Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Now that Vahn had obtained a new [Innate] skill, his strength once again had a large increase. Though the cooldown was a bit long, Vahn believed that, as his proficiency and understanding of the skill increased, it would take less and less time. With a large smile on his face, Vahn looked towards Fafnir who had just completed its transformation.Fafnir was now 6m long and instead of pink scales and azure blue eyes, it now had onyx black scales with purple undertones. Its eyes were a pale green, almost ghostly color, and there was a strange magic seal on its chest. Instead of being slouched over like its previous form, it now stood proudly with a pair of forelimbs as well as wings. (A/N: That means it has arms, legs, and wings~! The Wyvern only had legs and wings.)The most notable features though were the black horns that framed its face. It had a total of four horns, two angling towards the sky while the others wrapped around and seemed to be protecting the eyes somewhat. They were incredibly fierce looking, almost as though Fafnir was wearing a helmet. Its entire body was much more angular, and some of its scales now protruded out at deadly angles. Vahn felt like it looked cool, but at the same time, he couldn't see it as anything other than an 'Evil' Dragon.He originally had a thought to try and let it clear parts of the floor on its own when he rested at night, but there was no way a group of adventurers would be able to avoid attacking Fafnir if they saw its current form. They would think it some kind of variant and attack it ruthlessly and, since Vahn wouldn't prevent Fafnir from protecting itself, they would probably die for their efforts. There was also a chance that, if a powerful Familia showed up, Vahn would lose his first 'named' familiar and companion.---Vahn inspected Fafnir's new body, and it seemed to gleam with confidence as it proudly displayed its form to its master. Vahn found the scales on Fafnir's body to be far harder than the bedrock of the dungeon, which meant he was not only immune to magic but incredibly resilient to physical attacks. Af for offensive power, right now Fafnir 'communicated' to Vahn that it didn't possess any skills, not even its flame breath. However, it now had incredible physical strength and speed that caused craters wherever is struck. It also had the power of flight and didn't seem to rely on flapping its wings to do so. Using his domain, Vahn could sense there was a formless energy generating the lifting force behind the wings.During this period, Vahn also tried using his [Prometheus] on Fafnir, but he was prevented from doing so as Fafnir was of a higher level and potential than he was. As a 'dragon', even while it was Soul Tier 1, it had insanely high parameters and natural capabilities. When Vahn had it fight against a Battle Boar, a creature even he enjoyed fighting due to its relative difficulty, Fafnir smashed the entire boar into the ground with a single powerful strike.Vahn noticed that, even though the Battle Boar was quite strong among monsters on this floor, he only obtained 2OP when Fafnir defeated it. Due to this, Vahn was able to infer that he obtained less exilia and OP if the fight was one-sided or the monsters were much weaker. It was almost similar to how adventurers got almost no exilia from hunting weaker monsters. If Vahn wanted to make the best use of Fafnir's awesome power, he would have to venture deeper into the dungeon...The reason Vahn wasn't willing to do so was that of the matter with the Osiris Familia, as well as the fact that he was actually weaker than Fafnir presently. If he became over-reliant on its abilities, it would stunt his future growth. It wasn't all bad though, because Vahn got to experience flying for the first time as he rode on Fafnir's back. Even though the angle was a bit odd, it seemed as if Fafnir could change the structure of its scales and created an area where Vahn could easily mount it.If any spectators had been in the area, they would have seen a 'demonic' white tiger boy laughing loudly while riding on the back of a humongous 'evil' dragon.---Vahn continued traveling with Fafnir as they easily cleared every monster on the floor that had the misfortune of crossing their path. As a Level 3, and a dragon, Fafnir completely outclassed everything else on the 16th floor. When Vahn saw him fighting against a large group of Minotaurs, he was surprised with Fanfir shattered the neck of one with a casual tail swipe. And, when they tried to surround him, Fafnir used the jagged protrusions on his body and suddenly extended them like spears in an omnidirectional attack. Vahn wasn't sure he could have evaded the attack if he didn't know about it beforehand. Seeing the group of nine Minotaurs getting skewered by the attack actually made Vahn shudder slightly.Eventually, the day was coming to a close so Vahn began his return to Rivira. He no longer had to drop down the hole to the 17th floor, as he was able to ride on Fafnir's back and descend quickly. The two made their way through