Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Though she was more than a little miffed, earning Vahn what could best be described as a vengeful glare, Yuri was eventually pacified after some careful coaxing and a promise to meet with her Great-Grandmother once he reached the 95th Floor. This was essentially the same as agreeing to wander into a minefield filled with anti-matter bombs and nuclear warheads, but, by the time he advanced that far, Vahn was confident he would be able to fend for himself.

After that extended discussion, the two girls finally returned to wearing their clothes properly. The only change was that Yuri had decided to go commando after ’graciously’ allowing him to keep the thin black fabric that formerly obscured his vision. She had also given him permission to ’use’ them if he was ever feeling lonely and thinking about her, earning another bout of raucous laughter from Ureko as Vahn promptly tossed them into an abandoned corner of his Inventory...

Seeing Yuri emerge with a slightly disgruntled expression on her face, Evan couldn’t help but issue a profoundly relieved sigh as he said, "Thank the highest heavens...I was certain you would have done something foolish, Princess..."

Already annoyed from before, Yuri didn’t hesitate to leap through the air with the grace of a gazelle as she planted her foot squarely in the center of Evan’s face. This wasn’t a Shinsu-empowered blow, but it still sent the diminutive Silver Dwarf reeling backward, blood trickling from his nostrils. Despite this, he still seemed to be greatly relieved as it was rumored that Jahad could sense when one of his Princesses had betrayed him.

Evan didn’t want Yuri to become a fugitive before she could realize her dream, so, while he still had the impression that Vahn was a monster, Evan couldn’t help but look towards the man with eyes of gratitude as he said, "Sorry for any inconveniences the Princess might have caused you..."

Offering a wry smile in response, Vahn wanted to tell the short man not to mind it, but, seeing the malicious red aura radiating from Yuri’s body, he rightly chose to remain mum. Then, after she had finished beating the man like a worn-out sandbag, they gathered alongside several residents of the Little Garden to enjoy a meal. The only exception to this was Ureko, who, after promising she would be checking in on him after finishing her current Quest, promptly departed for the outside.

Following the blonde dragonette’s departure, everyone appeared far more at ease than they had previously. She was a being that could effectively ’erase’ everyone in her surroundings with a single sweep of her hand, so, while they weren’t overtly fearful of her, it was impossible to fully relax when she was around. This was actually the true reason for Ureko’s sudden departure, and, though it was only known to her closest confidants, one of her reasons for founding Wolhaiksong was to alleviate some of the loneliness buried deep within her heart...

After a rather lively meal that resulted in both Evan and Yuri praising the supplied food, Vahn asked the question Yuri had failed to answer multiple times, this time addressing Evan as he inquired, "So, what are the two of you planning to do after this? I have no problems playing host for a few days, but there are other matters requiring my attention. I’m currently aiming for the 30th Floor in order to participate in the Workshop Battle. Though I should be able to arrive nearly a month in advance, I’d rather depart sooner, rather than later."

Interrupting before Evan could answer, Yuri removed the silver spoon she had been using to eat ice cream from her mouth, asserting, "We’ll meet you on the 30th Floor then. I might not interfere with your climb up the Tower, but it’ll be boring to just sit around and wait for you to reach the top. My instincts are telling me that interesting things are bound to happen around you. I’m not going to let you hog all the fun for yourself."

Though he wasn’t that surprised by the fact that Yuri would answer immediately after he asked the question to someone else, Vahn couldn’t help but deadpan in response to her words. He knew she wasn’t going to be deterred, regardless of what he said, so, much like Evan, he released a tired sigh before half-heartedly replying, "It’s not like I can stop you...do whatever you want..."

With a radiant smile on her face, Yuri displayed double victory signs with her hands while snickering like a child who had successfully completed a prank. That made it appear as though she had been planning this from the start, but, thanks to the Law of Identity, Vahn knew she had literally come up with her ’brilliant’ idea on the spot. Her Intellect wasn’t the equivalent of a C-Rank Regular’s without reason...

Comforting himself with the knowledge that he would be able to spend more time with a beautiful woman, Vahn’s expression gradually eased into an empathetic smile as he looked toward Evan and said, "I guess we’ll be seeing each other on the 30th Floor then. For now, you and your companions are considered my guests. If you have any questions, feel free to ask Ryun or the other residents for information. Yuri is now a member of my Familia, so, as her confidant and advisor, you are welcome to come and go as you please."

Though he had already asked Ryun many of the questions he desired immediate answers to, Evan still nodded his head in appreciation of Vahn’s words. The fact Ryun had been willing to answer him at all was likely due to the man giving her permission to do so. This made him feel suspicious at the time, but, now that Yuri had emerged ’unscathed’ from the Familia Induction Ceremony, most of his uncertainty had waned. He was starting to realize that Vahn was remarkably ’genuine’ for someone who purported themselves to be an Emperor, so his impression of the man was gradually improving with the passage of time.

Deciding to take Vahn’s words at face value, Evan decided it would save a lot of time if he asked the Little Garden’s most preeminent resident for information, following the former’s gesture of goodwill by asking, "There are actually a number of things I’m curious about...first and foremost, I wanted to inquire about the top of the Tower. More specifically, I want to know what will happen if a native of the Tower was to reach the top..."

