Sensing a number of presences enter the Little Garden, Vahn lightly smacked the backside of the woman facing away from him with her hands against the wall. This caused her body to tense up, drastically increasing her tightness, but it also earned him a not-so-gentle smack in the face with her lightning-infused tail.
With bands of electricity dancing between his molars, Vahn flexed and rubbed his jaw as he said, "It seems like the brats have just returned. We should head over to meet with them soon."
Feeling a little frustrated by the slowing of Vahn's pace, Yoruichi decided to take matters into her own hands, roughly smacking her butt against his hips as she heatedly exclaimed, "You can worry about that later! Don't even think about getting away after you got me this riled up you bastard…!"
Chuckling in response to Yoruichi's protest, Vahn grabbed her pliant yet muscular left leg, forcing her to stand on a single foot as he turned her body sideways and began to increase his pace. This was enough to silence any complaints she might have had, and, though it resulted in a substantial amount of electricity coursing through his body, it was one of the qualities he had learned to love about the insatiable feline beauty…
—
After entrusting the exhausted Yoruichi to the care of Hinata, Vahn teleported to Team Wolf Pack's 'headquarters' alongside most of the Emerald Grove's residents. There, he discovered that most of the Children had already split up to enjoy some rest and relaxation, the majority retiring to the spa and bath facilities to wash up properly for the first time in nearly a month. The only people who had bothered to wait around for his arrival were Phae, Khun, Baam, Rak, Hatsu, and Tasha.
Seeing the brunette lingering near Hatsu, an amused smile spread across Vahn's face as he shifted his attention to Khun and said, "Though I imagine Phae and Gandr helped out quite a bit, it would seem that Team Wolf Pack is well on its way to obtaining independence…"
Answering before Khun, an elegant giggle escaped Phae's throat as she replied, "They really have grown a lot in these past few months. My only concern at this point is that there is a wall forming between the male and female members of the Team. Baam and Gandr are able to circumvent this, but I fear tensions will continue to grow as the awkwardness between the two sexes continues to increase…"
Though there was currently a balance between the two genders thanks to the introduction of Tasha, Alea, and Ohta into the group, that did little to address the underlying issue. The simple fact of the matter was that males and females generally couldn't coexist alongside one another without sexual tensions and individual expectations becoming a problem. This was exacerbated by the inclusion of stress factors such as training and putting their lives on the line, but, more than anything else, it was the presence of numerous couples developing within the group that caused tensions to rise.
Unfortunately, there wasn't really much they could do about the situation since matters of the heart and mind were never easy to address. They couldn't simply kick out people like Shibisu just because he was developing a bit of jealousy towards people like Gandr, Chunhwa, and even Hatsu. Rather, it was perfectly normal for him to feel a little envious since most of the female members of Team Wolf Pack were exceptionally beautiful, cute, or endearing. He was a healthy young man who was making an earnest effort to improve every day so it would have actually been stranger if he wasn't feeling a little resentful considering his efforts had yet to bear fruit…
Nodding his head in understanding, Vahn shifted his attention from Phae to Khun as he said, "You'll need to keep that in mind as you move forward. It won't be easy, but healthy communication and a willingness to compromise will go a long way. Gandr is a lot wiser than he lets on so you can trust him to help you resolve any serious issues. Just don't try to settle everything yourself. A real Familia shares their burdens and overcomes adversity together."
Having grown used to Vahn's propensity for spontaneously giving advice, Khun offered a wry smile in response before asking, "So, I take it you'll be leaving after the Seeded Tournament…?"
Without footing around the issue, Vahn nodded in response before explaining, "There comes a time when all baby birds need to leave the nest in order to fly freely. Our journies might run parallel, but our final destinations are drastically different. For the sake of everyone, I need to be able to move at my own pace."
Understanding that Vahn could have easily passed through the Floors by taking the Guardian Test and having Ryun act as his Guide, Khun didn't doubt for a moment that he was restraining himself for their sake. Now, he was drawing as much attention to himself as possible just so they would have an easier time ascending the Tower…
Restraining a sigh, Khun forced himself to smile as a resolute light flashed across his eyes. Then, in a tone filled with conviction and determination, he said, "I vow to do everything in my power to make sure Team Wolf Pack ascends to the top of the Tower."
