Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

As the goddess was dangling the 'antidote' in front of him, Vahn was just staring at her coldly as he got a better look at who he believed to be the mastermind behind the events that had transpired. She was a relatively small goddess, only around 140cm tall, and had a very slim, almost featureless, body. Like her eyes purple and blue eyes, her hair was also two different colors where it was predominantly black with strands of white that was cut short with two spiked pigtails. On her face, she wore a white, featureless, mask that concealed her eyes and curved around her nose.Her attire was a black, sleeveless, hoodie with an almost comically oversized zipper running down the length of the garment. From what Vahn could see, she had next to no breasts since the zipper was partially down and revealed the fair white skin underneath. She wore a pair of black shorts that could barely be seen under her hoodie so, if you weren't paying attention, it would almost look like she was wearing just the hoodie alone. She had long black stockings that ran to the middle of her thighs and a pair of grey-ish black combat boot that extended about halfway up her calves.Noticing that Vahn hadn't started panicking, the goddess tilted her head sideways with a crooked smile and asked, "Do you have the [Abnormal Status Resistance] skill~? Well, it won't matter since you won't be able to last long without the antidote~. I would suggest you give up before things start to get painful~!" She seemed to think that Vahn was just resisting the poison when, the fact was, he was actually entirely resistant due to the unique qualities of his blood. This was the reason Vahn couldn't get drunk and even things like drugs that got within the bloodstream would have no effect on him.Vahn furrowed his brows as he lowered [Lævateinn] and asked in a cold voice, "Who are you? Why did you do all this? I want answers." Vahn was still weighing whether or not to injure the goddess in front of him since she appeared to be a non-combatant. Even her aura was an amiable yellow, but Vahn didn't care about her impression of him in the slightest. After dealing with Loki, Vahn knew that there were gods that could change the aura and, even if she genuinely had some kind of interest toward him, Vahn could never trust her since her interest was likely distorted due to her Divinity.Seeing Vahn lower his weapon, the goddess smiled widely and began to laugh like a child that just got away with a prank. She looked at him with her odd-colored eyes and said, "I'm Laverna~! From now on, you'll be working for me, so let's get along well~!" Vahn shook his head as if to refute her claim and asked, "What is the purpose behind you kidnapping the two girls and torturing Milan? If you were trying to use them as leverage against me, it doesn't make sense for you to harm them."In response to his question, Laverna tilted her head as if she was considering how to respond. After a few seconds, she shrugged her shoulders before giving a dismissal laugh and saying, "I never ordered them to torture, anyone. I only told them to take that little cat person hostage since you seemed to be fond of her. If they captured someone else, it had nothing to do with my orders at all~!"Vahn furrowed his brows deeply and asked in a deathly cold tone, "Aren't they members of your Familia!? How can you let them do such monstrous things!?" Knowing that Milan wasn't even part of the plan, Vahn felt like she had been lucky to survive at all given the circumstances. If he had shown up just a few minutes later, he might have failed to save her life and ended up leaving Tina orphaned.Laverna frowned and said, "Booo~What kind of reasoning is that? As long as they pay my tribute and do what I tell them, why should I stop them from doing other things? The only thing that matters to me is having fun and making money, why should I care about what other people do?" She seemed to be genuinely confused by Vahn's outburst and started 'pouting' as she fiddled with the zipper on her hoodie.The cold sensation in Vahn's mind began to spread and grow deeper as he glared at the irresponsible goddess in front of him. He asked through gritted teeth, "What do you mean by 'having fun and making money'? What part of your sick plan has anything to do with either of those things!?" As he asked the question, Vahn had a sudden realization which made his ferocious eyes widen slightly.Laverna's eyes also widened as she pounded her fist slightly in her palm and exclaimed, "Oh yeah! Thanks for reminding me~! I needed you to make a vow and promise to hand over all the materials that Hephaestus had transported to your workshop~! Though I still need you to do that, I'm more interested in having you work for me from now on so you'll also need to agree