Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With the average 'Toy Soldier' possessing the strength of a middling D-Rank Regular, the most difficult aspect of traversing the Quarantine Area was avoiding traps and other environmental hazards.Fortunately, even without Vahn's assistance, the girls could deal with most traps with an almost comical degree of ease. Musashi could detect most of them without any effort whatsoever, and, even when they had gotten themselves trapped in a chamber intended to be flooded with acid, Theo simply erected barriers to cover each spout while Scathach proceeded to create a massive hole leading to the next chamber.Though the interior and exterior spaces were almost entirely separate from each other, the same couldn't be said for the individual layers within the Quarantine Area. Thus, while it might have been difficult for others, Musashi and Scathach both possessed the ability to simply cut through or pierce the material separating the layers. This drastically reduced the amount of time it took them to head inward, but, in exchange, the black bars of their Good and Evil Monitors filled at an alarming rate as larger and far more durable Toy Soldiers sought them out.If he were being honest with himself, Vahn wasn't particularly excited about the prospect of seeing other versions of himself. The Hidden Floor obviously couldn't replicate him, so, while he had yet to encounter a single instance of a Sworn Enemy, it was safe to assume they were originated from the knowledge and experience contained within the minds of those responsible for their origin. Thus, in a way, he would be seeing caricatures of himself based on how the person in question viewed him...Assuming this was the case, Vahn couldn't help but feel some trepidation regarding the version of himself manifested by Theo. The Sworn Enemies generated by Musashi and Scathach were bound to be fierce and somewhat lackadaisical warriors who defied common sense. Theo's, however, was guaranteed to possess a substantial number of 'quirks', and, depending on how the Mirror of the Past interpreted her memories, there was a fair chance he might be dedicated as a bit of a pervert...Fortunately, while their Good and Evil Monitors had almost completely filled with a black bar, their journey towards the center of the Quarantine Area remained relatively unimpeded. The Toy Soldiers couldn't withstand so much as a single blow from any of the trio, and, as they moved closer to the center, an increasing number of traps had already been set off or disarmed entirely. This indicated that there were people inside proactively exploring the region, and, by the time they reached the centermost antechamber, even the Toy Soldiers had stopped spawning.Though some might question the purpose of a 'safe zone' inside of a Quarantine Area, Vahn knew its primary purpose was to give the residents false hope while serving as their prison. The proof for this was in the coding itself, as, with the alteration of a single boolean value, the 'safe zone' function could simply be toggled off. This meant, at any point in time, Big Breeders like Chung could input a single command, and, in response, an infinite number of Toy Soldiers would swarm the region until everything inside was killed.Shaking his head in mild exasperation, Vahn shifted his gaze away from the tower-like structure that represented the 'Seed' of the Fruit of Good and Evil. There were already a number of armed guards gathering to form a defensive line at the opposite end of a long bridge, so, in the hopes of avoiding an altercation, Vahn passed his gaze of the three girls, saying, "Remember, most of these people are victims. They might be a little hostile, but we should avoid injuring them as much as possible. If they insist on attacking us, focus on disarming rather than disabling them..."Having already determined there were no worthy opponents among the gathering at the end of the bridge, even Musashi nodded her head in affirmation before saying, "If you provide me with snacks and something to drink, I can stand guard over the bridge. This area might be inaccessible to those little toys, but I doubt any Sworn Enemies based on you would suffer from such limitations. If we're to assume there are three of you running around, leaving our backs exposed is the same as inviting destruction upon everyone here. You can be pretty ruthless when it concerns your enemies..."With a wry grimace spreading across his face, Vahn wanted to refute Musashi's words, but, unable to lie, the words never reached his lips. After all, he had literally targetted the Floating Castle of the Yeon Family, undoubtedly injuring a number of innocents just to teach his foes