Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Though the order was a bit reversed, Vahn concluded Jaina's induction into his Family by explaining, in detail, the various perks related to being one of his 'children'. After that, they surprised her Guide, Alumik Edrok, by explaining to him that he no longer had a charge to look over.While it would have been a crippling blow to some other Guides, the fact that Jaina rarely even left her room meant Alumik's only responsibility had been vetting her innumerable guests, ascertaining their true intentions, and sending them on their way. He had also received a warning from Evan, so, while he was curious about what lay beyond the 135th Floor, he didn't insist that he follow along as her caretaker and Butler. Instead, like a father seeing off his daughter, he had Vahn swear to protect her before seeing the entire group off with a forced yet equally sincere smile.What Alumik hadn't realized was that, prior to the rather dramatic sendoff, Vahn had been seriously considering whether or not he should transport Jaina's palace to the 199th Floor. He would need to establish a seat of power there once he had deposed Jahad, so, in preparation for the future, he was intending to escort Jaina to each and every Floor so that her Opera could spread its influence to the rest of the Tower.Though he could have moved forward with his original intentions, regardless of what anyone else had to say on the matter, Vahn knew that Alumik was intending to return to the Empire to join his kin in preparation for the changes that were about to sweep across the Tower. Jahad wasn't actually a fool, so, in acknowledgment of the fact he might be defeated, he had tasked Evan and the rest of the Edrok Family with developing countermeasures against the Empire's collapse. This was the main reason Vahn wasn't in any hurry to advance to the 134th Floor. His experience in the Nasuverse had shown him what could happen in the wake of societal collapse, but, unlike then, he didn't have any measures in place to counteract the effects.In the end, Vahn would be relying on his reputation and the acquiescence of existing institutions to prevent various forces from running rampant in the wake of Jahad's defeat. This made him a lot like Jahad, but, unlike the aforementioned King, he didn't mistake himself as a God, he was one. He also had the support of Gluttony, and, as a result, the support of virtually every Guardian. They couldn't simply annul the contracts they had established with others, but, so long as he kept his word, they would support his endeavors without much fuss. This included implementing a modified version of the Common Law, and, more importantly, fundamentally changing the way in which people climbed the Tower.While he now understood that Jahad's intent was to pit opportunistic individuals against each other in an effort to cull their numbers, what the King had failed to account for was the corrupt nature of society. So long as there was a power ladder to ascend, people at the top would suppress people at the bottom. Inversely, people at the bottom would both resent and envy those at the top, and, due to feeling suppressed, they would do everything in their power to depose them.Simply put, by creating something like the Ten Great Families, Jahad had effectively jeopardized the entire system. He had also shot himself in the foot as the entire purpose of declaring himself King was to distance himself from others and act as a deterrent to prevent Rankers and other sufficiently powerful people from using said power to oppress the peoples of the Tower. In essence, his desire to respect his former companions' autonomy ended up creating the very kind of system he wanted to avoid. They were supposed to help him maintain control, but, due to their inordinately long lives and the traumas they had experienced during The Great War, chief the loss of their first-generation descendants, they had simply stopped caring.In the beginning, even Eduan had been a great father, and, while he didn't agree with what Jahad was doing, he still supported the formation of the Empire along with his fellow companions. It was when the members of FUG had assassinated his first wife and all of their children that he ended up completely losing his mind. The pain he had experienced, combined with the fact he had not been allowed to seek revenge, caused him to develop the mentality that he couldn't be hurt if he simply didn't care. After that, he drowned his sorrows in every pleasure imaginable, married more than a hundred different women, and, in the end, established one of the largest and most dysfunctional families in the entire Tower.While Eduan was ultimately to blame for every major issue plaguing the modern Khun Family, he, like virtually everyone else in the Tower, was a victim of circumstance. Had he been allowed to let out his anger and frustrations on the people who had slaughtered his family, his personality might not have deviated all that far from his data-self. The Khun Family would have still grown into a large and powerful 'clan', but, rather than being