to be loyal to me if you want this antidote~!" Once again, Laverna began to dangle the antidote in front of her body with a cheeky smile on her face.Vahn hung his head low and felt the rage in his body continue to expand alongside the cold sensation as he asked in a deeper voice than he typically could manage, "So, just for money...you kidnapped two people I cared about...burned down their house....and even let one of them be tortured and mutilated? You're telling me this entire fiasco...was just because you wanted my materials!?"In response, Laverna shook her head and said very matter-of-factly, "First of all, I didn't know that big cat person was important to you, or I would have told those idiots to capture her as well. It's really hard to find people around you that are easy to target, ya know~? And for the second part, I don't really care about the materials, but I would have been able to make a ton of money if I sold them on the black market! With that much Valis, I could do whatever I wanted for years and never have to worry about anything~!"Vahn smashed his left fist into the wall of the corridor and looked at her as if he had just heard the most revolting thing in the world. He shouted at the top of his lungs, "IF YOU WANT VALIS SO MUCH, WHY THE FUCK DON'T YOU WORK FOR IT YOURSELF!? WHY DO YOU HAVE TO INVOLVE OTHER PEOPLE AND RUIN LIVES!?" Because of his outburst, Vahn started hyperventilating as he used every ounce of willpower in his body to prevent himself from slaughtering the goddess in front of him.Laverna just sighed and raised her hands dismissively as she said, "That is super boring. Why should I have to work when I can get other people to do it for me in exchange for my blessing? I'd rather eat good foods, drink heavy liquor, and mess around with strong men~." As if realizing something from her words, Laverna lipped her lips as she pulled down the remainder of the zipper and revealed her small breasts to Vahn.She took the crystalline vial that contained the antidote and emptied the contents onto her stomach as she looked at Vahn and said in an amorous manner, "Aren't you actually pretty strong yourself~? Since you're going to be my subordinate, I'll also make you one of my toys~! Come on, as long as you're willing to make a vow, I'll let you lick up this antidote~." As she spoke, Laverna traced her fingers along her stomach and began to breath more heavily through her nose.Before she had received news of the change aboveground, Laverna had been spending her time within her private quarters being tended to by her subordinates. She was especially fond of subjugating strong men and teasing them until they begged and asked for permission to please her. Seeing someone with as much willpower as Vahn resisting the poison in his body was beginning to excite her. Just like Kuji, she could get Vahn addicted to drugs and pleasure and force him to live only to fulfill her selfish desires.At this point, the cold sensation in Vahn's mind had reached a critical level and he contracted his domain to only a few meters and began to put his pressure on the sickening goddess that thought she had the advantage. Not only did she scheme against him for personal gain, but she even involved his loved ones and was now trying to seduce him in order to guarantee his own life. Everything about her was disgusting, no matter how innocent she might look with her petite and unique appearance.With the last remnants of his self-control, Vahn asked, "What is your Divinity?" Laverna, who was now covered in a cold sweat while trying to resist Vahn's domain with her own Divinity answered through gnashed teeth, "I am the goddess of thieves, cheats, liars, and fraudsters. Now answer me, Vahn Mason, what the hell are you!?" At this point, Laverna's playful guise had vanished entirely as her two eyes glowed with a vibrant light. She was preparing to use her Arcanum to oppose Vahn, even if it resulted in her having to return to Heaven temporarily.Since he hadn't succumbed to the special poison on the dagger, Laverna realized there was something strange about Vahn's body which was confirmed when he focused his intent on her. As far as she could tell, Vahn had a Divinity of his own and had been concealing it from the public. She cursed the failure of her children for not finding out such important information beforehand. Demigods weren't people that should be confronted, especially one that had the support of two of the three highest ranked Familia's in the City. For the first time in her life since her descent, Laverna regretted not putting in more effort to clarify things.In response to her question, Vahn raised his [Lævateinn] slightly but the expression on his face had turned into an almost sad one. Though she didn't drop her guard, Laverna felt like his reaction was strange and it made her