Dimensional Descent

These branches were in place to deal with these smaller functions. 

For one, the Senate branches were where missions could be taken up and rewards for said missions could be accepted. It would also be the place where Leonel and Aina would have to go in order to receive their monthly stipend for remaining on the leaderboards, so long as they could maintain their top three positions, that is. 

The second function of the branches was as a sort of asylum. A lot like the embassies found within a country, a branch functioned as the one location in the whole of the Void Palace where fights and battles were not allowed. 

Most likely wouldn\'t use the branch for this purpose, but it was still a rule that everyone was aware of because the penalty for breaking it was especially harsh. Simply put, the dignity of the Senate could not be infringed upon for any reason. 

The third function of the branch was as a sort of disciplinary squad. There were very few rules on the Void Palace other than the main three always mentioned, but there still had to be a semblance of order. 

Those who took up positions in the Senate branches were tasked with making sure any commotion remained to a level that was manageable. 

This didn\'t sound like a big deal on the surface, but when things like Faction wars reached a fever pitch, only the Senate could be relied upon to settle tensions and make sure no one crossed any lines that couldn\'t be come back from. 

Likewise, the branches were here to ensure that no one died. No, more accurately, they were here to ensure that no one was killed or murdered. And, in the case that someone was, they would be swiftly brought in and put on trial for what would likely be an inevitable execution. 

Death in the Void Palace was more common than the no killing rule seemed to imply. Most would die on the Void Battlefield. However, among those that wouldn\'t, there were any number of ways. 

Poison, succumbing to injuries, being ravaged by Cursed Beasts that roamed these lands… There were even cases of people starving to death. 

In an Anarchic Force rich environment, even higher Dimensional beings were in a constant state of fight or flight, their Force always working. As such, their hunger and thirst were no different from mortals. 

If they went a few weeks without food, or even a week without water, they would already find themselves toeing the line of life or death, just like any other Third Dimensional existence. 

This was a problem that Leonel had in the back of his mind already. He hadn\'t been worrying about it at all because he would always have water with the Segmented Cube and cleaning Cursed Beast meat to consume wasn\'t an issue so long as he had Cleansing Waters. 

But now, this was a problem he would have to contend with and deal with as soon as possible. But first… 

Leonel and Aina walked into the Senate branch. Much like the hospital, it was completely out of place. 

While it wasn\'t a large building, it was still prim and proper. The grass out front was a lush and almost obsidian black, the foundation and walls had been laid of evenly cut brick, and the inside smelled of fresh pine and a hint of citric. 

There was only a single person as the counter, but there only really needed to be one. 

"State your purpose," the young man almost commanded. 

Leonel gazed toward this person, feeling that they were quite powerful. Even the weakest member of the Senate was in the latter third of the Sixth Dimension and this young man was definitely no different. He probably made more Void Merits just sitting here than Leonel would gain risking his life for months. 

Probably. 

As for whether or not that was true, Leonel actually had no idea and he didn\'t like wasting time speculating on things he had no real tangible information about. 

"I would like a complete record of the Void Palace\'s rules."

The young man, who was mostly disinterested, narrowed his eyes when he heard this. 

"Are you trying to fuck with me? I don\'t have the patience, kid. I\'ll give you one more chance, but that\'s only because I\'m in a good mood."

Leonel refrained from laughing. If this was him in a good mood, he\'d hate to see the opposite. 

Toward these words, Leonel only smiled. 

"Senior, I recently got swept up into some Void Contract troubles and I want to see if there\'s any method of getting out. I don\'t want to leave any stone unturned, so I\'d like to go through all of the rules to see if there\'s anything I can do."

Hearing such an explanation, the young man\'s stance softened somewhat, but he still shook his head. 

"The ignorant truly are fearless. Fine, fine. You live and you learn. Good luck, kid."

Clank.

The young man brought out a pendant that looked quite similar to the one that had held the original contract. But, the jewel on it was a different color. Aina\'s had been a really pale silver, but this seemed much brighter. It was a detail Leonel noted. 

"Than—"

Clank. 

The young man brought out another pendant. Then another. Then another. Then another. 

By the time he was finished, the whole counter was covered in what Leonel counted to be 527 such pendants. 

"The Void Palace was founded over 500 thousand years ago. Each pendant represents a thousand years of laws and amendments. Have fun."