Stepping out onto the 77th Floor proper, Vahn was unsurprised to find a vast, seemingly endless, forest. What did surprise him was the fact that, despite being a forest filled with countless different life forms, an unusual aura emanated from the soil beneath their feet. It was almost like the forest was a single superorganism, and, no matter how far he spread his senses, the same aura could be felt emanating from every plant and animal within his domain…
Though she was unable to sense the same things as Vahn, Artoria could still feel the overwhelming vitality emanating from their surroundings. In many ways, it reminded her of the network of World Trees located in the First Layer, but, rather than inspiring peaceful serenity, the seemingly endless forest was rife with an atmosphere of wild, unfettered, excitement.
Passing her gaze over the surroundings, Artoria’s expression remained an irreproachable mask of stoicism as she remarked, “It seems Ureko is not the only danger present within this Floor. There is an unbelievably powerful presence emanating from all around us. Though there are a few distinct differences, this place reminds me of Madara’s Ode to an Endless World of Trees.”
Though she had no idea who Madara was, Soo-Yun chimed in, saying, “You’re probably sensing our Lord, Baek Ryun. It is rumored that he became one with the forest in his youth. He also managed to teach himself how to manipulate Shinsu prior to becoming a Regular, and, according to legend, he is even able to do so without permission from the Guardians. Because of that, some have ascribed the status of ‘Irregular Regular’, and, based on several reliable sources, it was actually Headon who first approached him about climbing the Tower. In other words, he entered the Tower without any ambition, and, as a result, is not subject to the same restrictions as everyone else.”
Resisting the urge to laugh, Vahn earned the attention of everyone present as a wide smile spread across his face. In response, Soo-Yun adopted a pretend pout, but, before she could even ask what he found so funny, Vahn explained, “Your Lord seems to be unaware, but that title is actually quite accurate. According to my knowledge, he is the abandoned child of two Irregulars, each a member of the group that supported Jahad and the Great Warriors during the Age of Climbing.”
Surprised by the sudden revelation, Soo-Yun, Tarou, and Marble each found themselves at a loss for words. With the obvious exception of Yeon Ilarde, Yeon Hana’s aunt, it was a closely guarded secret that Jahad and the Great Warriors had ascended the Tower alongside a number of friends and close family members. Some of these people ended up dying during the ascent, but, unbeknownst to the general residents of the Tower, the vast majority had been hunted down during The Great War. The Empire had hunted them down without mercy, not because they had sided with Arlen and V, but to limit the number of Irregular bloodlines in the Tower.
While the Wolhaiksong trio was in the midst of processing his words, Vahn and Artoria shifted their attention to a nearby tree. Immediately thereafter, a young man with inordinately pale skin, tinged with a green hue, emerged from the trunk like an immaterial phantom. At a glance, he was no older than 14-15-years-old, but, much like the vast majority of Rankers in the Tower, his aura gave off the impression of someone much older. As for his features, he had leaf-green hair stopping just before his shoulders, pupilless green eyes, and, while it wasn’t noticeable at first glance, it was possible to make out a pattern reminiscent of tree grain covering much of his robe-veiled body.
Giving voice to the notion that had just crossed Vahn’s mind, Artoria tilted her head indiscernible to the side as she inquired, “Solon?”
Though the youth had initially directed his gaze to Vahn, the confusion in Artoria’s tone caused him to shift his gaze to her, mirroring her head tilt to an almost comical extent as he said, “You seem to have confused me with someone else. My name is Baek Ryun. As friends of Ureko, you are welcome to refer to me as Little Bae or Greenie. It is a pleasure to make the acquaintance of the Sage Dragon Emperor and the Phoenix Dragon Empress.”
Following his words, Baek lowered his head as a sign of respect, but, as was often the case when a person’s power had exceeded a certain point, there was a certain whimsy to each of his movements. He even had an expectant smile on his face, and, were it not for the undisturbed nature of his aura, some might even misconstrue his demeanor as an indication of an unbridled fascination bordering on obsession. This was emphasized by his lack of pupils, a trait that, more often than not, bestowed its possessor an inherent ‘creepy’ factor.
Habitually gesturing for Baek to raise his head, Vahn maintained a relaxed smile as he asked, “I’m guessing you want to know more about your parents?”
Unsurprisingly, Baek immediately nodded in response to Vahn’s words, his smile becoming even more prominent until the latter added, “I don’t mind humoring you, but, after thousands of years, are you sure you want to know the truth of your origins? I can empathize with your desire to know more about your family, but, trust me when I say the truth isn’t always pleasant to hear…”
Understanding the implication in Vahn’s words, Baek adopted a solemn expression that didn’t quite suit his appearance, asking, “Are they alive?” before following it up with, “Were they murdered?” in a hardened, direct, tone.
