Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After spending a few hours liberating the Unnamed from their curse, Vahn departed from the now-abandoned floating island for the larger residence behind it. This was where all the Named Regulars stayed, and, compared to the slum-like residences reserved for the Unnamed, the accommodations here could even rival those prepared for Rankers.Unsurprisingly, nobody came out to 'greet' Vahn and his party this time around. Instead, the island was eerily silent, as, after the simultaneous defeat of four Bosses, those who remained ordered their subordinates to lay low. They were seized by the mistaken belief that he would 'have' to board the Hell Express before its departure, so, as long as they could remain hidden until then, things would gradually return to 'normal' in his absence.Unfortunately for the opportunistic despots, Ryun was capable of locating virtually every resident of the Name Hunt Station using her abilities as a Guide. Even without this, however, Vahn could always just spread his senses throughout the entirety of the floating island, locking on and teleporting to his quarry regardless of how well they had hidden.Though the various different types of spatial compression interfered with his senses, Vahn could extend his domain upwards of 30km in all directions. This allowed him to sense virtually everything occurring within the isle, a capability that was simultaneously a blessing and a curse considering he could also probe the regions where people were being held captive and exploited against their will.Restraining a sigh, Vahn gestured for the girls' attention, saying, "Give me a few moments...I need to take care of something..."Without taking the time to explain, Vahn's figure disappeared from the empty corridor, his presence disappearing almost instantaneously. In the very next instant, he found himself in a dark, damp, and foul-smelling underground chamber. There, a large octopus-like woman could be seen seated upon a throne, a sadistic expression on her face as she used her tentacles to tease and torment a number of feminine men while dozens of enslaved Regulars engaged in various licentious acts throughout the low-lit, perfume heavy, chamber.With his teleportation being soundless and without any flare, Vahn's presence wasn't immediately noticed until a nude woman nearly twice his size snaked her way over, a predatory smile on her face as she attempted to grab him by the neck, saying, "Are you new here? Come and give mama-"Interrupting the woman's remark, a dark glimmer flashed across Vahn's eyes as he slapped her hand aside, shattering nearly every bone in her hand, wrist, and forearm in an instant. The only thing that prevented the woman from crying out in pain was the excessive amount of narcotics in her system. They allowed her to remain unnaturally calm, and, for a brief moment, she seemed more confused than terrified as she dangled her limp left arm from side-to-side...Resisting the urge to pet himself in an attempt to remain calm, Vahn extended his hand towards the giant octopus-like woman, catching her attention in the process. Then, before her confusion could turn into recognition, he used his Telekinesis to lift her titanic frame by the neck before forcing her tentacles to extend, liberating everything within her grasp.As could be expected, the attention of everyone in the chamber immediately shifted to the floating figure of their boss, the 'Octopus Woman' known as Marte. She was nearly twenty meters in length with her tentacles fully extended, so, even if they were higher than a balloon that had escaped the grasp of a child, they were still able to notice the giant floating figure of the woman who had both tormented and corrupted them.With the rapt attention of everyone present, Vahn was tempted to pull the woman's limbs to their limits before ultimately crushing her into a small ball. Instead, a blue light began to emanate from within his pupils as invisible spheres, visible to him alone, began to expand at the location of the woman's brain and heart. Then, with a quick activation of Oblivion, even the most minute molecule comprising the two vital organs simply ceased to exist, quite literally 'erased' from reality.Though Marte actually had three hearts and nine brains, the vast majority were vestigial organs that relied on the primary brain and heart to function. As a result, the first of the Ten Bosses was killed in an instant, and, though her tentacles would continue to writhe about for upwards of ten hours, this was largely the result of muscle memory and a deeply ingrained self-preservation instinct.Exhaling a sigh, a tiny golden flame began to burn at the tip of Vahn's finger as the scene around him quickly descended into a state of utter bedlam. The death of Marte had effectively liberated them from their standing orders, so, while