Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With Quant taking longer than expected, Vahn decided to reinforce the dynamic he was trying to establish by manifesting three unique vessels. To that end, he pulled out a chaise lounge, making himself comfortable as Phae prepared tea and snacks for everyone. At the same time, Gandr kept the Princess of Zahard at bay, preventing her from complaining while getting as much information out of the fashionable young woman as possible.

From Endorsi, Vahn learned about the structure of the Tower, the rules governing each floor, and common knowledge regarding the Jahad Empire and the Ten Great Families.

Though there were some exceptions beyond the 100th Floor, it seemed that most Floors within the Tower were split into three sections: Outer, Middle, and Inner. The Outer Tower of each Floor had an average surface area of sixteen-million square-kilometers, roughly the combined size of North and South America. This was where most of the Tower's residents lived prior to being chosen to climb the Tower, officially becoming Regulars upon the completion of their Positional Exams.

Nobody knew exactly how many people lived in the Outer Tower, but, based on several calculations, it was approximated to be between 123~150 billion sapient lifeforms. This included everything from simple humans, the most common race among the Tower's inhabits, to peculiar lifeforms that were comprised entirely of elemental energy, metal, or even rubber. There was seemingly no end to the variety of lifeforms climbing the Tower, so, much to Vahn's surprise, concepts such as racism didn't seem to be that big an issue...

Among the Outer Tower's residents, it was estimated that less than two-percent were ever given the opportunity to climb the Tower. Fortunately, though it led to all kinds of problems arising, it seemed that the energy present within the Tower, Shinsu, had a drastic influence on a person's lifespan. As a result, it was possible for even relatively weak Regulars to live for hundreds, or even thousands, of years. Because of this, there were currently more than a billion Regulars within the Inner Tower, the region where Headon's chosen were given the chance to complete various Tests in order to further ascend the Tower and become Rankers.

Rankers were exponentially more powerful than Regulars due to the fact that the density of Shinsu constantly increased the higher you climbed. This placed a heavy burden on the body, effectively emulating the increased spatial density Vahn often used in his training. The only real difference was that Shinsu, also referred to as God's Water, actually emulated a liquid at higher concentrations. As a result, it was impossible for normal people to breathe in it, and, when they moved into areas with greater Shinsu density, their bodies could literally be crushed into pulp due to the massive pressure differential.

Since becoming a Ranker required a person to reach the 134th Floor, it wasn't an exaggeration to say they had greatly exceeding human limitations with just their physiques. This was why a man like Quant was able to break the sound barrier with ease, but, according to Endorsi, there were actually a number of people, specifically the Ten Family Heads and a few of the more famous High Rankers, who could easily reach relativistic speeds by reinforcing their bodies with Shinsu.

The Ten Family Heads were led by the individuals who had accompanied Jahad, the current 'King' of the Tower, during his conquest several thousand years prior. Because of their deeds, they had been granted Immortality by the Tower's Guardians, and, though there were a number of people ranked higher than the Family Heads, it was simply impossible to compete with them in terms of political power, wealth, and authority.

Vahn didn't need Gandr to ask in order to understand why someone like Endorsi would mention the power of the Ten Great Families. She clearly had her own history with them, as, after asking Gandr's age, she revealed that her own was around 316. This made her a pretty late bloomer among those just beginning their climb, but, as you moved higher up the Tower, it was normal to final thousands of people much older. Some even looked like children even after thousands of years, as, according to Endorsi, your body effectively stopped aging the moment you entered the Tower. The only way to grow was to mentally mature, so, much like Vahn's past self, the appearance of most residents within the Tower was based on their mentality, not their actual age.

To underline her point, Endorsi mentioned that one of the Ten Great Family Heads, Eurasia Blossom, had the appearance of a young child who enjoyed wearing flamboyant and cute clothes. According to popular belief, she possessed the greatest talent in controlling Shinsu within the entire Tower, so, despite being well over a thousand years old before becoming Immortal, most people would guess that Eurasia was between ten and twelve-years-old if based solely on appearance.

In essence, Endorsi was trying to convince Gandr that, despite her deceptively advanced age, she was still young. She even tried to get him to call her Big Sister a few times, but, for obvious reasons, Vahn wasn't going to do that, even as Gandr. The last thing he needed was some random Princess trying to treat his younger self as her little brother, using it as an excuse to try and touch his ears or take other liberties with him. Fortunately, Endorsi didn't push too hard, simply asserting that it was 'his loss' before going into further detail regarding the Rules of the Tower.

Prior to reaching the 20th Floor, all Regulars were restricted to moving about and operating within the confines of the Inner Tower. This was to prevent 'poaching' before Regulars had a chance to find their comfort zone and build a support group to climb further up the Tower. After all, the Tower was a very competitive place, so, if they could eliminate the competition early on, there were few people who would even hesitate.

Fortunately, upon completion of a Floor's Tests, Regulars were 'forced' to move up to the next Floor. Descending down the Tower was practically impossible before becoming a Ranker, and, if you were found attempting to interfere in the affairs of Regulars on a lower floor, the Floor Administrator or even the Guardian itself might obliterate you. This was especially true for Rankers, and, unless they were Test Administrators, it was generally 'forbidden' for Rankers to interact with Regulars outside of very specific situations.

