Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Though he could not remember why he was chosen as Guardian of the Sealed Chamber, Tonki had made a vow to remain steadfast in his duty so long as Khane continued her daily visits. As a result, he had stood watch over the Sealed Chamber for nearly ten-thousand-years, never once quitting his post to so much as taking a break. This had confounded quite a number of people, but, so long as Khane continued to perform her duty, despite the resentment of everyone around her, his pride compelled him to do the same.With a considerable amount of time on his hands, Tonki generally spent his days silently meditating in order to perfect his control and provide the nourishment his body required. This had allowed him to go without food or water for thousands of years, and, despite having no one to test his strength on, he was absolutely certain his power, control, and senses were far more refined than the average High Ranker. He had even completely mastered his Shinsu Quality, the Meteor Flame Lotus, one of the rarest abilities to manifest among descendants of the Land of Peach Blossoms.Thanks to this mastery, combined with the fact only a single person had visited the Sealed Chamber in the last thirteen-hundred-years, Tonki was able to sense even the most insignificant changes in the surrounding Shinsu. He could even feel the body heat of people several hundred meters away from him, so, the moment Vahn teleported into the Sealed Chamber, the grey-skinned man's eyes snapped open as he shouted, "Who goes there!? This is a restricted area. If you happened upon this place by chance, leave now and I will not follow. Choose to remain and your life is forfeit...!"Surprised by the man's instantaneous reaction, Vahn was momentarily at a loss as he inspected the 224cm tall figure with ashen skin, dark-grey hair, silver eyes, and pointed, elf-like, ears. He gave off the impression of a proud and valiant warrior, yet, perhaps as a result of his long seclusion, his aura was as tranquil as a lake on a moonless night. It was, honestly, rather remarkable, and, though his outfit looked a bit weird, consisting of muted grey robes with massive green ribbons on both sides of his waist, Vahn couldn't help feeling impressed.Ignoring the man's warning, Vahn raised his hand to perform a greeting gesture as he adopted a carefree smile and said, "Hi there. My name is Vahn. You are?"Rather than responding to Vahn's greeting, Tonki immediately surged forward, his massive frame contorting in a remarkable display of flexibility as the top of his foot swept towards the former's neck like the blade of a grim reaper. At the same time, even the most minute particles of Shinsu in the surroundings surged in response, but, rather than flowing tumultuously, they gathered to form a singular, destructive, current.Had his opponent been anyone else, Tonki might have won the fight with a single, precise, kick. His power was comparable to a High Ranker between the Ranks of 100~200, and, most importantly, his control allowed him to penetrate the resistances of his opponent's with remarkable ease.Unfortunately, the moment Tonki's foot made contact with Vahn's neck, it phased through him as if he simply didn't exist. Then, despite releasing the gathered Shinsu to produce a massive explosion, Vahn's hand managed to move unabated through the tumultuous flow, grasping his long ponytail in a vice-like grip.Emerging from the destructive swirl of Shinsu without so much as a single out of place hair, Vahn couldn't help adopting a wry smile as he said, "Sorry about this..." before grabbing the man by his face and slamming him into the ground. This wouldn't normally be enough to damage, much less knock out a High Ranker, but, unlike most people, Tonki had a seal on his forehead that was directly connected to his cerebral cortex. In the distant past, this had allowed the Kings of the Land of Peach Blossoms to command absolute loyalty from their Royal Guards, but, in a situation like this, it was a major weakness since there were none in the Tower who could hope to compete with Vahn when it came to the application, alteration, and removal of seals...With the unconscious man safely stowed away within the Little Garden, there was no longer anyone who could bar Vahn's passage. Thus, after passing through a massive set of enchanted stone doors, he found himself face-to-face with a vault door embedded in the center of a wall more than 500m from the floor. This wasn't a particularly great height, but, due to the presence of millions of seals lining the interior of the chamber, any spells or abilities that made use of Shinsu were completely prohibited within the eerily quiet, sound-absorbant, space.Unaffected by such limitations, Vahn levitated to the circular vault door before taking a deep breath and exhaling a tired sigh that caused his body to contract rather drastically. At the same time, wild