Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

The two stood in the awkward atmosphere for a while before Hephaestus moved to a corner of the room and grabbed a package wrapped in a green ribbon. She handed the package to the confused Vahn and explained the reason behind it."It's a gift to celebrate your joining of the Familia. Go ahead and open it..." Hephaestus felt awkward giving him the gift after everything that had happened.Vahn opened the package and was surprised to find a strange looking hammer on the inside. He pulled it out and inspected it more closely. The body of the hammer was made of a cool metal wrapped with a fire-resistant cloth. Vahn gripped it and noticed it fit perfectly in his hand, almost like the hammer was an extension of his arm. The head of the hammer was a combination of magisteel and a dark red crystalline metal that Vahn had never seen before. The two different metals twisted around each other before converging near the striking area of the hammer."This is a hammer I personally forged using the magisteel ingot you had created and Hihi'irokane metal. The combination of metals makes the hammer incredibly durable, and since it was partially constructed with magisteel you had tempered yourself, it is extremely receptive to your mana." As Hephaestus began explaining the functions of the hammer, she started to become a bit restless. Giving a sidelong glance at Vahn, she continued. "I crafted this hammer to represent my desire for you to become a capable blacksmith in the future. It is the culmination of your first success and my hope that you will one day forge a weapon that can satisfy me..."Vahn continued handling the 'familiar' feeling hammer as he listened. When Hephaestus mentioned him forging a weapon that could satisfy her in the future, he nodded with confidence, unaware of the hidden meaning in the words. After she saw his affirmation, Hephaestus revealed a pleased smile.---"Okay, Vahn. Now that you have a new hammer, I want you to try creating another ingot. As you've seen for yourself, there have been some changes to the 'eternal flame' since your last visit. I want to see if you're able to properly control the flame since the changes were a result of the 'eternal flame' assimilating your mana." Hephaestus dragged him towards the forge and had him sit down; she wanted to test her theory as soon as possible.Vahn had some inhibitions about working metal using the 'eternal flame', but he believed that there wouldn't be any issues unless he tried infusing his perception into the area immediately surrounding the location of the flame. He quickly began to work after taking some magisteel from the solution next to the mouth of the forge.Even though he had yet to activate [Will of the Emperor], Vahn had almost no difficulty refining the metal. Though he could tell the heat from the flame was much stronger than his previous visit, it seemed to be much calmer in comparison. The strangest thing was after the metal reached a critical state, the flames seemed to automatically redirect the heat away from the metal.Due to the 'cooperation' of the flame, Vahn managed to refine the metal while retaining 85% of its total volume. This was even more than when he had used [Will of the Emperor] in his previous attempt. From the side, Hephaestus was watching this entire process with bated breath. Her belief that Vahn descended from a divine lineage based on forging was now firmly cemented in her mind.Vahn continued the process of shaping the ingot but had minimal success since he hadn't been using his skill to forcibly shape the metal. He wanted to try using his own ability to form the ingot, but after 13 failures he ended up activating [Will of the Emperor] so that he complete the process. This time he avoided the situation of having a clash with the 'eternal flame' because he hadn't tried inserting his spiritual sense within the flames dominion.After he was finished, Hephaestus inspected the ingot before giving him an approving nod. "This is very well done considering its only your third time creating an ingot. After you increase your knowledge and improve your techniques, you'll be able to begin converting the ingots into weapons and armor."Vahn was happy hearing her praise. It almost made him want to use his OP to try and enhance his [Blacksmith] skill further, but after seeing his dwindling OP pool, he decided against it. He was nearly out after converting all of his recent spoils into Valis, and he was now even further away from completing his quest which required 1,000,000. (A/N: Vahn currently has 18,090 OP)"Before we begin discussing your future arrangements, I want your help conducting an experiment Vahn." Vahn, hearing her statement, began paying close attention to Hephaestus's words. "I want you to try