章節 1938: Temptation
Emerging from the Hidden Floor, Vahn had to take a moment to collect himself as it felt like years had passed since the last time he was on the Hell Train. This wasn't an exaggeration either, and, if he combined the time spent within his Realm, the Little Garden, and various Actualized Worlds, his month-long stint within the Hidden Floor had taken just under nineteen months.
Shaking his head, Vahn attempted to expand his senses in order to teleport to the closest exit only to remember that spatial movements were extremely limited within the express. This caused a wry smile to develop across his face, so, with nothing better to do, he began slowly moving towards his destination before pulling out his Pocket and connecting with Poro Poe, the interim Conductor of the Hell Express.
With time quickly counting down to the moment when he would be forced to flee the Hell Train to avoid facing the consequences of his actions, Poe had been feeling extremely unnerved by Vahn's absence. Thus, upon hearing his Pocket vibrate, he answered without hesitation, his voice cracking as he asked, "How did it go? Did you manage to revive Roen!?"
Though it wasn't entirely accurate, Vahn decided to help ease the portly fellow's fears by nodding his head and saying, "Indeed. The situation is a little complicated, but she is currently resting within the Little Garden alongside Daniel. Meet me at exit 13-C. I'll let you reside in the Second Layer until I get a better grasp of the situation outside. I'm sure you have a lot of catching up to do."
Holding back tears, a massive grin developed across Poe's face as he sobbingly yet eagerly replied, "I'll be there in five, no, three minutes...!"
Chuckling in response to the man's words, Vahn cut the connection between their Pockets before allowing his gaze to wander about the Hell Express's interior. The interior had become reminiscent of a tundra, but, rather than icicles in snow, the crystalline structures protruding from every surface were almost entirely comprised of Shinsu. These crystals had served as nourishment for one of the more troublesome enemies onboard the express, a type of Shinheuh known as Crystal Fish. Though they had been easily defeated by the members of Vahn's entourage, it was easy to imagine anyone beneath C-Rank being consumed by the seemingly infinite swarm of crystalline creatures.
Fortunately, now that the Hell Express had arrived at its final destination, the majority of Shinheuh and Guardians no longer spawned. Only those who had been installed to protect specific locations remained, but, now that the train was inactive, the teleportals leading to different paths no longer functioned. They would only reactive in six month's time, just in time for the Hell Train to begin it's annual journey anew.
Now that he had resolved the issue of spirits being used as fuel, Vahn had decided to allow the Hell Express to continue operating. The God of Guardians had agreed to change the rules so that people who had cleared the train would no longer be able to board, so, while it was only a matter of time before someone found a loophole to exploit, the problems that had plagued the hellish locomotive for generations had been largely resolved. The only people who could conceivably change things at this point were members of the Workshop, but, the moment they tried to modify the formation he had left behind, they would effectively be converting the core room into a mausoleum.
Vahn didn't particularly mind if people researched the magic formations he left in his wake, but he sure as hell wasn't going to make it easy for them. He was pretty sure the Workshop were the bad guys in this particular story, so, until he had uncovered the whole truth, he had decided to regard them in a similar light to Jahad and the Ten Great Families. If they proved to be even half as wicked as he imagined, they would find themselves at the end of a long list of enemies who had made the mistake of crossing his bottom line.
With such thoughts dancing across his mind, Vahn reached his destination to find a panting Poe already waiting for him. The portly man had been endeavoring for six-hundred-years in an attempt to meet the woman who had shown him kindness when everyone else had shunned him; so, even if they could never be together, just confirming her safety was enough to permit him to begin a new chapter in his life.
Pulling a bottle of sport's water from his Inventory, Vahn handed it over to the gasping man before manifesting the Little Garden and saying, "Though you can't stay indefinitely, I will allow you to take up residence in the Second Layer if you need time to organize your thoughts. What is the highest Floor you've managed to clear?"
Understanding the reason for Vahn's question, Poe's expression became awkward as he rubbed the back of his head and answered, "The 44th..."
As they were currently located on said Floor, Vahn couldn't help but shake his head in exasperation as he clapped the man on his back and said, "Time flows five times faster within the Second Layer. I have a few things to take care of here and on the 50th Floor, so you'll have a few months to catch up and make preparations for the future. If you choose to stay longer, you'll be forced to backtrack through the Middle Tower if you want to continue climbing."