feel very uncomfortable. The pressure on her body began to fade away and she looked at Vahn as if his behavior was inexplicable. In one moment, it looked like he was about to kill her in rage, but now he seemed to pity her after she answered his question.Regardless of the reason, Laverna stopped using her own Divinity as she gave a taunting smile to Vahn who held up his [Lævateinn] and seemed to be hesitating. She asked in a cheeky manner, "What's the matter, don't have the guts to kill a goddess~? You're pretty level-headed aren't you~? I guess, even after all your supposed hatred and anger, you still aren't dumb enough to break that taboo~."Vahn looked into her odd-colored eyes and truly pitied her existence and the type of Divinity she embodied. It seemed almost cruel that fate decreed she would have such a childish and innocent figure yet required her to be involved with such depravity by virtue of her very existence. However, if not for the approaching figure behind her, Vahn would have struck her down regardless of his own feelings. Instead, he just stared at her with a sad expression on his face as he slowly closed his eyes and said, "I'll not be known as someone that killed a Goddess. Even if I struck you down here, I wouldn't be able to stop you from ascending to Heaven and spreading the information. I'll leave you for others to deal with..."Laverna laughed at his response and seemed to enjoy the struggle that he was undergoing. She opened her mouth to goad him on, but the moment she did so Laverna felt two painful impacts in her neck and back. Unable to form words, she tried to move her head and hands to see and feel what had happened, but her muscles weren't responding. Before she blacked out, she stared into the sad eyes of Vahn as a feminine voice sounded in her ear, "Just because Vahn isn't willing to kill you, doesn't mean I'm not, nyahaha~!" Then, as Laverna tried to turn her head to see the speaker, both of the curved daggers in her body were twisted and yanked out. Without ever seeing the person that claimed her life, Laverna fell powerlessly to the floor of the dark corridor.After Laverna fell to the ground, her body began to glow with a white light as she turned into particles that dissipated into the void. In less time than it took to blink, she dissolved from existence in a manner similar to a monster that had its magic core destroyed. Throughout the short process, Vahn looked at the unfortunate goddess with mixed emotions before turning his attention toward the 'mischevious' looking girl wearing a dark blue hood with two pointed protrusions for ears and a cloth covering her mouth and nose. Staring into the familiar green eyes, Vahn showed a sad, but gentle, smile as he muttered, "I'm sorry Chloe..."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Divinity is a Heavy Burden','Money is the root of all evil','Chloe's Resolve')If you'd like to support me on ******* so I can become a full-time writer, please follow this link~!https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149I am currently at $716/640 of my goal of making this my actual job. I promise that, if I'm able to do so, I will be writing 50 chapters a week :D

Hearing Vahn's words, Chloe just shook her head slowly as she put away her daggers. While keeping eye contact with Vahn, she said plainly, "I'll explain in more detail later, but assassination is actually my profession. Are you surprised?" As she asked, Chloe tilted her head playfully but Vahn could see her aura fluctuate slightly. Though she was acting casually, Vahn understood she placed a lot of weight in his response.Releasing a sigh, Vahn said, "I'm sure you have your reasons, and one day I'd like to find out. For now, the only thing that really matters is that I know you are a gentle and thoughtful girl that likes to be spoiled." Vahn smiled as he spoke and Chloe could see that there was no hesitation or judgment in his eyes. Though he couldn't see it on her face, Vahn knew she was happy since her aura had stabilized.Vahn reached down and placed his palm on the area where Laverna had fallen and asked, "I really am sorry, Chloe...you had to do something I didn't have enough courage to do myself...I'm a coward." Strangely, when he spoke, Chloe laughed slightly as she walked over to him and squatted down next to where he had knelt down. Before Vahn could ask, Chloe pushed his shoulder a bit and Vahn fell onto his butt with a stupefied expression on his face.Chloe looked at Vahn with squinted eyes and said, "Cowards don't run into enemy territory on their own and save damsels in distress, Vahn. Do you think Milan and Tina would believe the words you're saying right now?" Hearing her words, Vahn felt a bit of hesitation and considered her words before trying to speak.Seeing that he was trying to find his words, Chloe