Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Just as Khun had predicted, not that it was any surprise, several members of the Lo Po Bia Faction, including Hakua, invariably showed up outside the House of Miracles. Unfortunately for them, they had yet to set aside their pride; so, after a failed attempt to make the hundreds of Regulars present clear a path, a very one-sided conflict broke out.

Though the descendants of the Ten Great Families were certainly more powerful than the average Regular, their strength was not at a level where they could simply 'ignore' hundreds of extremely disgruntled Regulars who had been patiently waiting their turn. As a result, they ended up suffering a group lynching, and, if not for the timely intervention of Vahn, there was a very real chance they would have been killed as a result of the resentment their past actions had seeded.

Fortunately for Hakua's group, Vahn currently enjoyed a reputation very similar to a God. His aura also had a suppressive yet calming effect, pacifying the crowd by merely emerging from the House of Miracles. This normally wouldn't be enough to calm such a large crowd, but, thanks to the signs that were posted all throughout the district, they quickly produced the beaten and bloodied bodies of the Lo Po Bia Faction without a fuss. After all, even if their resentment were far greater, none of the Regulars waiting outside wanted to sacrifice their chances of receiving treatment just to beat an already broken man.

To reward the crowd for their 'cooperation', Vahn had the second-floor shut down a little earlier than usual so that Phae, Endorsi, Hatsu, Aleksai, and Shibisu could hand out goodie bags to the people waiting outside. He also had Khun contact the surrounding businesses to encourage them to conduct 'flash sales'. This made the tense atmosphere outside immediately become more festive, drastically decreasing the crowd's resentment while concurrently strengthening Team Wolf Pack's reputation as a group representing the common Regulars...

---

With Hakua's group slumped together within his treatment room, Vahn had a relaxed smile on his face as he pulled out an ornated winged-staff known as the [Sophic Cane]. It was far more powerful than the traditional [Heal] staff that was commonly used by Phae. The only restriction was that you needed a 'Pure Light Elemental Affinity' in order to use it, a limitation that, fortunately, didn't really apply to Vahn and his Templates...

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[Sophic Cane]

Rank: C (A/N: This would have been A-Rank in a T5 Record.)

Slots: 0

P.Atk: 90

M.Atk: 1400

Abilities: Asylum(B), Lucid Dreaming(C), Rescue (D)

'A magical staff said to have been blessed by a Goddess of Light. Though the blessing has faded with the passage of time, it still carries her hope that only the purest of heart will be able to make use of its power.'

Restriction: Pure-Light Elemental Affinity

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Activating the [Sophic Cane]'s 'Asylum' Ability, a crystalline dome of concentrated Light Elemental Energy formed around Hakua and his group. This caused the majority of their wounds to heal in a very short period of time, and, had Vahn not stopped it short, even Hakua's shoulder would have been mended by the sacred light of the crystal.

With most of their wounds healed, Vahn manipulated the Shinsu in the surroundings to create an icy flow, rousing the unconscious scion and his grunts rather unceremoniously. Then, before they could do something foolish like causing a scene within his clinic, Vahn manifested [Enkidu] to bind them together, squeezing them tightly against one another. At the same time, the density of Shinsu within the region began to decrease rapidly, effectively emulating a lack of oxygen.

Shinsu was the most important building block for life within the Tower. Without it, even the most powerful High Rankers and Shinheuh would quickly meet their end, suffocating despite plenty of oxygen being present in the environment. This effect became even more prominent as you moved further up the Tower thanks to your body adapting to higher concentrations of Shinsu so it wasn't long before Hakua, someone born above the 100th Floor, began breathing laboriously, eyes turning bloodshot.

Returning a casual smile in response to the group's glaring, Vahn continued to condense the Shinsu from his surroundings into a single concentrated Baang as he explained, "We have been monitoring your group for the past three weeks. In exchange for letting you walk away freely, you will be forced to hand over 70% of your Faction's accumulated Points. If you refuse...well, it is safe to say that your journey up the Tower will end here. So, unless you want to abandon your rights as a member of the Ten Great Families, you will pay the price for your crimes...I trust you understand my words...?"

Though he was clenching his teeth hard enough to make his gums bleed, Hakua ultimately nodded his head in response to Vahn's threat. He knew that his family would not hesitate to disown, exile, or outright kill him if he failed to become a Ranker. After all, the 'dignity' of the Ten Great Families was far more important than any individual within the family. If you became a blemish to their pride, the best end you could hope for was being made into a servant or slave, the type responsible for latrine duty and waste disposal...

While resolving himself to get revenge on the higher Floors, Hakua pulled out his Pocket alongside the rest of his cronies. They each transferred over the majority of their Points, approximating a sum total greater than two-million. This brought the total funds of Team Wolf Pack to around ten-million Points, enough to purchase more than a hundred B-Class Citizens. They could also use these Points to acquire 2~3 D-Rank items from the Workshop, but, considering Phae already had the capacity to produce A-Rank items, that would be a complete waste.

