Chapter 1816: Moving Forward
While his temporary vessel was dealing with Baam within the Little Garden, Vahn, still in his dragon transformation, continued to hover silently above the arena. He was doing his best to stand out as much as possible, so, rather than power down after his instantaneous 'erasure' of Baam, he allowed his aura to continually increase as he turned his attention towards the other stages and said, "Sorry about that. You may continue."
Though none of Team Wolf Pack truly believed that Vahn had killed Baam, that didn't prevent them from being stunned by the sequence of events. Even Phae, who was still a nascent Ego linked with Vahn, found herself at a loss for words so Vahn wasn't particularly surprised when a beam of red lightning, courtesy of Rak, emerged from the viewing area reserved for participants.
Rather than attempt to dodge, Vahn allowed Rak's spear to impact his chest without so much as flinching. Instead, a terrifying smile spread across his face as he crossed his arms in what appeared to be a condescending manner. This further upset Rak, but, having violated the rules, he was rather unceremoniously ejected from the viewing stands before Khun and the rest could attempt to calm him down.
Fortunately, there were still several minutes left before the next matches were scheduled to begin so the majority of Team Wolf Pack, after 'glaring' towards Vahn with masks of hatred, moved as a group to intercept the enraged crocodilian. Vahn was very impressed by this display, a 'taunting' smile spreading across his face as he watched the group depart in a hurry...
Since the rest of the matches had yet to continue, Vahn shifted his attention back to the other four stages, his aura continually increasing as he asked, "What are you waiting for? I have already given you permission to continue."
With the exception of Phae and Gandr, the rest of the Regulars, including Endorsi, Ran, and Aleksai, were still a little too surprised to take action. This was actually the trio's first time seeing Vahn in his dragon transformation. Prior to this, they thought his title as Sage Dragon Emperor was just that, a title. Now, however, they realized the title was, quite literally, a description of Vahn's 'true form'...
Seeing the expressions on everyone's faces, the notion that he might have gone a little too far, very briefly, crossed Vahn's mind. Immediately afterward, however, he realized he could capitalize on this situation, a thoughtful glimmer flashing across his blazing golden irises as he looked towards Phae and said, "It seems my presence here is a distraction. Come, Phae, we're leaving."
Though she was momentarily confused by Vahn's words, Phae quickly realized his intentions when he momentarily strengthened their connection. This made her feel a little melancholic, but, as they were already planning to separate following the tournament's conclusion, she quickly teleported to Vahn's side, smiling as she took a seat on his shoulder and said, "I forfeit my match. Good luck with the rest of the tournament."
Before the meaning of her words could properly settle in the minds of everyone present, both she and Vahn vanished in an explosion of golden light. This left the majority of the crowd completely stunned, unable to process what had just happened. The only Regulars exempt from this were the few who had actually bet against Vahn and Phae, their excitement compelling them to shout out in glee as they promptly ran off to collect their earnings...
---
Having already familiarized himself with areas that weren't under the Administration's surveillance during his date with Ryun, Vahn teleported to the roof of a building located in one of the shadier districts of the Coliseum City. The organization known as FUG had created numerous footholds for themselves on virtually every Floor, and, thanks to their agreement with the Guardians, their actions were 'invisible' to the networks maintained by the Administration. This was one of the reasons they were able to recruit gullible Regulars, as it created the illusion they had power that superseded the authority of both the Administrators and the Jahad Empire.
After spreading his senses to confirm their emergence had gone unnoticed, Vahn, now in his human form, pulled out the Little Garden before ejecting Baam from the interior. Then, after explaining the situation, he placed his hand on the boy's shoulder and said, "You won't be walking alone, but, from this moment onward, you'll be treading a path of your own choosing. My last bit of advice, at least for the time being, is that you shouldn't be afraid to make mistakes. People learn more from failure than they do from success, so don't allow setbacks to prevent you from moving forward. When the time comes, I'm certain our paths will cross again...Noctis..."
Though Vahn was tempted to give Baam his 'actual' name, he figured it would be more appropriate for him to receive it from his parents. Thus, after confirming Latin wasn't a language that existed in the Tower, he came up with the name 'Noctis', meaning 'Night'. It wasn't the most creative name, but, considering Baam's current name was derived from a date, Vahn didn't think it was that bad...
Hearing his new name, a look of conviction flashed across Noctis' eyes as he balled his hands into fists and said, "I'll do my best to become strong enough to protect everyone. No matter how many times I stumble, I will always pick myself back up and keep moving forward. I promise."
Smiling in response to the youth's assertion, Vahn ruffled Noctis' hair one final time as he said, "I know you will. Just as you believe in me, I also believe in you. See you at the top, kiddo..."
With those parting words, Vahn retracted his hand from Noctis' head before standing next to Phae, both smiling as they teleported away in an instant. This left Noctis feeling a little melancholic, but, after hearing a ringing sound from his Pocket, the solemn expression on his face melted away as he was reminded of the fact he was never truly alone...
---
Appearing at the entrance to the teleportation terminal connecting to the 11th Floor, Vahn wasn't surprised to find the Ruler of the Floor, Celineth, waiting for them. There were several members of the Test Administration also present, but, as he hadn't exactly violated any rules, it wasn't like they could do anything to him. As a result, Vahn smiled back at the Ruler and his entourage, asking, "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"
Returning a smile of his own, Celineth replied, "I was looking forward to seeing your performance in the finals. With your power, you could have easily won the entire tournament..."
