Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Following his departure from the 44th Floor, Vahn decided to remain relatively low key for a short while. His time with Yuri had exhausted him somewhat, so, even if it was just until he reached the 50th Floor, he wanted to decompress and search for a safe place to deposit people like Eduan, the members of Roen's entourage, and the Arie Siblings.Though he was planning to create a base of operations that would allow the residents of the Little Garden to freely traverse the outside world, Vahn was still of the mind that people needed to face challenges and experience difficulties if they wanted to become truly powerful. He also wanted to avoid increasing the number of people whose fates were tied directly to the Empire and his rather ridiculous rate of growth, so, with this in mind, he was ultimately intending to eject everyone who wasn't a part of his immediate family, a member of his harem, or one of his Templates.With this in mind, Vahn spent several weeks simply gathering information while completing the task assigned to him by the 45th Floor's Guardian, a giant sea urchin whose dimensions were difficult to grasp despite his domain extending for upwards of 90km.Like many of the previous Guardians, the Guardian of the 45th Floor had tasked Vahn was ensuring the safety of a critically endangered species. To this end, Vahn was tasked with traveling to a region many considered to be one of the most dangerous prior to the 100th Floor, a poisonous lake filled with peculiar purple Shinsu that formed countless whirlpools, several of which surpassed a hundred meters in diameter.Immune to the continually evolving toxins in the lake, Vahn had very little difficulty trespassing the hidden village located within its depths. There, he found a species of fairly alien-looking merpeople with dark blue skin, glistening scales covering parts of their bodies, and, most notably, glowing blue mantles that extended from their shoulders and down to their tails, an appendage reminiscent of a bird's tail feathers.As the species rumored to have taught the first generation Wave Controllers how to command the waves, Merfolk had an understandably mythical status among residents of the Tower. Unfortunately, as was often the case, their blood, bones, and other raw materials could be used to create a variety of elixirs, medicines, and even staves capable of manipulating Shinsu. There were even a number of rumors alleging that the flesh of a young Merperson could grant eternal youth upon consumption, so, as could be expected, they had been hunted to near-extinction even before the rise of the Jahad Empire. To make matters even worse, the majority of these rumors were actually true, so, whenever a Merperson appeared within the Tower, they almost always disappeared shortly thereafter.This being the case, Vahn couldn't really blame the remarkably reclusive peoples for attacking him the moment he trespassed their home. Even his usual display of power did little to pacify them, so, much to his dismay, he had been forced to capture them whilst defending himself. This exacerbated the misunderstanding between them quite a bit, but, after a few months of relatively peaceful living in the vast ocean of Shinsu that comprised the Fifth Layer, the High Priestess of the Tribe was finally willing to listen to reason.Despite what her title might suggest, the High Priestess of the Merfolk, for reasons Vahn could only ascribe to fate, appeared to be the youngest among her people. Of course, as was often the case in such situations, she was, in fact, the oldest of her tribe. The reason for her youthful appearance was actually the result of a misunderstanding among the Tower's residents, as, rather than developing in a similar manner to humans, Merfolk were born resembling adults after a seven-year gestation and gradually regressed into a far more powerful child-like state as their power matured.Simply put, the Merfolk that resembled mature warriors were actually the youngest members of the tribe. As a result, they used weapons ranging from Needles to Tridents as they gradually mastered the basics of Shinsu Control and Wave Manipulation. Then, as they matured, they would gradually compress their bodies until they ultimately ended up looking like children between the ages of 10 and 14. Of course, this was only when you compared them to humans, as, more often than not, it took hundreds of years for a Merfolk to reach the point where they could compress themselves into their more 'compact' forms...---Having accepted an invitation to meet and discuss terms, Vahn soon found himself seated across from a youthful-looking Merfolk garbed in little more than a purple sarong, bindings around her arms, breasts, and ankles, and, most notably, several ornaments comprised of seashells and deep-sea stones. This included a large shell that covered her diminutive breasts, which, in reality, were actually bladders that could be inflated or deflated to store and expel Shinsu for emergency use...Though Vahn hadn't expressly cast his gaze upon her body, the High Priestess had long-reached the point where she could sense things like emotion and intent through the subtle fluctuations of the surrounding Shinsu. Thus, even without Vahn brazenly inspecting her body, she was vaguely aware of the fact he was doing 'something' to