Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Chapter 2029: Resolving a Few Underlying Issues

As per their original agreement, all of Headon's authority transferred to Vahn the moment their contract had been completed. This allowed him to spread his senses throughout the entire Tower, and, much like when he was in his personal Realm, he could control the flow of time at his leisure.

While he had also inherited the restrictions that came with his newfound authority, Vahn, unlike Gluttony, could simply ignore these. There was no contract that could bind him against his will, so, if there was something he didn't like, he could just 'shrug' it off like a loose chain dangling from his shoulders.

Along with his ability to stop time, one of the most important authorities Vahn had been granted was the 'right to open the door'. Some would misinterpret this as the ability to invite people into the Tower, but, in actuality, the tradition of inviting climbers into the Tower was something that had been developed after the Age of Ascension. Before then, the only people authorized to ascend the Tower were Irregulars and their companions. This was the reason so many people had rallied behind Jahad and the Great Warriors, as, without them, they simply weren't qualified to participate in Tests.

The person to introduce the invitation system was none other than Jahad. For the sake of peace, he had forged a contract with Headon that would separate selfish and power-hungry individuals from the common peoples of the Tower. He didn't believe it was wrong for people to seek wealth, power, and authority. Rather, he believed this was the natural way of the world. What he didn't agree with was taking advantage of people who simply wished to live peaceful and mundane lives. Thus, once it was determined that a person would do anything to achieve their dreams, they would quickly find themselves on the receiving end of Headon's invitation.

Simply put, Jahad had gathered the greediest and most selfish people in the Tower so that normal people could live in peace. This, unsurprisingly, created a society where the vast majority of people were greedy and selfish individuals who would feel no qualms about things like killing if it allowed them to achieve their objectives. There were exceptions to this, specifically among the people who were born 'inside' the Tower, but, from the moment they became Regulars, people wouldn't really have a choice. They would either exploit others or be crushed by the ambitions of people who had fewer qualms about committing atrocities.

Now that the contract between Headon and Jahad no longer existed, Vahn had absolute authority to dictate who could and couldn't climb the Tower. He could even remove the barriers between the Inner, Middle, and Outer Towers if he really wanted to, but, understanding Jahad's intentions at the time of their creation, he elected to keep them in place.

In the end, the only change Vahn introduced to the existing system was giving everyone the ability to ascend the Tower. There were other reforms he intended to implement, but, considering he was about to depart the Tower, such things were best left to his Template. He couldn't accurately predict how things would develop moving forward, so, rather than impose changes he wouldn't be around to uphold, Vahn shifted his focus to tying up loose ends.

Near the very top of his list of things to do, quite literally, was settling things out with Ureko. Before that, however, Vahn teleported to a secret location on the 30th Floor that not even the Opera could penetrate. There, in the ruins of an underground facility previously abandoned by the Workshop, he found a room filled with luminous green tanks, each containing the body of a young girl in various states of development.

Managing this secretive operation was a young girl with dark-grey hair, mechanical green eyes, and a petite yet impeccably balanced figure. She was attired in clothes that screamed 'cute', but, despite this, she still managed to give off an apathetic vibe as she asked, "Are you the one I've been waiting for...?"

Combing through his hair, Vahn took a moment to organize his thoughts before muttering, "What is it with super-geniuses choosing to be reborn as cute or inordinately beautiful girls...well, at least now I know how a man like Gustang could fall in love with a woman like Blossom..."

Though he resisted the urge to label Gustang as a Lolicon, for obvious reasons, that didn't prevent Vahn from thinking it. After all, the petite young girl standing before him was effectively Gustang's reincarnation, albeit without his memories. The only things the Homunculus-like girl had inherited were his tremendous intellect and a set of instructions intended to prevent her from being labeled as a candidate for elimination.

With her superhuman senses, the grey-haired girl was easily able to hear Vahn's mutterings. Despite this, she cocked her head to the side in an overly cute manner that didn't really suit someone with a blank expression, declaring, "If you're not the person I've been waiting for, please leave once you've finished looking around. It would also inconvenience me considerably if you messed with any of my equipment, so, if you're curious about something, feel free to ask me directly. The fewer things you touch, the better..."

Adopting a deadpan expression, Vahn flatly inquired, "And if I am the person you've been waiting for...?"

Like a computer processing a tremendous volume of information, the grey-haired girl momentarily froze in place before spontaneously lifting up the front of her pleated skirt and saying, "If that's the case, I suppose you're allowed to touch whatever you like? I'm quite confident in the parameters of this body. In exchange, I'd appreciate it if you afforded me the opportunity to join the Research and Development Division of the Aldrnari Empire. I would like to conduct my research without having to fear erasure."

With the same deadpan expression on his face, Vahn monotonously retorted, "Right...am I correct to assume your spirit will be transferred to one of those bodies if you're destroyed?"

Without releasing the hem of her skirt, the grey-haired Homunculus followed Vahn's finger, pausing for a moment before turning to meet his gaze and asking, "Do you prefer girls with a more youthful appearance? If so, please give me a moment. I have an inhibitor solution that can reverse the effects of aging. Please don't attack any of the girls in the gestation tanks. They are my important Research Assistants..."

