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72.38% Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos / Chapter 1707: Rapport

Chapter 1707: Rapport

With the first day of lessons coming to an end, Gandr was walking alongside Shibisu and Hatsu as they made their way toward the commissary. Their class had finished a little earlier than the rest of the classes due to the special assignment they had been given by Quant: making ten friends before the end of the week.

Scouts were meant to be skilled at gathering information, not just on the battlefield, but outside of it. They were required to be extremely sociable, as, more often than not, they were the ones sent to various locations in order to meet with people, exchange information, and transport goods. Scouts who were unable to perform these functions had an exceedingly difficult time finding teams, as, not only were they the most 'common' Position, they were considered by most to be the weakest.

As an exception to the rule, Gandr wasn't too concerned about his future path. Instead, he had a smile on his face as he walked along with his hands behind his head, listening as Shibisu groaned, "Ahhh, my body isn't going to hold out if this keeps up. Why'd you have to rile that matchhead up so much, man?"

Snicking in response to Shibisu's complaint, Gandr just plainly remarked, "This level of training is nothing. When I was learning swordsmanship, even losing limbs was a pretty common occurrence. You'll need to work on your strength and stamina if you want to reach the 134th Floor and become a Ranker."

Agreeing with Gandr's words, Hatsu nodded his head, his expression a lot more relaxed despite the layer of sweat covering his brow. He had trained his stamina for years, so, while the training wasn't exactly easy, he was better off than most.

Seeing the two swordsmen showing no real signs of fatigue, Shibisu released a tired sigh, rubbing his shoulders as he changed the subject and asked, "So, what's the deal between you and Anak? Do need some advice from your big brother?"

Flopping his ears to the side, Gandr pretended not to understand what Shibisu was talking about, asking, "What do you mean?"

Amused by his furry companion's reaction, Shibisu attempted to link his arm around the former's shoulder, a teasing smile on his face. Unfortunately, just as he attempted to lean some of his weight against Gandr's body, Shibisu phased through his body and fell to the ground, landing hard on his elbow.

Inhaling sharply, Shibisu began furiously rubbing his elbow as he exclaimed, "You brat! Don't you know how to take a joke!? Jeez..."

Ignoring Shibisu's outburst, Gandr just stared blankly at the man before offering him his hand as he said, "There is nothing between me and Anak. She is pretty cute, but I don't have an interest in things like that right now. I just wanted to ease her burdens a little. It's pretty obvious how lonely she is and it never hurts to have more friends."

Rising to his feet with Gandr's help, Shibisu continued to rub his arm for a bit as he said, "Yeah, you make a good point. I just thought there was more going on since you even helped to fix our team's issues following the Crown Game. A lot of people were pretty upset with her so thanks for helping patch things up. You and Phae are pretty amazing people..."

As if he had only just remembered something, Shibisu's expression became slightly lecherous as he spontaneously asked, "Oh yeah, what's the deal with Phae? Though she eats with everyone else, it's pretty hard to approach her if you're a guy. Is there something going on between her and that Vahn fellow?"

With his ears twitching slightly in response to Shibisu's words, Gandr's expression darkened slightly as he fixated his gaze upon the man and said, "You shouldn't ask questions like that. Also, unless he gives you permission to call him like that, you shouldn't refer to my Master as 'fellow'. He might not care about things like that, but it always annoys me a little when I hear people demeaning his status like that..."

Holding his hands up in a gesture of surrender, Shibisu was sincere as he said, "Sorry. I didn't mean to upset you or insult your Master. I just wanted to ask the question that was on all the guys' minds. It's not every day you meet a woman of Phae's caliber. Can you really blame us for being curious?"

Though he continued to stare pointedly at Shibisu, Gandr's expression and body relaxed slightly as he nodded his head and said, "It's fine as long as it's just curiosity. I don't think Phae even minds it when people stare at her. Just make sure you don't do anything stupid and I won't have anything to say about it. Phae can be very scary when she's mad so you only have yourself to blame if you make her angry. Even my Master can't do much against her when she goes off the deep end."

Recalling the scene of Phae 'casually' smashing two Regulars with her hammer, neither Shibisu nor Hatsu doubted the veracity of Gandr's claim. The former, in particular, had felt his skin crawl when Phae looked at him with her patented smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. She was very calm and poised most of the time, but, the moment you angered her, you would feel a biting chill spread through your body despite the surrounding temperature noticeably increasing...

---

With time to kill before the other classes let out, Gandr ordered a substantial amount of food from the cafeteria, his portions taking up an entire section of the table everyone sat at together. Then, in the characteristic manner of a Vanargandr, he began devouring it at a pace that caused everyone in the surroundings to pale slightly.