analyze and evaluate her. This made her feel more than a little uncomfortable, not because she believed he had any licentious thoughts, but because it wouldn't be the first time a human had tried to 'domesticate' them in order to procure a perpetual supply of immortality.With the Law of Identity narrating the woman's thoughts, Vahn couldn't help frowning as he said, "I assure you, as difficult as it might be to believe, I have no need for such things. Rather, if it required me to consume the flesh of the innocent, I wouldn't want to be immortal."Without changing her expression in the slightest, the High Priestess, known among her people as Nami-ue, closed her deep-purple eyes and replied, "I do not profess to have absolute wisdom, but I would wager that my people have been betrayed more than any other race within the Tower. We have trusted in your kind countless times in the past. In the end, the greed of humanity will always win against reason. You might not desire the bounties our bodies provide, but that does not mean those around you will share in your sentiments. Still, for the sake of my people and our continued existence, I am willing to compromise with you. Tell me, what must we provide in exchange for the release of our youngest? Even if you genuinely wish to protect us, we would rather not entrust the survival of our species to someone with the power and means to imprison us at his leisure...if you are truly a friend of the Merfolk, you will not keep us against our will..."Having heard similar arguments from the leaders of other Native Ones, Vahn wasn't particularly surprised by Nami-ue's words. Thus, without even needing to consider his words, he nodded his head and explained, "Capturing you wasn't exactly my preferred course of action. Under normal circumstances, I would have convinced you outside before accepting a few families and allowing them to prove my claims. To that end, I am more than willing to free all of you in the hopes that it will help smooth relations between our two peoples and pave the way forward for the prosperity of all Merfolk."With the intent of expressing his sincerity, Vahn, who had been sitting in seiza, bowed his head in a respectful and apologetic fashion. This caused Nami-ue's aura to fluctuate in a manner indicative of surprise and disbelief, but, as could be expected, her expression revealed neither of these emotions. Instead, she appeared completely apathetic, and, due to the surrounding temperature nearing -4°C, she gave off the impression of someone remarkably cold and distant.After several long seconds of silence, the majority of which involved Nami-ue simply staring at the top of Vahn's head, the youthful-looking High Priestess once again closed her eyes as she said, "As the leader of my people, ensuring our survival is my highest priority. To that end, I have little choice but to trust you. To that end, I would propose some form of mutualistic or cultural exchange. Even if your intentions are pure, even the magnanimity of the strong has its limits. Without some form of equivalent exchange, anxieties are bound to arise regarding your true motives..."Though he understood the woman's skepticism, Vahn ultimately raised his head before shaking it as he explained, "There is plenty of time to discuss such things during the period in which your people are exploring the territory I have prepared for them. For now, we should focus on transporting your people outside. I'm sure your young ones would feel more relaxed once they are in a more familiar setting. As comfortable as the conditions in Little Garden are, I understand they are no replacement for the concept of 'home'."Nodding her head in affirmation, Nami-ue was about to rise in order to personally inform the tribe of their return a peculiar shift occurred in the surrounding Shinsu. Immediately thereafter, a feeling of familiarity donned upon her as Vahn supplied an amused smile and revealed, "It's done. I'll leave you to convince your people not to run away. Of course, if you feel compelled to send a few off, just to be safe, I won't stop you. Instead, I will wait here until you are ready to discuss matters in greater detail."With that said, Vahn picked up his now-chilled cup of tea, heat flowing from his palms to quickly heat it as he closed his eyes to take a sip. This left Nami-ue to stare at him silently, various thoughts conflicting within her mind until she ultimately returned a curt nod and said, "I will return shortly..." before swimming off in a manner similar to a Shinheuh. This was a rather strange sight to behold considering the density of Shinsu wasn't particularly dense, but, as he had seen far stranger things, Vahn simply sampled his tea without paying it much attention...