a lesson. He had also completely obliterated a base belonging to FUG, a facility that doubtlessly contained a number of resolute and determined individuals whose only desire was to liberate the Tower from the control of ruthless tyrants...Restraining a sigh, Vahn manifested a gourd with the kanji for fire on the side, tossing it to Musashi as he said, "I would ask that you try to avoid a fight, but I'll leave it to your discretion. Remember, if they possess even a semblance of my actual power, they should possess the ability to masquerade as pretty much anyone. They could even appear as multiple people to try and deceive you...stay on your toes..."Thinking about the potential capabilities of Sworn Enemies based on himself, Vahn couldn't help feeling a little helpless. Musashi, however, seemed rather excited at the prospect, playfully clasping the bicep of her right arm, flexing as she said, "No worries! I'm not going to let a single person get past me. If you're that worried, you can just leave more booze. I doubt any of the data here has a tolerance even remotely comparable to your own. You're also pretty shitty at acting, so it should be pretty easy to sniff out any imposters~!"Though he knew her primary purpose was to secure some additional alcohols to add to her private collection, Vahn couldn't argue with Musashi's surprisingly sound logic. They had already confirmed that Data Humans could get drunk, so, while it might cost him quite a bit of OP, it would be worth it if they could sus out even a single version of himself. The longer they were allowed the roam freely, the more complicated things would become, as, if they were anything like him, time was something they could exploit to a truly ludicrous extent...---With Musashi and Scathach both watching over the bridge, Vahn was able to breathe easily even with more than twenty rifle-like devices pointed his way. The presence of Theo also helped in this regard, and, to a lesser extent, so too did the incessant sound of chewing emanating from his back.Since it wasn't that uncommon for other quarantined entities to find their way to the safe area, the group of riflemen and women didn't immediately attack. Instead, they trained the majority of their rifles on Vahn, laser sights dancing across his chest and body as a scarred man wearing a peculiar metal helmet, facemask, and black body armor made his way forward.Though his voice sounded surprisingly soft and delicate, the gruff-looking man earned a frown from Vahn as he stammered, "W-W-W-Who are you? H-H-How d-did y-you find this p-p-place?"Before answering the man's question, Vahn had Sis analyze his data to ascertain the cause of his vocal tic. He didn't have anything against people with a stutter, but, considering the man greatly resembled the Wandering Minstrels native to the Hidden Floor, there had to be a reason behind his peculiar manner of speaking.Unsurprisingly, Sis found that the man's mouth had been torn open, and, due to a specific line of code, the injury was prevented from healing even after a reset. This was obviously Chung's hand at work, so, without pausing to consider the consequences, he had Sis remove the line of code as he answered, "My name is Vahn Aldrnari Mason. This beautiful woman at my side is my wife, Theodora Bashireia Herasu De Vesuperisujimia Mason. We have come here in search of a Data Human named Yu Hansung. I imagine you are well acquainted?"Frowning in response to Vahn's words, the man was about to answer when he felt an unbearably itchy sensation around his mouth. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced, and, due to the metal facemask he wore to cover the horrendous injury beneath, he couldn't do anything to readily alleviate the sensation. This caused the defensive line to nearly open fire, but, before they were able to, Theo drew a red seal within the air, incanting, "Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini!! Look upon yourself with horror and then claw out your own throat! Bakudo #9! Geki...!"In response to Theo's nigh-instantaneous incantation, a red aura spread across the entire group of defensive soldiers, completely paralyzing them. At nearly the exact same time, the masked man was able to momentarily ignore the itchy sensation beneath his mask, adrenaline pumping through his non-existent veins as he leaped back and fired two dart-like projectiles towards Vahn's and Theo's necks.With the darts barely exceeding 1300m/s, Vahn was able to catch both using his Telekinesis and a simple wave of his hand. At the same time, he caught the masked man in the air, simultaneously pulling the rifle from his hands as he said, "Relax. The sensation you're feeling is the wound on your face being