Capítulo 1801: Understanding
Even if she had decided it for herself, Vahn's couldn't help feeling slightly annoyed by Nezera's unwillingness to compromise. For a brief moment, he even considered using his [Subjugation] skill in order to give her time to reflect and change her views. This was the same as forcing her against her will, however, so Vahn ultimately decided against it.
In the end, Vahn decided to cremate Nezera's body using flames infused with Holy and Purification energies. This effectively erased much of her Ego but it also removed any lingering resentment that might influence her fate in the afterlife. He didn't want her to have to suffer for thousands of years in some kind of Netherworld just because she obeyed her instincts so it was the least he could do before sending her off.
The 'Transcendental Path to Heaven' actually had a number of Realms where Spirits would reside after death, the most noteworthy being the Divine, Celestial, Mortal, Purgatory, and Netherworld Realms. There were countless others belonging to individual factions, but they were all subsidiary Realms that existed within the Five Major Realms. The most important thing was that the Mortal Realm basically served as a vetting process that determined where you would be sent after death.
According to the Sacred Tome of Prophecy, most Souls were cycled into Purgatory immediately following the death of their physical body. This particular Realm was very similar to a Cultivation World, a place where a person's individual power could easily elevate them to a level above Gods and Demons. Your status and talent in this world were entirely dependent upon the Karma you had accumulated during your life so it was important to live a balanced yet meaningful life unless you wanted to become nothing more than a stepping stone on someone else's path.
Vahn found this particular iteration of Purgatory rather novel but it was nothing compared to his impression of the Celestial and Netherworld Realms. These places seemed completely nonsensical, the former representing a macrocosm of various iterations of Heaven while the latter was a melting pot of countless Realms ruled by beings known as Overlords. As for the Divine Realm, it actually had an entirely separate structure from the other Realms, and, unless you accepted an invitation from an entity that already existed there, it was impossible to access.
As fate would have it, the Tower was actually one of the bridges that connected the Mortal Realm to Purgatory. From there, you would have access to both the Celestial and Netherworld Realms, but, as could be expected, you basically had to die in order to ascend. This wasn't a true death, however, as you would be allowed to keep your memories and any 'inborn talents' you might have possessed.
Unfortunately, your status would still be entirely dependent upon the Karma you had accumulated in life, so, depending on the decisions you had made, you could be reborn into a family that would shun, mistreat, or even kill you for possessing more talent than your 'betters'. Transmigrators were also greatly feared by the various Sects that dominated Purgatory so there was a very real chance your own biological parents might kill you for 'possessing' and 'killing' their child.
There were countless examples of Kings, Emperors, and even 'Gods' from the Mortal Realm being killed shortly after transmigrating into Purgatory. Their own knowledge and expectations actually became their downfall, as, the moment they began behaving strangely or revealing knowledge they shouldn't possess, various factions would immediately attempt to eliminate them. Fortunately, even this was not the end of life as death within Purgatory would result in you being sent to the Celestial or Netherworld Realms.
Simply put, the 'Transcendental Path to Heaven' had a clearly defined circle of reincarnation and transmigration. The Mortal Realm effectively served as a starting point for the countless lives you would experience after death. This wasn't an exaggeration, either, as there were apparently more than thirty-seven-billion subsidiary Realms within just one cosmological system in a macrocosm containing eighteen parallel multiversal structures. Even the Sacred Tome of Prophecy wasn't able to reveal exactly how many worlds there were as an infinite number were constantly being created and destroyed by beings that regard entire universes as subatomic particles...
---
After cremating Nezera's body and taking a few minutes to calm his mind, Vahn teleported near the base of the central island's World Tree. This was where the fifty-nine Regulars he had revived were being kept and monitored. He knew he had to take care of them soon as a few had already tried to wander off numerous times while one particularly bold individual had attempted to carve his initials into the trunk of the World Tree. This resulted in him being launched away by the World Tree itself, deterring any future attempts to haphazardly approach it.
Upon noticing the arrival of the 'God' who had revived them, the majority of the Regular present immediately rose to their feet and attempted to crowd around Vahn. This resulted in a few of them walking face-first into a cushion of air while others were kept at bay by the sudden appearance of Fenrir in her wolf transformation, towering over everyone but still somehow appearing smaller than the man who was barely larger than her paw.