---When all was said and done, Vahn managed to convince the Merfolk in much the same way as the other native tribes. He provided them the opportunity to increase their numbers in a remarkably short period of time whilst also allowing them to interact with the other tribes under his protection. Most importantly, however, was the fact that he had made it clear from the start that they could not stay within the Little Garden indefinitely. He also revealed his status as a God, his affiliation with the Tower's Guardians, and, most notably, his ability to transform into virtually any race. This last ability was especially important, as, more than anything else, the Merfolk feared being harvested for their immortality and being treated as little more than livestock.By demonstrating his ability to not only become a Merfolk but create seemingly infinite copies of himself, Vahn was able to convince the few remaining skeptics that he simply had no need for the resources they might provide. He even went a step further by agreeing to Nami-ue's proposition and producing a Merfolk Template to act as both an intermediary and proxy. This resulted in a few awkward interactions between them, but, after presiding over the duo's marriage and leaving them to their own devices for a few years, Vahn, or, more specifically, his Template was able to convince her that they were separate entities. This saved the original Vahn quite a lot of trouble, as, despite thinking Nami-ue was cute, he wasn't particularly interested in becoming the Chieftain of a Native Tribe...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn is like a parent that wants their kids to get out of the house...','Their true forms are larger than orcas...just saying...','Vahn used Substitute! It's Super Effective...!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

With the Guardians' Tests offering no real challenge, Vahn's ascent had become relatively peaceful since his departure from the 44th Floor. Even pacing himself, however, resulted in him reaching the 49th in only two months. This brought him to a region in the Tower known as the Endless Sandsea, a massive desert that covered the entirety of the Floor, sans a few dungeon-like ruins and oases.Being one of the Floors with the sparsest population densities, Vahn chose the Endless Sandsea as the place where he would deposit Eduan. To his surprise, however, the man was promptly ejected to the Middle Tower by the Floor Guardian. As for the reason, it was apparently due to the fact that the 'real' Eduan still existed as one of the ruling powers within the Tower. Because of this, the Guardian refused to acknowledge the candidacy of the former data construct as a Regular. Thus, if he wanted to climb the Tower, he would need to start from the Floor of Tests, just like everyone else.Fortunately, Headon had been paying close attention to Vahn's progress, so, shortly after the blue-haired man had been expelled from the Inner Tower, the enigmatic rabbit extended an invitation for him to open the gate. This annoyed Eduan quite a bit, but, as it was also an opportunity for him to experience the Tower's changes in the most direct manner, he ultimately accepted after confirming that his status as an Irregular would remain unchanged. As for how Vahn knew of these happenings, it was largely due to his ability to share senses with his subordinates, and, as was often the case, the Law of Identity's ability to transform into persons of interest to reveal their thoughts and intentions.Since he could always recall Eduan through his Unit Management, Vahn decided to leave the man to his own devices to see how he would react to the changes introduced to the Tower following his initial climb. This would provide a retrospective account of the changes that had occurred over the last ten-thousand-years, and, most importantly, it would provide him the opportunity to experience his 'legacy' first-hand. After all, even in the Lower Floors, the corruption of the Ten ran rampant and without reservations...---A stark contrast to the majority of missions he had received from the Floor Guardian's, the Test of the 49th Floor had Vahn eliminate a hundred colossal Shinheuh known as Sandworms. These were omnivorous creatures that rarely appeared within the Endless Sandsea, but, when they did, disaster was the only thing left in their wake. They were also directly responsible for the perpetuation of the floor-wide desert, so, while it wouldn't solve the underlying problem, killing a few of the mountain-sized creatures made living on the Floor much safer than it otherwise would have been.Though he wasn't particularly fond of kill missions, Vahn and Co ultimately hunted far more than the required amount of Sandworms. It had only taken a single encounter with the nine-kilometer-long beasts to understand the danger they posed to the average resident of the Floor. They were also as close to mindless beasts as you could get, as, rather than having a centralized brain, their bodies were lines with several cerebral nodules that formed an intricate network reminiscent of a collection of creatures comprising a single super-organism. Their only purpose in life seemed to be tracking down and devouring rich sources of Shinsu, so, while there was nothing inherently evil with fulfilling their biological purpose, the destruction they were capable of simply couldn't be ignored.In the end, Vahn's hunting party ended up tracking down and eliminating a total of 338 Sandworms over the course of a twenty-three-day period. They only stopped because they were unable to find any additional Sandworms, not because the population had been wiped out, but because those that remained were either in hibernation or had fled to the depths of the Sandsea.As a result of their efforts, several additional oases began to pop up throughout the Sandsea as the average concentration of Shinsu qualitatively increased. There was even Shinsu-infused rain for the first time in several hundred years, an event that was perceived as both a pleasant surprise and an ill omen by those who had become accustomed to the inhospitality of the Floor. Fortunately, while a bit of flooding couldn't be avoided, none of the 'great disasters' prophesied by any of the Floor's would-be soothsayers came to pass...at least not in the manner they had predicted...