Into the Abyss

Contrasting any expectations she might have had about the peculiar reddish-brown liquids, it had a rich, smooth, and powerful flavor. It created an illusion similar to drinking liquid flame, but, instead of burning her throat, it brought an extraordinary feeling of satisfaction as the heat spread through her stomach before warming the rest of her body. She couldn't prevent a hot sigh from escaping her mouth, fogging up the empty glass she had yet to pull away from her slightly parted lips...

Though the alcohol had the stated effect, Vahn wouldn't give someone a drink they were unable to tolerate. The [Call of Cthulhu] was infinitely more effective on those with vile, greedy, and unhinged characters. The Admiral didn't give off the impression of someone who had been 'corrupted' by the darkness of the world. She likely dealt with some of the worst kinds of people, but, despite that, her aura remained pure, stable, and vast.

After holding the position of drinking for several seconds, the Admiral seemed to come back to her senses enough to pull the glass away from her lips. She appeared unaffected by the potent alcohol, but, the moment she tried to set the glass on the table, the truth was revealed. Not only did she fail such a simple action, but, as if she had partaken of an entire keg, her legs completely buckled from the subtle movement.

As much as he would have enjoyed supporting the Admiral's body with his own, Vahn, instead, used his telekinesis to prevent her from collapsing. Then, in response to the fact she had drawn an ornate magical flintlock, somehow aiming it directly at his forehead, he created a small barrier between the hammer and firing pin, preventing it from shooting no matter how many times she absentmindedly pulled the trigger.

Since she had a number of reasons to be 'hostile' towards him, Vahn didn't take offense to the Admiral's instinctual reaction. Rather, the fact she had enough wherewithal to draw her weapon at all was rather impressive. If she had been a normal person, she would have blacked out the instant the cup left her lips. The [Call of Cthulhu] might go down smoothly, but, like the tide heralding a massive storm, it would continue to swell and encroach upon the mind until all but the strongest had been drowned in its wake...

After guiding the Admiral to sit in her own chair, Vahn took a seat across from her before putting another glass on the table. Her pale blue eyes still glimmered with a bit of intelligence, but, if you looked closely, it was almost like her pupils had become like ink blotches. The darkness within had gradually started to encroach upon the surrounding iris, and, given enough time, it would create a phenomenon where her entire eyes were covered in an inky black substance. If left untreated, inky tears would begin to pour down her face, and, preceding the loss of her mind, she same substance would begin to flow from her ears, nose, and mouth.

With her eyes still focused on him, Vahn filled up the second glass before reminding her, "Though it might not make a lot of sense, the only treatment is to drink even more. The moment you down the entire bottle, the effects of the alcohol will vanish in their entirety. I would encourage you to finish it down to the last drop...if you give up halfway, I'm afraid things might not end well for you..."

Finished with his explanation, Vahn poured a glass of the same substance for himself. It was unique in the fact that, no matter how many glasses you filled, it always had enough to fill ten glasses for each person participating in the bout. The moment one person finished their portion, the effects of the alcohol would vanish for everyone, so, even if the Admiral failed the challenge, there was little danger of her falling to its influence.

Seeing Vahn down his glass in a few massive gulps, the Admiral turned her hazy blue eyes toward her own cup. It was hard to form any coherent thoughts but her instincts told her that Vahn was just toying with her. This filled her with a palpable amount of indignation, so, after witnessing him refill his glass, she lifted her own, a resolute glimmer in her eyes as she downed the contents in a single sitting before slamming the cup on the table and stating, "Another...!"

Rather than immediately refill the Admiral's cup, Vahn finished his own before setting it down and saying, "Fenrir. Fill mine and the Admiral's glasses, will you?"

Though she had originally intended to join the drinking game, Fenrir dutifully received the pulsating bottle with her paws. She made sure to fill her Master's cup first, earning a trenchant look from the Admiral, but, as the latter's opinion didn't matter in the slightest, Fenrir completely ignored her...

---

Seeing Vahn spontaneously begin a drinking game with the Admiral of the Skyfarers Association, Arika's expression had become a perfect deadpan. She thought she had become used to Vahn's whimsical nature, but, at times like this, she was reminded of just how 'peculiar' the man she had fallen in love with truly was.

Though he didn't seem to do it consciously, Vahn had a way of tearing down the walls surrounding a person's heart. She had first noticed this during his stay in the Sun Palace, but, after observing his interactions with people like Nyon Utu, Evangeline, and Grandmaster Sidra, Arika couldn't help but feel fascinated by Vahn's capacity for endearing himself to others.

