Capítulo 1745: Conviction
Not wanting to waste the efforts of Team Wolf Pack, Vahn allowed the Shinsu bubble containing Baam and Rachel to be swallowed by the Net Dolphins' Queen. The only difference was that he decided to go along for a ride, largely out of concern but partially the result of morbid curiosity. He had never been 'eaten' before, not in the truest sense, so he decided to keep Baam company as the bubble slowly made its way through the Queen's complex digestive tract.
Seeing Baam sitting next to the comatose Rachel, holding her hand with a concerned expression on his face, Vahn couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with the both of them. It was fairly obvious that Rachel was a sociopath with extreme self-esteem issues, but, despite his general naivete and a propensity for treating others kindly, there was clearly something wrong with Baam as well.
Vahn had personally witnessed numerous examples of people being extremely possessive. It was a trait he had also suffered from at one point, so, compared to most, he had a decent understanding of the symptoms associated with the disorder. As a result, he could tell that Baam wasn't actually all that possessive of Rachel, at least under 'normal' conditions. After all, if he was as obsessed with her as others assumed him to be, he wouldn't just 'ignore' her whenever she wasn't around.
Whenever a 'normal' person was obsessed with someone or something, they would structure their entire life around their obsession. They would also actively seek out the thing they were obsessed with, and, once they obtained it, they would not easily part with it. In advanced cases, the object of their obsession would drive their very thoughts, leading them to appear 'mad' in the eyes of others.
Though Baam was clearly obsessed with Rachel, demonstrating an extreme level of possessiveness whenever he thought he was going to lose her, there were times when he didn't seem to care about her at all. The best example of this was when he spent an entire week focused solely on his training and hanging out with his growing circle of friends. It wasn't until Shibisu had asked him how Rachel was doing that Baam seemed to remember she existed, an inquiry that led to him promptly visiting her room and then overcompensating by visiting her several times a day from then onward.
Rather than say Baam was truly obsessed with Rachel, it was more accurate to say that he had been 'conditioned' to be obsessed with her. Because of this, his behavior could be extremely polarizing at times; shifting between the persona of a good-natured young man who would cry at the thought of hurting another person to a psychopath who wouldn't hesitate to kill if it meant protecting Rachel...
With several minutes of silence lingering between them, Vahn was the first to speak, stating, "If you want, I can take Rachel someplace safe...a place where she can see the stars whenever she desires. I can even send you with her, but, from that moment onward, you will no longer be able to walk the same path as your friends. If you are serious about opening the way forward for everyone, you will need to part with Rachel until you have either conquered the Tower or given up the climb...what will you choose?"
Hearing Vahn's question, the conflict in Baam's eyes became even more extreme, but, after several seconds had passed, resignation and purpose could be seen in his golden pupils as he looked back and asked, "Can you really take her someplace where she can see the stars...?"
Seeing Vahn nod his head, Baam's expression became even more resolute as he parroted the action and said, "I will trust you. Gandr and Phae are my friends. If they believe in you, I will also believe in you. Just promise me...promise me I will be able to see Rachel again..."
Offering a kind smile in response to Baam's concerns, Vahn adopted a calm and guiding tone as he explained, "I can promise you something better. Once my power increases beyond a certain point, I will be able to create a bridge between the Tower and the place where Rachel resides. She won't be able to stay within this world, but I can help you meet with her whenever you'd like. Then, once you have completed everything you wish to accomplish, you can either follow her back or wait patiently until I have enough power to open a permanent bridge between the two worlds."
Though Vahn's words left him feeling more than a little confused, Baam got the impression he was telling the truth. Thus, after staring down at Rachel's pained expression for several seconds, he gave a firm and decisive nod before saying, "I understand. Please take her to the place where she can see the stars. So long as she is safe, I promise I will do everything in my power to change this Tower for the better...!"
Seeing the fate 'explode' out from Baam like a miniature supernova, Vahn couldn't help but blink in surprise, a wry yet appreciative smile on his face as he remarked, "Very well...however, there is one thing you are mistaken about, young hero..."
Confused by Vahn's words, Baam tilted his head to the side, clearly a behavior he had copied from Gandr. In response, Vahn's smile became more sincere as he reached out, ruffling the boy's hair as he said, "You won't be the only one working to change the Tower. There are plenty of people who will help you out, myself included. With that in mind, you should focus more on the things you can do in the present rather than setting your sights on some grand objective. After all, it is often said that the journey is more important than the destination...take everything one step at a time and try to enjoy the little things you experience along the way."
