Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Though there were a number of exceptions, such as the Name-Hunt Station on the 39th Floor, the Hell Express typically stopped for a total of one hour at each of the nine stations. This was further broken down into two thirty-minute blocks, the first allowing passengers to debark and the second allowing new arrivals to board.Just as he had done on the previous Floor, Vahn was intending to restrict access to the Hell Train. This time, however, he wasn't going to allow 'anyone' to board as the odds of them getting in his way was simply too great. He was about to hunt down one of the ancient Slayers of FUG, so, for their own sake, he couldn't allow other Regulars to embark until he had finished his business.With this in mind, Vahn waited until the doors opened before stepping out ahead of John and his companions. Immediately thereafter, his domain swept across the circular ring below, upon which more than three-hundred opportunistic Regulars had gathered. They had intentions for any of the Regulars who might be disembarking the Hell Train, and, so long as they played their cards right, it was possible to join a team of Ticket Holders after seizing the tickets of previous passengers.Recognizing a few faces among the crowd, Vahn's eyes squinted slightly as his figure seemed to vanish from atop the stairs. In the next moment, he appeared right in front of Sachi Faker and his team, smiling as he asked, "Are you looking down on me? I told you before. Aka has lost their right to board the Hell Express. Trying to sneak them onboard using a Lighthouse is a trick even a toddler wouldn't fall for...I mean, really..."Punctuating his words, Vahn forcibly teleported the Lighthouse concealed on the far side of the Hell Express. Then, before the Light Bearer accompanying Sachi could react, he smashed the pale yellow cube into several smaller fragments, forcing ejecting everything within. This included Aka, who, after a month of rest and relaxation, now appeared without so much as a trace of their former injuries.Shaking his head in disappointment, Vahn directed his gaze towards Sachi, frowning as he released the man from his Reverse Flow Control and said, "I will be dealing with the person who killed Roen. If possible, I will also try and help her. For now, your group should wait patiently on the 44th Floor. Now that you've attempted this little stunt, you have all lost your right to board the Hell Express. If you continue trying my patience, don't blame me for the consequences."Without sticking around to humor the man's response, Vahn teleported to a spot above the circular arena, a place where everyone present could see him. Then, in an authoritative voice that resonated throughout the entirety of the platform, he stated, "The Hell Express is off-limits this year. I will give you the next twenty minutes to depart. Any who remain after that will be forcibly removed from the arena and have their tickets seized."Though some people had heard about what happened on the 35th Floor, very few people actually moved to withdraw from the arena. They also didn't wander very far. Instead, they took up positions along the outskirts, most intending to spectate while others were awaiting an opportunity to take advantage of the ensuing conflict.Rather than minding the opportunistic individuals hoping for his fall, Vahn gradually floated toward the Hell Express while scanning the crowd below. He noticed there were quite a number of Regulars belong to FUG mixed within the crowd. They stood out due to the fact that nearly every member of their team wore hooded cloaks, and, unlike the other Regulars gathered below, they radiated an air of 'confidence' that didn't match their strength.Though he could easily guess based on the context of the current situation, Vahn still had the Law of Identity confirm their intentions. Unsurprisingly, they were intending to board the Hell Express, and, due to him ignoring the first team sent by FUG, they mistakenly believed he would allow them to do so.Amused by their audacity, Vahn couldn't prevent a light chuckle from escaping his lips as he came to a stop on the stairs leading up to the Hell Express. He obviously wasn't going to let them board the train, as, not only would it be slapping himself in the face, it would also implicate him with the infamous criminal organization. He had no interest in being associated with them, and, considering he was about to kill one of their former Slayers, there was a pretty good chance that they would be at odds in the very near future...With this in mind, Vahn gradually increased the pressure within his domain, an action that helped to 'convince' several other teams to depart the arena. Then, once there were only two minutes left, his smile disappeared as a golden luminance spread beyond the confines of the platform. This caused the remaining Regulars to fall to their knees, sweat breaking out across their bodies as the pressure skyrocketed to the point of cracking the arena's foundation.Surprised by his own power, Vahn began to gradually release the pressure as he slowly descended the stairs. For a brief moment, he was seized by the notion that he could just 'erase' everyone that had refused to obey him, their wills crumbling under the pressure of his own. This was more than a little perturbing, but, rather than allow it to affect