Fortunately, Vahn's capabilities seemed to be derived from his empathic nature and his exceptional eye for people. He had a way of bringing out the best in others, so, from the moment he showed an interest in someone, they were all but guaranteed to experience great fortune. This was particularly true for those closest to him, and, though it was difficult to admit, Arika was a little ashamed of her past self's hubris.

Arika had never thought herself weak, but, if she compared her current self to the person she was prior to meeting Vahn, it was almost ridiculous how much she had grown. Though her progress was inconsequential compared to Asuna's, Arika felt as though she could fight against a hundred of her past self without even breaking a sweat. Despite this, she felt nowhere near her limits, and, so long as she continued to push herself, Vahn would undoubtedly help her reach even greater heights...

As this thought crossed her mind, Arika couldn't help but smile as she observed the Admiral nearly fall over in her chair. This was probably the part of her that had changed the most, as, compared to her past self, she no longer felt jealous whenever Vahn interacted with other women. She had come to understand that he simply enjoyed teasing people, and, though Vahn had an admittedly massive harem, he was very sincere with his emotions. Rather, as a result of his unequaled capacity for care and comfort, Vahn was often on the receiving end of others' pursuit...

---

After nine glasses of the progressively potent alcohol, all rational thought had faded away from the Admiral's mind. She didn't know what was keeping her going at this point, but, every time she saw the 'smug' look on Vahn's face, a voice in the back of her mind pushed her to say, "Ahnuverrrr..." in a dull, sensuous, tone of voice. She didn't even seem to notice that the surroundings were writhing about like a living creature, as, for the time being, the only thing that seemed to matter was proving herself against the man seated across from her...

Hearing the Admiral's slurred words, Vahn offered an appreciative smile as he admired the woman half-sprawled across her desk. She couldn't even sit up straight, and, due to her drunken state, her previously neat appearance had now turned slovenly. Her face was suffused with a ruddy hue, and, in an effort to cool her feverish body, she had been tugging at the collar of her blouse. Fortunately, despite her untamed and heroic appearance, she properly wore a bra beneath her blouse, so, even when she began to absentmindedly unfasten the buckles of her leather bodice, she didn't expose herself completely...

Deciding to concede the victory, Vahn gave a small nod toward Fenrir before setting his own glass on the table. He had already received numerous benefits from the drinking game, so, before things got further out of hand, he decided to take a step back in order to preserve the Admiral's pride. She gave him a similar impression as Tsubaki and Musashi, so, if he managed to win against her, things would probably become troublesome during his stay within Zephyria.

Without thinking about Vahn's actions in the slightest, the Admiral managed to half-raise her body. The [Call of Cthulhu] had a property that made it impossible to cheat by spilling the contents, so, even though a large quantity of the reddish-brown liquid escaped from the side of the Admiral's mouth, slinking down her neck and staining her white blouse, she was able to empty its contents after a few large gulps. Immediately thereafter, as if the potent alcohol had never existed, all signs of presence, including the contents of Vahn's cup, evaporated into thin air as clarity returned to the Admiral's gaze.

As if she had just awoken from a realistic daydream, the Admiral didn't immediately react to having her clarity restored. Instead, she looked between her empty glass and Vahn's expression, her own a mixture of confusion and disbelief. She was certain she had been drinking moments prior, but, now that she had 'awakened', even the taste of the liquor had been forgotten. Instead, she actually felt a little parched, almost as if she had gone the entire day without a single drop of liquid.

Awakening the Admiral from her stupor, Vahn adopted a wry smile as he said, "Though I'm certainly not complaining, you might want to fix your attire before we continue our conversation. Beige suits you, by the way. It matches your olive complexion well..."

Hearing Vahn's remark, the Admira turned her attention to the state of her dress. She had unfasted most of the clasps of her bodice, so, instead of hugging her body tightly, her blouse had loosened to the point it was nearly falling off one shoulder. Her jacket had also fallen off, crumpling up in her chair, so, rather than a proud Admiral, she currently appeared more like a tavern wench.

Rather than react flusteredly, the Admiral just frowned slightly before quickly arranging her clothes. She didn't even bother asking Vahn to look away, as, even compared to other regions, nakedness wasn't considered a big deal within Zephyria. It wasn't known as the City of Freedom for no reason, and, though most women properly covered themselves, there were quite a few who decided to just bare it all or wrap their breasts with a simple cloth.

