Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With the Little Garden largely off-limits, two months passed in what felt like the blink of an eye. This was aided by the fact that Vahn had resumed his healing work, and, as a result, he had treated more than ten thousand residents of the Middle Tower, not just members of the Hendo Lok Family.As could be expected, Vahn's fame was growing by the day, as, no matter how serious the injury, he would treat the vast majority of patients without asking for any form of payment. There were also a number of rumors attesting to his ability to help people leave the Tower, so, while there had been a fair amount of backlash from some of the people in power, his popularity among general residents, Rankers, and even a few of the Great Families had been on the rise.Unfortunately for the people who came seeking refuge and transportation via the Little Garden, the majority were turned away without consideration. Wolhaiksong had been the exception, so, unless their circumstances were especially dire, Vahn had no plan to harbor additional people, refugee or otherwise. There were exceptions, of course, but, more often than not, the people approaching him were just opportunists looking for a chance to start anew or spread their influence elsewhere...---Stepping out onto the 97th Floor, the first thing Vahn took note of was the blood-red sky. Then, in response to the large crowd that had gathered, some to receive him, others hoping for treatment, he adopted a friendly smile and said, "General treatment will take place starting tomorrow morning. If you have an emergency or a more pressing condition, please share your information with the 2nd Army Corp. I will begin treatment after a bit of rest."Though he has initially been treating people arbitrarily, Vahn ultimately accepted when Senna came to offer her assistance. This allowed the Jahad Empire to save a bit of face, but, more importantly, it helped to ease some of the tensions provoked by the girls freely roaming the Tower. They had been rather proactive in their attempts to root out corruption and protect the people, so, while he had no intention of reigning them in, there was no harm in working alongside members of the Empire who sincerely wished to improve things.In response to Vahn's words, most of the crowd began to disperse under the direction of the 2nd Army Corps. A few, however, chose to stay behind, not because they wished to defy the Empire or inconvenience him, but because they were that desperate. This was actually quite common, so, as the larger group was clearing out, Vahn had Law of Identity vet each of the people who remained.As was often the case, most of the stragglers were actually estranged members of the Hendo Lok Family or former agents related to Wolhaiksong. More surprising was the number of people related to FUG, but, thanks to the Law of Identity, Vahn quickly understood the reason. This was apparently the Floor that served as Slayer Karaka's seat of power. It wasn't the most important location to him, but, at the very least, it was the place where most of his troops had been stationed...Though there was a fair amount of 'bad blood' between him and the aforementioned Slayer, Vahn no longer cared about eliminating him outright. FUG, or, more specifically, two of the other Slayers had harshly reprimanded the younger Slayer for his actions, so, for the last several months, Karaka had been relatively silent as he focused on split his forces in an attempt to limit the damage caused by Ureko. She had yet to forgive the man for what he had done to Hell Joe, so, whenever she found any traces of Karaka and his forces, Ureko made sure to tear them out by the roots.Committing the location of Karaka's base to memory, Vahn made a mental note to inform Ureko of its location as he shifted his gaze towards a dull-eyed woman cradling what appeared to be a dead infant in her arms. She had the kind of look you would see when someone had completely given up hope, but, perhaps as a result of her maternal instincts, she forced herself to appear despite several days passing since her child's death...Unable to suppress the discomfort he was feeling, Vahn couldn't resist furrowing his brows as he looked behind him, saying, "Go on without me. I'll catch up in a few minutes..."Acting as the representative of his entourage, Fenrir lightly thumped her chest, answering, "Leave it to me. I'll make sure to choose someplace that has a large bath. It will be waiting for you when you return."Following an appreciative nod, Vahn watched as the group, now consisting of Fenrir, Yuri, Lotte, and Misaka, hastily departed. Pram had been asked to return home shortly after their arrival on the 95th Floor, and, though she had initially chosen to accompany Ichigo and Orihime, it didn't take long for Misaka to feel like a third wheel. As a result, she was currently traveling together with him, but, once another group returned, she was intending to join them in order to continue completing Quests. As for Ryun, she had chosen to return to the First Layer, allegedly