With the Final Exam scheduled to take place the following day, everyone was given the day off to rest, recuperate, and make mental preparations. The Administrators had even opened up the part of the Resort that catered to Rankers, allowing Regulars to experience a taste of what it was like to be a part of the most coveted class within the Tower.
Though not every Ranker was wealthy, they had access to residences and facilities that were simply unavailable to anyone who was not a Ranker. They were also universally respected within the Tower, some, specifically High Rankers, even being treated like Gods in certain regions of the Tower.
After being invited out by Endorsi, Phae was enjoying the relaxing massage of a genderless creature with six tentacular arms and a series of six eyes circling its dome-like head. It was a rather enjoyable experience, but, compared to the [Hands of Nirvana], it was comparatively tame.
Following the massage, the two girls met up with Anak, who, despite warnings, had been sitting in the sauna for more than an hour. She had originally been with Rozeal and Nare, but, after spending a few minutes in the steamy chamber, they both went to get their hair and faces done.
Seeing Anak ‘melting’ at the top of the sauna, her towel serving as a blanket, Phae released a small sigh while Endorsi directly remarked, “Oi, lizard-breath. Even if you’re not the genuine article, have some dignity as a Princess of Jahad.”
Hearing Endorsi’s remark, Anak turned her head to the side, an exceptionally lazy look on her face as she replied, “Bite me, Ghost-Pepper…”
Annoyed by the increasingly-common form of address, Endorsi held up her fist, a smile that wasn’t quite a smile appearing on her face as she prepared a rebuttal. Before she could, however, Phae sat down on one of the wooden benches, removing her towel before asserting, “This is neither the time nor the place for bickering. Tomorrow is a very important day for both of you. Take this opportunity to relax both your body and your mind. No fighting.”
Feeling the wind taken out of her sails, Endorsi briefly studied Phae’s naked body before releasing a defeated sigh. Then, after placing her towel down, she also took a seat before asking, “How are you able to keep your breasts from sagging? I’ve never seen you wear a bra or wrap your chest. It’s not fair…”
Raising her brow in amusement, Phae mirrored Endorsi’s action, briefly sizing up the latter’s body before asserting, “You’re just being silly. You have a lithe and athletic figure combined with features that would make others green with envy. There is no need to compare yourself to me, Endorsi. You are a beautiful young woman. Be proud of your figure. Just don’t be vain.”
Though she felt gratified by Phae’s compliments, a radiant smile spreading across her face, Endorsi still remarked, “I’m more worried about my future than my present. Even if they’ve yet to start, I still worry about sagging. Tell me, do you have some kind of secret method to keep your breasts perky and full…?”
Feeling slightly exasperated, Phae released a tired sigh before staring down at her own breasts, two sizeable melons that, in spite of their volume, had an immaculate shape. She had honestly grown a little fond of them, even if they often required her to periodically stretch just to alleviate the pain in her back and shoulders.
After briefly considering her response, Phae raised her head to find even Anak had started listening in on the conversation. This brought an amused smile to her face, as, while she wasn’t completely flat, Anak could compete with Fenrir’s original form when it came to bust size.
Deciding against making a joke at Anak’s expense, Phae continued smiling as she said, “There are a countless number of ways to prevent, or even reverse, sagging. When it becomes an actual issue, I’ll go into greater detail. Until then, your best bet is to keep growing stronger. The more powerful you become, the less likely you’ll have to worry about such things.”
Though she felt like Phae’s comment was a cop-out response, Endorsi decided not to keep pressing the issue, yet another sigh escaping her lips as she muttered, “It is pretty hot in here…”
As the sauna was intended to be used by Rankers, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say only those with superhuman physiques could stay in for long periods of time. Phae was perfectly fine, for obvious reasons, but Endorsi was still susceptible to the heat. As for Anak, she was a bit of an exception in this particular situation, as, despite not being cold-blooded, her body temperature was a lot lower than normal. This gave her a fondness for warm things, so, even though her body was covered in a rather thick layer of sweat, she continued enjoying the sauna, arms and legs sprawled out as she lay on her stomach with a contented look on her face…
Resisting the urge to ‘correct’ the not-so-young young lady, Phae just lightly shook her head before smiling back at Endorsi and replying, “Indeed…” in her characteristically husky yet soft tone.
—
While the girls were off enjoying their day at the spa, most of the guys had gathered in the Rankers’ recreational facility. There were various activities to enjoy within, including a full-size movie theater, but most of them had gathered to play a game of squash.
Squash was a game where 2-4 players hit a durable rubber ball against the back wall of a closed-off arena. The primary objective of the game was to use a racket to hit the ball against the wall in such a way that your opponents would be unable to hit it back. There were various other rules due to the super-human capabilities of Rankers, but, unless you were playing ‘seriously’, the main goal was to smack the ball as hard as you could in order to bypass your opponent’s defenses.
After completely destroying everyone he had been matched against, Gandr was currently sitting on the sidelines with Shibisu and Baam while watching Khun and Chunhwa face off against Hatsu and, somewhat surprisingly, Hoh. The latter wasn’t particularly known for his physical capabilities, but, as everyone else had agreed not to use Shinsu enhancement, he was able to just barely keep up.
