Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With the excitement of advancing to a new Floor keeping them awake, Vahn wasn't surprised to find several people waiting outside his door much earlier than usual. As a result, breakfast began a little early, and, by the time everyone had eaten their fill, they still had more than half an hour until they needed to be at the plaza. Despite this, they decided to head over early, as, more often than not, it was better to be early than risk becoming late.What Vahn didn't anticipate, even though he had expected something similar to happen, was for the group to come across Parakewl sitting like a beggar on the side of the street. Fortunately, he was able to sense the man long before Team Wolf Pack encountered him, so, with ample time on their hands, he led the group along a more scenic route while placing a few consolation items in Parakewl's hat.Vahn had actually been willing to give the man the benefit of the doubt, but, as Parakewl's path had intersected with his 'a lot' over the last two weeks, he had ample opportunity to determine that the man was a detrimental existence to the group dynamic. In fact, he often found Parakewl proactively trying to scam other Regulars, and, even when he was in an inferior position, he still had a bad habit of referring to everyone around him as 'trash', 'scum', or 'garbage'.Though Parakewl assuredly had a tragic past of his own, much like the majority of Regulars climbing the Tower, that didn't justify his treatment of others. He was the type that willfully profited from the efforts of others, and, though he wasn't likely to betray Team Wolf Pack, you didn't judge people on how they treated those who were useful to them; you ascertained their true nature from seeing how they treated those beneath them.If he was in a position of legitimate power and authority, Parakewl was the type that would give into corruption in an instant. He already extolled himself above others, despite his weakness, so it wasn't difficult to imagine how he would behave once he became truly powerful. Thus, regardless of what destiny the man held, Vahn had no interest in pandering to an egotist who would unquestionably demand more power than he ever worked to obtain.Fortunately, while Parakewl seemed to have some kind of GPS that allowed him to cross paths with people he could potentially leech off of, it wasn't omniscient. As a result, Team Wolf Pack was able to reach their destination without crossing paths with the green-skinned man. There, Marble could be seen with a slight smile on her face, stating, "Welcome, Regulars." in a soft tone that suited the early morning calm.Since it would be their last time interacting with each other, potentially for decades, Vahn surprised the rest of the group by casually walking over and petting the top of Marble's head. This caused the youthful-looking Ranker to tense upon realizing his intentions, but, rather try to avoid his hand, she released a resigned sigh before closing her eyes and enjoying the inordinately pleasant sensation.After getting his fill of the not-so-young woman's silky soft hair, Vahn took a few steps back, a calm smile on his face as he said, "Thank you for watching over us these last two weeks. It might take a few years, but I will do my best to make your dream a reality."Though he was referencing the ambitions of Wolhaiksong, Marble's cheeks began slightly flushed in response to Vahn's words. She thought he had somehow come to learn of her dream of growing six more centimeters, something she had only ever told her own mother and younger sister. This made her feel more than a little embarrassed, her face quickly developing a rosy hue as she aggressively urged, "Get on the platform. I will now transfer you to the 4th Floor."Deciding not to laugh at Marble's expense, an amused smile spread across Vahn's face as he joined the members of Team Wolf Pack near the center of the teleportation circle. Moments later, each of them disappeared into motes of bluish-white light, eliciting a relieved sigh from Marble, who, with nothing else planned for the early morning, decided to go cool her head...---As was often the case when entering a new Floor of the Inner Tower, Team Wolf Pack's arrival on the 4th Floor was greeted by the presence of a Test Administrator. This particular Ranker was wearing a dark blue overcoat that seemed to be made from a type of chitinous material, and, though they had prominently heeled boots, they didn't appear to have an actual gender. Rather, they seemed to be some kind of bio-mechanical organism, as, rather than a 'helmet', Vahn was pretty certain that the tear-shaped visor covering their face was their actual head.Since it was difficult to ascertain the true nature and structure of a Ranker without direct contact, largely due to the protective membrane that surrounded their body, Vahn decided against trying to probe the entity's secrets. Instead, he just listened silently as the Administrator explained in a purely synthetic voice, "You are currently in a region known as Testing Ground 173. Your objective this time around is simple; you need only survive within this region for thirty days. As far as earning Points is concerned, there are eighteen other teams within this same region. Each