the 17th floor before they came across a problem. Fafnir was far too big to fit through the areas where the dungeon became more constrained. Even Vahn, who was relatively small, had trouble navigating some of the terrain. As a 6m long, several-thousand kilogram dragon, Fafnir was barred passage further inward.Vahn had to put Fafnir into a dormant state because he was unwilling to leave it alone in the off-chance a group capable of killing him showed up. The best part about Fafnir in its core state was that Vahn could easily store it within his Inventory. Generally speaking, biological or living creatures couldn't be placed into the storage, so it was very convenient. Staring at the large and beautiful black gemstone, Vahn was amazed that it housed an incredibly powerful dragon. He even had the urge, albeit in the back of his mind, to crush the stone in his palm...Shaking his head of the thought, Vahn continued towards Rivira while slaying every monster on the way. Once again, this floor had far fewer enemies than the floor above so Vahn was able to progress with minimal difficulty. Even then, it still took him nearly two hours to reach the 'Wall of Grief'.Staring at the massive wall, Vahn lost himself in his own thoughts. He could see that the shadow had grown a fair amount and had Sis recalculate the time. Instead of the 70-75 hour timeframe she initially stated, her current analysis showed that it would spawn within the next twenty hours. Vahn had been within the dungeon for fourteen hours, yet, in that time the 'window' had shrunk an additional 40 hours.(*Just like the Juggernaut, a Monster Rex's spawn can be influenced by other adventurers. According to the compendium, the main reason many people have died to Monster Rex(s) is due to the fact they spawned at an unexpected time. The fact you've been hunting hundreds of monsters alongside Fafnir may have influenced the timer. There is also the fact that other adventurers are also within the dungeon and would also be influencing it in a similar manner.*)Vahn thought it made sense considering the Monster Rex(s) were essentially the guardians of the dungeon. If more people are entering and causing chaos, it was understandable that it would spawn faster. The problem Vahn currently faced was being around for when it finally did spawn. As he wanted to challenge it alone, Vahn wanted to obtain Level 3 before it had spawned. Right now, mainly due to how he let Fafnir kill most things, Vahn hadn't made a lot of progress in his parameters since the morning.Sitting against the wall, Vahn stared toward the 'Wall of Grief' and the shadow contained within. He knew that by the time the shadow had fully formed, the Goliath inside would come bursting out and begin attacking anything within its territory. Vahn decided to wait until it spawned since if he went and tried to train further, he had no way of knowing when it would break free of the wall. Though it was possible it would still be here when he finally returned, due to the fact that many adventurers passed this room to-and-from Riviria, it was highly likely it would be dead instead.Though the odds weren't heavily in his favor, Vahn was confident he could put up a fight against the Goliath. A group of Level 2's, if they had great coordination alongside a Level 3 or higher, would be able to deal with it. It had incredible regeneration and awesome physical power, but its speed wasn't too difficult to deal with. The fact it had such a large body actually proved to be a disadvantage against well-oriented party compositions.Since Vahn should be more than a match for a party of Level 2's and even defeat the majority of early-to-mid rank Level 3's, he felt he would be able to deal with the Goliath. Worst case scenario, he would be able to rely on Fafnir to help tie it down. The standard Goliath was only 7m tall, which wasn't much larger than the 6m Fafnir. Considering the body composition, Fafnir likely weighed a great deal more as well.Vahn was conflicted for the same reasons he didn't want to take Fafnir down to the lower floors. It had great strength, more than an adequate amount to be reliable in a fight, but it also changed how Vahn engaged enemies. He found out that it was very easy to consider the situation while including Fafnir as a method of overcoming difficulties. If he continued to develop this mentality, he would become overly reliant on the dragon and likely suffer an unexpected setback if anything ever happened to it.Sighing, Vahn leaned against the wall and decided to take a nap. Most people would have called him a madman for doing so, but as he had his domain, Vahn wasn't worried about getting caught off guard. As he had been doing so recently, Vahn took the time before resting to review his stats and spoils for the day. After fourteen hours of combat, he had obtained a total of 24,318OP, his largest gains yet. He now had a total of 258,559OP.