章 1820: Starting Off on the Wrong Foot
---Thirty-Seven Days Later---
After a relatively simple test that merely required them to journey several hundred kilometers to a specified location, Vahn and Phae found themselves among several other Regulars in an expansive plaza located on the 20th Floor. To their surprise, much like everyone else's, it was possible to see a massive planar wall in the distance.
Though he had seen many strange things throughout his life, Vahn experienced a similar sense of incongruency as everyone else upon realizing that the distant 'wall' was actually the ground. They seemed to be standing on the side of a massive tower, the only thing keeping them in place being the artificial gravitational field holding them firmly against the tower's exterior...
Recovering quicker than most, Vahn couldn't help but shake his head when he realized that the only purpose for such a building was to show off the 'incomprehensible' power of the Ten Great Families.
The 20th Floor was special because it was the first Floor where Regulars could freely move between the Inner and Middle Towers. It was also the first Floor under the jurisdiction of one of the Ten Great Families, specifically the Po Bidau Family.
Fortunately, while the Po Bidau Family was officially in control, they had no actual influence over the Tests conducted in the Inner Tower. They were also the Family famous for focusing on research and other scholarly pursuits, so, while there were undoubtedly a few bad seeds here and there, most of the Tower's residents had a relatively positive impression of the Po Bidau Family.
Vahn knew it wouldn't be long before his path intersected with the aforementioned family, but, at least for the time being, he had other things to worry about. With this in mind, he raised his hand, surprising the Ranker that had been explaining the Test of the 20th Floor by saying, "My companion and I would like to forgo taking the Test until a later date. How might we gain access to the Middle Tower?"
Though it wasn't particularly uncommon for new arrivals on the 20th Floor to immediately retire to the Middle Tower, that didn't stop the Test Administrator from frowning as he said, "If you forfeit now, the only way to take the Test in the future is to pay a hefty entrance fee. There are millions of Regulars who have fallen into debt after failing to pass the initial Test. Unless you want to become one of them, I would suggest you hold out and at least attempt the Test while it's still free..."
Shaking his head, Vahn offered a smile towards the inordinately short fellow who had introduced himself as Mule Love. Then, in a resolute yet unenthused tone, he insisted, "We will take the Test at a later date. Thank you for your warning, but it is ultimately unnecessary. When the time comes, my companions and I will clear this Floor without issue."
Crossing his arms, the chibi-like Ranker, attired in blue clothing that made him resemble a penguin mascot, stated, "Being confident is fine, but you shouldn't be arrogant. It isn't uncommon for even members of the Ten Great Families to get stuck on this Floor for several months so you shouldn't be too full of yourself. That kind of mentality will only cause trouble for you and your allies..."
Though he understood that the boyish-looking man was actually being sincere, Vahn had already made his decision. With that in mind, he cupped his hands politely, an apologetic smile on his face as he said, "There is considerable wisdom within your words. However, I have friends waiting for me in the Middle Tower. I've heard that the Test of the 20th Floor can take several weeks to complete. I don't have that kind of time right now, so I have little choice but to take it at a later date."
Having noticed that Vahn and Phae were the only two members of their group, an understanding glimmer flashed across Love's seemingly drawn-on eyes. The idea that Vahn and Phae must have been stragglers of a preexisting party briefly crossed his mind; so, rather than insist they continue with the test, he ultimately nodded his head before pointing towards a distant building and saying, "If you enter that building, a member of the staff will teleport you to a similar office in the Middle Tower. When you want to retake the Test, that is where you'll go to pay the fee. Good luck in your future attempts. I hope you don't become another one of the Regulars who gets stuck on the 20th Floor."
Smiling in response to the Ranker's words, Vahn waved goodbye as he, Phae, and several other Regulars, all made their way to the massive rectangular building located several hundred meters from the plaza. There, they were met by several neatly dressed staff members, each giving off an impression similar to an android thanks to their lens-like eyes and unchanging expressions. Vahn suspected this might very well be the case, but, from the moment he entered the building, it was like stepping into an alternate dimension, one where even his senses were obscured...
