Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Though Khun's sudden gender swap caused quite a stir among the members of Team Wolf Pack, it was the existence of the [Satan's Ring]s that garnered the most attention. After all, the 'bromance' between Khun and Baam wasn't really a secret; so, while the debate over whether or not he would be allowed to use the women's bath dominated the dinner conversation, it was the mention of the [Satan's Ring] that persisted within people's minds.Fortunately for the members of Team Wolf Pack, Vahn had already anticipated their interest in said accessories so he had prepared a number of unique and interesting items as parting gifts. Most of these were rewards from the Premium Gacha so it wasn't like he was really losing out on anything. After all, he didn't really depend on power-ups gained from items; so, unless it was something that might break the balance of the Record entirely, such as the Violet-Grade [Ragnarok], he didn't mind giving them away...----------------------------------------[Ragnarok]Rank: SS (Transcendent)Slots: 0P.Def: 0M.Def: 0Abilities: Herald of Ragnarok(SS), Indestructible(SS), Negative Status Immunity(SS), Permanence(S)'A deceptively simple-looking bracelet that holds the power to bring about the end of the world. All abilities used by the wielder have their mental, spiritual, and physical energy costs reduced to zero.'Restriction(s): Curse of Indelibility(SS), Soulbound----------------------------------------Vahn had obtained a number of ridiculous items from the Premium Gacha, but none even remotely compared to the rust-covered [Ragnarok]. In exchange for 'never changing' thanks to 'Permanence', you obtained virtually unlimited stamina, unparalleled clarity of mind, and the ability to draw from your internal reserves without limit. This made it one of the most over-powered items that had ever come into his possession, and, though it prevented the user from growing stronger, wielding it was tantamount to having unlimited power.Though Vahn was a little interested in the bracelet, the 'Curse of Indelibility' wasn't something he wanted to mess around with. The curse, combined with the fact it was Soulbound, made it virtually impossible to remove. Even his ability to freely alter the structure of his body might not allow him to remove it, so, at least for the time being, it was collecting rust alongside the other dangerous items and artifacts that had come into his possession.Fortunately for the members of Team Wolf Pack, Vahn had stockpiled more than seven-thousand Premium Gacha Tickets over the course of several hundred years. The majority of these rewarded him with relatively useless items, but that was only the case for him. From the perspective of the average person, a D or C-Rank item was an amazing find, especially with the Grade determined by the Tier of the Record.The best example of a rather ridiculous C-Rank Item was the set of stylish black and white pistols he had gifted to Nare. They were known as [Thalia, the Shrouded], and, though they had exceptionally low attack parameters, they would grow stronger with every enemy she killed via shooting the head or heart. There was no upper-limit to this power, so, if she took her training seriously and invested a bit of time in hunting Shinheuh, it wouldn't be long before they rivaled weapons of a much higher Grade.Though it went against his principles to hand weapons and items that would invariably become a crutch, Vahn knew it wouldn't be too much longer before Nare 'retired' from climbing the Tower. At this point, the only thing keeping her going was the sense of unity that bound the group together, but, once things became truly dangerous, it was only a matter of time until she gave up her Regular status. She was already beginning to convince Chunhwa to start a family with her once they reached the 20th Floor, so he didn't see any harm in giving her the only weapon among the gifts he handed out.To virtually everyone else, Vahn gifted items that either directly amplified their existing powers, or, similar to Khun's [Satan's Ring], allowed them to stockpile or store energy. Such items included an anklet known as [Adamantite] for Anak, a stylish hairpin known as a [Phoenix Pinion] for Jung, a pair of indestructible golden heels known as [Stillwalkers] for Endorsi, and an indescribably comfortable pillow known as a [Divine Pillow] for both Yun-Yun and Laure.In the end, Vahn tried to gift everyone with an item based on their personal preferences so Anak's [Adamantite] doubled her base Toughness and Shinsu Resistance. As for Jung's [Phoneix Pinion], it literally allowed her to recover from virtually all injuries, including fatal ones, once per day. This was one of the more 'extreme' abilities possessed by the items Vahn had gifted out, but, considering her penchant for overtraining, it would come in handy. Fortunately, even Endorsi didn't complain as her [Stillwalkers], on top of appearing fashionable, allowed her to effectively double the damage of her kicks thanks to their ability to reverse the vector of forces acting upon her body through the heels.So long as