their fate was ultimately up to her killer to decide, they had a brief window of opportunity to enact things like revenge. As a result, several Regulars began attacking each other like feral animals, some even going out of their way to claw and bite at their former oppressors with tears rolling down their faces.Feeling the waves of resentment and negativity washing over him, Vahn's expression began to dull slightly as he released the tiny golden flame towards the still-floating Marte. Its heat was so intense that it caused even the Shinsu in its path to turn to ash, but, rather than radiate, it actually drew the surrounding heat into itself, drastically chilling the surroundings as the flame burned ever-brighter.After witnessing the 'overflow phenomenon' that occurred when reducing the temperature below absolute zero, Vahn had started to think about various other ways in which temperature could be influenced by the Laws. He knew there were some flames that burned ice-cold, and, though it was a little strange to consider, there were even water-based flames that caused their surroundings to fill with water vapor rather than smoke. Thus, while it 'made sense' for flames to radiate heat outward, Vahn had created a flame that did the opposite, drawing in heat and effectively freezing everything in its surroundings.Though it would quickly become unstable without his Source Energy to maintain it, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that the tiny golden flame could effectively cool the entire universe if given enough time. Its interior temperature would gradually increase, and, so long as there was even a moderate temperature differential, it would eventually reduce the surrounding temperature to absolute zero. This was where things got strange, as, the moment the temperature reached such an extreme, the 'overflow phenomenon' would occur, spontaneously increasing the temperature in the surroundings to 1.41×10^32 degrees Kelvin.As could be expected, an incomprehensibly powerful explosion would occur the moment such an overflow phenomenon occurred, the force of which was more than enough to destabilize space-time in the surroundings. At the same time, the increase in heat would further fuel the growth of the golden flame, and, so long as it had a catalyst to maintain its integrity, it could, theoretically, grow to consume the entire Universe in a cosmologically short period of time.Fortunately for the people in the surroundings, Vahn had no intention of completely destroying them. His primary reason for using such a flame was that it was the most powerful expression of Yang that he could currently manage. This allowed him to change the nature of the flames at his leisure, as, on their most fundamental level, Yang flames were closely associated with Creation and Purification.With a small sun spontaneously appearing in their midst, much of the surrounding fighting came to an end in an instant. At the same time, everyone present began to feel as though they were basking in the gentle rays of the morning sun after an exceptionally long, cold, and dark night...---Though they felt a strong compulsion to go to where their Master was, Fenrir, Ryun, Jeanne, and Mash did their best to obediently await his return. Fortunately, this was something Fenrir and Ryun were rather accustomed to, so, shortly after his departure, the former began pulling out things like a table and cushions while the latter began preparing snacks procured from within her interspatial ring. This left Jeanne and Mash feeling taken aback, but, once a deck of cards was brought out, they didn't hesitate to sit down and join the more experienced duo in a game of Old Maid.For a multitude of different reasons, card and board games had always been popular among the residents of Avalon, and, as a result, the Little Garden. This was especially true for those who had spent time in the Menagerie, as, more often than not, such games were what determined the order in which they received their Master's affection.Jeanne had never been an official resident of the Menagerie, but, shortly after her first union with Vahn, she began spending a fair amount of time within its interior. It was the group she felt most comfortable with, as, even during their first time together, she had asked Vahn to change her into several different species just so she could experience being dominated as every conceivable version of herself. She knew this was rather strange, so, while she wasn't afraid of associating with his more 'normal' women, Jeanne had always gotten along better with the girls who were more 'honest' with themselves and their desires.Though she had mellowed out considerably since then, Jeanne was easily one of the most devout women in Vahn's rather extensive entourage. This resulted in her mastering a number of different card and board games, and, though she would