---Though he would have liked to immediately head for the gigantic Floating Fortress known as The Nest, there were a number of matters Vahn needed to attend to before making contact with the Lo Po Bia Family. It was also rumored that the artifact used to access 'The Frozen Waterfall', one of the largest pieces of Suspendium ever discovered, took upwards of a year just to prepare. This made it exceptionally difficult to steal anything from the infamous 'Vault of Jahad', as, the moment you tried to forcibly access the interior storage, failsafes built into the system would ensure the destruction of everything inside.Fortunately, due to the influence that Suspendium had on the surrounding Space, it was remarkably difficult to approach The Frozen Waterfall, much less damage it. Even High Rankers required special equipment to get anywhere near it, and, even then, there was always a chance that wayward spatial fluctuations could rip them apart without affording them the opportunity to defend themselves. For this reason, The Frozen Waterfall was one of the most secure storage facilities within the entirety of the Tower, so much so that Jahad had entrusted countless priceless artifacts to the Lo Po Bia Family for safekeeping.Though he was confident in his ability to circumvent both The Nest's and The Frozen Waterfall's defenses, Vahn had already decided to try and settle things in an above-board manner. This meant negotiating with the Lo Po Bia Family directly, and, depending on the circumstances, confronting Lo Po Bia himself. The man was known to spend a significant amount of time within The Nest itself, so, with the device used to activate The Frozen Waterfall taking up to a year just to charge, there were ample opportunities for their paths to cross. Before that, however, there were a few other important matters he needed to attend to, so, at the behest of Ryun and Ai, Vahn eventually found himself on the outskirts of a place known as the Wall of Peaceful Coexistence.As the name implied, the Wall of Peaceful Coexistence was built near the end of the Era of Genesis as a symbol of peace and compromise between the Jahad Empire and the various forces that had opposed Jahad proclaiming himself King.In the beginning, there were walls located on every Floor between the 50th and 100th Floors, but, with the passage of nearly ten-thousand-years, only three remained to this day. Because of this, it was rumored that once the remaining three walls fell war would, once again, return to the Tower...Staring up at the massive stone wall supported by pillars of Suspendium that dwarfed skyscrapers, Vahn could feel an oppressive atmosphere radiating from within. It was like the people inside had completely lost their hope, and, even without seeing them directly, he could feel the melancholy that had pervaded the majority of their beings. This gave him the urge to avoid entering the wall, but, with Ryun urging him inside, he ultimately ascended the hazardous stone steps leading to its interior. There, after bypassing a number of security checkpoints, he followed Ryun through streets lined with people who emitted a depressive yet remarkably hostile aura.Noticing the desperation in the eyes of nearly every person they passed, Vahn couldn't help shaking his head. The people living within the wall reminded him of those he had encountered on the Floor of Death, yet, unlike the aforementioned immortals, the residents of the wall could leave whenever they wanted. Instead, the majority chose to stay for fear of being persecuted by those affiliated with the Jahad Empire, and, as a result, fear, paranoia, and self-preservation had become the foundation upon which society within the wall was built. This led to an extreme aversion towards foreigners and refugees, as, more than anything else, the people living within the wall feared change.Sensing her Master's frustration, Ryun decided to stick a little closer to him so that he wouldn't feel alone within the ocean of resentment. She had come to understand that he was heavily influenced by the sentiments of those around him, so, despite feeling more than a little embarrassed, she did her best to counteract his diminishing mood by sticking close to him and willfully waggling her tail.Understanding Ryun's intentions, Vahn did his best to ignore the looks directed their way until they reached the back entrance of what appeared to be a tavern. There, dressed in contrasting blue and pink robes decorated with yellow ribbons, two young women, one with dark blue hair and the other with bright-pink, synchronously bowed as they said, "Welcome. Our Master has been awaiting your arrival. Please, come inside."With the Law of Identity hovering behind him, Vahn promptly became aware of the fact that their Master was none other than Sophia Tan, one of the most influential Elders in the entirety of FUG. This left a slightly sour taste in his mouth, as, despite being the benefactor of various organizations protecting and promoting females