Noticing Gandr's teeth always became sharper whenever he was eating, a very young-looking girl wearing a baggy pink hoodie and dark pink skirt couldn't help but ask, "Gandr? Why do your teeth change whenever you eat?"

Hearing someone call his name, Gandr continued chewing the food in his mouth as he turned his attention to the voice's owner. There, he saw a girl who appeared to be around ten-years-old. She had blonde hair styled in a bob-pixie cut and gold eyes that resembled polished bronze. He knew who this girl was even before their Scout classes as she stood out quite a bit, not just because of her appearance but because of the red pot she always carried around in her backpack.

After swallowing down his food with a loud gulp, Gandr offered a toothy grin to the young girl as he mused, "Very perceptive, Nare! As for the answer to your question, well, it's pretty obvious, isn't it? I'm a member of the Vanargandr tribe. We're the descendants of a wolf that was said to be able to devour the Heavens and swallow stars in its massive maw. Because of that, all Vanargandrs have an insatiable appetite that allows us to convert everything we eat into energy. Even if I devoured all the food in this cafeteria, I would still have room in my stomach for seconds! Shishishishi~."

Though his words surprised a number of people, Nare seemed to have a slightly different view than everyone else, her expression turning slightly envious as she complained, "It must be nice...if I don't watch my weight, I become fat in an instant. Maintaining my womanly physique is a constant battle against the enemy known as calories..."

As she hadn't really tried to conceal her words, everyone at the table turned their attention towards Nare, their expressions turning skeptical as Shibisu voiced everyone's thoughts, saying, "I might not be an expert, but even I can see you have a long way to go before you can call yourself womanly. In fact, I think you might benefit from eating a little more..."

Understanding what Shibisu was insinuating, Nare's expression darkened in an instant as she stared at him with a look that could kill. Both of her parents were from races that were naturally petite, her mother being a member of the Golden Pixie tribe while her father was a Dwelfing. She had already experienced her growth spurt and was actually considered quite a beauty back in her hometown so it annoyed her to no end having people treat her like a child. Fortunately, she managed to meet a handsome man who could appreciate her beauty during the Deathmatch test. He had even agreed to become her Knight, protecting her from harm and pampering her whenever they had the chance to be alone.

Thinking of her Knight, Nare managed to gradually calm herself down but not before she pointed her steak knife towards Shibisu, saying, "You'll never be popular with women if you say things like that."

Feeling like he had suffered some kind of mental damage, Shibisu visibly flinched in response to Nare's words. It didn't help that several others began laughing at his expense, the only exception being Hatsu since he didn't really show emotion. As for Gandr, he was laughing while shoveling food down his mouth, enjoying the constant entertainment he got while hanging out with these people...

---

Though it didn't take that much effort, Phae was feeling a little fatigued after sitting in the same place for nearly ten hours. The Lighthouse could grow to the size of a room or shrink small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, so, whenever a Light Bearer was accessing its systems, they typically concealed themselves inside.

Since they were capable of floating freely within a Shinsu field, Lighthouses could effectively be used to survey a battlefield while flying high above the danger. This was actually one of the reasons Spear Bearers were trained to hit targets in the air as one of the quickest ways to gain an advantage against an enemy team had always been to destroy their Lighthouse...

While stretching her body, extending both arms up to ease some of the tension in her shoulders, Phae noticed several gazes immediately shift to her. This was something that took a little getting used to, but, after mastering what Da Vinci called the 'reaper's smile', Phae had been able to deter most overtly lecherous gazes.

Noticing two separate people approaching her, Phae shifted her attention to the Administrator, earning a disarming smile from the man as he said, "You performed exceptionally well today, Ms. Phae. At this rate, you are bound to become one of the greatest Light Bearers in the Tower. Being able to teach someone with your talents has been a great privilege."

Playing her part well, Phae giggled in amusement at Lero-Ro's words, combing back her bangs out of practice and necessity before replying, "It should be my honor to have such a capable teacher. It might be the first day, but I can already feel my horizons expanding. Should I reach the heights you think me capable of, I will be sure to let everyone in the Tower know who introduced me to the path of a Light Bearer."

Though it was a far cry from the bow she offered Vahn, Phae performed a polite genuflection upon the completion of her words. She didn't miss the momentary wandering of the Administrator's eyes, but, by the time she raised her head, Lero-Ro's gaze had returned to her eyes. This was something else that Phae had gotten used to, so, after quickly fixing her hair, she mused, "It seems there are others seeking my attention. It has been a pleasure, Administrator Lero-Ro. I look forward to your continued guidance in the days to come."