she landed on her feet, Endorsi could effectively negate fall damage by transferring all kinetic energy from the descent into the point of impact. This further applied to her kicks, so, while it would take her a while for her to get used to feeling no feedback from even her most powerful blows, her damage potential had effectively doubled. The only real downside was that she had to willfully activate and control the ability or she wouldn't even be able to stand or walk properly due to the heels effectively emulating a frictionless surface.Fortunately, Endorsi was more than capable of controlling the [Stillwalkers] without any discernible difficulty. Rather, it wasn't long before she was casually sliding through the halls of the manor like a professional ice skater. She also realized pretty early on that that she could increase her weight in order to drastically increase her speed. This was especially useful for someone like her, who used a large variety of compression weapons, as some compression weapons easily weighed hundreds, or even thousands, of kilograms...---Though they were only given three days to rest and recuperate before the Seeded Tournament, the members of Team Wolf Pack split their time between relaxation and familiarizing themselves with their new armaments and accessories. Endorsi's example had inspired everyone to think outside the box, so, while some items weren't particularly useful for combat, that didn't stop them from thinking about how to take full advantage of their unique effects.Having promised to stick around in order to make himself accessible for questions and requests, Vahn was sitting out on the veranda with an amused smile as he watched Khun and Baam sitting near the base of the central World Tree. It was pretty fun to see Baam fluster about due to Khun's teasing, but, understanding it wasn't polite to pry into people's personal lives, Vahn ultimately just leaned back while absentmindedly patting the back of the girl nestled against his chest.After learning about the coming separation, Yun-Yun had taken the opportunity to ask if he would be her napping companion whenever he wasn't busy. Vahn didn't have any particular problem with this so he was currently holding the pink-haired Mare in a koala carry as she slumbered peacefully in his embrace. Her small size reminded him of the times he had napped alongside his daughters in their youth so Vahn was in a pretty good mood as he allowed Sis to construct a happy dreamscape for her to explore...Yun-Yun, despite appearing human, was actually an ancient race from Outside the Tower known as a 'Night Mare'. They were a unique form of spirit that many mistakenly associated with Succubi due to their penchant for sneaking into the rooms of strangers in the middle of the night. It didn't help that, prior to modifying their appearances to become more human, the majority of Mares had fluffy black tails and tiny horns protruding from their scalps. This led to many being captured, imprisoned, enslaved, and outright killed by certain subsets of human society.Prior to his ascent up the Tower, Jahad had recruited one of the few surviving members of the Mare species, the current Leader of the Eurasia Family, Eurasia Blossom. Her original duty had been to eat the bad dreams their members had accumulated whilst climbing the Tower so that they wouldn't be adversely affected by the trials and tribulations they were forced to undergo. Fortunately, it quickly came to light that she was inordinately more talented at controlling Shinsu that virtually every other member of the party so she was ultimately elevated to the status of a Great Warrior, one of thirteen that had journeyed alongside Jahad to dominate the Tower.Though she was only pure-blooded Mare in the entire Tower, the blessings Blossom had received from the Guardians allowed her descendants to inherit many of her personal and racial traits. As a result, those with stronger blood ties to Blossom, particularly those of female descent, appeared uncannily similar to their Ancestor.Yun-Yun was the daughter of one of Blossom's daughters so she had strongly inherited the latter's characteristics. This included pink hair, matching pink eyes, glowing white pupils, and, most notably, a child-like figure. She also received most of her nourishment by siphoning what her family referred to as 'dream energy'. In actuality, they were receiving nourishment from the energy produced by a person's Ego. This was where a person's most important memories were stored, so, while it wasn't a mistake to say they ate dreams, it was more accurate to say they devoured what many mistakenly believed to be the Soul.From an objective point of view, Mares were terrifying existences who, under the right conditions, could literally devour all of what made someone unique. They even had an ability that basically put their target into a coma, drastically reducing their metabolism to the point most of their biological processes ground to a halt. It was for this reason they were seen as demons by so many people, as, whenever they found someone with particularly 'delicious' dreams, it was common for