Chapter 1770: One Path, Many Branches
With the connection to his proxy active, Vahn didn't have to concern himself with attending Team Wolf Pack's training directly. Rather, even though only a few days had passed since he awakened his [Universal Mind], he was starting to see it's true potential, not necessarily as a tool to make his own journey easier, but as a means to achieve all of the things he put off due to his own desires, dreams, and goals.
Though he knew it was 'impossible' to help everyone, that didn't mean Vahn felt any better about having to pick and choose who he saved. He tried to make things easier for himself and his loved ones by only saving those who were right in front of him, but, now that he had [Universal Mind], a lot of paths that had previously been closed to him had now opened. He could even recreate the heroes of various worlds, naming them with the [Keeper of the Akashic Tome] and entrusting them with his wishes while he continued along his personal journey towards the pinnacle of existence...
Deciding to start with his desire to make Blossom's wish come true, Vahn placed a delicate kiss on the exhausted woman's forehead before meeting her gaze and asking in a soft tone, "If I asked you to abandon your people and become mine...what would you do...?"
Displaying quite a bit of confusion in her leaf-green eyes, Blossom's expression turned into one of conflict and palpable regret as she answered, "I would probably regret last night for the rest of my life...no matter what happens, I will never abandon my people...I'm sorry..."
Rather than blame the woman for her loyalty, Vahn just returned an affectionate smile, continuing to stroke her cheek as he said, "That's a relief. If you were the type to abandon your dream after a single night of passion, I might come to regret my own actions...hahahaha..."
Though she wasn't particularly bright, Blossom could tell that Vahn was just testing her, a test she seemed to have passed. This caused her to feel greatly relieved because, after last night, she wasn't sure she could continue living without the man's warmth. She had never imagined such pleasures in her wildest dreams, and, though she had been a little concerned about his size, Vahn's penis ended up being a lot bigger than the average Faun's. Considering the latter were fairly well known for their size, this was quite the achievement. Blossom even suspected he had irreversibly altered the shape of her insides, his stamina completely transcending any expectation she might have had.
Noticing the increase in Blossom's body temperature, a knowing smile spread across Vahn's face as he pulled her a little closer and said, "We'll have plenty of time for that later. For now...no, actually, let's try this..."
Vahn was going to mention they had a lot to discuss, but, feeling his words would have a little more impact if he combined them with action, he changed positions so that he was resting with his back against the headboard. Then, taking advantage of the fact that Blossom had no will to resist him, he guided the woman to straddle his waist, sinking his member into her pulsating folds and eliciting an extremely impassioned sigh in response to his intrusion.
With Blossom snug against his waist, Vahn placed his hands on her impeccably soft rump, caressing her extremely smooth fur as he began explaining his intentions. This was made more difficult by the fact she kept trying to move her hips and kiss him, but, after a few hours had passed, he was pretty sure the message had gotten through. After that, he decided to reward the increasingly affectionate woman by spending the remainder of the morning fervently strengthening their bond...
---
Though there were a lot of complexities he had left out, Vahn explained to Blossom that he had the ability to shed off fragments of himself based on the wishes of the people around him. He couldn't take her up the Tower with him, but, rather than leave her alone, he would divide himself so that a part of him always remained with her. He demonstrated this ability by creating a new Template, this one with nearly identical features to his original self but with prominent antlers and clear, Faun-like, features.
Blossom was more than a little surprised by the existence of such an ability, but, realizing it meant she would never have to be alone, she was too excited to care about the particulars. She promised to keep his ability a secret, and, though it would apparently have to wait until their relationship was consecrated by the Matriarch of her tribe, she, very eagerly, expressed a desire to bear his children. In fact, immediately after seeing him split his body into two, Blossom surprised both versions of him by unabashedly asking if they wanted to both have sex with her.
Vahn actually had a fair amount of experience with such 'plays', but, after resolving himself to leave Blossom in the care of his newly created Template, he ultimately refused her offer. Instead, he gave her one last long embrace, enjoying the smooth texture of her fur and the heat of her body as their lips overlapped for the last time. He could always reestablish the link with his Template in the future, but, not wanting things to become even more complicated, Vahn gave his counterpart a pat on the shoulder before leaving the duo to their own adventure. He would still need to name the Template to make things official, but, at least for the time being, he had other matters to attend...
---
Though it felt a little lonely to let Blossom go, even if it was for both of their sakes, Vahn didn't feel as sad as he expected. Instead, he felt like he had made the correct decision, one that guaranteed a happier future for Blossom's people without requiring him to deviate from his current path. He was also able to establish an important precedent, one Sis had seemingly been pushing for since he first awakened the [Universal Mind].
