Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After helping the wasted Welf to his room, Vahn left some medicine on the side table next to the bed before he exited the workshop. Since Welf wasn't actually that famous, there wasn't a large amount of security around his residence, and the only thing that barred entrance was a shoddy magical lock. Vahn shook his head and began to consider how Welf might be able to increase his own wealth and living conditions. He always had the option of magic 'Crozzo Magic Swords', but Welf was pretty adamant about never using them to make money. There was always a chance they would find their way into the hands of people that would misuse them, so there was little chance he would sell any. Vahn could probably help him complete the first phase of his research, but he imagined that would hurt the boy's pride irreparably when he was putting in so much effort to make headway on his own.The best option seemed to be to find him an assistant, so Vahn was hoping he could bring up the matter to the girls' network to give Welf a hand. Other than that, his best bet was to gamble that one of the Amazon girls were willing to help him out. If that were the case, they would probably even help Welf fight within the dungeon and potentially build a relationship over time. If the girl was sufficiently strong, there was absolutely no way she would accidentally get pregnant just because of the unique biology of Amazons. Welf would need to be of equivalent strength as the Amazon, or he would have to be recognized by her through his own efforts. This gave Vahn enough time to deal with the matters regarding Kali and he hoped it would give him some leeway to help out other couples in the future. At the very least, he should be able to help Welf keep any children he might accidentally sire if he falls in love with the Amazonian woman.Since he had stayed pretty late talking with Welf, it was nearly 1 AM and Vahn was walking through the cold City streets casually. At this time of day, because of the cold temperature, there were almost no pedestrians on the street at all. Though there was still the ambient sound of blacksmiths working late into the night, the streets were predominantly empty and there was a gentle fog rolling through the City that was actually quite cold to the touch. It left ice particles on Vahn's hair and clothes, yet it didn't really affect him much at all and he just enjoyed the sensation as he passively scanned his surroundings for any signs of danger.Vahn was currently within the district used by the Hephaestus Familia members, so the security was actually pretty high and there weren't any gangs or criminal groups in the area. Not many people were willing to offend blacksmiths, since falling out with one group would pretty much lose you favor with every other group depending on the situation. Because of this, Vahn was able to casually stroll all the way to the Babel Plaza without any incidents happening at all. There wasn't a single sign of any enemies, and he felt like he was too tense for how beautiful and peaceful the night was. Of course, this didn't mean Vahn was going to drop his guard, it just meant he should enjoy the moment a little more.Turning his head toward the tall tower nearby, Vahn looked toward the top and imagined if Freya was currently there. Even though he had been told time and again to avoid her, Vahn was somewhat curious about how beautiful she would be in reality. The designs in the manga didn't do justice to the actual people he interacted with in the real world, and Vahn knew Freya was touted as an unparalleled beauty. He had been cautious against her since the moment he came to this world, but his own caution just made him more interested in the actual goddess. He used [Heart of the Eternal Flame] and imbued a bit of heat in the atmosphere to clear up the visibility in the area as he looked towards the impossibly tall tower that pierced the heavens.After a few minutes, Vahn turned away from the tower and left for the Hearth Manor to get some rest. Tomorrow was Saturday, so he wasn't in a particular rush and even intended to sleep in and enjoy some rest and relaxation. He knew most of the girls would be going to their meeting, and Vahn was considering if he should drop in and make a few demands of his own since everyone would be gathered together in one spot. Though they were taking action in his best interest, Vahn still wanted to take a stance of his own instead of having to try and balance everything through second-hand words on the network. Vahn thought it would be a good opportunity since there were several things he wanted to say that could only be brought up when everyone was together like that.When he arrived at the Manor, Vahn scanned the interior and noticed that everyone was present. He could even detect that Milan, Tina, and probably Shizune, had stopped