Chapter 1692: Idle
Feeling the resistance of the surrounding energy, Vahn couldn't help but frown as his domain barely extended more than three-hundred meters from his position. This was smaller than it had been in a very long time. To further exacerbate matters, he felt like he was being crushed by the energy within his domain, greatly slowing his movements and even influencing his reaction time.
Out of curiosity, Vahn raised his hand and began to slowly move about, his fingers creating small ripples and currents, similar to moving them through a liquid volume. This was the same impression given off by his domain as well, but, rather than physical resistance, it was more accurate to say the volume placed a burden upon the spirit.
Under normal circumstances, Vahn wouldn't have that much trouble manipulating the energy in his surroundings. The only time it became even slightly difficult was when the energy was controlled or regulated by something else, so, while he had yet to ascertain its origin, this was the conclusion his mind had come to. It was like the entirety of the surrounding energy was already under the control of an exceptionally powerful entity, one that greatly eclipsed his current level of power.
Noticing his nose beginning to bleed slightly, Vahn gradually retracted his domain before habitually falling into a meditative state. The fact there was a giant humanoid with red skin, multiple eyes, and a muscular figure attempting to smash his barrier didn't particularly concern him. He wasn't the type to kill at the behest or order of other people, so, while he could sense both murderous intent and mild desperation from everyone who wandered across his barrier, he completely shut them out in order to focus on far more important thing...
---
A stark contrast to his Emperor self, Gandr was standing at the edge of the barrier, pale golden eyes glimmering as he stared up at the contestant attempting to smash their way in. The sealed form of Laev-tan was resting across his shoulder, and, though he didn't 'truly' feel the urge to kill the giant humanoid creature trying to break the barrier, he felt a growing desire to, at the very least, teach it and many others a lesson.
Sensing his thoughts, for obvious reasons, Phae looked over to where Gandr was standing, a gentle smile on her face as she mused, "Now, now, there will be plenty of time for such things later on. For now, we should continue to observe. After all, even if this was called a Deathmatch, the rules didn't expressly state we needed to eliminate anyone."
Completing the illusion that he was three separate entities, Gandr's large fluffy ears twitched slightly before he craned his head back and said, "I was just going to beat them up a little. Don't worry, I'm not a bully...most of the time..."
Though there was a barrier separating them, it seemed like the red-skinned giant was still able to understand what Gandr had said. His six eyes all squinted in rage as he raised his trunk-like arms up high and attempted to, once again, shatter the barrier. Unfortunately, other than nearly breaking his own wrist, the man didn't so much as scratch the barrier with his full-power attack.
Shaking his head, Gandr also began ignoring the man as he attempted to detect enemies using his enhanced olfactory senses and hearing. He was already very adept at relying on his senses in order to sense enemies, as, over the last three years, Fenrir, his 'big sister', had been resolute in teaching him everything he needed to know in order to be a proper Vanargandr. He had even received more than his fair share of headpats, often serving as something akin to a body pillow whenever they had completed their hunts.
Unfortunately, due to the presence of the golden barrier, Gandr wasn't able to expand his senses beyond its confines. Considering it had been made to be soundproof, however, this wasn't really that surprising.
Feeling a little bored, Gandr was preparing to sit down on the ground and simply relax until the end of the Deathmatch. There were still seventeen minutes left so he could easily fit in a quick nap if he really wanted to.
Noticing Gandr's thoughts and actions, Phae couldn't help but lightly chuckle as she called out to him, saying, "Don't drop your guard. Even if the vast majority of people within this region are weak, that doesn't mean all of them are. Remember, you are our vanguard. When our Lord is resting, you must remain alert."
Though he took Phae's words to heart, Gandr still ended up laying on his side, supporting his head with his left hand and elbow as he watched the red-skinned giant flee. He obviously wasn't ignoring his own advice, but, in order to put on a convincing performance, he needed to act his age. He could sense a presence observing them at all points in time, so, at least for the time being, they needed to keep up appearances.