struggle against monsters like Okita and Altera, she was able to come out ahead against most of the other girls due to her exceptional luck and ability to see through lies...Using said ability, Jeanne's sapphire-blue eyes were fixed upon Fenrir's scarlet-reds, her expression reminiscent of a warrior ready to face death as her fingers hovered over the hand of the latter. This caused Fenrir to adopt the closest thing to a perfect deadpan she could manage, but, in the depths of her eyes, a tiny light would flicker whenever Jeanne hovered over a specific card.With her exceptional perception, Jeanne was easily able to notice this subtle flickering, but, knowing Fenrir was surprisingly competent when it came to fooling others, she didn't immediately go for the other cards. This was especially true when 'coveted' prizes were on the line, so, with the prize being an extended session of brushing, neither could afford to lose.Though they could be 'very' inconvenient at times, Jeanne had become rather fond of her angelic wings due to her Master's meticulous care and grooming. She also enjoyed being able to envelop him whenever he had forced her onto her back, so, even if it was bound to earn her the ire of her senior, she 'needed' to win this hand. As for Fenrir, there were few things she enjoyed more than having her ears and tail brushed, so, the longer Jeanne stalled, the harder it was for her to remain calm...In an effort to prevent people from stalling, a ten-second time limit had established to prevent the game from lasting more than a few minutes at a time. Unfortunately, their heightened perception made these ten seconds seem like several minutes, and, for a brief moment, it was almost like time had come to a stop when Jeanne's fingers had graced the centermost card.After offering up a silent prayer to her 'God', Jeanne committed to pulling the card that responsible for the flicker in Fenrir's eyes. Under normal circumstances, this would have been the Old Maid, and, as a result, she would be guaranteed to lose the game. Fortunately, Jeanne's instincts had been on point, so, despite Fenrir's best efforts at deceiving her, the end result was her absolute victory.Unable to contain her excitement, Jeanne hopped up to her feet, wings spreading instinctually as a large banner manifested in her left hand. Said banner was then raised triumphantly towards the sky as Fenrir, like a defeated general, slumped forward, head and ears drooping as she silently cursed the winged woman under her breath...Seemingly oblivious to Fenrir's mutterings, Jeanne continued to wave around the banner of the Aldrnari Empire with extreme vigor, laughing all the while. This earned her a pointed look from Ryun and a wry smile from Mash, but, having secured victory, Jeanne didn't particularly mind their gazes as she continued to bask in the reverie of her triumph. It was only when a massive sphere of golden Shinsu began to barrel towards her that the smile on her face faded away, replaced by the resolution of a warrior as she stabbed through the projectile with the speartip located at the end of the banner...(A/N: I'm honestly a little taken aback by some of the comments in the previous chapter. It amazes me how senseless people can be at times; completely ignoring the actual context in the novel just because it contradicts one of their own personal biases. I mean, seriously, Vahn had never enjoyed killing people so why do some of you asshats keep acting like it is the only fucking solution to every goddamn problem in the novel? Even when he literally curses people to become cripples in a world where virtually everyone has superpowers, you act like every enemy he lets walk away is actually the reincarnated MC of a wuxia novel. There are even people making completely arbitrary claims about Vahn being a hypocrite for arbitrary reasons, none of which have anything to do with the context of the actual novel. Seriously, how is Vahn being 'hypocritical' when, from the very start of the fucking novel, he is always shown being depressed or remorseful after killing? It is something he genuinely hates to do, yet, as if he is some Chad Thundercock with a perpetual murder boner, you completely ignore this to say thoughtless remarks that completely ignore more than 1800 chapters of evidence contradicting your claims. Vahn has almost always killed as a mercy or to save the people he wants to protect. Stop pretending like he walks around with rosary beads filled with the eternally suffering souls of his enemies while wearing clothes sewn together from their still-living flesh. Seriously. This is the kind of shit that makes some authors want to drop their novels.)https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

