Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After Vahn had calmed down, he stared at the wreckage of the forest around him. Though he still had a lot of emotions swirling about in his body, he was at least able to rid himself of the majority of the problematic ones through physical exertion. There were more than a dozen trees that had been turned to mulch and several giant boulders that had been ground into fine powder in his immediate area.Releasing a powerful sigh, Vahn began making his way back to the campsite. He still needed to meet the representative of the Hephaestus Familia to explain the situation. Now that he would be joining the expedition, he would have to follow along with the plans of those in charge. After seeing how well everyone coordinated with each other, Vahn didn't want to be the one to cause chaos and unrest in the group.Arriving at the camp, Vahn made his way toward the largest red tent. Several people gave him strange looks, as he wasn't part of the original party, but nobody stopped him. Once he made it to the tent, he entered through the opening and came across a mature man eating breakfast alongside a woman. The man looked to be in his early thirties and had a powerful build with a neatly trimmed beard that merged into the blazing red hair on his head. The woman next to him had a beautiful, yet sleepy looking, face with drooping purple eyes and green hair fixed into a loose ponytail. She had a supple figure without any fat and rather large breasts restrained by the dark purple breastplate she was wearing.The moment Vahn entered the tent, the man put down his utensils and spoke in an amicable manner. "You must be Vahn Mason, the 'Vulcan', correct?" Vahn was surprised that he was identified, but didn't think it was that odd as he had been left inside a tent earlier. Seeing his surprise, the man continued, "No worries kiddo. Riveria and the little amazon girl came by and explained things. Also, you're pretty famous within the Familia, so it was pretty easy to identify you." At the last part, the man started laughing and Vahn thought it was odd."Famous? Why? I haven't done anything..." As Vahn spoke, the woman began to laugh with a bell-like tone that sent a chill down one's spine. "Hephaestus-sama is quite fond of you and spread your image around in the Familia, Mr. Vulcan~" The lady looked at him with her sleepy eyes and Vahn almost averted his away instead of looking toward her.In response, the man nodded his head and continued, "Yes, that is correct. Goddess Hephaestus told us that, if we were to meet a boy of your description in the dungeon, we should do our best to ensure your safety. I never expected to see you here on the 18th floor, much less accompanying the main party of the Loki Familia!" The man started laughing and nearly knocked the glasses on the table over.The woman gave the man a sidewards glance and he quickly stopped laughing. After pretending to cough for a bit, the man spoke up."Ah, let me introduce myself. I'm Grant Messer, Level 3 and representative of the Hephaestus Familia for this commission. People call me the 'Sledgehammer'." As he said his title, the man patted the massive brown and orange hammer to his right.After his introduction, the woman smiled toward Vahn and said, "And I'm Meryl Messer, his wife, also Level 3 and people call me the 'Witch'. Though, I would prefer if you just call me Meryl. I've never been fond of my nickname." When the woman had said her alias, Vahn saw a cold glint in her eyes that made him feel that, if he called her by that, he would likely pay a price.Once all the introductions were made, Grant talked to Vahn about the purpose of their mission and his role should he decide to join them. They were currently on an expedition to collect various items between the 25th and 30th floor, with their ultimate goal being the bones and scales of the Bloodsaurus on the 30th floor. If Vahn joined the expedition, as he was both a capable fighter and apprentice blacksmith, he could either protect the group alongside the vanguard or stay in the back and perform maintenance and various other tasks.After a bit of discussion, it was agreed that Vahn was better served at the vanguard. Though he had picked up a lot of skills with Tsubaki, he wanted to continue improving his strength. If he spent the entire trip in the backline, it would defeat the purpose of joining the expedition in the first place. Vahn wanted to quickly complete his quest and return to the surface. He began feeling that, the longer he stayed within, the more difficult it would be to deal with things in the future.While they were discussing things and having a polite conversation, Riveria showed up at the entrance of the tent. She had a 'serious' look on her face and, seeing Vahn present, she nodded before stating the purpose of her visit to Grant. "Finn is gathering together all the decision-makers for an important discussion. As the representatives of the Hephaestus Familia, he needs you, Meryl, and Vahn to attend."Grant nodded without questioning the order, but Vahn was somewhat confused. "Why does Finn need me to attend?" Vahn had only known Finn for a very short period of time, and definitely wasn't one of the 'decision-makers' in the expedition party. In fact, he wasn't even a member more than an hour ago...Riveria looked toward Vahn and