imbuing your spiritual energy into the eternal flame. Wait, don't give me that look. Let me explain..."Vahn had begun to frown after hearing her request but allowed her to continue. "You see, if my speculation is correct you should now be able to interface directly with the 'eternal flame' without any difficulties. You should have noticed how cooperative it was when you were refining the ingot. Don't worry, since I'm prepared this time, I can guarantee you won't be in any danger."Vahn considered her words and had a few misgivings, but seeing the confidence in Hephaestus's eyes, he sighed and sat back down in front of the forge. He stared into the golden flames while trying to calm his heart...After calming down he began activating [Will of the Emperor] and focused his intent into the dominion of the flame. Unlike last time, the flame didn't attempt to seize his energy, instead, the 'aura' around the flame began to dance excitedly.//Eternal Flame: Affection +17//Though he was surprised by the notification, Vahn managed to maintain his calm due to the dreamlike quality of the flame. Instead of attacking him as it had done previously, the flame began to entangle with his energy which caused Vahn to feel a warm and calming sensation within his mind and body. The 'eternal flame' seemed to be asking permission to assimilate some of his energy, and Vahn released small amounts which caused the flame to burn brighter.//Eternal Flame: Affection +2//From the side, Hephaestus stared at the interaction with a mixture of excitement and curiosity. This further confirmed her suspicions of Vahn's origin, but she was curious about which part of his bloodline allowed him to enhance a divine artifact like the 'eternal flame'. The 'eternal flame' was a product of her own Divinity and it had accompanied her ever since her time in Heaven. Though it was now much weaker than it's previous state, Vahn was very quickly bringing it to the pinnacle of its former glory. At this rate, she would even be able to forge quasi-divine tier equipment even without her Arcanum. (A/N: Arcanum is the actual godly power that is sealed before they descend from Heaven.)---Vahn continued infusing his energy into the eternal flame while in a dazed state. It wasn't due to him having difficulties maintaining the connection, but because of the information that kept appearing in his mind.//Eternal Flame: Affection +1//...//Eternal Flame: Affection +1//...//Eternal Flame: Affection +1//...//Eternal Flame: Aff...At this point, the affection of the flame had reached 98 points and he was watching the number get ever closer to reaching 100. After an additional ten minutes, Vahn finally got his first 'person' to maximum affection. The moment the number hit 100 a series of alarms started sounding throughout his mind.//Eternal Flame Has Reached Maximum Affection////Eternal Flame Wishes to become your subordinate: Y/N?////Quest Completed: [The Hearts Desire:C-SS]//Completion Grade: SSRewards: 'Gift' Function unlocked, 10,000OP, 1x [Hearts Desire:Eternal Flame]Grade Rewards: [Prometheus:A] Skill unlocked, 1x [Skill Enhancement Scroll:A], 50,000OP[Prometheus]Rank: AAllows the user to condense flame seeds that can be imbued into living creatures. Increases the potential of the recipient by a portion of the user's capabilities. Each use of this skill causes an intense backlash to the user. Each successive use decreases pain tolerance by 10%. (Current:0). At 100%, the use of this skill will result in death. Decays by a rate of 1% per month.Vahn was completely shocked after seeing all of the notifications. Hephaestus noticed his change, and quickly channeled a strange energy into his back which forcibly severed Vahn's connection with the 'eternal flame'."Are you okay, Vahn? Can you tell me what happened? Everything seemed to be going well from what I could tell." Hephaestus was flustered as she promised nothing would happen to him. After seeing he had no visible signs of injury, she released a relieved sigh.Vahn laughed awkwardly and explained what he had experienced. He told her that he felt a strange bond with the 'eternal flame' and a 'voice' in his head asking him to accept it as his subordinate. Hearing his explanation, it was Hephaestus's turn to be shocked. After all, the 'eternal flame' was the product of her Divinity. It was a part of her, and the idea that it would subordinate itself to another was previously outside the realm of possibility.Hephaestus turned to look at the vibrant golden flame and almost felt as if it was lamenting at having to separate from Vahn. As an experiment, she grabbed his hand and pulled him further away from the flame and noticed the vibrancy fade..."Your bloodline must be more powerful than I imagined...I've never even heard of someone being able to subordinate the