Smiling in response to Vahn's words, Poe was preparing to express his tremendous gratitude when his figure spontaneously disappeared. In the wake of his departure, Vahn allowed a light chuckle to escape his throat as he finally disembarked the Hell Express. There, undoubtedly waiting for him, in particular, a rather sizeable group consisting almost entirely women had gathered. This included a number of familiar faces, two of which stood out among the rest as every other group present gave them a considerably wide berth.
Restraining the urge to sigh, Vahn forced a smile as he remarked, "After what happened last time, I wouldn't have expected a Princess of Jahad to be waiting for me at the Last Station...tell me, to what do I owe the pleasure, Princess Maschenny?"
Offering a smile that was equal parts predatory as it was seductive and cunning, Maschenny replied, "Considering your reputation, I doubt I need to explain to you the reason behind my visit. Since you did go out of your way to ask, however, I supposed it would only be proper to offer an explanation. If you would be so kind as to accompany me to a more...private venue...I would be more than happy to be your conversational partner."
Speaking in the wake of Maschenny's inviting words, the most notable of the women present, at least in Vahn's opinion, playfully mused, "Oh my. Such scandalous words from a Princess of Jahad. I'm sure your mission is of the utmost importance, Hime-sama, but the dignity of the Jahad Empire cannot be forgotten so easily. Please remember your place~."
With the only change in her expression being the ends of her smile curling upwards, Maschenny turned her attention to the woman who had effectively accused her of misconduct before several dozen representatives of the Ten Great Families. This caused the woman in question to pale ever-so-slightly, but, with countless witnesses present, she was pretty sure that Maschenny wouldn't try to kill her directly. The authority of a Princess of Jahad was surprisingly limited when they weren't acting in their capacity as envoys of Jahad, so, unless she wanted to worsen relations between the Khun and other Great Families, even someone as infamous as Maschenny's needed to measure her behavior around other representatives.
In the end, Maschenny's smile grew to the point that she was lightly squinting. This caused a tense atmosphere to descend upon the entire platform before Vahn, wearing a mask of disinterest, plainly stated, "I'd rather just check into my room and get some rest. As you pointed out, I'm well aware of the reason for your visit. Rather, I'm aware of the motives of everyone present. Return and tell your respective masters that I have no particular interest in forming any kind of alliances at present. They have nothing to offer me, and, while many of you are remarkably beautiful, I'm not exactly wanting for companionship. That includes you, Ms. Pram. As captivating as your ears and tail might be, your Snow Leopard Family isn't exactly in my good graces. Despite that, I presently have no intention of seeking any kind of remunerations from them. So long as you don't bring me unnecessary troubles, I have no reason to come seeking recompense."
Though his words weren't completely truthful, Vahn had decided to leave the fates of the Ten Great Families to those who had been victimized by them. He wouldn't turn a blind eye to them getting in his way, but, so long as they didn't expose their crimes before him, he wasn't going to go out of his way to seek out and slaughter them. He would rather empower the people who had been wronged by them in the past, and, once they had become strong enough to right the wrongs that had been committed against him, he would watch from the sidelines to prevent them from taking things too far...
Showing a surprising amount of disregard for the words that had just come out of Vahn's mouth, the Elder of the Snow Leopard Family held up her absurdly fluffy tail with both hands, smiling as she asked, "You think my tail and ears are captivating~?". Then, with a playfully seductive glimmer in her eyes, she showed off the fact she had a cat-like tongue by shamelessly grooming herself for all eyes to see.
Despite his best efforts to appear unperturbed, Vahn couldn't help but open his mouth slightly as he attempted to vocalize words that had never formed within his mind. This caused Pram to squint her silvery eyes in amusement, and, though some had been intending to give up after Vahn's earlier words, the more confident among them began formulating plans of their own after observing his reaction.
Realizing he had just made a number of problems for himself, a wry smile developed across Vahn's face as he shook his head and said, "Don't tempt me. Any man of worth wouldn't be able to simply ignore a beauty standing right in front of him. That doesn't mean I'm prone to things like seduction. If you overextend and end up trying my patience, there is a chance that neither you nor your family would be able to bear the consequences..."
Seemingly undaunted, Pram creased grooming her tail to offer a playful wink as she said, "I think it might surprise you to discover just how much I can bear..."