spoke plainly,"You are the only person present that has any information pertaining to the upcoming mission. Finn will explain the details, but know that we have been tasked with an urgent mission by the Guild." Hearing her words, Vahn suddenly understood what she was talking about. As he had anticipated, the Loki Familia had likely been assigned to subjugate the Juggernaut. Grant, who was also listening, frowned but kept his words to himself for the time being.The group made their way to the largest tent in the center of the camp where Vahn saw all the main members of the Loki Familia's ace party, including Bete who seemed down in the dumps. The moment Bete saw Vahn enter with the Hephaestus Familia members, he snarled and almost lashed out but Finn stopped him. "There is no time for that Bete, stand down. We have important matters to discuss." Ever since the fiasco with Tione earlier, Finn had been a bit on-edge and appeared to be a little impatient.Bete clicked his tongue and just sat at the periphery of the group while ignoring everyone. A large table occupied the center area of the tent, and there were several stumps that had been collected from the nearby forest to act as chairs. After sitting down with the rest of the group, Tiona, who had been watching Vahn since his entrance, exchanged seats to sit next to Vahn.Vahn felt awkward the moment she sat next to him, and when he looked at her smiling face the emotions he had fought hard to expel earlier began to build back up. To counteract the emotions, Vahn began to channel his [Will of the Emperor] and his domain slowly spread out through the tent with his [Stealth] applied. Though it was almost imperceptible, nearly everyone in the tent except Grant and Meryl noticed it.Finn frowned, and Tiona had a confused expression on her face as she noticed Vahn was trying to ignore her. She felt a peculiar sensation in her chest after seeing his efforts to avoid interacting with her. Before anyone else said anything about the current situation, Riveria spoke up while slowly moving her hand through the air. "Fascinating...this space almost seems to be isolated with concealment and sound-dampening properties. This should prevent anyone from outside the tent from picking up on our discussion. What a versatile skill..."After listening to Riveria's explanation, Finn's expression loosened as he though Vahn was just trying to ensure the privacy of the information they would be discussing. He found Vahn's caution commendable and thought the skill was also quite useful. "Thanks, Vahn, it saves us a lot of trouble this way. Now we don't have to worry about causing a panic before we make a decision."Vahn wasn't paying much attention to what was said, but hearing someone call his name he slowly nodded. Right now he was trying to focus his awareness on other things within the tent instead of the warm body sitting to his right. Even now he could 'feel' Tiona looking at him, but Vahn was doing everything in his power to avoid acknowledging this fact. Tiona, from the side, seemed to notice this and her brows began to furrow as if she was going to pout.Finn noticed the atmosphere between Tiona and Vahn, but he decided to ignore it for the time being. There were important things to be discussed, and they could work out their problems later. "Okay, I'd like to thank everyone for gathering on such short notice. As you may be aware, the Loki Familia has been assigned an emergency mission by the Guild which was accepted by our Goddess, Loki. We understand that this puts the Hephaestus Familia in a difficult situation and are willing to refund the entire original commission fee as well as a contract cancelation fee. However, if possible, we would like to borrow the services of the Hephaestus Familia for the time being. Once we are able to accomplish our mission we will continue the expedition if there are further difficulties."Finn explained the basic premise of the meeting without revealing too many details. Grant, who was experienced with such things, knew that he had the option of denying the mission and retreating to safety. Unless he decided to help the Loki Familia, they wouldn't reveal any of the information about their mission as other parties could interfere with its completion and contest for rewards.After discussing things with his wife for a few minutes, Grant turned towards Vahn and asked,"What are you going to do kid?" Vahn was curious why Grant would ask him, but he considered things on his own before responding,"I am going to help. I probably have some relation to the mission, and if possible, I would like to take part." Grant, hearing Vahn's reply, nodded his head looked toward Finn. "The Hephaestus Familia will take part in the Loki Familia's emergency mission, but we expect to be compensated for any equipment and consumables used to ensure its completion. We also expect 20% of the posted rewards as well as the right to purchase any materials or drops earned at a premium."Finn nodded his head and agreed to the terms. If things went well, it would be better to give up part of their rewards and continue the expedition. If the Hephaestus Familia left now, the penalty for breaking the contract would be immense and it would potentially damage the reputation of the Loki Familia. This was the best possible outcome in a lot of ways, and Finn knew that