divine artifact of a god." Hephaestus was now bringing Vahn closer to the flame, and it seemed to come alive with anticipation. She felt a little betrayed at seeing its reaction, but couldn't blame Vahn since it was her request that led to this predicament.Within Vahn's mind, the same notification kept popping up over and over. The 'eternal flame' seemed intent on having his approval, but without Hephaestus's permission, he wasn't willing to accept. He could see she was struggling internally, so he decided to speak up to alleviate her concerns. "Don't worry Hephaestus. I wouldn't try to take away the items of the people I care about. I'm certain the flame will return to normal after a while."Hearing Vahn mention 'people he cares about' in reference to her, Hephaestus made up her mind. "No, Vahn. I want to see what happens if you're able to subordinate my flame. Since this is an unprecedented situation, I am curious about the result. Besides, I trust that you wouldn't run away with the flame after it came into your possession. It needs to reside in a specialized hearth or it would lose its power, so it can't leave from this place to begin with."Since he had her permission, Vahn decided to agree to have the 'eternal flame' as his subordinate. Like Hephaestus, he was very curious about the effects he would receive after the process completed. Using a mental command, he accepted the notification and felt a 'link' connecting him and the flame within the forge.His mind was spontaneously filled with happy feelings, and he could feel a gentle warmth coming from the invisible connection he had established with the 'eternal flame'. Though he wasn't able to hear any words, he could understand the intent it was releasing. Following it's prompting, Vahn put his hand into the flame after making a small incision on his palm.Hephaestus watched the process with fear, trepidation, and a moderate amount of anticipation. She too had a connection with the 'eternal flame', and after Vahn accepted it as a subordinate she was able to subtly feel his presence now connected with her soul using the flame as an intermediary.After his hand was placed into the flame, his blood turned into particles of light which were absorbed into the aura of the 'eternal flame'. After they vanished, the flame wrapped around his hand and imbued part of itself into his body. It flowed through the energy channels of his body before settling itself within his heart.//[Heart of the Eternal Flame:SS] Obtained//[Heart of the Eternal Flame]Rank:SSPassive: Gives the possessor perfect affinity with the element of fire. Enhances blood circulation and stamina recovery. Immune to all yang based fires below Soul Tier: 4Active: Allows attacks to possess a burning effect.Vahn had gained yet another skill, and he could feel a powerful energy like molten metal through his body. His heart felt like a furnace as it pumped the energy-rich blood through his body.(A/N: Alternate Title: A Blazing Affection!!! Next Chapter Teaser: Cyclops of the Twin Peaks!?)

Hephaestus was surprised at seeing the 'eternal flame' imbue a fragment of its essence into Vahn's heart. She could now feel the rhythm of his heartbeat gently echo within the interior of her soul. It was almost imperceptible, but when she focused she was easily able to detect its presence. Since the 'eternal spirit' was a part of her and had now imbued itself into Vahn, they now had a permanent connection with each other that could never be severed. This thought caused her own heartbeat to accelerate as she looked at the young boy that had introduced so much mystery and intrigue into her life.Vahn could feel something within him draw his gaze towards Hephaestus. He saw her aura was gently radiating like the warm glow of the sun. It had a mellow yellow color tinged with pink. When he made eye contact, she gave the most radiant smile he had ever seen on her face...//[Hephaestus]: Affection +8////[Hephaestus]: Affection has reached Affection:90[Fated Bond?], Intrigue:100[Overprotective]//Within his mind, Vahn could see her affection update and the notification for the heart's desire quest now had two active notifications. Though he was confused about the sudden change in the situation, Vahn returned the smile since he was able to feel her care and concern and wanted to reciprocate the feelings.