Hearing Vahn's words, combined with the fact he enjoyed having his hair ruffled, a radiant smile spread across Baam's face. The light of resolution in his eyes grew steadily stronger, and, though it was currently very weak, an inspiring aura, similar to the [Will of the Emperor] began to surge from Baam's body. This was quite surprising, but, considering Baam was most certainly the protagonist of this Record, Vahn knew he shouldn't be surprised. Baam was clearly intended to rule over the Tower in the future, so, after feeling the burgeoning aura of an Emperor, a smile spread across Vahn's face as he began drafting the boy's training regimen within his mind...
---
With the remaining Striped Ground Pigs retreating to their burrows, Khun assigned the Scouts to keep watch as he, alongside most of the other members of Team Wolf Pack, made their way to the Queen's Chamber. There, the Queen of the Net Dolphins, a massive Shinheuh that resembled a blue rice pot covered in red polka-dots, could be seen regularly spewing bile and pungent refuse from several large 'vents'.
Ignoring the extremely foul aroma, the members of Team Wolf Pack, sans most of the women, kept a close eye on each of the 'vents'. They had been told that the gastric acids within the Queen's body weren't very potent, so, even without the protection of a Shinsu bubble, a normal person could pass through the creature's digestive tract without much suspense. The only thing they needed to worry about was suffocation, but, due to the abundance of Shinsu within the Queen's body, even this was a marginal concern.
Fortunately, thanks to Vahn maintaining the bubble's integrity, their 'emergence' from the Queen's body was 'very' obvious. She ended up spitting them out rather forcibly, sending the platform they were on sliding across the ground as the rest of Team Wolf Pack watched on with incredulous looks on their faces.
With the platform slowly sliding to a stop, Vahn promptly dispelled the bubble, nodding in approval as Gandr and Phae appeared at his side. Then, before anyone else could think to react, Phae moved to check on Rachel while Gandr made a show of whispering something into his ear.
Nodding his head in understanding, Vahn 'dismissed' Gandr before turning his attention to Khun, waving the boy over before saying, "Take your time gathering everyone. My presence is required elsewhere at the moment, so try and stall for time. If you want to know what happened, feel free to ask Baam in private. I will return within the hour."
Though he wasn't particularly fond of being told what to do, Khun nodded his head in response to Vahn's words. He got the impression that something disastrous would have happened if not for the man's intervention, so, even if he traditionally disdained authority figures, he was willing to abide by the man's will so long as their interests aligned. The only other option was losing the support of the Imperial Trio, so, after graciously bowing towards the man, Khun promptly moved over to ask Baam for an explanation.
Having seen the concern visible in Khun's electric-blue eyes, Vahn had an appreciative smile on his face as he watched the young man make his way over to Baam. Then, with a curt nod towards the approaching Rak, he vanished into thin air, surprising both the crocodilian and everyone else who had been observing him...
---
Located high above the mountain-like rock formation covering the Wine Glass, a medium-sized Suspend Ship, shaped much like a school building, could be seen slowly circling the region. There were originally only two people on board, excluding medical and service staff, but, rather than just Yuri, an entire team of High Rankers had invaded the 2nd Floor. To make matters even worse, the majority of these Rankers belonged to one of the most powerful organizations in the entire Tower, Wolhaiksong(The Winged Tree Under the Moon).
Wolkhaiksong was the organization founded by Ureko Mazino, an Irregular considered by many to be the most powerful person in the entire Tower. The only people ranked above them were Jahad, holding the 3rd Rank, and the only other Irregulars to have appeared within the last ten-thousand-years: the Rank 1 Phantaminum and the Rank 2 Enryu.
With their leader possessing incontestable might, the Wolkhaiksong had grown into one of the most powerful organizations within the entire Tower. Their might was so great that even the Ten Great Families would generally steer clear of them, so, with several High Rankers belonging to the organization invading his Suspend Ship, it wasn't surprising that Director Yu could be seen with a bead of sweat forming on his brow as he sat across from a very disgruntled Princess.
Yuri wasn't at all amused by the fact that a Ranker, even one belonging to RED, had been able to attempt an assassination during a test proctored by the Test Director himself. As a result, she had been putting a considerable amount of pressure on the effeminate man, forcing him to serve her several cups of coffee as she waited for the Sage Dragon Emperor's arrival.
Fortunately for Director Yu, Yuri had been prevented from outright killing the man thanks to the intervention of Evan, her personal Guide, and the current Rank 93 within the entire Tower. Her own Ranking was only 477, so, while she was exponentially stronger than the inordinately short man, he was one of the few people able to convincingly defeat her when he got serious. He was also one of the few people Yuri genuinely respected, so, while she never passed on an opportunity to bully him, she also listened whenever he offered his advice.