Chuckling in response to the Ruler's words, Vahn's tensions eased as he explained, "There is no real meaning in securing victory in a tournament with five winners. Besides, I have already demonstrated more than enough power to garner the attention of every major faction within the Tower. Going out of my way to bully a bunch of brats isn't really my style. Now, if there is nothing else of import, my companion and I would like to advance to the next Floor."
Though he was amused by Vahn's bravado, Celineth couldn't help frowning slightly in response to the former's words. He was both a High Ranker and the Ruler of an entire Floor, so, while it might not really matter in the grand scheme of things, he still expected a certain amount of respect from others...
Feeling a remarkable aura begin to emanate from the androgynous High Ranker, an exasperated sigh escaped Vahn's lips as he asked, "Are we really doing this? I have already earned the right to advance to the next Floor. Even as the Ruler, you lack the authority to revoke that qualification. Do you really intend to try and intimidate me when we both know you can't so much as lift a finger to prevent my passage? The Guardian will literally erase you from existence if you try something."
With his impression of Vahn decreasing by the moment, Celineth's expression turned sullen as he said, "Even if you possess an extraordinary power, making enemies out of High Rankers is unwise. I had hoped to extend to you my friendship...now, however, it seems you are more interested in my ire. Tell me...did my Lo Po Bia Family offend you somehow...?"
Rather than answer the man's question, Vahn extended his hand out, palm up like he was expecting something. This caused quite a bit of confusion, at least until he explained, "Information isn't free. If you want me to continue with this farce, the price is one-million Points per question."
Vahn had never been fond of being 'interrogated' one-sidedly by people who assumed themselves to be in a position of authority above him. Even he never 'expected' people beneath him to answer his questions one-sidedly so it always annoyed him a little whenever someone expected him to just disclose things for their convenience. This could largely be attributed to Loki's 'training', but, more than anything else, Vahn simply disliked being talked down to by people who believed they could toy with him at their leisure.
As could be expected, his words weren't particularly well-received by the Test Administrators, but, somewhat unexpectedly, Celineth seemed to relax slightly as he pulled out his own Pocket. In the next moment, a million Points had been added to Vahn's. Then, with a smile on his face, he asked, "Tell me...do you have any enmity against the Lo Po Bia Family?"
Quickly realizing that a 'verbal contract' had been established a result of his previous statement, an exasperated sigh escaped Vahn's throat as he answered, "There is no particular enmity between me and the Lo Po Bia Family."
Though he was a little disappointed that Vahn hadn't tried refusing to answer his questions after the contract had been established, Celineth managed to smile as he sent over an additional two-million Points and asked, "What is your reason for climbing the Tower? Are you currently affiliated with any known organizations within the Tower?"
Resolving himself never to arbitrarily antagonize a Ruler in the future, Vahn's expression became increasingly annoyed as he answered, "My reason for climbing the Tower is exactly that: to climb the Tower. I have no particular goal, nor am I directly affiliated with any known organization within the Tower."
Since he had never actually joined Wokhaiksong, Vahn wasn't lying when he said he wasn't 'directly' affiliated with any known organization. He was a prospective member, sure, but there was no need to clarify that.
Satisfied by Vahn's responses, Celineth nodded his head in approval before sending him one last batch of Points, asking, "Tell me, that power you displayed...is that your limit?"
Resisting the urge to roll his eyes in response to the man's rather vague questions, Vahn shook his head in mild exasperation as he answered, "I am steadily growing stronger, just like everyone else that is climbing the Tower. Why would you assume that was my limit?"
Realizing his question hadn't been specific enough, a discontented frown marred Celineth's face as he briefly considered whether or not he wanted to continue throwing Points at the man standing in front of him. As a High Ranker, a few million Points was tantamount to a couple of drops in a very large pale, but that didn't mean he wanted to continue handing them out. The only reason he had accepted Vahn's 'proposal' was to ensnare the man by using his own words against him. Since this hadn't really worked out, he saw no reason to continue playing around; so, after several seconds of silence, he ultimately shook his head, smiling as he said, "I have no further questions. You and your companion may go. I look forward to meeting you once you become a Ranker."
Though he understood the hidden meaning contained within the man's final remark, Vahn didn't pay it any mind. It shouldn't take him more than a few years to rival the average High Ranker, and, by the time he reached the 'top' of the Tower, even the Leaders of the Ten Great Families might not be his match. After all, this was just a trial linking the lowest Realm in the Record to the three major Realms above. If he got stuck in a place like this, he might as well give up on his goal of reaching Tier 7 in a 'timely' manner.
With that in mind, Vahn returned a nod towards Celineth and his entourage before walking past the group without another word. This caused an arrogant smile to spread across the face of the High Ranker, but, having already disregarded the man's existence in its entirety, Vahn advanced toward the teleportation platform without taking notice...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: '*Flex*','Loki's training really 'pays off' in certain situations (OwO)...','Vahn be like, "Bye, Felicia..."')
(A/N: For those who are confused by the 'verbal contract', it was basically just Celineth's attempt to exploit his position as Ruler. The Guardians are generally the 'guarantors' of contracts, but, as the Ruler of a Floor, Celineth basically wields a similar level of authority. Since Vahn had issued terms, it was well within his power to recognize it as an actual contract; one which would have allowed him to take 'direct' action if the terms were violated. TL;DR: Vahn played himself.)
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