---After Vahn had subordinated the 'eternal flame', Hephaestus was relieved seeing that the core of the flame still existed within the forge. She would still be able to continue her livelihood in the future and had one fewer concern to deal with. Now she could focus her attention on resolving the biggest problem before her, dealing with Vahn's unique circumstances."Vahn, as we discussed previously, you need to protect your identity until you are strong enough to defend yourself against outside threats. Once you are exposed as a demi-god that can activate a pseudo-divine state, many Familia will actively try to get their hands on you. In the worst case scenario, they may even try to have you assassinated to prevent future troubles. I will do my best to protect you and provide support, but for now, I will leave your protection and training to my most trusted child, Tsubaki."Vahn nodded his head and listened in silence. At this point, they were both sitting on the couch in her office, and they were in close enough proximity that he could feel the body heat radiating from her. To prevent himself from being distracted, he pushed his focus to the limits while trying to maintain his facial expression. Ever since the event with her Divinity earlier, Vahn was overly conscious of her presence.As she continued explaining, Hephaestus started to blush slightly because she was able to feel Vahn's heartbeat accelerating. Though he was showing a stoic and honest appearance, she was aware he was putting a lot of effort into maintaining his demeanor."Tomorrow morning, I will accompany you to her residence. Once we arrive, I want you to live there from now on. She will be able to train you in smithing while helping improve your combat abilities. Since she is both a Master Smith and Level 5 Adventurer, she is the most qualified person in the City to help increase your strength. I have already let her know of our visit, and she has closed her workshop to all but her contracted clientele until you are capable of defending yourself."Hearing that he would be staying with a master blacksmith and level 5 adventurer, Vahn was pretty excited. However, once he heard she would be closing her workshop to help him, Vahn began to worry. "Wouldn't it hurt her livelihood if she drops everything just to help me train? I'm capable of increasing my strength on my own, I don't want people to have to sacrifice their wellbeing at my expense."In response to his concerns, Hephaestus covered her mouth and simply laughed. Vahn wanted to ask why she was laughing, but Hephaestus took the initiative in explaining. "Tsubaki has accumulated quite an amount of wealth over the years. If she wanted to she could retire at any time and live the rest of her life in luxury without any concerns. As one of the few Master Blacksmiths in the City, she can make several tens of millions of Valis on a single contract. Right now she manages seven active contracts and earns more than 300,000,000 Valis a year without having to leave her workshop."Vahn was stunned hearing the astronomical numbers. He remembered that the dagger Hestia obtained for Bell was worth 200,000,000 Valis, but he didn't think a mortal blacksmith would have such insane earning potential. He began to get excited at the opportunity of vastly increasing his own wealth in the future.---After Vahn's mind was blown by Hephaestus's statement, the two continued talking about various topics until late into the night. At some point, the distance between them had shrunk even further, and Hephaestus used the opportunity to hug him as she had previously. She used the excuse that she had promised to hug him again earlier, and this was her making good on her word.Vahn didn't resist and just allowed himself to rest in her embrace. Though he never realized it before, it was very calming to be held by another person. It felt like, deep in his heart, something that had been lost was slowly being regained. He was so comfortable in Hephaestus's arms that he even began to fall asleep...---"Wake up Vahn. There isn't much time left in the day and you'll need to prepare everything before tomorrow morning." Hephaestus gently roused Vahn who had fallen asleep in her arms. Seeing his peacefully sleeping expression, she was almost unwilling to awaken him but knew it was necessary.Vahn reluctantly removed himself from her embrace and released a long yawn while stretching. He shook the sleep out of his body before looking into Hephaestus's smiling face. Seeing her calm after he fell asleep in her arms, Vahn was somewhat embarrassed. He continued stretching out his body to hide this fact, but Hephaestus could easily see through his attempts due to their current bond.