Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Following their arrival in the 'Hidden Star Village', Vahn, accompanied by Fenrir and Ryun, found themselves seated within the largest of the stone structures that served as abodes for members of the Asteria Tribe. All of the villagers had already been treated, but, rather than abandon them to their fates, he decided to offer them sanctuary within the Little Garden.Unsurprisingly, though he had liberated them from their curse, the Asteria Tribe weren't particularly enthusiastic about the idea of abandoning their home. It might not be much to look at, but, for the last ten-thousand-years, it had safeguarded them against extinction. It had become their ancestral home, the place where they buried their dead and raised what few children fate had allowed them...Understanding the importance of 'home', Vahn didn't waste time trying to convince the Asterian people to abandon their own. Instead, he proposed transplanting the entire village into the Little Garden while explaining the many benefits associated. Even this, however, wasn't enough to sway the rather obstinate Elders. They claimed that it wasn't just the village that was there home, but the entire Floor beyond.Fortunately, there were a few voices of reason among them, the previous and current Matriarchs being the most vocal. They knew the pain and heartbreak of stillbirths far greater than the males of their tribe. Since Vahn had already explained the benefits of residing in the Little Garden, they were in favor of entrusting several members of the younger generation to his care.Though most of the Elders were against the idea, Vahn managed to swing things in favor of the Matriarchs by mentioning how time flowed differently within certain regions of the Little Garden. He told them he would stay in the village for a total of three days. During that time, a number of couples would be allowed to reside in the outermost ring of the Little Garden. There, time flowed at a rate of 700:1, so, while a mere three days would pass in the outside, nearly six years would pass from the perspective of those within.With the Law of Progression heavily influencing everything within, six years was more than enough time to produce several dozen children. If said children were allowed to stay in the outermost ring, they would even grow to maturity in as little as five years. This could be remedied by moving them to a ring with a slower passage of time, but, as an endangered species, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing to have the younger generation mature over a shorter period of time.By the end of the discussion, the Elders agreed to send a total of two men and four women into the Little Garden. This included Gaute, his three wives, a handsome young man named Magnus, and an inordinately beautiful woman named Trine.Magnus and Trine were easily the youngest members of the entire tribe, but, due to the extremely low rate of birth, the former was 191 while the latter was 116. This wasn't considered particularly old from the perspective of the long-lived tribe, but it really put into perspective how rare it was for even a single child to be born. This was in spite of the fact that more than half of the women in the tribe were pregnant, a clear indicator that there was no lack of effort on the part of the few males present.With Trine being the youngest in the entire tribe, this meant more than 116 years had passed since the last successful birth. This realization was more than enough to turn Vahn's 'indifference' towards Jahad into full-blown hatred. The man hadn't simply touched Vahn's bottom line, he had stooped to a level so low that it was difficult to even grasp. All Vahn knew for certain was that, for the first time in his life, he couldn't imagine himself giving his enemy a merciful death...---With three days passing in the blink of an eye, Vahn proved the veracity of his claims by producing, not the original six, but a total of twenty-three members of the Asteria Tribe. This included quite a number of young men and women, many of which possessed extraordinary features and perfectly sculpted physiques.Even the 'average' members of the Asteria Tribe were inordinately attractive, so, thanks to the Law of Progress, those born within the Little Garden were even more striking. Several of the males had even inherited a trait that was considered 'extremely' rare among members of their tribe, a dragon-like skull that grew naturally from their foreheads. In the ancient past, this peculiar protrusion had only manifested in their greatest warriors so it was quite jarring to see more than half of the males in possession of the unique racial characteristic.Wasting no time, Gaute immediately made his way towards his father, one of the Elders of the tribe named Halvard. Then, before the latter could say anything to recover from his shock, a massive grin spread across the face of the former as he wrapped his father in a bearhug and exclaimed, "Father! I have missed you dearly! Come, let me introduce you to your grandchildren!"With Gaute having grown much stronger during his time in the