to keep an eye on the Research Team until her services as a Guide were required.Trusting the girls to choose a suitable residence, Vahn returned his gaze to the bereaved mother, his vibrant aquamarine eyes meeting her almost lifeless brown orbs. For a fleeting moment, he thought he could see a flicker of hope ignite within their depths, but, almost immediately thereafter, it faded as a member of the 2nd Army Corps approached her with the intent of ushering her away.Teleporting next to the man before he could presumably say something rude, Vahn placed his hand on the soldier's shoulder, saying, "It's fine. Please, move along."Though he had startled quite a bit due to Vahn's instantaneous and vice-like grip, the man quickly managed a salute as he nervously stammered, "Y-Yes! Understood!" before practically bolting away.After following the man with his eyes for a few moments, all while the Law of Identity revealed his true thoughts, Vahn returned his gaze to the bereaved mother, guilt swelling in his heart as he said, "Let me see him. I can still feel a thread of consciousness lingering around him..."With a layer of moisture immediately developing across her eyes, the woman weakly presented the body of her infant son, voice croaking as she sobbingly stated, "Please...I beg you...save my child..."Though he felt even more guilt, Vahn forced himself to adopt an assuring smile as he said, "Leave it to me.". Then, with a tremendous amount of light gathering in his palm, he pressed his hand to the infant's chest, his voice echoing through the surroundings as he somberly declared, "Live." in a tone that resonated in the hearts and minds of everyone present.Immediately following this utterance, a gasping sound, followed by an extremely loud cry, could be heard emanating from the wailing infant. This, in turn, caused the mother to completely break down into tears, repeating things like 'thank you' and 'my precious baby' while cradling the crying infant in her arms.Offering the most reassuring smile he could manage, Vahn placed his hand on the woman's head, this time producing considerably less light as he said, "Everything is going to be okay. So long as there is hope, the promise of a better future is never far..."With that said, Vahn finished healing the woman's injuries before retracting his hand and promptly teleporting to the top of a building several kilometers away. There, he sat with his back pressed to a wall, a tired sigh escaping his throat as he looked towards the blood-red sky.Though he had made good on his promise to revive the child, there was nothing Vahn could do to restore the original consciousness. Instead, he could only 'invite' another Soul to inhabit the child's body, effectively 'creating' a new consciousness from scratch. In other words, he had failed to bring back the woman's child, and, though he believed it was the right thing to do, he had technically left her to care for a stranger inhabiting the resurrected flesh of her son...Fortunately, as the new consciousness was something he had personally crafted, Vahn could be relatively certain that her son would grow up to be both kind and filial. Even if he was forced to face adversity, he should have more than enough willpower to push through, and, if it was for the sake of his mother, he might even be able to ascend to godhood. As for how Vahn knew of these things, well...-----------------------------------------------[Status]Name: [Andray Liam], Sobriquet: N/AAge: 73 DaysRace: HumanPosition(s): N/AStrength: N/AToughness: E-Rank RegularIntellect: N/AAgility: N/AControl: N/AShinsu Resistance: C-Rank RegularShinsu: [Quality: Light], [Total: 400], [Baang: 0], [Myung: 0], [Soo: 0], [Tension: 50:1]Soul Tier: 2Innates: [Child of Destiny: S], [Blessed by the Sage Dragon Emperor: S]Skills: [Resolute Heart: S], [Tough Body: D], [Chainbreaker: C]-----------------------------------------------Though the child's physical vessel hadn't changed all that much, a person's Innates were directly tied to their Soul. Since the latter had been created as an expression of Vahn's intent, it wasn't an exaggeration to say he had been blessed by fate. As a result, he ended up obtaining the coveted [Child of Destiny] Innate, and, so long as he wasn't tempted by the darkness, it was only a matter of time before the child grew into a hero that others both respected and envied. Vahn was hoping this would make up for his failure, but, even if it didn't, he now had a point of reference to look back on if he wanted to 'fix' things in the future...While he might have chastised others for doing the same, Vahn was slowly forcing himself to come to terms with the notion that the past, present, and future will one day be his to shape. He couldn't reach Tier 7 while restricting his behavior in accordance with reason, so, even if it was unbelievably selfish of him, he had been taking note of events that he might want to change in the future. At the very least, he needed to accept personal responsibility for his Templates, creations, and the people who had joined his Familia. They would all experience