the father of nearly every mainline descendant, he would have watched over his sons and daughters as they created generational lines of their own.With the other 'Great Warriors' having very similar circumstances, it was no surprise that they would allow their families to act as they pleased. After all, if they weren't even allowed to protect and seek vengeance for their own children, their only option was empowering their descendants and creating an environment where they were provided every feasible advantage. This entailed consolidating the Tower's wealth, and, more importantly, suppressing the development of organizations unrelated to their Families.Though their initial intentions had simply been self-preservation, it didn't take long for such 'victim mentalities' to nourish the seeds of corruption that existed within the hearts of and minds of nearly every sapient creature. This mentality allowed them to justify all manner of atrocities, as, from their perspective, they were the 'real' victims. They believed that, if they didn't act, they would be killed off by people who coveted their wealth and power, so, before that could happen, they came to the conclusion they needed to kill any and all threats before they mature.As 'unfortunate' as this development was, it was actually one of the most common developments in the history of every culture across the Records. Those who first ventured out considered themselves as explorers who simply wanted to know more about the world they inhabited. They were driven by a sincere desire to learn more, and, more importantly, survive. It was this desire that allowed them to brave the unknown, and, alongside like-minded individuals, these first explorers were the people responsible for the creation of nearly every civilization in existence.Unfortunately, the moment people began to settle down and develop infrastructure to make their lives easier, they quickly became hostile to anyone outside their immediate friends and family. This was an important instinct, but, more often than not, most of the people migrating from location to location were, like their ancestors, merely looking for a place to settle down. Despite this, it was the common assumption of established societies that anyone attempting to join them from the outside was simply trying to take advantage of the systems and infrastructure they had established. Instead of embracing the unknown and joining hands with their fellow man, the very behavior that allowed them to thrive in an inhospitable world, they began fearing anything outside of their comfort zone.Though it was this fear that allowed for the existence of multiple cultures, it was also what gave rise to war. The assumption that anyone born outside your community coveted what you owned caused tensions to gradually increase until it became something of a self-fulfilling prophecy. After all, the best method to prevent others from coveting your wealth was to slaughter them, occupy their land, and take away theirs in turn. This sentiment allowed communities to develop into countries, and, due to establishing a tradition of conquest, the norm for budding civilizations wasn't to establish trade and work alongside their fellow man, it was to seize whatever they desired from people they gradually began to view as 'lesser' than themselves. It was only when the cost of war became too great that trade became the norm, but, in the grand scheme of things, this was little more than a method to accrue wealth in preparation for the next war...Following these principles, the Great Warriors had originally ventured into the Tower, not to seize power and install themselves as rulers, but to protect the people they cared about. The world they had come from had been on its last legs due to the invasion of strange creatures from beneath the ocean floor, so, in the hope of obtaining enough power to turn the tides of war, they ventured into the Tower to become 'True Gods'. Instead, they found a chaotic world filled with monstrous beings and countless civilizations fighting over what few resources could be found.While most people would have been dispirited, their desire to see an end to all conflict was what allowed Jahad and his companions to press forward. They fought to unify the peoples within the Tower, and, as a result, they were able to assemble like-minded individuals to accompany them in their conquest of the upper floors, places spoken of only in legend prior to the Age of Ascension.Were it not for the machinations of the Workshop, there was a very real chance that Jahad and the Great Warriors would have conquered the entire Tower. Unfortunately, reaching the 134th Floor had already taken thousands of years, and, in the process, most of the people they had initially brought with them had died along the way. Thus, rather than risking their lives to save a world that had very likely been destroyed, Jahad decided to protect the home they had found for themselves within the Tower. As for why he chose to stop on the 134th Floor, it was primarily due to the fact that, prior to the Age of Genesis, no civilizations had existed