LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 123: Vista
Following a hearty breakfast, with Fran to his right, Roxanne to his left, and Riko seated across from him, Vahn received permission from the trio to see their Status Windows.
"Mmm...since the three of you are all F-Rank, rushing into the Dungeon may not be the wisest course of action..." remarked Vahn, alternating his gaze between the three windows that had appeared before him.
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Name: Riko
Race: Human
Age: 12 Height: 109cm Weight: 24.3kg B/W/H: 58/51/63
Origin: Earth[MA-4207]
[Parameters]
Power Level: 4
Strength: F
Dexterity: F
Constitution: F
Intelligence: D+
Wisdom: D+
Charisma: D+
Luck: C+
[Skills]
[Child of the Abyss(B)], [Adventurous Spirit(C)], [Intuition(C)], [Cooking(C)], [Taxonomy(D)], [Dismantling(D)], [Artistry(D)], [Iron Stomach(D)], [Hyperesthesia(E)], [Climbing(E)], [Load Bearing(E)]
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Name: Roxanne
Race: Wolfkin
Age: 18 Height: 163cm Weight: 48.3kg B/W/H: 96/58/92
Origin: Sefira[SH-2443]
[Parameters]
Power Level: 24
Strength: F
Dexterity: F+
Constitution: E+
Intelligence: F
Wisdom: E
Charisma: B+
Luck: B+
[Skills]
[Stunted Genius(C)], [Keen Senses(C)], [Proprioception(C)], [Limber Body(C)], [Bedroom Arts(C)], [Housekeeping(D)], [One-Handed Sword Mastery(E)], [Shield Mastery(F)]
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Name: Fran
Race: Black Cat
Age: 12 Height: 137cm Weight: 31.2kg B/W/H: 65/53/72
Origin: Ragnastar[RS-0014]
[Parameters]
Power Level: 8
Strength: F
Dexterity: F+
Constitution: F+
Intelligence: F
Wisdom: F
Charisma: C+
Luck: A+
[Skills]
[Burgeoning Beast God(-)], [Keen Senses(C)], [Proprioception(D)], [Hunger Resistance(D)], [Disease Resistance(E)], [Pain Tolerance(E)]
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'Riko is seriously underdeveloped..' thought Vahn, comparing her height, weight, and proportions to the similarly aged Fran. The latter was a literal slave, so his impression of the Belchero Orphanage diminished even more than his already low opinion of it.
"Then, what does Vahn-sam—what do you suggest...?" asked Roxanne, feeling somewhat disappointed by the prospect of not being able to enter the Dungeon for a second day in a row but maintaining a smile.
"Ten days of training, stamina building, and abundant food consumption for our young friends here..." said Vahn, adopting what Roxanne and Riko interpreted as a fatherly smile as he caressed Fran's head and added, "It may sound difficult to believe, but I'm confident I can double, if not triple everyone's stamina, strength, and reaction time in that period."
"What about me...?" asked Roxanne, tilting her head curiously.
Meeting Roxanne's gaze, Vahn answered, "I would like you to familiarize Fran with the basics of sword and shieldmanship. The two of you possess near-identical growth curves and Skills, so your respective talents should blossom by training together."
Shifting his gaze to Riko, Vahn's smile broadened as he asserted, "As for you, young lady, you will spend the next ten days eating well, working on your stamina, and learning about the ecology of the Dungeons. I will also teach you elementary Barrier, Healing, and Purification Magic, so your role will be to support and direct the Party as its leader."
Blinking in surprise and pointing at herself, Riko asked, "You...you want me to be the Party leader...?"
"You possess praiseworthy knowledge and skills for someone so young, not to mention plus modifiers for Intelligence and Wisdom..." noted Vahn, offering an affirming nod as he asserted, "You have the talent to become a great leader, and the Tower is the absolute best place to cultivate such talents."