Having long noticed the presence lingering off to the side, Lero-Ro returned a polite nod before saying, "It is a shame there is only thirty days before classes end. With your talents, I feel motivated to teach you everything I know about being a Light Bearer. That would be favoritism, however, so I will be on my way to meet with other students. Have a pleasant evening, Ms. Phae."

Finished with his farewells, Lero-Ro briefly shifted his attention to the young woman who had been waiting at the side. This smile on his face almost immediately faded into a more serious expression, as, despite the nominations for Best Seed traditionally belonging to the teacher, this particular girl had been nominated by the Director. To further exacerbate matters, her performance was barely up to standard, far from the 'Best Seed' designation handed to her on a silver platter.

Lero-Ro knew there was definitely 'something' going on behind the scenes but his investigation had turned up more questions than answers. Still, he didn't want to be accused of playing favorites, so, even if he didn't mean it, Lero-Ro offered a polite node to the young woman before saying, "I hope you have a pleasant evening as well, Ms. Michelle Light..."

Returning a smile of her eye, Michelle, better known as Rachel, showed no visible signs that she was bothered by the difference in treatment between herself and Phae. Instead, she copied the bow she had witnessed moment's prior, surprising both Phae and Lero-Ro by the near-seamless execution as she answered, "Thank you for your kind words, Administrator Lero-Ro. Though my skills are far from Ms. Phae's, I can feel myself improving steadily thanks to your patient tutelage. Please take care of me tomorrow as well."

Though he wasn't entirely sure of the reason, Lero-Ro felt an incongruous mixture of awkwardness and shame after hearing Rachel's words. His intuition told him there was something wrong with the woman, but, despite his best efforts, he was unable to see through her. This was more than enough to tell him there was something amiss, but, even if that was the case, there wasn't really anything he could do about the situation unless Rachel was caught breaking some kind of rule.

Quickly suppressing his emotions, a relaxed smile spread across Lero-Ro's face as he nodded his head and said, "With that kind of attitude, you are bound to improve greatly. I'll see both of you young ladies tomorrow at 7 AM, sharp. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other students to attend before they all wander off."

With those parting words, Lero-Ro waved towards the girls before walking off with the same smile affixed to his face. His departure was monitored by both Phae and Rachel before the latter shifted her attention to the far more mature and beautiful woman standing across from her. For a very brief moment, a dangerous light flashed across her eye, but, by the time Phae turned to meet her with a smile, it had vanished into thin air...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Can't touch this','Om nom nom nom','The problems that arise from being an attractive woman...')

https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu <-(p.atreon link)

paypal.me/Einlion

Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh


next chapter

Chapter 1708: Experience

Having returned to his room long before the other classes had let out, Vahn had been practicing his Shinsu control in accordance with the method demonstrated by Laure. This involved imagining the Shinsu as a massive sphere of water that formed around a mental image of yourself, accounting for both physical appearance and body position. From there, you would compress the sphere within your mind, and, assuming you held the image successfully, a Baang of Shinsu would begin to form in the exact same spot you had imagined it.

Though Vahn could effectively ignore the need for this exercise due to the existence of his domain, he couldn't deny there was merit in learning the 'proper' method. It seemed that the Shinsu on the Floors actually worked to compress his domain, so, the more he expanded it, the greater the strain on his body, mind, and spirit. This wasn't that much of an issue if he stayed put, but, the moment he began moving through the Shinsu field, the resistance against him would increase exponentially like a drag force.

Fortunately, there were few people who could compete with him when it came to mental imaging and perceiving the surrounding space. Vahn knew the purpose of the exercise was simply to create a mental awareness of the Shinsu in your surroundings, but, unlike most people, he already knew 'everything' was just an amalgamation of some kind of energy. He had also spent a fair amount of time as a literal God of Space, Time, and Creation, so, rather than his original nine golden spheres of Shinsu, Vahn had practically turned the interior of his room into an observatory. There were more than a thousand bluish-white dots of various sizes gently pulsating in his surroundings, each acting in accordance to his intent.

While it wasn't really suitable for combat, at least in its current state, Vahn could essentially create as many Baangs of Shinsu as he wanted. It took time to form each individual sphere, but, from the moment it had taken shape, Vahn could easily maintain each of the spheres due to his inordinately precise control. He was someone who could literally account for the trillions of cells that made up a person's body, so, when it came to something like visualizing the placement of a thousand baangs, well, there was really no comparing the two at all...