Little Garden, Halvard could do little more than grunt as the air was expelled from his lungs. Despite this, he still managed a wry smile as he returned his son's embrace, patting the former's back a few times as he groaned, "You did well..."Laughing in response to his father's words, Gaute released his hold on the man before guiding him over to the growing crowd surrounding the newest members of the Asteria Tribe. It was only at this point that he seemed to realize Vahn was present, his expression becoming somewhat solemn as he bowed his head low and said, "Thank you..." in a sincere and respectful tone.Smiling in response to the man's words, Vahn returned a curt nod before gesturing to the crowd and saying, "Go. Be with your people. We will have plenty of time to talk later."Nodding his head in understanding, Gaute guided his father towards the crowd as the remaining Elders gathered around Vahn. This included the two Matriarchs, both displaying radiant smiles that made them appear decades younger. Then, at the behest of the current Matriarch, a woman named Oleanna, each of the Elders took turns offering their apologies.Though he could have used their previous skepticism as leverage against them, Vahn just accepted the apologies of the Elders with a smile. Some of them had been pretty rude, but, considering how long they had suffered as a result of Jahad's curse, it was understandable that they would be a little jaded. If he had sired hundreds of stillborn children, his mind would have broken a long time ago, so, rather than blame the victims, he decided to shift all his enmity towards the person responsible.With this in mind, Vahn took advantage of the festive atmosphere to invite everyone into the Little Garden for a banquet. This was a little underhanded of him, as it put the Elders on the spot, but, in the end, even the most obstinate among them capitulated. There was nothing more important than the survival and prosperity of their people; so, with Vahn promising he would return them once the banquet had ended, they had little choice but to accept...---Having experienced the wonders of the Little Garden for themselves, more than half of the Asteria Tribe made the decision to become permanent residents. There was nothing the Elders could do about this as the conditions were simply too enticing for the long-suffering people. Just the night sky was enough to convince the majority, as, for reasons even they didn't understand, the Asterian people had always possessed a strong connection to the stars.Though there were a few exceptions, virtually every member of the Asteria Tribe possessed a Shinsu Quality related to the stars. As a result, vibrant stars formed from Shinsu constantly lingered around them, drastically enhancing their already extraordinary beauty. Even the men were no exception to this, the majority possessing light-blue hair, matching eyes, and pointed ears that closely resembled those of Elves.By appearance alone, the Asterian people were one of the most beautiful races Vahn had ever laid eyes upon. Their affinity with the stars also meant they were extraordinarily powerful, and, if not for the suppression of the Jahad Empire, their members would have dominated the individual Rankings for Wave Controllers. The stars around their bodies were actually a nascent form of Baang, harmless in their idle state but monstrously powerful when wielded to their full potential. They just needed a bit of training before even the most 'average' among their tribe could naturally form between three and five Baangs.Had he any use for an army, Vahn could, very easily, just leave the Asteria Tribe to their own devices in the outer rings. They had a 'very' strong desire to increase their numbers so it was only a matter of time before their original 83 members grew into a substantial force. Instead, he allowed them to reside within the Second Layer, entrusting the land to them and adjusting the flow of time to a ratio of 10:1.Though he understood their desire for revenge, Vahn's condition for allowing the Asteria Tribe to reside within the Little Garden was that they entrust the matter of dealing with Jahad to him. They might have a 'very' powerful claim against the tyrant King, but, in the grand scheme of things, they were just one group of Jahad's victims.Instead of focusing on revenge, Vahn wanted the Asteria Tribe to focus on rebuilding their culture and providing support to the other tribes he would invariably rescue during his ascent. This didn't sit well with some of their older members, but, with Gaute and Magnus serving as voices of reason, the vast majority were convinced relatively easily. As for the rest, including most of the Elders, they chose to stay within the village, not to seek revenge, but to safeguard their ancestral home so that future generations could return to pay their respects.Understanding how difficult it could be for some people to change, especially after long periods of suffering, Vahn didn't blame the Elders and their supporters for choosing to remain behind. Instead, he gave them a surplus of preserved food, a variety of edible plants, and, most importantly, a seed produced by the central island's World Tree. This would serve as a spatial waypoint, and, so long as they had his permission, people could transition between the Little Garden and the outside world thanks to the trans-dimensional properties inherent to World Trees.Though he didn't explain this function to them, as it would be extremely troublesome if someone found a way to forcibly access the World Tree's network, Vahn promised the Asterian Elders that he would personally return their people once Jahad had been defeated. By then, the World Tree would have grown into the mountain, and, though it might not compare to the Little Garden, it was bound to become a serene and pleasant place to live...