over to stay the night. Since they usually shared a bed with Fenrir and Preasia, Vahn had given them a rather large one and there were five auras snuggly bundled together in the same room. For a brief moment, Vahn felt a little envious and wondered if he should try to sneak into Hestia's or Aki's rooms. He hadn't really done anything with the girls for the last few days, and Vahn had a bit of an itch to scratch after his earlier interaction with Anubis. If not for the fact it was nearly 2 AM, Vahn probably would have shared some intimacy with the two girls.Since he had been standing outside for a while, a shadow flickered near Vahn's right and he looked over to see the somewhat scary looking face of Fafnir staring at him with its icy blue eyes. Fafnir's current size was around 17m long, and it's head alone was large enough to swallow a grown adult whole. Just its eyes were larger than the melons sold within the market, and they were very intimidating if you didn't know anything about Fafnir. Since Tine and Milan were within the Manor, it had detected Vahn's presence and had been watching him for a while until it emerged from the shadows and asked, (*Vahn, are you okay? Why do you stand in the cold? It is warmer inside.*)Hearing Fafnir's childish voice, Vahn smiled as he walked over and helped the dragon replenish its energy by stroking its head. Fafnir closed its eyes and enjoyed the sensation a powerful reverberation emerged from its throat that made the void rumble a little. Vahn knew it was just 'purring', but the fact that such a simple action actually made his instincts trigger made him laugh within his mind. He rubbed his palm along the scaly ridge above Fafnir's eyes and said, "I'm fine, Fafnir, I was just wondering about a few things before heading inside. Here, since I'm not really that tired, how about we go for a little flight? It's been a while, and I think the air is especially crisp this early in the morning."Since it didn't often get to fly around, Fafnir quickly emerged from the ground in all its glory while 'shouting' out in a happy voice, (*Yaaaay~! Let's go, let's go~!*). Vahn nodded his head before using Shundo to appear on the back of Fafnir where it had reshaped its scales to create a saddle for his use. The moment he sat down, Vahn felt a powerful gravitational shift as Fafnir shot up in the air like a bullet, even though it didn't disturb the surrounding air. It used magic to propel its flight, so it didn't have to flap its relatively small, for the size of its body, wings. After a few seconds, they had already ascended several hundred meters in the sky before Vahn muttered, "I want to go higher, higher than the tower in the center of the City..."Fafnir shouted out an affirmation before angling its body and accelerating upwards at an incredible speed. Because of the intense burst of momentum, there were several loud explosions that split through the air and they appeared high above the tower of Babel within a few short minutes. Since Vahn hadn't told it to stop, Fafnir kept going higher and higher until the air had become incredibly thin and it was nearly impossible for a normal person to breath. Vahn actually didn't require a lot of air to subsist off of, and he could even absorb energy through his pores to supplement his lack of oxygen. He regulated his heart to pump slower and allowed the incredible cold of the atmosphere to seep into his body as they steadily rose higher and higher.After nearly ten minutes, Fafnir came to a progressive stop as it mused, (*Vahn, I think we shouldn't go any higher than this...I feel a little afraid.*) Hearing Fafnir's words, Vahn opened his eyes and looked around to see that there were nothing but stars surrounding them. Though he hadn't noticed it previously, there was a complete lack of oxygen and just being exposed to the 'air' was enough to make his skin gloss over with a layer of ice. Since Fafnir had a barrier that protected the people on it's back, this showed that the temperature was likely several hundred degrees below 0.Vahn could feel that his body was almost weightless, so he stood up from the saddle on Fafnir's back and gently launched himself outward without any fear or hesitation. The moment he cleared Fafnir's body, Vahn could see a massive sphere below him that extended to the horizon. It was very similar to the time when he dreamed about floating high above the world and Vahn couldn't help but utter silently into the wispy atmosphere a silent, "Beautiful..." Vahn reached out his hand towards the giant landmass below him that he recognized to be the entirety of the continent of Eden. It seemed so small, even though it was thousands of kilometers wide...almost as if it were entirely insignificant in the grand scale of everything around him. Yet, that small landmass, that was larger than any world he had ever known, contained almost everything he had ever known and loved...For a few seconds, Vahn just hovered for a while until his body slowly began to accelerate downwards and Fafnir swooped in and said in a very worried tone, (*Vahn, its very dangerous, please be careful!