-------------------------------------------------------------------------[[Stats]]Name: [Vahn Mason]Age: 14Race: Human, *sealed*Parameter: [Danmachi: 1-4]-Level:2(+)(2)-Power:1001+(B760)-&gt;(B778)-Endurance:1108+(SS1019)-&gt;(SS1025)-Dexterity:887+(B737)-&gt;(B750)-Agility:940+(A822)-&gt;(A828)-Magic:1611+(SSS1114)-&gt;(SSS1198)Total:5547+(4452)-&gt;(4579) (A/N: Vahn needs to eat more protein. Look at these puny gainz.)Soul Strength: Tier 2 (Hero Soul)[Karma]: 1,473[OP]: 258,559[Valis]: 171,630-------------------------------------------------------------------------Vahn was somewhat dissatisfied with his growth for the day, but considering the fact he now had a loyal and cool looking dragon to accompany him, he wasn't particularly upset. One of the things he wanted to do after he left the dungeon was fly on Fafnir's back high into the sky. He knew the continent was surrounded by an ocean, and given how agile Fafnir is, Vahn figured he might be able to see it one day.As he drifted off into sleep, Vahn dreamt about flying through the sky himself...not on Fafnir's back, but by his own power. He imagined it must be a very 'freeing' experience, and he wanted to one day accomplish the feat.---Several hours after Vahn had fallen asleep, a group of people was making their way towards the 'Wall of Grief'. As a group that had hunted it several times, they were well aware of its general spawn times and had even investigated it earlier in the day. It was likely to spawn within the next 10-20 hours, and they wanted to be on site to prevent anyone from poaching it.The group consisted of eight individuals, and they had a very casual air as they made their way up the stairs. Some laughed and bantered with each other, while others were calm and composed. One of the members almost had a complacent expression, while the person next to them seemed to be enjoying the moment.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Midnight Summer's Dream','I believe I can fly','Pokemon Master aren't known for their Personal Strength','Fafnir IMBA')

Vahn was dreaming of flying through the sky far above the world. Above, he could the see stars, while below, everything seemed so inconsequential and small. Reaching out his hand, he felt like he could encompass mountains with he hands, and even turn the seas if he put in just a little effort...Vahn's eyes suddenly shot open as he jumped to his feet. He had just sensed a group of people approaching, coming from the direction of Riviria. Given the current situation, Vahn assumed they were either trying to get back to the 'Wall of Grief' so they could exit the dungeon or, they were likely the group that had initially killed it. If it was the former, he could just ignore them and let them pass, but, if it was the latter, he would have to make his claim and potentially even confront them.After a bit of hesitation, Vahn put the crystal containing Fafnir, which he had been holding, into his Inventory. Though he wanted to summon it to dissuade anyone from causing trouble with him, if the group ended up being very powerful, it may cause a fight to occur. Intimidation wasn't the best tactic to rely on against multiple opponents, especially if it consisted of any higher level adventurers.The group finally entered his line of sight, and Vahn felt a chill creep down his spine after seeing who it was. Had he called out Fafnir, it would have most likely led to his new companion getting instantly killed without the time to explain anything. Among the group of eight, the lowest was Level 3, while everyone else was much stronger. It was the Loki Familia, following behind Finn and Gareth with Riveria taking up the rear. Tiona, Tione, Ais, Bete, and Lefiya filled out the rest of the numbers.Remembering that Ais had a trauma related to 'black dragons', Vahn would have to explain before he summoned Fafnir, or the last experience it might have would be blade winds cutting through its body by the aggravated Level 5 Ais. Fortunately, Vahn had given into his own reason at the time, or he very well may have caused a minor catastrophe.Vahn wasn't the only one to notice the situation of the floor; the moment the Loki Familia entered the room containing the 'Wall of Grief', they all looked toward him with caution. The fact another person was located in the area meant they would likely be trying to compete for ownership of the next Goliath. Bete (A/N: I swear, it tries to rename him to Beta for me) had a pissed off look on his face, while Finn frowned slightly. However, not everyone was bothered by the appearance of the boy in front."Yaho~! It's Vahn!" Before Finn or Bete could say anything, Tiona called out and started running toward Vahn while waving her arm excitedly. Finn's expression became a bit calmer after realizing it was Tiona's acquaintance, but after a bit of consideration realized it could become a bigger issue. Ais also started walking toward Vahn with Lefiya trailing not far behind. Gareth and Riveria explained the situation to Finn, while Tione gave a curious look toward the boy her sister was fawning over. The only person still high tension was the frizzled white-haired werewolf boy that looked towards Vahn with a hostile expression.Vahn returned Tiona's wave as she came within just