him, Vahn mentally uttered, ("This is still just the beginning...don't let your own power frighten you...use it...control it...")Following his own advice, Vahn's eyes began to radiate with an intensity that rivaled the Sun as he came to a stop at the very base of the stairs. Then, in a tone that seemed to pierce directly into the minds of everyone present, he simply uttered, "Leave."Despite the pressure that continued to weigh upon them, virtually everyone within the vicinity of Vahn's domain, including those spectating from outside the arena, began to migrate towards the elevators and stairs leading away from the platform. Those who couldn't stand crawled on all fours while those who couldn't even do that began to pull themselves across the ground. It was an eerie sight to behold, and, though he was the one who had caused it, even Vahn could hardly believe the scene playing out before his very eyes...---Feeling more than a little exhausted, Vahn saw off the marginally frightened members of Team John before returning to the Hell Express. There, Artoria and Asuna were waiting for him, concern visible in both of their gazes as the former asked, "Are you okay...?"With two of his wives standing before him, Vahn was already beginning to feel better, so, without needing to lie, he managed a smile as he said, "I am now. Come, let us return to the others. I'm sure Fenrir is probably feeling a little restless. Once I deal with her, we can return to the Little Garden for some R&R. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten our prior arrangement."In an effort to allay the duo's concerns, Vahn punctuated his statement with a playful wink before casually snaking his hands around their waists. Fortunately, they both possessed the ability to see through him with remarkable clarity, so, while they could tell he wasn't completely fine, they could also tell that he wasn't lying. Thus, rather than press the issue, Artoria responded by changing into casual wear while Asuna planted a light peck on his cheek before uttering, "I'm looking forward to it..." in a voice amplified by a sensual purr.Smiling wolfishly in response to Asuna's bold words, Vahn attempted to slide his hand down her body and give her pert rump a light pinch. This was something she had seen coming, so, before he was able to, she planted another swift kiss on his cheek before blinking away like a phantom. Rather than simply open up some distance between them, however, she continued until her figure was out of sight, seemingly with the intent to give him and Artoria some alone time.Though he understood she was trying to make up for her earlier selfishness, Vahn's expression still melted into an affectionate smile when he realized Asuna's intentions. As for Artoria, she issued a light chuckle before leaning her head against his shoulder and softly remarking, "Be sure to reward her plentily once we reach the outer rings..."After a light chuckle of his own, Vahn gradually slowed his advance before stopping completely as he wrapped Artoria in his embrace. She responded to this by stealing his lips, preempting his words with action. She even slipped her hands into his back pockets, seizing the initiative by squeezing his butt and guiding his back against the nearby wall. These were things she could only do when other people weren't around, and, though he wasn't unfamiliar with such behaviors, her marginally more youthful appearance somehow made her actions seem exponentially bolder...---With Mordred showing no signs of completing her Revolution any time soon, Vahn had everyone return to the Little Garden so they could relax and discuss plans for the future. He also wanted to spend some time with his children, who, as could be expected, were growing at a remarkable rate. Every month that passed for them equated to five months of development, so, despite being only eight months old, they had the appearances of three-year-olds.Though Naruto had found a place for himself among the verdant forests of the Emerald Grove, the same couldn't be said for young Hana. She had never outgrown her penchant for spying on others. Rather, thanks to numerous people doting upon her and a burgeoning friendship with Madara, she had become a 'very' successful prankster. She had even learned a few basic Jutsu, and, much to the chagrin of the less perceptive residents of the Emerald Grove, she had a remarkable talent for laying traps...Fortunately, despite her persistent pranking, Hana was still adored by virtually every resident of the Emerald Grove. Most of her pranks were pretty harmless, so, rather than take offense to them, they would actually praise her for a job well done. This served to further encourage her, and, though this resulted in an ever-increasing number of traps, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It allowed her to gain an understanding of basic mechanics at a very young age, and, most importantly, it helped her grasp the difference between right and wrong via positive reinforcement rather than reproach.Vahn genuinely believed in the inherent goodness of children, and, so long as they grew up in an understanding environment, the chances of them being led astray later in life were negligible. This was a sentiment shared by all of his Templates, so, while her pranks could be a little troublesome at times, the only times they admonished her was when she endangered