Vahn was the reason for Grant's cooperation. He too had heard of the rumors surrounding Vahn and Hephaestus, and this made Finn believe there was some truth to the matter."Very well, then I will explain the details of our mission. We have been given the task of subjugating the Juggernaut that has appeared on the 13th floor. If possible, we are also to investigate any strange occurrences that have happened and report back to the Guild at the earliest possible time. As it is an emergency mission, we have been given 30 hours to complete it. As I received word two hours ago, that only leaves us less than 28 hours to form a strategy to defeat the Juggernaut and conduct the investigation." Finn said the explanation with full seriousness while making eye contact will everyone present.Hearing the mission entailed killing a Juggernaut, Grant immediately began regretting his decision to lend their aide. Though they were unlikely to participate in the combat, if the Loki Familia failed to kill the Juggernaut it would likely wipe out the entire expedition team, the Hephaestus Familia included. His face was set with a deep frown, but a gentle hand was placed on his thigh by his wife Meryl. Looking into her perpetually 'calming' eyes, Grant found his conviction before nodding to Finn.Finn gave the two an appreciative smile before nodding his head at Vahn. "Okay Vahn, I would like you to recount everything you know about the Juggernaut. We need as much information you have about its size, characteristics, location, and anything else you may find important. Please, don't hold anything back as this may concern the lives of everyone present."Vahn felt like the words weighed heavily on his body, and he couldn't help but look at the expressions of everyone in the tent. There was a solemn atmosphere and everyone had a serious look on their faces as Vahn slowly scanned them. When his eyes had made the full rounds, he set his sight on the person sitting next to him. Unlike everyone else, Tiona looked toward Vahn with a gentle and encouraging smile.Suddenly, all of the tension seemed to go away and Vahn felt the pressure that had been weighing him down vanish. Unable to contain the 'relief' he had felt, Vahn released a sigh before a smile appeared on his lips. Looking toward Finn, he began recounting all the information about the Juggernaut, including how it seemed to have suffered a severe amount of damage from an unknown source.(A/N: Alternate Title: 'Trauma', 'Round 2...','Negotiations')

As Vahn had been recounting his experience, Riveria and Finn had been taking notes. Once he was finished, the two compared notes and began discussing strategy with the other members present. "It's good that the Juggernaut is already injured, but we need to discover how such a thing happened. It may have something to do with the reason it was summoned in the first place."Riveria nodded, "Yes, anything capable of dealing such a serious blow to a Level 7 creature could easily cause enough damage to the dungeon to summon it. The question is, why would they do such a thing? There may be more to this than anyone suspects..." Riveria spoke seriously and all the veterans of the group seemed to agree with her.On the side, Vahn was sweating a bit hearing their words. He knew how the Juggernaut was injured and, as far as he knew, it had nothing to do with why it was summoned. There was no way to explain how he was the person that nearly destroyed it. As far as everyone in the room was concerned, he was just an abnormally strong Level 2, which was a far cry from the combat potential required to deal such a heavy blow to a Juggernaut. For now, he just sat silently and waited for the discussion to conclude.It was ultimately decided that the group would be split into two lines of defense and one garrison unit. As the Juggernaut would immediately take action the moment the stepped onto the floor, it would require a team of elites to draw it into a position and fight it in direct combat. A secondary line would be in a room not too far away from where the majority of the combat potential would prepare an encirclement to attack the creature. The third group, the garrison, would actually be stationed near the holes on the lower floors. Vahn had provided an incredibly detailed map, so they were able to consider working the plan from multiple floors. In the worst case scenario, people could retreat down the holes where they would be received by the waiting members and treated.It was decided, after asking for his agreement, that Vahn would be in the second group. As he only had the combat potential of a high-tier Level 3, there was no way he could be part of the group that draws the attention of the Juggernaut. That group would be lead by Finn, who would also be accompanied by Gareth, Bete, and Ais. The second group was lead by Riveria, as magic wasn't effective against the Juggernaut and she was lacking in speed. Her support units consisted of Tione, Tiona, Lefiya, as well as the majority of Level 3 or higher adventurers. Everyone else was in the third group, which was led by Meryl with the support of the majority of the Hephaestus Familia.After nearly two hours of planning and discussion, they now had slightly more than 25 hours to execute the mission so everyone went about performing their duties. Finn wanted the entire camp prepared and