healed. We're not your enemies."To emphasize his point, Vahn pulled out a hand mirror while manipulating the metal bands around the man's face and head, prying them away in an instant to reveal the rapidly regenerating wound beneath. Then, after telekinetically wresting the weapons from everyone present, he sent a curt nod towards Theo, subsequently restoring their mobility.Seeing his own reflection, the formerly masked man, better known as Batis, showed an expression of disbelief as he tentatively touched his increasingly healthy-looking flesh. Chung had vengefully modified their appearance data to give them ghastly appearances compared to other residents of the Hidden Floor, so, for the last several hundred years, his face and complexion had looked more monster than man.Though his first instinct was to ask how Vahn had managed to heal his wound, Batis managed to suppress his curiosity, stating, "Yu Hansung is not here. He generally spends most of his time near the data destruction and recycling center. You should have met him shortly after your arrival...?"Hearing the sound of his restored voice, Batis allowed his words to trail off as an irrepressible smile developed across his face. He had once been the Chief of the Village of Wandering Minstrels, and, though he had always been most fond of his wife's objectively poor singing, everyone had always considered him the greatest vocalist and songwriter in the land. Regaining his voice made him feel incomparably hopeful and nostalgic, a thin layer of moisture developing across his silvery-grey eyes until he promptly wiped it away.Feeling an extreme amount of empathy for the man, Vahn couldn't help adopting a smile of his own as he said, "Don't worry. Now that I'm here, it is only a matter of time before Chung and the other Big Breeders are dealt with. For now, you should send someone to retrieve Yu Hansung or guide me to his location. I can track him down myself, but I imagine things would progress a lot smoother if there was a familiar face to explain the situation."Nodding his head in understanding, Batis was about to give the order when a young girl with steel-grey hair, matching eyes, and a giant red 'x' over her mouth came running over, shouting, "Baba...!"With Sis providing data related to everyone he encountered in the Hidden Floor, a frown appeared across Vahn's face as Batis, with an affectionate smile, bent down to pick up the smock-wearing girl who kept repeating the same phrase over and over. She seemed incapable of vocalizing any actual words, but, far more troubling than that was the fact that her primary function was to serve as both a location tracker and surveillance system for residents within the Seed...Seemingly ignorant of this, Batis held the girl in one arm, smiling as he said, "This is my daughter, Medley. She was cursed by the Big Breeder so that she could never learn how to speak. Though it might be asking too much, I would be grateful if you could somehow remove her curse..."Since he had actually been looking for a way to draw Chung's attention, Vahn resisted the urge to reveal the truth as he suppressed a sigh and asked Sis to modify Medley's code. He also had her remove Chung's ability to make further changes, an action that served to alert and simultaneously provoke the horrendously profane individual who periodically used the poor girl as a tool to enact his petty revenge...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The fastest way through a labyrinth is to break down the walls...!','Musashi is an incorrigible drunkard xD...','Chung is in for a bad time...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Around the same time that Sis was locking him out of several systems, a scraggly man with a sickly complexion, sunken features, and a sparse mustache could be found glowering at a stream of data.With the pinky finger of his left hand digging into his nose, the man used his right to chicken-peck a series of commands into the terminal before him, his expression morphing into one of contempt as a series of 'access denied' messages filled his vision.Clicking his tongue, the man wiped his hand against his loose-fitting shorts before rising to his feet and cursing, "Jeok! Hwang! Those fucking assholes...! I don't know what they're plotting, but I'm not going to just roll over and let them do whatever the fuck they want! I haven't done anything wrong! They have no right to rob me of my privileges...!"Since it was 'impossible' for visiting Regulars to meddle with the system, regardless of how powerful they were, the man, better known as 'Big Breeder Chung', never even considered that he was being undermined by the new arrivals. In his mind, the only people capable of