pink hair erupted from his head, cascading down his back as his body rapidly metamorphized into an exact replica of Khane's. Then, ignoring the usual feelings of guilt and discomfort that followed assuming someone's form without their permission, Vahn placed his palm against the center of the seal, saying, "Time to wake up..." in a husky and feminine tone.Reacting to the energy flowing from his palm, the vault door released a hissing sound similar to pressure dispersing before simply falling away and smashing into the ground below. Immediately thereafter, countless wooden slates covered in seals came into view, each rotating and undulating at high speeds before opening in a manner reminiscent of an oculus.With his perception allowing him to view everything in slow motion, Vahn was able to memorize and interpret their function with no real difficulty. He could also sense the space within the vault linking with that of the exterior space, much like a bridge being formed between two dimensional planes. As this occurred, the sealed slats quickly formed a tunnel connecting to an interior chamber. There, seated atop a floating white platform, a remarkably beautiful woman with flowing pink hair tied into a loose ponytail could be seen.Though the woman's beauty was apparent with a glance, what truly made her remarkable, at least in Vahn's eyes, was the fact she had managed to reach a state where she had effectively fused with her unique, flowery, Shinsu. This caused the ends of her fringe bangs and ponytail to release a pale pink light, and, though her dress appeared to be comprised of normal fabrics, the edges appeared to be aflame with pale-pink Shinsu that periodically detached to form petals reminiscent of sakura flowers. She also had the characteristic pointed ears of her people, and, though they might seem innocuous in the eyes of others, Vahn could tell the blue markings beneath her eyes, reminiscent of blush marks, possessed the ability to interfere with the senses of anyone who looked upon them.Shortly after that thought had crossed his mind, a wry smile developed across Vahn's face as the woman opened her eyes to reveal rose quartz-like eyes with pale-blue irises. Then, with a confused expression, she cocked her head to the side and asked, "Khane? Did something go wrong with the sealing process...?" while looking around the area.Since the price for breaking the seal was Khane's memories, it was understandable that the woman, Dowon, would be a little confused. After all, she had received absolutely no new memories, so, from her perspective, no time had passed between the activation of the seal and its release.Manifesting the Little Garden in his right hand, Vahn, still appearing as Khane, answered, "I'll explain everything once we move someplace safe."Though she was still more than a little confused, Dowon ultimately replied with a curt nod before levitating from the platform she had been seated upon. This caused the 'flames' along the edge of her dress to become slightly more prominent, and, though she was initially barefoot, heels formed of vibrant-pink light immediately formed to cover her feet as she glided effortlessly and gracefully through the air.With Dowon not suspecting any form of foul play, Vahn was able to pull her into the Little Garden without any issues. There, another version of himself had been waiting alongside the actual Khane, comforting her after a very long session of crying.Surprised by the sudden change in scenery, the petal-like flames along the periphery of Dowon's dress momentarily increased in magnitude and intensity until she noticed her sister sitting beside a man she had never seen before. At the same time, Khane noticed her older sister floating just a few meters away, her expression revealing both shock and incredulity as she nervously asked, "Dowon? Is that really you...?"Confused by Khane's words, Dowon cocked her head to the side as innumerable questions danced across her mind. Fortunately for both girls, Vahn was there to render assistance, so, after gently guiding the confused Khane to her feet, he brought the two of them nearer to each other before adopting an apologetic smile and explaining, "Sorry. I've never been the type to wait around. While we were talking, I decided to take matters into my own hands. You can both blame or hate me all you want later. For now, I believe there are more important matters to attend..."With that said, Vahn gently pushed against the small of Khane's back, forcing her to step forward until she and Dowon were right in front of each other. This caused the latter to feel exceptionally awkward, as, prior to being sealed, she had done everything in her power to distance herself from others. This included Khane, so, seeing her sister's eyes glistening with pain and longing, a strange feeling of guilt began to swell within Dowon's chest as she instinctually took a step back...Fortunately, before Dowon could complete the motion, an invisible force pushed against her from behind, reversing her intended direction. As a result, she found herself being tightly embraced by Khane, who, after confirming the tangibility of her sister, began bawling without inhibition. This left Dowon feeling more than a little fretful, her expression transitioning between confusion and guilt before ultimately settling into a slight pout upon noticing Vahn's cheeky smile...