章節 1961: Uninhibited

Having resumed his Headon persona, Gluttony stared at Vahn, cerulean eyes blazing as he asked, "How much longer do you intend to remain in the Tower? I'm not in any particular hurry, but I'd rather get this over and done with. Ever since that upstart declared himself King, my children and I have been starving. In ancient times, I would be allowed to devour the bodies of those who ascend and use their energy to expand the Tower. As it stands, the Shinsu in the Tower is expected to dry up within the next seventeen million years."

Amused by the enigmatic rabbit's concerns, a chuckle emanated from Vahn's throat as he resisted the urge to pat Headon's head, saying, "No worries. I can assure you that I will resolve everything before then. Heck, at this rate, I might be out of the Tower within the year. Just don't do anything crazy while I'm not looking. I'm able to free you from your contract. The only thing preventing me from violating the terms we agreed upon is your 'sincerity'. Even if it's in your nature to do so, you should avoid testing me as much as possible..."

Snorting through his non-existent nose, Headon twirled his staff to create a small door reminiscent of the gate used to transport potential Regulars to the Floor of Tests. Then, just as he was about to step through, he looked back over his shoulder, the blue of his eyes briefly gaining a silver luster as he asserted, "I have reigned over this Tower for billions of years. If either of us is to violate the terms of our agreement, it will be you..."

Having said what he intended to say, Headon passed through the gate without another world. By the time the gate closed behind him, the flow of time in the surroundings had returned to normal, and, as a result, the phenomenal amount of Shinsu that had built within the suite exploded outward with catastrophic force. Fortunately, in accordance with his request, the Lo Po Bia Family had left the Floating Palace containing Vahn's suite completely empty.

Emerging unscathed from the violent whirlpool of Shinsu, a wry smile developed across Vahn's face as he watched the city-sized ruins descending towards the ground like an apocalyptic meteor. If left unchecked, it would assuredly wipe out most terrestrial life on the continent below, so, long before it could complete it's 13,000m descent, he opted to reverse the order of entropy before teleporting near the shellshocked members of the Lo Po Bia Family who had come to investigate. Being caught in a 'time-reversal' was a surprisingly terrifying experience, so, while it wasn't absolutely necessary, Vahn did his best to relieve their anxieties before informing them he no longer needed the Floating Palace as a residence...

---

As one of the most important facilities belonging to the Lo Po Bia Family, the Nest was located in one of the most isolated regions of the 50th Floor. It also had three nigh-indestructible walls, tens of thousands of Shinheuh, several branches of the Lo Po Bia Family, and an entire Division of the Jahad Army protecting it, so, as could be expected of a facility referred to as the 'Vault of Jahad', it was one of the most secure places in the entire Tower.

Demonstrating a complete lack of regard for the inordinately large constructs reputation, Vahn was currently lazing about atop one of the countless skyscraper-sized stone bricks comprising the 'Sea of Debris' surrounding the Nest like an asteroid field. These were remnants of the impossibly large structure's construction, and, thanks to the Frozen Waterfall, the Suspendium Crystal located at the very center of the 1,000km wide construct, they were able to float without the aid of any crystals of their own.

With his brick about to collide with one of the thousands littering the surroundings, Vahn resisted the urge to yawn as he moved to a seated position and lightly tapped the air. This caused a small ripple to appear within the void before a spell circle more than fifty-meters across spontaneously manifested out of thin air. Rather than producing any kind of energy beam, however, the few people observing Vahn were left speechless as a grid-like pattern appeared across the inbound brick before the entire thing simply vanished.

Though he had already possessed knowledge related to the 106,000 grimoires comprising Index's Innate, Vahn took the initiative to absorb the actual grimoires during his three-and-a-half-year stay in the Unified Toaruverse. He couldn't stand to see any version of Index suffer, so, shortly after his and Mikoto's entrance into the Actualized World, they ended up confiscating the entire collection, much to the chagrin of the Catholic Church and the organization known as Necessarius.