something like this were his fellow Big Breeders, neither of which he was on good terms with. They had always disdained him for treating the Hidden Floor like his personal playground, and, as a result, his power and authority had been continuously restricted until he was only able to influence the regions around the First Stage.Thinking this was their attempt to wholly remove him from power, Chung donned what appeared to be a virtual reality headset as he reclined in a comfortable, albeit sweat-stained, chair. His Avatar had far greater control over the system than his actual self, so, while they were generally prohibited from accessing the Hidden Floor during visitation periods, he wasn't just going to idle about as the last vestiges of his power were stripped away...A stark contrast to his true self, Chung's avatar appeared confident, healthy, and, most importantly, powerful. His formerly unkempt black hair was neatly styled, and, though he was still exceptionally thin, his Avatar was, at the very least, able to grow what Chung believed to be a manly and dignified mustache. He had also traded his protruding belly for a six-pack of abdominal muscles, and, though he had been insulted by the other Big Breeders for his sense of style, he substituted his usual loose black t-shirt, white shorts, and open-toed sandals for an elaborate outfit that loosely resembled the robes of an aristocrat.After taking a few moments to admire himself, Chung descended upon the Town of the Wandering Minstrels where several residents had already started singing his praises. Their cries alerted others to his presence, and, by the time he finished his slow and steady descent, more than a hundred of the town's 'mindless' residents had gathered to shower him in admiration and respect. This always brought a smile to his face, not because he cared about the content of their song, but because they would keep singing regardless of the atrocities he performed right in front of them.Resisting the urge to go on one of his usual sprees, Chung waited until one of his 'favorites', the current Chief of the Town of the Wandering Minstrels, showed up. This was a mature beauty with pink hair, matching eyes, sharp features, and two small beauty marks beneath her right eye. Better yet, she had a shapely figure hidden beneath her thick robes and rose-collared mantle; and, were it not for the fact her voice data had been corrupted during his attempts to make her sound like his childhood crush, she would have been perfect.Fortunately, while the other Minstrels continued to endless sing his praises, the woman, Rose, had been modified to never sing in his presence. Instead, she walked up to him before kowtowing with her head against the ground as she uttered, "The Town of the Wandering Minstrels welcomes your return, oh great and mighty Big Breeder."Unable to conceal his giddiness and amusement, Chung habitually curled the trip of his mustache with his fingers as he said, "Very good. Now, join me in your quarters. There are a few questions I need to ask you regarding the current group of warriors..."Though she didn't fully understand the reasons, Rose always felt extremely nauseous whenever she heard Chung mention speaking in private. She told herself this was due to nerves, but, after several millennia, it didn't make sense that she was still bothered by such things. Unfortunately, no matter how much she contemplated the reasons why, she couldn't think of anything to explain the adverse reaction of her body.Without anyone batting an eye at the act, including Rose herself, Chung fastened a dark-red collar around her neck before pulling the absentminded beauty along rather forcibly. He had modified her data to be completely oblivious to anything that others might consider out of the ordinary or perverse. This had allowed him to effectively treat her as his pet, and, though there were a number of Data Humans who felt there was 'something' wrong, the majority continued to sing his praises even as he dragged the unaware beauty into her residence...