Shaking his head in exasperation, Vahn decided to withhold further comment as he said, "I'm going to my room. If you don't move, I'll-"
Before he could finish speaking, Pram promptly released her tail before taking a few steps forward and asking, "You'll what~? I'm sure everyone here would like to know. Please speak loudly so that your words reach all the way to the back~."
After gauging Vahn's previous reactions, Pram was pretty sure he was actually a pushover when it came to beautiful and assertive women. His behavior while climbing the Tower also demonstrated an inherent kindness and a busybody nature that couldn't ignore people in need. Such individuals were wholly incapable of raising their hand against people who wished them no harm, so, without a single sign of fear or hesitation, she reduced the distance between her and Vahn with a few decisive steps.
Understanding the woman's thoughts, narrated between the laughter of the Law of Identity, Vahn found himself at a complete loss for words. To make matters even worse, his mastery over the Law of Petting gave him an almost instinctual urge to reach out and caress her fluffy ears. She was only 161cm tall, including her ears, so, in more ways than one, she had what some aficionados might call a perfectly pettable height. The fact she was staring up at him with an expectant smile didn't help in the slightest, and, were it not for the substantial number of onlookers, he might not have been able to hold out for more than a few seconds...
Unfortunately, a few seconds was exactly how long Vahn had lasted, and, before he knew it, he was using both hands to fondle Pram's fluffy hair and immaculately soft ears. This earned him a number of judgmental looks from the peanut gallery but, with one of the most pettable people he had ever met standing right in front of him, how could he, a self-professed God of Petting, resist?
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Time Shenaniganery...!','Politics is just a pissing contest...','Pram be like, "I am inevitable."')
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章節 1939: Phantasm
In the beginning, Pram thought she had secured an advantage by seizing the initiative and being the first to expose Vahn's 'true nature'. Instead, she ended up experiencing first-hand that Vahn's words of warning should be always be taken seriously.
Since she had gone out of her way to confront him in such a manner, Vahn decided to teach Pram a lesson by incorporating his understanding of Petting Laws into his mastery of the Hands of Nirvana. His sensitivity towards all forms of energy also allowed him to map every nerve and meridian in her entire body with a simple touch, so, shortly after he began fluffing up her ears, he channeled energy into his thumbs before lightly kneading the interior fur with a relaxed smile on his face.
As a result of her status, it had been many years since Pram had allowed anyone to freely caress her ears. Only the Lord of the Lo Po Bia Family had the inherent qualifications to do so, but, unless she had accrued some kind of merit, earning his affection was exceedingly difficult. Thus, in response to the enervating tremble that seemed to jolt her entire body with a pleasant sensation, Pram couldn't help but wonder if her sensitivity had been affected by years of negligence.
Unfortunately, by the time that thought had crossed her mind, Pram was, quite literally, in the palm of Vahn's hands. Her silvery eyes had immediately glossed over, and, though she managed to grab his wrists by pure instinct, her grip was reminiscent of a newborn infant. As a result, Vahn was able to dig his fingers into her surprisingly thick head of hair, his fingers emanating an indistinguishable rainbow hue that caused Pram's nervous system to light up like the night sky of a grand celebration as a sonorous 'Ahh~' emanated from her throat.
Ignoring the looks he was receiving from the crowd, Vahn allowed Pram's excessively relaxed body to lean against him, his left hand moving to support her waist as his right gravitated to the base of her tail. The feeling of her body resting against him was pleasant in its own right, but, the moment his hand combed through the thick downy coat, the shape of Vahn's pupils changed from circles to slits as he slowly and methodically traced its length.
Though it wasn't discernible to everyone on the platform, those with more refined olfactory senses visibly flinched the moment they smelled the veritable flood of pheromones emanating from Pram's body. Some even had to cover the lower halves of their faces, and, were it not for the fact she had preemptively ordered them to observe without interfering, the group that had accompanied Pram would have stepped in long ago.
With the rather infamous Elder turning to putty in his embrace, Vahn was tempted to give everyone a hard lesson by demonstrating just how ridiculous Petting Laws could be. If he wanted to, he could freely shape flesh just as easily as he could a multitude of magical metals, and, so long as the target didn't resist, there was very little he couldn't do...