---After a very long discussion with her sister, Dowon managed to track Vahn to the base of one of the World Trees. This was something she found 'very' interesting, but, before asking about it, or any of the other pressing concerns on her mind, the first thing Dowon did was lower herself to the ground in an attempt to prostrate herself. Before she could, however, Vahn instantly appeared right in front of her, his index and middle fingers pressed to her forehead as he smiled and said, "I'll have none of that. I took action because I wanted to, not because I was anticipating a reward. Besides, if anyone is deserving of your gratitude, it's Khane. That girl endured on your behalf for nearly ten-thousand-years. Rather than offering me your power, I would be happier if you took care of your not-so-little sister..."With Vahn having removed his fingers from her forehead, Dowon tentatively touched the region, a slight pout developing across her face as she pointedly replied, "That's a given. Now that I'm awake, I won't let anyone bully my sister. That includes you."Raising his brow, Vahn was about to ask what she was talking about when Dowon raised her hand to produce a violent torrent of flowery Shinsu, threatening, "I don't care if you're an Irregular or a God. If you break my little sister's heart, I'll shove my fist so far up your ass that the last thing you'll experience before death is the taste of flowers."Not expecting Dowon to have such a sharp tongue, Vahn momentarily found himself at a loss for words. Fortunately, it seemed like the woman was 'mostly' just playing around, a smile developing across her face as she added, "So long as you take my words to heart, there won't be any problems. I'm not sure how you managed it, but that girl seems pretty taken with you. I know I'm not really in a place to lecture others after making her suffer for so long, but be good to her, okay...?"Though he would have liked to agree with Dowon's request, a wry smile immediately developed across Vahn's face as he awkwardly scratched the back of his head and said, "About that...there are a few things you should know...". Then, despite Dowon's expression darkening considerably, he did his best to explain the complicated relationship dynamic between himself and his rather expansive harem...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'RIP Tonki...','Vahn flexing his hax0r abilities...','Bruh...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

After clearing the 'misunderstanding' and allowing Khane and Dowon to meet with the residents of the Eighth Layer, Vahn ended up accepting both sisters into his Familia before arranging a place for them in the First Layer.As descendants of the Land of Peach Blossom's Royal Guard, Khane and Dowon's ancestry could be traced back to a race evocative of Dryads. This afforded them an affinity with nature, so, as could be expected, they felt extremely comfortable beneath the canopy of the World Trees. Thus, at least for the time being, they were more than content with living quiet and peaceful lives among the endless field of eternal flowers that had come to dominate the First Layer. As for the remaining residents of the Wall of Peaceful Coexistence, Vahn allowed the members of the so-called 'Revolutionary Party' to take up residence in the Second Layer while those with darker hearts and ambitions were left to clean up the mess left in the wake of Dowon's unsealing.Though he couldn't help feeling a marginal amount of guilt, Vahn's decision to 'abandon' the leave the residents of the wall to their own devices was largely due to the fact that Dowon's sealing and Khane's suffering were the direct results of the Royal Family and their descendants. It was the King of their time that tasked the girls' father with fighting against the forces of Jahad, and, once he had lost his life, they had been forced to serve in his stead.As descendants of a family that had served the Royal Family for generations, Dowon and Khane had willingly entered the service of the Kingdom in order to resist Jahad's rise. In the process, they gave up everything in order to obtain power and fulfill their duty. Despite this, the moment the members of the Royal Family felt their lives were threatened, they promptly yielded to the Empire's demands and chose to seal Dowon, not for the sake of peace, but to preserve their own lives. To add insult to injury, the King of that time even tried to smooth the tensions between the Kingdom and the Jahad