a Night Mare to force them into a helpless state that allowed them to devour a target's dreams at their leisure.Fortunately, for the sake of their own self-preservation, 'modern' Mares had adapted a similar yet significantly less terrifying version of the ability. Though they still had the ability to force their target into a coma, the most common application of the technique was helping others relax so they could experience an extremely peaceful slumber. This made main-line descendants of the Eurasia Family rather popular among Regulars climbing the Tower; as, not only were they exceptionally powerful Wave Controllers, they could drastically reduce the mental and emotional strain accumulated from taking Tests.Since it was only ever a matter of time before his non-existent fate became intertwined with the members of the Eurasia Family, Vahn had actually been the one to suggest recruiting Yun-Yun into Team Wolf Pack. This was before he knew she was a Mare but it ultimately didn't matter since she took it upon herself to eat bad dreams even without needing to be asked. Her presence would go a long way towards preventing any trauma from taking root in the hearts and minds of the members of Team Wolf Pack; so, while her species was inarguably dangerous, Vahn was grateful to have her climbing alongside the rest of his Children.With this in mind, Vahn continued to gently cradle Yun-Yun while enjoying the indescribably soft and smooth sensation of the [Divine Pillow] against his neck. It was actually one of the higher grade items he had gifted out, rated as an A-Rank Divine-Tier item by The Path. What made it even more impressive was the fact that it was part of a set known as the 'Divine Beddings', a group of artifacts that, once gathered, would turn a person into an Immortal Demigod that presided over dreams.In total, there were seven pieces of the 'Divine Beddings' set, including the [Divine Pillow], [Divine Futon], [Divine Mattress], [Divine Nightcap], [Divine Quilt], [Divine Pajamas], [Divine Underwear], and the [Divine Alarm Clock]. It was hard to ascertain the effects of each item, but, based on the [Divine Pillow]'s ability to allow you to remain fully cognizant while manipulating your dreamscape, it was safe to assume the other items had complementary effects. Unfortunately, he wouldn't really know until Laure or Yun-Yun had obtained the other items, as, despite only being A-Rank, each piece of the 'Divine Beddings' cost 100,000,000OP in the system shop...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Bruh...','Those heels are actually ridiculously OP...','Yun-Yun is well on her way to becoming a Lazy Tower Master (OwO)...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

With three days passing in the blink of an eye, all Regulars participating in the Seeded Tournament were asked to gather in the waiting rooms of the Coliseum located near the very center of Coliseum City.As could be expected, the Coliseum was a massive fighting arena that was encircled by viewing stands that could easily hold more than a hundred-thousand Regulars with room to spare. Instead of a singular stage, however, there were five circular pillars hovering above frigid, Shinsu-infused, waters.Though it would have made more sense for the event to be drawn out over several days, it was a long-standing tradition that the Seeded Tournament be concluded in a single afternoon. The Test Administrators didn't want passing Regulars to stick around for too long so they had arranged for five matches to take place simultaneously. Ten minutes were allotted for each of these rounds and the victory conditions included: killing your opponent, forcing them to surrender, or knocking them off the platform.Unfortunately for his opponent, Vahn found himself facing down a young man with dark-green hair, pale-purple eyes, and a pale complexion. He was the 32nd Seed among Wave Controllers, as, rather than determine the brackets by random, the Administration pitted the most powerful seeds against the weakest from the very beginning. This was meant to ensure that the finals were fought between the two strongest Regulars in a Position, effectively removing the factor of 'luck' from the equation.Vahn wasn't particularly fond of bullying the weak, so, immediately after the battle began, he simply extended his hand towards the youth. Even gifted Wave Controllers at F-Rank took several seconds to form a single Baang, so, without any suspense whatsoever, his opponent was forced back by an invisible wall of pressure. It took longer for him to hit the water than it did for the actual match so Vahn basically had the full ten minutes to watch the other rounds. Fortunately, Team Wolf Pack was scheduled to participate in practically every round so he would have ample opportunities to witness his Children's growth...