---Having completed the Guardian's Test, Vahn found himself floating in front of a massive creature that resembled an Oarfish. It had a silvery body that was easily several kilometers long, and, though it had two eyes on the side of its head, the ones staring back at Vahn were the six protruding from its forehead.Similar to their first meeting, the Guardian broke the silence by plainly stating, "You always smell so delicious..."Chuckling in response to the massive creature's remark, Vahn pulled out a rainbow-hued crystal, tossing it towards the former's multi-mawed mouth as he said, "Accept this as both a parting gift and an expression of gratitude. I got to save an endangered species and even gained a stronger motivation for climbing the Tower."Without any hesitation whatsoever, the monstrous oarfish opened his mouth, devouring the tiny crystal in a single bite. This caused a contented tremble to run through its body, and, though it was incapable of showing an actual expression, its voice sounded satisfied as it replied, "You are the greatest anomaly that has ever appeared in this Tower. We look forward to seeing how far you will go. Good luck, delicious one..."Understanding he was about to be kicked out, Vahn performed a casual wave in the Guardian's direction as his body faded into particulates of bluish-white light. Immediately thereafter, he found himself on the viewing deck of a massive structure, that loosely resembled a winged chesspiece. He couldn't actually make this out from where he was standing, but, based on the structures floating in the distance, it was a pretty safe assumption.Since there was only one place where such structures were common, Vahn didn't need Ryun's help to confirm that he was currently on the 21st Floor, specifically the 'Garden of White Cichlids' that was owned and operated by the Yeon Family. This was an area in the Middle Tower that was traditionally reserved for Regulars, and, so long as you had the Points to spend, there were a number of famous restaurants and shopping centers located within the gravity-defying structures. Vahn, however, had absolutely no interest in these things, so, after briefly taking in his surroundings, he manifested his Pocket and said, "Contract with the Guardian..."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The Hypibolic Crying Chamber is OP...','Delicious...','Vahn embracing his inner speed-runner xD...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

After his meeting with the Sailfish-like Guardian of the 21st Floor, Vahn made his way towards a sea located near the border between the Middle and Inner Towers.Unlike the 20th Floor, where the Middle and Inner Towers were overlapped like Dimensional Planes, the only thing separating the two on the 21st Floor was a unique boundary that prohibited all forms of unnatural flight. Fortunately, like most restrictions in the Tower, this had absolutely no effect on Vahn. As a result, it only took him a few hours before he reached his destination, the location of a mountain-sized Shinheuh known as Zygaena.At a glance, the Zygaena appeared to be a massive bull-like Shinheuh with tanned hide, horn-like antennae, a maw that stretched more than a hundred meters across, and two spiracles; one located on its back and the other located on its stomach.Though it had been considered a Sacred Beast by the Natives of the 21st Floor, known for its docile nature, the Zygaena had been butchered to the point only a single member of its species remained. There had been no official reason given for this, but, as was often the case when it came to such acts of cruelty, it was entirely the result of greed.At some point in the distant past, the Yeon Family Head, Yeon Hana, had been gifted an accessory created from a flower that only grew inside of the Zygaena. This flower produced a series of awe-inspiringly beautiful gemstones, so, as the 'most beautiful' woman in the Tower, it was considered to be the only suitable adornment for someone of Hana's caliber. Since then, the Zygaena's Flower had become a symbol representing the Yeon Family. It was embedded into each and every one of the unique flower hairpins worn by members of the main family, and, depending on your status in the family, the number of gems infused into your hairpin would increase.Though it would have made sense for the Yeon Family to protect the Zygaena, as it was the only source of the flower representing