herself or others. The rest of the time, they praised her ingenuity and even encouraged her to prank specific people, effectively becoming her accomplice.Unfortunately for Vahn, the person Hana enjoyed pranking more so than anyone else was himself. This put him in a difficult situation since he could easily see through her traps, yet, in spite of this, had to walk into them. This had resulted in his hair being dyed a variety of different colors, and, on one occasion, he even had to walk into an invisible barrier that had been erected by Latias. This was Hana's most common accomplice, and, after realizing she wouldn't get in trouble, Latias' penchant for pranks had increased to match the young Hyuuga's.Since they were exceptionally cute whenever they smiled, Vahn was utterly powerless to oppose the tyrannical duo. He couldn't stand to see his daughter cry, and, though she could get a little out of hand at times, Latias had gradually become one of his favorite among the Pokemon. The only one he was really closer to was Arceus, but, considering the direction their relationship had developed, that wasn't too surprising. After all, while it had yet to hatch, she was still the mother of one of his children...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Tier 5 Vahn be scary...','Oh my (OwO)....','Better get to steppin~')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

After an extended stay within the Emerald Grove, courtesy of his ability to control the flow of time within, Vahn, accompanied by Fenrir, Ryun, Illya, Eva, Asuna, Artoria, Gray, and Karin, reemerged within the confines of their room aboard the Hell Express. With the exception of Karin, who was primarily around to accompany Eva, the other seven, accounting for Mordred, had officially become the main members of 'Team Aldrnari'.Though he could easily clear most Special Tests and events on his own, there was quite a number that required a full party just to register. He had originally intended to have people like Arusha and Arryn fill in during these moments. Now, he was spoiled for choice, and, even if the members of his current party decided to take a break, he still had Musashi, Kenshin, Altera, Okita, and several others who were more than willing to journey alongside him.Comforted by the thought of traveling alongside his family and loved ones, Vahn was all smiles as he turned toward his entourage of beautiful women and said, "Though there are still three months until we reach the Name Hunt Station, I would rather resolve this matter as soon as possible. Ryun, you will lead the way using the ring provided by the God of Guardians. The rest of us will focus on eliminating any enemies who appear along the way. Any questions?"Raising her hand without hesitation, a fiery glint appeared within Asuna's heterochromatic eyes as she asked, "When we encounter this White person, can I be the one to fight against them? I mean, they were defeated by a bunch of Regulars in the past. I'm pretty confident I can wipe the floor with them."Though he had originally intended to deal with White himself, Vahn didn't see any harm in allowing Asuna to face him. His current parameters were still listed as a bunch of [Errors] so it was difficult to know exactly how strong he had become. It was like he had broken the system used to quantify the power of people within the Tower. There was even a chance that, much like an actual Axis User, the common residents of the Tower, High Rankers included, wouldn't even be able to touch him...Resisting the urge to shake his head and sigh in exasperation, Vahn maintained a casual smile as he answered, "Sure. I don't see any problems with that. Just make sure you don't underestimate them. While it is true they were defeated by a group of Regulars, it isn't difficult to imagine their fall being the result of hubris. Objectively speaking, they are a sword prodigy who has lived for thousands of years. During that time, they defeated innumerable opponents and harvested the lives of billions of people. They might be significantly weaker in the present, but you should never underestimate the depravity and craftiness of those who consume 'souls' to enhance their strength...even if it is a short battle, you should treat them as a threat from start to finish."Happy to have the opportunity to face off against a potentially powerful foe, Asuna's face bloomed into an excited smile as she nodded her head and said, "Leave it to me! I'll cut apart that bastard's techniques and then beat them until their face looks like a pig...!"Though she was significantly weaker than her peak self, Vahn could easily imagine Asuna defeating opponents far more powerful than she was. She still had a Mitigation-type Innate that provided her an effective immunity against long-ranged attacks, and, while her [Child of Destiny] had faded away the moment she departed her Record of origin, her [Beloved Disciple of the Sage Dragon Emperor] seemed to provide her a number of benefits. She was also Tier 5, so, unless she encountered a High Ranker, she should be able to defeat most foes before they even understood what was happening...