Gesturing for Fenrir to behave, the Vanargandr in question plopped down with her snout near his hand so that he could stroke it as he said, "I know you all have a lot of questions but I'm afraid this is where our paths diverge. I have decided that it will drastically reduce the time it takes for each of you to recover by simply erasing your memories of the events leading up to your deaths. After that, you will be released from this place with materials and supplies that have already been prepared for you. I'm certain you can understand how problematic it would be if my ability was to become public knowledge so please accept my decision without any fuss."
With Vahn possessing a mystical resort world and the ability to resurrect the dead, more than half of the fifty-nine Regulars attempted to protest his decision. They were grateful for the fact he had saved them but the temptation of being on the same team with a literal God was simply too great. Following him virtually guaranteed they would be able to reach the top of the Tower as they could simply stay in his resort world when things got dangerous and be revived if any accidents were to occur.
Unfortunately for them, even though quite a number begged and pleaded to become his servants, Vahn had no need for such things. Team Wolf Pack already had enough members to comprise four full parties despite the fact they hadn't even reached the 20th Floor. Most of the Tests beyond that point only allowed for Parties between 6~8 people to participate at a time. It was possible to work around this by forming Alliances or simply waiting for stragglers to catch up between Floors, but it was almost inevitable that the team was split into multiple named parties at some point in the near future.
Vahn had no intention of forming his own faction before passing the test on the 100th Floor and obtaining the right to rule over a Floor. After that, he would slowly gather the Templates he would leave behind during his climb, rapidly expanding his influence while developing a power that could directly oppose the Jahad Empire and maintain order within the Middle and Outer Floors. He didn't have any particular requirements for the people that would join his faction but there was simply no sense in recruiting below average Regulars who demonstrated greed in the face of mercy...
Since it was never really an option, Vahn ultimately placed the entire group of Regulars into a deep slumber before asking Madara to erase their memories. He could do it himself, but her Mangekyou Sharingan allowed her to peer into a person's mind, read, and erase their memories. She could also use it to cast powerful Genjutsu, but, as he was immune to any techniques that directly affected the mind, Vahn wasn't able to experience them. Only illusions that affected the world around him could bypass the capabilities of his [Eyes of Truth] so he was immune to the Sharingan and the majority of its techniques.
Fortunately, none of the Regulars present shared this immunity so it only took a few hours before Madara had completed the process. Afterward, the groups were ejected from the Little Garden and deposited at various locations on the 8th Floor. This was a boon Vahn had decided to grant them as 'compensation' for not allowing them to accompany Team Wolf Pack up the Tower. He also placed a few essential supplies within their respective Inventories; so, while they were bound to be confused by the fact they had 'skipped' a Floor, they would also be pleasantly surprised when they discovered the free goodies that had seemingly appeared out of thin air...
---
With the Regulars being taken care of over the course of several hours, Vahn visited the rooms of the three human-hating women to hear their answers. They were actually fairly powerful, but, most importantly, Ohta and Alea were a Spear Bearer and a Light Bearer respectively. Team Wolf Pack was in need of both if they were to form three complete Teams so Vahn decided to give them a chance to redeem themselves.
Though it might seem a little unfair towards the Regulars he had refused, Vahn couldn't help but empathize with the trio's hatred for humans. Ohta had been forced to fight in a Coliseum-like arena after bandits had raided her home village, killing the men before making sport of the women. As for Alea, she was a former Priestess who ended up earning the fancy of a King during a diplomatic visit. They had been trying to address the growing issue of humans illegally hunting and gathering within Elven territory. Things were going relatively well up until the point that the King requested that Alea be gifted to him as a 'gesture of good faith' between the two nations. This was promptly refused by the delegation, but, not taking no for an answer, the King commanded his Knights to massacre the group of envoys before capturing, imprisoning, and attempting to rape Alea.
Fortunately, Alea avoided a much worse fate thanks to Headon appearing before her and offering her the opportunity to climb the Tower. He baited her with the promise of freedom and the chance to get revenge on the people who had killed her kinsmen. She immediately accepted his terms, but, due to her weakness and beauty working against her, she ended up spending more than two years on the 3rd Floor. This caused her resentment towards humankind to grow exponentially as she was constantly pressured into either becoming a prostitute or becoming someone's woman just for a chance to move further up the Tower. It wasn't until Tasha came along that she was finally given a chance to move up, and, as a result of her growing hatred, her personality had gradually become a little twisted despite her Pure Light Elemental Affinity.