(A/N: WTF, writing the first sentence made me yawn.)After bidding farewell, Vahn finally left Hephaestus's workshop. On his way out he passed by the security guards who had continued holding their perimeter since he first arrived. Vahn was very impressed with their dedication and professionalism.When the head guard, Zaff, saw the tired boy exit the building he approached with a somewhat callous expression on his face. "Hehe, you kept us waiting for quite a while kid. Had I known you were going to be inside for five hours I would have split my men into shifts."Vahn gave a helpless shrug before politely bowing and apologizing for the inconvenience. Given the current time, he had been napping for nearly an hour and a half which caused the men to have to wait outside even longer. Though he didn't state the reason, he honestly issued his apology and promised to treat the men if the opportunity presented itself in the future.Zaff laughed and informed his men who gave a loud, albeit tired sounding, hurrah. He then split the group and had some men send a message to their headquarters to arrange for a personnel transfer. Then, noticing Vahn was still in the area, he patted the young boy on the back and sent him on his way. "Make sure not to cause any trouble for the Lady, you hear?"Vahn nodded before making his way through the darkness towards the inn.---After making his way through the entrance, Vahn almost felt his soul leave his body when he saw the face of Lili who had apparently been waiting for him. From her expression and aura, he could tell she was very angry with a bit of concern mixed in. Without saying anything, she stood from the chair she was sitting in and came very close to his body...and began sniffing."You told me you had business with the Hephaestus Familia, but now you come home with a woman's scent on your body." Lili sighed after recognizing the presence of the foreign aroma. Judging by how prominent it was, he was likely in contact with a girl for several hours.Vahn noticed she was disappointed, probably assuming he had lied as an excuse to have a rendezvous with a woman without her knowing. He sighed and shook his head before explaining the situation."I was with a woman, but it wasn't anything I need to keep secret. I was meeting with Hephaestus herself and we were talking about my future living arrangements. Various other things happened, but it wasn't like what you're expecting..." Vahn's words began to trail at the end after remembering the incident with Hephaestus's Divinity.Lili saw the change of expression and almost flared up, but just gave an exasperated sigh instead. She remembered that she was making an effort to overcome her selfish tendencies, but found it hard to contain herself when it came to Vahn. After calming herself down, she asked about what had been arranged.Vahn explained the details and that he would be staying with the Captain of the Hephaestus Familia to train his blacksmithing and combat capabilities. He also discussed the plans for Lili's future training and that she should continue her morning routine for tomorrow until he was able to discuss things with Tsubaki. As long as Tsubaki agreed, he wanted Lili to train there as well. As for their afternoon ventures into the dungeon, Vahn was determined to keep doing so. Even if Tsubaki refused to train Lili he would be able to impart what he had learned to her in the dungeon later in the day.Lili recognized the name Tsubaki, as she was quite famous within the City. Though she had never seen her, there were plenty of rumors in regards to her skill as both a blacksmith and adventurer. She knew it was a good opportunity for Vahn, and it made her happy hearing that he had taken her into consideration when talking about the future. She decided to forgive him for arriving so late but resolved to find out his exact relationship with Hephaestus in the future. Lili didn't have a lot of confidence she could compete with a goddess...After their discussion, Lili showed him where she had placed all of the weapons that had been delivered in the afternoon. Vahn stored away all but the hammer since Lili intended to use it for her training in the morning.The two then made their way to their rooms and Vahn gave Lili a hug as he had been doing so ever since the first instance. At this point, it had become a routine that concluded the end of their day, but Vahn felt strange compared to all the previous times. Unlike when he was being hugged by Hephaestus, Vahn didn't feel much security in the embrace. It felt like he was holding onto something fragile and it stirred his feelings of wanting to protect the small girl in his arms.After they parted ways, Vahn began pondering the difference between the two embraces within his mind. He wondered if Lili felt the same way he did when he was being embraced by Hephaestus. If so, he could empathize with her desire to be held. He had felt so comfortable being held by Hephaestus that he even fell asleep while enjoying her warmth.Laying in his bed, Vahn roused the memories from that moment and replayed the scene within his mind. During his absentminded state he could feel the 'eternal flame' pulsing in his chest. It seemed to be comforting him in a very similar manner as Hephaestus. He quietly listened to the gentle rhythm and slowly embraced the coming sleep filled with a comforting warmth.