A stark contrast to Mash, who promptly hopped to her feet with shields in hand, Fenrir and Ryun just looked over lazily for a brief moment before gathering up all the cards and shuffling them. As for Jeanne, she brandished the banner of the Aldrnari Empire in a remarkably skillful manner, the silvery tip radiating a divine glow as she spun it around in a series of smooth and graceful arcs.With each motion of the banner, yet another attack of the enemy was dispersed into nothingness. This caused the person launching the attacks, a young blonde who was equal parts sporty as she was attractive, to momentarily adopt an incredulous expression. Rather than back down, however, she leaped several meters into the air, benefitting from the inordinately spacy chamber as a sphere of golden Shinsu more than five meters in diameter promptly manifested beneath her.Following the woman's ascent with her eyes, Jeanne couldn't help but lightly furrow her brows as she noticed the lace g-string worn beneath the woman's uniform-like black dress. They were the type of panties someone wore when they 'wanted' to be seen, and, considering the woman focused on kicks, it wasn't an exaggeration to call her an exhibitionist.Since the chances of her Master taking an interest in someone were never zero, Jeanne, for one of the few times in her life, was grateful for his absence. She didn't really mind him having any number of women, including 'lost lambs' who had strayed from the light; but, at the very least, she wanted to reduce the number of perverts around him...With this in mind, Jeanne lowered her center of gravity ever-so-slightly, her thighs bulging almost imperceptibly as she pointed the banner's speartip towards her foe. Then, like a spring under high tension, she launched herself towards the descending sphere without any fear or hesitation visible in her gaze.Though she was surprised that her opponent would jump towards her attack, the yellow-haired woman just laughed maniacally as she kicked it downwards with meteoric force. She was pretty confident in her Shinsu Tension, so, even if her opponent had inordinately high Shinsu Resistance, they wouldn't be able to avoid injury after taking her attack head-on. At least, that was how things were supposed to go...Similar to popping a bubble, Jeanne's spear pierced through the massive sphere of Shinsu as if it was nothing but a ball of air. There was even a visible twisting around the head of the spear, similar to a vortex except that it pushed things away rather than drawing them in.Demonstrating a surprising amount of finesse and combat experience, the yellow-haired woman didn't immediately panic upon seeing one of her strongest attacks dissipated. Instead, she kicked the air with enough force to launch herself sideways, a golden ripple appearing where her foot had impacted. Unfortunately, while this was a technique far beyond the capabilities of most Regulars, it wasn't anything particularly special in the eyes of Jeanne. Most of her sparring partners were able to use techniques similar to Koku Shundo, so, while the woman's capabilities weren't anything to scoff at, they were a far cry from the standard present among members of the Empire.After piercing through the area where the woman had previously been 'standing', Jeanne surprised the former considerably by nimbly inverting her body, wings and all, before kicking against the air with enough force to create cracks in the surrounding space. This was something even the majority of Rankers wouldn't be able to pull off, and, as could be expected, her speed greatly exceeded that of the yellow-haired woman.Though she managed to cross her arms and tuck in her legs to form a defensive posture, the very tip of Jeanne's spear was able to easily penetrate the small gaps present in her guard. This resulted in a relatively shallow wound on the left side of the woman's abdomen, but, unlike a normal injury, silvery tendrils quickly spread from the entry point. They appeared very similar to veins at a glance, but, rather than flow naturally, they resembled the pattern of a circuit board as they quickly spread to cover much of the woman's torso.With the pattern spreading before she had even hit the ground, the yellow-haired woman couldn't help but blank when she attempted to right herself only to find that the muscles in her lower body simply weren't responding. As a result, she ended up crashing to the ground at a rather awkward angle, and, though her body was extremely durable, a pained grunt still emanated from her throat as she glowered at Jeanne and shouted, "You bird-brained asshole! Did you seriously just poison me!?"Without any signs of deceit or subterfuge, Jeanne's expression relaxed into a slightly apologetic look as she shook her head and explained, "This spear is enchanted with a powerful purification spell. Though its primary function is to allow me to disperse the offensive and defensive spells of my opponents, its secondary effect allows me to remove things like curses and other