Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After nearly two weeks of leisurely travel, the Archimedes eventually reached another of the 30th Floor's most scenic and beautiful regions, a group of volcanic islands known as the Ember Isles. This was one of the primary residential districts of the 30th Floor, and, thanks to its temperate climate and inordinate beauty, more than six million Regulars had taken up residence on the circular chain of islands.

As one of the Floors that had come under the influence of the Workshop, the centermost region of the Ember Isles was host to a massive research facility that extended nearly 1.7km to the depths of the sea. Despite this, less than one-hundred-and-fifty personnel called the facility home. The rest of the inhabitants were different types of automatons, each involved in the cultivation and harvesting of resources that could only be found beneath the seabed.

Due to the secrecy of the Workshop, few people knew what they were harvesting deep beneath the water's surface. Some speculated there was a deposit of Suspendium located within the interlinking magma chambers between volcanoes. Others argued that the massive facility had been constructed to imprison an ancient Shinheuh, a beast rumored to have created the massive, crater-like, hole that existed within the encirclement of the unique island chain.

As was often the case, the truth was significantly less interesting than the speculation surrounding the mysterious facility. Its primary purpose was simply the mass-production of common goods that were used throughout the Tower. It did tap into the magma chambers beneath the seabed, but the reason for this was to harvest geothermal energy in order to allow the facility to run as efficiently as possible. This was also the reason why so few researchers were present within the facility and why the Workshop often used it as a venue to host the second round of the Workshop Battle.

Had the facility held any actual value, even the Jahad Army, much less six-million Regulars, wouldn't be able to approach within three-thousand kilometers. After all, when there were numerous people who could move at relativistic speeds and collapse continental shelves, security was something that was taken 'very' seriously. For this reason, most of the genuinely important facilities operated by the Workshop had never even been heard of.

The Workshop went to great lengths to prevent any an all information pertaining to their important facilities from leaking out. Thus, with the exception of certain networks belonging to the Empire and the Ten Great Families, they monitored virtually every communication between Workshop-produced Lighthouses, Observers, and Pockets. It was possible to bypass or disable this function if you were a skilled Light Bearer, but, the moment your actions were discovered, you would be blacklisted and consequently pursued by the Workshop's 'IP Enforcement Division'.

Though Jahad and the Ten Great Families were the undisputed rulers of the Tower, even the former acknowledged the power and influence of the Workshop. After all, virtually every powerful item that existed within the Tower had been manufactured by the Workshop. This included the armaments in Jahad's personal armory, and, though they had their own production facilities, most of the Flagships and Fortresses that represented the Jahad Army's military might were provided as a courtesy by the Workshop. They had also been instrumental to Jahad's ascent to the position of King, so, unless his hand was forced, he would never even consider opposing them.

Due to the unique relationship between Jahad and the Workshop, opposing the latter was the same as earning the ire of the former. As a result, there were 'very' few people who were willing to offend the Workshop, even within a notorious organization like FUG. Fortunately, there were a number of Elders within FUG who had close ties with several important figures within the Workshop, so, much like the Jahad Empire, they were afforded their own, private, communication network. After all, the Workshop wasn't subordinate to the Jahad Empire, so, if it meant furthering their goal of reaching the origin of all things, they didn't particularly care who they were working with...

---

With the Archimedes mooring itself in the skies above the geothermal factory, the Captain gave permission for the passengers and crew to disembark. They had prepared a number of Suspend Ships that could transport people directly to the surrounding isles, or, if you were more interested in the facility below, suites had been prepared for all qualifying participants of the Workshop Battle.

Though he wasn't particularly interested in the Ember Isles, Vahn had felt a growing need to escape from the Archimedes ever since news of his activities had reached the paparazzi. This was primarily the result of several jaded male Regulars, who, despite being told 'nothing' had happened, jumped to conclusions. They found it difficult to believe that he would just listen to a woman's woes before offering them spa and beauty treatments that eclipsed those available onboard the Archimedes. As a result, he had gained a reputation as a gigolo despite numerous attestations that outright refuted these petty claims.

Unfortunately, though they didn't bother him directly, that didn't prevent the various news outlets and gossip columns from spinning the hotly debated topic in a way that generated them the most revenue. This caused the negative sentiments he was receiving from other males to increase rather drastically, not because he had actually done anything wrong, but because they used the articles as an excuse to 'justify' their suspicions. This was one of the reasons Vahn had always hated the media, as, more often than not, it was just a means of manipulating people and generating propaganda.

Even after more than three-hundred-years, Vahn still couldn't understand the propensity of people to base their opinions on unverified and unsubstantiated claims. He also completely disdained the notion of 'confirmation bias' as it was effectively the 'death of reason'. There were actually people who would, quite literally, ignore facts that had been documented and verified through countless hours of research in lieu of completely unsubstantiated claims that coincided with their own views. Even worse were the people who would use this information as a means to justify violence, often attacking anyone who disagreed with them as if it was 'everyone else' who was wrong.