continued, "Tell me, Vahn, after you saved Milan and Tina, how many people did you kill?" Though Vahn was confused at her question, he answered after a brief hesitation, "None..." After he answered, Chloe pulled down her face mask and smiled as she said, "You're unable to kill people unless its to protect other people...even if those people are trying to kill you." When she spoke, Chloe poked the unconscious body of Kuji that was nearby.Verifying that he was still alive, Chloe continued, "You're a good person Vahn...you aren't a coward, nor do you lack courage. If anything, you're closer to a hero that lacks common sense than anything else." Chloe began laughing at her own words before she calmed down and showed Vahn a gentle and concerned smile and said, "I'm sure you've realized it yourself, but there are a lot of people drawn to you...do you know why that is?"Vahn furrowed his brows slightly before responding, "Because I'm nice to them and try to make them happy...?" Hearing his response, Chloe began laughing as she sat next Vahn and rested her head on his shoulder. After a few seconds, she said in a quiet voice, "It's because you can empathize with people...you're very perceptive and thoughtful to the concerns and needs of others, and you're always trying to consider things from their perspective..."Chloe grabbed Vahn's left hand and began fiddling with his fingers as she asked in a lazy manner, "Isn't that the reason why you couldn't kill that goddess?" Vahn remained silent for several seconds as he contemplated her words. As she said, even though he wanted to act out to release his pent of emotions, Vahn couldn't do it after learning Laverna's Divinity and the fact she didn't specifically order Milan's torture. Her greatest sin was negligence, but she wasn't inherently evil...just someone that had been twisted by the whims of fate.Releasing a long sigh, Vahn asked, "What do I do, Chloe? I don't want things like this to happen anymore, but I don't know what I can do to stop it..." In response to his question, Chloe also sighed and explained with a sad expression on her face, "There really isn't anything you can do, Vahn. The brighter your light shines, the more prominent the darkness around you will become. Even if you tried to extinguish the darkness and went on a crusade to eliminate evil, it wouldn't be long before you became tainted by the very same darkness you sought to destroy..."Her words caused Vahn to frown deeply as he recalled the matters that had happened in the past and how he reacted to them. Vahn knew that the more he interacted with that type of person, the more twisted his own nature became. When he saw people tormenting others, he felt a powerful desire to force them to undergo that same torment. Even though he knew it was wrong...even though he had the power to easily kill the people that wronged him...Vahn still couldn't restrain himself easily. Just as Chloe said, if he truly tried to eliminate 'evil', it wouldn't be long before he became the very thing he hated...While Vahn was lost in his own thoughts, Chloe continued to play with his hand as she said, "The best thing you can do is to continue being yourself. Just as there is a lot of darkness that would gather around you, there are just as many people that are drawn to your light in order to escape their own darkness. Many people have tragic pasts and things they regret, and it is people like you that allow us to move forward. Your presence gives us hope that things will one day be okay..."Chloe's words caused Vahn to think about all of the [Hearts Desire]'s that he had seen, and he understood very well what she meant by her words. Everyone around him seemed to have some great tragedy they were trying to overcome, and it was one of the reasons Vahn felt so driven to move forward and grow stronger. However, Chloe's words also caused him to realize something as turned toward her and asked, "You also...?"Tilting her head in response to his question, Chloe locked eyes with him and Vahn could see the sadness contained behind her smile. When she responded to his question, Vahn could hear an uncharacteristic tiredness weighing down her words, "Some of us are born into darkness...and it isn't easy to escape the past..."Vahn felt pained by her words and squeezed her hand that had been fiddling with his. Ever since she had helped him, Vahn had always thought Chloe was a strong and reliable person that he could admire. He never even considered that she was also one of the people that had suffered in the past and was using her own experience to influence her treatment of him. Now that he was aware of the situation, he felt like he had wronged her even more so than he had previously thought.Before he could say anything, Chloe used her free hand to poke Vahn's cheek as she began to laugh playfully. She