Regular has been assigned a bounty based on their past performances. Subduing or killing another Regular will award you with their bounty. This, in turn, will increase your overall bounty. Any questions?"Never the type to miss out on an opportunity to acquire more information, both Gandr and Shibisu spoke out at the same time. In the end, however, the latter just chuckled awkwardly, allowing Gandr to ask, "Are there any uses for Points on this Floor? What about penalties? Will we get in trouble for leaving the region? Are the borders adequately marked?"Though they didn't reply immediately, the Administrator ultimately nodded their head, responding to each inquiry in an emotionless tone, "There are five supply stations scattered around the Testing Grounds. Your Party may earn additional Points by defending these territories from other Parties. It is there that you can spend your Points to obtain a variety of goods. However, as this is supposed to be a Survival Test, even simple bread and water are very expensive. As for penalties, the only rule is that you stay within the Testing Grounds for the entire thirty days. There is a membrane of Shinsu surrounding the entire region, so, unless you force your way through, it is impossible to leave. If you did force your way through, you would be immediately disqualified. Any more questions?"Despite asking if there were more questions, the Administrator, without so much as providing their name, tapped an invisible icon on their personal terminal. Immediately after that, they vanished into thin air, leaving Shibisu with his hand in the air and mouth hanging open. This elicited a laugh from Gandr, but, seemingly unamused, Endorsi remarked, "What a rude bucket of bolts." before promptly asking, "So, what's the plan? Do we want to eliminate the other Parties or are we going to just hole ourselves up in the Little Garden for the next thirty days?"Interjecting before Khun could answer, Vahn, very plainly, remarked, "The Little Garden is not meant to remove obstacles in your path and make your lives more convenient. This is a Survival Test, not a vacation. You will undertake the test like any other group of Regulars."Hearing Vahn's remark, Endorsi, Nare, and even Anak all showed troubled expressions. The first two simply hated the idea of camping out in the wild. As for the latter, she didn't particularly mind, but, having grown rather fond of the large bath and spa facilities available within the Little Garden, she couldn't help but display a look of regret.Since she had slowly come to understand the futility of trying to oppose Vahn's words, Endorsi just balled her hands into fists, visibly pouting as Khun went on to explain, "We are not here to crush the dreams of other Regulars trying to climb the Tower. We will occupy one of the supply stations, and, so long as they do not come seeking trouble, we will allow representatives from the other parties to make use of the facilities. We have more than enough Points after earning free passage on the 3rd Floor. We don't need to be greedy and confrontational."Though warriors like Rak and Hatsu didn't wholly agree with Khun's plan of action, neither decided to oppose his decision. The former had mellowed out quite a bit after being thrashed by Fenrir for the better part of two weeks, so, while he was eager to hunt down fresh prey, he was willing to wait until they came to him. As for Hatsu, he had learned that mastery of the blade had less to do with actual combat than it did with mental discipline and your perception of the world around you. For this reason, he was no longer as eager to seek out strong opponents. Rather, if he was that eager for a challenge, there was an ever-increasing number of opponents within his own group that he could spar against...With everyone in line with his judgment, Khun directed Gandr, Shibisu, and Nare to scout out and map the surrounding region while the rest of their group walked towards the presumed center. It was pretty much guaranteed that they would find a supply station in the very center, and, as was often the case within the Tower, coveted positions often provided greater benefits. Khun assumed that the central supply station would either have an increased stock or cheaper goods, so, while it would save them a lot of trouble to secure one of the other stations, their 'pride' as a Team dictated they occupy the most highly contested region.Khun knew there were quite a number of battle junkies within Team Wolf Pack, so, while he would rather avoid conflict, he knew it would hurt morale if they proactively avoided battles. Thus, while it made the most sense to just secure an isolated region, living off the land for the next thirty days, he unhesitantly directed them towards the place that was guaranteed to see the most conflict. He also wanted to avoid sleeping on the ground, so, while it might not be possible to find a bed, the supply station was bound to have rooms where they could safely lay down mats and sleeping bags...