a few inches of his body and started circling him. He was very confused at her actions, but Ais had shown up and spoke to him before he was able to determine Tiona's motive. "Alone...?" Vahn saw Ais looking around the area, likely for anyone that had accompanied him.Showing a small smile, Vahn nodded in affirmation. Ais's eyes opened a bit wider, but after a while, she, along with Tiona who had finished her inspection, also smiled. Even Lefiya, who was standing to the right of Ais, seemed to be somewhat impressed by the fact Vahn had been able to delve to the 18th floor unassisted. It had to be known that she, as a Level 3, wouldn't have been able to match the feat.The group had an amiable atmosphere as a shout came from afar. "Eeeeeh? Who is this pipsqueak? Don't tell me he got lost and separated from his group!?" The person who spoke was a white-haired man with a fierce expression. Vahn could see he had the look of a predator but noticed that his aura was actually split between purples and greens. This was a bit confusing for Vahn since he had come to associate the colors with fear, trepidation, and envy.Hearing the abrasive cackling, Ais frowned slightly while Tiona turned toward Bete in a huff. "Lay off Bete! This is Vahn, the 'Vulcan, and he is perfectly capable of getting to this point on his own." Bete glared toward Tiona who had reprimanded him; his eye twitched slightly and he seemed to become even more aggressive. "Huh!? This shorty is supposed to be THAT Vulcan? Wasn't he supposed to be some hero wannabe? Hmph, he certainly looks like some kid playing hero, that's for sure!"Seeing Bete constantly deride him with a scornful expression, Vahn's brow furrowed slightly, but he didn't take any action. Everyone in the group, including Lefiya, made Vahn's instincts flare up. Even among similarly leveled adventurers, the members of the Loki Familia were all elites. Bete, arrogant as he was, had the freedom to be expressive as he was already a Level 5, while Vahn was still Level 2.Tiona and Bete glared at each other like an offended cat and a feral dog. The tensions began to build up slightly before Finn and the rest had made their way over. Finn, with a somewhat exasperated expression, looked towards Bete and spoke out. "Bete, Vahn is a protege of Hephaestus and Tsubaki. As an executive of the Loki Familia, you should be more reserved or you'll embarrass our Goddess."Bete, hearing Finn, spat out and turned his head away. He gave Vahn a sideward glance before putting his hands in his pockets and walking over to a nearby wall and leaning against it. Vahn followed his figure for a moment before turning towards Finn. As a pallum, Finn was actually smaller than Vahn and stood at a height of 119cm. He had blonde hair and blue eyes with a calm and composed expression on his face. His aura was a stable yellow with a tinge of sky-blue along the edges which made Vahn believe he was a kind and reliable person.Finn smiled towards Vahn after Bete had walked off. "Sorry about that Vahn. Gareth and Riveria had informed me about the situation. I'm surprised you're able to make it this far...did you really come down here alone?" Finn showed a very interested expression on his face as he looked at Vahn. He was constantly on the lookout to recruit talent into the Loki Familia.Vahn returned the smile after nodding towards Riveria and Gareth. "Yes, after I lost the spar against Tiona and Ais, I wanted to temper myself in the dungeon. Though I hadn't expected to get this far at first, my strength has been rapidly improving and it was easier than I expected. That isn't to say I didn't have any help though..." As he was speaking, Vahn looked toward Tiona and Ais. Tiona had a large smile on her face after hearing his reason for entering the dungeon, while Ais was relatively expressionless but had an almost imperceptible smile on her face.Hearing that Vahn was embarrassed at having lost to Ais and Tiona, Gareth and Riveria both gave an appreciative nod while Finn seemed even more interested in the honest Vahn. "Tell me Vahn, are you here to fight the Goliath? And, where is the help of your's?" Since the moment of their arrival, Finn hadn't seen anyone else in the area so he was somewhat confused by Vahn's earlier statement.After a brief hesitation, Vahn decided to explain that he had a skill that could convert tamed monsters into a dormant state similar to a magic core. Riveria showed a very intrigued expression during his explanation while the majority of the group had confused looks and even disbelief on their face. By the time he was done, Vahn asked the entire group to step back and promise not to attack his tamed monster.Finn nodded and had the group stand a few meters away. Gareth and Riveria both moved closer to Ais while Tiona and Tione had slightly anticipatory looks on their face. The only person that seemed to lack interest was Bete, but Vahn could see him look over every now and then. After everyone had stepped an appropriate distance away, Vahn sighed and hoped for the best as he infused his energy into Fafnir's crystal.Everyone