1695 Analysis

Since rooms would only be assigned after the Crown Game had come to an end, Vahn idled about alongside Phae and Gandr within the cafeteria, a black sphere floating silently in front of him.

Though it wouldn't have been that great a setback for them, it quickly came to light that Vahn and his companions were never presented Pockets, the devices that effectively served to identify and facilitate communication between Regulars.

Pockets were also used to keep track of points, the currency used throughout the Tower, so, after an hour or so had passed, Quant arrived with three E-Rank Pockets. Each was loaded with a point value of 1000 by default, but, most importantly, at least in Vahn's opinion, each Pocket had the potential to translate all languages into a unified structure known as Macsethian.

Without realizing it, Vahn, Phae, and Gandr had been speaking Macsethian ever since their arrival in the Tower. This was actually a pretty big deal, as, while Macsethian had the unique quality of being understood by everyone that heard it, there were no native speakers. Its basic structure was closer to that of a machine language than anything that could be spoken, so, once Phae pointed out they had never received Pockets, everyone present looked at her like she had said something completely ridiculous.

Fortunately, as Irregulars were already abnormal existences within the Tower, it was quickly glossed over by Phae's explanation of 'Translation Magic'. This also garnered quite a bit of attention, but, as there was nothing compelling them to give a detailed explanation on the structure and existence of Magic, Phae simply refused to comment further, a teasing smile visible on her face. Since then, she had been analyzing the structure of the Pocket alongside Vahn while Gandr devoured enough food to feed a small village...

---

After scanning the Pocket's structure with her [Eyes of Truth], Phae plainly stated, "Invisible Mode.". In response, the Pocket seemed to vanish from existence, and, after sweeping her hand through the area, there was absolutely no feedback. It was almost like it had phased out of existence, but, from the moment they had first linked with the peculiar device, Vahn, Phae, and Gandr could all sense the location of all three Pockets.

With a thoughtful look on her face, Phae made the Pocket visible again before grasping it with her hand and saying, "Whoever produced this is a genius. We should purchase one later and have Da Vinci analyze the internal structure. If we can reverse engineer the property that allows it to phase out of existence, it should be possible to make weapons and armaments with similar traits."

Chuckling lightly in response to Vahn's words, Phae leaned forward slightly, supporting her upper body with her elbows as she mused, "I'm curious to see the Workshop's Artisans with my own eyes. Though there are certainly some exceptional items in this world, I can't help but feel as though their technology has advanced in a strange direction..."

Though it was mostly for theatrics, Vahn's eyes briefly wandered to Phae's rather prominent bosom, accented by her low-cut collar. He was trying to promote the idea there was either sexual tension or an ongoing relationship between them. This would direct the focus of any love interests onto Phae, and, though it would also make his enemies conspire against her, it didn't really matter considering they were one and the same. She would also be equipped with most of the equipment he intended to create within the Tower, so, even if she wasn't meant to be combatant, it wouldn't be long before she was famous for her strength and craftsmanship...

Finished with admiring his own creation, Vahn met Phae's smiling face, earning a light chuckle from her as she suggestively moved aside her bangs. This made Vahn feel as though he had gone a little too far, so, without having to pretend, he awkwardly smiled before turning his attention to the tea in front of him and saying, "I agree. The fact they actually use Needles and Hooks to fight is more than a little peculiar. It seems like the Tower has fully embraced the theme of the deep sea...not only does Shinsu emulate the properties of water, but even the Positions are all related to fishing...at this point, I'm fully expecting to see fleets of ships shaped like fish..."

Understanding the reference to the Akamatsuverse, Phae giggled in response to Vahn's words as all three of them contemplated introducing Airfish into the Tower. Most floating objects within the Tower made use of a precious mineral known as Suspendium, but that didn't mean it was the only way for objects to float. Rather, the existence of Shinsu was almost perfectly suited to the creation of Airfish, something The Path had assuredly accounted for prior to sending Vahn into the Record...

With the thought of the Record crossing his mind, Vahn's attention shifted to system display for a brief moment, his eyes drawn to his Status. He didn't have enough Karma to incorporate the system created by Da Vinci, but, as this coincided with his desire for a 'fresh start', Vahn wasn't particularly bothered by it. Instead, he was interested in the default values assigned by the Record, and, most importantly, the name of the Record itself...

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[Status]

Name: [Vahn Aldrnari Mason], Sobriquet: N/A

Age: 304 (Ageless)

Race: Progenitor, True Dragon

Parameters: [Transcendental Path to Heaven: 1-6]

Position(s): N/A

Strength: D-Rank Regular

Durability: B-Rank Regular

Intellect: C-Rank Regular

Agility: A-Rank Regular

Control: C-Rank Ranker

Shinsu: [Quality: Divine], [Total: 56,520], [Baang: 9], [Myun: 314], [Soo: 314], [Tension: 100:1]

Soul Tier: 4 (Divine Soul)

Karma: 117

Origin Points: 108,419,332

Skills: [Will of the Emperor: SSS], [Rakshasa Body: SS], [Keeper of the Akashic Tome: B], [Eyes of Truth: A], [Chainbreaker: A], [Veil of the Traveler: A], [Hands of Nirvana: SSS], [One Who is Loved by the Heavens: SSS], [Smithing(Divine): C], [Swordsman(Divine): C], [Cooking(Master): E], [Cutting(Ranker): B], [Wave Control(Ranker): D], [Reverse Flow Control(Ranker): B], [Flow Control(Ranker): D]

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Though it didn't really provide him with any quantifiable data, just knowing how he compared to others within the Tower already gave Vahn a tremendous advantage. He even had Ranker levels of Shinsu Control, so, while he might not know much about it at this point in time, it wouldn't be long before he became a powerhouse.