their family, they were actually the ones to drive it near the point of extinction. More specifically, it was the Godmother of the Yeon Family, Yeon Ilarde, who tasked a number of Rankers with their destruction. She had taken offense to the fact that the flower, despite its beauty, was rather common. Her vanity didn't allow her to tolerate this, so, in order to artificially increase its rarity, she had all but one Zygaena killed.When Hana had discovered that the Zygaena were being butchered, she immediately passed down an order to hunt down those responsible. She actually had a very kind and gentle disposition so it had pained her greatly to hear of the Zygaena's plight. Unfortunately, she placed far too much trust in Ilarde, the only 'real' family she had in the entire Tower.As the literal mother of every member of the Yeon Family, Ilarde's influence greatly exceeded that of Hana's, her niece. Because of this, she was easily able to fool Hana into believing that the family was doing everything in their power to stop the culprits. In reality, however, she ordered those hunting the Zygaena to increase their efforts, all while reporting to Hana that everything was going well.In the end, entirely as a result of her own vanity, pride, and greed, Ilarde had pushed the Zygaena to the point of extinction. As for the last Zygaena, it was cursed with a powerful form of Immortality so that the family would always have a constant supply of the now incredibly rare flower.When she had learned that only a single Zygaena remained, Hana's personality, known to be the kindest among the Ten Great Warriors, did a complete reversal. She immediately descended to the 21st Floor in a rage, slaying the Ruler who had been in charge before taking over the entire Floor in the name of the Yeon Family. It was said that her flames covered the entire sky in a crimson inferno, and, by the time her wrath had been quelled, nearly every Ranker unaffiliated with the Yeon Family had been annihilated.Unfortunately, from start to finish, Hana was skillfully manipulated by her aunt, blissfully unaware of the fact that her own family was responsible for the Zygaena's tragedy. It was only after the incident that she began to hear rumors regarding her family's involvement, but, unwilling to doubt her aunt, Ilarde's ultimately escaped all consequences. Rather, as a result of her careful machinations, she was even able to secure an additional Floor for her family to rule over...---Seeing the Zygaena up close, Vahn had to admit that it was rather massive. If he hadn't seen even larger creatures, he never would have believed such an entity was capable of growing and evolving naturally. In fact, based on how it was largely 'hollow' on the inside, allowing people to explore the interior unobstructedly, there was a very real chance that it was deliberately created to be explored.Shaking his head, Vahn waited until the Zygaena had rolled over onto its back before descending to its bulbous belly. The Test he had been assigned by the Guardian was to secure and protect at least one of the Zygaena's offspring before removing the curse keeping it alive.Though the Zygaena could easily survive for tens of thousands of years, the last remaining member had lost its will to live long ago. As for the reason why, it was due to the fact that the true origin of the Zygaena Flower was the Zygaena's offspring. The gems were actually the condensed essence of the Zygaena's life force, nourishing the offspring on which the flower grew.For the last several thousand years, the current Zygaena had been forced into a state where it was constantly producing offspring only to have them brutally slaughtered for the flowers growing on their backs. This had caused the sole surviving Zygaena to fall into a deep state of depression, so, while it was possible to save the creature by placing it within the Seventh Layer, Vahn understood it would be far more merciful to put the long-lived Shinheuh out of its misery.Unfortunately, while it was rather easy to find the Zygaena's Flower, Vahn was stumped to realize it was still in the process of gathering energy. As a result, it had yet to blossom, and, though he could see the nascent Zygaena growing in the wall, it was still a fetus.Exhaling a sigh, Vahn took a seat with his back against the warm yet rock-like walls of the Zygaena's insides before looking towards the Law of Identity, now transformed as Headon, and asking, "How long before the flower blossoms...?"With the knowledge of the Tower's Caretaker at her disposal, the Law of Identity didn't hesitate for a single moment before answering, "The usual gestation period is around five years. There should be around three years left before it fully blossoms."Nodding his head in understanding, Vahn looked towards the flower with a thoughtful gaze as he wondered why the Guardian was trying to delay his climb. With that in mind, he ultimately rose to his feet before teleporting out of the mountain-sized creature's body and shifting his attention back to the Law of Identity. Now, however, she resembled a colossal Sailfish that was even overshadowed the