ready to move within three hours and they would begin their march to the 14th floor at the earliest possible time. Taking into consideration the setup and communicating the strategy with the other members, Finn expected there would be less than 18 hours to actually subjugate the Juggernaut.Though it seemed like a lot of time, the logistics behind the operation were a nightmare. Every setback could hold up the entire group for hours and could lead to further problems if not addressed immediately. If the leadership broke down, the entire group could end up being wiped out. Taking into account all the possible issues that may arise, the estimated 18 hours was likely closer to 10.While trying to leave the tent, Vahn was 'captured' by Tiona. She had noticed he was being especially cautious of her, so instead of sticking to him like normal, she just tugged at his sleeve with a bit of strength. Vahn, feeling his sleeve being pulled, almost tried to jerk his arm away, but, seeing the somewhat sad expression on Tiona's face, he couldn't muster the courage.Noticing that Vahn hadn't tried to run away as she expected, Tiona smiled and got a little bit closer without directly touching him. "Are you angry with me Vahn? I didn't mean to upset you earlier...I just got caught up in the moment and couldn't help myself." Unlike her normal, vibrant, self, Tiona was acting in a reserved manner. Seeing her uncharacteristic behavior and the drooping aura coming from her body, Vahn felt an itching in his heart and wanted to make her go back to normal."No, I'm not angry or anything Tiona. I was just surprised...I don't really know how to deal with that type of thing. Until now, I've never really even thought about girls, or kissing, or anything like that. I've just focused on becoming stronger and trying to live freely..." Vahn looked into her eyes as he tried to explain his feelings, but the more he talked, the more confused he became. Everything he was saying was the truth, but as he said it, he felt like that wasn't how he had been living at all.Though he did try to become stronger, it was only after certain events triggered him to do so. He did spend a lot of time training, but that was only because he felt like he needed to. Hephaestus and Tsubaki both had expectations for him, and Vahn didn't want to let either of them down. However, most of his time other than that was spent idling around. He enjoyed relaxing and talking to people, spending time in comfort, and he especially liked when he was embraced by the other girls. Before Tiona's kiss, he never thought anything of it, but now Vahn was overly aware that the things he had been doing were slightly abnormal.Tiona could see him struggling internally, and she wanted to hug him to make him feel better. But, thinking he might still be uncomfortable, Tiona did the same thing he had done for her when she was feeling down. Reaching out her hand, she started gently stroking his hair with a smile on her face. Vahn, feeling the touch, let his thought slowly fade as he just enjoyed the sensation. He wondered if this was how the other girls felt when he rubbed their heads...it was relaxing and helped calm the turmoil in his mind.Seeing that he had cheered up a bit, Tiona smiled and said, "You don't have to be in such a rush. Just take things slow and try your best to understand how you feel. I just don't want to see you acting so strangely over something so small Vahn. The way you were earlier today, and especially yesterday, was much much cooler. Even if you're stuck like that for a long time, I think it is better than getting caught up in the expectations of others?" Tiona wasn't entirely sure of her own advice, but she felt that the heroic Vahn that pushed himself beyond his limits was the ideal him...at least in her mind.Vahn recalled all his actions in the past, and focused on key moments, primarily those where he had been most happy. In each and every one of them, he was either enjoying the comfort of another person or reveling in overcoming his own limits. He felt that Tiona was right, but he still didn't know what to do with the feelings that, even now, were bubbling inside of him. Though it was different from the excitement he experienced in fights, it was almost overwhelming and Vahn felt like his heart was going to twist itself into a knot from his own frustration.Tiona was patiently waiting for Vahn to work through things while she continued to pat his head. She noticed he had become a lot more relaxed, and tried closing the distance between them a bit to probe things out. Seeing that he didn't shy away from her, Tiona felt emboldened and decided to give Vahn a hug. She noticed his body flinched a bit, but he didn't try to escape her embrace. After a while, Vahn completely relaxed and Tiona began to gently hum a song while caressing his head.The anxieties in his mind cleared up once again, and Vahn just listened to the humming of Tiona. He could feel the reverberations of the tune resonating from her collarbone as the notes spread throughout his body. He was reminded of the time when Hephaestus had embraced him, and Vahn couldn't help but wonder why it was always so comforting to be held by another person. Slowly, he wrapped his own arms around Tiona and asked, "What is that song you're always humming..."Tiona laughed a bit and responded, "I'm not