---After trekking through heavily forested terrain for more than four hours, much to the chagrin of Endorsi, Team Wolf Pack finally arrived near a massive structure that appeared like an ivory white pylon from afar. Unfortunately, other than a large circular chamber, there weren't any other rooms present within the facility. Instead, there was a massive circular pool near the very center of the room.Floating above the pool, a massive blue crystal could be seen gracefully spinning along its central axis. Beneath that, a small terminal, which could only be accessed by a Lighthouse, allowed for the acquisition of various items. The options ranged from simple foodstuffs to D-Rank Items, the latter of which was consider a 'substantial' boon for a normal Regular. In fact, most of their current items were only F-Rank, so, upon learning they could purchase D-Rank items from the supply station, a greedy light flashed across the eyes of many.Fortunately, after experiencing the benefits providing by the Quest Board and the Little Garden, the majority of Team Wolf Pack was content with their current blessings. Vahn also selectively prevented Quests such as [Eliminate all other Parties] and [Harvest 100 Bounties] from appearing on the Quest Board, so, while it was exciting to see such variety within the list of items, nobody openly suggested they begin hunting down the other parties. Instead, everyone worked collectively to come up with a guard rotation, fully determined to hold the supply station for the entire thirty days...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Marble is too pure for this world...six centimeters xD...','Questions? Concerns? Complaints? No? Bye.','Those are some pretty delicious Quests though...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Even at a casual pace, Team Wolf Pack was capable of covering ground much faster than the average team of Regulars. As a result, it wasn't until the sky started to darken that another party, consisting of seven Regulars, appeared. Unfortunately, they also had plans for the central supply station, so, rather than seek a dialogue, they confirmed the bounties of the two 'brats' guarding the entrance before attempting to pick them off with their Spear Bearer, a burly man with curved horns and four muscular arms.Despite noticing the dark green spear cutting through the air, Gandr just issued a bored yawn while his counterpart, Anak, batted the projectile aside with a snort. Then, leaning forward like a sprinter, the muscles in her legs tensed, her body turning into a blur as she took off with even greater speed than the spear was thrown. This was enough to surprise the group of seven, but, rather than try and flee, they immediately got into a battle formation.Since the 3rd Floor grouped everyone into Parties and forced them to cohabitate with each other, it wasn't surprising to see Regulars on the 4th Floor working together. Unfortunately, even with three Fishermen on their team, the group of would-be hunters quickly became the hunted. They had seen the remarkable bounties on both Gandr's and Anak's heads, but, rather than immediately run away, they deluded themselves into thinking they could easily pick off the child-like duo. As a result, Anak ended up severely beating the entire Party, not even sparing the two women, one Lightbearer and one Scout, from her wrath.Walking over to the petite Princess' side, Gandr habitually stroked Anak's head as he said, "Good work. You're getting better at holding back."Though it used to bother her, having her head pat, Anak made no attempt to prevent Gandr from doing so. Instead, she intoned a curt, 'Nn...', allowing him to continue caressing her head for a few seconds before batting it aside and asking, "What should we do with them?"Shrugging his shoulders, Gandr replied, "It's hard to say. The Administrator didn't explain how we could collect another person's bounty without killing them. We could always tie them up and ask, but I doubt they would be willing to explain unless we tortured them. That isn't exactly how we do things, though, so I say we just leave them be. If they attack us again, we can always just beat them up a second time. The highest bounty outside of our Team is only two-thousand Points higher than Nare's, so we're not likely to encounter any real threats on this Floor."Having developed a habit of deferring to Gandr, Anak nodded her head in response to his words before returning to her position near the entrance of the supply station. There were two cushions flanking a small table filled with tea and treats, so, after plopping down on her own, Anak picked up an animal-shaped cookie, absentmindedly nibbling on it with a lazy expression on her face. As for Gandr, he made sure none of the injured Regulars were at risk of dying before returning to his own spot, a contented sigh escaping his mouth as he savored the black tea in his cup...