beyond the 100th Floor.In essence, Jahad had wanted to protect the people of the Tower, not conquer them. His only real fault in that regard was that he couldn't be the impartial God he believed the Tower needed him to be. He had also fallen for a woman who, prior to his sudden and spontaneous proposal, had already been in a relationship for thousands of years. Then, instead of marrying someone else or putting his foot down on the issue, he pressed forward to ensure the fulfillment of several prophecies. This was in spite of his belief that fate was something shaped by the people living in the present, so, in more ways than one, Jahad was simply a hypocrite.Now, thousands of years later, everything Jahad initially stood for existed as little more than a shell of his former principles. The Empire had become the very force of corruption it intended to oppose, and, due to their circumstances, the Ten Great Families had become the root cause of innumerable tragedies. In essence, the system he had created was the very antithesis of his ideals, but, believing it was only a matter of time before Arlen's prophecy would be fulfilled, a prophecy he had a hand in creating, Jahad simply bided his time until that fateful day. He failed to consider the fact that others might be able to influence fate to a similar degree, so, now that Vahn had entered the Tower, it was only a matter of time before the King was forced to answer for his crimes.Fortunately, at least for the time being, Vahn was too busy introducing new game consoles to Jaina to care about what his penultimate enemy within the Tower was up to...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Poor Alumik xD...','Everyone has their reasons...','Vahn 'bout to hit Jahad with that Uno Reverse Card...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

As much as he enjoyed seeing Jaina defeating Yuri in every single game they played together, Vahn decided it would be prudent of him to focus a little more on his training. The limitations he had set regarding the Little Garden gave him considerably less time to focus on things like honing his skills, so, for the first time in a long while, he had to balance his life like a 'normal' person.A usual day for Vahn involved waking up long before dawn, cooking breakfast for the girls, taking a nice long bath, checking in on everyone in the Tower, tending to Pram, performing maintenance on his Zanpakuto, preparing lunch, checking in on everyone a second time, watching anime, preparing dinner, having sex, checking in on everyone a third time, and, last but not least, spending time with the members of the Eurasia Family within his Dreamscape.Though he could always 'find' extra time when he really needed it, Vahn's schedule was jam-packed from non-existent sunrise to sunset. He also couldn't skip things like watching anime, as, at least for the time being, it was one of the only ways he got to relax and simply cut loose with his women. He didn't want their relationship to revolve around sex, so, while there were a number of exceptions, he typically kept 'sexy times' for after dark.As could be expected when every waking moment of your day was dictated by a routine, the last few months had, at least from Vahn's perspective, passed in a blink. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but, every now and again, he would imagine the voices of his former mentors scolding him for letting his skills rust. While this was far from the actual truth, large in part due to his [Universal Mind] and [Actualization] Innates, the central themes of Vahn's life had always been working hard, playing hard, and grasping power with his own hands.With [Universal Mind] compounding in accordance with its rank, Vahn would be able to produce upwards of 3,265,920 Templates once it reached SSS. To this end, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that he could simply allow his Templates to run wild, and, as a result, he would be accumulating the knowledge and experiences of hundreds, thousands, or even millions of Tier 5 beings. In a way, this made training seem pointless, but, were it not for the support of Sis, Vahn had little doubt he would have been overwhelmed by the sheer volume of useless and conflicting information transmitted by his Templates.To this end, the vast majority of Vahn's 'training' revolved around meditation, or, more specifically, attempting to comprehend the Mantra of Eternity. He no longer had any doubts that The Path had given him the Mantra and Eva's Orb to aid him along the path he had chosen. The former's purpose was still an enigma, but, were it not for Eva, there was a very real chance that his past would still be haunting him to this day.Mastering the Magia Erebea had forced Vahn to confront his past directly, and, in the end, he was able to accept and move on from the events that had shaped his childhood. From that moment on, he no longer experienced the night terrors that Sis kept at bay. Instead, he found a kindred spirit in Eva, and, in the end, he even managed to return the favor by liberating her from the cycle of hatred and negativity forced upon her by The Mage of the Beginning.Since the Mantra of Eternity had been bestowed upon him around the time when he was seriously considering linking multiple Records, Vahn believed mastering it was the key to achieving that goal. It had the ability to increase his spiritual energy without limit, and, ever since he had obtained it, the mantra had been one of the pillars supporting his rapid development. It had reinforced the concept introduced by his [Will of the Emperor], chiefly that there were no limits, only inexperience, a lack of will, and a lack of comprehension...