abnormal status effects. For the effect to have activated with such intensity...it seems like you were under a very powerful curse...?"Though she wanted to call Jeanne all kinds of names in response, the yellow-haired woman was unable to speak further as the silvery pattern had already spread to cover her neck and face. She felt like all the blood in her body was on fire, and, though pain was nothing new to her, this was on a whole other level compared to anything she had experienced before. She couldn't even transform her body, and, after several seconds had passed, there was even a red mist rising from her body...Surprised by the woman's adverse reaction to her purification spell, Jeanne couldn't help but open her mouth as if to say something. Before she could, however, Ryun stepped in, explaining, "This girl is a Princess of Jahad...if I'm not mistaken, your spear is trying to purify the blood curse attached to each of the Princesses during the ritual to receive Jahad's Blood. How interesting..."As their Master had already informed them about things like 'Jahad's Blood Curse', Jeanne was able to follow along with and understand Ryun's explanation. Rather than feeling relieved, however, she felt compelled to bite her bottom lip as she contemplated the consequences of purifying one of the Jahad's Princesses before her Master had given his permission...Fortunately, she wasn't left to contemplate this for very long, as, almost immediately after Ryun's explanation, a familiar figure with dark-brown, aquamarine eyes, and sunkissed skin emerged from the void, adding, "Indeed. Though I must admit, I never expected an 'enemy' Princess to be the first to have their blood purified...hmmm..."With all eyes spontaneously shifting to him, Vahn couldn't help but crack a smile as he met each of their gazes in turn before directing his attention to the twin-tailed woman curled up on the ground. At this point, there was blood flowing from her eyes, nose, ears, and mouth. This resulted in a rather pitiable sight, yet, in spite of this, the person observing the fight showed no intention of stepping in and offering their assistance...Furrowing his brows, Vahn lifted his hand, gesturing towards the void and causing a ponytailed woman with dark-pink hair and matching eyes to 'pop' out of thin air. This seemed to startle her quite a bit, but, almost immediately thereafter, an unperturbed smile spread across her face as she smoothed out the creases of her dress and remarked, "You really did a number on my sister...am I to expect similar treatment~?"Ignoring the pink-haired woman's remark, Vahn briefly shifted his attention to the Law of Identity, his frown deepening as she revealed the woman's true intentions. This caused his aura to gradually leak out, and, though it was only a small amount, it was more than enough to cause the pink-haired woman's complexion to pale. Her status as a descendent of the Lo Po Bia Family provided her with enhanced senses, and, as could be expected, animalistic instincts that allowed her to ascertain how dangerous a situation was even without full knowledge of 'why' it was dangerous.For a brief moment, the pink-haired woman, better known as Lo Po Bia Shilial Jahad, considered running away from the scene. The moment this thought crossed her mind, however, her instincts began sounding alarm bells all throughout her mind. As a result, her feet were firmly rooted to the spot, and, for the first time since her meeting with Jahad, she found herself at a complete loss for words.With the Law of Identity revealing the woman's thoughts, Vahn's grimace relaxed into an amused smile as he shifted his attention back to her, musing, "Your head is filled with traitorous thoughts...I wonder how you managed to be selected as a Princess of Jahad? Ah...I see...you had quite a bit of 'help'..."Hearing Vahn's words, Shilial was unable to prevent her eyes from widening, her mouth forming into a forced smile as she attempted to say something, anything, to refute him. Unfortunately, her words had completely failed her. The most she could manage was opening her mouth as if she was going to speak; but, every time she managed to nearly force something out, a nervous tingle would spread through her body, preventing her from uttering so much as a single syllable.Nodding his head in approval, Vahn motioned to take a single step forward. Instead, he appeared next to Shilial and the collapsed Lilial in an instant, forcing the former to turn statuesque as he bent down to place his hand on the latter's back. This caused the sound of tongue-clicking to echo from behind him, but, doing his best to ignore it, Vahn spread his senses through Lilial's body in order to better ascertain her current condition.As could be expected from such a malicious curse, it was doing everything in its power to consume Lilial's vitality before being expunged from