observed with surprised looks as a chaotic swarm of energy coalesced into a gigantic form that was around 6m in length. Riveria, who usually had a very taciturn expression, had now furrowed her brows with an incredibly serious look as she observed the situation. As the mass of energy began to take shape, both she and Gareth realized what was being formed and they tried to move and intercept-Before they had managed to react, Ais had already launched herself towards the fully formed Fafnir with a hateful expression on her face. Seeing the black dragon in front, even though she had promised not to attack, the only thing Ais could think of was her mother and the dragon that had destroyed her happiness. She wanted to tear the creature limb from limb and reclaim what she had lost long ago.Though Vahn was a bit tired, he had expected the situation to occur and immediately returned Fafnir to his dormant state and recovered its crystal. Ais, wrapped in a swirling green magical cloak, continued her path through the air where Fafnir's head had been previously. Given the ferocity and ruthlessness of the strike, had Vahn not reacted quickly, Fafnir would have been reduced to a headless mess in an instant.Vahn angrily looked towards Ais before staring directly into Finn's eyes. Finn saw his look and had a sorry expression on his face as he, and the rest of the Loki Familia, went to restrain the heavily panting Ais. Even after Fafnir had disappeared, she hadn't been able to regain her calm state and appeared to be unaware of the situation."Don't be mad Vahn..." From his right, Vahn heard a dejected sounding voice and turned towards Tiona who was looking at him with an awkward and sad expression. Seeing the usually vibrant girl looking down, Vahn furrowed his brows further before releasing a sigh. He knew Ais had a trauma associated with dragons, so he couldn't fully blame her for the situation."Its okay, I was just a bit flustered at almost having my companion killed. I'm sure she has her reasons, so I won't be mad at her." Vahn tried to smile at Tiona who, seeing his 'understanding' nature, beamed with a smile of her own. Before he was able to react, Tiona had wrapped her arms around his neck and was laughing joyfully. "Ahahaha~! I knew it, a hero would be different~!"Hearing the bubbly laughter of Tiona, the tensions that had been building in the air seemed to lose power and disperse. Everyone had somewhat awkward expressions, including Ais who had regained her sanity. She was very disappointed with herself for having attacked Vahn's tamed monster, even though it had done nothing deserving of her wrath. As her senses were well honed, she had also heard Vahn say he wasn't mad at her, and now felt both confused and lost. Seeing Tiona hanging off of Vahn's small body, she noticed the small figure seemed to stand firm, almost like it could bear anything.Ais broke free of the encirclement of her Familia and slowly walked towards Vahn. She had a sad look and wanted to explain things to Vahn so he would understand why she had attacked. Vahn, seeing her approach just shook his head and smiled. "It's fine Ais. I'm not going to judge you, and I'm certain you had a good reason. You don't need to feel obligated to explain things right now." Vahn knew she really did have a good reason but didn't want the atmosphere to become awkward again due to the circumstances.Vahn pointed toward the 'Wall of Grief' and everyone's sight followed his finger. They noticed that the shadow had reached a somewhat critical point and the Goliath would likely spawn within the next hour or so. Finn, frowned slightly before considering the situation a bit and asking, "Vahn, were you intending to fight the Goliath? You never answered me earlier..." Seeing Vahn nod at his question, Finn released a sigh. Though they could contest the right to fight, as the Goliath had yet to spawn, it would be very awkward to force Vahn away after what Ais had done previously.While Finn was thinking, Riveria had approached Vahn and asked. "That dragon...I would like to ask about it later...for now, would you like our help against the Goliath?" Riveria noticed Finn had been hesitating somewhat, so as the Vice-Captain, she decided to step in and make the decision easier.Hearing Riveria, Bete acted as if someone had stepped on his tail. "Are you fucking kidding!? We can't just let some kid steal a Monster Rex out from under our noses! It would be an insult to the entire Loki Familia!!!" Bete quickly approached Vahn and Riveria with a fierce look in his eyes. It almost seemed like he wanted to attack Vahn, or at the very least force him to give up.Finn saw his actions and shouted out, "Bete!! Stop immediately! Vahn has as much a right as anyone to the Monster Rex. He was also here before us and, even though it may not have spawned, it would be plenty of us to force him away on a technicality." Next to Finn, Tione also spoke out with a condescending tone. "Hmph, this dog talks about pride and insults, but here he is acting like a fool and trying to bully others.""What did you say, you