NOVEL NEXT Chapter 105: Ambition
"So, what have you been doing these past couple of months? Other than Grayfia, I mean?" asked Bulma, seated naked atop a bathroom stool, her cheeks slightly flushed as Vahn, sitting behind her, relaxedly lathered her back, sides, and shoulders.
"Well, we built a home for ourselves and created the template for a resort on a small, secluded island..." revealed Vahn, his hands moving slowly and methodically, causing a faint, tingling sensation to permeate Bulma's body as he added, "Other than that, we spent a brief period in another universe and have been discussing plans to travel to a few others in preparation for my participation in the World Martial Arts Tournament."
"World Martial Arts Tournament? No offense, but you don't really strike me as a Martial Artist..." remarked Bulma, looking down as Vahn reached around to the front of her body, gently lathering and skillfully massaging her breasts as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"I mean...you definitely have an amazing body..." conceded Bulma, her blush deepening as Vahn softly pinched and stimulated her nipples with his index fingers and thumbs. It was apparent to her where his skill and interests truly lay, so as her right hand found its way between her thighs, she reasoned, "But I'm pretty sure you're more of a lover than a fighter..."
"You're not wrong..." confirmed Vahn, leaning forward and resting his chin on Bulma's left shoulder as he whispered, "But the only way to guarantee the safety and well-being of the people and things I love is to be stronger than any threats that could possibly appear..."
"What could possibly threaten you if you can teleport between worlds in the blink of an eye...?" asked Bulma, genuinely curious. The most obvious answer was other transdimensional travelers, but she doubted there were many of them, and she couldn't fathom why they would interfere with one another unless there was a regulatory body that dictated what they could and couldn't do in the worlds they traversed.
"Even if we can travel between worlds, all transdimensional travelers have an original world they call home..." stated Vahn, peppering Bulma's neck and shoulder with kisses as he softly contended, "And unless you can turn a blind eye to people in need—like an attractive, turquoise-haired damsel being whisked away by a pterodactyl—it's better to have the means to act than be forced to stand by and watch..."
"That's a very convincing argument..." hummed Bulma, narrowing her eyes and turning her head to find Vahn's lips waiting. She only planned to stare back at him with a sultry look, but as his tongue slipped into her mouth to engage her own, she found herself reciprocating instinctively...
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[January 4th, 750]
Since departing immediately after spending the night would be awkward, Vahn stuck around West City and Capsule Corp's Headquarters, Bulma's home, for an extra three days. He wasn't overly fond of the city's futuristic aesthetic, with nearly every building being colored sterile or off-white, but it was fun seeing a movie, going shopping, and eating out with the excited and nervous Bulma. She had never been on a date with a boy, so Vahn did his best to be a perfect gentleman during the day before taking her home to rock her bed at night.
"Make sure to drop in now and then..." reminded Bulma, lazing listlessly and naked in her bed with her left arm dangling off the side, watching as Vahn dressed in preparation for his departure. They had been going at it the entire night, so while a feeling of contentedness suffused every fiber of her being, she was beyond exhausted.
"I won't forget," responded Vahn, staring back at Bulma with a smile as he affirmed, "Since you don't have classes or lectures on the weekend, I can drop in Friday afternoon and depart Sunday if you have nothing else going on. My own schedule might conflict with that, but I can at least drop in for a few hours to explain what I'm up to."
"Alright...sounds good..." muttered Bulma, closing her eyes and adding, "Say hi to Grayfia for me..." before dozing off. Vahn found this adorable, so before departing, he approached the turquoise-haired girl, ensured she was tucked in properly, and kissed her forehead before turning to Grayfia, who had been tailing and keeping him company invisibly for the duration of his visit. In response, she used her Magic to ensure Bulma and her bed were clean before teleporting them back to their cozy little abode.
"Home, sweet home..." hummed Vahn, promptly unequipping his clothes and plopping down in the chair where he had been lounging and watching anime before his departure. Immediately after, Grayfia positioned herself in front of him, bending over to allow him to hike up her skirt, remove her panties, and kiss her glistening lips before she sat down, permitting him to guide his cock to its own home before resuming the anime they had been watching as if no time had passed...
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"This looks like the place..." remarked Vahn, standing at the edge of a sizeable hole in the ground, within which was a spacious stone cavern with a soil-lined bottom, a large grey stone slab just out of range of the sunlight cascading down from above, and a pool of crystal clear water. More notably, there was a young man with short, somewhat curly brown hair that formed messy bangs over his forehead seated atop the stone slab. His eyes were similarly brown, and his lean body was garbed in a simple white tee, grey pants, and white tennis shoes.
Hearing Vahn's voice, the man, sitting despondently atop the stone slab after failing to find a way out of the cave, reacted with a start, rising to his feet as he exclaimed, "A person! Oh, thank goodness! Can you please help me get out of here? I'm trapped!"
"I can," confirmed Vahn, leaving the man speechless as he dropped into the hole, followed closely by Grayfia as he asked, "But are you certain you want to leave?"