---Though her match had already begun, Endorsi started things off with an extended yawn, much to the chagrin of her opponent, a spiky-haired man with a long scar running across his nose. From his perspective, she was demonstrating a complete disregard for him as an opponent, and, while this wasn't exactly wrong, the truth of the matter was that Endorsi was, actually, tired. She hadn't been getting much sleep as of late, so, while she didn't actually take her opponent seriously, she wasn't intentionally looking down on him either.Unaware of Endorsi's nightly antics, her opponent gnashed his teeth in indignation before pointing his Needle towards her and shouting, "I don't know much about the strength of a Princess of Jahad, but you have no right to look down on me! If you don't take this fight seriously...don't blame me for what happens next...!"Hearing her opponent's threat, Endorsi couldn't help but adopt a somewhat disdainful glower as she asked, "Are you an idiot? I am a Princess of Jahad. If I don't have the right to look down on an opponent, who does? Rather than broadcasting your ignorance for all to see, why don't you just attack? Seriously, are you expecting me to give you an invitation or something?"Gritting his teeth even harder, the spiky-haired Regular lurched towards Endorsi with a burst of speed that caused the latter to roll her eyes. He wasn't exactly slow, but, compared to the speeds she was used to dealing with, he might as well be standing still.Showing virtually no effort, Endorsi casually side-stepped the Regular's attempt to stab her in the gut. For a brief moment, she felt a powerful urge to just smash his face in, but, not wanting to do anything that might upset Gandr, she ultimately stepped around behind him before promptly pushing him in the direction of his initial charge with her foot. As a result, he ended up running out of the ring, unable to arrest his momentum before teetering off the edge and falling into the frigid water below.Though her words had no way of reaching the man's ears, that didn't prevent Endorsi from snorting disdainfully as she crossed her arms and groused, "Maybe that'll cool your head. Seriously, taunting a Princess of Jahad in public? Good luck finding people that want to team up with you in the future, you ignorant oaf..."---Seeing Endorsi kick her opponent out of the ring, Gandr couldn't resist issuing a light chuckle as he stood rather cockily with Abby-tan on his shoulder. He had ended up pulling his opponent into his shadow before depositing the unfortunate fellow into the water below. This allowed him to view the matches of Endorsi and Ran without distraction since Vahn and Phae, unsurprisingly, defeated both of their opponents in an instant.Unfortunately, with the weakest seeds being forced to fight against the strongest, things were very one-sided. Even Ran's fight only lasted until he got annoyed by his opponent mocking his height. This resulted in the latter being sent flying out of the arena with a lightning-infused kick, courtesy of Ran.Like many members of the Khun Family, Ran had a natural affinity with Lightning Elemental Energy. Even the physical form of his Shinsu Quality was a Lightning Spear so his speed, reaction time, and damage potential were exceptionally high in spite of the fact he was only twelve-years-old. He also had the 'benefit' of his opponents constantly looking down on him. This allowed him the element of surprise, and, more often than not, allowed him to end most fights in a single blow...---With Ran's fight taking the longest, the first round of the Seeded Tournament concluded after a mere 53 seconds had passed. This left many of the spectators feeling a little dissatisfied, as it was always more interesting to see drawn out and flashy battles, but there wasn't really anything they could do other than wait for some exciting action in the finals.Fortunately, so long as a member of Team Wolf Pack wasn't competing, the other battles were still pretty exciting. There were even a few close fights where the lower-seeded Regular managed to come out ahead of their opponent. These were the most exciting battles for spectating Regulars as it was a chance for them to make a profit and see an underdog come out on top. Everyone liked to see the strong succumb to the weak as it allowed them to believe they, themselves, might be able to overcome adversity and achieve greatness...---Though he was lucky to have dodged a bullet by managing to avoid being pitted against any other members of Team Wolf Pack, Shibisu was still struggling quite a bit against the 6th Seed amongst Scouts. His opponent was a short and squat woman that gave off the impression of a bee thanks to her Needle and Observers emulating the bulbous stingers of a honeybee. She had luminous blue-grey hair, a thick fur coat that included a puffy fur collar, and, most troubling of all, bee-like wings that allowed her to fly around at extreme speeds.Opponents that could fly were always extremely troublesome, and, if not for his Observers having an autonomous defense mode, Shibisu wouldn't be able to offer any resistance against the rather fierce female warrior. To make matters even worse, she had an extremely high Shinsu Resistance, so, even when he did manage to land a blow, the most he accomplished was angering her even further.Refusing to be the only person on his team that was eliminated in the first round, Shibisu traded in his rifle for a shotgun, beads