---Opening his eyes, Vahn exhaled a stagnant breath that caused the emerald-green moss that had spontaneously sprouted around him to ripple as if it were a living creature. At the same time, the Shinheuh who had been watching him from a distance promptly retreated, the glaze covering their eyes rapidly faded away as the inordinately peaceful energy radiating from his body was expunged from their systems.Shifting his attention away from the fleeing monstrosities, Vahn extended his index finger so that a crystalline dragonfly could land. This was one of the many mysterious creatures that appeared when he contemplated the Mantra of Eternity, and, now that he had awoken, it was only a matter of time before it dissolved away into nothingness, undetectable by even Da Vinci's most advanced scientific instruments.As that thought crossed his mind, Vahn watched silently as the tips of the dragonfly's wings rapidly dissolved. The emerald-green moss coating the large stone he was seated upon also began to lose its color, but, unlike the dragonfly, it managed to persevere as relatively normal moss even after the energy exuding from his body faded away. The same could be said for every other type of flora that was affected by his power, but, considering his inordinate affinity with plants, Vahn wasn't especially surprised.Suppressing a sigh, Vahn rose to his feet, and, after dusting himself off, he checked the time to see that seven hours had passed since he told the girls he was going to train. This meant he had missed lunch, and, while it wasn't an issue for any of them to miss meals, he knew Yuri and Enne would be a little disappointed he hadn't shown up to taste the results of their effort. They had been working hard to master the basics of cooking, so, in a way, he had let them down by not being there when they needed him.Shaking that thought from his mind, a wry smile developed across Vahn's face as he found himself considering whether or not he should pause time, retire to an Actualized World, or make use of the Little Garden in secret. This was a testament to just how reliant he was on the boons his Innates had provided him, as, despite having one of the most fulfilling lives imaginable, he was always searching for something 'more'. It was almost like an instinct, and, no matter how much he tried to focus on a single matter, his mind had a way of placing just as much emphasis on other, oftentimes unrelated, things...Though he had once considered this a side-effect of his [Universal Mind] Innate, Vahn knew he had been this way ever since he first stepped out of the Western Forest hundreds of years prior. He just hadn't realized it at the time, as, back then, even the existence of trees, grass, and curiously shaped stones were new and exciting to him. He was someone without any real experience, so, every time he encountered something new, regardless of how mundane others might consider it to be, he felt compelled to know more.At this point, nearly four-hundred-years had passed since his time in the forest, yet, in spite of this, Vahn's curiosity and intrigue towards the world around him had never waned. Rather, they seemed to grow stronger with the passage of time, and, were it not for his rather expansive harem and the family he had waiting for him back 'home', he could easily imagine himself spending thousands of years just experimenting with his [Actualization] Innate. The amount of control he had over each of the Actualized Worlds was, simply put, intoxicating. There was little he couldn't do, and, if he really wanted, he could make an amalgamation of multiple worlds just to see how the inhabitants, chiefly the Gods, would react to various situations...Staring at his palms, Vahn imagined each speck of moss, remnants of when he had brushed himself off, to be entire multiverses. Were he inside his Internalize Realm, these would have been motes of light, but, regardless of the form they took, it didn't change the fact that he held incomprehensible power over beings who, for the most part, didn't even know he existed. This was a terrifying notion, and, were it not for The Path affording him insights into the very structure of creation, he might not even be aware of how his life was being manipulated by beings beyond comprehension...Noticing his fingers trembling ever-so-slightly, the pupils of Vahn's aquamarine eyes narrowed to the size of pinholes, as, for a very brief moment, the idea that he was currently being manipulated crossed his mind. He knew Tier 7 basically encompassed everything