an 'eternity' the moment he ascended to the Divine Realm, so, if necessary, he needed to be prepared to extricate them or undo the events that led to their initial creation...As that thought crossed his mind, a tired sigh escaped Vahn's lips as he extended his hand toward the blood-red sky, muttering, "This isn't healthy..." as an unbelievably complex series of runes and magic circles formed across his fingers, hand, and forearm. Immediately thereafter, a rainbow-like circle appeared around his wrist with a tiny arrow pointed towards a similar shade of red as the sky. Then, with a turn of his hand, Vahn changed the color of the sky from blood-red to a gentle shade of blue, alerting virtually every resident before going on to produce billowy clouds the emulated his current, spiritually drained, mental state...---Though this wasn't the first time Vahn had done something completely nonsensical, Senna felt an irresistible compulsion to massage her temples as countless messages, many questioning what the hell was happening, came pouring in. Fortunately, Vahn had taken pity on her in the past, so, while there was little she could do about her exasperation, her heart was healed thanks to the presence of an adorable little bear with a moon-like crescent on its forehead. It would apparently evolve into a larger and more intimidating variant in the future, but, at least for the time being, it remained fluffy and huggably pliant...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Cooperation is always better than conflict','Vahn has to make some pretty tough choices...','(O w O)...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

After adequately suppressing the melancholy he had been feeling, Vahn teleported directly to the location of Fenrir and the rest. There, he found Misaka in her Pikachu form, a helpless expression on her face as Lotte, naked as the day she was born, happily scrubbed and washed her fur. At the same time, a short distance away, Fenrir and Yuri could be seen lounging in a large bath that could easily be described as a pool. It was more than three meters deep at some sections, not so people could swim around freely, but to accommodate guests that had larger than average physiques.Noticing his presence almost immediately, Fenrir rose from the water to approach her Master's side as Yuri, enjoying the warm water, simply raised her hand and said, "Yo. Took you long enough.". This alerted Lotte to his presence, but, having participated in communal bathing for the better part of a month, she no longer had any real aversion to him. Rather, thanks to Yuri's persistent teasing, Vahn knew she spent upwards of half the day thinking about ways in which he might push her down...Though Lotte was among the 'exceptions' he was intending to make, Vahn had decided to wait until they had gotten to know each other before progressing their relationship to the next level. Ureko's words had resonated with him, and, though he had no intention of limiting himself, he had come to the conclusion that he should, at the very least, take his potential partner's hopes and dreams into consideration before making a move. He didn't want to place a burden on people he was supposed to love, so, understanding Lotte wasn't sure about leaving the Tower, he didn't want to pressure her.Adopting his characteristic smile, Vahn allowed his clothes to melt away, answering, "I decided to make the Floor appear more hospitable..." before sitting down on a wooden bath stool produced from his Inventory. This allowed Fenrir to use her fur-covered paws to wash every nook and cranny of his body, generally while pressing her exposed breasts against his back. This was apparently her way of making up for all the times he washed her in the past, but, based on the heat radiating from her usually ice-cold body, Vahn knew she enjoyed it just as much as he did...---Though they could have easily stayed in a lot longer, Vahn had everyone exit the bath after around two hours had passed. This was just enough time for him to help each of the girls wash, dry, brush, and style each of their hairs. He would also lightly massage them in order to remove any tension or muscle fatigue, but, thanks to his 'persistent' efforts, it was actually pretty rare to find any sequelae related to stress anywhere in their body. Instead, the short sessions were effectively an opportunity for the girls to improve the circulation of energy within their body, an exceptional boon considering even Lotte had been learning how to cultivate ki...Leaving Fenrir, Yuri, and Lotte to watch over their inordinately large and completely free suite, Vahn, accompanied by a reasonably mature-looking Mikoto, decided to head over to where the 2nd Army Corps had been gathering patients. There, more than seven thousand people had assembled, some missing limbs, others with illnesses that could only be cured with unreasonably expensive medicine. The one thing most of them had in common was that they were desperate, so much so that around thirty percent of the crowd consisted of people who had been matching Vahn's