her body. Jahad was an 'exceptionally' petty person, so, in order to prevent the 'Power of Blood' from being used against him, he incorporated a number of failsafes intended to cause extreme suffering to anyone trying to free themselves from his influence. This was in spite of the fact that the contract he had with the Guardians prevented them from ever standing against him, effectively invalidating the need for such measures...Shaking his head in disapproval, Vahn began to forcibly expel the remnants of Jahad's curse from Lilial's body before it could cause even more damage. At the same time, he sent a steady flow of Source Energy into her body, rapidly repairing the damage that had already been caused before retracting his hand and saying, "I want you to return to Maschenny with a message...inform her that the Era of Chaos she seeks is certain to come. However, if she continues along her current path, the chances of her succeeding are infinitely close to zero percent. Even if I have to wipe out both sides on my own, I will never allow a prolonged battle to take place. If she really wants to fight that badly, tell her I will be more than happy to 'attend' her on the 50th Floor..."Though she didn't fully understand the reasons, Shilial found herself nodding enthusiastically in response to Vahn's words. It was only at that moment that her instincts stopped sounding alarm bells in her mind, freeing her from the tense state that had prevented her from moving so much as a single muscle in his presence. Then, with her sister's limp body in her arms, she quickly departed the Name Hunt Station, a cold sweat covering her body as she did her best to avoid looking back for even a moment...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Jeanne is smurfing xD...','I wonder if Vahn realizes how his actions parallel Tiamat's...','Like a dog with its tail tucked between its legs (O w O)...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Though she had yet to completely master the transformation, Mash was still able to transform into what was affectionately known as the 'puppy' form. This made her appear equal parts adorable and ferocious, contrasting traits that left people feeling incredulous even when she was baring her ivory white fangs.Not expecting his opponent to suddenly transform, Hesse took a moment to look between Mash and the two gigantic wolves towering behind her. Then, with a look of 'realization' on his face, he adopted a severe expression as he asked, "What the fuck? Have I been fighting a brat this entire time...?"With a surprisingly humanoid expression of disdain spreading across her face, Mash manipulated the shields hovering around her to flank her shoulders. Then, like a runaway train derailing into a station, she charged through Hesse at hypersonic speeds, startling the man as everything beneath his chest momentarily fragmented into countless debris. He had mistakenly believed she lacked the power to penetrate his defenses, so, for a brief moment, he was caught completely off guard by the reality of his current situation.Manipulating the soil in an attempt to restructure himself, Hesse was surprised to realize that more than one-third of his total mass had simply 'vanished'. This caused his previously gigantic frame to shrink considerably, concern appearing within his beady red eyes for the first time since the fight had started. He wasn't completely without cards to play, but, with two giant wolves standing behind him, he suddenly felt like a tiny mouse trapped in the corner by a cat...While willfully reducing the firmness of his body, effectively turning it into loose soil, Hesse took a moment to glance over his shoulder and see how things were playing out on the larger battlefield. Unfortunately, his opponent didn't take the bait. Instead, Mash adopted a slight glower on her face as her two shields transforming into two large cannons, each radiating a menacing blue glow from deep within their barrels.Realizing that he had severely underestimated his opponent, a large amount of soil slouched off Hesse's back as he charged forward with a loud roar escaping from his throat. If one were to look closely, they would see the color rapidly draining from his body, the moisture rapidly evaporating as his limbs momentarily became as hard as marble.Completely ignoring the cast-off shell, Mash executed a masterful Shundo to intercept the slime-like ball of soil attempting to skulk away. This left Hesse feeling remarkably indignant, but, rather than continue lashing out, a 'terrified' face formed within the soil, his voice reminiscent of gravel being tumbled as he said, "I surrender...please...spare me..."Since she had no intention of killing the man, Mash just snorted through her snout before stamping her paws on the ground. This caused a magenta-colored magic circle to surround the clump of soil, the edges rising to form a hemispherical barrier that, in reality, extended into the ground to form a perfect sphere. Then, without sparing the sealed figure a second glance, she ran over to where her Master was waiting, eager to take advantage of her current form to receive his affection...