Were he a little closer, Vahn would have reached out his hand to try and pat Khun's head, but, ever since the first time, the boy had made sure to stay out of casual petting distance. Fortunately, both Hinata and Morgiana were standing nearby so Vahn was able to occupy both hands as he mused, "I have full confidence in your capacity as a leader. It isn't without reason that I selected you in lieu of Gandr. I'm absolutely certain you will not only meet my expectations but transcend them entirely."
Seeing Vahn caressing the heads of Hinata and Morgiana, Khun breathed an internal sigh of relief while maintaining a determined smile on the outside. Though it felt extremely comfortable, he was unable to accept having his head casually pet by another person, God or not. The idea, alone, made him feel a little perturbed, so, as much as possible, he did his best to either stay out of arm's reach or make sure others were closer to Vahn than himself…
Though he noticed the amusing changes in Khun's aura, Vahn pretended not to as he retracted his hands from the two petite girls' heads, adding, "There are still a few days until the Tournament. If there are any questions or concerns you might have prior to our parting, don't be afraid to ask. I'll do my best to address everything before the event's end."
Understanding what Vahn was alluding to, Khun began to feel a little nervous, but, rather than show even a hint of perturbation on his face, he calmly asserted, "I wanted to ask if you could change my gender or provide me the means to freely alternate between male and female. I believe my current Loyalty should be more than enough to facilitate this…?"
Though Phae, Tasha, Hinata, and Morgiana didn't seem particularly surprised, Baam, Hatsu, and Rak showed disbelieving and borderline incredulous looks in response to Khun's appeal. The latter, Rak, even shouted, "Blue Turtle! Have you lost your mind!?"
Before things could get too out of hand, Vahn gestured for silence, quite literally 'muting' everyone present as he said, "Relax. Everyone has the right to choose the path they walk. Whether or not they are male or female, it makes no difference. If this is the path Khun has chosen, you should respect and support his decision."
With that said, Vahn restored everyone's ability to speak as he shifted his attention back to Khun and answered, "There are actually a number of options that don't require the use of Loyalty at all. The latter is just the simplest method to reward those who have worked hard for the sake of myself and others. If you'd like, I can cast a magical spell on your body that will allow you to change into a male or female after submerging yourself in cold or warm water. If you want something simpler to use, I also have a few rings that can freely swap the gender and even amplify certain aspects of the bearer. There are all kinds of options available, each with their own banes and boons. The simplest solution, however, is to simply change your gender and be content. Swapping between male and female too many times will throw your mind, body, and spirit out of equilibrium."
Though he really shouldn't be at this point, Khun was still taken aback by the various options that Vahn casually provided. It was something he had put a considerable amount of thought into, but, from the perspective of the God standing before him, it was a simple matter that required virtually no effort to address.
Shaking his head, Khun adopted a wry smile as he answered, "I'll take the ring. I can't even imagine how inconvenient it would be to change gender every time I got splashed with cold or warm water. The ring seems a lot most convenient so I would like you to lend me one after changing my gender."
Understanding that Khun had already decided that his base gender would be female, Vahn replied with a light chuckle as he pulled a silver ring inscribed with complex runes and asked, "Do you want to make the change right now?
Though it was a little sudden, Khun understood this wasn't the kind of thing that got easier with the passage of time, so, after a brief moment, he nodded his head and said, "I'm ready." in a somewhat hesitant tone.
Without affording Khun the opportunity to change his mind, Vahn initiated the process using the Modify Function of his Unit Management. Immediately thereafter, Khun's body underwent a very rapid metamorphosis, his hair growing longer as his features became more delicate and feminine. By the time the process had completed, a moderately thin and delicate-looking woman with pale-blue hair, striking blue eyes, and fair features had replaced the intellectual-looking youth that had previously been standing next to Baam.