Vahn didn't want to be just another negative chapter in the girls' rather tragic stories so he decided to give them a chance to turn their lives around. They were far from irredeemable, and, though they had committed a number of atrocities, this didn't particularly distinguish them from other Regulars. Rather, they had actually spared a number of people while guarding the 7th Floors Boss Room, the majority being women. As for why they decided to keep and torture the eleven-year-old boy, it was because he a branch member of the Hendo Lok Family, one of the Ten Great Families.
Though they didn't even know about the existence of the Ten Great Families prior to climbing the Tower, Tasha, Ohta, and Alea had quickly learned to resent them. The descendants of the Ten Great Families treated the Tower as their playground, and, though she had been seriously injured in a few of her fights, Tasha's traits as a werewolf allowed her to heal from most wounds. Her only scar was the one over her left eye, the direct result of offending a pompous member of the Tu Perie Family by refusing to join their party.
What made the Hendo Lok Family unique, other than the fact they had the highest inherent Shinsu Resistance among the Ten Great Families, was that their Leader, Hendo Lok Bloodmadder, siphoned the lives of his own offspring to support his Immortality. He had been denied the same Immortality Contract as the other Great Warriors so he ended up agreeing to sacrifice the lifespans of his own progeny just to sustain himself. This guaranteed that his children would live much shorter lives than the average inhabitants of the Tower so they often had to lie about their identities just to be able to marry into other families.
Needless to say, there were a lot of stigmas associated with being a descendent of the Hendo Lok Family. It was still one of the Ten Great Families, however, so the offspring were just as strong, if not stronger, than the children of other Great Families. The name also provided a number of benefits to those who were willing to bear it so it wasn't uncommon for Regulars descending from the Hendo Lok Family to embrace their heritage for the sake of an easier ascent. After all, they had very limited lifespans so they had a very strong drive to ascend the Tower in order to earn a few hundred years for themselves.
Vahn pitied the young boy quite a bit, but, due to his heritage, his nature was already twisted even before his encounter with the formerly five-woman group. He ended up killing the party's second Scout, a member of the Tabby Cat tribe who, quite literally, looked like a bipedal cat wearing human clothes. His attack ended up injuring the young feline beyond recognition, so, after eliminating the rest of his party, Tasha turned the severely injured youth over the Nezera with the order to torment him for as long as possible without killing him. As a result, he had been kept in a heavily injured and anemic state for weeks, both as a punishment and a precaution against him recovering enough to threaten them...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'I smell something spoiled...','Bunch of leeches xD...','The Cycle of Hatred is fueled by tragedy and loss...')
https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu <-(p.atreon link)
paypal.me/Einlion
Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh
Capítulo 1802: Acceptance
Assuming she was the easiest of the trio to convince, Vahn soon found himself seated across from Alea. She had silvery-white hair and white eyes that made her appear almost like a member of the Arie Family, albeit less monochromatic. As for the rest of her features, she had the characteristically pointed ears you would expect from most Elves, and, though Vahn had met numerous exceptions in his life, she had a lithe body that accentuated her natural grace...
Though she had returned his greeting upon entry into the room, Alea had been sitting silently with her head lowered ever since Vahn asked her to take a seat. She had the defeated look of someone who had already given up, but, with his ability to see auras, Vahn knew she concealed a powerful resolution deep inside; the type of resolution that allowed a person to tolerate great suffering if it meant they would one day have their revenge.
Deciding to shake the woman up a bit, Vahn set aside his teacup before adopting a relaxed smile as he said, "I'm sorry to disappoint you, Ms. Alea, but I have no intention of harming you. I believe you have the ability to discern this for yourself...instead, you choose to ignore your senses due to your mistaken belief that I am human. Tell me, are there many humans who can resurrect the dead back in Silvaria...?"
Hearing mention of her ancestral forest, Alea couldn't resist furrowing her brows before turning her face toward him and asking, "Where did you hear that name...?"
Returning a smile in response to the woman's growing hostility, Vahn casually explained, "You will come to learn that there are very few secrets I am not privy to. Even if it is something I do not know, I have the means of acquiring all knowledge that exists within the Order of Creation. This includes knowledge pertaining to individuals, their pasts, and even their thoughts...before me, Alea Silvaria von Faris, there are no secrets..."
Seeing the mystical glimmer flash across Vahn's eyes, Alea instinctually covered her breasts before shrinking within her chair. She suddenly felt completely exposed in front of the man, the tips of her ears turning slightly redder even as her complexion paled.