*) Vahn laughed silently at Fafnir's concern and stroked it's back before sending a command to descend. Though it was an exhilarating feeling to be high above everything else, Vahn knew his place wasn't this cold void surrounded by chaotic energy. He had a home, and there were dozens of people that relied on him, while some of them even found it within their hearts to love him. His place was at their side, and he would work hard to guarantee that never changes until he was forced to leave this world.After descending for a few minutes, Vahn was humoring the idea of jumping off of Fafnir's back and seeing what it was like to fall to the ground from a few dozen kilometers. He knew some of the basic principles behind physics, and his current endurance was more than enough to survive a fall from 'terminal velocity'. He could achieve spontaneous bursts of speed that broke the sound barrier, so a mere 200 or so kilometers per hour wouldn't even cause him to leave a dent in the ground if his dispersed the force properly. Since it was a somewhat rare opportunity, Vahn tapped Fafnir's back and said, "I'm going to jump from here, go ahead and find a safe area outside of the City to enter a shadow. There are probably a few people that will complain that they saw a giant dragon flying around in the sky above the City."Fafnir nodded its massive head and said, (*Okay, have fun Vahn. Thanks for taking me out to play~! I will go to protect big sis now~!*). Just like Fenrir, Fafnir had taken to calling Tina 'Big Sis', even though she was incredibly small compared to the massive Fafnir. After it finished its telepathy, Vahn felt the wind barrier around Fafnir collapse and he was suddenly launched from its back as it quickly disappeared from his vision. The impact of the wind was enough to disorient him, because he had been traveling nearly 2,000km/h when they were descending earlier. He quickly decelerated to around 230km/h and finally recovered enough of his senses to enjoy the fall. Since he hadn't asked Fafnir to slow down first, he couldn't blame the 'young' dragon for its mistake that almost caused him to spit out a mouthful of blood.Vahn spent around eight minutes in free fall before he passed near the top of Babel tower and gave it a sidelong glance before transforming into his Xuánwǔ form. A few minutes later, he approached the ground at a fast speed before flipping his body and landing squarely on his feet. A green ripple appeared on the scales all over his body before Vahn punched toward the sky and created a powerful shockwave that dispersed a huge cloud of fog. The cobblestone below him didn't have a single crack in it and Vahn smiled widely since he had greatly enjoyed the experience. He wondered if it would be a good idea to take some of the stronger people in his Familia along the next time he tried it out.Though it might be a scary concept, Vahn knew he could convince them if he explained it properly. It was arguably more dangerous to bound around at high speeds within the dungeon than it was to fall at almost any height. Vahn was actually confused about why it was treated as such a big deal in some of the manga he read in his previous life when the characters should be more than capable of performing the feat without issue. As he made his way back to the Hearth Manor, Vahn began to wonder what other kinds of things he could do for fun that would be an interesting experience for everyone. If he used his Xuánwǔ form properly, he could even dive from Fafnir's back with someone like Hestia without a problem...that seemed like fun.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'RIP Welf','Fafnir is 'adorable'','Vahn is an adrenaline junky')If you'd like to support me as a writer so I can write even more stories in the future, please follow the ******* link below (O,...,O)~! Stay beautiful &lt;3https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Due to the excitement he had experienced, Vahn decided against going to bed and just went to take a long bath before preparing for the coming day. It was already nearly 4 AM, so it didn't really matter if he went to sleep or not. With his level, endurance, and Innate abilities, Vahn didn't experience fatigue the same way as he used to. The only thing he needed to do to drive away the desire to sleep was increase his blood flow with [Heart of the Eternal Flame] and restore the clarity to his mind by activating [Will of the Emperor]. He was almost constantly used it to maintain his domain, so it wasn't a big deal to miss a single night of sleep.Vahn spent his free time formulating a plan and deciding if, and how, he would go to the girls' meeting. He knew