EPIC: Path of Demons and Dragons

Waiting for Kazuma to depart, Yoruichi drew Vahn's attention back to herself by asking, "Well, how about it? Want to grab a drink back in one of our rooms? I'm also down to try out one of those Dungeons mentioned by the Administrator, just the two of us."

Though he found everything about Yoruichi alluring, especially her eyes, Vahn reciprocated with a smile and responded, "Ordinarily, I'd leap at the opportunity to accompany such a beautiful woman, but I've already made prior arrangements, and you're much too powerful. If we were to form a Party, you would either breeze through everything or be bored out of your mind watching me and others tackle monsters slowly."

"Then how shall I repay you...?" questioned Yoruichi, narrowing her eyes and tightening her crossed arms, emphasizing her substantial bust. Vahn was able to avoid lowering his gaze thanks to his domain providing him a clear view of more than just her breasts, but the temptation to do so was borderline instinctual.

Raising his right hand and pulling up his Social Window with a thought, Vahn explained for everyone's benefit, "There is a System Function that allows Ascendees to add and remain in contact with one another. Just say or think Open Contacts and then select the option to add a new contact. If the other party accepts, you can adjust the familiarity settings to allow text or even telepathic communication."

Seeing a notification appear before her stating [You have received a friend request from [Vahn Mason(D-Rank)]. Accept/Deny/Block], Yoruichi used her left index finger to tap Accept. Doing so caused her Contacts to open, displaying Vahn's name and profile picture in a tab listed [General]. There were also tabs for Friends, Family, and other classifications, so she moved Vahn to the former before pressing one of the three icons to the right of his listing, one of which looked like a person speaking, another resembling a speech bubble, and the third a red circle with a line through it.

With Vahn accepting her invitation to speak telepathically, Yoruichi felt as though a pair of headphones had been placed on her ears as he smiled at her and affirmed, [You're quick on the uptake.]

[There are similar technologies in the world I originate] stated Yoruichi, her golden, cat-like eyes gleaming provocatively as she asked, [More to the point, are you sure you don't want to accompany me? If you're willing to humor me by answering my questions and providing intel, I'm confident I could make it worth your time.]

[Maybe later] responded Vahn, feeling hot and bothered but outwardly appearing calm as he expressed [I've already made plans with someone else, and I don't have a habit of breaking engagements, regardless of how tempting the alternative might be.]

[Well, alright then] responded Yoruichi, lowering her head slightly to stare at Vahn with upturned eyes as she added [But I expect you to contact me when you have time to spare.]

Following her words, Yoruichi surprised or impressed nearly everyone by abruptly disappearing in the blink of an eye, producing a distinctive fwish as she departed. After that, Vahn found himself at a slight loss as he was happy to accept everyone's contact requests but couldn't respond to the many people attempting to establish telepathic communications with him at the same time...

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"Please..." started Vahn, sporting a cramped smile and holding his hands up placatingly as he said, "As eager as I am to get to know everyone, we have 120 days to meet and interact with only eight hours passing back in your original worlds. Right now, the best option everyone has is to form a Party of up to four people to challenge the Dungeons. There are a lot of unique titles and rewards that can only be attained by being the first to complete various objectives, so I suggest teaming up with people around the same Rank as you, purchasing Return Stones, and setting out as soon as possible."

Prompted by Vahn's words, those who knew each other or had started forming groups back in the lounge began to split off to make preparations for tackling the Dungeons. There were those like Nami who lingered for a while longer, but since there was a chance Luffy and Natsu would wander off into a Dungeon on their own, she and a brunette Vahn didn't recognize ultimately departed to get a jump on accumulating Tower Points.

"Being popular is both a blessing and a curse," hummed Himmel, waiting for most of the group to clear out before approaching Vahn with a relaxed smile.

"It's better than being hated," responded Vahn, shrugging and exhaling from his nose in relief. Then, before he could suggest that he and Himmel relocate and scout two more members, the little girl that had confronted the sandy-haired man approached without hesitation, her eyes intent and tone calm as she asked, "Are the two of you still looking for people to join your Party? If so, I'm also D-Rank."

"You do appear to have a commendable amount of Mana..." remarked Himmel, knowing better than to disregard someone just because they were—or at least appeared young. The girl before him was clearly from a different world than his own based on her garb, so as far as he knew, she was a proper adult.

Leaving both Vahn and Himmel taken aback, the little girl clicked her heels together and performed a sharp military salute as she introduced herself, stating, "My name is Warrant Officer Tanya von Degurechaff of the glorious Empire! It's a pleasure to meet you, gentlemen!"

"Warrant Officer?" repeated Himmel, cupping his chin thoughtfully as he remarked, "You're clearly a soldier, but I've never heard of such a military rank or title. More pertinently, my name is Himmel. Back in my world, I'm also known as Himmel the Hero."

"Himmel the Hero...you certainly look the part..." remarked Tanya, her blue eyes narrowing slightly as Himmel's garb and appearance reminded her of memories from her past or, more accurately, her previous life.