within the Tower, Sophia's other titles included Chief-Mistress of the Pleasure District and Grand Matchmaker of the Noble Families. In other words, her organization sponsored nearly every successful whorehouse and prostitution ring within the Tower, and, for the sake of expanding her information network, she trained women to serve as courtesans, spies, and assassins within the ranks of the Ten Great Families.Though she rarely forced them to comply, the structure of the Tower left most women with very few options if they wanted to avoid a tragic fate during and after their ascent. Thus, with the exception of a few rare talents and those belonging to the Ten Great Families, most female Regulars ended up joining one of the various female-only organizations, the majority of which were backed by Sophia and a few other influential and opportunistic women within the Tower. This was the only way many of them could avoid becoming victims, so, while it might be true that Sophia didn't force anyone to join her organizations, she also hadn't done much to solve the underlying issues that forced nearly 70% of female Regulars to join her organizations and sex-trafficking rings...Noticing the look in her Master's eyes, Ryun tightly gripped his hand, whispering, "Please hear them out before you make a decision..." in a pleading tone. This left Vahn feeling exasperated, but, having already promised he would do just that, he ultimately nodded his head and said, "Don't worry...even if I don't appreciate these types of organizations, I learned long ago that they are an intrinsic part of most societies. I'm not going to hold those at the bottom accountable for a system necessitated by circumstance. Besides, this isn't all that different from what the Great Families have done to try and earn my favor..."Exhaling a sigh of relief, Ryun gripped her Master's hand a little more firmly before resting her head against his shoulder and muttering, "Thank you..." with as much sincerity as she could manage. This caused the two girls standing at the entrance to give her scrutinizing and slightly incredulous looks, but, as they had already performed their duty, neither said anything until after Vahn and Ryun had disappeared into the tavern's interior. Then, with a slightly excited expression, the pink-haired girl turned to her blue-haired counterpart, green-eyes glistening as she mused, "He is a lot cuter than I expected. What do you think, Namo?"Showing very little change in expression, the girl named Namo looked towards her counterpart with a slightly contemptuous glimmer in her dandelion-yellow eyes, monotonously replying, "I would be happier if you weren't here..." before immediately returning her attention to the alleyway they were tasked to guard. This caused the brow of the pink-haired girl to twitch quite a bit, but, knowing she wouldn't be able to get a rise out of the former, she ultimately just snorted through her nose before pulling out a tablet-like device to complete her 'dailies' on one of the Tower's more popular gaming apps...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'I feel bad for the Regulars who have to test alongside Eduan...','A beginning is a very delicate time...','Endless Politics : Infinite Concubines')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Lying within the ruins of a long-destroyed bed, Vahn, appearing far more muscular than normal, exhaled a hot sigh tinged with a pale golden vapor. At his side, nestled against him with glistening red fur covering much of her body, Yuri could be seen tracing the runic pattern covering his body with a glazed look in her eyes. She honestly looked even more beautiful now than she had nearly a year prior, not because he had grown accustomed to her presence, but because her untamed hair, phenomenal aura, and cross-like pupils gave off the impression of a domesticated yet remarkably powerful Goddess...Grasping her wayward hand with his own, a smile spread across Vahn's face as Yuri turned her face up to meet his. This resulted in an almost instinctual exchange of saliva, and, as was often the case, the tip of Yuri's monkey-like tail began to twitch as the fur across her body began to shimmer due to the gradual release of her aura. Before things could follow their usual pattern, however, a chuckle arose from Vahn's throat as he separated their lips and said, "Now, now...behave yourself...if you get riled up again, it'll take another half a day just to calm you down..."Puffing her cheeks somewhat childishly, Yuri's aura continued to rise as she moved her knee to not-so-gently nudge his sleeping member. Unfortunately, they had already agreed to leave more than a month prior, so, tempting as her behavior might be, Vahn managed to resist, his expression turning serious as he matched her gaze.Realizing he wasn't going to take the bait, Yuri's expression immediately reverted to a more neutral look as she exhaled a sigh as she rose to a seated position. Then, with her noticeably muscular arms crossed beneath her flawless white breasts, she half-heartedly protested, "You're no fun. It's not like there is any rush to leave. At least let me get strong enough to beat those old hags if push comes to shove..."With a somewhat incredulous look on his face, Vahn briefly cast his gaze to the intricate pattern on Yuri's back. This caused her status to immediately appear