller than the twelve-year-old Hinata. He always imagined her being a tall and confident woman, towering over other females in the series with her shapely yet athletic figure. Instead, she was only 156cm tall, and, though she radiated a mature and subtly seductive aura, especially in form-fitting clothing, she barely came up to his chest. (A/N: Vahn is 185cm tall.)Further increasing Vahn's incredulity, Yoruichi crossed her arms, an accusatory look in her golden eyes as she remarked, "I'll have you know that I'm above-average for a Japanese woman. You're just too tall."Almost immediately after Yoruichi had spoken, Vahn was no longer able to see the world from her perspective. His instincts told him that he could reestablish the link whenever he wanted, but, for the time being, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that Yoruichi had become a separate entity from him. This, in turn, caused Nami and Hinata to blink into awareness, the former adopting a slightly annoyed look while the latter seemed to shrink into her own clothing.Before things could get further out of hand, Vahn raised his left hand, saying, "Give me a moment." while using his right hand to massage his temples. Too many things were occurring simultaneously, and, though he had just awakened his Mind Innate, it didn't seem to have any effect on his ability to process information.Fortunately, the Yoruichi, Nami, and Hinata standing before him were 'only' nascent Egos. They did not truly exist, and, unless he named them, they were just versions of himself that had been made to look like the characters he was familiar with. They had none of the knowledge and experience of the originals, and, though they were capable of emulating the behavior he was familiar with, it was, in the end, just an act.Feeling his link with the three immediately reestablish itself, Vahn's own Ego became the dominant presence within the girls' minds. He could move around and control them at his will, and, though their 'base' appearance was that of the three characters he was familiar with, he could even change their shape and form if he really wanted to. The moment he did so, however, he felt a potent feeling of anxiety well up inside of him, almost like the nascent Ego he had produced feared for its life...Before he willed it, Vahn's connection with the trio was promptly severed, his perspective returning to a single point of view as he stared back at the silent trio. They were compelled to obey his orders due to being extensions of himself, and, unless he gave them free will and a name, this would never change. This made him feel a little guilty, but, before he could fall into his usual pattern, Sis crossed her arms and said, "Stop worrying so much. This is your power, Vahn, not something you should be afraid of. Just as you have told so many others, you should embrace this power and do your best to try and master it. If you continue holding yourself back every time you obtain greater power, you'll only increase the amount of time it takes to reach Tier 7."Understanding the truth contained within Sis' words, Vahn ran his fingers through his hair in a self-calming gesture before looking directly at the trio and asking, "What do you want to do? Though it might sound ridiculous considering the current circumstances, I will give you the option to choose your own path..."Since they were no longer compelled to remain silent, Nami was the first to answer, her tone rather harsh yet spirited as she exclaimed, "Are you an idiot!? Our only real options are to either continue living or have our existence erased! Though I'm seriously pissed off about this situation, it's not like it can just be reversed! Instead of asking if I would rather die, you should be trying to convince me to live!"Though she was acting the way he expected her to act, Vahn couldn't help but feel taken aback by Nami's fiery temperament. Fortunately, before she could continue screaming like a furious banshee, Yoruichi added her own two cents, an amused smile on her face as she crossed her arms and asked, "So, you have a crush on me, huh? I must admit, I never expected my existence to be predicated on the fact that a boy I never met wanted to keep me as a pet...well, so long as you keep me well fed and pamper me, I don't particularly mind. Just don't go overboard or I might have to turn that little dragon of yours into a scratch post."Hearing Yoruichi mention the fact he had a crush on her, combined with her reference to his 'little' dragon, a very subtle shade of red crept into Vahn's cheeks. It had been quite some time since he felt embarrassed, but, perhaps as a result of his actual crush on the woman, Yoruichi's teasing was surprisingly effective. Her amused smile actually made him feel a little giddy, and, though he was able to avoid averting his eyes, he had a very strong inclination to look away...Understanding Vahn's thoughts, Yoruichi's smile became progressively more playful, but, before she could act on her 'instincts', everyone shifted their attention to the quiet girl poking her index fingers together as she muttered, "Umm...I think...I think...I..."Though Vahn could deal with Nami and Yoruichi, Hinata's existence was one that inspired quite a bit of guilt. She was actually one of his first crushes, someone he had always found both adorable yet extremely pitiful. The way she was discarded from her family made him hate the Hyuuga quite a bit, but, while he had always liked her, Vahn had always done so while imagining himself as Naruto. He believed the two made a perfect couple, and, though he never finished the series from his original world, most of the versions Vahn purchased from the system shop had Hinata end up with Naruto.Since they could all understand Vahn's thoughts, Hinata began to feel extremely flustered, waving her hands from side-to-side as she exclaimed, "No, no, no, no! Um...please don't think like that...! I don't want you to make a Naruto-kun just for my sake! B-b-b-b-besides! He wouldn't be the real Naruto-kun! I am h-h-happy just to be given a chance to live in such a fantastical world...I mean...I..."Seeing the way Hinata was behaving, Vahn remembered that their behavior was entirely dependent on how he 'believed' they should act. This was a version of Hinata who was well aware of the fact he had a crush on her, so, while she might not feel the same, her kind and gentle nature compelled her to be considerate towards him. She also had his knowledge, including memories related to his past, so it was simply impossible for her to make demands of him. Rather, even if she didn't like him right now, the seeds of affection had been sewn the moment she manifested before him...Confirming his suspicions, even Nami ended up releasing an exasperated sigh in response to Yoruichi's and Hinata's responses. Then, after crossing her arms under her extremely voluptuous chest, she firmly asserted, "I want a planet, one filled with treasure. I also want to visit my world at least once after you gain the ability to link Records. I want to save Bellmere...even if it is for the sake of another me..."Though it wasn't necessary to make such guarantees, as Nami's desires actually reflected his own, Vahn still nodded his head, promising, "I was already intending to visit One Piece in the future. The very concept of the Celestial Dragons has always bothered me so I wanted to try crushing them at least once. There's no way I would ignore the injustices that happened in Cocoyasi Village and the Gray Terminal. Even if I end up interfering with Luffy's path to becoming the King of Pirates, I'll still protect the people I want to protect."Since they were all aware of Vahn's nature, Nami didn't doubt the veracity of Vahn's claim. Instead, she snorted through her nose before asking the most important question, "So, which one of us are you going to name first...?"(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'We're in the End Game now boys...','Someone stab this man...I don't care if it doesn't actually do anything (T ^ T)...','The future might be filled with endless possibilities, but, no matter what happens, you can be sure that Vahn is going to fuck up some corrupt assholes xD...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

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

Chapter 1759: Slumber