With forbidden spells capable of restructuring the heavens and using stars to form magic circles, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that Vahn's magical capabilities had increased to an extreme degree in a relatively short period of time. The only conceivable limitation to his abilities was the Authority he had over reality itself, but, thanks to his contract with Headon, this was no longer a factor within the confines of the Tower.

Satisfied with the results of his experiment, a smile spread across Vahn's face as he linked his fingers together, palms pointed outward to pop them. Then, after shaking the tensions out of his wrists, he decided to pass the remaining time by making a few quick adjustments to the Nest. It looked rather droll from the outside, so, in order to encourage the Lo Po Bia Family to hurry things along, he took it upon himself to beautify the structure. This included manipulating the impossibly large flowering plants covering parts of its exterior to encompass the entire structure, and, most notably, adjusting the actual color of the Nest to be an energetic shade of turquoise...

Having never witnessed anything even remotely comparable to what Vahn was currently doing, the Scouts tasked with monitoring the exterior of the Nest were completely gobsmacked by what they were seeing. Some even thought they had succumbed to an illusion, but, after hearing confirmation from the Light Bearers coordinating their patrols, they had no choice but to accept the reality right in front of them.

Fortunately for the onlookers, Vahn didn't invest too much time in shattering their world views, as, moments after he had started his redesign, several high-ranking members of the Lo Po Bia Family promptly teleported to his location. This included Pram, who, after gawking at the flower-covered Nest for several seconds, adopted a wry smile as she turned to Vahn and mused, "Had you notified us, we would have gladly prepared something to relieve the Sage Dragon Emperor's boredom..."

After shrugging his shoulders with an 'it is what it is' kind of smile on his face, Vahn levitated to his feet and asked, "Have you finished your preparations? I know it's a little early, but I'd rather get this over and done with. There are quite a number of things I need to take care of in the upper floors so I'd rather not be delayed here for too long."

Seemingly offended by Vahn's words, a dark-skinned man garbed in fashionable robes reminiscent of a bird attempted to take a step forward and admonish him, but, the moment his aura began to surge outward, Pram promptly spun around, her foot connecting with the bird-like mask covering his head. This sent the man smashing through several floating bricks, but, rather than paying him any mind, Pram turned her attention back to Vahn, a hint of anxiety visible in her silvery eyes as she explained, "Please, don't take this matter to heart. The members of the Windbird and Golden Eagle families have never been known for their mental acuity..."

Annoyed by Pram's remark, a rather attractive woman with golden-blonde hair and vibrant yellow eyes, characteristics of the Golden Eagle family, adopted a potent frown. Due to the vast disparity between hers and Pram's strengths, however, she opted to remain silent. The more feline families had never been on good terms with those of avian descent, so, if she managed to offend someone on the level of an Elder, she wouldn't be the only one to suffer.

As this thought crossed the woman's mind, both she and the other representatives present found themselves at a loss for words when Vahn promptly chopped Pram's head, his expression stern as he said, "I am more than capable of speaking for and defending myself. Don't use pandering to me as an excuse to carry out violence against the other families..."

Rubbing the spot where Vahn had hit her, a small amount of moisture appeared in the corners of Pram's eyes as she answered, "I understand..." in an insincere tone. Fortunately for the members of the Windbird and Golden Eagle Families, this resulted in Vahn's countenance becoming noticeably more severe. This caused Pram to turn noticeably pale, and, though she couldn't help feeling a fair amount of resentment towards her family's long-time rivals, she managed to momentarily suppress the deeply-ingrained sentiment as she bowed her head and said, "Please forgive me." in a far more sincere tone.

Resisting the urge to shake his head and sigh, Vahn extended his hand towards the top of Pram's, gently caressing the space between her ears as he said, "Once we're done here, let's return to the Little Garden. I won't force you, but I think you would benefit from spending some more time with Fenrir..."

Though she understood he was basically saying she needed to receive a bit of 'discipline', Pram still perked up quite a bit in response to Vahn's words. Everything about the Little Garden was amazing, but, most importantly, it was an opportunity to grow stronger while simultaneously receiving Vahn's affection. His caress had allowed her to discern what had been missing from her father's, and, while it was somewhat difficult to believe, her instincts were telling her that Vahn was the stronger of the two...