within his view, a wry smile immediately developing across his face as he replied, "Your Shinsu had increased by an order of magnitude and you're capable of maintaining a form that amplifies your power by nearly five-hundred times...if you go all out, you're nearly three times stronger than Ureko in her base state. How much more power do you need...?"Tilting her head to the side and tapping her arm as if she was in deep thought, Yuri remained silent for nearly half a minute before nodding her head and answering, "Since you're aiming for Tier 7, I at least want to reach the pinnacle of Tier 6. As I am now, even if I were ten-thousand times stronger, I wouldn't be able to defeat a Tier 5 within their Realm, right? At the very least, I want to reach a level where I can punch whoever I want without them being able to simply ignore it."Though she had once been content with her power, meeting Vahn allowed Yuri to understand that even her adoptive father, someone everyone believed to be invincible, was actually near the bottom rungs of the truly powerful. Heck, even a complete monster like Phantaminum, someone capable of freely massacring their way into the very heart of the Imperial Palace wasn't particularly powerful in the grand scheme of things. This gave her the impression she was nothing more than a frog at the bottom of a well, and, had she never chanced upon Vahn, she would have spent the remainder of her days wholly unaware of the vastness of creation...Noticing the determined blaze in Yuri's scarlet eyes, Vahn couldn't help adopting an appreciative smile. Immediately thereafter, however, he mused, "Then you'll need to study. Though it might be possible to reach the pinnacle by focusing wholly on combat, you will always struggle against those with a greater understanding of the Laws."Groaning in response to Vahn's words, Yuri plopped onto her side in a huff, her butt pointed toward him in an obvious attempt to entice him to act. To her credit, this would have succeeded 99% of the time, but, having already resolved himself to depart their little bubble, Vahn managed to restrain his libido by smacking her extremely pliant posterior with enough force to send a visible ripple through it as he said, "Don't pout. This is the path you've chosen. I'm already going to get an earful after the others hear about how long we've been in here. Let's go."Offering a defiant groan in response, Vahn half-expected Yuri to refuse, but, almost immediately thereafter, the fur covering her body vanished into motes of light as she rolled onto her back and said, "Carry me..." with her arms extended upward. This left Vahn feeling a little helpless, but, after an entire year with the rather shameless Princess, he had grown rather accustomed to her random demands. Thus, despite shaking his head in exasperation, he invariably ended up raising Yuri from the ruins of their lovenest before departing the meteoric crater that now dominated the region...---Following a 'very' long explanation and a brief period of relaxation, Vahn emerged from the Little Garden with a somewhat bored-looking Yuri at his side. She didn't even seem to care much about her surroundings, pathetically muttering, "Oh, I almost forgot about this place..." before plopping onto her bed and adding, "Wow...I never realized how shitty my own bed was..."Extending his hand to the black-haired beauty, Vahn pulled her back to her feet before promptly swapping out her bed for something infinitely more comfortable. At the same time, he helped to fix her somewhat unkempt hair as he said, "I'm not going to tell you how to live your life. If you choose to follow along with me, that is the end of the matter. Even if it ends up causing a war, I don't really care as long as you're happy."With an amused smile spreading across her face, Yuri allowed Vahn to fix her hair and attire as she mused, "You're so full of it. Even if you're not lying, we both know you can't help caring about such things. You might be able to fool yourself by pretending to ignore it, but I've never met someone as 'sensitive' as you when it comes to the suffering of others. Don't worry. I can't promise I won't cause trouble, but I can at least ensure it won't immediately be traced back to you. Just make sure to keep your ear to the ground. I'm certain you'll be surprised when you hear the news..."Though he could have easily ascertained her thoughts with the help of the Law of Identity, Vahn just issued a light chuckled before planting a kiss on Yuri's parted lips and saying, "Try not to bully them too much." before following it up with another kiss and adding, "Also, make sure you explain things properly to your Great-Grandmother. I don't mind joining hands with the Ha Family, but there is no way in hell I'm going to become something like a 'Great Father'..."Responding with a chuckle of her own, Yuri motioned to bite Vahn's lip before pushing him away and saying, "You don't have to worry about that. So long as you don't go knocking up my cousin, it shouldn't be too difficult to convince the others you're beyond their means to obtain. The only two you really need to be wary of are those two bitches trying to take over the Family. I should be able to defeat them relatively easily, but that probably won't stop them from trying to approach you in order to gain power. As for my Grandma...well, you're on your own when it comes to her. Just make sure you don't knock her up before me..if you do, I don't care how many times it grows back. I'll cut it off..."Perhaps as an allusion to the method she would employ, Yuri, once again, snapped her teeth before adopting a predatory smile, spinning on her heels, and departing the room. This caused a thin layer of goose pimples to spread across Vahn's arms, not because of Yuri's threat, but because the Law of Identity had transformed into her Great-Grandmother in order to seductively lick her lips and cackle at his expense. This gave Vahn an overwhelming urge to tan her backside, but, knowing she would just enjoy it, he ultimately shook his head before pulling out his Pocket and saying, "Establish contact with the Guardian..."