sure...I just remember it from my childhood. I remember someone always holding me and humming that tune, and it always made me feel safe and happy. Now, whenever I feel happy, I can't help but hum to express it..." Tiona, having been embraced by Vahn in return, spoke the words in a slightly higher pitch.Vahn could tell from her voice that she was happy, but he decided to ask anyway. "Are you happy right now?" Tiona tightened her grip on Vahn and rested her head on his shoulder. "I am, but I was also humming because I wanted you to experience the same thing I used to experience when hearing that song. You seemed so lonely and confused, and I wanted you to feel safe and happy."Vahn released a sigh, and as his breath tickled her neck, Tiona squirmed slightly before looking toward him. Matching her eyes, Vahn's heart began to beat faster and the feelings that started to diminish returned in full force. He could see that her lips were a bit moist, and from her expression, Vahn could see a hint of expectation in the depths of her eyes. Swallowing his saliva, Vahn decided to speak out his mind. "I feel like I want to try kissing, but every time I think about it...weird feelings spread in my chest and I get dizzy. I don't like feeling like this, but for some reason, I can't get the thoughts out of my head. I think I may be going crazy..."Tiona smiled widely after hearing Vahn say he wanted to 'try kissing'. From his words, she realized Vahn was way more innocent than she had expected. It was no wonder he didn't seem to be shy around other people, it was like he had no experience interacting with anyone. She began to believe he may not even know about the relations between man and woman, so she decided to ask. "Vahn, do you know how babies are made?"Vahn nearly faltered at the question, but because he had decided to confide in her he gave what he thought to be the correct answer. "It should be sex..." Tiona nodded her head in approval; maybe he knew more than she expected? "Okay, but do you know what sex is?" For Tiona, this was something very important to her future, and she wanted to make sure Vahn didn't have any misunderstandings.Swallowing his saliva, Vahn contemplated for a moment before answering. Though he knew sex was required to make babies, none of the books he had read went into any details about the process. Even in his previous life, other than a basic education and learning to read and write, Vahn had no education regarding sex. In fact, in his entire life, he had only ever met two women...and he wasn't fond of either. Trying to recall some of the things he had seen in books, Vahn gave a hesitant response."Umm, it's when...a boy and a girl get married...and then the girl gets a fat belly and a baby is born."Tiona was stunned at his response, but before she could say anything, laughter could be heard coming from inside the tent. Turning her head, she could see Tione, Ais, and Lefiya, who had been eavesdropping their conversation. Lefiya had a blushing face, while Ais had her usual expression, but Tione was laughing so hard that it looked like she would fall over. Tiona felt pissed off seeing her reaction, especially since she was laughing at Vahn."Don't laugh Tione! I think it's cute how innocent he is. It makes everything that happens after more meaningful!" Tiona was in a flurry and had even let go of Vahn; it was almost like she was preparing to fight her sister if she couldn't control herself. Tione, completely unfazed by her angry stance, continued laughing. "At least I don't have to worry about you getting the march on me any more! Hahahaha....marriage....fat belly...hahahahaha."Hearing her sister continue laughing, Tiona was about to enter into a berserker rage and teach her a lesson. Just as she was about to step forward, two things occurred which made her nearly fall over after stopping her momentum. Vahn, who had been standing behind her asked a question while Ais, who was standing next to Tione, knocked Tione on the head with her fist and made a declaration."Is that wrong?" & "It's not nice to laugh at people."(A/N: Alternate Title: 'Doki Doki Vahn~','Tiona's Concerns for the Future','Ais's hammer of justice','Lefiya's overactive imagination')

(A/N: This is thanks for all the support I've been receiving about the novel~! Enjoy Hebaestus's suffering &lt;3. This is kind of like a teaser for the POV recap at the end of the Volume as well.)(Warning: NSFW Ahead.)The day Vahn had left for the dungeon had become one of the most memorable in Hephaestus's several million years of experience. The fact that the young boy she had met only a few months prior was not only able to find his way into her heart, but also heal the mark on her face left a deep impact on Hephaestus. For the rest of the day, she just lazed about on her workshop table unable to think clearly.Hephaestus just lay about in a daze while staring toward the ceiling with both of her eyes. In her hands, she held a polished mirror and would periodically peer into its surface to once again confirm the mark was gone. Every time she did so, she felt a pang in her chest and wanted to cry, but remembering the face of Vahn as he had left, she managed to hold back the feelings. She understood that she had more than simple affection for Vahn, but couldn't overcome her own inhibitions to act on them.Thinking of Vahn, Hephaestus