Though he was briefly captivated by Grayfia's beauty, the man regained his senses and nodded quickly, responding, "Why would I want to remain trapped here? Please, if you can help me escape this place and return to the outside—I don't have much, but you can have all my savings!"
"First off, calm down...." said Vahn, making a placating gesture with his hands as he added, "Also, before we talk, my name is Vahn Mason, and this exceptionally beautiful woman here is Grayfia Lucifuge. I'm guessing you've got a name as well?"
"Oh...right...my name is Sejun...Park Sejun..." responded the man, offering a tense smile and a slight bow as he rubbed the back of his head with his left hand.
"Alright, Sejun, let's chat..." said Vahn, surprising Sejun immensely by raising his right hand, manifesting a square-shaped wooden table with four chairs. Sejun initially stared at the scene with an open mouth, but when he saw the well-dressed Vahn sit and Grayfia, modeling her Maid outfit, position herself behind him, he nervously sat across from him.
"Um...could I ask which Guid or organization you belong to...?" asked Sejun, getting the distinct impression he was dealing with a pair of big shots from someplace outside his homeland of South Korea.
"We're technically affiliates of Gremory Large Enterprises, but I don't expect you to be familiar with the name," responded Vahn. "More to the point, why did you enter this place? What do you hope to accomplish by becoming an Awakened?"
"I mean...doesn't everyone enter the tower for the same reason?" asked Sejun, clarifying, "The real world is boring, mundane, and generally unfair to the average person. If you aren't born rich or have a powerful backing from the start, you're pretty much fated to be used and abused to enrich others from the outset. Things are different for the Awakened. As long as you work hard and make smart decisions, you can gain fame, fortune, and literal superpowers."
"And what will you do with your fame, fortune, and superpowers?" asked Vahn, pointing out, "Because each of those things is typically a means to an end. At what point will you be content?"
Feeling more assured of his assertion that Vahn wasn't a normal person, Sejun swallowed nervously before honestly responding, "I just want to be able to take care of my parents, start a family of my own, and ensure they never have to struggle..."
"Good answer..." hummed Vahn, nodding affirmingly before smiling as he said, "Then this is my proposition. I will help you leave this place, but only under the condition that you accept my sponsorship. You will be allowed to act, make decisions for yourself, and even join other organizations, but assuming you survive your ascension, I will need your assistance at some point. In exchange, I will supply you with equipment, consumables, and a salary to ensure your family is well cared for."
"I'm happy to accept..." responded Sejun, his smile cramping as he noted, "But deals that sound too good to be true usually are. How do I know you won't ask me to commit a crime or harm someone...?"
"You don't..." responded Vahn. "But, to obtain the fame and fortune you seek, many Awakened inevitably find themselves having to make similar deals with existing powers and factions. The inequities you refer to in the outside world might not be as apparent in the Tower, but that won't be the case forever. There are already corporations lobbying to restrict access to resources and farming zones on the lower floors, and as the average level of the Awakened increases, those at the top will inevitably begin imposing rules and restrictions on those beneath them..."
"That's...that's just not fair..." muttered Sejun, sporting a frustrated frown as he lowered his gaze and balled his hands into fists beneath the table. At that point in time, no nation or organization had been able to lay claim to the Tower, as there were a hundred identical, spatially interconnected towers spread across the globe, but it was only a matter of time before a coalition of powerful external nations managed to secure their foothold in the lower floors, restricting who could or couldn't ascend higher using the excuse of protecting the peoples' interests outside. After all, they couldn't have unregulated mages and warriors simply wandering the streets, using their power to commit crimes and generally do as they pleased. They had to seize power and control—endlessly enriching themselves and ensuring no one could challenge their authority—to ensure that everyday, ordinary people could live their lives without worry.
"Well, you don't have to worry too much," assured Vahn, his smile relaxed but brimming with confidence as he stated, "This Tower and the entities responsible for its creation and management won't allow such individuals to do as they please. Your focus should be safely becoming stronger and caring for your family. Leave the complicated stuff to those with...grander ambitions."
"And what about you...?" asked Sejun, swallowing audibly as he clarified, "What are your ambitions...?"
"Me? I'm just a humble farmer..." responded Vahn, his smile gaining a hint of playfulness that left Sejun with more questions than answers. However, as he was far more concerned with escaping the hole he had been tossed into, he carefully read the contract that unfurled before him before sealing it with a drop of his blood. A few minutes later, he was outside the Tower, his hands and body trembling as he held a metallic black and gold bank card, purportedly connected to an account that would receive deposits of one hundred and fifty million won each month...
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"And now, we wait..." hummed Vahn, sitting on the ground after manually tilling it with a hand plow and planting a wide variety of vegetables in the cavern's mana-rich, exceptionally fertile soil. Nearby, Grayfia constructed a near-exact replica of their cozy abode near the cavern's rock-lined pond as, except for when he left to visit Bulma or participate in events such as the World Martial Arts Tournament, they would be cohabitating within the cave from then on...
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(A/N: If the setting wasn't obvious, they're in the world of Top/Solo Dungeon Farmer. Simply put, Vahn is laying the foundation for plowing more than just fields once Venelana becomes the Chief Operations Officer of his agricultural project o3o...)