---With the combination of the ring provided by the God of Guardians and Ryun's guidance, choosing a path that would lead to the location of White was a simple matter. Unfortunately, they still had to spend a total of ten days clearing rooms and passing a very specific number of sections in order to reach their destination. The routes aboard the Hell Express were constantly changing depending on the pace of the people clearing them, so, in order to ensure their path intersected with White, they had little choice but to pace themselves accordingly.Fortunately, while there weren't any particularly dangerous or interesting foes to face, it was still an opportunity for the girls to practice their teamwork and improve their individual combat skills. This left Vahn with very little to do, but, much like a spectator enjoying a game of women's volleyball, he wasn't particularly bored. Rather, now that the girls each possessed adorably animalistic or draconic features, it was quite the sight to behold. Illya, in particular, looked especially adorable as she tried to emulate Fenrir's combat style, her ears and tail flopping around as she did her best to fight like a wild animal...In the end, Vahn's duties during the ten-day period primarily revolved around complimenting the girls, pampering those who sought his affection, and preparing meals to keep their bellies full. They actually had a lot of free time on their hands due to the lax difficulty of the individual chambers so there was also a fair amount of waiting around, cuddling, and, despite the intermittent appearance of Shinheuh, they also found ample time to lounge about and watch anime.Ever since the awakening of his [Actualization] Innate, Vahn's intrigue in animated movies and other related media had increased exponentially. After all, he could literally enter into the world by simply placing his hand against the screen, dropping himself into the story, and influencing the outcome at his leisure. This made the viewing experience far more exciting, not just because he could jump into the worlds whenever he wanted, but because he could see a representation of himself in a myriad of different art and animation styles.One of the more intriguing aspects of [Actualization] was how the fictional world would appear just as real as any other the moment he entered into it. This allowed him to personally witness what the characters would look like in 'reality', and, inversely, it allowed him the opportunity to view himself as a 'character'. The best part about this was that he could 'tweak' how realistic the worlds seemed when he entered them, effectively allowing himself to experience the anime version of the world or a realistic representation that could then be linked to the ever-growing population or worlds within his Internal Reality.Vahn found the notion of appearing as a character within an anime very novel, and, though he was infinitely more attached to his women in 'reality', he could still greatly appreciate the aesthetics of certain female characters. It sometimes made him feel like he was witnessing the Avatars of other people in the Virtual World, but, unlike the latter, everything felt infinitely more realistic within the fictional worlds he had [Actualized] into reality. He also enjoyed experiencing 'cartoon physics', and, though it had earned him a fair amount of teasing from some of the girls, he was quite fond of the toon versions of himself.Thus far, Vahn's two favorite worlds to enter were based on an anime known as 'Pokemon Universe' and a video game series known as the Star Ocean Anthology. The former allowed him to experience the wider world of Pokemon, viewing the creatures in their natural environment, and observing how various cultures interacted with them. He could even take his own Pokemon along with him, as, due to the nature of his Templates being extensions of himself, they could freely enter any world so long as he summoned them using his Unit Management. This had allowed Arceus to make considerable progress in the formation of her own world, and, most importantly, it allowed his other Pokemon to experience roaming freely in a world filled with their own kind.At the present moment, many of Vahn's Templates were actually exploring worlds based on their Record of Origin. This included Nami, who, benefitting from her experiences in the Imperial Fleet, combined with the fact she was a Tier 4, managed to flip her personalized version of One Piece on its head. She had even learned how to use all three types of Haki, but, more so than anything else, it was her ability to manipulate the weather and cast water-elemental magic that provided her a nigh-absolute advantage in the oceanic world.Vahn was actually a little envious of his own Templates for having the free time to explore various worlds, but, knowing he could literally spend years within one before a single second passed in the outside, he couldn't actually complain. He just had other things to focus on, and, while he was often tempted to idle about in certain worlds for months on end, his desire to reunite with his family kept him largely rooted to 'reality'. He would have a functionally infinite amount of time to explore other worlds once he linked the Records, so, while he couldn't completely resist the urge, he rarely spent more than a few days within a fictional world before returning.The only real exceptions to this rule were the worlds based on the Pokemon Universe and the Star Ocean Anthology. The former was due to his love of the world and his desire to allow his Pokemon to roam freely. The latter, however, was entirely due to the existence