pace as he moved between Floors.Passing over the crowd without any of them actually taking note of their presence, Vahn turned to Mikoto, asking, "Will you be okay on your own? You don't have to do this if you don't want to."Rolling her eyes, Mikoto flew a little bit ahead of Vahn before turning around, flying backward as she said, "You worry too much. I seriously doubt anyone with an illness untreatable to Tier 5 Magic is going to appear. Besides, it'll make things a lot easier if you leave all the female patients to me."With Mikoto adopting an accusatory look near the end of her statement, a characteristically wry naturally made its way across Vahn's face. Fortunately, he knew she was 'mostly' just teasing him, as, back in the Actualized World of the Toaruverse, she had been the one to egg him into a number of relationships. There was even a moment when he nearly ended up cooking an Oyakodon, but, out of consideration for the fact that Mikoto's mother was somewhat happily married, he managed to restrain himself...After failing to pet the evasive Mikoto's head, Vahn touched down in the center of the make-shift medical ward that had been set up by the 2nd Army Corps. There, several Rankers were standing by to prevent people from approaching, but, even though he was only a few meters away from them, none reacted until he and Mikoto 're-synced' with the world around them. The latter had managed to become a Magic God during her stay in the Toaruverse, so, while her power was severely limited in a world where she lacked authority, she was still a Tier 5. As a result, they could effectively isolate themselves from the Standard Axes of Space and Time, more or less becoming imperceptible to the beings bound to each.Fortunately, most of the guards had been working with Vahn for the better of six weeks, so, rather than panicking, each of the Rankers promptly saluted as the most senior member stepped forward to report, "There are 5,947 patients, 1813 of which are returnees. What would you have us do?"Patting Mikoto's shoulder, Vahn adopted a friendly smile as he said, "This is the Misaka Mikoto, the Magic God of Lightning and Tribulations. She will be treating non-critical female patients from this day forward. Unless they are children, I don't want you sending any male patients towards her. Do I make myself clear?"Responding with a salute, the soldier exclaimed, "Sir, yes sir!" before pointing towards a few of the nearby Rankers and shouting, "Henderson! Schmitt! Prepare a second ward immediately! Make sure only female personnel and patients are allowed to enter!"Answering with salutes and exclamations of their own, the duo immediately set out to complete their assigned duty without a moment of hesitation. The Rankers of the 2nd Army Corps were the Elite among Elites, and, thanks to a concerted effort by Senna, there was virtually no corruption in their ranks. This allowed them to act as intermediaries between the other Corps, and, now that the Empire was treating Vahn as a 'VVIP', they were in the unique position of coordinating with Vahn to ensure he didn't go around causing chaos at every turn.With Mikoto more than capable of fending for herself, Vahn allowed her to go and treat non-critical patients within the crowd as a long queue began forming outside his temporary ward. Then, for the better part of twenty-hours, he treated more than two-hundred patients. This might seem like a lot, but, if he really wanted to, Vahn could treat the entire crowd without a single second passing. Doing so would require him to slow or even stop time, however, so, while he was committed to helping as many people as possible, he wasn't going to bend the Laws of Space and Time in order to do so.Fortunately, thanks to Mikoto, an additional 93 patients ended up being treated by the time Vahn had decided to take a break. She was quite a bit slower than him due to her inexperience and the genuine concern she showed for each patient, but, as it wasn't a competition, Vahn was extremely grateful for her assistance. Yes, she used Magic to broadly treat injuries and ailments she couldn't actually identify, but, in the grand scheme of things, the only thing that really mattered was that the patients were happy and healthy...---After apologizing to the crowd and telling the members of the 2nd Army Corps they were doing a good job, Vahn carried Mikoto on his back as they walked silently and undisturbed through the city streets. She might have functionally unlimited energy reserves, but, having never dealt with sick and desperate patients, her nervousness led to her exhausting her mental and spiritual reserves.Though a part of her wanted to ask why Vahn didn't simply teleport to their temporary residence, a contented smile had developed across Mikoto's face as she nestled into the nook between his neck and shoulder, enjoying the peaceful piggyback ride. She frequently felt guilty about 'borrowing' him for the better part of three years, but, at times like this, she was grateful to have been created. Vahn was far from perfect, sure, but, when it came to empathizing