---Though he had been enjoying the tear-inducing scene of Batis embracing Medley after she spoke her first words, Vahn's expression darkened considerably the moment he heard Sis' notification. This was immediately noticed by everyone present, not because they could sense his aura, but because a feeling of existential dread had descended upon them as everything in their surroundings began to subtly quake.Gesturing to Theo that he was okay, Vahn met the frightened gazes of Batis and Medley, his voice stern and commanding as he said, "I will return later today. Send someone to retrieve Yu Hansung before then."Understanding that Vahn could wipe them out at his leisure, Batis didn't hesitate to respond with a firm nod, stating, "I'll see to it personally." before setting his daughter down and adding, "Stay here. I'll be back in a few hours."Frowning in response to Batis' words, Vahn was briefly tempted to have Scathach accompany the man since it was all but guaranteed that he had just raised a flag. Unfortunately, with three Sworn Enemy versions of himself running around, separating his forces was an even bigger flag. Thus, with the knowledge that he could always respawn Batis after gaining control over the system, he left the man to coax his daughter as he turned to Theo and said, "Let's go." before grabbing her hand and teleporting the three of them directly to the Town of the Wandering Minstrels. There, he used Unit Management to summon Musashi and Scathach to his side, surprising the former as she was in the middle of downing sake from a 10oz guinomi cup.With no time to explain the situation, Vahn extended his hand towards one of the larger residences in the city, his senses pervading every nail, board, rivet, and tile before ripping the entire thing apart in slow-motion, gravity-defying, fashion. This revealed the scene of a startled Chung sitting topless on a sofa as Rose, with a distant look in her eyes, continued to perform a striptease, wholly unaware of her surroundings.Before the man could utter so much as a single syllable, Vahn appeared right in front of him, scale-covered hand closing around his throat as he venomously uttered, "You should have stayed holed up inside your room. Did you seriously think you could get away with this kind of shit right under my nose!?"Having absolutely no idea who Vahn was, Chung attempted to speak, but, as could be expected, his words got stuck in his throat. This frightened him considerably, as, due to the benefits provided by the system, his Avatar's parameters were comparable to a lesser Ranker's. He also had the authority of a Floor Ruler within the boundaries of the First Stage, so, while it wasn't impossible for someone to overwhelm him, they would need to be a peerless prodigy from one of the Ten Great Families or an inordinately talented Princess of Jahad.Though he wouldn't die if his Avatar was destroyed, a mortified expression appeared on Chung's face as his arms and body began to swell with muscles. Losing your Avatar meant being locked out of the Hidden Floor's systems until the next reset. The only way around this was to enter the Hidden Floor directly, but, unlike Jeok and Hwang, his true self was significantly weaker than the average D-Rank Regular. He had also been under house arrest several hundred years prior, so, even if he did have the resolution to enter the Hidden Floor directly, doing so was effectively a death sentence...Fearing that everything he had 'painstakingly built' over the years was about to be taken away from him, Chung mustered willpower he didn't know he possessed in an attempt to break Vahn's hold. At the same time, he extended his right hand to summon a blue spear with an arrowhead-like tip, the physical manifestation of his power and authority within the Hidden Floor. Unfortunately, Vahn had been waiting for this exact moment, so, once the spear had been summoned, a loud crack could be heard as the head of Chung's Avatar separated from his body.Without sparing the man's twitching figure a second glance, Vahn wrested the scepter-like spear from his hands, instantaneously turning it a vibrant golden hue as Sis transferred Chung's authority as a Big Breeder to him. This provided him access to a number of files that Chung had gone out of his way to secure and encrypt, specifically those related to his many victims.Turning his attention to the nearly-naked Rose Vahn's expression darkened as he noticed the many scars and piercings across her body. The fact she was still absentmindedly performing her striptease also incensed him to a dangerous extent, but, rather than lashing out, he felt unnervingly calm as a cold and seething sensation washed over his mind and spread throughout his body.Shifting his attention to his surroundings, filled with data humans who didn't even bat an eye at the scene playing out before them, Vahn's anger momentarily skyrocketed before rapidly stabilizing as he reminded himself they had no control over their own programming. This notion allowed him to gradually calm down, but, far more helpful than even his [Will of the Emperor], it was Index asking, "Are you okay...?" that brought him back to his senses.Having completely forgotten about the Jirachi strapped to his back, Vahn loosened the clasp that kept the harness in place, liberating her from its confines in order to gently caress her head as he answered, "I'll