As if she was afraid he would grow impatient, the grey-haired Homunculus attempted to scamper over to a display shelf lined with hundreds of neatly arranged, brightly colored, vials. This left Vahn with a helpless expression on his face, not because the petite Homunculus was pretending to be a lot more naive than she actually was, but because Gustang had really gone the extra mile when he came up with this plan. Not only had the man paid the penultimate price for his crimes, but, for the purpose of acquiring even greater knowledge, he had effectively left behind a daughter who was willing to do whatever it took to become a member of the R&D Division...

Though the Homunculus had inherited fragments of what could be considered to be the entity known as Po Bidau Gustang, the original Gustang had died the moment he attempted to probe Vahn's mind. This effectively made the girl fumbling around the potion cabinet a third-generation descendant of Gustang, and, while she had inherited the traits associated with the peerless genius, it wasn't an exaggeration to say she was a completely unique entity. This was further supported by the Law of Identity, so, while it was well within his right to simply ignore her, Vahn felt like he would be doing both the Homunculus and Gustang's memory a disservice by leaving the amalgamation of his hopes and dreams to rot within an underground facility.

"Are you done playing around...?"

Hearing Vahn's words, the grey-haired Homunculus stopped trying to reach for a vial that was just beyond the range of her dainty fingers. Then, in a mechanically somber tone, she stared back at him and said, "Sorry...this is the only solution I could think of. Without analyzing your character, I had no way of knowing how you would react to certain suggestions. Orchestrating an awkward scenario is one of the quickest methods to expose a person's true nature. I meant no offense. Rather, so long as you agreed to let me join your R&D Division, I was serious about letting you do whatever you wanted with me. I'm currently inexperienced but I'm confident I could make up for it with genuine intrigue and perseverance. Please give me the chance to prove it."

Having dealt with one omnipotent genius's intrigue, Vahn had no doubts regarding the grey-haired Homunculus' claims. Da Vinci had managed to convince him to 'assist' her in a number of lascivious experiments, so, given their similarities, Vahn could easily imagine the Homunculus pursuing a very similar course. After all, when it came to understanding the true nature of the world, hypotheticals and theories could only take you so far...

After slowly combing through his hair and staring up at the ceiling for the better part of a minute, Vahn lowered his gaze to meet the Homunculus' before saying, "Come over and stand right in front of me."

Though she didn't react immediately, it didn't take long for the petite Homunculus to scamper over and stop just a few centimeters away from Vahn. The top of her head stopped around the center of his diaphragm, and, while she was far from the most petite woman he had ever dealt with, a slightly exasperated sigh escaped Vahn's mouth as he proceeded to gently ruffle her hair.

"You might be able to change your appearance and age at will but you're still just a kid. I'll let you join the R&D Division, but, until your mentality had developed to an appropriate level, I don't want to hear you talking about things like sex and experimentation. You will apprentice under one of my Chief Researchers. She will let me know once you've matured. Until then, you have a better chance of wooing one of my children than convincing me to sleep with you..."

Demonstrating her first real emotion, a slight pout appeared on the face of the Homunculus. One of the hardcoded objectives within the database that was her mind included getting pregnant and experiencing childbirth. Since pregnancy was actually a very inconvenient thing, she wouldn't settle for receiving inferior genes. Thus, knowing Vahn was a being that existed near the very pinnacle of all species, she was absolutely determined to bear his child.

With the Law of Identity narrating the girl's innermost thoughts, the relaxed smile on Vahn's face became noticeably wry. He wasn't particularly surprised. After all, Da Vinci had gone through a very similar phase in the past. Still, knowing a hyper-intelligent loli was absolutely determined to bear his child, Vahn couldn't resist silently cursing Gustang for going out of his way to burden him with such a dangerous creature...

Retracting his hand from the youthful-looking girl's head, Vahn asked, "So? What should I call you?" while gesturing to create a portal between the 30th and 199th Floors. Even the Law of Identity was unable to reveal her name, so, when she unhesitantly answered, "I don't have a name." Vahn wasn't particularly surprised. She was, after all, just a Homunculus. She also lived in isolation, so, while she was more than capable of assigning herself a name, it wasn't necessary. She also understood that she could ingratiate herself to him by allowing him to choose a name, so, until now, the grey-haired Homunculus hadn't even considered what to call herself.

Learning these things from the Law of Identity, Vahn resisted the urge to shake his head as he said, "Very well then...henceforth, you shall be known as...Eureka..."(A/N: Pronounced similarly to Arika.)

Since it didn't particularly matter what her name was, Eureka forced a smile despite thinking Vahn had a terrible naming sense. She could always change it later, and, though she wasn't sure where the surname originated from, the name Aldrnari Eureka had a way of rolling off the tongue. Upon realizing this, the smile on her face became marginally more sincere, and, though Vahn had already been made aware of her original thoughts on the matter, he still ruffled her hair when she asserted, "Thank you. I will cherish it always."

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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Jahad really did make an effort...','Gustang has found a way to deal constant damage of time even after his death xD...','Da Vinci is going to have a field day...')

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