Opening his eyes slowly and methodically, Vahn took in his surroundings for the first time since he had started his training. This caused a few of the baangs to twinkle, nearly collapsing, but, with no other forces acting upon them, they were ultimately able to remain stable. Fortunately, even if a few did collapse, he wouldn't need to worry about a chain reaction due to the propensity of the Shinsu to simply pop like a bubble before vanishing into thin air.

Satisfied with the result he had achieved, Vahn decided to conduct one final test before moving to the commissary to grab a bite to eat. This was obviously unnecessary, but, in order to successfully reinforce the image he was trying to create, establishing a baseline for others' expectations was one of the most important steps.

Without moving a single muscle, Vahn expanded his domain like a bubble, enveloping the spheres of Shinsu before they had the chance to destabilize. They immediately turned golden in response to the invisible field generated by his domain, and, though the Shinsu contained within didn't increase, their golden luminance gave off the impression they were far more powerful than normal baangs...

---

With Rachel asking if they could talk in private, Phae followed the young woman until they arrived in a vacant corridor. She was honestly a little curious about what kind of scheme the toxic woman was cooking up within her mind. The moment Rachel revealed her true nature was the exact same moment all her plans went up in smoke. Vahn, and, by proxy, Phae, and Gandr, might not be willing to punish someone who had yet to commit a crime, but, the moment they caught someone in the act, they would not hesitate to pass judgment.

Unfortunately, it seemed like Rachel's current objective was merely trying to ingratiate herself to others, turning to face Phae with a 'starstruck' expression, smiling radiantly as she said, "Ms. Phae really is amazing. Not only are you beautiful, but your skill and talent would be enough to make even the descendants of the Ten Great Families green with envy. If I had even a tenth of your talent, I think I could reach the top of the Tower without issue...how unfortunate..."

Though she started off similar to a bubbly fangirl, Rachel quickly adopted a melancholic expression towards the end of her statement. There was a genuine listlessness in her eyes, and, though it didn't change much, there was a very small ripple across her ever-steady aura. Immediately after that, she did her best to put on an apologetic smile as she emulated Phae's action of combing through her bangs and saying, "Sorry...I just..."

Shattering whatever expectations Rachel might have had, Phae just giggled lightly in response to her little act before musing, "You might be lacking in other departments, but your acting skill is top-notch. With a few simple touch-ups and a bit of exercise, you could easily become a pop-star or an actress with skill like that~."

Showing both practiced and genuine confusion in her expression, Rachel tilted her head slightly as she asked, "What do you mean, Ms. Phae? I don't understand..."

Pulling out Da Vinci's patented reaper smile, Phae sent shivers through Rachel's body as she lightly squinted her eyes and remarked, "Young lady, you might be able to fool normal people, but you are far from the point of being able to trick a member of the Imperial Court. I have dealt with schemers, corrupt nobles, and literal villains for hundreds of years. I've even encountered a literal Goddess of Trickery, someone who had lived for hundreds-of-millions-of-years. Your skills are undoubtedly very impressive, but you are far too inexperienced to play this game with someone like me."

With her face gradually paling in spite of her unwaveringly calm aura, Rachel continued pretending she had no idea what Phae was talking about. Tears began to well up in her eyes, and, after what seemed like an inordinate amount of effort, she was able to sobbingly reply, "I don't understand...I just wanted to ask for your advice...everyone seems to look up to you...I thought you would be nice to me as well..."

Realizing she was dealing with quite the sociopath, Phae's smile faded away completely, replaced by a serious expression as she said, "If you want to make friends, the only thing you ever needed to do was show sincerity. The reason people shun you is that there are times when you drop your little act without realizing it. This causes people to feel uncomfortable around you because, here in the Tower, everyone 'expects' others to betray them. You also put a half-hearted effort into everything you do, convincing yourself you lack talent so you refuse to even try..."

Showing instantaneous anger in response to Phae's words, Rachel was about to scream at the top of her lungs before a gloved hang silenced her with a resounding slap. This was enough to instantly change the character she was playing, but, for a very brief moment, Phae noticed the woman's aura had become darker than pitch. It was like her aura had become a black hole, swallowing everything in its surroundings and causing the world to appear ever-so-slightly darker.

Though she was tempted to slap the malice out of the woman, Phae's expression actually softened a little as she calmly stated, "Stop blaming everyone else for your shortcomings. I once knew a guy who had absolutely no talent in the sword, but, after hundreds of years of tireless effort, he reached a point where he could, quite literally, cut through the concepts. You might lack talent, but, so long as you apply yourself, there are no limits to your growth. You could become as strong and beautiful as you like, you just refuse to put in the effort. Instead, you blame the world and the people around you for things that have absolutely nothing to do with them, all while disdaining anyone who would 'dare' treat you in a similar manner..."

