Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Though he wasn't surprised to see her, Vahn issued a light hum of acknowledgment when he saw Hwa Ryun leaning against the exterior wall of his room.

Smiling in response to her God's presence, Hwa Ryun didn't beat around the bush, asking, "There is a matter I wished to discuss. Is now an acceptable time?"

Since he could already guess what she wanted to discuss, Vahn opened the door to his room while answering, "If it is regarding the matter of Baam and Rachel, I will handle it in my own way. For the time being, you should continue performing your original duties. When the time comes, I will either discover the truth on my own or see their destiny play out with my own two eyes."

As she had actually stopped by to discuss the matter of Baam and Rachel, Hwa Ryun's visible eye widened, a zealous gleam flashing across its surface. Then, unable to contain her curiosity even a moment longer, she asked, "Does my God truly possess the sight? How much do you see?"

Though he was tempted to just enter his room and close the door behind him, Vahn stopped in his tracks, back facing Hwa Ryun as he plainly stated, "I do not see the future, Hwa Ryun...I shape it in the present. I am an existence that represents infinite possibilities, someone who shapes the past, present, and future through my actions. No manner of clairvoyance or future sight will ever be able to predict my path or the ones I set others upon....when the time comes, I will teach you the greater meaning contained within the words..."

Feeling he had been adequately mysterious, Vahn allowed the door to close with a mechanical hiss, separating him from the wide-eyed Guide. He got the feeling she already found her own meaning within his words, but, for the sake of his future plans, Vahn was willing to overlook her actions until the Position Exam had come to an end.

It was exceptionally obvious that some greater scheme was afoot, so, while he had the option of stirring things up, he wanted to see how far the Administrators were willing to game their own system. He also knew Princess Yuri was on her way to retrieve the Black March that was currently in his possession, so, based on his knowledge of millions of fictional worlds, Vahn could assume an enemy that required her intervention was bound to appear.

Unless he had seriously misread the situation, Anak was the most likely target for whatever enemy appeared in the near-future. Her existence as a False Princess of Jahad, combined with the fact she was in possession of one of the Thirteen Month Series, all but assured someone would be sent to both kill her and retrieve the symbolic weapon belonging to the Jahad Empire. This was one of the reasons Vahn had approached the girl, and, though it was a little manipulative on his part, his desire to protect her, at the very least, was genuine...

---

Though classes started at 7 AM, Phae, as could be expected of someone with her bearing, arrived a little more than half-an-hour early. Despite this, there were already two people within the class, her expression showing visible amusement as she made her way over and said, "Oh my, is this beautiful young lady your wife? Administrator Lero-Ro is a lucky man..."

Hearing Phae's remark, Lero-Ro returned a good-natured laugh before remarking, "It would seem Ms. Phae has quite the sense of humor. No, this young lady is not my wife. Rather, shouldn't you be the most aware of her identity...?"

Despite the truth contained within the man's words, Phae just giggled in response before combing back her bangs and saying, "Why, Administrator, whatever do you mean? I believe this is the first time I've ever met this beautiful young lady~?"

As most women were weak to compliments, especially those prone to extreme vanity and envy, the beautiful young lady in question, Rachel, developed the closest thing approximating a bashful blush she could manage before sheepishly muttering, "Ms. Phae, it's me, Rachel..."

Showing an expression of pseudo-genuine shock, Phae momentarily covered her mouth in surprise before offering a radiant smile as she said, "My goodness, You clean up well, don't you~?"

Though her basic features were still the same, the current Rachel looked like a completely different person compared to her previous self. Her complexion had pristine and fair, free from all blemishes, whilst her previously blonde hair and pale-yellow eyes now had a subtle golden hue to them. Most notably, however, was the fact she had become slightly taller, and, though her physical proportions hadn't changed that much, her drastically improved posture made her breasts and bottom far more conspicuous, giving her a healthy and balanced look.

If Rachel's original appearance could be graded as a 2-3 on a scale ranging to 10, her features after consuming the [Flawless Jade Pill] placed her squarely around a 7. If she changed her attire, started exercising, and improved her general disposition, she could easily eclipse an 8 or 9, potentially even pushing a ten if she made a genuine effort. After all, the [Flawless Jade Pill] didn't have the effect of simply removing a person's impurities overnight. It continued working for years, helping to refine a person's beauty by regularly expelling anything detrimental to their body...

Since she was genuinely happy about the changes to her body, Rachel didn't have to pretend when responding to Phae's question, smiling as she answered, "It is all thanks to Ms. Phae's 'advice'. I was awake all night thinking about what you said, and, though I'm not sure how long it will take, I want to change. Please continue to advise me into the future..."

Following her 'heartfelt' words, Rachel performed an even more graceful bow than she had the day before. Previously, she lacked the posture and presence to execute to properly sell the act, but, now that her appearance had improved qualitatively, Rachel gave off the impression of a dignified and refined young lady...

