Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos
chapter-1922

As yet another countermeasure against the encroachment of the Sworn Enemies, Vahn, and several others spent the better part of a day erecting a massive barrier around the entirety of the Town of the Wandering Minstrels. There was a good chance this was completely unnecessary, but, as the trio of Vahns had demonstrated, they weren't against 'bending' the rules of their programming.

Fortunately, while they were generated in such a way that their skills were eerily reminiscent of his own, the account of Madara proved that the Hidden Floor couldn't replicate things it didn't actually understand. This included various Laws, and, most importantly, anything related to foreign magical systems. After all, if the systems administering the Hidden Floor had the ability to deconstruct and emulate 'any' energy system, the Workshop would long-discovered countless means to get around the requirement of Shinsu within the Tower.

The only downside was, due to its inability to make sense of the energy being used, things like Ki, Chakra, and Magical Energy didn't function at full capacity within the Hidden Floor. This was where Vahn came into the picture, as, regardless of whether or not he was in a real or digital world, Source Energy had no limitations. It allowed him to effectively ignore the system's restrictions, and, thanks to Sis' efforts, they were able to reinforce the security around the town and make it inaccessible to specific types of entities within the system. This included Sworn Enemies, so, unless they were even more ridiculous than expected, the town was virtually inaccessible and functionally impervious to all forms of damage associated with enemy programs.

With the Town of the Wandering Minstrels serving as their garrison, teams were, once again, able to venture out into the Hidden Floor proper. Unlike before, however, they were tasked with providing periodic updates, and, every time they completed 3-5 stages, they needed to report back in person. This would drastically extend the amount of time it took to complete their objectives, but, as time was on their side, stalling wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It gave Sis the opportunity to complete her takeover of the Hidden Floor's systems, and, most importantly, allowed Vahn to venture out without having to worry too much about the safety of those defending the garrison.

It was only after these measures were fully implemented that Vahn returned to the Palace of Spears, his mood soured but not to the extent that he was at risk of lashing out at anyone. He was annoyed by the fact that Eduan hadn't bothered to seek him out, even after Maschenny had effectively been missing for the better part of a day. Sure, she might not be in any actual danger, but he could have at least sent Asensio or Icardi to ask how things were going. They literally had mirrors that allowed them to move freely throughout the Hidden Floor, so there was really no excuse for their negligent behavior...

Finding himself in the banquet hall adjacent to the throne room, Vahn's expression morphed into a deadpan as he saw the trio seated around the table with Eduan relaxedly enjoying a bowl of grapes. To make matters even worse, the man immediately offered an amused, stain-toothed, smile as he raised his hand and said, "Yo! I was wondering when you were going to return. You sure took your sweet time. Did you have fun playing around with Maschenny?"

Raising his hand in a slow-motion manner that paradoxically left no opportunity for others to react, a massive pillar of golden energy erupted from Vahn's hand, disintegrating the table and smashing into the pin-eyed Eduan in an instant. When the light faded away, a perfectly cylindrical tunnel had formed through the banquet hall, extending into and through the mountain upon which the Palace was built. This left Asensio and Icardi at a complete loss, the former's mouth opening and closing as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.

Gesturing for the duo to relax, Vahn pulled out a chair from his Inventory as a peculiar green hue spread through the area. Immediately thereafter, the flow of time seemed to reverse for everything except Vahn, his chair, and the increasingly stupefied duo. As a result, the table and everything on it were completely restored, yet, in spite of this, Eduan was nowhere to be seen. It was only after the manifestation of a large circular mirror that the unamused Khun made an appearance, asking, "Was that really necessary? You need to learn how to take a joke."

With a relatively relaxed expression on his face, Vahn shook his head in response to Eduan's words, saying, "Even if she isn't your actual daughter, such crass remarks are completely tasteless. Rather than telling me what I ought to do, perhaps you should pay better attention to the words spewing out of your mouth. Though I can be pretty easy-going at times, that changes rather quickly when it concerns children and being a good parent. I won't force you to act like a decent father, but sure as hell won't get away with making such remarks in my presence."

Though he was highly tempted to give Vahn a taste of his own medicine, Eduan could tell there was something bothering the man, so, rather than immediately resorting to violence, he took a seat and asked, "What crawled up your ass and died?"

Rather than answering, Vahn just shook his head before saying, "I recently completed the process of transferring Maschenny's ego to a physical body. She is currently training under the tutelage of one of my most skilled and trusted allies. Though I imagine her progress will be slow in the beginning, it should only take about a year or two before she is around your level."

Raising his brows, Eduan resisted the urge to grab a handful of grapes, saying, "That's a rather bold claim. That brat certainly has talent, but I can't imagine her getting anywhere near my level through her own efforts. I also can't see you providing her with power beyond her temperament. She would literally self-destruct if given too much. That girl's ambitions far outstrip her growth..."

After watching over Maschenny for hundreds of years, Eduan was confident he knew the troubled Princess better than she knew herself. He had seen countless people like her throughout the years, and, were it not for the circumstances of her birth and the support of many others, she would have been squashed long before she rose to prominence. Nobody liked an entitled upstart, and, based on what he had learned of his own family, standing out before you obtained power was the same as planting a massive target on your back. The only reason Maschenny had survived was that she was the first-born daughter of his counterpart's favorite wife, a remarkable beauty that shared the same name.