bitch!?" Bete looked towards Tione and shouted. Ever since she and Tiona had reached Level 5, they had acted more and more unrestricted. As their senior, it really pissed him off seeing how carefree they acted.Tione just turned her head up at Bete and looked down on him. "Bark." Bete grits his teeth and prepared to fight, but stopped himself after noticing everyone was looking at him with cold eyes. Even Finn seemed to have a disappointed expression on his face as he stared towards Bete with furrowed brows. Bete felt a peculiar feeling in his chest rising up as he relaxed his fists and rubbed his forehead. "Fuck! It's not like he'll be able to fight the damn thing on his own! This is a fucking waste of time..." Bete retreated like a dog that had been kicked by its owner, returning to the area he had been resting against previously and closing his eyes in dissatisfaction.Finn sighed and looked toward Vahn. "Looks like you're up first, but don't hesitate to ask for help if you can't handle it. You only have one life."Vahn nodded at Finn's concern, but couldn't help but feel a peculiar sensation in his chest after Finn's 'one life' remark. As someone that was currently experiencing his second life, Vahn found the phrase to be lacking in impact.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Dragonicide Ais', 'Finn's Troubles Continue','Bark Bark Bark','Loki Familia Appears')

Seeing the notification, Vahn was somewhat excited. Unlike the kobold, which was too weak to make use of, a Wyvern was much stronger than most monsters on the same floor. It was almost like a mini-boss of sorts and was often found on its own within a territory it had established. Vahn never expected such a creature to submit, especially given its nature as a ferocious and somewhat prideful creature.As he had never subordinated anything other than the 'eternal flame', Vahn was very curious what benefits it may provide. Without any further hesitation, he decided to accept within his mind as a series of notifications sounded in his head.//(Nameless) has become your subordinate. 'Unit Management' function unlocked.//[Current Units] [Active: 2][Dormant: 1][Active Units]: (Eternal Flame),(Nameless)[Dormant Units]:(Nameless)After seeing the notifications, Vahn was surprised to see that he had a total of three units. As far as he was aware, the only things he had subordinated were the Wyvern and the Eternal Flame. The fact that there were two (Nameless) within the system confused Vahn, so he decided to expand their information.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(Nameless)Age: 4 daysRace: Wyvern (Juvenile Stage: 4m)Level: 2Loyalty:72Soul Strength: Tier 0 (Mana Construct)Karma: -State: [Active](Nameless)Age: 2 months 2 weeks 3 daysRace: KoboldLevel: 1Loyalty:84Soul Strength: Tier 0 (Mana Construct)Karma: -State: [Dormant](A/N: I also added this since people would probably ask. Note that I don't know how old the gods actually are, just that it is supposed to be several millions years.)(Eternal Flame)Age: AncientRace: Spirit of DivinityLevel: -Loyalty:100Soul Strength: Tier 4 (Divine)Karma: -State: [Active]--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Vahn was even more confused after he read the descriptions of each of his subordinates. According to the system, he had subordinated the Kobold he had met when he was first experimenting with his [Will of the Emperor]. From what Vahn could remember, it had died, so he wasn't certain why it was being displayed. A thought passed through his mind, and he searched his inventory for an item he had long since had concerns for.Within his hand, Vahn now held the magic core he had obtained from the kobold. Unlike a normal core, which just showed a grade and what it came from, the one in Vahn's hand now matched the display within his system under units. Vahn wondered what it meant for it to be dormant, but as he pondered the question, the core in his hand began to glow slightly. Curious, Vahn tried channeling his energy into the core and it began to heat up rapidly in his hand.The core slowly expanded with a strange rainbow miasma forming around it until it had assumed the shape of a kneeling Kobold. Within his map, Vahn saw three indicators for everyone in the area, including himself and two (Nameless) icons. Staring back and forth between the two, Vahn was beginning to get excited. If his assumption was correct...Vahn held out his hand towards the Wyvern that was staring at him and willed it to become [Dormant]. The moment the command was issued in his mind, the Wyvern collapsed to the ground and dispersed into dust with a blackish-rainbow hue. In its place was a medium sized magic core which, when Vahn picked it up, was identified as (Nameless)[Dormant].Unable to contain his excitement, Vahn started laughing while holding the crystal in his hand. The kobold stared at him with a patient expression as if it was waiting for his orders. Had Vahn known at the time, that the kobold had willingly subordinated itself to alleviate his concerns of dragging it around, he would have accepted it long ago. He