Though it took a little longer than expected, primarily due to the fact he had met with a few people at the behest of the Template he created to replace Adori, Vahn eventually made his way over to the temporary estate of the Arie Family. There, he found Hagipherione watching over the younger members of her family as they practiced the training methods he had gifted them weeks prior. His sudden appearance had caught the ashen-haired beauty by surprise, but, as she had been expecting him for quite some time, she quickly passed on her duties to someone else before asking if he would accompany her to her private quarters.
As tempting as the invitation was, Vahn politely refused Hagipherione's offer. He doubtlessly would have said yes a few weeks prior, but, after spending a fair amount of time helping the other girls get situated, the fervor that had initially driven him to act began to wear off. Now, he just wanted to give everyone a chance to relax rather than inadvertently stressing them out with even more additions.
Fortunately, Hagipherione's desire to pursue him had little to do with any sort of emotional attachment. She merely wished to pursue the path of swordsmanship to even greater heights, so, after finishing the first phase of integration between his Realm and the Little Garden, Vahn asked Juuzou Shishimi and Jinbei if they would watch over the Arie Family before gradually making their way up through the Tower.
Though their mastery over the sword might not compare to his own, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that Juuzou and Jinbei were Grandmasters near the pinnacle of swordsmanship. They had also been looking for something to do ever since their departure from the Nasuverse, so, after spending a bit of time familiarizing themselves with Shinsu, they agreed to lend him a hand on the condition they were allowed to quit whenever they wanted.
Vahn had no problems with this, so, after discussing the matter with Eva and introducing the duo to Hagipherione, he recovered the Red October, a rather temperamental Spirit that clearly descended from the Yeon Clan. She possessed their trademark black hair, pink eyes, and, despite having lost most of her memories, their general disdain towards men. This made her a little harder to deal with than the other Spirits, but, after a rather lengthy and meticulous session of maintenance, she mellowed out quite a bit.
With the addition of the Red October, the only part of the Thirteen Month Series Vahn had left to collect was the Dark September, an ownerless black dagger that had been sealed away for the past eight-thousand-years. As for why he waited till the very end to collect her, well, it was primarily due to the fact that she was the Spirit responsible for driving the Princesses who had attempted to wield more than one Thirteen Month Series mad...
...
..
.
Trespassing a barrier located at the bottom of the deepest ocean trench on the 134th Floor, one of the few places untouched by Jahad's cataclysmic attack, Vahn found himself staring at a young girl with black hair lying atop a sacrificial altar. Her body was garbed in a black dress that left very little to the imagination, but, what stood out more than anything was the dagger sticking out of the center of her underdeveloped chest...
"Poor girl...it's no wonder Gustang decided to take his own life. Had I visited this place sooner, I would have invariably killed him myself..."
Though it was her own ambitions that led to the young girl attempting to become a Princess of Jahad, the simple truth of the matter was that the Princess Selection Trials shouldn't have existed in the first place. Jahad had no desire to marry, and, based on how he had spent the last ten-thousand-years, it was pretty clear he didn't care about allaying public concerns.
When it came down to it, the Princess Selection Trial was basically just an excuse for Gustang to experiment with the Power of Blood. When the victor of these trials learned the truth, she felt such an extreme level of despair that she ended up taking her own life in an attempt to curse Jahad, the Ten Great Families, and everyone associated with the Empire. Unfortunately, she failed to account for Jahad's precognitive abilities.
In the end, rather than cursing Jahad and the Empire, the girl ended up becoming the first Spirit attached to a Thirteen Month Series. This was a destructive process that resulted in the fragmentation of her ego, and, as a result, her anger was ultimately redirected towards future Princesses of Jahad. In other words, Jahad had weaponized the despair intended to be used against him as a convenient tool to prevent other Princesses from ever succeeding. He could have just nipped the entire program in the bud, but, just as he had done in nearly every other instance, he decided to simply observe from the sidelines with an impassive expression on his face.
Shaking his head, Vahn grabbed the hilt of the dagger and said, "With this, a tragedy of more than ten-thousand-years comes to an end. I pray you find yourself in a world where you won't have to suffer any longer..."
Though he could have provided such a world himself, Vahn, after discussing the matter with the other Spirits and most of the former Princesses living within the Little Garden, decided it was for the best if the Dark September return to the natural cycle of reincarnation. She would be a constant reminder of the dark history attached to the other Spirits. Thus, for the sake of everyone, including the Dark September, Vahn tightened his grip on the dagger's hilt before muttering, "Begone..."