be okay. Thanks for your concern..."Since it was awkward having her head caressed in her Jirachi form, Index promptly transformed into her adorably petite human form, smiling radiantly as she said, "You're welcome~! Now, how about we finish things up here before returning home for a little while? I bet Rindo-sama will cook you up something special if you explain what happened~!"Amused by the fact that Index's brain revolved around food, even when she was trying to cheer him up, Vahn couldn't help chuckling as he ruffled her perpetually glossy silver hair and said, "Sure. Why don't you go on ahead and tell her to prepare a feast? Though the circumstances are a little unique, the fall of a tyrant is always worthy of celebration..."With the word 'feast' serving as a trigger, illusory stars appeared within Index's eyes as her salivary glands kicked into overdrive. This resulted in Vahn pulling out a white cloth to wipe her mouth, his smile becoming somewhat wry as he manifested the Little Garden to provide her access. Then, with a far more sober expression on his face, he returned his attention to the still-dancing Rose, his grip tightening around the golden spear as Sis worked to decrypt and undo everything Chung had done over the last sixteen-hundred-years...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'It'S aLrIgHt BeCaUsE iT's A gAmE...','Vahn is an angry boi...','Index's one-track mind xD...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Though he could have resolved everything himself, Vahn knew the girls would be disappointed if he didn't give them the opportunity to act. Thus, rather than accepting Asensio's assistance as a guide, his counterpart back at the Town of the Wandering Minstrel gave Scathach's butt a light smack as he said, "We should regroup with the others. After a bit of rest, we'll be heading out."Exhaling a hot and contented sigh, Scathach accepted Vahn's assistance in sitting up, her naked body glistening with a combination of sweat and massage oil as she softly replied, "Thank you...it was very pleasant..."Noticing the expectant glimmer in the buxom beauty's ruby red eyes, a smile spread across Vahn's face as he affectionately caressed Scathach's. In response, she leaned into his touch, her lips parting ever so slightly to allow his tongue easy access. This was an invitation he simply couldn't refuse, so, rather than immediately departing the fragrant room, Vahn elected to punctuate Scathach's reward on a positive, sonorous, note...---With the dawn of a new day, Vahn gathered alongside Theo, Musashi, Scathach, and Index to enjoy a rather extravagant breakfast alongside their would-be guide, Mi-eum. This resulted in him getting a little messy, entirely the result of Index choosing to sit in his lap, but it was still a refreshing way to start the day. He especially enjoyed how bashful Scathach was in the face of Musashi's teasing, and, though she didn't actually need to eat, Mi-eum's reaction every time she tasted a new dish caused quite a number of laughs.Unfortunately for the native Data Human, her day was about to get infinitely more hectic as Vahn wrapped up breakfast by saying, "Our first destination is the Fruit of Good and Evil. It serves as a Quarantine Area for corrupted and otherwise problematic data. Though I doubt they will provide much of a challenge, the interior should be filled to the brim with Hidden Floor Soldiers and Data Constructs. There is also a chance your Sworn Enemies will make an appearance so stay on your toes."Hearing Vahn's final remark, Theo and Musashi perked up quite a bit, excitement visible in their gazes even as Mi-eum nervously remarked, "Um...I'm not sure where you heard such a thing, but the Fruit of Good and Evil isn't anything like a Quarantine Area. I would suggest accepting one of the D or C-Rank Quests so we can move on to the next stage. Even approaching the statue is highly dangerous, so I must insist you rethink the decision to investigate..."Though he was a little worried about leaving her behind, Vahn had Sis modify the line of code that compelled Mi-eum to follow after them, saying, "You are free to remain here until we return. As for the Quests, we have no particular interest in such things. We entered the Hidden Floor for entirely personal reasons. Sorry, but your services are no longer required. It was a short journey, but thank you for your assistance thus far."Demonstrating a remarkable amount of confusion, Mi-eum found herself stuck in a feedback loop of sorts as part of her felt as though she 'should' follow after them while another part of her feared the consequences of doing so. This latter half was something she had never experienced before, so, while she wanted to say something she ended up freezing in place for several minutes as Vahn and Co departed the restaurant...