Realizing he had yet to create an Elven Template, Vahn made a mental note to ask Hinata to play the part before taking advantage of Alea's momentary vulnerability to add, "I know you are not a bad person. Rather, as a Priestess of White Shrine, your duty has always been to help those in need, not cause harm. Your personal vendetta against the Kingdom of Silmos should not dictate how you treat all humans...you know this better than anyone. If not, you would lie awake and night and even share your rations with someone you are supposed to hate..."
Hearing Vahn mention another one of her secrets, Alea began to feel increasingly uncomfortable within her chair. She even began to suspect he had the means to read her mind, at least until he went on to explain, "Your mother formed an alliance with the other ancient clans to wage war on the Kingdom of Silmos following your disappearance. She suspected King Roas was keeping you captive after receiving a revelation from the Lord of Light that you were still alive. Even now, after the war has already ended, she continues to pray for you each and every day..."
Feeling an overwhelming sense of guilt well up inside of her, Alea began to tremble as she hugged her body tightly. She understood from Vahn's words that the King who had wronged her was likely dead or imprisoned. The Elves had been at a standstill against the Human Kingdoms for hundreds of years despite being on the defensive. If the ancient clans were to ally together, they could easily wipe a single Kingdom off the map. They only relied on diplomacy with the humans because it was against the teachings of the Lord of Light to resort to violence before making an earnest attempt to settle things peacefully.
With her tears literally forming into tiny gemstones that fell into her lap, Alea continued to cry for several minutes before looking back at Vahn and asking, "Who are you? How do you know these things...?"
Though he was highly interested in the crystalline tears shed from Alea's eyes, Vahn suppressed his curiosity, smiling as he answered, "I am Vahn Aldrnari Mason, the Sage Dragon Emperor. There are many other titles associated with my existence but I cannot reveal them at this time. If you agree to my earlier proposal, however, I can at least tell you one more..."
Remembering that Vahn had given her the option of climbing the Tower alongside the same team that had easily defeated her party, Alea adopted a conflicted expression on her face. She could still remember the painful chill that had pervaded her entire body when Gandr, quite literally, absorbed her into his personal shadow dimension. She was a Light Elf so the very existence of a creature that seemed to be comprised of pure darkness terrified her.
Understanding Alea's fears, as the Law of Identity was literally voicing her thoughts out loud, Vahn lightly nodded before adopting a guiding tone as he said, "Light, Darkness, Life, Death...these are all a natural part of the world around us. You should never assume others are evil just because of their inborn affinity. You have experienced this for yourself...after all, you possess a very rare Pure Light Elemental Affinity. Despite this, you still ended up giving in to negative emotions and descending down a dark path...good and evil depend on the choices we make and how other people interpret said choices...nothing more, nothing less..."
Though it made her tremble to hear Vahn voice an answer in response to her private thoughts, Alea could still see the reasoning within his words. The simple fact of the matter was that her group was responsible for the deaths of dozens of Regulars. Despite this, their lives had been spared, several of their victims had been resurrected, and, most notably, they were being given a second chance to change their ways and continue their climb up the Tower. This made it pretty clear who was in the wrong, so, after several minutes of reflection, Alea ultimately nodded her head, answering, "I'll do it...please allow me to join your team..."
Nodding his head in approval, Vahn waited for Alea to raise her head before rising to his feet and explaining, "I am on my way to try and convince your former companions. Since you have decided to join our team, you will be free to roam around this manor at your leisure. I would advise you to seek out the appointed leader of the team, Khun Aguero Agnis. He will explain everything you need to know as a member of Team Wolf Pack. Afterward, have him escort you to the base of the World Tree. I'm certain you will get along with the spirit that dwells within..."
Alea was a little troubled when she learned that a member of the Khun Family was in charge of the team, but, after hearing Vahn casually mention the existence of a World Tree, all her doubts flew out the window. If there was truly a World Tree in Vahn's possession, it could only mean he was a Divine Spirit or a Guardian God like the Lord of Light. This would also explain the tremendous vitality that was present within the air, nourishing her body and helping her remain calm despite her prior fears and trepidations.
Unfortunately, Vahn was long gone by the time she recovered her senses, disappearing in a flash of golden light particles. This left her with little option but to seek out the man named Khun, so, after confirming the door was unlocked, she began roaming through the halls in search of someone who could help her navigate the massive manor...