---From the highest point of the 200m tall pylon, Vahn could be seen with a lazy smile on his face as he and Phae observed Gandr and Anak from within her invisible Lighthouse. They had been omitted from the guard rotation, for obvious reasons, so, after providing a few basic supplies, Vahn decided to let Team Wolf Pack struggle through the rest of the Survival Test without support. He would only step in if there was interference from the Administration, but, considering they were still within the first twenty Floors, considered by many to be the Tower's 'Tutorial', this wasn't particularly likely.Fortunately, even if he didn't have much to do for the next thirty days, there were plenty of ways for Vahn to pass the time. Thus, with Phae keeping a watchful eye over Team Wolf Pack, Vahn spent the majority of his time attempting to comprehend the Mantra of Eternity. As for the rest, he used it to either idle about in the Little Garden, spending a considerable amount of time with Fenrir, Yoruichi, Hinata, and Mirajane, or training alongside Goku, Madara, Roger, and Ichigo.For obvious reasons, Vahn 'really' enjoyed the time he spent with the four girls in their love nest. It was strangely reassuring to be able to spend time with some of the women who had impacted him during the most trying time of his life. Being around them made him feel calm, and, though he was quite fond of their sexual exploits, the majority of their time together was spent just relaxing about, reading manga, watching anime, or just enjoying a nice, long, nap.Ever since he had decided to stop holding himself back, Vahn had been a lot more relaxed than he ever thought possible. This was in spite of the fact that he also trained alongside battle maniacs like Goku, Madara, Roger, and Ichigo. After all, even though they had a penchant for beating each other to a bloody pulp, there were no hard feelings between them. Rather, similar to his relationship with Hinata, Yoruichi, and Mira, Vahn had a lot of fun just hanging out with the four male Templates. He got along well with Roger, Ichigo, and Goku, and, though Madara wasn't particularly sociable, they could enjoy a few drinks together while sitting on the veranda of his Japanese-style manor.Despite 'letting go', Vahn felt like he had more control over his life these past few months than he had during the hundreds of years preceding them. Even Eva didn't seem to mind his 'gallivanting', stating she didn't really care what he did so long as he didn't try to force her into doing anything she wasn't comfortable with. Since he would obviously never do such a thing, Eva was surprisingly content spending most of her time within the Inner Sanctum's Library, casually reading the books inside while using Karin as a body pillow.With even Eva supporting his decision, Vahn felt like there was nothing preventing him from just doing as he pleased. The only real restriction on him was that he didn't overcomplicate things by arbitrarily introducing a plethora of women into the Realm. Their support was predicated on the fact that he was using his abilities to either be happy or expedite the completion of his objective, so, as much as possible, Vahn made sure to consider these two factors when he was choosing his Templates...---With the standard cooldown of [Keeper of the Akashic Tome] being thirty days, predicated on the fact he didn't mix too many Names, Vahn was prepared to bestow Phae a name by the time Team Wolf Pack had been on the 4th Floor for just over two weeks. To his surprise, however, she refused the opportunity, arguing, "It will be easier for me the protect the Children with complete access to The Path. So long as I receive a name by the 20th Floor, it doesn't really matter when I develop an actual Ego."Vahn had never really been able to argue against Phae, so, with her mind made up, he turned to the other Templates he had created, specifically Yoruichi and Hinata. He always tried to pay attention to the 'order' of things, so, with both girls being created at the same time, he felt compelled to ask for their opinions.As could be expected, Hinata willingly ceded the opportunity to Yoruichi, so, after a bit of back and forth regarding her name, they decided to keep things simple by going with her 'actual' name. She didn't even want the name 'Mason' tacked on to the end, arguing that, if he wanted her to have his name, he would need to 'accept responsibility' by marrying her.Since he knew Yoruichi was likely to refuse his proposal, as there was no 'need' for her to marry him, Vahn decided to shelve the conversation until a later date. Then, with Fenrir, Mirajane, and Hinata as witnesses, he took Yoruichi to the same location where Gandr had received his name before having her kneel in front of him. This elicited a few playful remarks from the bronze-skinned beauty, as she was naked in preparation for the ceremony, but Vahn largely ignored them as he placed his hand atop her had and granted her the True Name: Yoruichi Shihōin...-----------------------------------------------[Status]Name: [Yoruichi Shihōin], Sobriquet: N/AAge: 305 (Ageless)Race: Human, ShinigamiPosition(s): N/AStrength: D-Rank RegularToughness: D-Rank RegularIntellect: D-Rank RegularAgility: E-Rank RankerControl: B-Rank RegularShinsu Resistance: N/AShinsu: [Quality: Lightning, Cat], [Total: 43,800], [Bang: 9], [Myun: 219], [Soo: 219], [Tension: 100:1]Soul Tier: 4 (Divine Soul)Karm: (-)Innate(s): [Sage Dragon Emperor's Pet(Non-Standard): (-)], [Princess of the Shihōin Family(Non-Standard): SS], [Goddess of Lightning(Emission): SS], [Feline Transformation(Body): A]Skill(s): [Flash War Cry: Thunder Beast Battle Form: Flash God Black Cat Warrior Princess: SSS], [Flash God Super Transformation: SS], [Flash War Cry: Thunder God War Form: S], [Flash War Cry: S], [Flash Step: S], [Hands of Nirvana: SSS], [Swordsman(Divine): C], [Cooking(Master): E], [Unknown Mystic Arts: (-)], [Spatial