---With the interior of the Fruit of Good and Evil effectively existing as an isolated sub-dimensional plane, entering and exiting weren't a matter of simply cutting through the walls and boring your way inside. Fortunately, there was a single entrance serving as a bridge between the Quarantine Area and the Hidden Floor proper, one Sis had no difficulties locating and opening.Though the exterior sphere was only a few hundred meters across, the interior was, as could be expected, exponentially larger. It was also structured similarly to a maze, one that was constantly changing shape to make life more difficult for the Data trapped within.Having been designated the leader in Vahn's stead, a wide smile spread across Theo's face as she marveled at the dungeon-like surroundings and said, "I'll protect Master and provide support from the rear. Musashi will take point. Be on the lookout for any traps. As for you, Scathach...well, I don't think you need to be told what to do. Just don't disappear without telling me."While Scathach simply nodded in response, Musashi adopted a notably sly smile as she asked, "So, you think I need to be babysat? I'll have you know I've explored countless Layers and used to jump through time more than some people change clothes. Don't make me educate you in your Master's stead..."Though she couldn't prevent her tail from twitching slightly, Theo managed to appear calm in the face of Musashi's threat, her smile persisting as she said, "Stumbling through time like a homeless vagrant doesn't equate to experience conquering dungeons. Since I have been placed in charge, I will be expecting you to follow my orders. If you are going to cause problems, please return to the village or wait inside the Little Garden."Seemingly amused by Theo's bravado, a lighthearted laugh escaped Musashi's throat as she eyed up the once and future Empress. Before she could say anything to further tease her, however, Vahn sent a telepathic message into her mind, saying, ("Don't make me confiscate your private stash.")Like a career soldier, Musashi left Theo feeling at a loss when she suddenly saluted, her expression a mask of seriousness as she exclaimed, "Understood! It is my privilege to serve!"Realizing what must have happened, Theo sent an accusatory look towards Vahn, who, like a tourist visiting a landmark, pretended to gawk at the surroundings while Index, sitting in the carrier on his back, tilted her head to the side to ask, "What are you looking at? These chips are mine..."With a light chuckle escaping her lips, Theo shook her head in mock exasperation before returning her gaze to Scathach and Musashi, saying, "Let's not dawdle. There is only one entrance to each of the floors, so keep your eyes peeled. This place seems to be shaped like a multi-layered sphere, so I imagine it will be on the ceiling. Still, there is no way to be certain. There could be something like a teleportation ward located in a hidden area."Dismissing with her soldier play, Musashi adopted a relaxed stance before unsheathing the shorter of her two swords, a Wakizashi with a sakura-patterned guard known as Mugen-no-Hana. It was the lesser of her twin Zanpakuto, and, much like Asuna's, it was always in an awakened state. As for why she had chosen to draw it, there were actually quite a number of reasons, the most important being that her senses were infinitely sharper due to Hana's peculiar 'Domain of Flowers'.Though she couldn't control and manipulate them like Byakuya from the Record of Bleach, vibrant pink sakura petals danced through the area in response to Hana being unsheathed. This might not seem particularly useful, but, due to their sensitivity to all forms of energy, the light-formed petals naturally gravitated towards hidden traps, mechanisms, and, as could be expected, everyone in the vicinity. This included Vahn, who, despite being fully visible, had erased his presence to prevent any enemies from targeting him and Index.With the feedback provided by the petals, Musashi could confidently say, "Wow. There are a ton of traps and hidden enemies. Want me to take them out, oh fearless leader?"Rolling her eyes in response to Musashi's words, Theo raised her hand to produce a golden magic circle that quickly expanded to more than 300m in diameter. This caused some of the hidden foes, many resembling toy soldiers, to emerge from the ground and walls. Unfortunately, before any of them could even begin their charge, laser-like beams of golden light rained down from the magic circle, ruthlessly piercing through their heads and bodies.Since she had even worse compatibility