---

Following the rather awkward incident that had occurred outside the Nest, Vahn was granted free passage into the Nest. This wasn't particularly well-received by those tasked with supervising the rather ancient facility, but, with permission from Lord Lo Po Bia and absolute silence on behalf of Jahad, it was impossible for them to do anything about it. The only resistance they could manage was offering him an 'escort' and inconveniencing him by extending the time it took to pass each checkpoint.

Unfortunately, even this didn't work in their favor, as, shortly after receiving the 'go-ahead', Vahn performed a number of spatial transferences in order to directly access the Frozen Waterfall. This was considered 'impossible' in the eyes of many, but, as a Tier 5 with an advanced mastery over both Space and Time, the instabilities surrounding the massive chunk of Suspendium were little more than a minor inconvenience.

While the administrators of the Nest were freaking out over his sudden disappearance, Vahn was staring into the eyes of an impossibly large cobra. This was one of the twenty-three Guardian Beasts representing the Lo Po Bia Family, and, while it was tiny compared to an actual Floor Guardian, Vahn couldn't help but marvel at the existence of a snake more than twenty kilometers in length.

With the inordinately large creature flicking its massive tongue toward him in an attempt to capture his scent and sample his Shinsu, a smile spread across Vahn's face as he said, "Sorry, but I've moved on from that outdated concept. If you're hungry, why not try this?"

Just as he had with several actual Guardians, Vahn manifested a crystalline sphere before tossing it towards the aptly named Ancient Odd-Eyed Giant Cobra. Rather than eating it, however, the giant snake promptly snorted through its nostrils, diverting the sphere before asserting in a surprisingly feminine tone, "I have no need for your offerings. Now, state your business. If I am not satisfied with your answer, you will, personally, serve as my meal."

Rolling his eyes, Vahn teleported right above the snake as color faded from the world around him. In response, the Ancient Odd-Eyed Giant Cobra showed absolutely no reaction, it's gaze still fixed on the spot where he had previously stood. Then, with a functionally infinite amount of time to kill, Vahn found a nice spot on its head to relax before lying on his side and lazily scrutinizing the giant chunk of Suspendium it was coiled around...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: '*Casually Reverses Time*','Vahn discovered the real life tilde key...','Never mess with someone who can control time...')

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章節 1962: Going with the Flow

Though it took a little longer than expected, having the artifact used by the Workshop to access the Frozen Waterfall nearby made things relatively simple. The only reason it took a year to activate the device was due to the fact that the surrounding space was remarkably unstable. Circumventing this required a truly phenomenal amount of energy, so, rather than saying it took a year to warm up the device, it was more accurate to say that it needed a year to gather enough Shinsu to create a stable bridge between the outside world and interior space.

Using his domain as a medium, Vahn was able to forcibly stabilize the turbulent space with relative ease. The difficult, or, more accurately, the most time-consuming part was gathering enough Shinsu to trigger the formation linking the sub-realm contained within the giant slab of Suspendium to the outside world.

Under ideal conditions, Vahn would have been able to release some of the Shinsu contained within the Little Garden to power the formation. Unfortunately, due to its slipshod construction, this had a higher chance of destroying the entire thing rather than triggering it. This would complicate things quite a bit, as, even with his power, Vahn couldn't reconstruct a sub-realm he had no direct access to. Thus, while he was perfectly capable of restoring the Frozen Waterfall, everything stored within would be lost forever.

With someone like Eurasia Enne Jahad sealed within, Vahn was pretty sure that fate would step in to intervene if something went wrong, but, having been screwed over by the mysterious force quite a number of times, he wasn't willing to take the risk. Instead, he inscribed his own formation overtop the absurdity of a magical configuration that currently existed within the crystalline structure. As for its function, its only purpose was translating the broken language comprising the existing formation into something easier for the 'world' to understand.

When everything was said and done, Vahn managed to create a transdimensional bridge between the outside world and the interior of the Frozen Waterfall. From the perspective of others, this had taken no time at all, but, from his own, more than thirty hours had passed. Fortunately, the time axis of the outside world and the interior of the Frozen Waterfall were completely separate, so, without needing to rectify the two, he was able to enter without 'wasting' any additional time. There, he was unsurprised to find a miniature world contained within, complete with a number of different biomes and a massive labyrinth that dominated one side of the horizon.