Understanding Eduan's thoughts, quite literally, Vahn couldn't help but nod his head, saying, "You would be right...at least, under normal circumstances. We do things a little different in the Aldrnari Empire, so, unless she gives up on herself, it is only a matter of time before Maschenny becomes a powerhouse without equal. My people have also deconstructed the enchantment placed upon the Rice Pot, so, once she is ready, Maschenny will also be able to undergo Revolution."

Blinking in surprise, Eduan sat a little straighter in his chair as he asked, "You managed to crack one of the Workshop's enchantments? The Hell Train and Rice Pot were created under the supervision of Macseth himself. You're telling me you have people capable of analyzing and emulating one of the Workshop's greatest masterpieces in what, six months? I find that pretty hard to believe, even if you seem to be telling the truth..."

Resisting the urge to chortle in response to Eduan's suspicion, Vahn did the exact opposite of the former, leaning back in his chair as he said, "As someone who has experienced Revolution, you are welcome to confirm it for yourself. Truth be told, the Workshop's understanding of magical systems is extremely shallow compared to the standards of the Aldrnari Empire. There are people on my end capable of creating planets, stars, and even universes if given enough time. As for the Workshop, it has become too deeply embroiled in the politics of the Tower. At this rate, it is only a matter of time before the organization destroys itself from the inside. An appropriate end for a group irreversibly tainted by Jahad's ideals and ambitions..."

Frowning deeply in response to Vahn's words, Eduan leaned forward with his elbows on the table as he asked, "If you have people on your side with that much power, what reason do you have to enter the Hidden Floor? What's preventing you from just rushing up the Tower and breaking through the top floor right this instant?"

Leaning forward to meet the man's gaze, Vahn's expression and tone became serious as he stated, "Questions like that prove just how ignorant you and the other 'Great Warriors' are. You see, there are Laws that govern each reality, and, while it is possible for those with substantial power to bend them, circumventing them is another matter entirely. This is where the misconception that only an Axis User can defeat another Axis User originates. In reality, the only thing that matters is authority. Chung is a good example of this. He is remarkably weak as a person, yet, when provided with the authority of a Big Breeder, he is practically a God amongst normal Data Humans. Another example is the Tower itself. Without rules and Laws that heavily favor Irregulars, do you really think you, Jahad, and the other Great Warriors could have risen to prominence in such a short period of time? No, you were aided by the system and provided an absurd number of advantages thanks to the Workshop. If you had existed in a different reality, one where you were not favored by the Laws and Fate, even a child incapable of doing a single push-up might be able to erase you with a snap of their fingers. You can argue all you like, but, considering you have a pill that can literally format the entirety of the Hidden Floor on your person, anything you might say would only make you seem a greater fool."

Resenting Vahn's admonishing tone, thick bands of lightning began to emanate from Eduan's body even as his mind rationalized the former's words. He found that he couldn't really deny what Vahn was saying, as, prior to the creation of the Hidden Hidden Floor, he had enjoyed the 'authority' of a system administrator. He used to be able to freely create people, generate terrain, and control the weather with a few simple commands, so, while it was hard to imagine something similar occurring in the 'real' world, it wasn't impossible. For all he knew, the Tower was just a simulation created by an Axis User, as, based on what Vahn had revealed about 'Higher Realms', he could be certain that someone or something was in control.

With the lightning gradually dying down, Eduan's expression became serious as he said, "Very well then...I will choose to believe your words. As you said, there is no sense in arguing when I have the option of confirming things for myself. How about you produce my daughter and then explain the process of how we can acquire bodies of our own? Isn't that the reason you came here?"

Relaxing into his chair, Vahn's severe expression melted away as he nodded his head and explained, "That's one of the reasons. Before that, I wanted to ask how your little meeting with Jahad went. I'm curious to see whether or not you will tell the truth or try to keep things hidden."

As Vahn had already revealed his ability to know a person's thoughts, Eduan wasn't surprised by the sudden mention of his liaison with Jahad. He actually thought this was the reason for Vahn's anger, so, without hesitation, he revealed, "Yeah, we had a few drinks together. What of it? If you really do possess the ability to read a person's thoughts, you should be able to confirm that I didn't say or do anything that could be misconstrued as betraying our partnership. If anything, I tried lending you a hand by convincing him to meet you directly. I figure, the faster we wrap things up here, the sooner I can return to the Tower and stretch my legs. That should be what you want as well, right?"

Though the account wasn't entirely accurate, Vahn chose not to press the matter as he manifested the Little Garden and checked on Maschenny's status. Unsurprisingly, he found the girl beaten and bloody at the end of a ditch formed from her own crash landing. Thus, rather than calling her out, he sent Scathach a telepathic message to clean her up before returning his attention to Eduan and saying, "It will take a few minutes for them to wrap up their training session. Until then, I'll explain the procedure of transplanting your Ego into a Gigai and the benefits associated with accepting my Blessing as the God of Infinite Possibilities..."

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Sauce Energy wins the day~','Doctor Octogonopus! Blaaaaaah~!','Buying time to hide the evidence xD...')