As this thought crossed his mind, Vahn became aware of a moist feeling soaking through the fabric of his left shoulder. Turning his head, he found Elder Pram drooling against him with a thoroughly insensible expression on her face. This promptly cleared his mind of wayward thoughts, as, rather than appearing drunk on pleasure, she more closely resembled someone who had recently received a lobotomy.
Deciding the buxom leopardess had learned her lesson, Vahn began to lightly pat Pram's back as he passed his gaze over various onlookers before settling on Maschenny and saying, "Don't say I didn't warn you..." in a relaxed yet discernibly solemn tone. This caused the blue-haired Princess to adopt an amused smile, and, had the Law of Identity been emulating her at the moment, Vahn would have heard her reply, "I'm looking forward to it..." before promptly departing.
Having noticed the fiery glimmer in the woman's eyes, Vahn couldn't help shaking his head as he internally remarked, ("We'll see if you can keep up that act of yours after encountering your chibi version...")
Feeling the tension gradually returning to Pram's previously limp body, Vahn took advantage of her growing alertness to whisper, "Consider this a warning...the next time you try playing games, expect to be out of commission for at least a month..."
With Vahn's voice tickling the sensitive interior hairs, Pram's ears twitched a few times as a pleasant tremble ran through her body. This compelled her to lean against him for support, but, the moment she tried nestling against him, Vahn separated their bodies and forced her to stand on her own two feet. Then, just as a feeling of loss had begun to wash over her, he gave a perfunctory wave towards the onlookers before promptly vanishing from view.
Not expecting Vahn's sudden departure, the words Pram had been intending to speak got caught in her throat as she instinctually raised her hand to grasp at empty air. This compounded the peculiar feeling of loss, but, before she could fully process what she was feeling, her expression soured when she detected the overpowering scent of her own aroma. There was also an unpleasant chill between her thighs, and, though much of this could be attributed to the sudden onset of her heated state, a fair amount of the fluid soaking her undergarments possessed a pale golden hue...
Realizing what had happened, Pram's face became remarkably red as the surrounding temperature rapidly decreased. At the same time, a phenomenal amount of Shinsu began to gather around her, gradually freezing her surroundings until a voice over the intercom said, "If you go any further, you will be violating the rules of Last Station. Though the Reception Area is accessible to outsiders, it is still a region intended for Regulars. Please keep this in mind."
Though she wasn't happy about it, Pram forced herself to calm down as she swept aside the frozen traces of her mishap with a sweep of her hand. Then, after passing her gaze over the other groups of representatives, she made her way to her own group before looking down at a young man with very similar characteristics to herself, asking, "Did you record everything?"
Bowing low in response to Pram's question, the youth allowed his previously invisible Lighthouse to manifest as he explained, "The recording functioned without issue, but the playback shows no signs of the Sage Dragon Emperor."
Though she had already anticipated this, Pram couldn't help but frown with a pensive look on her face. Shortly thereafter, however, her expression became uncharacteristically fierce as she ordered, "You are to delete that recording and remove all traces of its existence. If I discover it has somehow leaked, even in private, I will personally skin each and every one of you."
Well aware of how serious she was, the youth quickly deleted the recording before going one step further and using a Baang of Shinsu to completely obliterate the silvery Lighthouse. This earned him an approving nod from Pram, but, understanding others would have made recordings of their own, her usual smile was nowhere to be seen. It was going to take an extreme amount of time and effort to try and bury this incident, and, depending on how cooperative the other groups were, more than a few heads would roll by the time she was done...
As this thought crossed her mind, so too did the memory of an inordinately tall woman with pale-blue hair. This caused Pram to gnash her teeth in frustration, as, even if she resorted to force, there was nothing she could do against Maschenny. She was only Rank 187 in the Tower's Rankings, and, while this was nothing to scoff at, it was nothing compared to a Top 100 Princess of Jahad with a 13 Month Series.
Realizing how troublesome the situation had become, Pram's first instinct was to blame Vahn, but, the moment that thought crossed her mind, a phantom tingling caused her ears and tail to twitch. For a brief moment, she actually thought he had snuck up on her, and, as a result, her entire body jolted as she moved to cover her ears and protect her tail.
Seeing nothing but a quickly emptying platform behind her, Pram slowly retracted her hands from her ears only to notice the same persistent tingling reappear. It was even more prominent around the base of her tail, and, after several seconds had passed, it seemed to slowly spread through the rest of her body.