Proving this suspicion accurate, a frown appeared on Vahn's face as he stepped outside of the Administration Bureau to find that they were standing on the side of the strange tower. Now, however, there was a veritable metropolis present on its side, seemingly extending all the way to the 'ground' below. This gave him a slight urge to venture near the base of the Tower to see how two gravitational fields interacted with each other. Instead, he pulled out his Pocket, sighing as he sent a quick text message before promptly walking into the densely populated city...
---
Due to the high difficulty of the 20th Floor's Tests, it was colloquially known as the 'needle hole to heaven'. Many even considered it the 'starting point' for a Regular's journey up the Tower, as, prior to passing the numerous Tests, you were still considered an F-Rank Regular. Some interpreted this F to mean 'Fledgling', but, with less than 1% of Regulars passing through the 20th Floor, many more referred to it as 'Failing'.
Fortunately, not that it really mattered, Vahn had no real business with the Inner Tower at this point. He was determined to climb the Tower using the 'original' method, ascending through the Middle Tower via the Guardians' Tests. He would only venture into the Inner Tower if it was to complete a specific objective. The rest of his time would be spent in the Middle Tower, and, should it become necessary, he was even prepared to venture out into the Outer Tower.
Simply put, the rules implemented by the Jahad Empire and the Ranking Administration now had absolutely no bearing on him. He would move forward at his own pace, and, if anything got in his way, the only outcome would be capitulation or destruction. It didn't matter how many times they defeated him, how many setbacks he experienced, or how much time it took. In the end, he would emerge victoriously...
Though that was how things were supposed to go, Vahn couldn't help but ponder his life choices as a tomboyish woman with blonde hair pinned him to the ground using a backbreaker leg lock. If her laughter was anything to go by, she seemed to be enjoying herself quite a bit. Vahn, however, could only stare at the black-haired woman responsible for his current position, as, even after mustering all his strength, he wasn't put up any meaningful resistance against the woman currently sitting on his back.
Fortunately, even if she bent his legs back even further, Vahn wasn't in any actual pain. He could literally roll himself up like a tube of toothpaste if he really wanted to. That didn't make the current situation any less frustrating, however, as there was a very powerful flow of Shinsu surging through his body after his previous attempt to use the State of Nothingness. This same flow was the reason he couldn't muster any strength, as, compared to his own, it was like an endless ocean, completely dwarfing the diminutive cup representing his own...
With his frustration quickly growing beyond his tolerance for 'pranks', Vahn's expression became progressively more sullen as he muttered, "This is starting to get on my nerves...you know, there is such a thing as going too far..."
Though he had been speaking to the black-haired woman spectating his suffering with a radiant smile on her face, the person to respond was the woman sitting on Vahn's back; her laughter fading as she pulled his legs further back, practically lying against his back as she said, "Don't be a drama queen. It's not like this is causing you any actual pain. I can tell by the structure of your body that you have the ability to alter your shape. I bet you can get out of this with ease if you really wanted to, right?"
Even if the woman's words were true, Vahn couldn't help but frown as he said, "I don't like to alter the structure of my body around other people...it gives them a strange impression..."
As if they were taking turns answering for each other, this time the black-haired woman, Yuri, was the one to answer, "This is your punishment for messing around on the 1st and 2nd Floors. I'm not usually the type to hold a grudge, but I can't help but feel annoyed whenever I remember that little act you were putting on. Don't think I'll forgive you just because you suddenly became handsome."
Exhaling an exasperated sigh, Vahn briefly manifested the Little Garden, vanishing from view and causing the blonde-haired woman to plop onto the ground. In the next moment, he reappeared stand over her, a slightly sullen expression on his face as he said, "I won't deny that your power is ridiculous, but-"
Before Vahn could finish his words, the blonde-haired woman seemed to 'glitch' out of existence for a brief moment before reappearing with her hand grasping his face as she said, "You should choose your words carefully. I'm not fond of being talked down to and scolded. I was just messing around a bit. Don't take things so personally."