Almost immediately after fixing her clothes, the Admiral turned her attention back to Vahn, her pale blue eyes glimmering with intensity as she said, "You've a lot of gall for a shitty lizard. Do you enjoy messing with us puny mortals that much? If you keep looking down on us-"

Before the Admiral could finish speaking, Vahn's smile gave way to a serious expression as he said, "You insult both of us with such poorly conceived words. Am I supposed to pretend you didn't give me a glass laced with a tasteless poison? Besides, I didn't force you to drink, you partook of your own volition. If I had malicious intentions, I needed only to prevent you from finishing the bottle to ensure you completely lost your mind. Do not insult me at your leisure, Descendent of Scarlet. I'm not fond of formalities, nor do I mind harsh language; but, if you think you can get away with freely insulting me, you are sorely mistaken..."

Though she was not completely cowed by the pressure released by Vahn, the Admiral fell silent in response to his words. The 'poison' within the glasses was only intended to loosen the tongue and decrease the inhibitions of the other party. She hadn't intended to cause them any harm, but, even if she tried to clarify her intentions, it wouldn't really matter. The fact remained that she did, indeed, try and poison him...

Taking advantage of the Admiral's silence, Vahn regained his usual smile as he added, "I never look down on other people. Rather, if you knew the true nature of my existence, you would undoubtedly feel like a fool for uttering such words. I represent the infinite potential of all things, and, unless you earn my ire, I generally try and help everyone I meet. Though the [Call of Cthulhu] has the potential for catastrophic misuse, it is actually a blessing if used without malicious intent. Now that you have finished the bottle, any alcohol you drink will temporarily strengthen your body based on its quality and potency. You can now drink as much as you want without ever having to worry about blacking out or suffering the detrimental effects of alcohol toxicity. You can still get drunk, but, unless it was something brewed by a God, the chances of you losing clarity are slim, at best."

Hearing Vahn's explanation, a look of disbelief flashed across the Admiral's eyes. Then, after eying the bottle she had brought out previously, she uncorked it before downing nearly half its contents in a single go. This was enough to make a normal person blackout drunk, but, other than a pleasant feeling of warmth and a tipsy feeling, her mind remained clear. She also felt a familiar dulling of her senses, but, other than a slight 'lag' between her thoughts and actions, there were no other adverse effects from downing nearly 400ml of a liquid with 62% alcohol...

Realizing the 'gift' Vahn had given her, the Admiral couldn't help but rub her temples in, her husky voice suffused with a bit of drunken warmth as she muttered, "How troublesome..." before quickly adding, "I'm not going to thank you. This was not a gift I asked for, so, regardless of your intentions, I do not feel indebted to you. I will, however, apologize for my previous words and actions. Also, as it occurs to me that I had never introduced myself, you may address me as Katarina. Most know me as the Dauntless Katarina but my actual name is Katarina Hawkins. Considering how you previously addressed me, I doubt it would surprise you to know I am the great-granddaughter of the Crimson Scarlet..."

Deciding to ignore Katarina's remark about not thanking him, Vahn just nodded his head, a casual smile on his face as he answered, "Though it seems my reputation has preceded me, I suppose it is only proper that I introduce myself. Feel free to address me as Vahn, but, if the situation calls for it, it would be prudent to refer to me as the Sage Dragon Emperor, Vahn Aldrnari Mason. As for this lovable young Vanargandr to my right, she goes by the name Fenrir Mason, Queen of the Frozen Abyss. I don't particularly mind manners and such, but, when she is around, you should take care not to accidentally insult me. She can be pretty sensitive when it comes to defending my honor..."

Hearing her Master's introduction, Fenrir's scarlet-red eyes glistened with a murderous light, and, though it appeared cute to Vahn, Katarina felt her body tense up in response to the rows of sharp teeth revealed by her smile...

(A/N: I'm going to start polling for the next Record. Keep in mind that the next Record is the 'final' Record Vahn will be visiting (Tier 6+). Though there will actually be a lot of other Records appearing in the story, they will come into play after Vahn has linked the Records. The actual Epilogue of EPIC is supposed be 500+ plus chapters, including short stints of various characters in various worlds, so, even if Vahn doesn't visit a verse you are interested in, there is always hope for the future~! Poll will be listed at the end of every chapter and in the paragraph comments for easier copy+pasting.)

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