Understanding Evan’s concerns, Vahn nodded his head in affirmation before answering, "It is as you suspect. Under normal circumstances, it is impossible for those born within the Tower to advance to the Top Floor. Fortunately, there are a number of exceptions to this rule, Eurasia Enne Zahard being the best example and Yuri’s Great Grand-Aunts being another. In fact, all of the children born from the union between two of the Great Leaders possess the qualifications to clear the Tower. The only reason they are not considered Irregulars is due to the ’curse’ Jahad imposed upon the progeny of the Ten Great Families. Before they are even born, a powerful contract binds the developing fetus to the Tower, artificially stripping them of their status as Irregulars in order to prevent them from ever becoming a threat to Jahad..."

Hearing Vahn casually reveal one of the most carefully guarded secrets between Jahad and the Ten Great Families, Evan and Yuri found themselves at a complete loss for words. Then, with a blood-red aura emanating from her body like an intense flame, Yuri balled her hands into fists enough to draw blood as she cursed, "That bastard...!" in a wrathful tone.

Though Evan could empathize with Yuri’s hatred, he noticed that Vahn was still sitting calmly on the other side of the table. Thus, before the Princess could blow her top, he furrowed his brows sternly as he firmly stated, "Princess Yuri! Calm down and pay attention! There is nothing we can about the current situation on our own! Listen to what Vahn has to say...!"

Raising his brows in response to Evan’s sudden endorsement, Vahn’s smile became slightly more prominent as he nodded his head and said, "Don’t worry. I already told you, didn’t I? My status as the God of Infinite Possibilities isn’t something I fabricated out of thin air. Even at my current level of power, I’m more than capable of removing Jahad’s curse. When it comes to mastery over magic and sorcery, there isn’t a single person in this Tower than can hope to rival me."

Though she was still ’very’ angry, Yuri was able to calm down remarkably quickly once she heard Vahn’s words. She knew she wasn’t even remotely strong enough to oppose Jahad and the Great Warriors who supported him; so, while a part of her wanted nothing more than to rush up to the 134th Floor in order to punch her ’father’ square in his face, her instinctual fear of his tremendous power allowed her to think rationally for one of the few times in her life.

Remembering Vahn’s claim about her still having unlimited potential for growth, Yuri adopted an uncharacteristically serious expression as she said, "Tell me what I need to do to become stronger. You must know of a method, right? You seem to know pretty much everything else."

Surprised by how calm Yuri appeared, Vahn adopted a more appreciative expression as he nodded his head and said, "I know countless methods to become stronger. The simplest involves changing your race and unsealing your bloodline. This will grant you tremendous power in the interim, but, if you want to become truly powerful, you’ll need to use a method to increase your comprehension of the Laws. In your case, I would suggest mastering the Laws of War, Strength, and Fire. These are the three you have the highest affinity with."

Hearing Vahn mention something like ’comprehension’, Yuri got the impression it would require a tremendous amount of study, effort, and meditation. She was rather famous for being terrible at all of these, so, without bothering to consider the consequences, she confidently answered, "I want to change my race and awaken my bloodline. Tell me what I need to do."

Though Vahn was rather amused by Yuri’s ’resolve’, Evan couldn’t help but show a fretful expression as he shouted, "Princess! You can’t just change your race without thinking! How do you think others would react if they saw you walking around with wolf ears and a tail!?"

Understanding he was talking about her, a frown immediately marred Ryun’s countenance as she firmly asserted, "I am a Vanargandr, a descendent of the Heaven Devouring Wolf. Don’t compare me to a simple wolf, you shitty dwarf..."

Not expecting such a reaction from Ryun, Evan found himself at a momentary loss for words. As a result, Yuri had more than enough time to state, "I’ve already made up my mind. What I do with my body is none of your concern, Evan. Besides, I think Hwa Ryun’s ears and tail look cute. I can tell she takes really good care of them too. They look super soft and fluffy."

After spending months alongside Fenrir, Ryun had become rather prideful of her status as one of the few Vanargandr in existence. Thus, in response to Yuri’s compliment, a smile naturally bloomed across her face as she answered, "It’s all thanks to Master. The Little Garden is a paradise filled with boons that can’t be found within the Tower. The environment ideal for things like training and self-study, but, most importantly, the food and baths are simply out of this world. Nothing in the Tower even comes close."

Though Ryun’s words might sound a little boisterous, even Evan couldn’t deny that the food served to them during lunch greatly exceeded the standard of the Royal Palace. There was even a moment where he thought the food had been laced with some kind of drug, but, after stealthily analyzing it, he found absolutely no traces of malicious or foreign substances. The food was simply prepared to a standard that didn’t exist within the Tower, greatly exceeding any and all expectations.

Sharing similar sentiments, Yuri nodded her excitedly in response to Ryun’s words. She was greatly looking forward to spending more time in the Little Garden, but, at least for now, she was far more interested in the discussion regarding her race. Before she could ask, however, Vahn beat her to the punch, smiling as he explained, "I understand that you’re not the type to spend thousands of hours on things like cultivation and meditation...with that in mind, let me tell you about one of the most powerful warrior races, a legendary tribe known as the Saiyans..."

(A/N: Alternate Titles: ’I bet he could sell those on the Black Market for a lot of Points...’,’Jahad has no chill...’,’The Birth of a Legend!? Find out on tomorrow’s episode of...’)