Chapter 1742: Mine
Though he was surprised by Yuri's warp-like movement speed, the main reason for Gandr's inability to react could be attributed to his focus being split between Vahn and Phae. This made it difficult to enter the State of Nothingness quickly, so, in response to Yuri's sudden caress; he made eye contact with the increasingly annoyed woman, his hands continuing to knead her breasts even as she asked, "What do you think you're doing...?"
With the tips of his nails poking tiny holes into the fabric of her blouse, Gandr maintained a perfect deadpan as he plainly replied, "Oh? I thought we were just ignoring boundaries and doing whatever we felt like doing. A Vanargandr's ears are one of the most sensitive spots on their entire body. This is about the equivalent."
Since Yuri hadn't stopped fluffing up his ears, Gandr took things a step further by lightly poking her nipple through the fabric of her blouse, undershirt, and bra. This caused a red flush to immediately spread across her face, and, as could be expected, she grabbed the sides of his head in an attempt to 'lightly' headbutt him. Unfortunately for her, Gandr had already primed himself to enter the State of Nothingness so Yuri ended up phasing through him, losing her balance and nearly face-planting into the ground.
Like a Demon God who had just been released from ten-thousand-years of imprisonment, the void around Yuri's body began to tremble in response to the surging of her aura. Both Anak and Endorsi were forced back as the ground around her, influenced by the growing pressure, began to sink and compress as her hair, previously dark-brown, became an inky bluish-black. At the same time, almost as if she had become a black hole, all the Shinsu in the surroundings began to surge into her body, drastically increasing her strength as red lightning began to dance across her clenched fists.
Though he knew he had probably gone a little too far, Gandr didn't back down in the face of Yuri's surging aura. Instead, a mischievous smile spread across his face as he asked, "What? Did you want me to just stand there and be grateful for your sexual harassment? You might be a beauty, but I'm not some pet you can just stroke and fondle as you please...!"
Anticipating a battle, Gandr placed his hand on Laev-tan's grip, but, almost as if her aura had been nothing more than an illusion, all the Shinsu in the surroundings turned docile as Yuri smiled back and asked, "You think I'm a beauty? You're pretty bold to flirt with a Princess of Jahad~."
Feeling like all the wind had been taken out of his sails, Gandr just stared back at Yuri with his hand still holding Laev-tan's grip. He got the feeling he was being lured into some kind of trap, but, with Yuri's aura becoming mellow and fluttery, it was difficult to maintain a battle-ready posture...
Noticing Gandr's confusion, Yuri puffed out her rather sizeable chest, arms akimbo, and a massive grin on her face as she exclaimed, "Very well then! Since I did promise you a reward, I'll let you off with just a warning this time. What's your name, kid? Ah, I'm Ha Yuri Jahad, by the way! Feel free to call me by my first name from now on~."
Restraining a sigh, Gandr removed his hand from Laev-tan, but, still feeling a certain 'danger' from the woman before him, he kept the State of Nothingness active as he replied, "My name is Gandr. I already heard about you from my Master so I'm guessing you came for the Black March?"
Sensing that Gandr was still in the strange state where she couldn't touch him, Yuri was finding it increasingly hard to maintain her smile. She still wanted to teach him a lesson, but, after hearing his words, her thoughts immediately shifted to the greater meaning contained within, asking, "Master? Are you related to that man who calls himself the Sage Dragon Emperor...?"
Seeing Gandr nod in approval, Yuri couldn't help but adopt an excited smile as she asked, "Are you also an Irregular!? Are there more of you!?"
As he would much rather deal with Yuri using his Vahn and Phae personas, Gandr didn't bother to answer her question directly, crossing his arms as he stated, "If you want to know more, you'll have to speak with my Master. I'm not the type of person who shares secrets without anything to gain."
Though she was a little annoyed by Gandr's words, seeing him posturing with such an adorable appearance made it hard for Yuri to stay mad at him. As a result, she just clicked her tongue before looking to where Anak had been scattered, saying, "Sure. I'll have a nice long chat with him once I finish up here. For now, I'll be taking the Green April back with me. Even if your team has a bunch of Irregulars on it, possessing one of the Thirteen Month Series will bring you too much trouble. I'll be holding onto it until she is strong enough to become a Ranker."