in reality and fiction, yet, at the very beginning of his journey, he had actually met a being that eclipsed all of that...Thinking of Klyscha, Vahn attempted to recall their encounter, yet, despite possessing the ability to recollect everything he had ever experienced, he couldn't remember what she looked like. The only thing he could remember was that he had met her, and, despite not being able to even imagine her voice, her words resonated in his ears as if he were hearing them for the first time...With a sound similar to lightning reaching his ears, Vahn's eyes immediately came back into focus as he noticed the boulder he was standing on now had a massive crack from top to bottom. Then, as if responding to the notion that he hadn't intended to break anything, both sides rejoined as if they had never been separated in the first place. This caused a cold sensation to spread through his body, and, for the first time in a long while, his [Will of the Emperor] was operating in overdrive just to keep him calm.Though he didn't actually need to breathe, Vahn willed himself to take several deep breaths as the realization that Sis hadn't been speaking dawned upon him. This was something that had only ever occurred under very specific circumstances, so, rather than allowing himself to panic, Vahn began to consider alternatives to the existential realization he had 'chanced' upon.Since his [Will of the Emperor] had only recently activated, Vahn quickly dismissed the possibility that he might be suppressing her. In fact, ever since she had obtained an Ego of her own, he wasn't even sure he 'could' suppress her. Thus, with that possibility eliminated, the only viable explanations were that he was either dreaming or trapped within an illusion. Of these options, the former made a lot more sense, as, unless he had somehow ensnared himself, the [Eyes of Truth] made him immune to most illusions that didn't affect reality itself.While it was possible that someone like Madara might be able to prank him using something like the Infinite Tsukuyomi, Vahn didn't want to imagine she would go to such lengths just to mess with him. It wasn't like there was any bad blood between them, so, unless she had been put up to it by someone else...As that thought crossed his mind, Vahn remembered who, exactly, Madara had been traveling with. This caused his left brow to twitch, and, though he wasn't 'too' angry, Vahn couldn't prevent a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes from developing across his face. After all, the first thing he had done after 'waking up' had been to check the time using the system interface. This would be impossible if he were in a dream, as, not only did the system interface not appear, the only Innate he could make use of while unconscious was his [Will of the Emperor]. In other words, someone with 'very' intimate knowledge of his memories, likely containing a version of their own, was either dictating everything he was currently experiencing, or, less likely, he had synchronized with one of his Templates during his meditation and was currently accessing their version of his memories...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn is a busy man...','I would argue that an insatiable curiosity is necessary for any being that could feasibly exist beyond eternity...','This is either an omega-tier bruh moment or a very peculiar turn of events...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Once Jaina was able to stay conscious for more than a few seconds, Vahn finally got around to the reason for his visit, surprising the pinkette with a blanket, comforter, and pillow as he explained, "I know about your attempts to procure the pillows I gifted away in the lower floors. I would normally chastise you for such behavior, but, since your situation was something that had been inadvertently caused by events I set in motion, please accept these as compensation."Receiving the three pieces of 'Divine Bedding', any complaints that Jaina might have had regarding Ureko's visit faded away the moment she felt their texture and softness. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced, and, were it not for the fact there were still more than a dozen people in her room, she might have gone to sleep then and there.Seeing Jaina hugging her pillow as if it were a great treasure, Vahn couldn't help comparing her to the members of the Eurasia Family. She even had their characteristic pink hair, but, a stark contrast to the Mare-descended maidens, Jaina spent so much time awake that it often caused her to have health problems. This had been remedied by the blood infusion she had received after becoming a Princess of Jahad, but, even now, there were dark circles beneath both of her eyes, a tell-tale sign she wasn't getting enough sleep.Since she probably wouldn't listen if he told her to get more sleep, Vahn figured he might as well ensure that the sleep she was getting was of the highest quality. The Divine Comforter was perfect for this, as, not only did it generate a protective barrier around the user, it increased the 'efficiency' of their