"Wow...you make me sound pretty amazing..." remarked Riko, her cheeks tinted red as she caressed the back of her head with her right hand and exhaled a sheepish chuckle.
"Everything is relative," said Vahn, his smile softening as he affirmed, "And looking at your stats and Skills in relation to your age, it's evident you're a very exceptional young lady, Riko. The only things you're lagging in are height, weight, and confidence, but that's where eating well, training, and accumulating experience comes in."
"Height and weight..." repeated Riko, causing Vahn's smile to cramp a bit as she abruptly cupped her near-nonexistent chest and questioned, "If I eat well, do you think I could develop boobs like Roxanne's?"
"Eating well certainly helps with such things," affirmed Roxanne, nodding curtly before adding, "But, to be perfectly honest, having large breasts is more of an impediment than a boon in all but a few instances. One of the first purchases I hope to make from the Tower Shop is a breastplate that permits me to stow my breasts away in a spatial dimension."
"Yeah, but a breastplate is something you can remove..." remarked Riko, sporting a somewhat pouty expression as she added, "I tried wearing a bra once, and it slid straight down to my stomach..."
"Then be sure to eat lots while exercising just as hard," stated Roxanne, sporting a supportive smile as she asserted, "Because, as a woman, the last thing you want to see is your stomach sticking out further than your chest..."
"Ugh..."
"Mnn..."
Seeing Fran join Riko in cupping her breasts with a thoughtful expression, Vahn started feeling out of place. Fortunately, Roxanne picked up on this, pivoting the discussion back to the topics of their ten-day special training regimen and stat-enhancing diet...
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"Huh? What just happened...?" asked Riko, bewildered as she stuck her head back in the corridor they had just emerged from, confirming there were nineteen additional doors present, fairly close to one another. Yet, when she looked around the room they had entered, a seemingly endless white void with a glossy white floor greeted her. As for the door they had emerged from, it wasn't attached to a wall but standing atop an elevated dias, encircled by an enclosed living space with four beds, a door with a picture of a bath on it, opposite a large kitchen.
"The Tower's training rooms are templated off a place called the Room of Spirit and Time, but without the time dilation..." answered Vahn, pointing to a thermostat-like terminal as he explained, "If you adjust the settings, this place can simulate up to the conditions of the Tenth Floor. And if you get lost wandering out into the void, you only need to think that you want to return and head in any direction. They all lead back here."
"That...doesn't answer my question..." remarked Riko, sporting a wry smile as she peered behind the open door, finding what appeared to be a white stone backplate.
"Well, it's difficult to explain without context..." responded Vahn, crossing his arms and twisting his mouth before stating, "Think of it as an adjacent dimension connected to the corridor we just emerged from. The doorway is similar to a portal, but instead of transferring you to a location, you step into it directly."
"It's a little daunting..." remarked Roxanne, clutching her chest as she gazed up at the empty void overhead, causing her to feel like she was falling despite standing on solid ground.
"Careful..." said Vahn, placing his hands on Roxanne's shoulders as she began to tilt backward, ostensibly about to plop onto her very pert and perky bottom.
"Sorry...and thank you..." muttered Roxanne, her cheeks flushing as she regained her balance and avoided looking directly up.
"We all feel a little overwhelmed at times..." stated Vahn, offering a curt nod and faint smile as he removed his hands from Roxanne's shoulders, approached the terminal, and added, "More importantly, this is only how the room appears by default. If you adjust it like this..."
Instead of finishing what he had to say, Vahn allowed his words to trail off as he confirmed his selection, causing a bright blue ripple to spread away from the platform they were standing on. Seconds later, the endless white void was gone, replaced by a breathtaking mountain vista, a massive lake reflecting the clouds and blue sky, and verdant evergreen forests.
Interrupting the trio's slackjawed staring, Vahn explained, "As I said, this place can simulate the conditions up to the Tenth Floor. That includes the various environments you might encounter, ranging from frozen tundras to white sandy beaches."