---
As Ohna had already agreed to join based on the premise she would be afforded a rematch against Rak, Vahn's second visit was to the girls' former leader, Tasha. He was a little surprised to find that she was still sitting in the same place where he had left her, his mind blanking for a moment until the Law of Identity playfully remarked, "You told her to sit and contemplate your offer. She is such an obedient girl~."
Showing no reaction to the second Tasha that had appeared next to him, Vahn plopped down on the ground in front of the green-eyed woman, smiling wryly as he remarked, "You know, you don't have to take my words so seriously...even if you have already made the decision to join Team Wolf Pack, that doesn't make me your Master or your Alpha. You don't have to obey my orders. In fact, so long as you promise not to indiscriminately kill, I can even let you go free..."
Frowning in response to Vahn's words, Tasha adopted an aggressive tone as she rebutted, "I wasn't sitting here because you told me to...I was just a little lost in my thoughts..."
Seemingly very amused by Tasha's response, the Law of Identity floated around behind the woman, snickering playfully as she revealed, "She is embarrased~! Look at the tips of her ears! Hahahaha~!"
Though they were hardly visible through her dense and unruly hair, it was possible to see that the tips of Tasha's ears had turned red. A similar color had also crept into her cheeks, but, due to her healthy brown complexion and the aggressive look on her face, it was impossible to tell if she was blushing or just flushed from anger. Regardless, it was pretty clear that she was bad at socializing with people; and, due to her tragic upbringing, her personality was very submissive in spite of her aggressive nature...
Feeling bad for the unfortunate woman, Vahn's expression softened a bit as he reached out his hand to caress the top of her head. She actually tried to preemptively evade his attempts to pet her, but, thanks to his recent breakthroughs in the Laws of Petting, it was very difficult to avoid his hand. She also enjoyed having her head pet by him, so, even if she wanted to resist, there were few things that could outright defy the activation of a Law. It would be like 'refusing' to die after you had been killed, something very few people could actually pull off.
Confused by her failed attempt to move away from Vahn's palm, Tasha sat with her mouth open for several seconds before adopting a slight pout. She wanted to tell him not to casually pet her head, but, every time the words formed within her mind, the muscles in her throat refused to respond. All she could do was sit silently, clenching her teeth as her ears and tail manifested without her willing them to do so...
Though he was tempted to see if he could get the woman to wag her tail, Vahn ultimately retracted his hand after fluffing up Tasha's unkempt hair for the better part of a minute. Then, as if he hadn't just been petting her at his leisure, he asked, "So, have you thought about my proposal? Even if you choose to retire to the Middle Tower-"
Without waiting for Vahn to restate her options, Tasha ceased clenching her teeth, her expression turning serious as she said, "I'll join your team. I want to see for myself the power of a God. I don't want to be an idle observer without any memories of our meeting and I don't want to give up my power just to live a normal life. Though I might not have had a choice when I was a little girl, this is still me. I'm not going to run away from what I've become. Instead, I'll be better than what someone else tried to make me...!"
Hearing the resolution in Tasha's tone, Vahn couldn't help but nod his head in approval, smiling as he resisted the urge to pet her head. It would take away from the gravitas of her statement, so, at least for the time being, he did his best to hold back. Unfortunately, the Law of Identity seemed to have developed a fondness for the resolute werewolf, floating around upside down as she happily chimed, "She wants to meet the swordsman who defeated her. She has been thinking about him a whole lot ever since their battle~."
Doing his best to ignore the Law of Identity's casual revealing of people's private thoughts, Vahn slowly rose to his feet before saying, "Very well. From this moment onward, you're a member of Team Wolf Pack. Welcome to the team, Tasha..."
Seeing Vahn's outstretched hand, Tasha half expected him to start petting her again so she was a little slow in reaching out to accept it. This caused her face to warm up once again, and, though she did her best to control it, she couldn't prevent her tail from wagging slightly. Kindness and sincerity were two things she hadn't received in a long time, so, even though it was something as simple as helping her to her feet, Tasha couldn't help but feel a little happy...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'All your secret are belong to us','Erofu Neko-chan Hinata (OwO)...','Simple acts of kindness can mean a lot to certain people. Be good to each other. You never know what someone else has gone through...')
https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu <-(p.atreon link)
paypal.me/Einlion
Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh
Status de energia semanal
200+ Ranking de
Poder 
111 Pedra de
Poder 
Comentário de parágrafo