Though Rachel's act was even better than before, it was, in the end, still an act. Phae could tell she was enthused by the change in her appearance, but, based on the fact she had arrived early just to make an impression on the Administrator, it was easy to intuit she was still the petty young woman from before. The moment she noticed Phae's arrival in the classroom, Rachel's aura had fluctuated slightly, so, even if she wore an even more convincing mask, she was still far from being able to fool those experienced at seeing through such things.

Offering a practiced smile of her own, Phae giggled in amusement at Rachel's words before saying, "That depends on you, young lady. I have already given you all the 'advice' I think you need. If you want more, you'll need to demonstrate your sincerity through results. The Tower isn't a place that rewards those who simply 'want' or 'expect' things to go their way...if you aren't willing to make an effort, don't expect others to do so on your behalf..."

Though she clenched her teeth slightly in response to Phae's words, Rachel was able to maintain a radiant smile on her face as Administrator Lero-Ro offered an approving nod and added, "Well said, Ms. Phae. If the Tower rewarded everyone who 'wanted' to climb, it would be nothing more than a convenient wish-granting device. If you aren't willing to put in the effort to achieve your dreams, it is only natural that you fail whilst those with stronger will succeed. Though luck and destiny play a part, both can be overcome with enough effort and an adequate level of strength, intellect, or sheer force of will. I have great expectations for the both of you, but, in the end, it will be your efforts that decide how far you go..."

As if they were mirror images of each other, Phae and Rachel offered very similar smiles in response to Lero-Ro's words. This caused the Administrator to feel slightly taken aback, but, as someone who had lived for hundreds of years, he was also rather adept at maintaining a mask...

---

While the other classes were still learning the basics indoors, the Scout and Spear Bearer candidates had been transported to specialized testing grounds located far from Evankhell's Resort. Thirty days wasn't enough to teach advanced tracking skills and other techniques that took years, on average, to master. Thus, after learning the basics of forming a contract with the Guardians and using Shinsu to enhance your physique, they transitioned to purely practical lessons.

With all eyes focused on him, Quant smiled rather viciously as he shouted, "Okay, maggots, listen up! Now that I know where each of you stands physically, I'll be checking to see how capable you are at actually navigating terrain and locating a target. See this forest behind me? We Admins all affectionately refer to it as the forest of death. Other than Gandr, none of you weaklings is strong enough to venture into the center so make sure you stick along the periphery, you hear me?"

Hearing Quant's remark, many within the Scout class showed annoyed expression. In the end, however, none of them tried to refute his words. Gandr really was much stronger and faster than them. In fact, he was so fast that the majority of the Scouts couldn't even follow his movements with their eyes, causing many to doubt if they were actually qualified to climb the Tower...

Though he was amused by his students' reactions, Quant's expression became severe the moment he saw them expressing doubt. His aura surged outward like a tidal wave, enveloping each of them in a fiery Shinsu that made the surroundings suddenly spike to a temperature hotter than an oven as he shouted, "Even if you're maggots, show some damn backbone! Don't forget the desperation you experienced prior to being chosen to climb the Tower! Use those emotions to fuel you forward! We are Scouts! Where others fear to tread, we move forward without hesitation! I don't care if you have doubts, you better damn well act like you're confident during my instruction! If you can't even do that much, pack your bags and get the hell out of the Tower! You won't be missed."

Despite feeling even more indignant after hearing Quant's words, each of the Regulars that had been previously shown doubt now had a flame of passion in their eyes. Few people enjoyed being talked down to, so, while their skills were still lacking, that wouldn't prevent them from delivering their all if it meant putting the short man in his place. After all, they were each 'Headon's Chosen', the lucky few who had been given a chance to climb the Tower and make all their dreams come true. Their's was an opportunity people would literally kill for and risk their lives to obtain, so, even if they were annoyed by the man's words, they couldn't refute them.

Seeing the passion return to his 'precious' students' eyes, Quant returned to his vicious smile as he mused, "That's more like it. Now, listen closely. There are eight marked locations hidden within this forest. Each possesses hints that will guide you towards the other locations. Your objective is to find one of the locations, and, using the hints provided, seek out as many others before the day ends. If you don't have any questions, the time has already started so move your asses."

Following Quant's instructions, many of the Regulars immediately broke off into a sprint, eager to be the first to find a point and complete the task. The only people to remain behind were Shibisu, Hatsu, Nare, and, of course, Gandr.

Though he showed a visibly annoyed expression at first, Quant smiled once the other Regulars were out of view, stating, "Good. When you are given the opportunity, always seek more knowledge and information. It's the job of Fishermen to run in like idiots. As Scouts, our duty is to obtain the most accurate and up-to-date information possible, feeding it to our team members in order to prevent any mishaps from occurring. Regardless of your actual reason for staying, you all get 100 points for successfully ignoring my provocation and choosing to stay behind. Now, since I already know what you want to ask, let me tell you about the optional objectives..."

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn's Chuuni Ascension Plan is well underway...','A pretty face can't hide a repugnant soul...','Jebaited')

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