Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Having returned to his room long before the other classes had let out, Vahn had been practicing his Shinsu control in accordance with the method demonstrated by Laure. This involved imagining the Shinsu as a massive sphere of water that formed around a mental image of yourself, accounting for both physical appearance and body position. From there, you would compress the sphere within your mind, and, assuming you held the image successfully, a Baang of Shinsu would begin to form in the exact same spot you had imagined it.

Though Vahn could effectively ignore the need for this exercise due to the existence of his domain, he couldn't deny there was merit in learning the 'proper' method. It seemed that the Shinsu on the Floors actually worked to compress his domain, so, the more he expanded it, the greater the strain on his body, mind, and spirit. This wasn't that much of an issue if he stayed put, but, the moment he began moving through the Shinsu field, the resistance against him would increase exponentially like a drag force.

Fortunately, there were few people who could compete with him when it came to mental imaging and perceiving the surrounding space. Vahn knew the purpose of the exercise was simply to create a mental awareness of the Shinsu in your surroundings, but, unlike most people, he already knew 'everything' was just an amalgamation of some kind of energy. He had also spent a fair amount of time as a literal God of Space, Time, and Creation, so, rather than his original nine golden spheres of Shinsu, Vahn had practically turned the interior of his room into an observatory. There were more than a thousand bluish-white dots of various sizes gently pulsating in his surroundings, each acting in accordance to his intent.

While it wasn't really suitable for combat, at least in its current state, Vahn could essentially create as many Baangs of Shinsu as he wanted. It took time to form each individual sphere, but, from the moment it had taken shape, Vahn could easily maintain each of the spheres due to his inordinately precise control. He was someone who could literally account for the trillions of cells that made up a person's body, so, when it came to something like visualizing the placement of a thousand baangs, well, there was really no comparing the two at all...

Opening his eyes slowly and methodically, Vahn took in his surroundings for the first time since he had started his training. This caused a few of the baangs to twinkle, nearly collapsing, but, with no other forces acting upon them, they were ultimately able to remain stable. Fortunately, even if a few did collapse, he wouldn't need to worry about a chain reaction due to the propensity of the Shinsu to simply pop like a bubble before vanishing into thin air.

Satisfied with the result he had achieved, Vahn decided to conduct one final test before moving to the commissary to grab a bite to eat. This was obviously unnecessary, but, in order to successfully reinforce the image he was trying to create, establishing a baseline for others' expectations was one of the most important steps.

Without moving a single muscle, Vahn expanded his domain like a bubble, enveloping the spheres of Shinsu before they had the chance to destabilize. They immediately turned golden in response to the invisible field generated by his domain, and, though the Shinsu contained within didn't increase, their golden luminance gave off the impression they were far more powerful than normal baangs...

With Rachel asking if they could talk in private, Phae followed the young woman until they arrived in a vacant corridor. She was honestly a little curious about what kind of scheme the toxic woman was cooking up within her mind. The moment Rachel revealed her true nature was the exact same moment all her plans went up in smoke. Vahn, and, by proxy, Phae, and Gandr, might not be willing to punish someone who had yet to commit a crime, but, the moment they caught someone in the act, they would not hesitate to pass judgment.

Unfortunately, it seemed like Rachel's current objective was merely trying to ingratiate herself to others, turning to face Phae with a 'starstruck' expression, smiling radiantly as she said, "Ms. Phae really is amazing. Not only are you beautiful, but your skill and talent would be enough to make even the descendants of the Ten Great Families green with envy. If I had even a tenth of your talent, I think I could reach the top of the Tower without issue...how unfortunate..."

Though she started off similar to a bubbly fangirl, Rachel quickly adopted a melancholic expression towards the end of her statement. There was a genuine listlessness in her eyes, and, though it didn't change much, there was a very small ripple across her ever-steady aura. Immediately after that, she did her best to put on an apologetic smile as she emulated Phae's action of combing through her bangs and saying, "Sorry...I just..."

Shattering whatever expectations Rachel might have had, Phae just giggled lightly in response to her little act before musing, "You might be lacking in other departments, but your acting skill is top-notch. With a few simple touch-ups and a bit of exercise, you could easily become a pop-star or an actress with skill like that~."

Showing both practiced and genuine confusion in her expression, Rachel tilted her head slightly as she asked, "What do you mean, Ms. Phae? I don't understand..."

Pulling out Da Vinci's patented reaper smile, Phae sent shivers through Rachel's body as she lightly squinted her eyes and remarked, "Young lady, you might be able to fool normal people, but you are far from the point of being able to trick a member of the Imperial Court. I have dealt with schemers, corrupt nobles, and literal villains for hundreds of years. I've even encountered a literal Goddess of Trickery, someone who had lived for hundreds-of-millions-of-years. Your skills are undoubtedly very impressive, but you are far too inexperienced to play this game with someone like me."

With her face gradually paling in spite of her unwaveringly calm aura, Rachel continued pretending she had no idea what Phae was talking about. Tears began to well up in her eyes, and, after what seemed like an inordinate amount of effort, she was able to sobbingly reply, "I don't understand...I just wanted to ask for your advice...everyone seems to look up to you...I thought you would be nice to me as well..."

Realizing she was dealing with quite the sociopath, Phae's smile faded away completely, replaced by a serious expression as she said, "If you want to make friends, the only thing you ever needed to do was show sincerity. The reason people shun you is that there are times when you drop your little act without realizing it. This causes people to feel uncomfortable around you because, here in the Tower, everyone 'expects' others to betray them. You also put a half-hearted effort into everything you do, convincing yourself you lack talent so you refuse to even try..."