Control(Ranker): F], [Cutting(Ranker): F], [Lighthouse Control(Regular): C], [Observer Control(Regular): B], [Reverse Flow Control(Ranker): D], [Flow Control(Ranker): C], [Shinsu Enhacement(Regular): C]-----------------------------------------------After a rather dazzling scene of lightning tearing through the landscape for the better part of five minutes, Yoruichi's naked body was revealed. Unlike her 'normal' form, however, she had two very prominent cat ears, a long black tail, and, most notably, lightning emulating 'fur' across her arms, legs, the tips of her ears, her long ponytail, and her actual feline tail. It was, as could be expected, pretty difficult to discern her features, but, thanks to his [Eyes of Truth], Vahn was able to witness Yoruichi's bombshell body in all it's glory, even as she pounced onto him...Though she had always been a little clingy, Vahn was more than a little surprised when Yoruichi began to rub her face and body against him, a happy 'Nyaa~' escaping her throat as she nestled into his chest. This wouldn't normally bother him, but, if he hadn't been in his Realm manifestation, Vahn knew he would have suffered quite a bit due to the lightning dancing across Yoruichi's body flowing directly into him. Even her tongue created dazzling arcs of electricity as she affectionately licked his neck, tensing his nerves and sending shivers through his body.Fortunately, Vahn learned about this ability while he was still in his Realm manifestation so he could easily counteract its effects in the future. For now, however, he ran his hand along Yoruichi's body, enjoying her supple and smooth curves before cupping her plump posterior and asking, "How long are you going to keep pretending? Since you have an Innate like [Sage Dragon Emperor's Pet], does that mean I'll need to discipline you properly when you misbehave...?"Rather than cease her act, a feline smile spread across Yoruichi's face as she ran her lighting-tongue along his neck, stopping only after licking his earlobe. Then, in an exceptionally seductive tone, she whispered, "I'm a naughty kitty..." as her knee, also covered in lightning, separated his thighs before coming into contact with his slumbering dragon.Feeling like all the muscles of his lower body had been forcibly tensed, lightning began to dance across Vahn's body as he entered a state similar to his Lightning Emperor Magia Erebea. It didn't take an omnipotent god to understand that Yoruichi was very clearly in the mood, so, in order to consummate her new name, he decided to indulge the mischievous cat until she was completely satisfied...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'You dun' goofed','Realm-baes be like, "Out of sight, out of mind..."','Vahn has an affinity with cat girls...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

For the better part of two weeks, excluding the considerable amount of time he spent within the Realm, Vahn split his time between helping the members of Team Wolf Pack train, coordinating with Marble to complete numerous Special Tests, and, most notably, meditating within the privacy of his room.Though his outlook might have changed, that didn't mean Vahn could spontaneously produce an infinite number of Templates. He quickly learned that he could only have ten active templates at a time. This meant, if he wanted to move forward with his plans, he would need to assign True Names to each of his existing Templates, effectively converting them into unique existences.Unfortunately, the cooldown of [Keeper of the Akashic Tome] was based on the Principal Axis of Time within the Record. This made it impossible to 'cheat' by just idling about in the outer rings of the Little Garden. He would have to wait for time to pass naturally, so, with numerous temptations awaiting him beyond the confines of his room, Vahn decided to focus on something he believed to be pivotal to reaching Tier 7: the Mantra of Eternity.Vahn knew very little about the Mantra of Eternity, but, based on his inability to comprehend it even after becoming a 'true' Tier 4, he knew it was, at the very least, Tier 5. His instincts, however, made him believe it was 'much' higher, likely near the absolute pinnacle of Tier 6. Thus, with his sights set on a goal that was simply unattainable by others, Vahn trusted his instincts, fully immersing himself in the Mantra even as Yoruichi spurred Hinata to sneakily perform various lewd acts on his body...Since it was getting pretty close to dinner time, Vahn opened his eyes to find Yoruichi stuffing her face as Hinata observed 'very intently' between her fingers. Both of the girls were wearing nothing but their undergarments, and, though he had nearly hesitated in the beginning, Vahn was unable to refuse the youthful-looking Hyuga's insistence that she be allowed to remain the version of herself that he had a crush on. She fully intended to 'grow up' in the future, but, at least for the time being, she was content with being the idealized version of herself that his subconscious mind had created.Though she noticed his gaze almost instantly, Yoruichi's only reaction to Vahn's accusatory look was to turn her eyes up at him, smiling with his penis still in her mouth. As for Hinata, she promptly hid behind the barrier of her hands, scrunching up her body in