of sweat appearing on his brow as he advised, "You're extremely fast and tough, I'll give you that. Unfortunately, it won't be enough to allow you to take a hit from this weapon. You've already lost your Observers, Vespa...I suggest you quit before you sustain an injury that will interfere with your climb up the Tower..."While continuing to evade the automatic fire from Shibisu's three Observers, his opponent, Vespa, adopted a potent glower as she rebutted, "Rude human. Do you really think you can defeat me? Without your annoying gadgets and that stupid cloak, this match would have already been over."Though it was a little embarrassing to admit, Shibisu couldn't actually refute Vespa's words. She had actually managed to stab him with her poison-coated Needle pretty early in the fight, but, thanks to his 'fashionable' purple [Bagworm], the only injury he suffered was a painful bruise beneath his left pectoral muscle.Shibisu felt a little annoyed by the fact he was only able to stay in the fight thanks to the items he had been given. That didn't mean he could just discard them, however, as Vespa's initial blow might have killed him had he not been fortunate enough to join Team Wolf Pack.Exhaling a sigh, Shibisu adopted a combat stance with the stock of his Shinsu-powered shotgun loosely resting against his shoulder. Unfortunately, he only had enough Shinsu and stamina to fire off a few rounds before he was completely exhausted. If he didn't defeat her before then, there was nothing he could do to stop Vespa from seeking vengeance. This made him feel slightly suffocated, not because he was afraid of losing, but because he would have lost in spite of the many benefits he had been given...Feeling a shiver run through her body, Vespa increased the amount of Shinsu she was infusing into her wings. They were a translucent yellow by default, but, whenever she infused a large amount of Shinsu into them, they would radiate a vibrant golden light. This not only increased her speed by a tremendous amount, but it also made it exceptionally difficult for her opponents to look directly at her. This was a countermeasure she had developed due to the majority of her enemies attempting to clip or injure her wings, removing one of the few advantages she had over others.With a focused glimmer flashing across her black sclera and amethyst-colored eyes, Vespa created a visible afterimage in her attempt to evade the fragmented beam of Shinsu fired by Shibisu. Then, before the latter could fire a second volley, several more afterimages appeared around the arena as she said, "I normally try to defeat my opponents without causing them pain...for you, I will make an exception..."Immediately following her words, Vespa seemed to appear out of thin air right in front of Shibisu, the tip of her Needle creating a small ripple in the surrounding Shinsu as she aimed it directly at his face. Unfortunately for her, the defensive membrane generated by the [Bagworm] actually covered the wearer's entire body. As a result, the tip of her Needle flattened to a dull point as it came into contact with an invisible barrier.Though some of the force was still transferred into Shibisu's body, causing his nose to momentarily flatten as he was pushed back by the force of the strike, his actual injuries were rather negligible. His training with Yoruichi had drastically increased his pain tolerance and resolution to continue fighting; so, even though he was sent hurtling towards the edge of the arena, he still managed to take aim at the surprised Vespa.Realizing she wouldn't be able to evade the attack at such a distance, Vespa surprised much of the crowd by spontaneously increasing in size. Her true form was actually much bigger than the squat and petite appearance she generally adopted for the sake of convenience; so, after deactivating her Compression License, her size increased from around 90cm to more than five meters in length.By spontaneously increasing her size, Vespa only suffered moderate injuries as the penetrative beams fired by Shibisu pierced her lower abdomen. This was far from ideal, causing her extreme pain, but it was a lot better than tanking the attack with her face. Fortunately, she could still use her Compression License to drastically decrease the size of the wound by compressing her body back to its petite form. This required Points each time she activated it, but, considering the alternative was to bleed out from holes the size of fists, splurging a few thousand Points was a small price to pay.Holding her bleeding abdomen, Vespa sneered in the direction where Shibisu had been sent over the edge. Part of her was tempted to fly down and finish him off but there were rules in place that prevented Regulars with flight capabilities from flying above or below marked lines. After all, if they could just fly wherever they wanted, it would cause all kinds of problems if they chose to interfere with other matches or spam long-ranged attacks...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'RIP 32nd Seeds...','Shibisu's frustrations...',That's a big bumblebee...