Responding to his words, the Dark September immediately broke down into its constituent particles before fading from existence moments later. Fortunately, while this was unbelievably tragic, the Spirit of the Dark September was virtually guaranteed to experience great fortune in her next life. She had doubtlessly accrued a tremendous amount of negative karma in the years leading up to her sacrifice, but, from that moment onward, her actions were the direct result of someone else's machinations.
The Spirit of the Dark September had been exploited for more than ten-thousand-years so it was safe to assume that any negative karma she accrued would effectively be converted as compensation for the disproportionate suffering she had been forced to endure. He had also connected a thread comprised of pure Source Energy and intent to her dissipating spirit, so, even if the cycle of reincarnation refused to do her any favors, he could always take matters into his own hands once he reached the Divine Realm.
Choosing to believe in the same forces of balance that had complicated his life on countless occasions, Vahn stared off into the distance for several seconds, a contemplative look on his face, before sweeping his hand and effectively erasing the altar from existence. Then, with a slightly apologetic yet hopeful smile on his face, he gazed skyward, his eyes piercing through the barrier, the ocean above, and even the Tower itself as he muttered, "I suppose it's time to continue my own journey...let's just hope Shiroyasha extends me an invitation before I end up adding another twenty women to my harem..."
Though Vahn was intending to put the "what happens in the outside stays outside" saying to practice, he had very little confidence in his ability to leave women he had become attached to behind. He would do his best, but, understanding the type of person he had become, the odds were stacked against him. Thus, while it was unfair to place this burden on the Demon Queen who had been observing his journey from the comfort of the Divine Realm, Vahn was hoping she would act sooner rather than later...
"Well...either way, I'm looking forward to seeing where the Tower sends me. Will I end up in Heaven, the Netherworld, or Purgatory? Time to find out..."
...
..
.
Despite his words, Vahn ended up spending several additional weeks within the Tower before making his way to the 200th Floor's Altar of Reincarnation. In that time, he helped solve a few problems for the Template he had placed in charge of the Tower before picking up Yurin and checking in on Phae, Gandr, and the other members of Team Wolf Pack.
Vahn felt like he had stolen the spotlight from the original heroes of the Tower, so, prior to his departure, he gave each of them a System Template before building a tiny cottage on the 200th Floor for Rachel to live in until she either reincarnated or allowed herself to be picked up by Baam. Either way, he wasn't going to let her remain in his Realm, and, no matter how much she begged, the Little Garden had no place for people who didn't even try to change.
When everything was said and done, Vahn found himself standing in the center of the Altar of Reincarnation with more than a dozen Templates and a few guests to see him off. Then, after a few parting words, he activated the altar with the intention of experiencing what it was like to reincarnate within a Record. He was sort of hoping there would be a God or Goddess waiting for him on the other side. Their reactions were always novel and amusing, and, depending on the circumstances, he might even be able to skip directly to the Divine Realm.
Unfortunately, the only thing Vahn experienced after initializing the reincarnation process was a slight tugging sensation reminiscent of the phenomenon he experienced when entering a new Record for the first time. This included passing through a number of layers that basically represented the various Laws of the world.
Feeling said layers attempt to strip away his power and authority, Vahn willingly relinquished it without any real resistance. He could literally become as strong as he needed to be, so, for the sake of enjoying his first few months in a new world, he didn't mind starting from scratch. After all, there was a very real chance that he might be reborn as an infant, a thought that previously terrified him until he discussed it with the girls. They seemed to believe he would benefit from experiencing a relatively 'normal' childhood, so, while the notion made him more than a little uncomfortable, he would be lying if he said he wasn't excited by the prospect...
...
..
.
After a period of time that felt like several weeks, or even months, compressed into a single moment, Vahn was beginning to feel bored. This was taking a lot longer than he anticipated and he couldn't exactly return to the Little Garden since he had no idea what might happen if the process was interrupted partway through. Rather, unless he was feeling especially lonely, the consensus everyone had come to was that he would only visit the Little Garden once he managed to reach the Divine Realm. The 10Y:1D conversion had already been arranged, so, even if he spent a hundred years on his path towards Tier 6, only ten days would pass within.