Thanks to the Law of Identity, Vahn's journey through the labyrinth was relatively straightforward, as, in the distant past, Garam had invaded the interior to meet with Enne. This allowed the Law of Identity to guide him down the path used by the invasive Princess, and, as a result, he soon found himself standing outside a cage reminiscent of the one used to seal the Nine-Tails in the Record of Naruto. The only difference was, rather than allowing its occupant to move around freely, countless hair-like threads had been wrapped around the woman suspended in the very center of the massive prison.

Ignoring the urge to question the wisdom of caging someone who was bound and unable to move, Vahn allowed a bit of his aura to spread through the chamber as he approached the massive metal bars that were more like columns supporting the roof than rods forming a prison. There was even a 3m gap between each bar, more than enough space to pass through if not for the invisible barrier isolating the interior of the cell from the outside.

Sensing Vahn's presence, albeit only because he had allowed it, the woman who had been hanging her head at the center of the cage lifted her face to reveal that she was completely naked. Despite this, she seemed completely unfazed by the prospect that a strange man had appeared before her, reddish-pink eyes emanating a subtle light as she calmly remarked, "You are not the one I've been waiting for...who are you...?"

Smiling wryly in response, Vahn released a pulse of invisible energy that effectively erased the runes inscribed across every visible surface. Then, with a casual sweep of his hand, the massive metal gate providing access to the cage was ripped from its joints as the bindings keeping Enne suspended in the air began to slacken.

Demonstrating her first real emotion, an expression of absolute surprise marred Enne's inordinately beautiful face as she found herself gently lowered to the ground. Then, before she could collect her senses, Vahn tossed a golden bracelet towards her, saying, "Put that on. It has a bunch of different kinds of clothes sealed within. As much as I'm enjoying the view, conversing in the nude is best left for the bedroom."

As if she had only just realized the state of her body, Enne made a half-hearted attempt to cover her breasts and privates as she averted her eyes to the side and murmured, "Pervert..." in a meek monotone. Despite this, she made no effort to put on the [REquip] system. Instead, she turned her back towards him, seemingly intending to use her hair to conceal her body as she repeated, "Who are you?" before following it up with, "Did my father send you?"

Pulling a scarlet mantle from his Inventory, Vahn proffered it towards the distrustful woman as he answered, "My name is Vahn Aldrnari Mason, better known as the Sage Dragon Emperor. As for why I am here. Well, I came of my own accord. I heard tale about you being sealed away, so, after confirming a few things with Garama, I decided to break you free. I apologize if I'm not the knight in shining armor you were expecting."

Punctuating his last statement with a wink, Vahn managed to elicit an apologetic look from the inordinately beautiful redhead as she reached out to grab the cloak he had extended toward her, muttering, "Sorry..." before looking up at him with an ingratiating smile and adding, "You're pretty handsome..." in an even softer tone.

Chuckling in response to the woman's words, Vahn pulled a few other articles of clothing from his Inventory before turning his back and explaining, "The power dynamic in the Tower is currently in the process of shifting rather drastically. I'll go into more details later, but the simplest explanation is that I'm a God who entered the Tower as an Irregular. The current system isn't to my liking so I've decided to introduce a few reforms before moving on. Any questions...?"

Though her first instinct was to ask why the undergarments Vahn had provided fit her perfectly, Enne quickly arranged her clothing before peeking over her shoulder and calmly inquiring, "Where do I fit in your plans? I am grateful for the fact you have freed me, but that doesn't mean I will fight at your behest...I've grown weary of conflict. If possible, I would prefer it if you allow me to rest..."

As a main-line descendent of the Eurasia Family, Enne was far more concerned with sleeping than fighting. The only reason she had fought tirelessly in the past was that people kept interrupting her sleep, so, if Vahn wanted to force her back onto the battlefield, she would rather just fight him and be done with it...