Zygaena.Understanding Vahn's intentions, the Law of Identity pointed her needle-like snout towards him as she answered, "The Guardian believes you are climbing the Tower too quickly. It wants you to stay here and protect the Zygaena Flower from the Rankers who will come to claim it."Though it was a little unnerving to have a skyscraper-sized needle pointed towards his face, Vahn managed a lighthearted chuckle before extending his hand towards the Law of Identity. As a result, she immediately reverted back to her original appearance, happily accepted his outstretched hand before nestling close to him. Immediately thereafter, Vahn teleported to the Zygaena's head so he could start the very long process of Taming the mountain-sized creature. This ultimately took three days; but, as a result, he was able to store the Zygaena within the Little Garden, drastically reducing the amount of time required for its offspring to gestate properly...---As could be expected, the Rankers assigned to watch over the Zygaena had been sent into a frenzy the moment their quarry spontaneously disappeared. The Yeon Family even sent two High Rankers to investigate the area, but, even after evaporating the entire sea using their flames, destroying an entire ecosystem in the process, they were unable to find a single trace of the missing Zygaena.When Vahn heard about the extremes the Yeon Family had been willing to go to in order to search for him, he couldn't help but frown in disapproval. He had chosen to remain on the 21st Floor for a few days in order to gauge their response. Needless to say, he was extremely disappointed, so, after contemplating the best course of action, he prepared a secondary vessel for the first time in a long while. Then, after storing it within the Little Garden, he made his way over to the lotus-like Floating Castles that represented the Yeon Family's power on the 21st Floor.Though he understood that not every member of the Yeon Family was corrupt, he also knew the Rankers tasked with looking after the Zygaena were well aware of how their precious gems were obtained. They had been twisted by the vanity of Ilarde, so, without any hesitation whatsoever, he ascended high above the series of Floating Castles before removing the Zygaena's corpse from the Little Garden.Vahn would ordinarily never desecrate a corpse, but, knowing how much resentment the Zygaena held towards the Yeon Family, he imagined it would be pleased with the outcome he had decided for it. As for the Yeon Family, they could only stare on in horror as the mountain-sized creature fell from the sky, crashing into their main Floating Castle with meteoric force.Somewhat surprisingly, the Floating Castle wasn't directly destroyed by the Zygaena's weight. It was protected by a 'very' powerful barrier of Shinsu, so, despite taking a direct impact, it ultimately able to avoid complete destruction. The only substantial damage was to the Suspendium Engines used to keep it suspended in the air. They had been completely overwhelmed by the massive force that had slammed into it, irreparably fracturing from the strain. As a result, the city-sized Floating Castle was forced to the ground as Rankers from the Yeon Family swarmed from the interior like a fire ant swarm.With his ability to blend into the void, Vahn could see the entire spectacle from high above. He was a little disappointed that the Floating Castle hadn't been destroyed, but, considering it was made to resist attacks from a High Ranker, he wasn't all that surprised. The average High Ranker had enough power to wipe out a small country with a serious attack so it would have been strange if a Floating Castle designed to protect against them was felled by a falling body.Shaking his head, Vahn's features began to slowly change as the sky over the Floating Castles took on a golden hue. This drew a considerable amount of attention, compelling several Rankers to rise into the sky at a speed rivaling teleportation. At the same time, Vahn's body gradually appeared from within the void as Enkidu, in all its resplendent glory, formed into a shape resembling a magic circle at his back.Seeing the spectacle before her, the leader of the group, a Ranker known as Yeon Aruna, couldn't help but pale slightly. She felt as if the Shinsu in the surroundings was being arrested from her, but, rather than turn tail and flee, she activated the recording function of her Pocket and roared, "This is the territory of the Yeon Family! Who are you to dare and offend one of the Ten Great Families!? Are you one of those cowards belonging to FUG!?"Rather than answer the woman's question, Vahn was scanning the auras of the surrounding Rankers to try and ascertain whether or not he should kill them all or spare a few. This would have been very difficult for his past self, but, after 'subordinating' Yuri and Ureko, his energy reserves had increased from around 153,000 to just over 4.3 million. More than 98% of this came from Ureko, but, in the end, the only thing that really mattered was that he had become exponentially stronger due to the two feisty women opting to join his Familia.With the average Ranker