Despite speaking to Gandr, Yuri continued to stare directly at Anak, her words leaving no room for discussion. This caused the latter to immediately become hostile, but, before she could complicate things by trying to fight against a High Ranker, Gandr preempted her by saying, "Anak. I understand your desire to hold onto the Green April, but Yuri is right. You need to become much stronger if you want to properly wield a weapon like that. At your current level, it is actually holding you back. Trust in my Master and Phae...besides, even if we all worked together, we wouldn't be able to prevent this woman from taking the Green April..."
Amused by Gandr's words, the intimidating light faded from Yuri's eyes as she mused, "You have a talent for flattery, don't you? I am curious, though...what is your relationship with my adorable little sister and niece? Are you their boyfriend...?"
Rolling his eyes in response to Yuri's question, Gandr was about to refute her words when Endorsi suddenly stated, "That's right. He and Anak have a bit of puppy love between them and I've already set my sights on his future self. You're too late to the party if you want to snatch a piece of this pie, you cradle-robbing snake...!"
Rather than feel offended by Endorsi's words, Yuri couldn't help but chuckle in response due to the reaction from Gandr. His complexion had paled, and, though he didn't overtly deny Endorsi's words, it was clear he wasn't in agreement with them. Of course, even if this hadn't been the case, it didn't really matter. The Ha Family, one of the Ten Great Families, didn't have the tradition of marriage or monogamy. Even her Great Grandmother, the leader of the Ha Family, had numerous partners over the last ten-thousand-years, as, with very few exceptions, relationships were simply transient things when you were Immortal.
Though she was 'forbidden' from being in a relationship due to her status as a Princess of Jahad, Yuri knew her Great Grandmother would side with her so long as she found someone 'worthy' to be her partner. The Ha Family was considered the 'strongest' among the Ten Great Families due to their natural affinity with body strengthening and physical reinforcement. Because of this, they looked for partners with high physical capabilities or natural talent, often pursuing them relentlessly due to the family's motto of, "No matter what, charge forward."
When Yuri had first heard about an Irregular entering the Tower, she had rushed down at her fastest speed in order to make her 'claim' as early as possible. She knew just how ridiculous their strength could be due to her 'friendship' with Ureko Mazino, the current Rank 4 in the entire Tower. Thus, in the hope of recruiting an Irregular into their faction and potentially meeting the man of her dreams, Yuri had descended to the First Floor to discover...Baam, an exceptionally weak yet determined boy.
If she were being honest, Yuri was a little depressed regarding Baam's strength due to the fact his physical appearance was a 'home run' for her. She had a thing for 'younger' men, and, though very few people knew about it, she even played a special Dating Sim where the primary goal was to rear young boys into the man of your dreams. Baam's appearance just so happened to match one of her favorite boys, so, when she first laid eyes on him, Yuri went from cloud nine to the bottommost pit of hell when she realized that, despite his appearance, Baam was exceptionally weak...
To make matters even worse, another Irregular showed up almost immediately after Baam, proving just how weak the boy was by easily passing the test that nearly killed the former. This caused Yuri to harbor a bit of hatred towards the 'old man', as, not only had he been rude to her, his power and presence completely overshadowed Baam. He was even capable of producing an aura, that, despite being much weaker than her own, caused Yuri's heart to palpitate with excitement.
Though Vahn didn't meet any of her standards regarding physical appearance and demeanor, Yuri couldn't deny that his power had a certain magnetic attraction. Even if she couldn't secure him for herself, she could at least pull him into the Ha Family and arrange things between him and one of her aunts. There was even a chance her Great Grandmother might take an interest in the man, as, after thousands of years of traipsing about, the only real standard she used to judge men was their strength.
Now that she had learned there were other Irregulars connected to Vahn, Yuri was determined to pull him over to their side. Gandr also hit all of her checkboxes concerning potential partners, and, though he had a bit of a 'wild' charm to him, his hair and eye color were very similar to Baam's. He was also extremely 'bold', a trait that gave him an edge against someone as naive and innocent as Baam seemed to be. Of course, the most important thing was that he was already strong enough to defeat a Ranker, and, though it was bound to have an exploitable weakness, his ability to become immaterial was, simply put, exceptional.
Convinced that Gandr was a 'big catch', Yuri met Endorsi's gaze with a confident grin as she mused, "Too late? Is that really the case? Tell me, Ghosty, do those eyes make it harder for you to see? Look at these holes in my blouse and then try to make the same argument. Besides, didn't you hear him? He clearly said I was beautiful. Even if he's just a boy, it's pretty obvious he has already developed a few preferences~."