actually felt a little bad, but still believed the kobold was currently too weak to be of use. After patting its dog-like head for a few seconds, Vahn returned it to its [Dormant] state and re-activated the Wyvern.After the Wyvern was formed, Vahn felt slightly light-headed at the loss of mental energy. He reasoned that, while it was easy to put something into a dormant state, it consumed a lot of energy to reform their bodies. He didn't realize anything with the small kobold, but for a massive creature like the Wyvern, it was a very noticeable amount.Vahn sat on the floor to recover his energy while looking into the clear eyes of the Wyvern. Unlike the fierce eyes of normal monsters, the Wyvern now had a gentle blue color in its eyes and seemed very calm. It was actually kind of strange seeing a monster so close that is just standing patiently while looking at him. While he was recovering, Vahn decided to try and order the Wyvern to see if it would obey his commands.Issuing a command in his mind, Vahn watched as the Wyvern seemed to contemplate his 'order' before it started spinning around in a circle. Seeing its 'silly' act, Vahn couldn't help but laugh out loud. He had ordered it to chase its tail like a dog, and after sending a mental image, it immediately began trying to perform the act. Watching a 4m long pink dragon spin around in circles was incredibly entertaining, especially since it was such a huge contrast to the usual behavior.As Vahn was considering the extent of how obedient the Wyvern was, a hesitant look appeared on his face as he sent his new 'order'. Once again, the Wyvern seemed to pause in contemplation as it tried to understand the order. Moments later, it opened its mouth and fiercely bit into its own forearm. It began to tug away at the flesh as Vahn panicked and ordered it to stop.Vahn noticed that the loyalty of the Wyvern had gone down somewhat, and he felt a pang of guilt in his chest. It seems that, as long as the value is high enough, his subordinates would perform his every command, even if it brought harm to themselves.While it stood there bleeding, Vahn suddenly realized something. Unlike other monsters he had seen in the dungeon, the Wyvern didn't seem to be regenerating. After asking Sis the reason, she speculated that they were now isolated entities from the dungeon. Without being able to access the energy, they wouldn't be able to regenerate anymore.Hearing her explanation, Vahn felt even more guilty as he began healing the wound of the Wyvern. In the process, Vahn noticed that its loyalty had improved somewhat, but not to the same value it had been previously. When he had it self-mutilate, its loyalty had dropped from 72 down to 60, but it had now risen back to 63. Vahn understood that the way he treated them was important, and since they were willing to follow him, he decided to take care of them.Vahn thought for a while before asking, ("Sis, do they need to eat or anything? I know monsters eat adventurers and the crystals at the pantry, but what about these two? I've had the kobold for months, so I guess they are fine in crystal form...")(*You should be able to provide them energy just like the dungeon. As long as they are within your domain, you should be able to channel energy directly to them, or, you can also just imbue energy into their cores when you re-form their bodies. As long as they aren't killed, you can reform their body as many times as you want.*)Vahn nodded in understanding. It made sense that, if he was the one that separated them from the dungeon, he would now be the one to provide them with energy. After realizing that, Vahn had a new thought present itself. Even though they were magic constructs, they were still considered living creatures according to standard principles. They ate, digested food, even excreted, just like normal animals. Vahn figured he could use his skill [Prometheus] and increase the strength of the Wyvern, but first, he needed to confirm something.As he had rested for a few minutes, Vahn had completely recovered his energy. Rising to his feet, he had the Wyvern follow him until he came across a room with enemies. There was a group of five Minotaurs, and the moment Vahn entered the room with his Wyvern they immediately attacked. Vahn was surprised at first because he still had stealth active and didn't expect them to react so quickly.(*[Stealth], even when you apply it to your domain, is always focused on you as the user. It won't influence other creatures or those that enter your domain. Otherwise, everything would also be under the properties of 'stealth', including passersby.*)Hearing Sis's words, Vahn lamented that he wouldn't be able to move around sneakily in the dungeon as long as he had the Wyvern at his side. While he was thinking, his Wyvern had already started to take action. Along with the command to follow him, Vahn had given it the order to attack any monsters that appeared.Even though the Wyvern was not fully grown, it was still far more powerful than the Minotaurs. The moment they got in range, the Wyvern began using its breath attack to burn their flesh. Though they were somewhat resistant to the fire, it slowed their movements by a great deal. Once they managed to get within range, the Wyvern ceased its breath attack and then smashed the closest Minotaur with its tail. The moment the Minotaur turned to dust, Vahn smiled, as a notification had appeared in his mind.