then said in a somewhat bemused tone of voice, "See, that is what I'm talking about~! The moment you learn something new about a person, you immediately change how you feel and think about them. This is the reason why so many people are drawn to you, but it is also why you'll struggle in the future."Releasing Vahn's hand, Chloe stood up from the corridor and dusted off her butt before turning toward him and saying, "I've already taken action to escape from my past, so I'm happy as long as you continue being yourself. My only hope is that your light is able to shine brightly without ever being marred by the darkness. As someone that has already been fully immersed by it in the past, you can leave those matters to me~."Vahn stood up and quickly closed the distance between Chloe and hugging her tightly with a serious expression on his face. He felt a mixture of anger and sadness as he stared through her mischevious facade and straight through to the melancholy hidden within her heart. With his brows furrowed, Vahn spoke in a sad tone, "I could never accept that...I can't let you bear that burden."Remembering everything she had done for him, Vahn felt like he was going to cry as he stared into her eyes. Not only did she save him when he first came to the City, but she even killed a goddess because of his unwillingness to take action. He felt like he had failed her since he hadn't realized everything she had gone through. Even though she had done so much for him, Vahn felt like he had done nothing for her at all...Chloe's smiled turned into a gentle one as she reached her right hand to Vahn's face and whispered, "It is my choice what burdens I bear...just as you choose to bear the burdens of so many. We're somewhat similar, you and I. Just like you're willing to go against your own nature to protect those you care about, I'm willing to walk through the darkness to make sure your light continues to shine brightly. If you think you owe me anything, just promise me you'll never change..." As her words finished, Chloe stood on her toes a bit as she gently kissed his lips.Though Vahn would normally enjoy the sensation, he couldn't help but feel a powerful sadness as she held her lips against his own for several seconds. With tears beginning to fall from his eyes, Vahn put strength into his embrace as he returned her kiss with his own. He knew there was little he could do to change her decision other than becoming stronger and more reliable. With enough power and influence, there would be no need for her to burden herself in this manner.After nearly a minute, Chloe pulled away from the kiss and gave Vahn a gentle smile as she whispered, "I need to leave from here soon or it might complicate matters. The next time we meet, I'll tell you everything you want to know about my past, okay? Don't be sad for me, Vahn, since I'm happier now than I've been in a long time. Like you said to me in the past, I prefer to see you smile as well~" As she spoke, Chloe used both of her index fingers to forcibly change the frown on Vahn's face into a smile.Though he wanted to smile in order to please her, Vahn instead said in a firm and serious manner, "One day, I'll pull you out from the darkness entirely. I'll find a way to clean up my own messes without losing my light..."Chloe smiled and pulled her fingers away from his mouth before kissing him again for a few seconds. When she was satisfied, she separated from Vahn and squinted her eyes with a cheeky smile on her face as she said, "I believe that day will come as well but, until then, just make sure you spoil me properly whenever you can~! Every little bit of Vahnobtanium brings me one step closer to the light~nya."Even though he had a frown on his face, Vahn couldn't help but loosen up his expression as he asked, "Vahnobtanium?" In response, Chloe put her hand over her mouth and laughed as she responded, "It's the affection you show others~nya! Though it might not be rare, it's a very precious resource that drives away a little bit of the darkness in their hearts. I think I'll coin the term and popularize it at the next meeting~nyahaha."Before Vahn could say anything else, Chloe put her mask back on and ran down the direction of the corridor where Kuji and Laverna had been headed. Since she would likely cross paths with other people if she went back the way she came, Chloe decided it would be best to follow the escape path to its exit. Vahn watched her run away with an incredulous look on his face for several seconds before letting out a sigh and the briefest bit of laughter.Noticing a movement out of the corner of his eye, Vahn turned towards Kuji who still had a burnt hole in his stomach. If he wasn't treated soon, he would probably die from either blood loss or the severe trauma that his body had undergone. If not for the fact that weretigers