Seeing the small holes in Yuri's blouse, Endorsi couldn't help but click her tongue before looking towards Gandr with an accusatory stare. She didn't actually see him as a potential love interest, at least for the time being, but that didn't mean she was completely indifferent to his actions. She had never expected him to spontaneously fondle the breasts of a woman he had just met, even if it was to prove some kind of point. This made her feel a little disappointed in him, as, despite being a bit of a mischief-maker, Gandr was surprisingly sensible and mature when he needed to be...
Feeling like an older sister who had just discovered her adorable little brother's porn collection, a tired sigh escaped Endorsi's lips as she shook her head in exasperation. Then, without cowering in the face of Yuri's intimidating presence, a resolute glimmer flashed across her eyes as she said, "I won't let some strange woman sink her fangs into Gandr. Even if you're his type, I won't let him be led astray by some granny pushing six-hundred. There are plenty of men for you to chase at the top of the Tower. Don't interfere with the matters taking place near the bottom."
Even if it came across as false bravado, Yuri was still impressed by her younger sister's resolution. It had absolutely no impact on her decision, but, at the very least, she was impressed that someone as weak as Endorsi dared to stand up to her. This caused an approving smile to spread across her face as she said, "Okay then. I won't promise to stay away, but I can at least give you until the 20th Floor to strengthen your bond. That gives you a 2-3 year head start. After that, you only have yourself to blame if you can't keep your man under control."
As a member of the Ha Family, a matriarchal lineage that elevated women above men, most of the core family members lived by the belief that a man was only loyal when their woman was stronger than them. Because of this, the women in the Ha Family began training even before they knew how to read and write. Many, despite being hundreds of years old, didn't even know basic mathematics, as, in their minds, the only things that truly mattered was strength. This caused a number of people to joke about them being 'brainless machos', but, as one of the few Great Families that hadn't fallen to corruption and hedonism, they didn't really care about the opinions of others...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Endorsi is feeling threatened xD','So...Amazons? Amazons.','I kind of feel bad for the other members of Team Wolf Pack...')
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Chapter 1743: Abyss
While Gandr was experiencing a unique trial all his own, Team Wolf Pack, at the direction of Khun, was on the verge of guaranteeing victory.
Though they were drastically outnumbered by the Barnacle Goblins and Giant Marsh Worms, this quickly became an irrelevant factor when Striped Ground Pigs began to, literally, bore their way out of the giant worms. This was the result of Khun having Laure collapse very specific tunnels, forcing the Striped Ground Pigs to pass through the area where the Giant Marsh Worms were probing. As a result, they ended up being absorbed by the worms' elastic and vacuous maws before subsequently tearing their way out using their vicious fangs and claws.
The Striped Ground Pigs already had an antagonistic relationship with the Barnacle Goblins, so, as could be expected, they were reacted 'extremely' hostile to being eaten. This resulted in both sides committing to annihilating the other party, an opportunistic situation that was heavily exploited by the members of Team Wolf Pack.
With Laure using his levitation and telekinesis to help periodically change their vantage point, the Spear Bearers were able to rain spears upon the battlefield with complete impunity. As for the rest of the team, they had been split into multiple guerilla forces, ambushing any and all who attempted to either flee or pursue the Net Dolphins.
By the time half an hour had passed, more than sixty percent of the Striped Ground Pigs had been completely wiped out. As for the Barnacle Goblins, only a few of the more cowardly members, those who fled early on, would live to see another day. Without their Giant Marsh Worms, however, it was hard to say how long they would survive.
Needless to say, Team Wolf Pack had all but guaranteed the success of the Test. All they needed to do now was wait until Baam and Rachel were 'expelled' by the Net Dolphins' Queen. This caused a few of them to gather around for preemptive celebration while those like Laure, having reclaimed his most precious treasure, promptly found an isolated area to enjoy a late-afternoon nap...
---
With the vantage provided by Phae, Vahn was able to witness Team Wolf Pack's strategy and battle from start to finish. There had been a few 'unexpected' guests partway through the scuffle, but, with both Ren and the Bull already dealt with, there was only one variable remaining that could threaten the party's interests: Rachel.