Feeling her core temperature gradually increasing, Pram avoided looking directly at her entourage as she ordered, "Return to the Karakoram and await my orders. I have a personal matter to attend..."
Without waiting for the group's reply, Pram used her own Lighthouse to teleport directly to one of the private rooms they had booked. There, she screamed at those resting inside to leave, as, for the first time in a long while, her body felt like it was burning from the inside. This was an indication she was going into heat, but, compared to the rather mild symptoms she had experienced over the last couple of millennia, this particular heat was reminiscent of the period in which she had just reached sexual maturity.
Concluding that Vahn had done 'something' to her body, Pram was tempted to seek him out, but, remembering how easily had handled her, combined with his parting words, she was actually a little scared to face him so soon. Her instincts told her that she might no longer be the same person if he managed to get his hands on her a second time. There was something about his touch that affected the most primal parts of her nature, and, had he not shown her compassion, she might have already fallen irreversibly into his clutches...
Briefly correlating Vahn's ability with that of her Lord and Father, the Leader of the Lo Po Bia Family, Pram's expression became progressively ruddier as the fire in her body quickly became unbearable. She suddenly wanted nothing more than to be impregnated by the seed of a strong male, but, with her mission taking precedence over all else, the only thing she could do was mindlessly tend to the demands of her body. This could take several days, but, so long as she wasn't interrupted, her prior training should allow her to gradually regain control...
---
Following his departure from the train platform, Vahn arrived at a place colloquially known as the Mega Dome City. This was the residential district attached to the Last Station, and, so long as you had completed your journey onboard the Hell Express, you could stay as long as you want without spending a single Point. This led to a number of Regulars retiring at the Last Station, as, even when compared to the accommodations of Rankers, the suites and amenities provided were exceptional.
As the only person to officially complete the Hell Express this year, Vahn had been provided access to one of the highest quality suites. This included a living space roughly the size of a football field, an attached recreational room, an indoor pool, a private hot tub, and, for those prone to cooking their own meals, a fully furnished and heavily stocked kitchen. It was honestly a little too much, but, considering the 'hell' most Regulars experienced prior to reaching this point, it was understandable that the Administration would try and compensate them for their efforts. This, in turn, allowed them to make a good impression on rising stars, and, by keeping them in one place, it afforded the Great Families time to gather information and deploy their representatives to recruit unique talents.
Fortunately, while the ruler of the Last Station generally cooperated with the Ten Great Families, he had enough sense to ensure that the Mega Dome City was off-limits to people who hadn't passed on the Hell Express. His original purpose for building the Last Station was to ensure that those who had suffered onboard the Hell Express had the chance to experience a paradise without worry. The only reason he capitulated to letting the Ten Great Families send their representatives was that their influence didn't really give people the option of ignoring them.
Replacing the bed in the master bedroom with one of his own, Vahn allowed himself to fall back with his arms spread wide, soundlessly impacting the plush yet resistant surface. This was a feature built into most of the beds he employed, and, so long as he took measures to prevent sound from leaking out, he could make love to one woman without waking another. This was a very important feature, not because he needed to hide his antics, but because it afforded those who had recently passed out the opportunity to sleep peacefully...
With thoughts of the previous incident still fresh on his mind, Vahn spent several minutes simply staring up at the roof before averting his eyes downward to stare at the petite redhead straddling his waist. This was none other than the Law of Identity, and, as was often the case as of late, she was patiently waiting for him to ask questions in order to transform. This was the thing that gave her life meaning, and, were it not for the fact she could be extremely affectionate, even while assuming the identities of other people, Vahn would have been even more grateful for her assistance. Instead, he often found himself in rather compromising positions, and, while he might be the only one aware of her antics, they could be pretty stressful at times...
Demonstrating this capacity to its fullest extent, the Law of Identity spontaneously changed into an inordinately beautiful woman with milky skin, pale-blue hair, and electric-blue eyes the moment his mind wandered to Maschenny. To make matters even worse, she had dismissed with the blue dress that the former had been wearing as it would have interfered with her ability to continue straddling his waist. Thus, despite their slightly antagonistic relationship, Vahn had to tolerate a nearly-naked Maschenny sitting in his lap as the Law of Identity eagerly betrayed everything the sly Princess was plotting...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'RIP','Godhand Secret Technique #13: Phantom Petting...!','Bruh, what are you even complaining about...?')
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