With Points in hand, Vahn quickly healed the injuries of Lo Po Bia Hakua's group. He even treated the chronic illness of one of their members, surprising the young man quite a bit since there were no known treatments for the disease. Then, with a friendly smile on his face, he saw the group off so that they wouldn't be mobbed by the thousands of Regulars who had gathered for the festival outside. He was hoping they would learn from this example, seeing how they were able to gather so many people just by treating them kindly, but, unfortunately, the look in Hakua's eyes revealed that he was the type to hold a grudge...

---

Seeing the massive crowd of Regulars gathered in what was now known as the Black Wolf District, a well-dressed man with an unusually wrinkled face could be seen smiling from within the comfort of an invisible Suspend Ship known as a Spectre Class Corvette. At his side, lowering her head despite her position as a Senior Administrator, Analize replied to the elderly man's earlier remark about the success of Team Wolf Pack, explaining, "They are unlike any team I have ever seen. That man, Vahn Aldrnari Mason, possesses a healing ability that could humble the most skilled Light Bearers. As for his companion, Ha Phae Stios, she is able to produce items of an even higher quality than some of the articles released through the Workshop's auction..."

Nodding his head in affirmation, the old man adopted a smile that accentuated the lines of his face as he said, "Indeed. Though her work might not compare to the true masterpieces produced by the Workshop, her talent cannot be denied. With proper guidance, it should only take a few decades for her to reach the Rank of Teacher...truly remarkable..."

Though she knew Phae was extremely skilled, hearing the man say she had the potential to become a 'Teacher' was quite the surprise to Analize. Even the lowest-ranking Disciples within the Workshop enjoyed benefits similar to Rankers. As for Teachers, they had even greater authority than the vast majority of Rulers, a position that allowed a High Ranker full authority over a Floor's Shinsu. If Phae truly had the potential to become a Teacher, even saying she was 'truly remarkable' was a bit of an understatement...

While Analize was thinking about how monstrous the members of Team Wolf Pack were, the elderly man, Graham, one of the Workshops 93 Teachers, continued to scrutinize the glove in his hand with an appreciative smile. It's effects might not be all that impressive, but the craftsmanship required to produce such an item was already beyond the level of most Disciples. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that the item was flawless, a true masterpiece despite the fact it was only around the pinnacle of D-Rank.

Nodding in approval of his own thoughts, Graham placed the ivory-white glove into his personal storage before folding his hands behind his back and saying, "Since it appears they have no interest in the auction, I will meet with the members of Team Wolf Pack directly. Please make the necessary arrangements before they depart the 5th Floor. It would break my heart to miss the opportunity to recruit such a remarkable talent..."

Though it would normally cause a stir for someone of Graham's status to enter an area intended for Regulars, the Workshop was exempt from most of the restrictions imposed upon Rankers. They had a unique contract with the Guardians that allowed them to observe, and, at times, modify the rules of certain Tests. After all, they were responsible for most of the facilities used to Test Regulars so it was only natural that they had access to most regions within the Tower.

Bowing low in response to Graham's words, Analize maintained a respectful tone as she said, "I will need to submit a request to the Test Director, but there shouldn't be any problems. I can have them appear before you at your earliest convenience tomorrow morning..."

Shaking his head, Graham began to comb through his chest-length beard as he mused, "Feel free to file your report but do not pester those children. I will meet with them personally. If I'm to have any chance of taking that woman as my Disciple, a bit of sincerity wouldn't hurt..."

Since it was pretty rare for talents to slip through the cracks without their notice, it was apparent to Graham that the woman known as Phae didn't have any particular interest in joining the Workshop. The reports also indicated that she was very loyal to the man known as Vahn, so, if he was to have any hope of recruiting her, appealing to her directly was the least he could do.

Hearing Graham's words, the corner of Analize's mouth began to twitch as she found it very difficult to maintain her usual smile. A Teacher descending to meet with a group of Regulars was a very big deal, so much so that she had never heard of a similar incident occurring in the six-hundred years she had been alive. If word of this incident were to spread, Phae's fame and status within the Tower was bound to increase exponentially. The Ten Great Families would spare no effort to acquire such a talent for themselves, and, in the most extreme case, they might kidnap her the moment she leaves the area reserved for Regulars in the Middle Tower...

Unfortunately, even if she empathized with the woman, Analize wasn't in a position to try and help others when she already had enough trouble trying to avoid forceful recruitment herself. The life of an unaffiliated Ranker, much like the lives of Regulars within Paradise Bay, was filled with numerous hardships. She had already spent more than five hundred years trying to overcome the system and establish her own Special Family, so, even if she felt a little sorry for Phae, Analize wasn't going to sacrifice her dreams for a Regular, even one with monstrous talent. Thus, in response to Graham's words, she kept her head low, answering, "Understood..." in a dull monotone...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'You don't fuck with the White Mage','Who knew weeding out corruption could be so profitable~?','Who knows, Phae might even become a Princess of Jahad~')

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