having between 10~15 million Shinsu, Vahn was confident in his ability to kill the vast majority with very little effort. They would need close to ten times his reserves in order to compete with him, so, with the strongest Ranker present only having reserves approximating 30 million, their lives were effectively in his hands. The only problem was, even if they 'deserved' to be killed, Vahn knew that Hana would take exception to the slaughter of her kin...Though their appearances were drastically different, Vahn got a similar impression from Hana as he did from Hestia. This wasn't because she was a virgin, but because she cared about her family more than anything else. There was a very real chance she would pursue him relentlessly if he went on a killing spree, so, after a brief moment of consideration, he decided he would just give them a 'light' punishment.Vahn knew he was contradicting himself, especially considering he had just dropped a mountain on them, but, as was often the case, it was a lot harder to justify killing people who were right in front of you. It was impossible for him to be completely heartless, so, with more than a dozen beauties staring at him with fear in their eyes, most of his hatred had melted away. After all, the true culprit behind the Zygaena's suffering was Ilarde, not these sheltered brats.Waiting until the woman was about to shout a second time, Vahn's aura burst outward like a large explosion. He forcibly seized control of the surrounding Shinsu, wresting it away from the group of fiery beauties and forcing them to either fall from the sky or use fiery wings formed from their own internal reserves to support themselves.Taking advantage of the interval where they were trying to stabilize themselves, Vahn activated his unique form of Reverse Flow Control, forcing the flames back into their body. This wasn't enough to inflict any substantial damage, as they 'were' flame, but that didn't prevent them from falling out of the sky like birds with their wings clipped. If he allowed them to, they would eventually recover the moment they exited his domain, but, rather than afford them the opportunity to mount a response, Vahn took things a step further by locking them in place as he descended towards the ground with even greater force than the Zygaena's fall.Though they could fall from virtually any height without suffering any damage, being slammed into the ground at relativistic speeds was enough to knock each of the women unconscious. Fortunately, their flames were an amalgamation of both the Phoenix and the Three-Legged Golden Crow. Unless their heads and hearts were both destroyed they could heal from virtually any injury so Vahn didn't have to worry about their survival. As a result, he didn't hold back in the slightest, his expression a mask of calm as he rose from his personal crater and began to manifest hundreds of resplendent golden Baangs...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vanity is never pleasant...','Three years? More like 12 hours...','O_O...')(A/N: Sorry about not posting yesterday. Starting tomorrow, I'll be releasing 3-4 chapters a day for the entire week.)https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

In preparation for the Guardian's Test, which involved traveling to a distant region in the Middle Tower to provide aid to a small village, Vahn was enjoying a rather hearty breakfast alongside the growing population of the Emerald Grove. He had Fenrir seated at his right, a palpable excitement radiating from her body, Ryun to his left, a thoughtful glimmer in her eyes, and, as was often the case, Yoruichi, and several others, were either curled up in his lap or using his body as their personal lounging post.Vahn always enjoyed eating in a large group as it was during moments like this that he felt the most like family. Now, said family had grown exponentially in a very short period of time, and, though it made things a little difficult when he had mischief-makers like Latias picking food directly from his plate, Vahn didn't particularly mind it. Rather, he found such actions adorable, a lighthearted laugh escaping his throat whenever Fenrir lightly chided them for their antics.No matter how troublesome things might get in the outside world, all of Vahn's worries seemed to melt away when everyone had gathered together like this. This was a notion shared by many of his Templates, so, while it wasn't uncommon for people to wander in and enjoy a meal at their leisure, there were always multiple occasions throughout the day where everyone gathered to enjoy a meal together.Of course, that didn't mean things were 'peaceful' during meal times. Rather, it was often quite the opposite. The presence of personages like Goku and Roger had always helped to ensure that things were always lively. This had been the case even before the newest additions to their community, so, now that there were people like Whitebeard, Vegeta, Makarov, and Mavis around, things were even more lively.Fortunately, while their constitutions allowed them to filter out the effects rather quickly, everyone that had developed a True Ego of