that, just like the network, he needed to give them the freedom to do what they thought was best, but Vahn also wanted to address everyone together. Eventually, he decided to not cause a commotion that could potentially disrupt the relatively amicable relationships that every currently had. He'd tell Hephaestus, Hestia, and Loki, about potentially dropping in towards the end of the meeting so that he could say a few things. As long as he didn't drop in unannounced, Vahn assumed it wouldn't be a problem, at least not as big a one.When the girls finally started to wake up, Vahn decided to bring an end to his long soak and join them for breakfast. Most of them would probably be sleeping in for a while since everyone had the weekends off to do their own things. This meant that, by the time he arrived in the dining room, there were only a few girls present. As they were the ones to prepare the meal, the twins were the first to arrive and it wasn't long before Milan, Shizune, and Aki came downstairs as well. Tina, Fenrir, and Preasia were still sleeping, and Vahn had noticed that Mikoto went outside to conduct her morning routine while Haruhime was still in their room.Vahn rose from his spot at the dining table and walked over to share a short hug with Milan before sharing a marginally longer one with Aki. Before he split from her, Vahn rubbed her belly and made her blush before everyone moved towards the table. The only person he had 'left out', Shizune, put on a playful, somewhat childish, act as she said, "Buuu, I don't get a hug~?" Vahn snorted a muted laugh through his nose before patting her on her large furry ears and saying in a teasing manner, "Maybe when you grow up a bit?" Since he had ruffled her hair a bit forcefully, she gave him a pretend glare before running over to Milan and 'whining',"Moooom, Vahn is bullying me~!" Milan started laughing in a mischevious manner that Vahn remembered from the past as she squinted her eyes at him and said, "Ara~? I didn't think Vahn was the type to bully little girls...Tina will be sad."Since it hadn't been long that Shizune became her adopted daughter, Vahn was very surprised by their interaction. He wondered if the 'damage' done to Shizune's soul had caused her mental state to regress a bit. Before they reunited at the Hostess of Fertility, Vahn had never interacted with her when she was still an 'adult'. The only impression he had of her was that she was slightly sensual, with a relatively sad look in her eyes. Now, she seemed somewhat playful and had a cheerful glint contained within her eyes like she was a real child, and not an adult in a child's body.Vahn shook his head and said, "If she wants to be treated like Tina, she'll have to work hard and train with everyone else. Even if I lack inhibitions, I try to show the proper restraint unless it's to reward people for their hard work." Aki, who had been standing nearby, laughed in a cheerful tone and said, "That's right, you have to work hard if you want Vahn to spoil you~! I'm also doing my best, you know?" Aki's tail flicked and Vahn could see a few deep emotions in her eyes as she looked toward him. He took a deep breath to calm himself down, because he was somewhat tempted to carry her off to a room and spend some quality time with her since he knew she was working hard for his benefit. Though he had been 'relaxing' for a few hours, Vahn was still in somewhat high tensions from his experiences the previous night, and his freefall this morning.Since it was a rare opportunity, Vahn sat with Aki to his left while Milan sat at his right as both cat girls seemed to come to some form of agreement as they wrapped their tails around his back. Vahn closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment as he sipped on the bitter black coffee within his cup. If Milan was acting like her old self, Vahn wasn't sure he would be able to resist her joint attacks with other people. If not for the fact that he was concerned about Tina, he considered punishing the mischevious cat girls for their misbehavior. Fortunately, they stopped playing around when Emiru and Maemi brought out some porridge for everyone to enjoy together.When they were done eating, Milan, Aki, and Shizune went into the kitchen to prepare something more substantial for the other girls that had yet to awaken, since they didn't like the thought of leaving all the work to the twins. Vahn ended up spending a little time with the twins flanking him on the sofa as Shizune sneakily tried to climb into his lap. Since she hailed from the Far East, she had a small purple kimono on that was suitable for her tiny frame. Vahn managed to divert her and leave her to Maemi her pretended to console her for a while until the other girls started to arrive. Vahn used the opportunity to wake up everyone else and greet them before heading off to the kitchen himself to see if he could help