Showing instantaneous anger in response to Phae's words, Rachel was about to scream at the top of her lungs before a gloved hang silenced her with a resounding slap. This was enough to instantly change the character she was playing, but, for a very brief moment, Phae noticed the woman's aura had become darker than pitch. It was like her aura had become a black hole, swallowing everything in its surroundings and causing the world to appear ever-so-slightly darker.

Though she was tempted to slap the malice out of the woman, Phae's expression actually softened a little as she calmly stated, "Stop blaming everyone else for your shortcomings. I once knew a guy who had absolutely no talent in the sword, but, after hundreds of years of tireless effort, he reached a point where he could, quite literally, cut through the concepts. You might lack talent, but, so long as you apply yourself, there are no limits to your growth. You could become as strong and beautiful as you like, you just refuse to put in the effort. Instead, you blame the world and the people around you for things that have absolutely nothing to do with them, all while disdaining anyone who would 'dare' treat you in a similar manner..."

Despite the harshness of her words, Phae maintained a motherly smile and a gentle tone during the entirety of her speech. She genuinely wanted to stop Rachel from doing something she was bound to regret, so, before the venomous woman could retort, Phae pulled out what appeared to be a tiny jade marble, explaining, "This is a rare medicine known as the [Flawless Jade Pill]. Purchase a mat or something from the commissary and then lay it out on your bedroom floor. After that, remove your clothes and then ingest this pill. It will cause you some discomfort, but this medicine has the ability to remove the impurities in a person's body. Once the process is completed, you will be covered in a foul-smelling liquid, but, once it has been wiped away, your skin will be as smooth as jade. I want you to take it and reflect on everything I told you today. If you are serious about reaching the stars, stop slithering around like a green-eyed snake eager to strike anyone you perceive as being more fortunate than yourself..."

Since Rachel hadn't accepted the pill, Phae punctuated her words by tossing it directly at the young woman. After that, she turned around without another word, an exhausted sigh escaping her lips as she left the woman to brood alone within the darkening corridor...

Though they had already finished their meals, most of the Scout candidates chose to remain in the commissary. Their task of making ten friends limited them to just one other Scout candidate, so, in order to complete their objective by the end of the week, they needed to convince Regulars in the other classes to put down their names.

Noticing members of the other classes beginning to file in, several of the Scouts seated around the table immediately rose to their feet in order to intercept the migrating group. Gandr, Shibisu, and Hatsu, however, just stayed in place, as, if the previous days were any indicator, it was only a matter of time before their usual group congregated gathered.

Even without Hatsu shifting his gaze with a troubled expression on his face, the subtle twitching of Gandr's ears indicated that he was well-aware of the situation. As a result, he easily tilted his head to the side, evading the attempt to touch his ears. Immediately after that, his body seemed to fall through the bench, sinking into the floor and vanishing in an instant.

Clicking her tongue, Endorsi began looking around the area for where Gandr would reappear. At this point, she was absolutely determined to pet the young Vanargandr's head. Her instincts told her that his ears were very soft, and, though it was a little annoying to be evaded so easily, Endorsi actually found the boy's 'bashful' behavior rather cute.

Just as she began to consider ways to bait the boy into allowing her to touch his ears, Endorsi was surprised when two hands suddenly appeared from the ground, grasping her ankles. She felt a very strange sensation spread through her body, almost like her awareness had increased exponentially, but, before she could make sense of this, Endorsi soon found herself immersed up to her hips in the ground...

After recovering from the initial shock, an exceptionally flustered look appeared on Endorsi's face as she looked up at the boy now towering over her, shouting, "You fluffy-eared rascal! If you don't get me out of the floor this instant, I swear you'll regret it for the rest of your life! Don't make me break out of here by force...!"

Though she could easily emerge from the ground, the commissary was one of the few places they were strictly told never to damage. There was a heavy penalty for damaging the facility, so, with only 2,418 points to her name, Endorsi was hesitant to break free.

Before helping the Princess escape her confines, Gandr squated down just beyond her natural reach to say, "Touching someone without their permission is never okay. Besides, a Vanargandr's ears and tail are the most sensitive spots on their body, places we only allow close family, those we sincerely respect, and those we love to touch. Touching our ears without permission would be the human equivalent of randomly groping someone's chest or butt, so, unless you can honestly tell me you wouldn't be bothered by people randomly fondling your breasts, you need to stop."

Seeing the surprisingly severe expression on Gandr's face, Endorsi suddenly felt uncharacteristically sheepish. Her first instinct was to rebut him but it was surprisingly difficult to muster the courage to argue when you were half-buried in the ground. She could also understand the boy's reasoning, so, after several seconds of ever-growing tension, she ultimately released a sigh and said, "Fine. I won't try to touch your ears without permission anymore. Now, get me out of this damned floor before I blow a gasket."

Though he got the distinct impression Endorsi hadn't truly given up, Gandr still extended his hand to help her out of the ground. This involved infusing his sword intent into her body and activating the State of Nothingness, an advanced version of the process used to prevent him from becoming naked whenever he activated the ability. This effectively relegated Endorsi to the status of his sword for a brief moment, a rather amusing thought that caused a smile to spread across Gandr's face as he resisted the urge to create sword beams using her body...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn is a monster even when he is nerfed...','Phae don't play','In the hands of a Grandmaster, anything can be a sword (UwU)...')