of the Ethereal Queen, a being he was bound to face once he reached the pinnacle of Tier 6. She was an existence that represented the pinnacle, and, though he was the 'creator' of her world, Vahn had been soundly defeated during each of their engagements.Though they had only fought a total of three times, Vahn had been completely overwhelmed by the inordinately beautiful Ethereal Queen mere moments after their battle began. She possessed speed and power on a level he couldn't even begin to comprehend, and, unless he used his [Actualization] to basically cheat, Vahn couldn't imagine defeating her at his current level. Her power was basically identical to his own, but, due to the concepts she represented, it felt like there was an unbridgeable gulf separating them. Thus, as part of his training, he would periodically appear before the Ethereal Queen; much to the amusement of the angelic beauty, who, similar to Tsubaki, had a penchant for reminding him of the number of times he had failed...---With ten days passing in what felt like the blink of an eye, Vahn and Co found themselves in a large chamber inhabited by a mountainous man with a bald head and a colossal figure covered in various tattoos. Even while he was lying down, he towered over everyone present, the distance between his chest and back roughly the same size as a two-story building. As for his actual height, he was about half the size of the God of Guardians, roughly twenty-five to thirty-meters from the top of his bald head to the soles of his massive feet.Seeing the massive figure from the entrance of the chamber, Eva couldn't help but retort, "Are all the Guardians going to be this gigantic? Seriously, don't they understand that increased size just makes them a bigger target...?"Chuckling in response to the blonde bombshell's middling complaint, Vahn went on to explain, "It probably has the ability to compress its body into a much smaller form. The spatial laws within the Tower are surprisingly advanced for a dimensional plane that seems to be capped at the pinnacle of Tier 4. Yuri even possesses a Needle that can compress to a mere two meters despite its true form being more than three kilometers in length."Rolling her eyes in response to Vahn's words, Eva's heels clicked against the metal plates covering the floor as she took several steps forward. This caused the colossal figure sleeping on the ground to rouse from its rest, grumbling unintelligently as it's piercing grey eyes locked onto the person who had interrupted its slumber. In response, Eva's expression morphed into a taunting sneer as she raised her hand and mused, "Let's see if this technique has any actual value in combat...Shinsu Black Hole Sphere...!"Though the giant Guardian attempted to raise its body before Eva could finish her 'incantation', it's large size made its movements exceptionally slow. As a result, it was unable to evade the spherical vortex that appeared right in front of its head. This particular Baang was formed from the elements of Ice, Darkness, and Space, so, while it was a beautiful sight to behold, its capacity for destruction would leave most people feeling horrified. As for the Guardian, the upper half of its body was eaten away by the expanding sphere in a matter of seconds, it's movements ceasing almost immediately thereafter as the temperature in the room quickly dropped to more than a hundred degrees below zero...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'White is so fucked xD...','Vahn scoping out future waifus...','Eva don't play...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

As a Tier 5 who had reached the pinnacle of a far more complex magical system, it only took Eva two days to practically master the Shinsu Black Hole Sphere. This left the God of Guardians utterly speechless, but, seemingly dissatisfied with 'just' leaving the man at a loss, Eva then proceeded to give a far more detailed explanation of how the ability worked. To make matters even worse for the dutiful giant, she had even managed to deconstruct it into a magical formula, effectively producing an equation that would allow virtually anyone to use the unique control method.The saddest part, at least for the God of Guardians, was that Vahn would easily be able to inscribe said formula onto various equipment and armaments. This would effectively allow anyone wielding the items to make use of the coveted control technique, regardless of their comprehension of said ability. This would be extremely beneficial for people like Artoria and Mordred, who, in spite of their masterful control and functionally limitless reserves, struggled to grasp even the basics of magical formulae.Thanks to Eva's insights, Vahn, Fenrir, Illya, and Asuna were able to master the basics of the Shinsu Black Hole Sphere before the Conductor announced their imminent arrival at the 36th Floor's train station. Considering they were all Archmages, however, this wasn't particularly surprising. What did come as a surprise was the fact that even Ryun had made marginal breakthroughs in understanding the control technique; something that was deemed 'impossible' during the God of Guardian's initial explanation.In essence, the Shinsu Black Hole Sphere required the user to create an artificial singularity to serve as a 'core' within a Baang. Standard Baangs were formed by the willful manipulation of Shinsu in the surroundings, effectively requiring the ability to both sense and control the peculiar energy in order to shape it to their will. Shinsu Black Hole Spheres ignored these two requirements, and, so long as you understood the method to create an artificial singularity capable of drawing in the surrounding Shinsu, you could create Baangs with terrifying destructive capabilities. The only caveat was, without an advanced understanding of spatial laws, allowing you to manipulate and control the surrounding Space, controlling a fully materialized Shinsu Black Hole Sphere was 'exceptionally' difficult...