their own was able to enjoy both the taste and effects of powerful alcohol. This led to some rather heated competitions, the vast majority of which were won by either Whitebeard and, somewhat surprisingly, Mavis. The petite, fairy-like, woman was able to consume a seemingly endless amount of alcohol, and, though she would become red in the face, she could still drink people like Roger under the table with an impish smile.Vahn always found it rather amusing to see such scenes play out as it made him genuinely feel like he was a part of the worlds he had always dreamed of as a child. Even now, he would look back on his time back in the cave, a reminiscent smile on his face as he remembered how excited he was to visit various worlds. That excitement had mellowed a bit with time, but, like a fine wine that was left in a secure cellar, it had been steadily maturing alongside him.One day, even if it was in the impossibly distant future, Vahn was determined to pop open the cork and experience each of the fascinations that had once captivated his naive and innocent mind. For now, however, he was perfectly content with just watching Rindo's backside as Mira lightly scolded Index for talking with food in her mouth...---Prior to the Age of Genesis, when the Jahad Empire was first being established, the only method to ascend the Tower involved completing various tasks assigned by the Guardians. They would assign you various Tests, the difficulty of which was entirely dependent upon your reason for climbing the Tower.More often than not, the Tests assigned by the Guardians involved helping out the natives of the Tower. This was the reason Jahad and the Great Warriors had managed to build such a large group of followers during their own ascent. They had saved countless people, conquered various empires, and even defeated a number of 'evil gods' that had tormented people since time immemorial. This allowed them to build literal armies, and, much like a tsunami sweeping over the previous era, they were able to wash it away and build their own atop the ruins.Though the 20th Floor was ruled by the Po Bidau Family, the Laws of the Tower prevented even the Jahad Empire from expanding beyond the Middle Tower. They could still take action against forces in the Outer Tower, but there were a number of restrictions in place depending on the power of the individual and their contract with the Guardian. As a result, there were a number of Kingdoms and even entire Empires that existed outside the immediate influence of the Jahad Empire. It was these territories that served as the proving grounds for those seeking to move higher in the Rankings, as, more often than not, such Kingdoms were directly supported by specific groups or individual High Rankers.On the 20th Floor alone, there were a total of 139 different nations split between the Middle and Outer Towers. The most powerful of these, as could be expected, were backed by Rankers affiliated with the Po Bidau Family. As for the rest, they were generally backed by Rankers affiliated with the other Great Families, organizations on the level of FUG, or individuals that had originated from that region prior to their ascent up the Tower. This meant there was a lot of cultural diversity, but, more than anything else, it ensured there were constant conflicts taking place all throughout the Tower.As part of his Guardian's Test, Vahn had been tasked with traveling to a remote mountain village with a meager population of only 83 people. What made this village unique was that many of the villagers were descendants of the Native Ones, the original inhabitants of the Tower that had been cursed by Jahad after the Age of Genesis. This led to them becoming known as the Cursed People by the common residents of the Tower, and, as could be expected, they were 'heavily' persecuted as a result.Though the Curse varied between individuals of the same race, it always manifested in one of three different ways. The first curse caused those affected to be born hermaphroditic, losing their ability to reproduce as a result. As for the second and third curse, the former sealed off the original power inherent to the species and made it very difficult for them to grow stronger while the latter, most tragically, increased the chances of a stillbirth occurring to more than 90%. This resulted in a drastic decrease in the number of Native Ones that existed within the Tower, most giving in to despair the moment the effects of their curse manifested.Fortunately, despite the hatred imposed upon them due to the Jahad Empire, the Native Ones were still blessed by the Tower. The Guardians also harbored no enmity towards them, and, even though they were contractually bound to inflict the curse upon each successive generation of Native Ones, they also helped to conceal them from both the Jahad Empire and the Ten Great Families.As an Irregular, Vahn had the power to completely ignore the rules and restrictions that had been imposed upon the Tower's residents by his predecessors, so, as part of his Guardian's Test, he had been tasked with removing the curse from the villagers. This was a task that would have originally belonged to Baam, so, in exchange for keeping Team Wolf Pack safe, Vahn had agreed to act as the instrument of change that the Tower had been eagerly anticipating for the last ten-thousand years...