After releasing a loud yawn, Gandr began lightly tapping the ground behind him with a bored look on his face. Seeing this, Phae released the textbook definition of a motherly sigh before shaking her head and pouring a cup of tea for herself. Then, with half-lidded eyes, a content smile spread across her face as she savored the taste of fresh-brewed black tea with sugar and cream...
---
For several minutes, it appeared as though nothing significant was going to happen before the time displayed on the golden cubes reached the zeroth mark. Fortunately, this was not the case, as, with three minutes to spare, a trio comprised of two cloaked figures, one small and one large, appeared alongside a rather fashionably dressed young woman.
Noticing the trio's arrival, Gandr immediately hopped up from the ground, Laev-tan resting on his shoulder as he quickly analyzed each of his potential opponents. The shortest of the trio appeared to be a relatively normal woman with blonde hair. As for her companions, the six-meter tall fellow with demonic features gave a rather dangerous feeling while the young woman, possessing strange eyelashes that glittered like ghost flames, actually caused the hair on Gandr's neck to stand on end.
Distinguishing herself from the other two members of the group, the fashionable woman returned a confident smile when she noticed Gandr's gaze, her eyes shining with amusement as she said, "Hi there, little fella. My, you're a little cutie, aren't you?"
Tilting his head to the side as if he didn't understand the woman's words, Gandr briefly tried to get a feel for her power by expanding his domain from the meditating Vahn. To his surprise, the woman had a tremendous amount of energy contained within her body, or, more specifically, her blood. He could even sense something like a second presence contained within, a fragment of someone else's intent...
Though he had inspected the woman from top to bottom, Gandr didn't appear to hesitate in the slightest as he directly answered, "You're not so bad yourself, Princess."
Despite the barrier preventing any sound from escaping, the woman was able to read Gandr's lips without any issue. His addressing her as a Princess came as a mild surprise, her brows rising ever so slightly as the corners of her smile curled up. At the same time, her amber-like eyes began to glow with a ghostly light as she combed through her bangs and said, "Though I'm not too surprised, it is a little unexpected that someone was able to recognize me so soon. Tell me, are you affiliated with the Jahad family?"
Having only heard the name mentioned a few times, Gandr didn't hesitate to shake his head, his eyes shifting to the demonic man towering behind the woman as he answered, "No, you just have the same aura as another Princess I met. Until recently, I had never heard of the Jahad family, much less the Empire it seems to govern. Now, what are your intentions, Princess? We already have three members on our teams so there is no real need to fight, is there?"
Though she squinted her eyes slightly upon hearing Gandr's remark, the woman didn't reveal too much of her thoughts. In response to his question, however, she adopted a confident smile as she looked between her teammates and the trio hiding within the golden barrier. Truth be told, she was a little creeped out by her current team, and, though she was confident in being able to defeat both of them, the cloaked woman gave her a dangerous and 'foreign' feeling.
After staring at the cloaked duo for several seconds, the woman turned her attention back to the rather adorable young boy and said, "Since there are only the six of us remaining, I guess we can avoid fighting amongst each other. I had kind of wanted to eliminate all the other teams, but you three give off a pretty dangerous vibe. How about we form a temporary alliance? It is common for most parties to have six people starting out and I wouldn't mind having someone as adorable as you in my group."
Pretending to be confused by the woman's words, Gandr tilted his head to the side even further, his ears flopping in a way he knew most people would find adorable. The woman in question even had a possessive shimmer flash across her eyes, but, before she could say anything to try and convince him, Gandr interrupted her, plainly stating, "No thanks. Unless there was no other choice, I don't see a reason to team up with a group of people who would kill others just because a voice told them to. I get that you wanted to eliminate the competition, but only cowards, swindlers, and ruffians rely on such tactics to make things easier for themselves. How can I trust my back to someone who doesn't even show a hint of remorse after killing so many people?"
Never expecting anyone would be foolish enough to refuse her offer, much less over such a stupid reason, the woman couldn't help but frown. Everyone knew that the Tower effectively pitted everyone inside against each other so it was fairly odd to hear someone harp over something as insignificant as killing. Rather, if you lacked the conviction to kill, you would only invite disaster upon yourself as there were countless people perfectly willing to take advantage of such a weakness...