a vain effort to hide her rather adorable, cat-themed, undergarments. This was a theme she had become rather fond of, and, though she had remained virtually the same since the time of her creation, Hinata had a penchant for growing a pair of ears and a tail whenever she was in the mood to try lewd things.Rather than reproach Yoruichi for her actions, as they actually helped to enhance his focus when he was meditating, Vahn placed his hand on top of her head, habitually petting her dark-purple hair as he toggled his Pocket's visibility. They still had about twenty minutes until the earlier people would start migrating over to his room, so, after a brief moment of consideration, he manifested the Little Garden and decided to have some fun with the feline duo in the outer rings. They were 'known' to spend all of their time within the Little Garden anyways, so, even if he went a little overboard, their presence wouldn't be missed during dinner...---Having hunted four King-Class, thirty-eight Elite-Class, and thousands of lesser Shinheuh, the only thing preventing Team Wolf Pack from moving on to the 4th Floor was their decision to wait until at least two weeks had passed. Now, however, they were seriously considering staying even longer, as, despite the relatively short period of time that had passed, even Endorsi, Anak, Khun, and Laure had felt a marked increase in their capabilities.The Little Garden not only drastically reduced the amount of time it took to master new skills, it also had a remarkable effect on the physical and mental development of everything training within. This was best observed by the progress of both Shibisu and Nare, two relatively normal people who now had the ability to perform peak human feats. The former could now squat over 500kgs and, though her own feats were nowhere near that level, Nare had doubled her sprinting speed from 23km/h to a commendable 46km/h. This didn't sound that impressive on paper, but, considering she was able to do this in a compression suit without any Shinsu Enhancement, it was, inarguably, a very drastic improvement.Unfortunately, though many people seemed to be in favor of the idea, Vahn threw a wrench into Khun's plans, stating, "There are still sixteen Floors remaining until we are supposed to separate. I have plans in the Middle and Outer Towers, so I'd rather not idle about too long. Besides, while it is certainly an extremely useful place for training, real growth comes from overcoming obstacles, not overpreparing until the point you can power through everything."Since the Little Garden was Vahn's possession, nobody else really had a say in how it was used, so, with a slightly troubled smile on his face, Khun replied, "You make a valid point. I guess I just got carried away due to how amazing that place is. It feels like my brain absorbs everything whenever I'm inside. If I could, I would probably coop myself up inside of there all day...haaaa..."Amused by Khun's 'honesty', a trait he had been showing more of as of late, Vahn lightly chuckled before surprising the boy as he said, "I'll tell you what. Reach the 100th Floor and I'll provide you a Little Garden of your own. For now, you're already making rapid progress so don't be too greedy. I don't want to see any of you become overconfident and egotistical just because you were provided benefits others could only hope to obtain. Power has a detrimental impact on a person's character, so, if you want to avoid becoming monsters by the time you reach the peak, you need to be ready and willing to experience setbacks."As they had largely gotten used to Vahn's spontaneous speeches, most of the people present at the table just habitually nodded their heads. Only people like Baam, Shibisu, Khun, and Hwa Ryun ever paid full attention to his words. This made Vahn miss his time as a 'silent' Emperor, but, considering the many benefits he had received since his mental shift, he wasn't that remiss about his Children's lackadaisical behavior. It would most likely come back to bite them, and, even if it didn't, he would find a way to ensure they experienced at least one setback along their journey...With that in mind, an amused smile spread across Vahn's face, sending shivers through the bodies of the more perceptive members of the group. Before they could ascertain his intentions, however, Vahn manifested his Pocket, displaying the time as he said, "I have already informed one of the Test Administrators of our intentions. We have been scheduled for a 6 AM departure so there will be no training tomorrow. Instead, we will gather here at 5 AM to eat breakfast before heading over to the central plaza as a group. I won't tell you to go to bed this instant, but make sure you get plenty of rest in preparation for our departure. I heard the 4th Floor is a Survival Test, so we might be staying outdoors for the better part of a month."Though they would have normally been bothered by Vahn's words, as Survival Tests were always a pain, nobody showed any real concern. They mistakenly believed they would be able to freshen up and relax within the Little Garden, but, after their lackluster reactions, Vahn was intending to have them suffer through the Survival Test just like any other group of Regulars. After all, he wasn't here to baby them, even if they were his 'Children'...