---Though he had seen it countless times before, Vahn couldn't help but smile when he saw Artoria don her nostalgic battle raiment, complete with a fur-lined mantle. This was immediately noticed by the person in question, who, rather than fluster about, simply returned his smile as she asked, "How long has it been since we stood together like this...?"Unable to resist the urge, Vahn issued a subdued sigh in response, his expression softening as he muttered in a hushed tone, "Too long...far too long..."Agreeing with this sentiment, Artoria went on to nod her head before saying, "The only thing that matters is that we are together, here, at this moment. The past is in the past. Our aspirations lay in the future. From now on, let us do our best to shape it...all of us...together..."Feeling even more nostalgic than before, Vahn was tempted to reach out and caress Artoria's cheek, his expression morphing into an affectionate and slightly reverent gaze. Before he could, however, a slightly pouty voice could be heard at the side, shattering the rosy atmosphere completely as Asuna remarked, "Maybe I should leave the two of you alone..." in a flat monotone.Blushing in response to Asuna's words, Artoria was about to say something before Vahn beat her to the punch, musing, "It seems your draconic nature is acting up again...after this is taken care of, how about a quick visit to the Outer Rings, just the three of us? You know I'm more than willing to lend a hand when you're feeling frustrated, Asuna..."Similar to Artoria, Asuna couldn't prevent a blush from bleeding into her cheeks at the mention of a foray into the Outer Rings. At the same time, a robust heat began to spread through her body, and, though she did her best to restrain it, she could prevent her tail from twitching in anticipation. This caused her to feel even more embarrassed, her cheeks gaining a scarlet hue as she averted her eyes and muttered, "Bully..." in a perceptively impassioned tone.Though he was tempted to tease her further, Vahn was silenced by a slightly pointed look, courtesy of a blushing Artoria. They were about to reach their destination, and, though she wouldn't overtly tell him to stop, her actions were a reminder to be mindful of the situation. Since he didn't want to embarrass them in front of others, this put an immediate stop to his antics, his expression turning slightly more serious as he responded with a curt nod of understanding. This ended up being the correct decision, as, moments later, the three of them came across John's group standing near an exit.Noticing the presence of others, John and his companions immediately became tense until they noticed who, exactly, was standing at the front of the group. After that, visible relief could be seen on their faces as John, adopting a friendly smile, raised his hand in a gesture of greeting as he said, "It's good to see you. We were really worried when you didn't appear in the residential district even after several days. What have you been up to these last couple of weeks...?"With John's eyes briefly wandering to Artoria and Asuna, it was pretty obvious he also wanted to ask about them, but, fearing he might inadvertently cause offense, he didn't directly broach the subject. He could be pretty tactful at times, and, though he couldn't completely prevent himself from gawking at the two inordinate beauties, he was able to collect himself relatively quickly.Smiling in response to the man's greeting, Vahn resisted the temptation to wrap his arms around his two wives. Instead, he gestured towards each of them in turn, revealing, "These two lovely ladies are Artoria Aldrnari Pendragon and Asuna Vesperina Theotanasia Entheofushia Mason. I am blessed beyond compare to have both as my wives."Bowing slightly in response to her own introduction, Artoria followed up Vahn's words by saying, "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.". As for Asuna, she just adopted a friendly smile, gesturing in a manner similar to John as she said, "Nice to meetcha!" in a comparably casual manner.Surprised by the revelation, John, along with the rest of his team members, found themselves at a complete loss for words. They each had a number of questions dancing about their minds, the most notable pertaining to the girls' origins, and how they were able to board the Hell Train. Rather than risk offending their benefactor, however, the majority just adopted awkward smiles as John went on to say, "It's nice to meet you, Artoria, Asuna..." before returning his gaze to Vahn and asking, "What are you going to do from now on? My team has decided to disembark here and return to the 35th Floor. We had more trouble than anticipated during the trial so we intended to spend the next ten months training before trying again next year."Approving