Shifting her attention away from the boy's glowing golden eyes, the woman looked at a tiny black sphere that manifested into existence next to her. This caused both Vahn and Phae to squint slightly from where they were seated, as, prior to the spherical object revealing itself, neither been able to sense even a trace of its existence...
Seeing there was less than a minute left, the woman decided against trying to argue with the boy and his companions. Instead, she placed one hand on her hip, shifting her weight to one foot as she said, "My name is Endorsi Jahad, a bonafied Princess of the Jahad Empire. If you're clever, you'll set aside those ideals of yours and focus on what truly matters. You won't find a better companion than a Princess of Jahad amongst the other Regulars. If you're actually serious about reaching the top of the Tower, you'll need to take advantage of every opportunity you get. Keep that in mind, okay~?"
Timing the completion of her statement with the countdown visible on the cube, Endorsi left no room for argumentation as a loud voice echoed over the grasslands. It was even able to penetrate the barrier Vahn had created, further alerting him to the peculiarities of the Record he now found himself in. It seemed he had a lot to learn about this new world, but, despite being present for little more than half-an-hour, there was one thing he was already certain of...this Record was one where the strong reigned supreme...a world where the weak were killed in order to pave the way for those with the ambition to aim for greater heights...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn, Improv Master...?','Fenrir's favorite version of Master (OwO)...','A world filled with treachery and ruthlessness...a breeding ground for the strong')
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Chapter 1693: Incongruities
Following the conclusion of the 'Deathmatch', everyone present within the grass field found themselves teleported into a vast circular chamber more than 300m across. Standing a few meters from their position, a short man with brown skin and red hair that spiked upwards in an unorthodox style that gave him a wild and untamed vibe. As for his attire, he wore a militaristic white tunic with a small, house-shaped, badge pinned to his chest. The rest of his outfit consisted of black jodhpur trousers that flowed seamlessly into his boots, matching the gloves that fully covered his hands and ran to his elbows.
Overall, the man gave off the impression of someone with a hot-heated temperament, and, as if to prove this was the case, he currently had an annoyed expression on his face as he asked, "There are only six of you? What the hell?"
Without waiting for anyone to answer, the man pulled up a terminal that only he was supposed to be able to see. With a few quick inputs, a display showing each person present appeared before him, further annoying the man when he realized five of the six people present had absolutely no data. The only one that did was the Princess of Jahad...
Realizing the information his brain had just process, the man's eyes became round as saucers as he shifted his attention to the fashionably dressed woman standing at the forefront of the group and asked, "You're really a Princess of Jahad?"
With one hand on her hips, Endorsi batted her fringe bangs in a haughty manner before answering, "Indeed. I am one of Zahard's precious pairs of shoes. Now, aren't you going to introduce yourself, Test Administrator?"
Feeling a massive headache coming his way, the fiery red-haired man made no attempt to hide his frustration as he released an exasperated sigh and rubbed his temple. Then, seemingly without any regard for Endori's status, he casually replied, "The names Quant Blitz. I'm one of the Test Admins of the 2nd Floor and a Ranked Scout. For the time being, the six of you need to behave yourself while I report this situation to the Test Director. It's pretty obvious you're all monsters after eliminating the other...196 contestants...?"
With 200 Regulars taking part in the exam, the fact there were six people present implied that 194 should have been eliminated. This confused Quant quite a bit, his expression turning serious as he quickly filtered through the original list of Regulars to find the anomalies...
With an ever-growing frown on his face, Quant quickly discovered the odd people out, dismissing the invisible display with a wave of his hand before glaring towards Gandr and Phae as he asked, "How did the two of you sneak into the Floor of Tests?"
Rather than allow his other selves to answer, Vahn casually made his way to the front, his expression calm and poised as he stated, "They are my vassals. I summoned them to my side in order to avoid having to play your tasteless game. Is there a problem?"