For obvious reasons, Phae and Gandr had similar stats to Vahn, but, due to the seal placed upon his body, the young Vanargandr had the Strength of a B-Rank Regular and the Agility of someone who had just become an E-Rank Ranker. This placed him a little higher than Vahn would have liked him to be, but, considering the Record had a name like 'Transcendental Path to Heaven', it was only a matter of time before he encountered enemies that simply defied logic.

Fortunately, that was exactly the kind of enemy Vahn was searching for, so, while the Tower might not provide too many challenges for him in the beginning, it would only take a few years before he was facing off against enemies with continental or planetary levels of power. Endorsi's statement regarding there being people faster than light all but guaranteed this, as, unless the Physical Laws of the Record were fundamentally different than anything he had previously observed, relativistic speeds and continental level power combined with cataclysmic results.

Imagining his foes throwing punches that ripped through the void and collapsed continental plates, a smile gradually spread across Vahn's face. He could even imagine some enemies throwing literal planets and stars at him, their power so grand it caused the very fabric of reality to tremble in the wake of their blows. These were exactly the kinds of battles he was looking forward to, but, for the time being, he needed to remain patient.

Vahn's primary objective within the Record was to increase his Soul Tier, so, while it would certainly be thrilling to engage in heaven-shaking battles, the most important thing was to 'experience' the world itself. He couldn't keep distancing himself from the residents of the world just so he could consolidate power. Instead, he needed to tackle challenges head-on, pushing through his limits to overcome foes that greatly exceeded him. It didn't matter how many setbacks he would face, as, in the end, each and every encounter would only make him stronger...

---

With a little less than thirty minutes until the Crown Game was scheduled to being, Quant finally showed up to announce, "Okay, you guys can follow me. I'll show you the way to the arena. After that, you're someone else's problem!"

Though she wasn't genuinely offended by Quant's words, Endorsi pursed her lips slightly, asking, "Is that any way to speak to a Princess of Jahad? I might be a Regular, but that doesn't mean I have no sway within the Imperial Palace. If you keep being rude, I might just sick the Royal Guards on you~."

Undaunted by Endorsi's words, Quant loudly snorted, hands behind his back in a cocky manner as he plainly stated, "Go ahead and try it, Bratty Princess. I'd like to see Royal Guards try and interfere with the affairs of testing Regulars. Evankhell would have a field day and you would lose your status as a Regular, but who really cares? At least you would have proven your point, am I right?"

With those parting words, Quant spun around on his heels and started walking down one of the adjoining corridors. In his wake, Endorsi could be seen with the vein of her temple slightly pulsing, but, once she noticed everyone else quickly following after Quant, she quickly recovered her senses and shouted, "Hey! Wait for me!" before bypassing her own team to walk alongside Gandr.

---

After following Quant through various corridors for the better part of twenty minutes, Vahn and co inevitably found themselves within a massive circular room that was easily 500m in diameter. In the center of the room, located atop an elevated platform, an inordinately large throne could be seen, upon which sat a rather ordinary-looking crown.

Even without an explanation, the presence of twenty teams, a single crown, and a throne made it pretty clear what kind of competition the Crown Game was. It was clearly meant to be some kind of free-for-all, but, based on the fact each team's rooms were blocked off by heavy gates, it could be surmised there was a limit to the number of teams that could participate. This was proven to be the case, as, immediately upon entering their own waiting room, Vahn noticed a giant red button and a list of rules written along the wall.

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[Crown Game Rules]

1: The goal of the Crown Game is to both steal and maintain possession of the Crown.

2: Stealing the Crown means wearing the Crown and sitting upon the Throne.

3: Possessing the Crown means the person must maintain physical contact with both the crown and Throne.

4: The team member who first wears the Crown must retain possession of the Crown until the game has come to an end.

5: If at any point a team loses possession of the crown, that team immediately loses the game.

6: The game lasts for 5 rounds and each round lasts until someone has either taken possession of the Crown or 10 minutes has elapsed.

7: If no teams have taken possession of the Crown before time has elapsed, all participating teams will be disqualified.

8: The team in possession of the Crown by the end of the 5th game is declared the winner.

9: In each round, only five teams can participate.

10: The right to participate is determined by which five teams press their respective buzzers first.

11: Failing to press the buzzer before the allotted time has passed renders the team unable to participate in said round

12: Teams can only participate once, and, upon elimination, can no longer press their buzzer.

13: At any point in time, a team can either declare their surrender or return to their waiting room.

14: Attacking a team that has surrendered or returned to their waiting rooms is grounds for disqualification.

15: Entering the waiting room of another team is grounds for disqualification.

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Though there were quite a number of rules, the basic premise was: obtain the crown, stay on the throne, remain there until the fifth round has ended. This provided a major advantage to any team that would participate in the latter matches, but, so long as they were confident in their skills, it was also a perfect opportunity to demonstrate your capabilities and distinguish yourself from the other Regulars.

With this thought in mind, Vahn stroked his beard in consideration, a smile on his face as he spread his domain to probe the nearby waiting rooms. There were a number of people present that caught his interest, but, more than anyone else, it was the presence of a young boy with messy brown hair and golden eyes that captured his attention.

Realizing he was likely linked to events occurring within the original timeline, assuming there even was one, Vahn's smile became even more prominent as he looked over his shoulder and asked, "It might not be my throne, but I can't help but feel it is improper to allow others to adorn a crown in my presence..."

Hearing Vahn's musings, Phae replied with an amused chuckle while Gandr, more than keen to do battle, offered a toothy and slightly predatory smile...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Macsethian, mothaf*cker, do you speak it!?','Ranker level control before the first fight xD...','Gandr's mood mirrors the comments section (UwU)...')

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