Noticing the threatening gleam in Enne's reddish-pink eyes, a wry smile developed across Vahn's face as he answered, "What you do from this moment onward is entirely up to you. I helped you because I wanted to, not because I needed your power. Me referring to myself as a God isn't just my ego talking. It is a simple truth. If I needed the assistance of others to carry out my objectives, what kind of God would I be?"

Detecting no falsehoods in Vahn's words, a sigh of relief escaped Enne's lips before a conflicted look replaced her naturally apathetic expression. From her perspective, very little time had passed since the moment she was sealed. The flow of time within the Frozen Waterall passed thousands of times slower than the outside world, so, despite thousands of years passing since the moment she was sealed, her age had only increased from 482 to 483. She was also aware of the 'truth' related to the Tower, so, even if she wanted nothing more than to sleep peacefully, the Empire and the Great Families would never allow it...

With the Law of Identity providing narration, Enne's thoughts were no secret to Vahn. Thus, before she could completely succumb to the helplessness of her situation, he adopted a friendly smile and said, "You worry too much. I might not have a need for you, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to ignore you. I went out of my way to save you. There's no way I'm going to let those assholes in the Tower drag you into their problems. Even if you choose to spend the rest of your days sleeping in a small cottage, I will do everything in my power to guarantee you that right. You just need to tell me what it is you want, and, so long as it within my power, I will grant your wish. And don't worry about your Family. I've already come to an agreement of sorts with your mother..."

Though she found it difficult to believe in Vahn's words, Enne's face lit up when he mentioned her mother. She was one of the few people to take her side when everyone else, even her actual father, was calling her crazy. The thing she was most afraid of was causing trouble for her mother, so, while it didn't completely alleviate her concerns, knowing Vahn had reached some kind of agreement with her went a long way. Assuming he was telling the truth...

Intent on confirming the veracity of his claims, Enne moved a little closer to Vahn, her white pupils releasing a subtle pink light as she asked, "Have you ever slept with a member of my Family...?"

Understanding what she was thinking, even without the Law of Identity's narration, Vahn nodded his head in affirmation before saying, "Thus far, I've been the companion of five different members of your family. I also know the truth regarding your mother's race so you don't have to be afraid of revealing your heritage in front of me."

Hearing the last part, Enne couldn't help furrowing her brows as she remarked, "I have no idea what you're talking about..."

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Vahn's hair spontaneously turned a vibrant shade of pink as a pair of black, cat-like, ears sprouted from his head. At the same time, his ears noticeably sharpened as a short black tail, reminiscent of a canine, popped out from his lower back. The only thing that didn't change was his height, as, despite it being one of their primary racial characteristics, Vahn wasn't in the mood to become a 'shota'.

Though it wasn't particularly difficult to fake appearances, Enne could tell Vahn that was the real deal due to the aura emanating from his body. What she couldn't understand was the fact that he also gave off the scent of a male, something that shouldn't be possible if he was truly a member of her mother's race...

Waving his hand in a dismissive manner, Vahn explained, "The vastness of creation is so far beyond an individual entity's ability to understand that it is foolish to consider, even for a moment, that any form of knowledge is indicative of inviolable truth. Your mother hails from just one universe among a functionally infinite number of derivative realities. To that end, the variety of Mares in existence is incalculable. Rather than making assumptions based on knowledge you have received, it is far more meaningful to get out and experience the world for yourself..."

Having never been known for her mental acuity, Enne just stared blankly at Vahn until he had finally finished speaking. Then, disregarding his statements entirely, she asked, "Can I hug you...?" before promptly spreading her arms. This left Vahn feeling more than a little exasperated, but, rather than refusing her request, he spread his own arms, indicating his consent. As a result, Enne unhesitantly nestled into his chest, her rather ample chest pressing against him as she immediately descended into a deep state of unconsciousness. At the same time, though it wasn't noticeable at first glance, the very tips of her ears became subtly sharper...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn basically took an MTL and translated it properly xD...','That's a very nice prison you have there...would be a shame if someone were to destroy it with a single sweep of their hand...','XD *nuzzles*', *pounces on you*, (UwU)~you so warm~)

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