out.Though he didn't dislike the situation at all, Vahn still felt a little pressured when he was the only guy while there were eleven girls present, most of which had some form of affection towards him. After he vented to Welf last night, Vahn realized that his situation was relatively abnormal, even though concepts like polygamy were commonplace within the record he was in. Most of the successful mortals, since gods were something of an exception, only managed around five official wives and very few other relationships. If Vahn threw away his inhibitions, there would probably be some girls that left him, but he could still imagine nearly eighteen that would stick around long-term. It was a scary thought because Vahn didn't know how he would able to manage if they all wanted to marry him in the future and worked hard to earn his affections.After breakfast, Vahn actually decided to spend a bit of quality time with Fenrir, since he knew she probably wanted his affections more than anyone else just because of her nature. Though he still told her to call him Vahn, she would have small slips where she would call him Master, and it was especially common when she was distracted or excited. Just like she had been for Preasia, Fenrir was very therapeutic for Vahn, because she had a sunlike smell to her hair and was very cuddly. The best thing of all, at least for now, she had no real understanding of sex and physical desires, so there was absolutely no pressure from her for the time being. They just sat on the balcony, outside in the cold, for about an hour as Vahn brushed her hair and tail before sending her off with the rest of the girls. Everyone was going to be attending the meeting and Vahn had told Hestia and Aki about his intent to stop by later.Unlike how he expected them to react, both girls were completely fine with the idea of Vahn coming, as long as he didn't stay from the very beginning until the end. When they brought the matter up on the network, there was surprisingly zero contention for the idea and they even made it part of the official schedule. Vahn was supposed to show up right before lunch, and they had made up a block of time nearly two hours long to eat and spend time listening to whatever he wanted to talk about. Vahn was grateful for their consideration and had spent the time when he was with Fenrir thinking about what he wanted to bring up.Vahn's primary concern was, as expected, the sheer number of girls that would be attending the meeting. No matter how often he thought about it, Vahn really didn't want to let any of the girls down, but he knew there would be conflicts of some kind in the long-term. He wanted there to be agreed upon rules, just like there were currently for the Familia, that would allow him a bit of freedom within his movements. Most importantly, Vahn truly wanted any of the girls he was with to be independent, just because he was afraid of what might happen if he eventually died or was forced out of the record.The more Vahn thought about the future, the more concerned he was with the present and how his actions would influence the lives of many people. Especially since he would be a father in the not so distant future, likely to several children within a relatively small window of time. If he was already spread thin with just the women, it would only become a bigger problem when there were children involved. This was especially so since Vahn was absolutely determined to do things like conquer the Dungeon, and eventually travel the world in the distant future. It wasn't even an exaggeration to say that he may instigate, and fight in, actual wars within the next few years.Ideally, though he knew it was a very unreasonable, even irresponsible thing to do...Vahn would be able to move about freely, with only his actual wives restricting his actions. He didn't mind anyone he was involved with having an open relationship, or even finding other partners. Vahn wanted the freedom that, if they continued to pursue him, to take action without having to commit to a long-term relationship that would require him to make sacrifices other than when they were in legitimate trouble. He knew he had an interest in several girls, but...there were only a few that he felt like he genuinely loved and wanted to be with for a long time.It wasn't a problem if the others wanted to be with him, and he would do his best to make them happy, but Vahn didn't want to be their 'reason' for happiness. He didn't want to create a future where several girls would find themselves in despair just because he had fallen to an enemy or was forced out of the record. He wanted them to be strong, proud, and capable of moving on regardless of the struggles they faced. With the help of the other girls on the network, Vahn believed it would be possible for everyone to obtain some modicum of happiness, even if he wasn't around...For a few hours, Vahn meditated on the matter in a state of absolute stillness. By the time noon was approaching, there was a layer of fine ice particles covering his entire body, including his hair and eyelashes. Since he needed to head out soon, Vahn opened his eyes and expanded his aura slightly to completely evaporate the moisture around him. It was rude to keep even one girl waiting, and Vahn knew there were probably well of twenty all gathered together in one place...all to help make his life a little easier. As long as it was within his power, he would do everything in his capabilities to do the same for them. Without further hesitation, Vahn stepped on the edge of the balcony before disappearing from the spot with Shundo.