As Hephaestus's workshop was close to the Inn, Vahn managed to arrive shortly after parting ways with Lili. When he entered the building, one of the security guards immediately approached which caused Vahn to assume an alert stance. When the large man got near him, he asked. "Are you Vahn Mason?"Vahn nodded without breaking his stance. Seeing his affirmation, the man turned towards his companions and one of them ran into the back room. The others cleared out the few remaining customers from the workshop while ignoring their protests. Once everyone was gone, the large man who had previously asked Vahn about his identity spoke."Lady Hephaestus informed us to clear out the store and report to her immediately after your arrival. You don't have to be on guard, not that you would be able to resist if we wanted to harm you." The man was more than 190cm tall and had a build like a bear. Though Vahn didn't know it at this time, the man, named Zaff, was a former level 4 Adventurer from a disbanded Familia that had retired and become a security contractor.Hearing they were acting on Hephaestus's order, Vahn decided to relax a bit, but didn't completely drop his guard. Seeing that Vahn was still alert, the man gave him an appreciative nod before directing his men outside of the workshop. They had been informed to secure the perimeter and prevent anyone from approaching for the time being. Before he left, he turned towards Vahn and offered him a bit of advice. "It's good that you know better than to fully believe in what people tell you. Make sure you keep your senses sharp, it'll save your life one day."Vahn nodded and watched the man leave. He agreed with the guards' statement since he had almost died due to his negligence previously. The only reason he dropped his guard now was that he was able to see the man's aura showed no aggression towards him. It was a stable and calming blue with a tinge of green around the edges.After a few minutes of standing in silence, Hephaestus came out from the back room. Vahn could see she was covered in soot and sweat. Before his arrival, she was probably forging an item in her personal workshop. Remembering his experience with the 'eternal flame', Vahn had some misgivings about entering there in the future.Unfortunately, without asking him anything, Hephaestus grabbed his hand and pulled him into the place he would much rather avoid. When he arrived, he saw that the 'eternal flame' which used to be a mixture of fiery reds and oranges now glowed with a gentle golden color. He even noticed something completely different about the flame...the fact it had a slight aura coming from it.Hephaestus saw him looking at the flame and spoke for the first time. "I see you've noticed the changes as well. I need you to explain EXACTLY what happened when you were forging with the 'eternal flame' last time. Don't leave out a single detail."Vahn could see the seriousness in her eye and began recalling the events as he remembered. Without mentioning the existence of [Will of the Emperor], he spoke about how he was able to solidify his domain and use it to contain the shape of the ingot when he was heating it. During the process, the 'eternal flame' began interfering with his mental energy and started consuming it, but after finalizing the procedure of forming the ingot he was able to concentrate his mana and forcibly sever the connection.As he narrated the events, Hephaestus listened while observing him in silence. She was considering every word Vahn spoke and matching it against her own memories of the event. When Vahn got to the part about how the flame started devouring his mental energy, an unprecedented seriousness emanated from her body. She allowed him to complete his recount before asking in a firm tone."Vahn, you said you grew up with your Grandfather in the forest. Though I feel as if that isn't the whole truth, I need to ask you, have you ever met your parents?"After seeing how serious Hephaestus was, Vahn also adopted a similar atmosphere for himself. He considered his words before speaking the truth. "Though I have a memory of my mother, I've never met my father. I was taken from my mother when I was very young and raised by a group of terrible people until I reached the age of fourteen. After that, the place I was held was attacked and I managed to escape after the oversight of one of the attackers. After wandering for a while, I was helped by a kind woman named Klyscha before being dropped off in the Western Forests for training...that is the truth."For the first time since they started associating with each other, Hephaestus couldn't sense any falsehood in Vahn's words. As she expected, he wasn't raised by his grandfather and probably used it as an excuse to avoid suspicion. The matters that concerned her now was his actual origins. If he was taken away from his parents and held captive for the majority of his life, he probably can't explain the situation to the extent she requires.As she looked towards the boy who was waiting for her response, Hephaestus began to feel a pain in her heart. Since he was likely telling the truth, that meant he never had the experience of being raised and cared for by a real family. She even thought it was his lack of interactions and social awareness that made him unafraid of her eye...She released a sigh before showing Vahn a caring smile. "I'm sorry for questioning you Vahn. It must have been very difficult for you getting this far. From now on I promise I won't let anything like that happen to you again." As they were both close to each other, she pulled Vahn into her embrace and began to gently rub his head.Vahn was completely taken by surprise by the show of affection. Since he was still tense from the serious atmosphere, he never expected to be spontaneously hugged. At first, he wanted to struggle, but feeling the soft sensation pressing against his face and the soothing motion on the back of his head, Vahn began to relax. He felt all the tension slowly melt away from his body as Hephaestus gently continued her embrace.