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Sensing a number of presences enter the Little Garden, Vahn lightly smacked the backside of the woman facing away from him with her hands against the wall. This caused her body to tense up, drastically increasing her tightness, but it also earned him a not-so-gentle smack in the face with her lightning-infused tail.With bands of electricity dancing between his molars, Vahn flexed and rubbed his jaw as he said, "It seems like the brats have just returned. We should head over to meet with them soon."Feeling a little frustrated by the slowing of Vahn's pace, Yoruichi decided to take matters into her own hands, roughly smacking her butt against his hips as she heatedly exclaimed, "You can worry about that later! Don't even think about getting away after you got me this riled up you bastard...!"Chuckling in response to Yoruichi's protest, Vahn grabbed her pliant yet muscular left leg, forcing her to stand on a single foot as he turned her body sideways and began to increase his pace. This was enough to silence any complaints she might have had, and, though it resulted in a substantial amount of electricity coursing through his body, it was one of the qualities he had learned to love about the insatiable feline beauty...---After entrusting the exhausted Yoruichi to the care of Hinata, Vahn teleported to Team Wolf Pack's 'headquarters' alongside most of the Emerald Grove's residents. There, he discovered that most of the Children had already split up to enjoy some rest and relaxation, the majority retiring to the spa and bath facilities to wash up properly for the first time in nearly a month. The only people who had bothered to wait around for his arrival were Phae, Khun, Baam, Rak, Hatsu, and Tasha.Seeing the brunette lingering near Hatsu, an amused smile spread across Vahn's face as he shifted his attention to Khun and said, "Though I imagine Phae and Gandr helped out quite a bit, it would seem that Team Wolf Pack is well on its way to obtaining independence..."Answering before Khun, an elegant giggle escaped Phae's throat as she replied, "They really have grown a lot in these past few months. My only concern at this point is that there is a wall forming between the male and female members of the Team. Baam and Gandr are able to circumvent this, but I fear tensions will continue to grow as the awkwardness between the two sexes continues to increase..."Though there was currently a balance between the two genders thanks to the introduction of Tasha, Alea, and Ohta into the group, that did little to address the underlying issue. The simple fact of the matter was that males and females generally couldn't coexist alongside one another without sexual tensions and individual expectations becoming a problem. This was exacerbated by the inclusion of stress factors such as training and putting their lives on the line, but, more than anything else, it was the presence of numerous couples developing within the group that caused tensions to rise.Unfortunately, there wasn't really much they could do about the situation since matters of the heart and mind were never easy to address. They couldn't simply kick out people like Shibisu just because he was developing a bit of jealousy towards people like Gandr, Chunhwa, and even Hatsu. Rather, it was perfectly normal for him to feel a little envious since most of the female members of Team Wolf Pack were exceptionally beautiful, cute, or endearing. He was a healthy young man who was making an earnest effort to improve every day so it would have actually been stranger if he wasn't feeling a little resentful considering his efforts had yet to bear fruit...Nodding his head in understanding, Vahn shifted his attention from Phae to Khun as he said, "You'll need to keep that in mind as you move forward. It won't be easy, but healthy communication and a willingness to compromise will go a long way. Gandr is a lot wiser than he lets on so you can trust him to help you resolve any serious issues. Just don't try to settle everything yourself. A real Familia shares their burdens and overcomes adversity together."Having grown used to Vahn's propensity for spontaneously giving advice, Khun offered a wry smile in response before asking, "So, I take it you'll be leaving after the Seeded Tournament...?"Without footing around the issue, Vahn nodded in response before explaining, "There comes a time when all baby birds need to leave the nest in order to fly freely. Our journies might run parallel, but our final destinations are drastically different. For the sake of everyone, I need to be able to move at my own pace."Understanding that Vahn could have easily passed through the Floors by taking the Guardian Test and having Ryun act as his Guide, Khun didn't doubt for a moment that he was restraining himself for their sake. Now, he was drawing as much attention to himself as possible just so they would have an easier time ascending the Tower...Restraining a sigh, Khun forced himself to smile as a resolute light flashed across his eyes. Then, in a tone filled with conviction and determination, he said, "I vow to do everything in my power to make sure