had high vitality and he was a Level 4, he would have already died long ago.Vahn approached Kuji's body and saw his eyelids twitching a bit as whatever drugs he had taken were probably wearing off and causing his body to experience immense pain. After thinking for a few moments, Vahn turned his head down the path that Chloe had taken to escape. Without changing his expression much, a glint of resolve appeared in Vahn's aquamarine eyes as he pulled out a non-descript black sword and drove it through the heart of Kuji.Even if Kuji hadn't heard any of the conversations between him and Chloe, Vahn wasn't willing to risk having her identity exposed by healing Kuji's wounds and allowing him to spread the information. If Chloe was willing to kill a goddess to keep him on the path of light, Vahn was willing to kill a criminal to protect her secret. Kuji had done many bad deeds in his service of Laverna, and Vahn was giving him a mercy by relieving him from the pain he was suffering.Ignoring the notification that he had received a small amount of negative karma, Vahn put the sword away as he began backtracking along the path toward the surface. There were many people waiting for him, and he had grown tired of the dark and stagnant corridor that smelled of burnt flesh.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Chloe's Burden','Light Within the Darkness','No Witnesses')I'll be increasing the number of chapters starting next week~https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149I am currently at $708/1200 of my new goal~! If I can reach this amount, I intend to start having character profiles and images of all the characters created so I can update the information to a wiki~! Though the Wiki will be accessible by anyone, only Patrons will receive the high-res versions of the images &lt;3

(A/N: The title will be updated when I finish part 2.)Vahn calmed his mind a bit as he followed the corridors and descended further into the ground. Though his turtle form was both offensively and defensively powerful, he needed to make use of his Báihǔ forms increased agility and senses to track the fleeing enemies. Once his body regressed into his first form, Vahn felt his senses expand and he could now smell the odors of the men who had fled previously. Since there was the stench of fear and sweat, Vahn was able to quickly follow the path they had taken in their escape.Though he could still sense them within the area of his domain, Vahn wasn't in a hurry to capture all of them and only used his [Enkidu] to take care of anyone that tried hiding within some of the rooms along the way. He didn't mortally wound any of them, but he still severely injured the majority by driving the chains through their thighs. Vahn assumed that not everyone was as evil as then men involved in the kidnapping, so he would let those following behind deal with the injured.Eventually, Vahn made his way down to the sixth floor that was deep underground. Though there were still a few rooms, the majority of the floor was one long corridor that opened up to a large room where the four presences had been earlier. Vahn noticed there was a large bed in the area with a variety of tools and restraints as well as something akin to a throne surrounded by a few other gaudy chairs around a long table with various foods and alcohols on it.Behind the throne, there was a false wall that had been concealed, but Vahn quickly destroyed it before making his way into what was likely an escape tunnel. He had already locked on to several scents and was able to evade the traps that lined the corridor as he used Shundo to close the distance faster than most of them could trigger. One of the most useful features of 'instant movement' was that it could link two points and allow Vahn to transition the distance almost instantaneously. If he could master the skill, it really would be considered 'instant movement' since the traps wouldn't even have enough time to register his presence at all.Vahn eventually arrived at a point where the corridor split off into several small paths and noticed that the scents had split. There was even a mechanism to mask the smell, but Vahn could still detect the path taken because of the fluctuations in the air. Anywhere that had been passed recently would still have destabilized air currents, so even if Vahn couldn't 'smell' them, he could still 'see' where they went.Though he would still be gambling to pick the correct corridor, there was one where the elements in the air had been affected to a much greater extent. Vahn assumed this was the correct path since the abnormality was likely the result of a god or goddess passing through ahead of him. Vahn had noticed that one of the four auras earlier was much larger than a normal person which indicated they were likely the mastermind and god of