Still, Yuri wouldn't be known for her explosive temperament if she was that easy to control, so, with each passing moment, the tensions within the room became increasingly more palpable. This made Director Yu feel like he was skirting along a blade's edge, one that threatened to slice him into tiny pieces the moment he relaxed his guard.
Before Yuri could force the Director to prepare drinks for everyone gathered within the room, the entire group spontaneously shifted their attention to an area of empty space. There, appearing like a phantom from within the void, the man they had been waiting for had finally arrived. This caused Director Yu to release an audible sigh of relief, even if he was more than a little troubled by the fact that Vahn had been able to teleport into his office. There were powerful barriers in place to prevent such things, yet, as if none of that mattered, Vahn had been able to appear without even setting off a single alarm...
Seeing the group of peculiar individuals, Vahn couldn't help but raise his brows as an amused smile spread across his face. Not only was there a burly man with black skin, white hair, and multiple scars running across his face, there was also a child-like girl wearing a skin-tight zentai, a gloomy-looking man wearing the jaw of a Shinheuh over his face, and what appeared to be a member of the Khun Family playing games on a hand-held device. They all radiated phenomenal auras, but, compared to the disgruntled Princess and the silver-haired man staring at him like he was some kind of monster, even the Director was like a tiny hill compared to the massive mountains seated across from him.
Despite feeling a tremendous amount of pressure, enough to make the Director sweat, Vahn was able to appear completely calm and unflustered. He had experienced greater pressure from beings exponentially more powerful than anyone present, so, while he was currently weaker than everyone else in the room, they were grossly incapable of intimidating him. This included Yuri, a woman who, even now, gave off the impression of a 'planet', rather than a mountain. She could likely destroy his current vessel with a single punch, but, no matter how hard she tried, she would never, ever, be able to kill him.
As this thought crossed his mind, a relaxed smile spread across Vahn's face as he offered a curt nod to the seated Princess and said, "We meet again, Princess Yuri. I trust you have come to retrieve the Black March?"
Though she wasn't sure of the reason, Yuri felt annoyed by Vahn's casual yet courteous tone. There was 'something' about him that annoyed her, but, as there were more important matters to attend than clearing up her suspicions; she ultimately just crossed her arms in response to Vahn's question before nodding her head and asking, "I'm guessing you want to make some kind of trade, right? Go ahead and-"
Without waiting for Yuri to finish speaking, Vahn put everyone on alert by manifesting his personal Arms Inventory in its 'visible' mode. Then, without the need for pointless negotiations, he used his Telekinesis to guide the Black March over to Yuri's side, asserting, "Just take it. There is nothing of value you could offer me so I have no reason to hold your life hostage. Besides, I learned quite a bit about this Tower from the Spirit contained within. You can consider all debts between us repaid."
After recovering from her initial shock, Yuri raised one of her brows in response to Vahn's words, asking, "You were able to ignite the Black March?"
In response to her question, Yuri was surprised when, rather than Vahn answering, the Black March itself released a few black sparks. At the same time, the Spirit within the needle confirmed that Vahn had, indeed, been able to ignite her. Then, as was often the case whenever she wielded the weapon, Yuri deadpanned when the Spirit began to incessantly nag her, basically demanding she return the needle to Vahn.
Activating her own Reel Inventory, Yuri put an end to the Black March's tirade by placing the needle securely within the compression material. Then, with a deep frown on her face, she looked back at Vahn, ruby-red eyes shimmering with an unnatural radiance as she surprised everyone present by asking, "Do you want to join the Ha Family...?"
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Brainwashing is totally not paragon...','If you live forever, you are bound to experience being pooped out at least once...','Yuri doesn't mess around xD...')
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Capítulo 1746: Aim
Even if he had expected such an offer, as recruitment into the Ten Great Families was very common within the Tower, Vahn couldn't help but look at Yuri like she was a mental patient. Then, with what could best be described as a 'perfect deadpan', he somberly asked, "Are you determined to test the limits of my patience? You would ask me, an Emperor, to abandon my own family name and accept the name of another? Have you completely lost your mind? Will you not be satisfied until you have thoroughly insulted me?"
Having momentarily forgotten the fact that Vahn was both an Emperor and an Irregular, even Yuri couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. Her 'instincts' as a member of the Ha Family had all but demanded she offers him the privilege of joining her family, completely forgetting his status and the pride that undoubtedly accompanied it. As a result, an embarrassed laugh escaped her throat as she awkwardly scratched the back of her head.