of John's decision, Vahn nodded his head before patting the average-looking youth on the shoulder and remarking, "Wolhaiksong wasn't mistaken when they scouted you as a prospective member. A lot of people would have continued pressing forward in spite of the dangers, blinded by the prospect of rewards. Rather than risk your lives over nothing, it would be better for you to clear the Floors through your own efforts and then double back to board the Hell Express. Just make sure you aren't going out of your way to suppress those weaker than yourselves. As for me, I'm going to continue forward. My goals can only be achieved by moving further up the Tower. Since this might be our last time meeting, I want you to accept these gifts. I specifically prepared them for each of you so don't even think about refusing."Without affording the quintet the opportunity to refuse, Vahn began pulling out numerous items from his Inventory, shoving it into their hands. This included upgraded weapons, defensive artifacts, and, most importantly, a number of useful cooking tools and a surplus of special ingredients. These would help the group drastically increase their capabilities over the next year; and, while it wouldn't let them become powerhouses on part with descendants of the Ten Great Families, it would provide them a significant advantage against other competing Regulars.Vahn had basically become 'fed up' with the structure of the Tower, so, at the very least, he wanted to help those who hadn't been irreversibly corrupted by its influence. In truth, he would like to help everyone, but, understanding the impracticality of such a pursuit, his primary focus was those right in front of him. As for his Templates, they had recently started venturing into various fictional worlds in order to complete Quests. Soon enough, they would be loosed into the Tower, and, though their actions were wholly their own, he could still take partial credit for the people they helped along the way...With several brand new Needles and a number of other useful items forced upon him, John found himself at a complete loss for words. The same could be said for the rest of his team members, but, as the primary recipient of Vahn's interest, he had received the greatest number of boons. This was intended to help him strengthen his position as leader, as, after observing the youth, Vahn was fully confident that John would share with the rest of his team.Finding their bewilderment to be rather amusing, a light chuckle escaped Vahn's throat as he ruffled John's hair and said, "You should put those items away before we arrive. People, especially Regulars, can be very greedy. If they discover you have a surplus of useful equipment, there would be no end to the number of people coveting your supplies. I can make sure nobody antagonizes you once we reach the station, but you'll be on your own after that."Having experienced the greed of other Regulars first hand, Team John immediately complied with Vahn's words. There were no limits to the depravity of some Regulars, and, so long as it meant they could have their wishes granted, no manner of crime was beyond their capacity to commit. This was one of the reasons for the continued survival of FUG. They accepted virtually any applicant, and, no matter how grievous your crimes, you would always find a place for yourselves among the criminals and despots comprising the rebellious organization...---After descending into the watery abyss for more than two days, Modred's expression turned sour as she noticed her surroundings gradually lighting up. She interpreted this as her nearing the bottom, and, for a brief moment, she genuinely considering trying to swim upwards in an attempt to extend the amount of time taken. Fortunately, she realized the folly of such action, so, rather than resist the descent, she began to gradually increase her speed, a crimson aura surrounding her body...Like a meteor descending from the heavens, Mordred crashed into the floor of the Rice Pot with the intention of 'breaking' through the foundation of her own potential. After all, a person's potential was constantly changing, and, so long as they continually pushed themselves, there were absolutely no limits to a person's growth. Mortals could become Gods, and, through an inordinate amount of effort, Gods could even become something 'more'. Thus, rather than accept that this was her limit, Mordred was determined to break through, and, if necessary, continue digging until the very nails on her hands gave way.Under normal circumstances, it would be impossible for a person to break through the foundation of their potential. As someone who had ascended to godhood through her own efforts, however, Mordred was far from what anyone would classify as 'normal'. Thus, rather than stop upon hitting the ground, she smashed through the endless plane of cogs with meteoric force, shattering tens of thousands in the resultant explosion. Immediately thereafter, a massive red dragon appeared from within the smoke, tearing away at the mechanical foundation with the fervor of a mole tunneling into loose soil...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Eva is a bully xD...','Vahn is so excessive...','You think this is my limit!? Witness the power of the Sage Dragon Emperor's Pampered Princess...!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1862: Tyrant