than Vahn when it came to magic, Musashi emulated Theo's action of rolling her eyes before teasingly remarking, "Not bad. I bet you would make a great bug zapper. Remind me to invite you the next time I go camping."Resisting the urge to send a few beams Musashi's way, Theo allowed her magic circle to dissipate before saying, "We advance. Please inform me if either of you notices any irregularities. For foes of this caliber, feel free to take action as you see fit."Understanding that Theo was no longer interested in playing around, Musashi took advantage of the opportunity to extend her tongue before waving towards Vahn and giggling in amusement. This left the latter feeling somewhat exasperated, not because he was particularly troubled by Musashi's behavior, but because the 'aftercare' was going to be a pain. Theo's draconic nature made her easily frustrated, and, though she would become stoic and taciturn in an effort to compensate, she would effectively become an untamed beast the moment they were alone together...---Prior to Vahn's group leaving to explore the Quarantine Area, several other groups had already set out to explore other regions of the Hidden Floor. Most of these groups had been given free rein to explore at their leisure, but, with several objectives left to complete before their departure from the Hidden Floor, others had been tasked with locating specific individuals and gathering information.Though it didn't help much in this specific instance, Fenrir's group consisted of the best trackers in all the Empire. This included herself, Atalanta, Illya, and, though their Guide ability didn't function properly inside of the Hidden Floor, Ryun, and Ai.Having already completed a number of Quests, Fenrir's group found themselves standing atop a massive cliff that overlooked a vast, seemingly boundless, plain. It was almost like they were looking down on an ocean of green, and, were it not for the presence of several colossal Shinheuh, it would have been easy to mistake the endless plains as some kind of graphical error.Misunderstanding the group's silence as confusion, the Wandering Minstrel standing at the rear, a young woman with four distinct pigtails, explained in a sing-song manner, "Though daunting it may seem, do not let the scene before you hinder your journey~. This verdant plains is known as the Sea of Peace~. While many a Shinheuh wanders the boundless pastures below, only the ruthless Scarlet King is hostile to outsiders~."Largely ignoring the Minstrel's singing, Fenrir turned her attention to Illya, the decision-maker for the group despite, technically, being the second-in-command. In response, without even needing to be asked, Illy calmly outlined a plan of action, explaining, "It seems most conventional forms of flight are restricted in this area. You should make an ice platform to carry us across while the rest of us look for the Scarlet King below. If we can't find him before lunch, we'll use the other Shinheuh as bait to lure it out. Either way, there is no sense in just standing here."Nodding her head in approval, Fenrir turned to Atalanta, Ryun, and Ai, her voice calm, resolute, and commanding as she said, "We will go with Illya's plan. Atalanta, you will stand at the front. You have the best eyesight among us so I'm expecting you to locate the Scarlet King. Everyone else will watch the flanks while keeping a close on their Good and Evil Monitor's. This is enemy territory. We should expect something to go wrong. Laziness will not be tolerated."Thanks to her [Queen of the Pack] Innate, Fenrir's words resonated deeply within the hearts and minds of everyone present. Even Ilya wasn't unaffected, as, despite being in a 'higher' position, she was actually one of the first to join Fenrir's pack during her fusion with Cath Palug. This provided them with a number of boons, but, most notably, it drastically improved their sense of solidarity by effectively linking their primary senses.Seeing the resolute light in each of the girls' eyes, Fenrir responded with another curt nod before creating a platform of ice more than ten meters across. Conventional methods of flight might be restricted in several areas of the Hidden Floor, but they had already confirmed that 'attacks' were exempted from this. Thus, with the ability to freely manipulate ice and create countless constructs, Fenrir shaped the platform to resemble an eight-pointed Chinese gazebo before sitting down in the center and controlling it to float across the verdant plains below...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Simply irresistible...','Musashi is a troll xD...','Mobilize the Good Girls...!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1912: Seed