Though Quant wasn't at all amused by the fact that a Regular was speaking to him in such a casual manner, that didn't stop him from pulling up Vahn's data. Like before, there was no real information on the man, only that he was 'qualified' to participate in the exam. This wasn't too surprising, as he was on the original roster; what really confused Quant was the fact that both Gandr and Phae were also listed as 'qualified'...
Understanding there was something very wrong with the current situation, Quant met Vahn's gaze, his expression turning even more serious as he plainly asked, "You...are you an Irregular?"
Hearing the familiar term, Vahn briefly considered his options before ultimately deciding there was no reason to hide his status. It was obvious that being an Irregular was uncommon, the name itself being an obvious indicator, but that didn't mean he was going to conceal his identity. His purpose within this Record was to reach the absolute pinnacle, so, in response to Quant's question, he lifted his head ever-so-slightly before stating, "If the words of that rabbit are to be believed, I am, indeed, what you people call an Irregular."
Not expecting Vahn to outright admit it, Quant looked at the man like he was observing someone who had lost their mind. Then, just as he had following Endori's introduction, he released a sigh of exasperation before remarking, "I don't get paid enough for this shit. Well, whatever. Just stay here until I get back. This situation is way too abnormal so I'm not qualified to deal with it on my own. I will return with the Test Director shortly."
With those parting words, Quant dismissed his invisible terminal before departing the room with a quick burst of speed, effectively vanishing from view in an instant. The most surprising thing about this feat was that he didn't seem to use anything to enhance his movements, relying solely on the strength of his body to casually break the sound barrier.
Vahn was quickly beginning to realize that there were some abnormally powerful people present within his current Record. Even people like Asuna and Nagi would struggle to perform superhuman feats without the aid of magical energy and ki, so, to see someone casually break the sound barrier using pure physical capabilities, it was safe to assume that even 'average' people within the Tower were going to possess super-human strength, speed, and reaction time.
Rather than feel even remotely concerned, Vahn was actually looking forward to his future battles. For now, however, he had another matter to address, as, immediately following Quant's departure, Endorsi attempted to approach him with a mix of curiosity and enmity contained within her ghostly amber pupils.
Without letting the Princess get anywhere near Vahn, Phae and Gandr blocked her path, the latter partially drawing Laev-tan as the former adopted a polite smile and stated, "That is close enough, Princess. Though your curiosity is understandable, attempting to approach an Emperor without his permission is behavior unbefitting a Princess of a foreign Empire..."
Though she was momentarily confused by the woman's words, it didn't take long for Endorsi to realize what Phae was saying. This caused her expression to turn slightly incredulous as she looked between the trio and stated, "Wow, you three must be from the outside if you have the gall to call that man an Emperor within the Tower. In this place, Jahad might as well be a God. You might have been an Emperor in the outside, but you're basically signing your own death warrant if you intend to claim such a status within the Tower..."
Realizing that Endorsi was actually trying to warn them, Phae continued to maintain her polite smile while Gandr quickly sheathed Laev-tan with a loud 'clack'. As for Vahn, he slowly turned to face the Princess, a relaxed yet dignified smile on his face as he stated, "An Emperor does not shy away from the burden of their title. Irrespective of the situation, I am, and will forever be, Vahn Aldrnari Mason, the Sage Dragon Emperor.
Hearing the firm resolution contained with Vahn's tone, Endorsi found herself in a dreamlike stupor, her mental faculties stalling for a brief moment as his words settled within her mind. She had never heard anyone speak in such an 'absolute' manner without any pretense or deceit. It was like she was hearing an immutable truth, and, based on the impression she got from his vassals, Endorsi couldn't shake the feeling that Vahn was a very different kind of Emperor than anything the Tower had ever seen...
Before she could recover her senses, Endorsi's expression soured as a demure voice sounded from behind, hesitantly asking, "Are you really from outside the Tower? Have you ever seen the stars...?"
---
Shifting his attention to the cloaked figure cowering behind the six-meter tall demonic man, Vahn couldn't help but squint his eyes as he observed the 'peculiar' blonde-haired girl. He wasn't able to understand why, but she gave him an uneasy feeling. Her aura showed no particular signs of hostile intent, but, for some reason, she gave off the impression of a venomous snake that was prepared to strike at a moment's notice. Despite this, she seemed to be even weaker than an average human, an incongruity that didn't match up with the apparent nature of the Tower...