Empire by offering up Khane as collateral, effectively forcing her to become a slave or a concubine.It was her desire to protect her sister and fulfill the promise she had made to their dying father that compelled Dowon to modify the memories of her people. The truth of the matter was that she had made an agreement of her own with the Empire. In exchange for letting herself be sealed without a fuss, they would never lay a hand on her sister. The moment this term was violated, the seal would be broken of its own accord, and, depending on the circumstances, she would do everything in her power to seek revenge against the ones who had harmed her only living family member.Unfortunately, Dowon hadn't accounted for the fact that certain sentiments didn't simply disappear with a few memory alterations. Corruption, opportunism, and the fear of death had been so deeply ingrained into the Royal Family that they did not hesitate to try and exploit her sister and the loyalty of their family by redirecting all hatred and negative sentiments her way. Every time something bad happened, they would twist facts to pin the blame on Khane. This had continued over the course of several generations, so much so that it was now 'common knowledge' among the residents of the Wall that she was the source of all tragedies that befell them.Simply put, both the Royal Family and their descendants had unrepentantly treated Dowon and Khane as their personal scapegoats for the better part of ten-thousand-years. The current Chairman of the 50th Floor's Wall, Koer, had even been planning to execute Khane in the near future. As for the reason, it was because negative sentiments had been on the rise as of late so they wanted to renew faith in their administration by being the first leader with the courage to remove the source of suffering at the root.With a disheartening number of people sincerely believing that Khane was responsible for every bad thing that had ever happened to them, Vahn's desire to help them had disappeared like a drop of water in the desert. There was no way he would help them rebuild their civilization when the so-called 'Nobles' treated their most loyal subjects as nothing more than convenient tools. Instead, he chose to spare the handful of people who had seen through the lies of the former Royals and tried to improve conditions within the Wall.In total, Vahn ended up relocating twenty-seven people from the Wall of Peaceful Coexistence to a residential district in the Second Layer. This wasn't even close to the number of people required to try and rebuild a population, but, having come to realize that things like race meant very little in the grand scheme of things, there was no harm in letting one gradually disappear by intermingling with another. The Little Garden was, after all, a miniature Realm governed by the Law of Progress. Trying to preserve something like 'blood purity' was one of the most backward sentiments anyone could possess, so, with the people of the Land of Peach Blossoms originally descending from a completely different species, Vahn felt no qualms about letting them become something else entirely.Fortunately, as was often the case in worlds with extreme racial diversity, interspecies relationships tended to work out with surprisingly few issues. There were even examples of Shinheuh and Spirits obtaining human forms and intermingling with the other races of the Tower, so, while things might not always make sense from the perspective of reproductive biology, similar arguments could be made regarding Innates and Soul Tier in general. In the end, the most important things were always 'intent' and 'willpower'. With enough of both, you could even impregnate the void or inert stone. In that regard, impregnating the member of another species was a relatively simple affair...---Though he had promised Dowon he would visit the other Walls in order to unseal others from her time, backtracking wasn't exactly Vahn's modus operandi. Thus, before he could move on to other Floors, Vahn first needed to take care of his business on the 50th. To this end, he ended up reaching out to a representative of the Lo Po Bia Family; and, as a result, he soon found himself face-to-face with none other than Lo Po Bia Pram, Elder of the Snow Leopard Family, and two of her daughters.Understanding the reason for the duo's presence, Vahn had a difficult time maintaining his smile as all three inordinately fluffy women eyed him like hungry predators who had just chanced upon their favorite prey. To make matters even worse, Pram had made sure to cover her bases by selecting two distinctly different types of girls, one appearing somewhat boyish, complete with short hair and an athletic figure, while the other gave off the impression of a delicate yet mischievous princess. When the three were lined up together, it was almost like seeing the progression of a single individual as they moved through three