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Does a man many girls even 'deserve' rest?', 'Therapeutic Heaven Devouring Wolf Girl','If your plans for the future don't include your death, you aren't living responsibly')If you'd like to support me as a writer so I can write even more stories in the future, please follow the ******* link below (O,...,O)~! Stay beautiful &lt;3https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Since he had never had the opportunity before, Vahn started telling Welf a bit about his past, including what he had been doing after arriving in the City. At first, Welf listened silently and made casual conversation with Vahn, but things quickly took a turn when Vahn mentioned saving Lili and then meeting Hephaestus. Welf closed up his shop early and pulled out a few glasses along with a bottle of strong alcohol and they both lazed about talking about various things, though Vahn was the one leading the conversation. By the time a few hours had passed, Vahn had told Welf about his interactions with girls, including how he first met Tiona and Ais, how things spiraled out of control when he moved in with the Anubis Familia, and even the matters regarding Laverna kidnapping Milan and Tina and the most recent matters concerning Haruhime and the Ishtar Familia.Welf had long since started listening in silence as he slowly worked away at the contents of his glass until Vahn eventually wrapped things up with his concerns regarding his current relationships with women. Since Vahn and Welf were nearly the same age, he was hoping that he could rely on Welf to give him some advice, but the only thing he got from the red-haired youth was 'dead fish eyes' and an exasperated sigh. Welf held up his glass and asked, "So, let me get this straight...you're now a [Master Smith]...you're getting married to Hephaestus, and a beautiful half-elf girl that works for the Guild...you're in an active relationship with the goddess of your own Familia...as well as Loki, and most likely that Anubis woman...plus several other girls, some of which you haven't even known for more than a week...?"Hearing how Welf pointed out matters, Vahn nodded his head before gulping down the entire contents of his glass. Even though he couldn't get drunk, he felt a strange urge to finish off the drink as if driven by some primal instinct. Welf saw Vahn's actions and released a sigh before stating, "Man, you're a real monster...you know, it's almost hard to 'not' hate you right now. Not only do you get to be with the woman I idolized, but you actually have the capabilities to make her happy...yet, instead of being content with that, now you're building some kind of massive harem...even though you apparently aren't doing anything to build it? It doesn't make any sense...yeah, I get that your handsome, wealthy, and also pretty strong, but shit man..."Vahn showed a wry smile before pulling out another bottle of alcohol and saying, "All I've ever done was try my best...I just try to make the girls happy, it's not like I'm going out of my way to collect them or anything..." Welf held out his glass for Vahn to fill before taking a sip of the somewhat expensive alcohol and musing, "Good stuff..." He released a hot sigh before giving Vahn a look similar to a glare and said, "Your problems aren't really problems...most guys would probably willingly trade spots with you, even if they wouldn't be able to manage things..." Welf released a sigh before shaking his head and continuing, "It's really fucked up man. I know there has to be a reason behind everything, and you probably bust your ass, but it still makes me a little pissed off hearing you complain about things like this..."Welf looked over and saw the 'dejected' look on Vahn's face before releasing another sigh and saying, "Don't worry about it, I know you wouldn't be telling me all this unless you considered me a friend. Honestly, I'm more than a little jealous of you and that's why I'm so annoyed...seriously man, you gotta explain to me what you do to get so many girls...do I need to start going into the dungeon or something? I've only ever been interested in becoming a great