---After a surprisingly long amount of time, Hephaestus finally released his head and allowed Vahn to regain his freedom. Vahn felt at a loss when she released her embrace, and his expression caused Hephaestus to turn her head with a blush. "I can hug you more later...*ahem*. Right now we need to talk about other important matters. I think I may have some clues about your origin, and it will be very important you pay attention or you could be in serious danger if your identity is exposed."Though Vahn was already aware of his origins, he still listened to her words seriously. It was likely her advice would still be important for him, even if it wasn't because of the reason she speculated."First of all, it is very likely that one of your parents was a god or goddess. Without understanding your powers, I can't speculate which...but I can say that the other parent was most likely a demi-god or something equal in status. That means your bloodline is significantly purer than most children of gods since you possess three-quarters of a divine heritage. That domain you're able to use is very similar to the divinity possessed by us gods except on a much smaller scale." As she spoke till this point, Hephaestus began to release her own Divinity.From Vahn's perspective, he could see the aura around Hephaestus's body grow until it permeated the air around them. He could feel a pressure weighing down on his body, and could actually 'feel' the emotions present in the aura she released. This caused Vahn to feel flustered as, even though the aura was pressuring him, the pink color seemed to infuse with his body and made him feel giddy.Hephaestus was confused while watching Vahn succumb to her Divinity. Like most mortals, he was definitely affected by the pressure, but her aura seemed to have a different effect on his body at the same time. She quickly pulled it back to alleviate the pressure he was experiencing and began to physically inspect his body.Vahn was breathing heavily and could feel his body heating up after Hephaestus released her aura. Even though she had pulled it back, he could still feel the same giddiness causing a fluttering sensation in his chest. When Hephaestus approached and started checking to see if he was hurt, the feeling increased in intensity and he began to panic. From her body, he could smell an aroma that was making it difficult to think and he separated from her touch.Hephaestus was surprised seeing Vahn push her away and open up a distance between them. She could see a blush on his face and a feverish look in his eyes as he seemed to struggle with his rationality. It was at this moment that Hephaestus realized her Divinity must have influenced him strangely and sent him into a state...of arousal.She began to panic as well. Her Divinity was derived from forging and not love or beauty; it shouldn't have the ability to charm people. Hephaestus deduced that it was likely that one of his parents had a synergistic relationship with forging. It made sense to her seeing the changes in her own 'eternal flame' after absorbing Vahn's energy...but that was beside the point. Right now she had no idea how to deal with the young boy before her.Hephaestus was not inexperienced with men. Though she never had a long-term partner due to how the other gods treated her, there were several instances where she hooked up with a god after a banquet or ceremony. She kept her dignity during many of the encounters, there were a few very rare instances where she gave in to her passions and slept with them. Though she felt terrible after the fact, it also helped stabilize the trauma she had in her heart. She felt that since people were willing to sleep with her, she wasn't as terrible a monster as they made her feel. It wasn't until she met Hestia later that she underwent a purification ceremony to recover her own chastity.Now, seeing the boy struggle because of her own error, she began to have an internal struggle of her own. He was still very young, and though she wanted to 'help' him, there was no easy way of doing so. In the worst case scenario, she may end up leaving a trauma in his heart after he only recently started interacting with people.While she was trying to rationalize her decision and find her resolve, Vahn was listening to Sis advise him. Even though his mental state was in disorder, he still had enough wherewithal to activate [Will of the Emperor]. Though it was difficult at first, the energy began spreading through his body and suppressing the strange feelings. The familiar cooling sensation began to clear his mind and allowed him to push the skill further until is permeated his entire body and started spreading out in the form of his domain.Hephaestus, who was biting her lip in frustration, noticed the change and saw Vahn regaining his clarity. She released a heavy sigh but felt that there was an empty feeling in her heart. It was like she had missed an opportunity, but she ignored the feeling and helped to calm Vahn."Sorry, Vahn. I didn't expect my Divinity would have that kind of effect on you. It's likely that one of your parents had some relation to the divinity of forging, and as a result, it causes...a peculiar reaction when absorbed by your body. Fortunately, you were able to counteract the effects with your own pseudo-divine state." She tried speaking rationally, but couldn't hold back a blush from appearing on her face.Vahn listened and nodded mechanically at the explanation. Though it was likely the Divinity that enhanced the effect, Vahn realized that interacting with the auras of people made him able to experience their emotions. He would have to be careful in the future...or the consequences could be irreversible.

Chapter 51: A Strange Affection