With those words of warning, the woman promptly released Vahn from her grasp before sniffing her hand and cheekily remarking, "Your oral hygiene is on point. Your breath actually smells kind of sweet."
Deadpanning in response to the woman's words, Vahn chose to selectively ignore what the Law of Identity was saying as he shifted his attention to Yuri and asked, "What do you intend to do from now on? Are you going to continue waiting for Team Wolf Pack? Though I won't tell you what you should or shouldn't do, interfering with their climb is only going to inhibit their growth."
Before Yuri could answer his question, Vahn's vision was obstructed by the relatively petite blonde, her arms spread wide as she stepped between them and said, "Hey! You've got a lot of nerve if you think you can just ignore Ureko Mazino! You can talk to Yuri all you want later. Before that, I want to hear your response to my previous question. Are you going to join Wolhaiksong or not!?"
Though he already knew she was going to be troublesome, Vahn hadn't predicted that Yuri would actually bring Ureko with her to intercept him on the 20th Floor. He only found out when the Law of Identity informed him what her 'surprise' was back on the 17th Floor. This nearly resulted in him delaying his climb, but, having already decided he would participate in this year's Workshop Battle, he didn't really have the time to idle about.
Resisting the urge to comb through his hair, Vahn, very plainly, stated, "I don't mind working with Wolhaiksong, but I have no intention of joining someone else's organization. I appreciate the offer, but I'll have to politely decline..."
Clicking her tongue in a rather dramatic fashion, Ureko proceeded to cross her arms, puffing up her rather diminutive assets as she said, "That's going to be a problem. I already told everyone back at the Wingtree that I was going to recruit you. I really hate lying, so it would make things a lot easier if you just agreed to join. Come on, man. We're both from the Outside. Shouldn't we try and stick together?"
With the same deadpan expression as before, Vahn shook his head, yet again, before explaining, "I am the Sage Dragon Emperor. Though I don't mind allying with others, there are countless reasons why I can't place myself beneath others. Unless you intend to hand control of the Wolhaiksong over to me, it is impossible for me to join directly..."
Somewhat surprisingly, Ureko actually seemed to consider this proposal, a thoughtful expression on her face as she rubbed her chin and muttered, "Well...if it were up to me, I wouldn't really mind. The thing is, I'm not really the leader of Wolhaiksong. Its an organization I founded alongside my friend, Baek Ryun. It has become pretty important to them, so I can't just hand it over to others...hmmm..."
Not expecting Ureko to seriously consider his words, Vahn momentarily found himself at a loss as he looked towards Yuri for answers. In response, she just shrugged her shoulders in a 'why are you looking at me?' kind of gesture before crossing her arms and leaning back against the wall.
Shaking her head, Ureko looked back up at Vahn only to see the latter, once again, staring at Yuri. This caused an annoyed glower to develop across her face, not because she was particularly jealous, but because she hated being ignored. She had literally spent the last few months racing down from the 77th just for this one meeting so the least she expected was Vahn's undivided attention...
Noticing the Shinsu in the surroundings gaining an 'ionized' quality, Vahn immediately shifted his attention back to Ureko, frowning as he said, "You're even more hot-headed than Yuri is..."
Hearing Vahn's remark, Yuri's ears appeared to twitch prior to her shouting, "Are you trying to pick a fight you dumb lizard!? I might not be able to hit your face, but that won't stop me from beating the shit out of you...!"
Deadpanning in response to the Princess' outburst, Vahn began to regret his decision to leave the 'safety' of the Regular area. Dealing with one of them wouldn't have been an issue, but, with two laughably overpowered tomboys in the mix, it was impossible to take charge of the conversation. They were the type of women that walked through life at their own pace, and, thanks to their truly monstrous strength, trying to rein them in without being demonstrably more powerful than them was virtually impossible. There was only one method he could use to 'guarantee' an advantage, but he wasn't quite sure he was mentally or physically prepared to deal with the consequences...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Mule Love is a good guy...','This ain't Tower of God~','Vahn be like, "Be still my right hand..."')
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