Fortunately, even within the nebulous void that existed between dimensions, Vahn could still access the system function of The Path, and, more importantly, converse with Sis. He also had the option of reliving his memories, so, while the process was taking longer than expected, it wasn't like he had nothing to do. Rather, even if he ended up trapped within the void for what might equate to an eternity in the 'outside', he could always advance by simply expanding his Realm into the outside and creating his own reality. He was even beginning to suspect he had been reincarnated into a situation where he was the Progenitor God of his own Universe and the only reason things were taking so long was because he was being lazy...
...
..
.
After what felt like an entire year, Vahn was pretty close to uttering the oh-so-famous phrase, "Let there be light.". Fortunately, Sis had talked him out of it, suggesting that the delay could be the result of his new body gestating. It would cause all kinds of problems if a reincarnator was transmigrated into a developing fetus, so, as he was wont to do, Vahn decided to place his trust in Sis's words. This ended up being the correct choice, but, unfortunately, he hadn't been reincarnated as a baby. Instead, he found himself waking up in what appeared to be a desolate wasteland filled with strange purple flowers beneath a crimson red sky. Infinitely stranger was the fact that he appeared to be a penguin-like creature with blue skin, bat-like wings, stubby arms, peg legs, and visible stitching along his stomach...almost like he was trapped inside a costume filled with flesh...
"What the hell...?"
...
..
.
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'RIP Hag...','Oof. Rachel just got destroyed...','Quite literally...')
https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu <-(p.atreon link)
paypal.me/Einlion
Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh
"I knew there was a possibility I would reincarnate as something inhuman, but what kind of creature has explosives in lieu of normal organs? Loi...?"
Though he had resolved himself not to make use of her too much, Vahn habitually called out the pet nickname he had given to the Law of Identity. In response, a cute yet clumsy-looking redhead manifested out of thin air, her frayed ponytail and breasts bouncing despite the fact she wasn't influenced by things like gravity.
"Hai~! Hai~! Loi-chan reporting~! And might I say, you're looking particularly adorable today, Vahn-sama~."
Staring up at her with his dark, seemingly soulless, eyes, Vahn asked, "Can you please tell me where, and what, I am...?"
Supplying a quick salute, the Law of Identity's body immediately changed into a complex and ancient-looking grimoire before answering in a voice that sounded as ancient as time itself, "It appears you are located in Netherworld #104,332,492,001,233 on the planet Blood Parch. As for your race, you appear to be something called a Larval Prinny God with the appearance of a Private Prinny, one of the weakest demonic creatures in the entire Netherworld."
Nodding his head, Vahn was about to ask for more information when a blindingly bright light illuminated the horizon with such intensity that the rest of the world appeared to darken for a brief moment. Immediately thereafter, a mushroom cloud shaped like the face of a cartoonish demon, complete with bat-like wings, bloomed into existence less than a hundred kilometers from his positions.
"Well now...that's unexpected. Does this world function with Gag Laws? That would explain why my body's proportions are so strange. I sincerely never expected to encounter the Law of Normalcy outside one of my Actualized Worlds..."
Shaking his head, or, more accurately, his entire body, Vahn allowed the Law of Identity to disappear back into non-existence as he opened his Status. Even if this world functioned on Gag Laws, something typically only found in worlds with heavy comedic overtones, his status should still reflect his power in relation to the beings that occupied the Three Realms...
----------------------------------------------------
[Status]
Name: Vahn Aldrnari Mason
Age: 0
Race: Prinny, (*sealed*)
Class: Larval Prinny God
Parameters: [Transcendental Path to Heaven 1-6]
Level: 1
HP: 3000(150%)
SP: 5000(300%)
ATK: 290(120%)
DEF: 230(90%)
INT: 400(135%)
RES: 710(150%)
HIT: 190(115%)
SPD: 290(120%)
SOUL: 5
KARMA: 100
OP: 913,556,210
HL: 0
Innates: [Will of the Emperor: SSS], [Rakshasa Body: SS], [Keeper of the Akashic Tome: B], [Eyes of Truth: A], [Universal Mind: B], [Actualization: (-)]
Weapon Mastery: [Sword: SSS(300%)], [Spear: SS(150%)], [Axe: S(120%)], [Fist: S(120%], [Staff: SS(150%)], [Gun: S(120%)], [Bow: SS(150%)], [MonAttack: S(120%)], [MonMagic: S(120%], [Armor: S(120%)]
Resistances: [Fire: -25%], [Ice: 25%], [Wind: 0%], [Star: 0%]
Weapon Resistances: [Sword: 15%], [Spear: 15%], [Axe: 15%], [Fist: -20%], [Staff: -20%], [Gun: 15%], [Bow: 15%], [Monster: 50%]
Reincarnation Costs: [Good-for-Nothing: 1000], [Incompetent: 10,000], [Average: 100,000], [Skilled: 500,000], [Distinguished: 10,000,000], [Genius: 100,000,000,000]
Evilities: [Explosive Body], [Focused Bomb], [Nine Lives], [Immune]
----------------------------------------------------
[Explosive Body]
Effect: Explodes when thrown or impacted with sufficient force.