sleep by 800%. This meant, even if she was only getting an hour of sleep every other day, it was the same as resting for a full eight hours.Though there was a chance someone like Jaina would come up with a way to exploit the beddings in the most 'efficient' manner, the comfort they provided made this unlikely. She was far more likely to become accustomed to even longer periods of sleep, as, compared to the 'real world', being able to control and manipulate her dreams at will was a tremendous blessing for someone as infatuated with video games as Jaina was. After all, unless you were proactively involved with it, the real world simply wasn't that interesting...Wanting to give Jaina the opportunity to try out the surprisingly rare artifacts, Vahn surprised the pinkette quite a bit when he turned to his comrades and suggested, "We should be going. I'm sure our little friend here would like to get back to playing her video games and spying on people using her Opera."Before anyone else could reply, Jaina, still hugging her freshly gifted beddings, intoned a confused, "Eh?" before immediately following it up by asking, "You're leaving so soon? Didn't you want to ask me something, or, I don't know, invite me to come with you?"There her social skills were sub-par, Jaina had always had a 'knack' for saying whatever was on her mind. Since there was a very real possibility that Vahn would never return if he just up and left, most of her nervousness had been momentarily suppressed by sincere concern. After all, he basically had the power to turn a person's life into a video game, so, as much as she lamented the idea of leaving her room, she feared 'never' leaving even more. Vahn was essentially a 'super platinum spoon', so, if she passed up on this opportunity, she was sure to regret it.Raising a single brow in response to the girl's unexpected inquiry, Vahn was about to ask the Law of Identity what the heck she was thinking when Yuri chimed in to teasingly remark, "No way. Without the Opera, you're practically useless. What makes you think Vahn would want to haul around a lazy brat who spends most of her time playing video games? You're better off staying here in your little castle and messing with anyone who comes seeking information."Puffing out her cheeks, Jaina's purple eyes began to glisten with a hint of moisture as she failed to think of anything that might refute Yuri's claims. After all, Vahn had demonstrated, time and again, that he didn't really need the help of others. He could go wherever he wanted and do whatever he pleased without any real consequences. All she was good at was collecting information, spying on people, and manipulating markets to her advantage. These capabilities were extremely coveted by most people, but, as virtually anyone who had met him could attest, Vahn wasn't anything like most people...Realizing that she might be 'useless', an extremely sour feeling spread through Jaina's nose as the moisture in her eyes surpassed the threshold to generate tears. This caused the smile on Yuri's face to immediately cramp up, as, despite the content of her statement, it should have been obvious she was just joking. She just wanted to get a rise out of the petite pinkette, not reduce her to tears...Seeing Yuri look towards him for support, an inaudible sigh escaped Vahn's throat as he shook his head and said, "Yuri's lack of a filter shouldn't come as a surprise. You shouldn't take it personally..."Shifting her attention to Vahn, a hopeful glimmer appeared in Jaina's eyes as she expected him to say something nice to counteract Yuri's previous remark. Instead, she felt as though the world was crashing down around her as he went on to explain, "Still, there is a grain of truth to her words. You have built your entire life around your ability to use the Opera. It has allowed you to amass enough wealth to rival organizations that have been around for thousands of years, and, more importantly, it has drastically changed the way you view other people. You see them as nothing more than NPCs with rudimentary behavioral patterns that you can easily exploit for your own ends...tell me, if I were to invite you to accompany, what, exactly, would you hope to accomplish...?"Since she hadn't really thought about it, other than imagining how fun it would be, Jaina's response was to bury her face into the bedding Vahn had gifted her. She found herself incapable of refuting a single thing he had said, so, for the first time in her life, she began to consider whether or not what she had been doing was 'right'. After all, if someone were to observe her with the same scrutiny she observed the lives of countless others, there's no way she wouldn't feel uncomfortable...Seeing Jaina seriously considering his words, Vahn's impression of the petite pinkette developed in direct proportion to the amount of guilt he felt. She was clearly just a misguided young girl with an inordinate amount of talent for gathering and processing information. It wasn't like she was evil, so, while his words hadn't been wrong, it didn't feel right to chastise her for behaving in a way that was