Though he had wanted to make a grand entrance by plummeting onto the battlefield like a literal meteor, Vahn had decided to abandon his chance in the spotlight, following his instincts to prevent anything remiss from happening. Rachel still gave the impression she was a coiled snake waiting for its opportunity to strike, so there was no way he would just leave her and Baam alone in a situation where all audio and video surveillance had been cut off.
Fortunately, even as the Test was gradually drawing to its conclusion, Rachel and Baam continued to sit back-to-back, seemingly discussing matters related to the past and future. As for Vahn, he was hiding a few hundred meters away, suspended in the extremely concentrated Shinsu that emulated water but had properties reminiscent of air. This allowed him to breathe freely, but, if he didn't have the ability to 'float', falling would be equivalent to jumping off a cliff rather than sinking into a body of buoyant water...
Seeing the 'mouth' of the Queen gradually open like the gates of heaven, complete with a vibrant light that empowered those basking in its glory, Vahn was beginning to feel like he had just wasted the last eight-and-a-half hours of his life. Fortunately, though an argument could be made that is was extremely unfortunate, Rachel's true nature came to the surface at the exact moment both he and Baam had eased their tensions. As a result, Baam ended up being pushed from the small platform contained within the bubble, his body falling with increasing speed towards the black abyss below.
Exhaling a sigh, Vahn teleported behind Rachel without revealing his presence, curious to see what kind of reaction the woman would have after pushing the person who trusted and cared for her to his death. Unfortunately for her, an audible sigh of 'relief' escaped her lips, prompting Vahn to say, "You made the wrong choice..." in a heavy tone.
Surprised by the sound of a voice emanating from behind, Rachel nearly fell off the platform herself due to how quickly she turned around, her expression paling the moment she saw Vahn. For a brief moment, her aura even fluctuated slightly, flickering like the flame of a candle that was disturbed by someone lightly blowing into it.
Even without reading her mind, Vahn could guess what was going through Rachel's head, so, while maintaining his grim expression, he gestured towards the chair, advising, "Take a seat. Don't worry, this bubble isn't going anywhere. You have all the time you need to think of an excuse."
Hearing Vahn's words, panic could be seen in Rachel's gaze as she looked around and noticed the bubble they were in was no longer moving. Vahn was holding it in place using his Telekinesis, all but guaranteeing she was going to fall the test.
Fearing her path towards the top of the Tower was being cut off, Rachel ended up digging herself even deeper into a hole, forgoing an excuse as she shouted, "If I fail the test, everyone else will fail as well! You're not even supposed to be here! You can't interfere like this...!"
Turning his head sideways, Vahn adopted an expression similar to someone looking at an exotic yet disgusting creature as he plainly stated, "None of the rules prohibit other people from entering into the Wine Glass. Also, you might be unaware of it, but one of the Administrators tried to assassinate one of the testing Regulars. Even the Bull was under their control, so, unless they want to risk going against the Guardian's wishes, they would need to allow us to pass or provide the opportunity for a retake. We still have three Irregulars on our side, each qualified to take the Guardian's Test...besides, even if we failed, there is nothing to stop us from moving higher up the Tower. The rules fabricated by the Jahad Empire have absolutely no bearing on me. You, however...I'm afraid your journey ends here, Ms. Michelle Light..."
Hearing Vahn's words, Rachel felt like she was on the verge of hyperventilating. She knew the man in front of her wasn't going to listen to any of her excuses, and, regardless of whether she tried to jump to her death or attack him, neither had any hope of success. This caused her to feel helpless, but, more than anything else, she felt rage, indignation, and 'envy'. If she had as much power as the man in front of her, she wouldn't have to suffer through all of this. She would be able to climb the Tower with impunity, removing all obstacles in her way using overwhelming power...
Seeing the dangerous gleam in Rachel's eyes, Vahn couldn't help but release a sigh, shaking his head as he said, "You really are a remorseless fool...not only did you betray the person who would have willingly sacrificed everything to make your dream come true, you now look at me like I'm the one who wronged someone. Utterly ridiculous..."