with and understanding others, he had a charm that simply couldn't be matched...Sensing the subtle increase in Mikoto's body temperature, a slight smile spread across Vahn's face as he turned a corner that led away from their temporary residence. At the same time, a secondary version of himself split off, appearing much like a phantom as it continued towards their previous destination. This was another method he could use to drastically increase the number of people he treated, but, as a matter of principle, he generally only used such techniques to spend time with the people he cared about.Having noticed Vahn's actions, a healthy shade of red began to spread through Mikoto's cheeks as she hugged him a little tighter, asking, "Where are we going?" in a subdued tone. In response, Vahn took a series of steps that caused their surroundings to change drastically, casually shifting through both space and time. He had learned that, so long as he created another version of himself to serve as an anchor of sorts, he could exist in two points in Space and Time simultaneously. This had been a pretty major discovery during his time in the Toaruverse, but, due to the rather ridiculous strain it placed on his mind, body, and spirit, he very rarely made use of it.In the end, Vahn ended up a few days ahead of his secondary self, but, due to the peculiar nature of his existence, he had essentially stepped into a version of the Tower where he was more of a rumor than an actuality. It was a peculiar world where his Templates and the residents of the Little Garden still existed, but, despite acting in accordance with his will, he only existed in their memory.Fortunately, even if he transitioned through Time and Space, Vahn's contract with Gluttony was still active. The latter was a Tier 5 being fully capable of existing outside the Standard Axes of Space and Time, so, while it had caused him a fair amount of confusion the first time Vahn had performed the maneuver, he didn't bother to complain. Rather, after observing Vahn's increasingly absurd abilities, the voracious rabbit had become fully convinced of his status as a God who just so happened to be 'passing through'...While simultaneously piloting his past self to greet the trio of Fenrir, Yuri, and Lotte, Vahn began rapidly phasing between Floors as he answered, "There is a beautiful and serene place I think you would enjoy in the Lower Floors. It might be a little cliche, but I'm hoping to take each of you there before departing the Tower. Is that okay with you...?"Rolling her eyes, Mikoto resisted the urge to point out that they were already moving even before he had asked for her consent. Instead, she just nestled a little closer to him, forcing her breasts to press into his back as she purred, "I'm looking forward to it..." in the closest thing she could manage to a seductive voice. Unfortunately, she had learned from observing her mother's teasings, so, while it certainly sounded seductive, it also inspired memories of the buxom brunette that had very nearly become one of Vahn's 'victims'...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Fenrir is always doing her best (O w O)...','Mikoto over here using reality-bending magic to treat colds and broken bones...','Vahn, God of Madlads...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Though it might have made him sound a little desperate, Vahn couldn't help asking, "Are you sure about this?" while observing the back of the blonde-haired beauty standing a few meters away.Without turning around fully, the beauty, Ureko, adopted an amused smile as she looked back to say, "It's only a few months, right? Make sure you get a lot stronger before then. Now that I know what kind of person you are, you'll need to work hard if you want to woo me. I have no intention of being someone's trophy."With that said, the space around Ureko's body began to violently ripple, a sign she was about to depart. In response, Vahn blinked directly behind her but, before he was able to give her a parting embrace, the petite blonde rewarded his efforts with an elbow to the diaphragm, a teasing smile developing across her face as she said, "Get your shit together first. I don't really care if you want to complete your Princess collection, but I'll be pissed if you increase the number of 'random' women before our next meeting."Finished with what she wanted to say, Ureko extricated her elbow from Vahn's gut before promptly disappearing into the spatial tear she had created. This left the latter massaging his stomach with a sad smile on his face, but, shortly thereafter, he simply shook his head before turning to the group standing behind him and saying, "Well, this is it. From this moment onward, everyone is allowed to move freely. Just make sure to travel in groups of two or more, and, no matter what, never separate from your Pokemon..."Having discussed the matter in greater detail, Vahn ultimately agreed to let everyone travel on the condition that they always had one of his Templates nearby. This would provide him with constant updates on their