Team Wolf Pack ascends to the top of the Tower."Were he a little closer, Vahn would have reached out his hand to try and pat Khun's head, but, ever since the first time, the boy had made sure to stay out of casual petting distance. Fortunately, both Hinata and Morgiana were standing nearby so Vahn was able to occupy both hands as he mused, "I have full confidence in your capacity as a leader. It isn't without reason that I selected you in lieu of Gandr. I'm absolutely certain you will not only meet my expectations but transcend them entirely."Seeing Vahn caressing the heads of Hinata and Morgiana, Khun breathed an internal sigh of relief while maintaining a determined smile on the outside. Though it felt extremely comfortable, he was unable to accept having his head casually pet by another person, God or not. The idea, alone, made him feel a little perturbed, so, as much as possible, he did his best to either stay out of arm's reach or make sure others were closer to Vahn than himself...Though he noticed the amusing changes in Khun's aura, Vahn pretended not to as he retracted his hands from the two petite girls' heads, adding, "There are still a few days until the Tournament. If there are any questions or concerns you might have prior to our parting, don't be afraid to ask. I'll do my best to address everything before the event's end."Understanding what Vahn was alluding to, Khun began to feel a little nervous, but, rather than show even a hint of perturbation on his face, he calmly asserted, "I wanted to ask if you could change my gender or provide me the means to freely alternate between male and female. I believe my current Loyalty should be more than enough to facilitate this...?"Though Phae, Tasha, Hinata, and Morgiana didn't seem particularly surprised, Baam, Hatsu, and Rak showed disbelieving and borderline incredulous looks in response to Khun's appeal. The latter, Rak, even shouted, "Blue Turtle! Have you lost your mind!?"Before things could get too out of hand, Vahn gestured for silence, quite literally 'muting' everyone present as he said, "Relax. Everyone has the right to choose the path they walk. Whether or not they are male or female, it makes no difference. If this is the path Khun has chosen, you should respect and support his decision."With that said, Vahn restored everyone's ability to speak as he shifted his attention back to Khun and answered, "There are actually a number of options that don't require the use of Loyalty at all. The latter is just the simplest method to reward those who have worked hard for the sake of myself and others. If you'd like, I can cast a magical spell on your body that will allow you to change into a male or female after submerging yourself in cold or warm water. If you want something simpler to use, I also have a few rings that can freely swap the gender and even amplify certain aspects of the bearer. There are all kinds of options available, each with their own banes and boons. The simplest solution, however, is to simply change your gender and be content. Swapping between male and female too many times will throw your mind, body, and spirit out of equilibrium."Though he really shouldn't be at this point, Khun was still taken aback by the various options that Vahn casually provided. It was something he had put a considerable amount of thought into, but, from the perspective of the God standing before him, it was a simple matter that required virtually no effort to address.Shaking his head, Khun adopted a wry smile as he answered, "I'll take the ring. I can't even imagine how inconvenient it would be to change gender every time I got splashed with cold or warm water. The ring seems a lot most convenient so I would like you to lend me one after changing my gender."Understanding that Khun had already decided that his base gender would be female, Vahn replied with a light chuckle as he pulled a silver ring inscribed with complex runes and asked, "Do you want to make the change right now?Though it was a little sudden, Khun understood this wasn't the kind of thing that got easier with the passage of time, so, after a brief moment, he nodded his head and said, "I'm ready." in a somewhat hesitant tone.Without affording Khun the opportunity to change his mind, Vahn initiated the process using the Modify Function of his Unit Management. Immediately thereafter, Khun's body underwent a very rapid metamorphosis, his hair growing longer as his features became more delicate and feminine. By the time the process had completed, a moderately thin and delicate-looking woman with pale-blue hair, striking blue eyes, and fair features had replaced the intellectual-looking youth that had previously been standing next to Baam.Surprised by how quick and painless the process had been, Khun found herself at a momentary loss for words as she stared down at her thin, comparably dainty, fingers. She felt a very powerful sense of incongruency well up inside her chest, but, forcing it down, she managed a wry smile as she said, "Well...that was certainly an interesting sensation..."Chuckling in response to the young man turned woman's words, Vahn tossed over