---With everyone promptly vacating his room following the announcement, Vahn promptly returned to the interior of the Little Garden. Immediately after that, he manifested as his Realm self before transferring to the third of nine sub-textures he had produced. The majority of these emulated different Shinsu densities, primarily intended for use in Team Wolf Pack's training. The lowest two, however, served as Vahn's 'love nest' and the place where he housed the many Templates he was intending to develop.Though it was a little shameless of him, Vahn took advantage of the fact he had received his wives' blessing to create a template of another character he had been attached to in his youth, a woman named Mirajane Strauss from a Record known as Fairy Tail.Fairy Tail had been a favorite series of Asuna, so, curious to learn whether her Take Over magic would work on creatures like Shinheuh, Vahn used it as an excuse to summon the inordinately beautiful woman with pure white hair, sapphire eyes, and a world-class figure. As for the other Templates, he went with four of the main characters that had helped to shape his childhood: Ichigo Kurosaki, from the same Record as Yoruichi, Son Goku, from a Record known as Dragon Ball, Gol D. Roger, from one of his all-time favorites, One Piece. As for the fourth, Vahn had initially wanted to go with Uzumaki Naruto, another one of his favorite characters, but, after performing a number of indecent acts with Hinata, he simply couldn't bring himself to create a Template of the titular main character. Instead, he settled on another character from the same series, a man who had left quite an impact, quite literally, on the entire verse: Madara Uchiha.Vahn knew there were far more powerful Templates he could use, but, with his own Soul Tier and understanding of the characters being a limiter, he settled on people he was simply curious about. He was actually intending to create Templates of nearly every main character from the series he had enjoyed as a child, but, with his [Universal Mind] being stuck a E-Rank, that would have to wait until he had further developed the Innate...Finding Madara staring down Goku, the former in his characteristic red armor while the latter wore an equally famous orange gi, Vahn couldn't help but release a tired sigh before looking around for the other battle junkie in the group, asking, "Where is Roger? I find it hard to believe he would miss out on the opportunity to participate in a fight."Though he was normally a lot less serious, Goku maintained a focused look on his face, fearlessly staring into Madara's false Sharingan as he answered, "He and Ichigo were trying to figure out how to use Haki without purchasing the scrolls. The last I saw them, they were flying towards the North."Understanding he was in the way of the duo's battle, Vahn nodded his head in response to Goku's words before relying on his omniscience to immediately locate Roger and Ichigo. He could have done this from the very beginning, but, trusting his instincts, he tried to interact with his Templates whenever possible. There was no way he would be able to develop his [Universal Mind] by relying on his [Keeper of the Akashic Tome], so, while he intended to continue Naming his Templates, Vahn knew they would most likely be able to develop Egos without his interference.As Goku had alleged, Vahn found Roger and Ichigo in the midst of what he intuited to be training to master Observation Haki. They were both wearing blindfolds, and, though they had only been at it for a few days, Vahn could already sense an 'intent' lingering within the area despite neither using his [Will of the Emperor]. Unfortunately, this intent wasn't nearly focused, so, rather than training, it looked like the duo were just beating each other with reinforced wooden swords...Deciding he would also be in the way here, Vahn transferred himself to the eighth sub-texture before returning to his 'normal' self. Then, with an uncontainable grin on his face, he entered into a circular chamber filled with lace curtains, a massive circular bed, hundreds of pillows, and several scattered wardrobes. At the very center of this arrangement, two inordinately beautiful women could be seen flanking a much younger looking girl, each lying on their stomachs with their perky butts veiled by three very different styles of lingerie.Though they all noticed his presence at the same time, it was the beautiful white-haired woman who first peeked back over her shoulder, smiling radiantly as she said, "Welcome back, Vahn. We just started a movie. Do you want to join us?"Since there were many types of intimacy that had nothing to do with having sex, Vahn's smile became even more prominent as he unhesitantly agreed to Mira's suggestion. Then, with Mira to his left and Hinata snuggling against him on his right, Vahn enjoyed watching an animated movie called 'My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising' while Yoruichi, in her cat form, dangled from his head...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'FBI-san, he's over here...','Great suffering awaits~!','Watching anime between two waifus...I'm not crying...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1772: Ascent : Survival Test