Since Baek had every right to know the truth, Vahn decided not to beat around the bush, nodding his head before saying, “They were killed by members of the Royal Enforcement Division. Afterward, their bodies were confiscated by the Po Bidau Family’s Research Association. Though I will tell you if you insist, it’s better you didn’t know what happened after that…”
Unable to suppress his rage, Baek’s irises began to release a murderous gleam as the forest around them seemed to come to life, violently oscillating as the grass beneath their feet writhed about in a manner reminiscent of countless tentacles.
Suppressing a sigh, Vahn lightly shook his head in response to Baek’s reaction. He could certainly empathize with the youthful-looking man, but, knowing the thoughts going through his mind, he couldn’t approve. The man was thinking about annihilating the Po Bidau Family down to its roots, sparing absolutely no-one, not even the innocent and the children.
Fortunately, Baek was bound to the forest around him, so, even if he wanted to seek vengeance, his options were extremely limited. The only way he could wipe out the Po Bidau Family was if each of their members entered the 77th Floor at the same time. His only other option was having someone act at his behest, but, with the exception of Ureko, someone who would beat him the moment he mentioned wiping out an entire family, there wasn’t anyone in Wolhaiksong even remotely capable of taking on a Family Leader.
Deciding to offer the man some solace, Vahn ignored the now waist-high grass, stepping forward to pat Baek’s head as he said, “Calm down. Hatred and animosity should never be directed towards an entire group of people. If you followed through on the thoughts currently clouding your mind, you would become an even greater monster than the people who wronged you. Rather than waste time on something like revenge, you should focus on living your life to the fullest. Obtaining happiness is the only way to overcome past grievances and prevent the perpetuation of even greater misfortune. Besides, you still have family in the Tower. In fact, one of your relatives has been near you quite a bit as of late.”
Though he was more than a little confused by Vahn’s casual caressing of his head, Baek perked up quite a bit in response to the mention of his family. This caused the forest and the surroundings to gradually settle, and, as a result, Vahn dutifully revealed, “Your parents were distantly related to the Tu Perie Family. The Spirit of the Green April is actually your mother’s second cousin, once removed. It isn’t happenstance that her ignition resembles a collection of grassy vines erupting outward to try and crush her opponents.”
Having never seen the Spirit of the Green April or its ignition, Baek was more than a little surprised to learn that he was related to one of the most famous weapons in the Tower. As for his relation to the Tu Perie Family, he didn’t particularly care. It had been a pretty popular rumor during his ascent, and, at several points during his journey, the Tu Perie Family had even sent delegations to try and recruit him into the main family. This had been a big deal at the time, but, due to his earnest desire to return to his home forest, Baek ended up refusing every invitation before ultimately slaughtering everyone who attempted to bar his passage through the higher floors.
Eager to meet and converse with his not-so-distant relative, Baek swatted Vahn’s hand away before saying, “Come. Ureko has been waiting for you for quite some time. At this rate, I fear she may very well destroy my forest. I’d rather avoid such an outcome, so, while it might be a mild inconvenience, please hurry along. If you fly above the trees, the path to my core will be made clear. I look forward to seeing you near the base of the winged tree.”
Finished with what he had to say, dashed head-first into a nearby tree, but, rather than smashing into it, his body phased through the incredibly dense trunk as if it was a projection. Then, as if to indicate the direction they should go, the branches of every tree, shrub, and even the blades of grass in the surroundings all pointed in a single direction. This was quite the sight to behold, but, having interacted with Gods who clothed themselves with the fabric of reality, Vahn simply smiled before passing his gaze over the four girls encircling him, asking, “Shall we?” in an amused tone.
While Soo-Yun, Tarou, and Marble were still recovering from their shock, three pairs of silvery-white wings sprouted from Artoria’s back as she dutifully replied, “Where you lead, I will follow.” in a curt yet respectful tone. This immediately drew the attention of the other three, who, despite thousands of years of experience, had never seen anything quite as beautiful as Artoria’s wings. She suddenly seemed even more majestic, and, though they had never actually intended to compete against her, the notion that they could now seemed like a distant dream.
With the edges of his smile curling up into an appreciative grin, Vahn returned a nod before several pairs of wings emerged from his back. These were completely unnecessary, but, feeling inspired by his inordinately beautiful Empress, he ended up sprouting six distinct wings, each representative of a different element. At the same time, pitch-black horns protruded from his head as a rather thick dragon tail emerged from his backside. This might have seemed contradictory to his status as the ‘Golden Dragon’, but, immediately following their emergence, blazing golden runes began to shine across both as vibrant golden scales emerged across his shoulders, arms, and legs.
Having never seen Vahn in his half-dragon transformation, Soo-Yun, Tarou, and Marble were more than a little surprised. As for Artoria, her pupils immediately contracted, and, though it didn’t show on her expression, her aura had become chaotic and agitated. This, in turn, caused Vahn’s blood to boil, but, understanding there were other matters to attend, the duo of Dragons simply exchanged a silent promise between them before promptly taking to the sky…