the silver ring in his hand, explaining, "That is a special ring known as [Satan's Ring]. The name might sound a little foreboding, there are no detrimental effects associated with its use. Rather, it actually allows you to stockpile excess energy within your 'base form'. The only downside is that the energy will be used up the moment you remove the ring and release your power. This will leave you feeling completely exhausted, but, after your body adapts to the strain, it will become progressively easier to use."With that being said, Vahn pulled out a few additional rings, adding, "There are ten rings in total, but I will only entrust you with three for the time being. I'll leave representatives on the 20th, 50th, and 100th Floors, so, if you want the remaining rings, you'll need to seek them out. The rings have the power to multiply their effects based on the number of rings you posses. With three, you'll be able to experience a 9x increase in their ability to stockpile energy. With all ten, the effect increases to 100x, far more than your current body can handle. I'd rather not see you explode so make sure you train hard before attempting to acquire the other rings."Though he knew the items handed out by Vahn were never simple, Khun was still shocked to hear him explain the abilities of the relatively simple-looking rings. Even High Rankers wouldn't be able to possess such a powerful artifact, so, unless it was absolutely necessary, he resolved himself not to remove them unless his life was in danger. With that thought in mind, he placed the first ring on his finger, wincing as a painful heat spread through his body and promptly reverted him back to his original appearance.Clearing up Khun's confusion, Vahn explained, "When you first put on the ring, it will siphon around 10% of your total reserves in order to trigger the effect. The original use of the rings was to restrict the power of a battle-hungry Demon Goddess. She had been struggling to find anyone capable of fighting against her so she created those rings to limit her own power. Unfortunately, she failed to account for the fact that her power was constantly growing so they ended up gaining the ability to stockpile energy after excessive use. In the end, she ended up scattering the rings in the hope that someone would one day use them to challenge her for the title of Demon God."Hearing Vahn casually explain how the rings once belonged to an all-powerful Demon God, Khun, once again, found himself at a loss for words. He suddenly felt like a heavy burden had been placed on his shoulders, but, before he could ask about the fate of said Demon Goddess, Vahn added, "She is already dead. At the very least, she doesn't exist within the confines of the Tower. As for how they came into my possession...well, let's just say that I'm very lucky."Understanding that Vahn wasn't going to reveal all his secrets, Khun just nodded his head before slipping on a second ring. This instantly turned him back into a female, but, unlike before, his bust seemed to have grown ever-so-slightly. This was very noticeable, as, in his 'original' female form, he hadn't noticed even a hint of breasts hidden beneath his blouse. Now, however, he had the distinct impression he was a little off-balance, forcing him to straighten his back in order to counterbalance the urge to slouch forward.Proving just how much his form had changed, Baam was staring with his mouth slightly agape as Rak, possessing absolutely no filter, remarked, "You got fatter." in a curt tone. This caused Khun's brows to twitch, but, rather than comment on the crocodilian's remark, he slipped on the final ring just to confirm his suspicions. Unsurprisingly, his clothes suddenly felt very tight, and, though he was still shorter than Vahn, he could now clearly see the top of Baam's head.Inspecting his body, Khun noticed that his height wasn't the only thing that had changed. He had become noticeably more muscular, and, thanks to the [REquip] system, he was able to see that even his facial structure had changed ever-so-slightly. He now appeared far more masculine than before, and, much to his chagrin, there was an uncanny resemblance between his current appearance and that of his father, Khun Eduan.Shaking his head, Khun removed the third ring from his finger in order to revert back to his female form before asking, "Am I allowed to share these rings with others?"Seeing through Khun's intentions in an instant, an amused smile spread across Vahn's face as he answered, "My unique constitution effectively negates the power of these rings. From this moment on, they are yours to do with as you please. Whether or not you obtain all ten or lose them during your ascent up the Tower, that no longer has anything to do with me."Nodding his head in understanding, Khun snuck a glance toward Baam before ultimately shaking his head and storing the final ring in his [REquip] system...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Meow~','Vahn be like, "Gotta go fast...!"','Khun has just received a terrifying power (OwO)...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1813: Gifts Abound