//(Nameless) Has killed Minotaur: Level 2, Gained 9OP//Vahn was super excited because, not only did he gain OP when the Wyvern killed the Minotaur, he was also able to determine he had received exilia from the kill as his magic stat had increased by 1 point. He now understood why his [Will of the Emperor] also included 'followers' when mentioning his growth. It seemed that he could also increase his stats by having his subordinates fight for him.The best part of the current situation though was the fact Vahn could still exchange the magic cores of the Minotaur and earn the original amount. This meant that, if he increased the strength of the Wyvern even further, it would be able to increase his total earnings by a fair amount.In his jubilation, Vahn joined the fight alongside the Wyvern and injured the remaining Minotaurs. Once they were disabled, he let the Wyvern finish them off and noticed the amount of OP he gained was slightly reduced when it killed the severely injured ones. He was able to infer that, the amount of bonus OP depending on how much effort the Wyvern had to expend for the fight.After trading in the four cores, Vahn smiled towards his new companion and decided to give it a name. Since it had pink scales and blue eyes, Vahn wanted to name it 'Blinky', but Sis released an exasperated sigh when he had the thought. With a mild flush on his face, Vahn coughed slightly and asked. ("It's not that bad, is it? I think it cute...")Another sigh could be heard in Vahn's mind as Sis said, (*Its a Wyvern Vahn, not a pet. If people hear you named it Blinky they will laugh at you and look down on it.*) Hearing the words, Vahn was very concerned. Though he didn't particularly care about how other people saw him, he didn't want people to look down on his companions. After a few minutes of deliberation, Vahn decided he was bad at naming things, so he asked Sis to do it for him.Sis didn't respond directly, but a list of names began to pass through Vahn's mind. They were all very powerful names, and Vahn could recognize a few from the books he had read since arriving in this world. Vahn saw a name that was attached to one of the most powerful 'dragons' in this world, and seeing it was also a winged creature like his Wyvern, decided it wasn't a bad fit. They both breathed fire and had reddish scales as well.Vahn looked towards the Wyvern and placed his palm on it, much like he had done in his dream when he named Báihǔ. Looking into its azure blue eyes, Vahn spoke the name, "Fafnir." The moment the word left his lips, Vahn could feel energy drain from his body as the system gave a notice that the name had changed. The Wyvern, Fafnir, seemed to be very pleased with its new name as it roared powerfully toward the ceiling. Its body began to increase in size as a brilliant rainbow radiance covered its surface.Curious about the sudden loss of energy, Vahn inspected the display and noticed there had been a huge change that he hadn't expected.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(Fafnir)Age: 4 daysRace: Dragon (Nascent: 6m)Level: 3Loyalty:90Soul Strength: Tier 1 (Named Familiar)Karma: -State: [Active]--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------After naming the Wyvern, its race had changed to 'Dragon' and its level had increased from 2 to 3. While Vahn continued watching the evolution progress, he noticed that the changes hadn't just been in Fafnir. Though he had overlooked it due to the drastic change happening before him, within the skill section of Vahn's status, he saw a new addition. As he read the description, Vahn's mind began to become numb with shock before excitement began to boil within his stomach.[Keeper of the Akashic Tome]Rank: [Innate: B] *Innate skills cannot be identified. Attempts to do so will result in a backlash.*[Passive]: Allows the user to understand the origin of all things. Limited by the knowledge of the user. Promotes the development of mental energies.[Active]: Allows the user to confer a name to an unnamed entity. The record of the name within the Akashic Tome alters the fate of the recipient. No second entity can share the same name, and the backlash of attempting would result in the death of the former. Cooldown(Determined by the Power of the Name): 59D23H58M[Current Names][Fafnir] A powerful black dragon who possesses incredible wisdom and an immunity to magical attacks. Incredibly weakened against those who possess 'heroic' spirits and righteous hearts. Those that bear this name are tied to a tragic fate unless they abstain from the path of evil.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'But what about the Flame Seed!?', 'Name: Fafnir', 'The third [Innate] appears', 'I want to be the very best')

Chapter 89: Fafnir