Chapter 224: Request
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Hearing that Vahn had revealed the truth to Yoruichi, Rias, seated at a table with him, Sona, and Ravel, blinked in surprise and remarked, "Oh, my. We expected the truth to come to light sooner rather than later, but not this soon. Do you have something in mind?"
Nodding, Vahn affirmed, "I do," before adding, "As you said, it was only a matter of time before the truth came to light. Trying to preserve the plots of various worlds for the sake of the residents undermines the purpose of Invirtua as a concept. I wanted to create a scenario where we could see, experience, and interact with various fictions while freeing the inhabitants of those worlds to shape their future. I still believe we shouldn't intervene directly unless requested, but I also feel we could be doing more with the Tower..."
"If nothing else, I believe it would be a good idea to increase the number of Ascendees in each batch," proposed Ravel, noting, "If we maintain the current restriction of fifty per cycle, it will take more than a hundred years just to accommodate the existing population of Termina."
"To that end, I was thinking of following the example of the Dragons from Aileen's world," revealed Vahn. "They coordinate with the Gods of various worlds to have linked copies of their Towers appear near major population centers. We could do something similar or, in the case of worlds without a presiding God, have the population put it a vote. I feel that, at least in the case of fairly modern settings, many would jump at the chance to become Hunters, Players, or Awakened."
"That sounds remarkably destructive..." noted Sona, her flat expression and tone making it clear she didn't agree with the suggestion. Instead of simply refuting it, however, she reasoned, "Presume we allow a world with a population similar to our own to make such a decision. Even if just ten to twenty percent of the population is against the proposal, that would result in 750 million to 1.5 billion people becoming victims of a societal shift they did not consent to. Thus, rather than drop the Towers into existing worlds, would it not be better to give those who desire change and adventure the opportunity to pursue it elsewhere...?"
Piggybacking off Sona's words, Ravel agreed, "That would undoubtedly lead to societal collapse in the original world, but it's an effective way to separate those who seek to break free from the mundane and those who are content living simpler lives..."
"Why not go with what Azazel suggested a while back...?" proposed Rias, drawing everyone's gazes as she reminded, "If the setting is modern, we could introduce Full-Dive VR with a setting centered around the Tower of Ascension. Then, similar to the actual Tower, those who manage to reach the Fiftieth Floor and surpass its Trial could be given the right to enter the genuine article. Such premises are fairly popular nowadays, are they not?"