Vahn, and, by proxy, Gandr had originally been worried that Hoh was deviating down a very dark path, but, with a few choice words of advice, it seemed like the man had gradually stepped back into the light. He still kept to himself most of the time, but, as part of Shibisu’s circle of friends, he would occasionally appear whenever something interesting was taking place.
Seeing the effeminate blond smiling as he dashed around the squash court, Gandr had a relaxed smile on his face as he answered Baam’s question concerning Vahn’s refusal to join everyone else in their recreation games, explaining, “Whenever my Master is around, others find it hard to stay calm. I’m sure you’ve experienced it during your classes, but he gives off an aura that makes people feel both inspired yet terrified. It’s like he can see through everything, and, whenever he takes action, it is always decisive.”
Remembering how nervous he felt whenever Vahn just looked at him, Baam could understand what Gandr was trying to convey. He wasn’t the only one either, as, every time the ‘Emperor’ was around, it was like everything immediately revolved around him. Whenever he spoke, everyone immediately fell silent, and, whenever he offered advice, it was almost like hearing someone speak an irrefutable truth. Administrator Yuga had even gone so far as to say that Vahn was exceptionally gifted when it came to teaching others, encouraging him to apply to a position within the Imperial Palace once he inevitably became a Ranker.
Misinterpreting the look on Baam’s face, Gandr lightly nudged the boy as he said, “Hey, you don’t have to worry so much. My Master isn’t lonely or anything like that. He is just giving Phae and me a chance to get close to everyone. Once we move up to higher Floors, he will probably interact with everyone more often. He is just holding back right now to prevent everyone from grouping around and becoming reliant on him.”
Though Baam was slightly confused by Gandr’s remark, Shibisu had been listening closely from his position at the side, chiming in to comment, “I thought that might have been the case. The way you and Phae treat everyone is a little strange considering how much power you possess. That man, the Emperor, is going to offer us some kind of power at some point. Is that right?”
Rather than refute Shibisu’s claim, Gandr just laughed before answering, “You can see it that way. In the end, however, your growth will depend entirely on your efforts. I can’t go into too many details right now but I can tell you this…all of my skill with the sword is the result of my Master’s training. If you have the motive to become strong, there is no faster way than listening to my Master’s advice.”
Having witnessed Gandr’s skills throughout the entirety of the Position Test, Shibisu felt a chill run through his body as he asked, “If you were to fight-”
Without having to hear the rest of Shibisu’s inquiry, Gandr adopted an uncharacteristically serious expression as he asserted, “Even if every single one of us teamed up against him, we wouldn’t be able to defeat my Master. Phae might be able to win under certain conditions, but that is because he can’t really go all out against her. If it was a real fight, even the Administrators wouldn’t be able to defeat my Master…he is an existence most people can’t even comprehend…”
Though it was a little awkward talking about himself in such a way, Gandr wasn’t really lying when he made such bold claims. Their existence as The Path was beyond even the comprehension of an Omnipotent Genius like Da Vinci, and, while it was possible for them to be defeated, it would never be a true defeat unless they ‘allowed’ themselves to be killed. It didn’t really matter how strong the opponent was, they were simply inevitable…
Hearing the certainty in Gandr’s tone, Shibisu suddenly felt as though the surrounding temperature had decreased substantially. After all, Gandr was close to being able to compete against a Ranker in speed, so, while it was difficult to imagine a Regular being strong enough to take on Test Admins, it sounded a lot more credible coming from the Vanargandr at his side. Vahn’s demonstration during the Crown Game was another point in his favor, as, prior to him voluntarily stepping down from the throne, everyone else was powerless to even approach it.
Noticing Shibisu’s pale expression, Gandr’s serious look faded into a relaxed smile as he pat the man on the shoulder and said, “You don’t really have anything to worry about. We’re already on the same side. Besides, once you learn what my Master has to offer, all your worries will seem pointless. He isn’t some demon that offers power in exchange for life force or anything like that. It would be more accurate to say he gives you the opportunity to pursue your own path. You can think of it as a more advanced version of what he has done in the Wave Controller class. He was even the one who asked Phae to help Rachel, hoping it would change the woman for the better.”
At the mere mention of Rachel’s name, Baam immediately became more attentive. Though she was still keeping her distance from everyone, she had come to his room several weeks ago to apologize for lying to him. Since then, they had eaten lunch together a few times, and, though it was different from when they were alone outside the Tower, he felt like things were gradually going back to the way they once were.
Since this was his first time hearing that Vahn was the reason behind Phae helping Rachel, Baam’s opinion of the man skyrocketed in an instant. Thus, with a smile that seemed to light up the entire Recreational Facility, he happily chimed, “Your Master is amazing, Gandr. I can’t wait to become his friend when we reach the next floor!”
Shifting his gaze to Shibisu for a brief moment, both he and Gandr smiled wryly before the latter turned back to Baam and replied, “I’m sure he would like that…”
(A/N: Alternate Titles: ‘Phae(Vahn) over here casually sitting in a sauna with two Princesses…’,’We are inevitable…’,’Baam is too pure for this world’)
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