---With Fenrir and Ryun taking the stage, it didn't take long to completely suppress the Regulars who had gathered to witness what some referred to as 'baptizing noobies'. This included four of the so-called Ten Bosses, a rather pathetic group that was obviously attempting to emulate the Ten Great Families, effectively playing God among those weaker than themselves.Having resurrected most of the deceased, Vahn gathered together everyone in the plaza, forcing them to kneel with their hands bound behind their backs as he stared down at the group of four forced to dogeza...Restraining a sigh, Vahn listened as the Law of Identity went on to recount the various crimes of the people kneeling before him. A rather substantial number of them had been forced into this lifestyle, but, as could be expected, there were also a disheartening number of individuals who had willingly embraced life within the Name Hunt Station. After all, so long as you could place your palm against a person's back for a mere ten seconds, you could steal their name, and, as a result, gain absolute authority over them...With the exception of the Jahad name, even names belonging to members of the Ten Great Families could be stolen. Those with their names stolen could never leave the Name Hunt Station until they had either regained their name or stolen someone else's. Since names possessed most of a person's unique powers and abilities, people were forced to either live mundane existences where they were easily bullied or accept having their name bestowed by the person that had defeated them. This last part could be forced by the person who had originally captured their name, effectively placing them under the control of whoever had defeated them.Though there were a number of methods to break the contract of the Name Hunt Station, most of these were in possession of the Ten Great Families. As a result, anyone who had their name stolen and returned effectively became the slave of whoever owned their name. Because of this, the names of certain individuals were auctioned off once a year to affluent Rankers, some belonging to the Ten Great Families while others represented the various organizations found throughout the Middle and Outer Towers.Since a single command could turn someone into an obedient slave, preventing them from even taking their own lives, the Name Hunt Station had become a means for the Ten Great Families to deal with troublesome Regulars while bringing others under their control. In particular, the entire station had come under the control of the Lo Po Bia Family nearly a thousand years prior, and, as a result, they had made a fortune off ransoming the names of the Ten Great Families and selling off promising Regulars to various persons of interest.Vahn disdained the very existence of the Name Hunt Station, but, without becoming the 'ruler' of said station, even he couldn't do anything to change the existing system. The rules of the profane Floor were some of the strictest in the entire Tower, and, even if they were among the top 500 High Rankers, anyone foolish enough to violate said rules would have their bodies crushed into pulp by the power of the Guardian.Though he could survive having his body crushed a functionally infinite number of times, Vahn had little interest in antagonizing a Guardian. They were beings of order that acted in accordance with very stringent laws, so, while the existence of the Name Hunt Station could be credited to them, it was the efforts of others that had perverted it to such an extent. Thus, rather than arbitrarily kill the creature upholding the contract, he intended to act within the bounds of the current rules in order to take over and ultimately destroy the entire station.With this in mind, the briefest hint of a smile could be seen on Vahn's face as he said, "Raise your heads and listen closely..."Fearing for their lives, the 107 Regulars who had been gathered in the plaza each raised their heads, palpable dread visible in their manifold eyes as they listened attentively to what their 'captor' had to say.Surprising everyone present, Vahn adopted an unnervingly calm smile as he gazed over the crowd and explained, "Under normal circumstances, more than a third of you would have already been put to death...you see, I have the ability to ascertain a person's true thoughts in any given situation. As a result, I know how terrible some of you truly are..."Passing his gaze over the four 'Bosses', Vahn sent shivers down their spines as a judgmental golden flicker flashed across his eyes. He sincerely believed that each of them