Despite the harshness of her words, Phae maintained a motherly smile and a gentle tone during the entirety of her speech. She genuinely wanted to stop Rachel from doing something she was bound to regret, so, before the venomous woman could retort, Phae pulled out what appeared to be a tiny jade marble, explaining, "This is a rare medicine known as the [Flawless Jade Pill]. Purchase a mat or something from the commissary and then lay it out on your bedroom floor. After that, remove your clothes and then ingest this pill. It will cause you some discomfort, but this medicine has the ability to remove the impurities in a person's body. Once the process is completed, you will be covered in a foul-smelling liquid, but, once it has been wiped away, your skin will be as smooth as jade. I want you to take it and reflect on everything I told you today. If you are serious about reaching the stars, stop slithering around like a green-eyed snake eager to strike anyone you perceive as being more fortunate than yourself..."

Since Rachel hadn't accepted the pill, Phae punctuated her words by tossing it directly at the young woman. After that, she turned around without another word, an exhausted sigh escaping her lips as she left the woman to brood alone within the darkening corridor...

---

Though they had already finished their meals, most of the Scout candidates chose to remain in the commissary. Their task of making ten friends limited them to just one other Scout candidate, so, in order to complete their objective by the end of the week, they needed to convince Regulars in the other classes to put down their names.

Noticing members of the other classes beginning to file in, several of the Scouts seated around the table immediately rose to their feet in order to intercept the migrating group. Gandr, Shibisu, and Hatsu, however, just stayed in place, as, if the previous days were any indicator, it was only a matter of time before their usual group congregated gathered.

Even without Hatsu shifting his gaze with a troubled expression on his face, the subtle twitching of Gandr's ears indicated that he was well-aware of the situation. As a result, he easily tilted his head to the side, evading the attempt to touch his ears. Immediately after that, his body seemed to fall through the bench, sinking into the floor and vanishing in an instant.

Clicking her tongue, Endorsi began looking around the area for where Gandr would reappear. At this point, she was absolutely determined to pet the young Vanargandr's head. Her instincts told her that his ears were very soft, and, though it was a little annoying to be evaded so easily, Endorsi actually found the boy's 'bashful' behavior rather cute.

Just as she began to consider ways to bait the boy into allowing her to touch his ears, Endorsi was surprised when two hands suddenly appeared from the ground, grasping her ankles. She felt a very strange sensation spread through her body, almost like her awareness had increased exponentially, but, before she could make sense of this, Endorsi soon found herself immersed up to her hips in the ground...

After recovering from the initial shock, an exceptionally flustered look appeared on Endorsi's face as she looked up at the boy now towering over her, shouting, "You fluffy-eared rascal! If you don't get me out of the floor this instant, I swear you'll regret it for the rest of your life! Don't make me break out of here by force...!"

Though she could easily emerge from the ground, the commissary was one of the few places they were strictly told never to damage. There was a heavy penalty for damaging the facility, so, with only 2,418 points to her name, Endorsi was hesitant to break free.

Before helping the Princess escape her confines, Gandr squated down just beyond her natural reach to say, "Touching someone without their permission is never okay. Besides, a Vanargandr's ears and tail are the most sensitive spots on their body, places we only allow close family, those we sincerely respect, and those we love to touch. Touching our ears without permission would be the human equivalent of randomly groping someone's chest or butt, so, unless you can honestly tell me you wouldn't be bothered by people randomly fondling your breasts, you need to stop."

Seeing the surprisingly severe expression on Gandr's face, Endorsi suddenly felt uncharacteristically sheepish. Her first instinct was to rebut him but it was surprisingly difficult to muster the courage to argue when you were half-buried in the ground. She could also understand the boy's reasoning, so, after several seconds of ever-growing tension, she ultimately released a sigh and said, "Fine. I won't try to touch your ears without permission anymore. Now, get me out of this damned floor before I blow a gasket."

Though he got the distinct impression Endorsi hadn't truly given up, Gandr still extended his hand to help her out of the ground. This involved infusing his sword intent into her body and activating the State of Nothingness, an advanced version of the process used to prevent him from becoming naked whenever he activated the ability. This effectively relegated Endorsi to the status of his sword for a brief moment, a rather amusing thought that caused a smile to spread across Gandr's face as he resisted the urge to create sword beams using her body...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn is a monster even when he is nerfed...','Phae don't play','In the hands of a Grandmaster, anything can be a sword (UwU)...')

https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu <-(p.atreon link)

paypal.me/Einlion

Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh


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