"And I'm Vahn Mason," appended Vahn, offering a nod and smiling as he stated, "I have many earned and a few unwanted titles, but I prefer to be called by my name."

"Vahn it is..." responded Tanya, offering a nod of her own before placing her right hand on her hip and plainly asking, "What exactly are you, Vahn? Even if you were just a consultant, you must have powerful connections to have participated in this place's inception."

Though he felt they should be looking for a fourth member or completing preparations to enter the Dungeon, Vahn decided to humor Tanya's query, revealing, "I was originally a relatively normal human, but after my original death, I effectively became a mass of potential. I prefer being human, but I can change my appearance, race, and virtually everything else about me if I feel inclined."

"That's convenient," remarked Tanya, her gaze focused on Vahn's face for several seconds. It seemed as if she were trying to peer through him, but not for too long as the scar-faced, emerald-haired man that came to her defense previously approached, drawing the attention of everyone in the group.

"I will accompany you into the Dungeons..." said the man, his expression and tone firm and decisive.

Craning her head considerably, the result of her being around 125cm to the green-haired man's 190, Tanya narrowed her eyes and flatly inquired, "Is there something you want from me? Because I'm pretty sure you've been watching me since you first entered the lounge..."

"I do not know what brought you to this place, but I will keep you safe until I'm certain you can protect yourself," declared the man, zero traces of deception in his expression or tone. His face, especially with his scar, was scary, but everyone present could tell there wasn't an iota of malice or ill-intent in his gaze.

"Do you mind if I ask what your name and Rank are...?" asked Vahn, the feeling he was getting through his domain telling him that the man before him was much stronger than D-Rank. But since the difference between D and C-Rank was an entire order of magnitude, he didn't think he was B or higher.

"Ruijerd Superdia..." responded Ruijerd, confirming Vahn's suspicions as he appended, "According to my Status, I am C-Rank with a Power Level of 180..."

'That's not much higher than mine...' noted Vahn, somewhat surprised. His intuition told him that he wouldn't stand a chance if he and Ruijerd were to fight, but with a Power Level of 161, the enhanced perception provided by his domain, and the bonuses vested by his equipment, he should have the statistical advantage. That suggested the biggest difference between him and Ruijerd was their skill and experience...

"Oh? My own Power Level is 149..." revealed Himmel, his pale blue eyes glistening with curiosity as he smiled and stated, "I would be honored if the two of us could spar sometime."

"Understood," responded Ruijerd, offering a curt nod without a moment of hesitation.

"180 and 149..." repeated Tanya, her words hushed and her expression thoughtful as she cupped her chin with her right index finger and thumb and mentally opened her Status window. Her own Power Level was 128, but without seeing Himmel and Ruijerd in action, she didn't have a point of reference for how powerful she was in comparison. The two of them were clearly warriors, but since Himmel referred to himself as a Hero, she didn't dismiss the possibility he could utilize Magic, just like her...

"Alright, then..." started Vahn, drawing everyone's attention to him as he asked, "Should we discuss our formation or figure things out as we go? As D and C-Ranks, we shouldn't have too many problems with the monsters on this Floor. But it's better to be prepared than presumptuous."

Materializing an antiquated-looking rifle that was nearly as long as she was tall, Tanya took the initiative to reveal, "I specialize in aerial combat and long-distance marksmanship, but since I didn't know what to expect when I accepted the Administrator's invitation, I'm lacking the gear I use to fly stably."

"Hmmm? If you can tell me the name of the equipment you use, I could probably acquire it for you," offered Vahn, feeling that the gear in question shouldn't be too costly considering the complexity of Tanya's weapon and flight suit.

Narrowing her eyes and adopting a faint smile, Tanya revealed, "It's called a Sturmstiefel Mk 3 Imperial Flight Unit, and I will be sure to repay you at the earliest possible opportunity."

With Sis opening his Shop and pulling up a limited number of listings for the Sturmstiefel Mk 3 Imperial Flight Unit, the result of knowing the exact world Tanya originated, Vahn was moderately surprised to see the most inexpensive variant cost 11,833 OP. This was well within the range of what he could afford, but since he could purchase a literal plane for less, it was clear the technology of Tanya's world wasn't as dated as he presumed...

After a moment of consideration, Vahn purchased a version of the flight unit that cost 45,005 OP, causing Tanya's bright blue eyes to light up as he brought out what looked like a large battery pack and a metal greave, setting it on the ground between them.

"Excellent. This is different from the model I'm used to, but I'm confident I'll be able to adapt to it quickly," remarked Tanya, promptly taking a seat on the ground and donning the clearly improved model of the Sturmstiefel Mk 3 Imperial Flight Unit. Its existence led her to infer even more cutting-edge versions of her standard equipment could be acquired, but that was a matter for the future. For now, her top priority was confirming that it was possible to boost her Parameters using Enhancement Crystals. After that, well, the possibilities were endless...

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