Fortunately, at least within the Empire, he didn't have to worry about such things, as, the moment people began to make libelous claims or disseminate misinformation, they would be immediately exposed as the frauds they were. He had no tolerance for people whose greatest contributions to society were its stagnation or regression, so, depending on the severity of their crimes, there was a very real chance they might be put to death. He didn't really care about rumors and gossip, but, the moment people began rallying behind a cause stemmed from misinformation, he wouldn't hesitate to expose, and, if necessary, crush them...

---

Though it didn't compare to the beauty of the Little Garden, Vahn had to admit that the Ember Isles were remarkably beautiful. Even the architecture of the coastal cities was similar to something you might find in a painting of a futuristic civilization that had learned to coexist alongside nature. There was virtually no pollution, and, though the waters could be exceptionally dangerous if you ventured too far, the interior sea was an awe-inspiringly beautiful, crystal clear, sapphire blue.

Since it was a good opportunity, Vahn put Arusha and Arryn on the spot by inviting them on a date and having them choose the destination. This was exceptionally awkward for the duo, as they both possessed somewhat submissive personalities, but, with a fair amount of positive reinforcement, it didn't take long for them to get into the swing of things. It helped that they had similar styles, and, though she hadn't possessed one prior to her 'upgrades', the fact Arryn now possessed a tail gave them a good excuse to peruse a number of brand-name clothing stores.

Though he couldn't deny it was very tiring at times, Vahn had always been fond of accompanying his women when they went shopping for clothes. He greatly enjoyed watching them change into a variety of different outfits, and, though he could always make or purchase apparel far greater than anything found in a store, it lacked the novelty of finding something new and trying it on then and there. It also gave him some insight into the girls' preferences, as, even with the Law of Identity, he couldn't know how someone truly felt until he had witnessed their behavior directly. After all, most people could list off a number of their likes and dislikes, but, as such things were never objective, it was impossible to know how they truly felt until you witnessed the emotional response it inspired in them.

Proving this point, Arusha, despite genuinely believing she 'hated' girly clothes, currently had a wide smile on her face as she posed in front of a mirror while wearing a frilly dress. She would never even consider wearing such clothing under normal circumstances, but, after hearing him affirm how cute she would look, it wasn't long before she had tried it on. Her peculiar black and white hair, styled in twin-tails, actually complimented the dress quite a bit. There was also a large white ribbon that tied over her predominately black tail, a perfect contrast to the large white ears twitching atop her head.

Since important things were often worth repeating, Vahn decided to hammer home the point by muttering, "Beautiful..." in an affectionate tone. This caused Arusha's smile to become even more radiant, and, though she didn't truly believe such clothing suited her, she convinced herself that it didn't matter so long as he believed they did. She had also come up with a number of 'convenient' uses for the dress, so, even if it was only for his sake, she wouldn't mind wearing a dress every now and again...

As this thought crossed her mind, Arusha's reverie was broken by Vahn shifting his attention to the nearby changing room. Her gaze followed his, and, as a result, her expression immediately became a flawless deadpan as they both witnessed Arryn emerge in an extremely revealing white bikini. This put her pseudo-synthetic body on full display, but, unlike before, she showed no aversion to having several people eye the lines marking the connection points between her various parts with a mix of intrigue and morbid curiosity.

Though there were connecting valves that allowed the fluids in her body to flow seamlessly, Arryn's body was constructed of fourteen parts, thirteen of which were interchangeable. This was originally intended to allow her to swap out damaged parts, and, when the situation called for it, she could also replace her limbs with various weapons and other augmentations. Now, however, they were a remnant of her former self, something she had asked Android 21 to preserve prior to her operation.

Rather than show any aversion whatsoever, Vahn couldn't help but smile when he saw the unique structure of Arryn's body. He wasn't particularly fond of the team that had turned her into a Gynoid, but he couldn't deny that their workmanship, combined with Arryn's natural beauty, had culminated into a masterpiece. This impression was unquestionably influenced by his appreciation for elves and his experiences with the Einzbern Family, but, more than anything else, Vahn felt a strong attraction to the confident glimmer that had appeared in Arryn's reddish-amber eyes...

It might be the result of her strength increasing far beyond her expectations, but, compared to her previous self, the current Arryn radiated an aura of tranquil confidence. She had not only accepted what she was, but who she was as a person. She was no longer someone's experiment, and, rather than feel unworthy of the grace she had been afforded, she felt blessed beyond comparison. All of this was the result of the man standing across from her, so, even though there were quite a number of other people present, only Vahn's figure entered her gaze. At the same time, she believed that he saw something in her that even she was unaware of, so, even though she felt guilty about stealing Arusha's spotlight, she couldn't help but want him to continue looking directly at her...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Wow. Such mystery. Much suspicion (OwO)...','Vahn might seem like a tyrant, but those who spread misinformation for personal gain are the cancer of society...','I can't help but wonder if Arryn has a 'literal' switch somewhere...')

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