status, and, if necessary, he could either teleport directly to their side or use Unit Management to recall them to his. Fortunately, Pokemon were quite popular, so, while it ultimately required him to produce a number of additional Templates, everyone had been excited to choose their favorite...Though most of the girls could see the uncertainty on Vahn's face, it was Artoria, followed closely by a miniaturized Solgaelo, who stepped forward to say, "Everyone here understands the risks and is more than capable of protecting themselves. If you are feeling uncertain, you need only continue moving forward. You are our guiding light. Where you go, we are bound to follow."Nodding his head, Vahn did his best to appear assured, smiling as he said, "I understand. No matter what, I will continue pushing forward...please, stay safe..."Adopting a far more sincere smile, Artoria rewarded Vahn's words by removing her gauntlet and caressing his head. She didn't have anything like Petting Laws to rely on, but, even without them, the caress of a loved one was still effective in allaying one's concerns.Feeling a little better, a natural smile developed across Vahn's face as he wrapped his arms around Artoria's waist and whispered, "I love you..." in the most sincere tone he could manage. This caused the subsequent parting to take much longer, but, even if their parting was only for a short while, he wanted everyone to know how much he loved each and every one of them...---With the departure of nearly every resident, Vahn's return to the Emerald Grove reminded him of how peaceful things had been at its inception. Back then, it's only inhabitants were the Templates he had produced. Now, however, most of the remaining residents were either members of Fenrir's pack, Pokemon, or those who completely lacked ambition. Everyone else had either been moved to another Layer, or, in the case of Kushina, Hinata, Naruto, and Hina, to Arceus' Realm.Though he had intended to give everyone as much time as they needed to make a decision, Vahn had been surprised when the Council of Wives approached him the following morning with both a consensus and a compromise. They had spent days deliberating over the matter, and, after putting it to a vote, it was decided that the Emerald Grove, much like his Realm, would remain sealed unless he 'needed' to make use of it. Those who chose to remain behind did so understanding they would have very little influence in events of the outside world. As for everyone else, they would be moving in the outside world, completing quests, and, no matter how dangerous things became, they would face any and all threats head-on. They did not fear death. Rather, believing that it was only a matter of time until Vahn reached the Divine Realm, the only thing they feared was being unable to witness his ascension with their own eyes...Having always left such decisions to his wives, Vahn took one last look at the timeless abode before shaking his head and returning to the outside. There, he found Fenrir, Ryun, Yuri, and Pram waiting for him, the latter appearing understandably confused since she hadn't been asked to participate in the previous discussions. She was still loyal to the Lo Po Bia Family, but, more than that, most of her ambitions revolved around developing the power and authority of the Snow Leopard Family. While there was nothing intrinsically wrong with this, she was a bit of an extremist in her ideals, so, unless she drastically changed over the next few weeks, he would be leaving one of his Templates to watch over, not just the Snow Leopard Family, but most of the Lo Po Bia Branch Families.Adopting his characteristically casual smile, Vahn habitually extended his hands to caress the heads of Fenrir and Ryun as he said, "Though I'm tempted to charge straight up the Tower, I don't want to break my promise with Lotte. For the time being, we'll stick with spending three days on each of the Floors. The real question is, are you okay with exposing our relationship to the public...?"With the last question directed at her, Yuri just waved her hand in a dismissive manner, asking, "Do you think I would have sent Evan off if I wasn't certain? Being a Princess was pretty interesting but I never really cared about the title. I just wanted to be free. Besides, now that I've become a Saiyan, is there any reason to fear the Jahad Empire?"Startled by Yuri's words, Pram's eyes widened as she asked, "Princess Yuri, have you lost your mind? Vahn-sama is certainly powerful, but there is no guarantee he can defeat the King. Once your father learns of this, it isn't just you who will pay the price..."Noticing the 'scheming glimmer' in Pram's eyes, Yuri rolled her own before saying, "You're living in the past. Even if you don't believe everything Vahn has revealed, do you really think Ureko and the members of Wolhaiksong would place their fates in his hands for no reason? I have no intention of being trapped in this Tower for the rest of my life. I want to see what lays beyond, so, even if I have to live with the brand of a traitor, I'm going to continue