---Sensing a peculiar disturbance within her own power, a woman almost indistinguishable for Yuri, the only difference being that she was slightly older and had a different hairstyle, opened her eyes to reveal a moderate amount of surprise. This caused the servant pouring her drink to immediately freeze in place, sweat appearing across her body as she trembled like a tiny field mouse cornered by a starving lioness.Without showing any indication that she was even aware of the servant girl's presence, a smile spread across the face of the raven-haired woman as she gracefully rose from her altar-like throne. This further surprised the servant girl, as, for the last three years, her mistress had spent the vast majority of her time silently meditating within the vast scarlet chamber. She didn't even stir when the Family gathered once a month to pay their respects; so, when she saw the ornately dressed beauty walked to the center of the hall before pulling out a fiery red Pocket, she began to seriously consider whether or not she was in a dream...Continuing to ignore the servant girl, the raven-haired woman seemed to grow impatient despite the fact her call had only rung twice. By the third ring, an oppressive aura had started to permeate the several-kilometer wide chamber, and, immediately thereafter, all of the glowstones serving to fill the surroundings with pale red light shattered. Fortunately, before the third ring could complete, a somewhat nervous voice could be heard from the receiver, asking, "Yurin? It's rare for you to call me first...is it about our daughter?"Adopting an annoyed frown, the woman, Ha Yurin, Leader of the Ha Family, promptly replied, "She is no longer 'our' daughter. You lost the chance to be her father when you ran away like a whipped dog..."Though he had become accustomed to his former friend and lover's harsh tone, the voice emitting from the receiver could be heard exhaling a melancholic sigh before muttering, "You locked me in a dungeon for weeks under the pretense of whipping me into shape. Without my immortality, I would have died a hundred times over..."Snorting in disdain, Yurin resisted shattering the inordinately expensive Pocket as she crossed her arms and said, "You're such a drama queen. It is because you were immortal that I pushed you to that extent. Stop making excuses for running away. Had you faced me like a man, I wouldn't have been so harsh on you..."After supplying another sigh, the voice on the receiver remained silent for several seconds before asking, "What is the purpose of this call? If you've nothing to discuss, I've more important matters to attend than listening to you ridicule and insult me..."With a predatory smile spreading across her face, Yurin looked like she was ready to devour her own Pocket as she mused, "Oh? Is there actually a backbone in that jellyfish-like body of yours? Go ahead and hang up. I fucking dare you."Rather than responding, the voice on the opposite end remained absolutely silent until Yurin finally clicked her tongue and explained, "I'm not sure what happened, but Yuri just got a lot stronger. You should probably make preparations for her arrival. She isn't particularly fond of your Ari Family after what happened during her climb..."Exhaling a sigh so profound that it caused a depressive atmosphere to descend upon the several-kilometer wide throne room, a tremendous amount of sadness could be heard from the voice on the receiver as its owner, Ari Han, Leader of the Ari Family, replied, "I understand...thank you for the heads up. I'll try and take care of things on my end...just...please don't incite her...it pains me more than you can imagine knowing that my own daughter hates me..."Rather than vocalizing any promises, Yurin promptly cut the call before crossing her arms beneath her rather infamous bust and closing her eyes for the better part of ten minutes. Then, with a slight shake of her head, she muttered, "Sorry, Han, but I already promised that girl that she could live as freely as she pleased..." before turning around and finally taking notice of the young girl standing statuesque next to her throne. This caused the juvenile member of the Ha Family to tense up even further, but, upon hearing her mistress ask, "Have you been there the whole time...?" she couldn't help falling flat on her face due to the sheer incredulity of the situation...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Kuja Trance vibes','*chomp*','I can't help wondering what Yurin's intelligence rating is...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1952: Lying Low...?