Realizing that Yuri was just an idiot, not someone going out of their way to try and insult him, most of Vahn's frustrations quickly abated. His expression also relaxed into a calm smile as he asserted, "I have no need for any title or status found within this Tower. I entered this place as the Sage Dragon Emperor. I will leave it as such."
As this was the second time she was hearing Vahn mention leaving the Tower, Yuri was considerably less surprised than most of the people present. Before she could ask about his methods, however, Evan stepped in, reminding her, "Princess Yuri, this is neither the time nor the place to discuss such things. We should recover the Black March and leave this Floor before Evankhell returns. I'm certain the Test Director would also appreciate our swift departure."
Hearing Evan's reminder, Yuri turned towards the direction of Director Yu, a discontented frown on her face as she complained, "You're quickly making your way up to the top of my shit list..."
With no way to retort the Princess' words, Director Yu just offered an awkward laugh as a bead of sweat rolled from his forehead. This elicited a loud snort from Yuri who, after crossing her arms and thinking for several long seconds, turned towards the black man with white hair, demanding, "Kurudan, give me your badge. I'll make sure to pay you back later."
Though the burly man didn't seem at all enthused by Yuri's demand, he only hesitated for a brief moment before removing the six-winged badge from his vest. Then, after handing it to Yuri, the latter fearlessly approached Vahn, standing near eye-level with him as she held out the badge and explained, "This is the Winged Tree Badge representing a high ranking member of Wolhaiksong. So long as you hold onto this, it will deter most people from trying to seek trouble with you. Once you reach the 77th Floor, you can either return the badge or consider becoming an official member. You might have a lot of power and potential, but, even if you end up becoming a monster on the level of Phantaminum, Enryu, or Ureko, there is only so much you can do on your own. Don't go seeking death just because you were an Emperor in the Outside, okay...?"
Understanding that Yuri was trying to express her concerns, even if her primary goal was recruiting him into whatever faction she was a part of, Vahn accepted the peculiar badge before saying, "Don't worry, even if they were significantly more powerful than me, I'm not someone that can be defeated with conventional means. Still, I'll hold onto this. So long as Wolhaiksong doesn't turn out to be just another corrupt organization, I wouldn't mind being associated with them."
Hearing Vahn's words, the four people wearing Winged Tree Symbols sewn into their clothing all looked toward him with visibly offended expressions. Even the young man from the Khun Family, who had previously been focused on his handheld gaming system, looked over with an annoyed glower on his face. As for Yuri, she just laughed in an easy-going manner before 'lightly' patting Vahn on the shoulder and saying, "Don't worry! Even though Wolhaiksong gets blamed for a lot of things, it is mostly just propaganda. The only goal of Wolhaiksong is to find a way out of the Tower, not rule over it. They do their best to avoid politics entirely, only taking action when one of the Ten Great Families gets out of hand. By the time you reach the 77th Floor, you should be able to figure out which organizations are worthy of your trust. Until then, try not to do anything too crazy."
Finished with her words of advice, Yuri 'lightly' pat Vahn's shoulder before turning back to the rest of her group and saying, "Come on! We're leaving! Evan, you lead the way!"
As members of Yuri's party, even if it was only temporary, everyone promptly moved in response to the Princess' command. The only exceptions to this were Director Yu, for obvious reasons, and Evan Edrok. The former had no association with the group so it was only natural that he remains seated, silently sipping his cafe latte while pretending to ignore everything that was happening. As for Evan, he seemed to have something to say as, rather than immediately follow after Yuri, he stopped for a brief moment in front of Vahn, asking, "What are you...?" in a hushed tone.
Having noticed the not-so-subtle 'fear' contained within the Silver Dwarf's eyes, Vahn just smiled in response to the man's inquiry before answering, "I have stated it before. I am Vahn Aldrnari Mason, the Sage Dragon Emperor. As for the answer to your 'actual' question...just know that I am not one who follows a set path. I create my own and guide others to do the same. Don't worry, your worries are unwarranted. Now, run along, Mr. Edrok. The Princess will be upset if you keep her waiting..."
Though he was annoyed by Vahn's words, Evan was also considerably relieved by them. The former, at least from his perspective, was an incomprehensible 'void' that obscured the crossroads of fate. It was almost like he was a black hole, swallowing the fates of everything he came in contact with and making it difficult to see the future. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, however, as one of the roles of a Guide was to convince people that their fate was constantly changing based on their actions.