[Focused Bomb]
Effect: Deals 100% of HP as damage when exploding.
[Nine Lives]
Effects: Can be exploded nine times without sustaining damage.
[Immunity]
Effects: You are immune to negative status and debuffs.
----------------------------------------------------
Skills: [Anomaly: ???], [Never Say Die: S], [Say it, Dood!], [Hands of Nirvana: SSS], [Godsmith: A], [Godly Chef: E], [Divine Swordsman: S], [God of Magic: B]
----------------------------------------------------
[Anomaly]
Rank: ???
Effect: You are an abstract existence that should not exist yet is somehow able to. You have been bound to the form of a Prinny as a precaution. Please don't break anything.
[Say it, Dood!]
Rank: D
Effect: You feel compelled to say the word dood at the end of your sentences.
[Never Say Die]
Rank: S
Effect: Your HP cannot be reduced below 1 except through specific circumstances.
[Godsmith]
Rank: A
Effect: You are able to forge practically anything.
[Godly Chef]
Rank: E
Effect: People will gather from across the Three Realms to taste your cooking.
[Divine Swordsman]
Rank: S
Effect: Your skills defy logic and even make the Gods tremble in fear.
[God of Magic]
Rank: B
Effect: You have peered into the Abyss and the Abyss blinked.
----------------------------------------------------
Though he was pleasantly surprised to see his Status, Vahn couldn't help feeling it was a little too game-like. He wasn't really complaining but it was a little strange to see he had something like an HP(Health Points) value. That implied everything else would have health, and, unless he could deal an adequate amount of damage, people and monsters would be able to shrug off his attacks without flinching.
"Well...at least it makes things interesting..."
As that thought crossed his mind, Vahn attempted to take flight using his bat-like wings only to discover that they didn't actually do anything. They were purely ornamental, but, by using a bit of his SP(Special Points), he could achieve a form of flight similar to a Dragon.
*Unique Skill: Dragon's Flight Unlocked*
"Oho..."
...
..
.
After quickly familiarizing himself with his Status, Vahn took off with hypersonic speed towards the explosion that had occurred several minutes prior. Along the way, he noticed the charred remains of countless animals, monsters corpses, and, of course, Prinnies.
"I understand this is supposed to be a world where people repent for their sins but isn't this a little excessive? It reminds me a little too much of Azathoth's Realm..."
Shaking that thought from his mind, an action that caused him to perform a barrel roll due to his distinct lack of a neck, Vahn decided not to feel too guilty about the lives of people living in the Netherworld. He would help those he felt like helping, but, as could be expected, most of the creatures living here were sinners in their previous lives. There would be exceptions, of course, but, more often than not, the more monstrous a creature appeared, the more terrible they had been in their previous life.
"Hmm...? Is that an army of Prinnies...?"
Seeing a number of blue-skinned Prinnies gathered up and huddled behind objects such as crates and barrels, Vahn increased his elevation in order to get a better look. They seemed to be squaring off against a horde of goblin-like orcs, demons, and a few dragon-like creatures, most of which had the exactly same skin color and appearance. This was how the Netherworld stripped away a person's identity, and, unless they managed to Reincarnate or grow beyond a certain threshold of power, most entities within the Netherworld were indistinguishable from other members of their race and class...
As Vahn was looking down at them, a considerable number of beasts, monsters, demons, and even people took notice of him. This included a woman with a paradoxically thin yet shapely figure which included large breasts and pert buttocks. She also had bright pink hair tied up in a complex ponytail, amethyst eyes, and, most notably, pointed ears. These complimented her fairly skimpy yet stylish attire quite a bit, so much so that, even though he was largely immune to the Law of Normalcy, Vahn felt she was a beautiful and charming woman.