While making a mental note to be wary of the seemingly normal girl, Vahn allowed Phae to answer on his behalf, her expression a perfect mask of amicability as she explained, "We have. They appear in the night sky, dotting the heavens like an ocean of sparkling gemstones against a vast expanse of darkness..."
Seeing the fervor contained in the young woman's eyes as she hung on to Phae's every word, Vahn began to wonder if he had made some kind of mistake. She suddenly seemed like just a normal girl, but, considering their circumstances, that would actually be stranger. Thus, redoubling his intention to be wary of the woman, he extended his hand, astonishing both Endorsi and the as-yet-unnamed woman by pulling out a Memory Orb and projecting an image of the night sky.
Following Vahn's lead, Phae lowered her head as a sign of respect and gratitude before turning to face the starstruck duo and explaining, "As you can see here, the night sky is filled with stars. This is an object known as a Memory Orb, a special device that converts memories into three-dimensional projections. They are really quite convenient when you want to demonstrate something that is hard to put into words~."
Though she was listening to Phae's words, the blonde-haired woman was unable to prevent herself from taking a few steps forward, drawn by the projection of countless stars. She found them to be far more beautiful than anything she could have imagined, but, after extending her hand and failing to grasp one of the tiny motes of light, her expression quickly became soberer as she muttered, "Of course they aren't real you silly girl..."
Shaking her head at her own chiding remark, the woman shifted her gaze towards Vahn, seemingly forgetting his status as she plainly asked, "Can I have that? It has always been my dream to see real stars...it's the reason I decided to climb the Tower. I want to break free from this cruel and hopeless world, a place where people are forced to betray others just for a chance at realizing their dreams..."
Noticing the subtle contraction of the woman's pupils when she mentioned betraying others, Vahn could easily intuit what kind of person she was. She was the greedy and delusional type, the kind of person that prioritized their own wants and needs over everything else. He could easily imagine her lashing out at others whenever things didn't go her way, and, if he chose to deny her the Memory Orb, he got the distinct impression she would do everything in her power to steal it from him...
As there was no way he could agree to the woman's request, Vahn allowed Phae to mediate, her tone firm yet kind as she stated, "I do not believe it is appropriate to ask for another's belongings when you've yet to even introduce yourself. His Imperial Majesty might not care about the lack of propriety demonstrated by people outside the Empire, but that does not excuse your behavior. If you are to have any chance of obtaining the Memory Orb, you would benefit from behaving more sensibly in the future...proper courtesy never hurt anyone..."
Surprised by the unexpected reproach, the blond-haired woman showed a confused expression on her face before seemingly realizing what was being asked of her. Then, as if she had spontaneously become a different person, her aura completely changed as she offered a courteous bow and said, "Forgive my indiscretions. It was never my intention to cause any offense. I was so captivated by the stars that I simply forgot myself for a brief moment. My name is Rachel, Rachel Light. Please accept my sincerest apologies..."
Though his back was turned to the woman, Vahn could see her from the perspectives of Phae and Gandr. He was also the one to sense the change in atmosphere around her, all but confirming his suspicions that she was a borderline sociopath. She was the type that could pretend to be whoever she needed to be in order to complete her objectives, the type of person who would only reveal her true colors when she was backstabbing or betraying others...
Turning around as if he was personally inspecting her performance, Vahn pretended to relax his expression before tossing over the Memory Orb. This surprised Rachel quite a bit, resulting in her practically leaping to catch the orb out of the air and landing hard against the ground. Despite this, she had a happy smile, her face twisted almost unnaturally as she held the Memory Orb close to her chest and exclaimed, "Thank you very much...!" in a tone that didn't match the dangerous gleam in her eyes...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'A world where even the weak are superhuman...','Vahn be like, "Irregular? No. I am the Emperor."','Rachel, the shadow hidden beneath the Light')
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