distinctly different phases in their life...each more promiscuous than the last...Taking the initiative, Pram had each of her daughters bow in turn as she explained, "Though they are still lacking in various ways, these are the daughters I am most proud of. The bigger one, Iifa, has managed to become an Advanced Ranker at only 519-years-old. As for the younger one, Nio, she is one of the most promising members of the younger generation, so much so that I have even considered grooming her as my successor. She has yet to begin her ascent up the Tower, but I have high hopes for her future. To that end, I would be eternally grateful if the Sage Dragon Emperor was gracious enough to extend a guiding hand towards the both of them...rather, I wouldn't particularly mind receiving a bit of 'guidance' myself..."Though she had 'suffered' for quite a while following their previous encounter, Pram didn't resent Vahn in the slightest. His warning had also helped to remind her of the mission she had been given, so, while she hadn't come to terms with the fact her recording would be circulating through various information networks, she had come to realize that it could actually be used as leverage.Despite the previous incident, Pram was confident in her original assessment of Vahn. He gave off the impression of someone that was overly considerate, so, as long as she dealt with him in private, he shouldn't react in such an extreme way. The fact he had instructed her to meet with him on the 50th Floor was proof enough that he wasn't yet willing to cut ties with her family, so, before another branch stepped in, she intended to do everything in her power to secure his favor...Aware of the woman's thoughts, Vahn briefly exchanged glances with the two hungry-looking girls peering up at him whilst lowering their heads to the ground. Their unconcealed lust, combined with the fact all three girls were releasing a phenomenal amount of pheromones, made it feel as though he had wandered into an inescapable trap. Yes, he could leave whenever he wanted, but, unless he intended to adopt a more forceful approach, cooperating with the trio was the most expedient way to get what he wanted. The problem was, while their behavior could be attributed to their instincts and upbringing, even the innocent-looking Nio treated those weaker than herself with remarkable contempt and unrepentant cruelty. If he weren't exponentially stronger than them, this would have been a 'very' different conversation...In the end, Vahn's choice wasn't a simple matter of compromise. Rather, the moment he chose to 'fix' things within the Lo Po Bia Family, his nature would compel him to be as thorough as possible. This meant confronting Lord Lo Po Bia and reforming the branch families using the only means they could universally understand: strength.So long as Vahn could prove himself more powerful, even Lord Lo Po Bia himself would not oppose his decisions. The problem with this was that Lord Lo Po Bia considered Jahad to be the 'Alpha', so, unless he could defeat the self-proclaimed King of the Tower, there was a chance the family would bare its fangs at him in spite of the difference in strength. This would also establish a precedent for him taking over one of the Great Families, so, while it might not matter all that much in the grand scheme of things, Vahn was still a little reluctant to throw caution to the wind. After all, the moment he decided to follow through on the subjugation of a Great Family, his time within the Tower would begin counting towards its end...As that thought crossed his mind, Vahn's gaze returned to Pram, her mercury-like eyes catching his attention as she returned an expectant smile and manipulated her tail to peek out from behind her shoulder. This caused his eyes to briefly shift to the inordinately fluffy appendage, and, as a result, a bell-like laugh could be heard emanating from Pram's throat before she seductively mused, "Didn't I tell you the last time we met? You are more than welcome to touch...rather, the three of us would be more than a little disheartened if you decided not to. You see, we recently switched conditioners and have been eager to hear the Sage Dragon Emperor's opinion...won't you give them a touch~?"Hearing their mother's words, the tips of Iifa's and Nio's tails began to twitch slightly as the thick fur coating their length seemed to become noticeably fluffier. This wasn't just a trick of the eye, either, as, in preparation for this meeting, both girls had spent several weeks enduring extreme cold just to increase the thickness of their coats. They had also received 'special training' from their mother, so, even if they had to reduce themselves to the position of pets, they were willing to do so if it meant receiving the genetics of a strong male. After all, while individual strength was important, it was the duty of all members of the Lo Po Bia Family to ensure their offspring were even more powerful than the preceding generations.In the face of three inordinately fluffy women, Vahn's restraint could only hold out for so long. 