deserved to die, but, after his time in the Actualized World of Dog Days, combined with the time he spent in his Realm, his desire to kill had recently begun to fade away. He wanted to set a better example for his children, so, with people like Kenshiro pursuing a path where he refused to kill, he had a lot of things to think about in regard to his own actions...Simply put, Vahn had already spared a considerable number of people, who, from the perspective of some, were beyond salvation. The most common recipients of this mercy were immortals, Gods, and Spirits, but, every now and then, he also made exceptions for beauties and those with resolute hearts that had been swayed to the path of evil by circumstance. This 'favoritism' was something he had often reflected upon, so, while his reason told him that some were simply beyond salvation, a tiny voice in the back of his mind constantly reminded him that 'nothing was impossible'...With this in mind, Vahn maintained his eerily calm smile as he went on to explain, "Fortunately for some...I have grown rather weary of killing. I'm also against things like slavery and imprisonment, so, from this moment onward, you are free to leave the Name Hunt Station. From now on, do your best to hold onto your freedom and live fulfilling lives without suppressing or exploiting others. I'll not afford you a third chance, so, should you fail to heed my advice...well, you only have yourselves to blame..."Similar to how he had dealt with Alosrin long ago, Vahn had left a little surprise in the bodies of each of the people he had deemed 'beyond salvation'. This was in the form of a curse that would actually help to strengthen their bodies if they made an earnest effort to improve and overcome their past selves. Inversely, their body would absorb the negative energy generated as a result of their actions, and, depending on the decisions they made, their energy network would gradually become unstable before ultimately self-destructing if they attempted to force themselves onto another or take advantage of those weaker than themselves.Though his instincts told him that the vast majority of the people he let go would default to their usual habits, Vahn would be content if just a single one of them went on to improve their lives for the better. He only needed a single example of someone proving him wrong to change his entire outlook on things like repentance, and, depending on the situation, it might fundamentally alter how he dealt with future foes. Either way, he had grown tired of killing, so, while he might not be able to avoid doing so in the future, there was nothing barring him from resurrecting his enemies and attempting to set them on a better course...---Viewing the situation from an invisible panel that only she could see, a masked woman with long black hair cascading from her scalp and rolling down her military-style garb like a waterfall began to lightly tap her finger against the armrest of her inordinately large throne. Some might mistake this as frustration regarding the spontaneous departure of several hundred Unnamed Regulars, but, more than anything else, she was feeling anxious due to the existence of the three wolf-like women who had appeared alongside the man she had been tasked with crushing...Noticing the masked woman's distress, a secretarial figure with pale yellow hair and matching eyes adopted a slightly concerned look as she asked, "What are your orders, Lady Kaiser? At this rate, it won't be long before that man makes his way to this chamber..."Though it was impossible to make out her expression due to the eerie silver mask covering her face, a concerned glimmer flashed across Kaiser's pale, Tosca-green, eyes as she contemplated the best course of action. Before she could, however, a pair of resonant giggles could be heard emanating from behind her throne as two girls, each appearing remarkably similar despite the stark contrast of their hair and eye colors, appeared to say, "Your orders remain unchanged. You will capture the man known as the Sage Dragon Emperor and present him to the Lo Po Bia Family. As for the rest, we will help you capture them. Who knows, he might actually have a thing for those dog bitches? If so, you might be able to seduce him if you waggle your tail like an obedient little slut~."Ignoring the words of the yellow-haired woman with glowing cyan eyes, Kaiser gestured at the seemingly empty air, dismissing the invisible panel before rising from her throne and making her way towards the exit. This earned her another round of giggling, but, even after she had completely exited the room, she didn't utter so much as a single syllable...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Mash ain't nobody's fool...!','Vahn be like, "Git..."','Someones, plural, needs a spanking...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1880: Incongruency