the Familia behind the kidnapping. Not everyone had one, but when Vahn had inspected the body of some of the assailants, he noticed that many of them had the same crest on their back and were likely an organized crime Familia even though Macker hadn't been able to reveal the name.The symbol on the backs of some of the men was that of a featureless mask with two slots for eyes and a pair of daggers crossed behind it. Even though Vahn didn't think it was appropriate to judge things based solely on appearance, he couldn't help but feel that the crest belonged to a malicious god. Since Vahn knew about the influence of Divinity on their actions, he didn't consider the god evil, but that didn't mean he would tolerate their actions either. If he couldn't get the answers he was looking for, Vahn wasn't above escalating matters since they were already in an irreconcilable situation.A few minutes after entering the smaller path, Vahn noticed there were no more traps in the area and he continued increasing his pace until he finally detected the aura of two people around 311m from his position. There was next to no light on the path, but Vahn had night vision in his Báihǔ form and saw two people, one, a burly and powerful looking man, and the other, someone that looked almost like a child given their stature.Even though he was still in stealth, the man turned to look behind him and Vahn could see a yellow glow in his eyes that implied he also had night-vision capabilities. The small figure next to him turned around soon after and Vahn saw a pair of heterochromatic eyes staring back at him. One of the eyes shined like a purple amethyst while the other was a piercing and icy blue, and they both glowed within the dark corridor the same as the man.Vahn got into a low combat stance and approached the duo that continued to stare back at him without appearing to pay him any mind. Once Vahn got within 50m of the pair, the small figure opened their mouth and Vahn heard an almost sing-song-ish and girly voice ask, "You're the Vulcan, Vahn Mason." She seemed almost amused by the fact he had tracked her this far and began to laugh in a cheerful manner as she said, "Kuji, capture him for me~!"The moment her words fell, the man, who Vahn realized was a weretiger named Kuji, charged toward him in a similarly low stance. He was incredibly agile, but Vahn was able to outmaneuver him with Shundo. Kuji seemed surprised by the speed of Vahn's movements and asked with a deep baritone voice, "Is that a skill, or some kind of magic?"Vahn had appeared 20m away from him and didn't respond to his question as he equipped his Xuánwǔ set items and charged toward Kuji with a speed that caused the air to break around him. As a Level 4, Kuji wasn't too afraid of the might behind Vahn's fist after considering his speed. Though he expected him to know a few martial arts, considering his fighting style, Kuji didn't think Vahn would be able to overpower him in a head-on collision.Without shying away, Kuji dashed forward and struck forth with his powerful and sharp claws to receive Vahn's fist. Vahn's expression didn't change in the slightest even after seeing the weretiger receiving his attack. Though he knew the man should be much stronger than him considering their differing racial traits and build, Vahn had an advantage that Kuji couldn't anticipate.The moment his fist collided with the clawed palm strike of Kuji, the protectors on Vahn's forearms glowed with a green light and prevented the shockwave from the collision from dissipating. Instead, Vahn had focused the impact on a single point using his [Fist Strike] and injected it straight into the forearm of Kuji like a miniature explosive. The weretiger's face showed an expression of shock moments before his forearm exploded from the inside and left his hand dangling by the mangled flesh and broken bones. Though his arm hadn't been torn off, there was no way he would be able to use it in the fight from now on.Surprisingly, Kuji didn't even flinch from what should have been an incredibly painful injury as he spun around and kicked Vahn in the abdomen with a tremendous force that caused him to crash into the wall and leave an impact crater. Vahn was stunned by the blow but managed to receive the follow-up strike with his crossed guards and disperse the impact using his protectors. He could see through his defenses that Kuji had a crazed and bloodthirsty look in his eyes and both of his pupils had dilated to an extreme.Vahn quickly realized that he was either using a skill or had been so doped up on some kind of drug that he had lost his mind. Kuji even tried to use his mutilated arm to attack, so Vahn assumed it was the latter as he kicked off from the wall and used Shundo to slip by and approach the goddess that had been watching the fight with an amused expression