closed her eyes and relaxed her body in a lazy manner. She began replaying all the memories and experiences she had with him while listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. As she had grown accustomed to the act as of late, Hephaestus had begun to associate the rhythm with her own peace of mind. Listening to the steady, powerful, beating heart of Vahn, Hephaestus was able to relax and let her worries fade away.Of course, this was not always the case, as several hours after Vahn left, Hephaestus noticed his heart rate increasing. She could feel excitement build inside of him, almost as if he was reveling in some enjoyable act. It was times like this that had caused her a great amount of stress lately. Since she couldn't see or feel what Vahn was going through, the only thing she could do was try to interpret the events from how his heart was beating. She hoped that, in this instance, he was simply working hard to increase his strength.Remembering the promise he had made earlier, Hephaestus believed this to be the case so she allowed herself to experience his excitement as well. Almost as if to respond to his heart rate, Hephaestus's also increased and she began to experience feelings of excitement as well. She imaged the brave figure of Vahn defeating monsters with a smile on his face, so she too smiled and wished she could be there to see it.Fortunately, as the day faded and night came, Vahn's heart seemed to calm down and Hephaestus was able to relax once again. From what she had experienced, she felt as if he had been in combat for a long period of time and was glad he took the time to take a break. Dragging her body lazily toward the couch in her office, Hephaestus lay down on the bed face-first and tried recalling the fragrance which had long faded. It felt like, if she focused enough, she could recall that peculiar smell that made her heart tickle.Finding the 'fragrance', or at least imagining she had found it, Hephaestus began to blush fiercely. Looking toward the door and noticing the locks were properly in order, Hephaestus heaved a sensual sigh as she let her imagination begin to wander. Today had been a mixture of highs and lows, and her body was in high tension, especially after Vahn had restored her face to an unblemished form. As her emotions continued to rise, Hephaestus reached down to ease the ache that had been building inside her.Entrusting her body to the couch, Hephaestus slowly lowered her form-fitting trousers and inserted her hand into the hidden garments within. She could feel a powerful heat and a dampness that had spread within the fabric as she began trying to release her pent-up emotions. Though her current body was that of a virgin, Hephaestus was not unaccustomed to the acts of sex and self-pleasure. As most gods found her unappealing, she had long adapted to a life of self-comfort when it came to releasing her urges.Unlike the sessions of the past, now Hephaestus began to lose herself in the moment. She began gasping for breath, and no matter how much air she drew it never seemed to be enough. As her left hand continued its endeavors, she unfastened the buttons on her blouse and found some small measure of relief in her free right hand. She squeezed her left breast and let out a gasp that almost sounded like a name.As she continued to service herself, Hephaestus tried focusing on the steady rhythm within her soul. It was like a beacon of light in the stormy seas she was experiencing, and she sought after the warmth and security it offered. The closer she allowed herself to get to that light, the greater the feelings became and she earnestly wanted to take that light for herself. This time, Hephaestus couldn't hold her voice as she cried out in a weak moan, "Vahnnn..."The aching feeling in her body continued to increase, and no matter how much Hephaestus tried to chase it away with her hands, she couldn't stop the surging tide. She began to gently repeat the name over and over in her mind while doing her best to stifle her own voice. Her body bent forward in the search for greater pleasure as her lungs cried out for more air. Her actions intensified until they had reached a critical point where her body suddenly inverted.Bending backward like a bow, Hephaestus twitched while releasing a powerful groan through her clenched teeth. She felt all the feelings in her body surge and explode outward in an unstoppable wave. The wave continued echoing within the emptiness that had emerged as Hephaestus collapsed powerlessly into the couches embrace. In her disheveled state, she just stared lazily toward her dark office as a powerful loneliness began to permeate throughout her body.In the silence that followed, while Hephaestus felt like she had become lost, she could hear that ever-present rhythm beating within her soul. She thoughtlessly listened to each individual thump as she allowed the feelings it brought to spread. It slowly, steadily, chased away the empty feelings. Bundling herself up into a ball, Hephaestus tried to keep those feelings from escaping using her own body to contain them. In this state, she slowly drifted off to sleep, for the first time embracing the hope that had been ignited within her.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Doki Dokie','Unstoppable Tide','Vahn's Presence')

Chapter 97: Emergency Mission