'Fluff' was one of his greatest weaknesses, so, with the strength to change both the Snow Leopard and Lo Po Bia Families for the better, it didn't take long for his inhibitions to disappear completely. At one point, he even managed to convince himself that it would have been unnecessarily cruel of him to let the branch families continue fighting amongst themselves. After all, there were plenty of ways in which they could compete without killing each other, and, most importantly, he wanted to provide an environment where the more passive members of the tribe could prosper without suffering the abuse of their own families. Thus, for the first time since his coming to the 'Transcendental Path to Heaven', Vahn decided to reference his memories of the Oyakodon Cook Book for inspiration...(A/N: Sorry for the silence yesterday. I got wrangled into a New Year's celebration and couldn't find the time to release a chapter. On that note, I hope everyone has a much better 2021 than they did a 2020. Last year was a trial for a lot of people, myself included. Though it might not mean that much coming from some random guy on the internet, know that I am praying for everyone's happiness in the years to come. We might not be able to influence much in the grand scheme of things, but, on a personal level, we can at least make life a little easier by showing care and concern for each other. To that end, I wish you all a happy new year, and, most importantly, thanks for being the best part of EPIC~!)https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

After depositing Ryun and the duo named Sola and Namo into the Little Garden, Vahn decided to stick around the Wall of Peaceful Coexistence for a short while to observe how the residents went about their everyday lives. This might have aligned with FUG's intentions but it wasn't in his nature to simply ignore the suffering of others. Yes, the residents might have been the ones to choose this particular lifestyle, but, based on the depressive atmosphere that permeated the entirety of the wall, it was pretty obvious they weren't satisfied with their current lifestyle.Since it ultimately wouldn't cost him anything but time to transplant the residents and afford them the opportunity to start anew, Vahn was looking for any excuse he could find to justify providing his assistance. What he found strange was the fact that most of the residents didn't even seem to know why their ancestors had originally chosen to settle within the wall. All they knew for certain was that 'something terrible' was supposed to happen if the person sealed within was to awaken.What made this situation particularly odd was the fact that it was a relatively well-known fact that the Walls of Peaceful Coexistence were built to seal away the Heroes from both sides of the conflict. Despite this, the residents within the wall actually seemed to resent the person who had effectively sacrificed themselves to afford them ten-thousand-years of peace. Some even went as far as to try and harass the former hero's only living relative, fearful of the fact that she possessed the ability to break the seal. As a result, she was forced to live on the outskirts of the settlement, and, every time she went to visit the chamber containing her sister, people would gather to lambast and even throw stones at her.Though he could understand the fears of the residents, Vahn found it more than a little ridiculous that they would proactively insult someone who had endured for more than ten-thousand-years on their behalf. If she was as great a threat as they purported her to be, she would have snapped long ago as a result of their malicious actions. Instead, despite being exponentially stronger than virtually every resident of the Wall, she silently tolerated their slights out of respect for the sacrifice her sister had made all those years ago. This demonstrated a level of commitment that most people couldn't even begin to fathom, yet, instead of praising the woman for her perseverance, she was scorned for preserving the peace everyone around her desperately clung to...Watching the woman named Khane carrying a bouquet of forget-me-nots as people hurled more than just insults at her, Vahn had to suppress his almost instinctual urge to step in. Fortunately, the woman could probably withstand a mountain crashing into her without sustaining any meaningful injuries, so, while a few stones did make contact with her, she didn't even flinch as she proceeded to carry out the routine she had taken part in every day for the last ten-thousand-years: being the only one to thank her sister for the peace she had afforded them all.Needless to say, Vahn wasn't at all amused by how the residents of the wall rewarded Khane for her fidelity and sacrifice. The only reason