---With the help of Fenrir, Ryun, Latias, and Latios, Vahn was eventually able to discover the location of the hidden village after a little more than three days. This required descending an intricate network of vertical shafts, many of which connected to the breeding grounds of various Shinheuh or other, far more dangerous, hazards.Fortunately, while she would normally be blind to the location of the Native Ones' village, Ryun was allowed to see the path thanks to her association with an Irregular. As a result, Vahn was finally able to enter the subterranean chamber housing the hidden village, a region dominated by vibrant five-pointed stars floating gracefully through the air. It was actually quite mesmerizing, but, as could be expected, Vahn soon found himself under attack by said stars as an inordinately handsome middle-aged man bellowed, "Sound the alarm! There are intruders within the village...!"Adopting a wry smile in response to the man's words, Vahn allowed Fenrir to erect a massive lotus-shaped barrier of ice, completely fending off the assault of stars as he said, "I am not your enemy. I have come here to remove the curse from your people."Unsurprisingly, the man wasn't really listening to his words at this point. Instead, he formed a seal with his hands as a massive star-shaped Baang of Shinsu formed behind him. At the same time, a number of other middle-aged villages, the majority of which possessed the same inordinate beauty as the man, joined the assault. This left Vahn feeling rather helpless, a sigh escaping his lips before he raised his hand and plainly stated, "You will listen when I speak."Immediately after Vahn's words had fallen, it was as if Time within the cavern had stagnated to the point of stopping. This was a very advanced form of Reverse Flow Control that used his domain as a medium to stop, not just the flow of Shinsu in an individual's body, but the environment. His words also carried a compulsory force due to his breakthroughs in the Law of Authority, so, while he had spoken relatively softly, his words resonated throughout the entire village.Without any Rankers present, there wasn't a single villager who could resist Vahn's unique form of Reverse Flow Control. As a result, he was able to walk up to the oldest-looking individual present, the same man who had originally attacked him. This caused the man to tremble, not from fear, but a vain attempt to break free.Shaking his head, Vahn placed his hand on the man's shoulder, liberating him from his control as he reiterated, "I am not your enemy. I have come here to help." before releasing everyone else from his control.Realizing they could do nothing against the man standing before them, the presumed leader of the group gestured for everyone else to stand down as he answered in a solemn tone, "Very well...I will hear what you have to say..."Nodding in response to the man's words, Vahn adopted a disarming smile as he retracted his hand from the man's shoulder and explained, "My name is Vahn Aldrnari Mason. I am an Irregular known as the Sage Dragon Emperor. In accordance with my agreement with the Guardians, I have come to remove the curse Jahad has placed upon you and your people."Though he wanted to believe Vahn's words, the man couldn't help but frown as he replied, "I am known as Gaute Aarnes, son of Halvard and proud warrior of the Asteria tribe. If you are who you claim to be, we will welcome you into our home as the hero of our people. If your intentions are impure, however...know that we will fight to the last man, woman, and child if it means defeating our foes..."Understanding the reason for the man's skepticism, Vahn resisted the compulsion to roll his eyes as he pulled out a crystalline potion bottle filled with a glittering red liquid and said, "This is a special Elixir known as a [Panacea]. Mixing it with any type of alcohol will transform it into a holy remedy that has the ability to remove virtually any curse. You can also consume the [Panacea] directly, but they aren't exactly easy to make. If diluted into strong alcohol, you can easily treat upwards of 200 people from that single Elixir."Though he still didn't fully trust Vahn's words, Gaute ordered the other villagers to fetch a barrel of alcohol and the oldest member of their community. This left the former with a frown on his face, but, fortunately, Gaute didn't try and force the elderly woman to consume the potion. Instead, he calmly explained the situation before leaving the final decision to her. It turned out that she was actually the former matriarch of the Asteria tribe, so, without any hesitation, she downed an entire pint of the diluted [Panacea] without leaving behind a single drop...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'A very enviable existence...','Jahad's cuckery knows no bounds','Baba ain't scared of nothin...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1831: Relocation