With her rage gradually overriding her common sense, Rachel continued glaring back at Vahn, her voice sounding strained and hoarse as she shouted, "You don't underst-"
Tired of hearing people shout the same argument over and over again, a tired sigh escaped Vahn's mouth as he used Reverse Flow Control to freeze Rachel mid-sentence. Then, with a stern tone that left no room for discussion, he stated, "You don't even try to empathize with others yet claim they are the ones who don't understand...it's a good thing you never put in an effort to gain power. With your self-centered mentality, you would have become a complete monster. It's sad, really...if seeing stars was truly your end goal, I could have allowed you to see them whenever you wanted. Not just a projection, but actual stars..."
If someone else were to make the same claim, Rachel wouldn't have believed them, not even for a moment. When Vahn said such things, however, his words carried a certain 'surety' that made them hard to refute. He also stood nothing to gain by lying to her, so, with her body still frozen in place, a steady stream of tears began to roll down Rachel's face. She wanted nothing more than to scream at the top of her lungs, the anger within her heart quickly turning to anguish as her hatred for both Headon and the Tower reached new heights.
Sensing Rachel's lamentation, Vahn allowed the woman free reign to scream as loud as she wanted. He was hoping she would actually learn something from this, as, much like Hoh, she was not too far gone. If she could show genuine remorse, he wouldn't mind helping her achieve her dream, as, with his Realm, he could easily grant her wish at any point in time. He could even grant her power if she was willing to work for it, so, while she was busy screaming a crying, another version of himself was busy wrapping things up in the abyss below...
---
With several hours' worth of time to kill, Vahn ended up exploring much of the Wine Glass, a large underground lake which, as its name implied, was shaped like a wine glass. He got the impression there was a greater meaning to this specific location being chosen for the Test, so, with nothing better to do, he ended up mapping out the entire region to make sure there was nothing amiss.
Unsurprisingly, Vahn found a number of 'peculiarities' within the Wine Glass, the two most notable findings being a temple protected by a powerful seal and a completely isolated subspace near the 'neck' of the Wine Glass. The former prevented any kind of spatial movements, so, unless he wanted to force his way in, Vahn had no way of entering the Temple. As for the latter, it took on the form of a red fragment that generated a phenomenal amount of Shinsu, enough to covert the water within the Wine Glass into a pseudo-Shinsu mix that, for reasons Vahn could only guess, was much easier to control than normal Shinsu.
Though the peculiar fragment was carefully concealed within the void, it's influence on the waters within the Wine Glass made it easy to locate for anyone with the ability to read the Flow of Shinsu. After all, the density of Shinsu increased exponentially as you got closer to the sub-space, so, after an hour or so had passed, Vahn had not only managed to locate the fragment, he also managed to liberate it from the void without any real difficulty. After that, he tried to place it into his Inventory, but, unsurprisingly, he was unable to do so. There seemed to be a consciousness sealed within the fragment, so, after placing a seal of his own around the fragment, he stored it safely within the Little Garden before spending the remainder of his time trying to find a way into the sealed temple.
Unfortunately, the seal on the temple was much stronger than the almost 'lazy' effort that had been put into concealing the scarlet fragment. As a result, he was forced to abandon the temple, though not before placing a spatial anchor that should allow him to return at his leisure. Then, before Baam could fall to his death or be crushed by the pressure of the Wine Glass' depths, he teleported to the boy's side, slowing his descent before using his domain to emulate a Shinsu bubble.
As could be expected, Baam had a look of extreme confusion and conflict after being betrayed by the person he trusted more than anyone else. Tears immediately began flowing from his face, and, now that he could breathe properly, he began hyperventilating, clutching his chest as he fell to his knees and shouted, "Why!? Why would Rachel do this!? I don't understand...this pain...aaaaaaagh...!"
Seeing the innocent and naive Baam suffering from the pain of betrayal, Vahn couldn't help but feel pity for the boy. Rachel was basically his 'whole world' prior to his entrance into the Tower, the one person he cherished more than anything else. He had dedicated everything to her, and, so long as it was for her sake, he would have conquered the entire Tower in order to make her dream a reality.
Unfortunately, for reasons only Rachel herself was fully aware of, she had decided to betray Baam in the pursuit of some arbitrary goal. It wasn't difficult to imagine she was being used, but, regardless of her reasons, it was an inviolable fact that she had betrayed the one person who would have done anything for her. Thus, in response to the boy's outburst, Vahn extended his hand toward Baam, his voice firm and steady as he stated, "Let's go find out..."
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'When handling snakes, never take your eye off the head...','You done fucked up now, hon...!','Vahn over here being a loot goblin...')
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Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
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334 Power
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