on her masked face.She noticed what Vahn was trying to do and pouted, "Boo~! You should fight Kuji, not me!" As her words sounded, Vahn saw her eyes glow more fiercely as a light covered her body which caused the surrounding corridor to shake. She was trying to use her Divinity to scare him away, but Vahn just furrowed his brows and continued forward against her expectations.With a sigh, the goddess raised her hand that had an intricate fingerless glove on it and sent a powerful wave of pressure toward Vahn to deter him. She disliked people that ignored her orders more than anything else and wanted to teach him a lesson before she played with him a bit. Unexpectedly, the wave she sent out just passed through Vahn without having any effect and she could feel anxiety immediately spread through her mind.Vahn kicked off the floor again and used Shundo to appear behind her and held his sword, named [007] to her neck and asked, "Why did you target Milan and Tina? Why are you doing all of this?" Even though the Divinity of a god had a powerful suppression effect on most people, it didn't actually mean they were strong combatants. Unless the goddess before him broke the rules and used her Arcanum, there wasn't anything she could do against him unless she had Leveled up like a mortal.Hearing Vahn's questions, the goddess just began to laugh as she shouted out, "Kuji, continue to attack~! This boy seems to be the type that can't hurt girls~." As her words fell, Vahn had to take a step back as a black dagger with a foul-smelling odor pierced the area where his head had been. Though he didn't have any special inhibitions about attacking girls, Vahn still wanted to obtain answers before he did anything to a goddess.Even if a god or goddess had done something evil, it was almost inexcusable for a mortal to actually harm them. Though he might be justified in his actions, there would be a severe backlash from the godly community and he would most likely be imprisoned or exiled once the matter became known. Even if he had no ill will towards another god, they would still feel a bit of fear that Vahn might do something to them in the future since he didn't hesitate when it came to a different god. It was typically gods that dealt with other gods while their children fought amongst themselves.Since she wasn't willing to answer his questions even with a sword to her throat, Vahn needed to deal with the crazed Kuji first. Though the weretiger didn't have a black aura like the rest of the assailants from earlier, Vahn didn't have any inhibitions about killing him if things got out of hand. Unable to maintain his patience, the moment Kuji leaped forward and tried to stab him with the knife, Vahn pulled out [Lævateinn] and stabbed Kuji directly in the abdomen while using the burning effect to immediately create a charred hole in his stomach.Even with [Lævateinn] and a seared wound in his gut, Kuji still threw the dagger forward and it pierced into the right side of Vahn's chest. Both Kuji and the mystery goddess began to laugh at the sight, but Vahn pulled out the dagger with his left hand while supporting the entire body of Kuji with his right. The wound on his body began to regenerate slowly, but at a visible rate as Vahn channeled his energy into [Lævateinn] and caused a muted explosion in the abdomen on the drugged Kuji. He immediately vomited a mouthful of blood before collapsing limply on [Lævateinn] due to the severity of his injuries.Vahn let his body slide off the long blade of [Lævateinn] as the small goddess began to clap her hands in an excited manner, "Bravo~! Well done~!" She then walked forward in a cheery manner but stayed beyond the basic reach of Vahn's weapon as she continued, "It's too bad you couldn't stop the dagger though~! Looks like this will be my win in the end!" She began to laugh excitedly as she kicked the body of Kuji on the ground and said, "Oho, he is still alive~? You're a big softie, aren't you~?"Seeing Vahn's unchanged expression, she thought he was trying to put up a front so she proudly explained, "That dagger was coated in a deadly toxin that only I know the recipe for the antidote. If you want to live, you'll put away your weapons and behave from now on." She then started to laugh as she dangled a small crystalline vial in front of her in a playful manner and asked, "So, what will it be, Mr. Vulcan~?"(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Mystery Goddess Appears','[Lævateinn] OP','Don't do drugs kidderino's')If you'd like to support me on ******* so I can become a full-time writer, please follow this link~!https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149I am currently at $716/640 of my goal of making this my actual job. I promise that, if I'm able to do so, I will be writing 50 chapters a week :D

Chapter 194: Laverna (2/2)