Punctuating his statement, Vahn adjusted the environmental settings so they were suddenly on a volcanic island, specifically near the coastline, a crescent-shaped beach with sapphire blue waters and crystal clear skies. The sight caused him to imagine both Yoruichi and Roxanne in bikinis, but since he hadn't brought the trio there to play, he gradually cycled through a dozen different environments before returning them to the mountainous valley.
"That was amazing! Can I try it next...!?" exclaimed Riko, zipping over to Vahn with surprising speed, her eyes practically twinkling as she held her hands up near her chin, balled into tiny fists.
"Just this once..." responded Vahn, touching the wall next to the terminal and swiping his finger down, causing it to lower so that Riko could access it. Before that, he warned, "It's not a toy, and if you adjust the settings too quickly, everyone inside will be ejected. After that, you'll need to fork over an additional 1,000 TP to reserve the room for another day."
"I promise to be careful...!" asserted Riko, bobbing her head excitedly before turning her attention to the terminal, cycling through its various settings. In total, there were twenty standard environments, known as biomes, but the settings of each could be modified to produce endless variation. There were also controls to the time of day, the weather, how dense the training room's Mana was, and, most notably, the intensity of its gravity. By default, it was set to 1.1x standard Earth gravity, but if the Constitution of everyone within the room was D-Rank or higher, it could be increased as high as ten...
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Leaving Riko and the curious Fran to their own devices, Vahn showed Roxanne the training room's kitchen and provided an explanation for its various appliances. He expected Riko to do most of the cooking for the three of them, but as a former, well-educated slave, he imagined she felt compelled to lend a hand and earn her keep.
"This is so much more convenient than anything in my world..." remarked Roxanne, her red-brown eyes losing focus as she did her best to imagine the impact such technology would have on her world. And if she were the one to introduce it...the possibilities were limitless.
Giving Roxanne the impression he could peer into her thoughts, Vahn, sporting a relaxed smile, hummed, "That's one of the reasons we created the Tower—to spread knowledge and ideas through various worlds. Just remember that if you intend to introduce new technology into your world, be sure it's ready to be received. People who live and grow under others tend to fear change, while those in power frequently try to crush anyone or anything who threatens their position or authority."
"Yes...I am aware of how unreasonable certain Nobles can be..." remarked Roxanne, closing her eyes and exhaling a faint sigh. At the same time, she leaned forward onto the food preparation table and sink, using her elbows for support as she slowly swayed her remarkably round bottom from side to side, causing her limply hanging tail to sway with the movement.
As Roxanne had been deliberately emphasizing her breasts and butt at nearly every opportunity since they met, Vahn didn't hesitate to glance at the alluring sight. The only other woman he knew with a hip size of 92cm was Venelana, so it wasn't an exaggeration to say Roxanne was very well endowed in all categories...
"It's alright..." muttered Roxanne, peering back at Vahn with narrowed eyes as she appended, "If my body pleases you...I would be honored if you used me as you pleased..."
"You're not something to be used..." countered Vahn, extending his right hand to cup and caress Roxanne's exceptional bottom as he added, "But if you're okay with sharing me with others, I would be privileged to share my bed with you..."
"It's one of the things I desire most..." responded Roxanne, turning her toes inward and adjusting her position so that Vahn had easier access to both her butt and slit, notably warm and moist even through the fabric of her form-fitting pants and panties. Had they been alone, Vahn might have taken her there and then, but since there were two children less than ten meters from their position, he dexterously rubbed where he presumed her clit to be as he softly asserted, "Then train hard today so that when you visit my room tonight, I'll have ample reason to reward you..."
"I understand..." responded Roxanne, her face lightly flushed and a trace of longing regret in her eyes when Vahn summarily removed his hand from her bottom. She then felt embarrassed when he subsequently washed his hands, but when he explained to her the existence of germs and bacteria, she felt a little more at ease and considerably less aroused as she had no frame of reference for what he was talking about...
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