he didn't immediately intervene was that this was the path Khane and her sister had chosen. More specifically, Khane's sister, a remarkably prodigious Wave Controller named Dowon, had used her unique power to erase her existence from the memories of everyone but her sister. This was originally intended to absolve her people of any feelings of guilt they might possess regarding the need to sacrifice, but, despite what some might attest, ignorance was not always bliss. Instead, it had become the primary source of suffering for her sister, someone the residents of the wall should have respected and admired more than any other...Waiting until the understandably depressed-looking Khane had completed her daily routine and returned to her sparsely furnished home, Vahn surprised the flowery-haired beauty quite a bit by immediately knocking on her door just as it closed behind her. This was something that shouldn't have been possible under normal circumstances, as, despite stagnating somewhat over the last ten-thousand-years, she was still a High Ranker. This, combined with the fact she was a talented Wave Controller, made it exceptionally difficult to sneak up on her, yet, here, at this moment, a knock had sounded behind her back before she could even kick off her shoes.Fortunately, though she was understandably on high alert, Khane ultimately cracked her door open, asking, "What do you want?" while peeking through the gap to see who was on the other side. The fact her room lacked even a peephole showed just how poor her living conditions were, but, rather than commenting on the state of her abode, Vahn did his best to appear friendly and disarming as he raised his hands in a faux-gesture of surrender and replied, "If it would not inconvenience you, I would like to talk..."Much to Vahn's surprise, Khane's response was to immediately open her door, indicating for him to come in as she said, "Come in. I don't really have a place for you to sit, but I should have some tea in the cupboards. Give me a few minutes to get ready..."With an understandably confused look on his face, Vahn followed the woman's back with his eyes until the Law of Identity dutifully revealed, "She thinks you came here to solicit her for sex..."Frowning deeply in response to the Law of Identity's words, the tiny seed of hatred Vahn had been nourishing towards the residents of the wall began to sprout as a sudden desire to purge the entire community welled within the back of his mind. Fortunately for them, the Law of Identity seemed to realize the misunderstanding she had caused, appearing directly in front of him to say, "Wait, wait, wait!" while waving her hands from side to side. Then, seeing him calm down a little, she released a sigh of relief before explaining, "It isn't what you're thinking. She isn't being forced to whore herself out or anything like that. She is just a little lonely. Since you aren't a face she recognizes, she thinks you're someone visiting from outside who was attracted by her beauty..."With the Law of Identity currently appearing as Khane herself, most of Vahn's anger was replaced by a feeling of awkwardness as he resisted the urge to avert his eyes in shame. The fact it was the Law of Identity lecturing him made him feel even more self-conscious, as, more often than not, she did everything in her power to rile him up and get a rise out of him...Exhaling a sigh of relief, the Law of Identity, still appearing as Khane, patted her chest a few times before looking up at him and revealing, "She is watching you." before immediately disappearing into thin air.Shaking his head, Vahn pulled out a few cushions and some snacks before sitting down and taking a look at Khane's room. Despite being a living space, the walls were formed from cold stone and the floor was covered in muted grey tiles that made the room seem more like a prison cell than an abode. The only pieces of furniture present were a twin-sized bed covered in tattered linens, a small wooden dresser with a broken leg, and an ancient-looking wardrobe filled with nothing but white t-shirts, denim jeans, and two pairs of high-heeled boots...Emerging from the equally barren kitchenette with two hand-made ceramic cups in hand, Khane offered a slightly apologetic smile as she alleged, "It's not as bad as it looks. I'm not going to reveal my age, but let's just say I lost interest in material possessions a long time ago. Besides, if there isn't anything to steal, I don't have to worry about burglars breaking and entering."Though he accepted the proferred cup, Vahn couldn't resist furrowing his brows as he said, "You're a poor liar..." in a somewhat subdued tone. This earned him an awkward smile from the pink-haired beauty, who, despite her plain clothes and depressive aura, still managed to give off an impression comparable to a wild rose. She also had inordinately long hair reminiscent of pink flower petals, fair skin utterly devoid of