walking this path till the end. Besides, if he got serious, do you really think Vahn would lose against my father?"Shifting her silvery gaze to Vahn, a conflicted look appeared in Pram's eyes. She knew he was very powerful, but, for a variety of reasons, she couldn't imagine he was stronger than her father, much less Jahad. There was a reason Jahad had been able to declare himself King, and, more importantly, remain King for more than ten-thousand-years. His power was simply unfathomable, and, though she had only met him a handful of times, Pram was convinced he stood at the absolute pinnacle of what any individual could achieve.Turning to meet Pram's gaze, Vahn couldn't help adopting a teasing smile as he saw her lips part, clearly wanting to speak but unable to find the words. This made her appear adorable, but, at the same time, it proved just how indoctrinated she was in the current system. She would undoubtedly hesitate, but, should Jahad or Lord Lo Po Bia request it of her, the odds of her betraying them were remarkably high. This was one of the biggest detriments to dealing with races who were both loyal and extremely hierarchal, as, without 'proving' he was stronger, they would prioritize the orders of those they believed to be his superior.Rather than making a big deal out of it, Vahn just extended his hand to caress Pram's inordinately fluffy hair, saying, "You'll get your answer soon enough. Now, let's get a move on. There are a lot of people anticipating our arrival on the higher floors. Let's not keep them waiting..."With that said, Vahn retracted his hand from Pram's head, surprising her as he shifted his gaze to the sky and shouted, "Transfer us to the next Floor!". Until now, he had been moving between the various Gateports in order to facilitate his travel, but, thanks to his contract with Headon, he could effectively transport between Floors at his leisure. This had been a closely guarded secret, but, now that he had decided to press forward without hesitation, Vahn no longer cared about discretion...---With very little time passing since her conference with the Ministers, Adori found herself unable to suppress a twitch as she listened to the most recent string of reports. She had been confident in her assertion that Vahn wasn't going to arbitrarily cause chaos, yet, as if he was intentionally seeking to annoy her, persons of interest related to the Aldrnari Empire were somehow appearing all over the Tower. They hadn't done anything as of yet, but, considering some had appeared as low as the 28th Floor, it was becoming increasingly apparent that the travel restrictions imposed on everyone else had no effect on members of the Aldrnari Empire.Fortunately, as they had literally been in the process of discussing their next course of action, Adori already had Senna, Andrika, and Lem with her. They were receiving the same reports as she was, so, while none appeared even remotely as exasperated as her, Adori took solace in the fact that others shared her burden. Senna, in particular, was extremely reliable at times like this, as, not only did she have experience as Commander-in-Chief, her capacity to gather information was second only to a select few members of the Tperie Family.With her Lighthouse monitors displaying the images of several confirmed members of the Aldrnari Empire, a thoughtful look developed across Senna's face as she stated, "It would appear something major happened within the confines of the Little Garden. We'll need to send a delegation to consult with Vahn. I presume this is just an example of him providing his people the opportunity to explore the Tower in preparation for their impending departure. If this ends up being the case, we might be in for a number of headaches..."Since it was just the four of them, Adori made no effort to suppress a sigh, a long, exasperated, and slightly sonorous sound escaping her throat before she observed, "If it's just that, we should be able to rest easily within the next year or two. For now, send units to establish contact with each member of the Aldrnari Empire. Though I doubt they will be accommodating, we should, at the very least, try to coordinate with them. If they are spread out across numerous Floors, there is a chance that Vahn might not be able to meditate when things get out of hand. If he can...well, at least we'll know more of what he is capable of..."Imagining Vahn freely teleporting through the Tower, another sigh escaped Adori's lips, this time expressing extreme fatigue. She was hoping he could only teleport to Floors he had already been to, but, considering who they were talking about, there was a very real chance he could teleport to the top of the Tower whenever he wanted. He had a way of completely defying their expectations, so, rather than assume he had any limits, Adori was beginning to accept that his title as the God of Infinite Possibilites was accurate...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Come and get me~','The dawn of a new era','RIP Adori xD...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1982: Lonely Road