Originally, Vahn believed it wasn't such a great idea to just arbitrarily produce existences like Hinata, Yoruichi, and Nami, but, now that he had experienced this short overlap of fates, he saw things in an entirely different light. He now had the power to protect people far beyond the scope of his original objective, so, rather than limit his use of the [Universal Mind], Vahn was intending to build a faction using his own Templates as a foundation.
This might seem counterintuitive to his intentions of climbing the Tower and going at his own pace, but, even if they never left the original Floor he created them on, Vahn was confident his Templates would be able to help countless people. They would even be able to start their own families, living happily alongside the people he had wanted to protect; people he would have had to 'ignore' due to his ongoing journey to become the most powerful being in existence.
Since his Templates all worked towards a unified goal, carrying the intentions they were implanted with during the moment of their conception, Vahn believed that, even after thousands of years had passed, they would continue to protect people in his stead. This was what compelled him to create a faction from them, as, even if Team Wolf Pack penultimately became the Rulers of the Tower, true order required more than a dozen people to maintain.
Most importantly, though it would probably earn him admonishment from several members of his harem, Vahn no longer had to restrain his urges. He didn't have to create walls between himself and the people he was drawn to, particularly beautiful, exotic, and tragic women. These types seemed to attract him like a powerful magnet, and, though he usually tried to keep them at arm's length, Vahn knew it was virtually impossible for him to reject sincerity.
Even without View Affection turned on, Vahn had always been extremely sensitive to the emotions of others. His [Will of the Emperor] helped to filter out some of this, but, when it came to extreme emotions, such as those derived from pain, loss, tragedy, and anger, he was unable to ignore them. If he tried, their images would haunt his thoughts whenever he found a moment of peace, regret welling up inside of him as he second-guessed his decision to turn a blind eye to the suffering of others.
Though he was fully aware of the fact that his [Universal Mind] would cause countless problems, Vahn's instincts told him it was the 'correct' decision to develop the Innate further. It was an ability that allowed him to positively impact the lives of countless people, so, even if there were drastic consequences in the future, he would no longer hesitate to move forward. This was actually a path he had chosen long ago, back when he first decided to save Lili from her suffering. It was one that others had supported him along for hundreds of years, but, due to his constant indecisiveness, he was always second-guessing himself and suffering setbacks. Now, however, Vahn knew where his destination lay, so, rather than continue making excuses, he would live his life freely, saving as many people as he pleased along the way...
---
With a mystical blue light radiating from the depths of his pupils, Vahn gazed out over the Town of Beginnings from atop a massive observatory. He suddenly felt a lot more excited about the future, a future he would shape, not just through his own actions, but the actions of others who carried his will. This brought an excited smile to his face, and, though others might not notice it, he suddenly felt as though the world around him had become a little brighter as he pulled out his Pocket and said, "I wish to speak with the Guardian..."
Almost immediately after his words had fallen, Vahn found himself within an unfathomable abyss of Shinsu, face-to-face with a creature that resembled an island-sized crab. The key differences were that it had several bulbous eyes on the top of its head, a zipper-like mouth that was fixed into an excessively creepy smile, and six massive pincers instead of the normal two.
Before Vahn had a chance to address the massive creature, the Guardian preempted him by saying, "You smell delicious. Unbelievably so..." in a surprisingly feminine voice.
Since he had heard a similar remark from the massive eel-like Guardian on the 2nd Floor, Vahn just smiled in response to the creature's words, musing, "I hear that more often than you'd think. I can't give you a taste, however, so shall we move along to discuss the reason behind my visit?"
After producing a few bubbles near the edge of his mouth, the Guardian surprised Vahn a little by answering, "I know why you have come. You wish to take my Test. Since you have the qualifications, I have no reason to refuse. Now, tell me what it is you desire. I will produce a Test that matches your desires."
Deciding it was his turn to surprise the Guardian, Vahn maintained a casual smile as he stated, "You are undoubtedly a being of great power, but there is nothing you can offer me that I cannot obtain myself. The only reason I have sought you out is to ask for permission to advance to the next Floor whenever I please. In exchange, I will offer you this...a token of power from beyond the Tower. What say you, Guardian of the 3rd Floor?"
Though it had distinctly inhuman facial features, the Guardian was able to convey an expression of surprise by opening its eyes a little wider and producing more froth from its mouth. Then, before it reached out to accept the rainbow-hued pearl he had proffered forth, it asked, "You would forgo a Test and instead offer me a gift? What a strange creature...very well, I will accept your token. I have seen for myself your capabilities. This Floor is unable to challenge you, so I will grant you the rite of free passage."
Smiling in response to the creature's words, Vahn surprised the Guardian a second time by moving forward to lightly pat the front of its carapace. This caused it to turn statuesque for a brief moment, commenting, "A very strange creature..." before expelling him from the inter-dimensional space...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Here, take a seat...','Ten years later, Goku, Naruto, and Ichigo can be seen having a showdown against Jahad...','*pat pat pat*')
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