Almost as soon as that thought crossed his mind, Vahn's figure produced an afterimage as he sidestepped a heart-shaped energy projectile fired from the woman's dual pistols. If he had a brow to raise, he would have done so, as, immediately after missing her shot, the pink-haired woman shouted, "You, Prinny! How dare you look down upon this Lady Seraphina! Stay still so I can hit you properly...!"
Punctuating her words, the woman, ostensibly called Seraphina, fired a barrage of bright pink projectiles that whizzed past him at hypersonic speeds. They were actually a fair bit faster than him, but, thanks to his considerable experience, the distance between them, and the woman's remarkably terrible aim, dodging them was fairly easy. The only thing he found strange about the situation was that the word *miss* would invariably appear above his head every time he evaded one of her attacks.
"You...you...you...! I told you to stay put! What kind of Prinny dares to defy the most beautiful, courageous, and intelligent demoness in all the Netherworlds!?"
Surprised by the woman's shameless self-promotion, Vahn momentarily ceased dodging, but, even then, none of her attacks managed to hit. This caused the pink-haired woman to glower with tears in her eyes before reaching into her cleavage as if it was some kind of dimensional storage. What came out was a spherical bomb larger than both of her breasts, and, based on the demonic-faced pattern painted on the side, it was fairly obvious this was the source of the previous explosion.
"Eat this, you jerk...!"
Despite her rather thin and dainty appearance, Seraphina managed to throw the explosive with the force of a canon. Far more surprising, and somewhat ironic, was the fact that she was somehow more accurate with the bomb than she was at firing her pistols. As a result, it ended up landing in between Vahn's flippers as if his actions were guided by some unseen force.
"What the-"
Before he could finish his exclamation, a massive explosion enveloped Vahn, Seraphina, and the entire battlefield. This was quite the sight to behold from a distance, but, once the bright pink light had faded away, Vahn had what could best be described as a deadpan expression on his face as a measly *290* appeared above his head. Even stranger was the fact that none of the other people enveloped by the explosion had taken any damage, Seraphina included.
"How did you survive my Ultra Secret Love Bomb of Death!? Don't tell me...are you some kind of Prinny Overlord!?"
Rubbing the back of his head with his flipper, Vahn didn't really know what to say. All he knew for certain was that Seraphina must be someone important to this world as there was a vague aura of fate flowing around her. The forces in charge of his reincarnation had clearly sent him here for a reason. The only question was, did he feel like putting up with an ostensibly spoiled heroine with a princess mentality and an aura reminiscent of a Succubus?
"Well...at least she can help me to get my bearings..."
As that thought crossed his mind, Vahn's figure vanished from where he had been hovering in mid-air. In the very next instant, he appeared behind Seraphine, his relatively short height and her remarkably short skirt combining to provide quite the view as he looked up and said, "You should control your temper, or, at the very least, choose your opponents wisely. Had I been an enemy, your careless action would have placed you in quite the predicament..."
Spinning around with surprising speed and grace, Seraphina pointed the heart-shaped barrel of her gun towards Vahn's head, a victorious smile on her face as she exclaimed, "Ha! Got you now, you perverted little freak...!"
Without any discernible hesitation, Seraphina punctuated her words by pulling the trigger. At the exact same moment, however, Vahn's figure left behind an afterimage as he, once again, appeared behind her.
Before the befuddled beauty could so much as bat an eye, Vahn chopped the top of her head with the intent to knock a bit of sense into her. Instead, a *371* appeared above her head as a golden *Critical!* rippled across his vision. This caused Seraphina to collapse heavily against the ground ground, her butt leaving a visible imprint in the stone terrain as a bump the size of a grapefruit, complete with cross-shaped bandages, appeared atop her head...
"You...you...you stupid jerk...! How dare you strike the most beautiful Overlord in the entire Universe!? Didn't anyone ever tell you that you're not supposed to hit beautiful women...!?"
Tearing his eyes was from the comically oversized bump, Vahn met Seraphina's gaze with the intent to gently chide her. Instead, visible hearts appeared within the center of her amethyst pupils as she shouted, "Fine! You asked for it! Taste my Overload Ability! Balor Gaze...!"
...
..
.
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn, the Anomalous Prinny God','Well, that escalated quickly...','That's a lot of damage...!')
https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu <-(p.atreon link)
paypal.me/Einlion
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