blemishes, and an athletic figure that had withstood the test of time to such an extent that a normal person would sooner assume she was in her early twenties rather than her late ten-thousands...Feeling a little awkward after hearing Vahn's remark, Khane combed back her fringe bangs to reveal diminutive elven ears as she averted her eyes and asked, "So...what did you want to talk about? You might have deduced from the state of my apartment, but my life isn't particularly interesting. Most of my free time is spent tending to flowers and the only time I really go out is to visit my sister for a few minutes each day...other than those two things, I really don't have much else to say..."Seemingly depressed by her own words, the light in Khane's hazy pink eyes dimmed considerably as a silent yet profound sigh escaped her throat. She gave off the impression of someone who had completely given up on life, and, were it not for her sense of duty and the fear that her sister would be completely forgotten, Vahn suspected she might have ended everything long ago...Accelerating his mental processes to afford himself more time to think, Vahn carefully considered his words as the bitter herbal tea provided by Khane washed over his tongue and coated his throat. He wasn't bothered by the fact there was a paralyzing agent and a Shinsu suppressant mixed into it, as, from Khane's perspective, he was a stranger with enough skill to sneak up on a former High Ranker without any indicators of his presence prior to knocking...Exhaling a sigh of his own, Vahn set aside his cup before meeting Khane's gaze and saying, "Before anything, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Vahn Aldrnari Mason. To some, I am known as the Sage Dragon Emperor. To others, I am the God of Infinite Possibilities. In this situation, however, I would like to think I am a friend to you and your sister. If you will allow it, I would like to offer, not just to the two of you, but everyone you wanted to protect a path towards happiness..."Despite the relative isolation of the Wall of Peaceful Coexistence, it's inhabitants were surprisingly well informed of events taking place in the Tower. More specifically, they proactively kept track of any incidents that might threaten the status quo they had worked so hard to maintain for the last ten-thousand-years. Thus, with Vahn's exploits spreading like wildfire, combined with the rumors of his status as an Irregular, Khane was understandably surprised to hear that the person seated across from her was claiming to be the very person she had both prayed for and feared might arrive...Noticing the woman's eyes worriedly shifting to the cup in his hand, Vahn offered a disarming and relaxed smile as he said, "Don't worry. I know you didn't have any malicious intentions. I'm also not going to force your hand. I just wanted to make you aware of your options. Nobody should have to live like this, and, while your sister's intentions may have been pure, it is unfair that you, alone, have to bear this burden. To that end, if you ask it of me, I can even break the seal without requiring you to give up your memories. I can also provide you and your sister the means to leave the Tower and experience the closest thing to true peace most people can imagine...you need only ask for my help and I will grant both you and your sister the happiness you deserve...there are no requirements, no obligations, no sacrifices necessary. You need only say the words and it will be done..."Taken aback by the intensity of Vahn's words and the peculiar aura of 'sincerity' that was radiating off of him, Khane found herself at a complete loss for words. He seemed absolutely confident in his ability to carry out his promises, and, based on his own words, he didn't seem to expect anything in return. This seemed completely irrational, but, having heard the rumors of his past actions, a part of Khane wanted nothing more than to believe he could free both her and her sister from the burdens forced upon them due to their sense of duty and responsibility...As that thought crossed her mind, Khane hung her head low enough that her bangs concealed the conflict in her eyes. Memories of the last ten-thousand-years began to resurface in her mind, and, along with them, so too did the resentment she harbored towards the people her sister had given her life and freedom to protect. This caused the faded colors in her aura to become tinged with a murky purple, but, almost immediately thereafter, the negativity that was threatening to overwhelm her was completely neutralized by the gentle warmth flowing from the palm that had come to rest atop her head...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Let's bully and antagonize the person that controls our fate...!','This is a very depressing chapter...','Vahn coming in with the clutch, last-second, save...!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1956: Release