Since Silver Dwarves, similar to Red Witches, could innately tell when someone was lying to them, Evan had no reason to doubt Vahn's words. As a result, he offered a curt nod in response, saying, "I hope your path isn't too destructive..." before chasing after Yuri. The four members of Wolhaiksong immediately followed after him, but, as was often the case, for reasons Vahn had tried and failed to comprehend; the child-like woman hung back a bit, smiling like an imp as she handed him a slip of paper with a number on it and said, "Call me~!" before sticking her tongue out and running after her companions...
---
After hearing about what had happened from Baam, Khun was both infuriated and relieved. If not for the pain it would cause Baam, he wouldn't have hesitated to kill Rachel for daring to betray all of their trust. Fortunately, Vahn had intervened, preventing the absolute worst-case scenario while also providing a 'solution'. This made it seem like he was in complete control of everything that was happening, but, considering the alternative was to continue harboring a traitorous serpent in their midst, Khun was grateful for the Imperial Trio's presence...
As this thought crossed his mind, Khun shifted his attention to where Phae was treating Rachel, his brows furrowing slightly. Before he could think to ask her any questions, however, Baam seemed to have followed his gaze, a somewhat bashful smile spreading across his face as he said, "Ms. Phae is really amazing, isn't she? All of the people from the Aldrnari Empire seem incredible..."
Seeing the rosy hue of Baam's cheeks, an incredulous feeling spread throughout Khun's mind and body, compelling him to laugh. This caused Baam to stare back at him with a confused expression on his face, exacerbating Khun's laughter before the latter ultimately pat his friend on the shoulder and said, "I never expected you to be into older women..."
Realizing what Khun was implying, Baam's face became beet red as he knocked aside the former's hand and exclaimed, "It's not like that, Mr. Khun! Please don't say things like that...!"
Amused by his friend's reaction, Khun's smile turned somewhat affectionate as he resumed patting Baam's shoulder, this time saying, "Relax. I was just messing with you. You'll have to be more thick-skinned if you want to avoid getting teased in the future. Besides, Ms. Phae is presumably involved with the Emperor. I don't think she would mind being crushed on, but I can't imagine her returning anyone's feelings."
Hearing Khun mention Vahn, a resolute light flashed across Baam's eyes as he gazed toward Rachel and said, "Mr. Vahn is really amazing...it's like he sees through everything. He is also very powerful and kind...if possible, I also want to become someone like that...I think I could help a lot of people if I was as strong as Mr. Vahn..."
Adopting a similarly serious expression on his face, Khun was barely able to resist exhaling a tired sigh in response to Baam's words. He couldn't be sure, but he got the impression that the Emperor was systematically 'grooming', not just Baam, but all of them. Though this would undoubtedly result in them becoming much stronger, there was no way of knowing what kind of price they would have to pay in exchange for such power. Nothing in this world ever came free, so, even if Vahn, Phae, and Gandr were legitimately kind people, they were bound to expect 'something' in return.
Since there wasn't really much he could do to change the current situation, Khun surprised Baam by reclining backward, his gaze focused on nothing in particular as he looked up and said, "I think you have the potential to help people, even without power...promise me, Baam...no...nevermind...so long as you continue being yourself, I have nothing to complain about..."
Though he was confused by Khun's words, Baam emulated his friend's action, reclining back so that they were both staring up towards the ceiling before saying, "Let's change this Tower together, Mr. Khun...I think, so long as I have my friends by my side, we can overcome anything this hellish place throws at us..."
Surprised to hear such words from Baam, of all people, Khun couldn't help but fall silent for several seconds, an expectant smile spreading across his face as he placed his hands behind his head and replied, "I don't really have a choice when you put it like that...well, not that I'm complaining. It was always my intention to conquer this Tower. Doing so with friends will surely make things a lot more interesting...very well, Baam. Count me in...let's show this Tower what we're made of...together..."
Hearing Khun's reply the smile on Baam's face became even larger, the glow in his eyes growing ever brighter as he nodded his head and happily chimed, "Yes, Mr. Khun~!"
---
With the eventual return of Endorsi, Anak, and Gandr, the Submerged Fish Hunt had finally come to an end. As for Vahn, he had a short discussion with Director Yu before heading to the transfer room to await everyone's return. Then, after placing Rachel inside the Little Garden, he, alongside the rest of Team Wolf Pack, enjoyed a preliminary celebration as the Suspend Ship began its gradual return toward Evankhell's Resort...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Yuri is very aggressive o_o...','Vahn, Sage Dragon Emperor, Loli Magnet','This isn't your average bromance...')
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