Surprised by how quick and painless the process had been, Khun found herself at a momentary loss for words as she stared down at her thin, comparably dainty, fingers. She felt a very powerful sense of incongruency well up inside her chest, but, forcing it down, she managed a wry smile as she said, "Well…that was certainly an interesting sensation…"
Chuckling in response to the young man turned woman's words, Vahn tossed over the silver ring in his hand, explaining, "That is a special ring known as [Satan's Ring]. The name might sound a little foreboding, there are no detrimental effects associated with its use. Rather, it actually allows you to stockpile excess energy within your 'base form'. The only downside is that the energy will be used up the moment you remove the ring and release your power. This will leave you feeling completely exhausted, but, after your body adapts to the strain, it will become progressively easier to use."
With that being said, Vahn pulled out a few additional rings, adding, "There are ten rings in total, but I will only entrust you with three for the time being. I'll leave representatives on the 20th, 50th, and 100th Floors, so, if you want the remaining rings, you'll need to seek them out. The rings have the power to multiply their effects based on the number of rings you posses. With three, you'll be able to experience a 9x increase in their ability to stockpile energy. With all ten, the effect increases to 100x, far more than your current body can handle. I'd rather not see you explode so make sure you train hard before attempting to acquire the other rings."
Though he knew the items handed out by Vahn were never simple, Khun was still shocked to hear him explain the abilities of the relatively simple-looking rings. Even High Rankers wouldn't be able to possess such a powerful artifact, so, unless it was absolutely necessary, he resolved himself not to remove them unless his life was in danger. With that thought in mind, he placed the first ring on his finger, wincing as a painful heat spread through his body and promptly reverted him back to his original appearance.
Clearing up Khun's confusion, Vahn explained, "When you first put on the ring, it will siphon around 10% of your total reserves in order to trigger the effect. The original use of the rings was to restrict the power of a battle-hungry Demon Goddess. She had been struggling to find anyone capable of fighting against her so she created those rings to limit her own power. Unfortunately, she failed to account for the fact that her power was constantly growing so they ended up gaining the ability to stockpile energy after excessive use. In the end, she ended up scattering the rings in the hope that someone would one day use them to challenge her for the title of Demon God."
Hearing Vahn casually explain how the rings once belonged to an all-powerful Demon God, Khun, once again, found himself at a loss for words. He suddenly felt like a heavy burden had been placed on his shoulders, but, before he could ask about the fate of said Demon Goddess, Vahn added, "She is already dead. At the very least, she doesn't exist within the confines of the Tower. As for how they came into my possession…well, let's just say that I'm very lucky."
Understanding that Vahn wasn't going to reveal all his secrets, Khun just nodded his head before slipping on a second ring. This instantly turned him back into a female, but, unlike before, his bust seemed to have grown ever-so-slightly. This was very noticeable, as, in his 'original' female form, he hadn't noticed even a hint of breasts hidden beneath his blouse. Now, however, he had the distinct impression he was a little off-balance, forcing him to straighten his back in order to counterbalance the urge to slouch forward.
Proving just how much his form had changed, Baam was staring with his mouth slightly agape as Rak, possessing absolutely no filter, remarked, "You got fatter." in a curt tone. This caused Khun's brows to twitch, but, rather than comment on the crocodilian's remark, he slipped on the final ring just to confirm his suspicions. Unsurprisingly, his clothes suddenly felt very tight, and, though he was still shorter than Vahn, he could now clearly see the top of Baam's head.
Inspecting his body, Khun noticed that his height wasn't the only thing that had changed. He had become noticeably more muscular, and, thanks to the [REquip] system, he was able to see that even his facial structure had changed ever-so-slightly. He now appeared far more masculine than before, and, much to his chagrin, there was an uncanny resemblance between his current appearance and that of his father, Khun Eduan.
Shaking his head, Khun removed the third ring from his finger in order to revert back to his female form before asking, "Am I allowed to share these rings with others?"
Seeing through Khun's intentions in an instant, an amused smile spread across Vahn's face as he answered, "My unique constitution effectively negates the power of these rings. From this moment on, they are yours to do with as you please. Whether or not you obtain all ten or lose them during your ascent up the Tower, that no longer has anything to do with me."
Nodding his head in understanding, Khun snuck a glance toward Baam before ultimately shaking his head and storing the final ring in his [REquip] system…
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Meow~','Vahn be like, "Gotta go fast…!"','Khun has just received a terrifying power (OwO)…')
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