Though the Tower reinforced the idea that a person's injuries were their own responsibility, often showing complete disregard for people too weak to protect themselves, they actually had a number of systems in place to prevent the strong from preying on the weak. The only exceptions were when a person discarded their Regular status, effectively giving up their opportunity to climb and forcing them to live in the Middle and Outer Towers. It was only after abandoning their Regular status that they were allowed to descend to lower floors, but, in exchange, they often become the targets of various organizations that specifically targetted people who had lost the Guardians' protection.

To many, abandoning the climb was synonymous with death, so, unless they had lost everything and experienced extreme trauma, most people would rather die than give up their status as Regulars. After all, they were the 'Chosen Ones', the lucky few who had been given the chance to climb the Tower and make all their dreams come true. Abandoning this opportunity was heavily frowned upon by residents of the Inner, Middle, and Outer Towers. There were even instances of people in the Outer Tower outright exiling those who had returned from a failed climb, lambasting them for giving up an opportunity most sought but few were able to obtain...

---

Having refused Endorsi's umpteenth request to touch his ears, Gandr felt considerable relief when Quant finally returned to explain, "Alright, listen up! The Test Director came up with a solution that should satisfy everyone. We can't really move forward with the standard tests due to how few your numbers are so we're going to mix you into a different group and allow you to participate in a rare bonus test called the Crown Game. Now, before any of you start complaining about having to take additional tests, you should know that the winner of the Crown Game gets to bypass the remaining tests and immediately move to the next Floor. Any questions?"

Since he had just learned about positions and such during his very one-sided conversation with Endorsi, Gandr raised his hand and asked, "What about the Position Test? Wouldn't the winning team be at a disadvantage if they were to move on to the next Floor without being assigned a position? Aren't those supposed to be important in the Tower?"

With a visibly annoyed expression on his face, Quant glowered towards Gandr, crossing his arms as he asked, "You tryin' to be smart with me, kid? While positions are indeed important, that only really applies to Regulars. In the end, what matters most is that you have sufficient strength. By the time a Regular becomes a Ranker, most are capable of filling all positions. Given how abnormal this group is, it won't really matter all that much if you figure things out while climbing."

Unconvinced by Quant's explanation, Gandr showed a very similar glower on his face, but, before he could say anything, Phae stepped in, calming him down with her warm smile before shifting her gaze to the red-haired Ranker and saying, "Though your words carry some grain of truth, the most important opportunity we would be giving up is the chance to network with others. Given how long it takes to climb the Tower, it is rather obvious that a powerful team is necessary to complete many of the future Tests. Tell me, Administrator Quant...are you not just trying to get rid of us~?"

Though his first instinct was to rebut and call the woman stupid, Quant stopped himself when he saw the surety visible in Phae's eyes. She might have had a kind smile on her face, but there was an overwhelming amount of confidence visible in her sapphire blue pupils, the kind of look that didn't leave much room for falsehood and deceit.

Clicking his tongue, Quant broke eye-contact with Phae before answering in a bored tone, "You can think whatever you want. In the end, your only options are to participate in the Crown Game or give up climbing the Tower. Besides, every other team already accepted this Test after hearing about the prize. In the end, the thing that matters most is being able to climb the Tower as quickly as possible. Even if Shinsu stops your aging, you still have a limited lifespan. The current record is fifty years, so, unless you want to be a granny by the time you reach the 134th Floor, be grateful for the chance to advance even a month sooner."

Rather than take any offense at Quant's words, Phae just giggled in amusement before turning her attention towards Vahn and asserting, "The decision lays in the hands of His Imperial Majesty...what are your command, my Lord?"

Hearing Phae's words, Vahn set aside his cup of tea before rising to his full height and stating, "We will participate. So long as we aren't arbitrarily commanded to kill others, I see no reason to refuse such an opportunity. Rather, the name 'Crown Game' has a certain charm to it. I'm curious to learn what form such an event takes...hmm...if nothing else, it will be a good opportunity to see what the other teams are capable of."

Immediately following Vahn's words, both Phae and Gandr bowed respectfully toward him before the former turned her attention back to Quant and saying, "It would appear our participation has been decided. Please, carry on with your explanation, Administrator Quant."

Though he didn't like being told what to do by a Regular, even if they were actually an Irregular, Quant ultimately just clicked his tongue before explaining, "The test will take place in three hours. Come, I'll show you to the residential area. You'll have a chance to relax and get something to eat before the Crown Game officially starts."

With that said, Quant didn't check to see if anyone was following him before turning around and walking towards the exit. He was clearly annoyed with the current situation, but, as someone who had been entrusted with the position of Test Administrator, he had enough sense to follow the rules and execute his duties. To that end, he led everyone to a small cafeteria attached to a common area and several corridors leading to hotel-like rooms...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Gandr using his adorableness to gather info...','Phae's giggle has the effect of sending shivers through the body...','Quant is in for a rough time')

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