encouraged by virtually everyone around her. Unfortunately, that same logic could apply to people who had committed some of the most heinous crimes imaginable, so, while a part of him wanted to apologize, the experiences he had accumulated over the years compelled him to remain silent.In the end, it was Blossom who suggested, "I say we let her come along. Even if it's just a temporary arrangement, the ability to operate an Opera makes her invaluable so long as you're still inside the Tower. In fact, unless I've misjudged your ability to 'know everything', her abilities complement your own quite a bit. She also has pink hair, so, even if you don't wish for her to accompany you beyond the Tower, I'm certain she would fit right in with the members of my family~."With Blossom essentially saying she would take responsibility for Jaina's future, Vahn had no real reason to refuse her. He suspected this would come back to bite him, but, despite Yuri talking them up like they were character flaws, Vahn had always been fond of girls with hikikomori characteristics. He enjoyed pampering his women quite a bit, and, as fate would have it, one of the women closest to his heart just so happened to be among the laziest Goddesses in her Record...Though it was impossible to compare them directly, especially considering Jaina's productivity, the fact she had even briefly reminded him of Hestia went a long way towards ensuring her a potential position within the Little Garden. The notion that she would get along well with girls such as X and Tomoe also helped her case quite a bit, so, after a very brief period of consideration, Vahn nodded his head and said, "Very well. Though I imagine my earlier words might have given you a reason to reconsider-"Before Vahn could even get to his apology, Jaina surprised nearly everyone present by practically bouncing to her feet and shouting, "I'll go...!" with an excited smile and an even more enthusiastic glimmer in her eyes. The fear of missing out on her chance a second time allowed her to suppress her negative emotions, so, while some might mistake her earlier behavior as crocodile tears, Vahn's ability to vaguely discern a person's aura even without View Affection allowed him to ascertain the truth.Smiling in response to the petite pinkette's enthusiasm, Vahn was about to make a second attempt at apologizing when Yuri completely ruined the atmosphere by suggesting, "I guess the only thing to have her do at this point is strip." with a massive grin on her face.Though she was briefly taken aback by Yuri's words, a rather fierce flame immediately appeared within Jaina's amethyst eyes as she dropped the Divine Bedding, hands balled into resolute fists as she nervously stammered, "I...I'm not afraid! If it's for my dream of living in a video game world, I'm willing to do whatever it takes...!"Noticing Jaina's nostrils flaring as she looked at him like a perfectly prepared dragon meat skewer, the smile that had developed on Vahn's face immediately turned into an awkward grimace as Yuri cackled like a hyena at the side. She was still feeling a little guilty about making Jaina cry, so, even if her words had ultimately caused a misunderstanding, Yuri was pretty confident it would help out in the long run. Vahn was simply too kind, so, as long as she made an earnest effort, there was a very real chance he would help Jaina realize some of the fantasies she had developed thanks to her long isolation and unrestricted observation of other people...With the Law of Identity narrating Yuri's train of thought, Vahn was very tempted to give the former Princess a smack on the head. Instead, he met Jaina's inordinately 'passionate' purple eyes, dousing a bit of the fire contained within by explaining, "You don't need to get naked. What Yuri is indirectly alluding to is something called the Familia Induction Ceremony. By engraving my Familia Crest unto others, I am able to provide them with my Blessing as the God of Infinite Possibilities. You need only expose your back. After that, you will gain access to the Quest System, and, so long as your belief is high enough, you can even change your physical characteristics or have me change your race like a certain muscle-brained snake-head..."Though it took her a few moments, Yuri eventually realized that Vahn was talking about her when several people directed their gazes her way. This caused her brow to twitch slightly, but, assuming this was Vahn's way of getting back at her, she ultimately just crossed her arms before adopting a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Violence didn't really work on him, so, for the time being, she decided it was best to wait until she could ask for someone else's advice before trying to get even...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'At least he didn't give her the futon...','Voyeurism is bad...!','She's learning...')(A/N: This is technically the third chapter from yesterday. There will be three more releases before tomorrow's reset unless something comes up.)https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 2015: Learning From History