blacksmith, but now it feels like I'm wasting my time a bit..." Welf sloshed around the contents of his glass before downing the entire drink as if it were a shot. He released a steamy sigh because of the burning sensation that spread through his throat and body.Vahn scratched his head and explained, "Honestly...well, I can kind of sense people's emotions and stuff. I just treat the girls nicely and do what I can to protect them...other than that, I guess I pamper them a bit and buy them nice things since I like seeing them happy...I really don't feel like I do much..." As he spoke, Vahn mimicked Welf's actions and threw back his own glass before enjoying the bite of the strong liquor. He looked into Welf's slightly glassy eyes and asked, "What do you usually do to get close to girls?"Welf furrowed his brows and stared into the transparent brown alcohol in his freshly topped off glass as if he were ruminating over his response. After a long period of silence, he looked at Vahn with a conflicted expression and said, "I...don't really do anything to try and approach girls. I guess I can't really blame you for your success when I spent most of my time just researching and doing my own thing. Other than Hephaestus, Tsubaki, and those two girls staying with her, I don't really really talk to any women unless they are customers..."Hearing Welf's confession, Vahn tilted his head and asked, "Huh, do you not like women?" In response to his question, Welf gave him an angry look and practically spat, "Of course I like women, what kind of dumbass question is that!? I...I just...don't think about it that often...?" Welf sat back down, and a contemplative expression appeared on his face as he started to consider why Vahn had 'enjoyed' so much success. He definitely wasn't always as capable as he currently was, but had to put in a lot of effort to obtain his current status. If his story was true, Vahn put in a lot of effort to please the girls around him, and it would make sense why they sought him since he provided them security, happiness, and other things...all he did was sit in his workshop most of the day unless he was going to a bar to release some stress.Vahn noticed Welf's silence and waited for a while before saying, "Sorry, I didn't mean to make things difficult for you Welf...I just felt like I needed to talk to another guy since I'm usually so wrapped up in other matters." Welf swatted his hands a few times, almost as if here were knocking Vahn's words out of the air as he said, "Yeah, yeah, whatever man, I know...it's also good for me to hang out with people every now and then as well. I feel like my eyes have been opened in various ways..." Welf released a long sigh and asked, "Tell me, Vahn, what do you think I need to do to get a girl of my own? I don't really need a large number, just one would be fine..."Hearing Welf's question, Vahn began to seriously consider the matter by taking into consideration Welf's personality, characteristics, and what he had learned from interacting with various women. After a while, Vahn turned to him and asked, "Well, what kind of girls do you like? I've started to understand that everyone has certain preferences, so my advice would probably depend on the type of girl you want to be with." Welf nodded his head and took a swig from his glass before saying confidently, "I like mature, confident, and capable women. Preferably, they need a big pair of tits and a plump ass..." For a moment, a blush appeared on Welf's face and Vahn squinted his eyes in curiosity but didn't get to ask before Welf continued, "Honestly...I'd like a strong woman that can...look after me a bit." Welf hung his head low as if he were incredibly embarrassed by his own words.Vahn quickly imagined the people closest to Welf, which were previously Hephaestus and Tsubaki. He realized that both women met Welf's 'preference' and wondered if they had helped shape his mentality through exposure. Though he didn't mind trying to set him up with Tsubaki, Vahn could tell there weren't any of those types of affections between her and Welf. If anything, Tsubaki had a mild interest in him, and Vahn was also interested to see if he could help her have a child in the future. Since he obviously wouldn't help set Welf up with Hephaestus, Vahn began to consider any other girls he might know as he quickly began eliminating options in his mind.By the time he was done 'narrowing' down the possibilities, Vahn realized that he actually considered a lot of the girls to be out of the running because of their affections toward himself. Though he didn't mind if they liked someone else, Vahn felt a little uncomfortable with setting them up with someone through his own actions. Since they liked him, it would feel as if he were looking down on their emotions and trying to throw them away to be someone else's problem. There was also the fact that, the only 'mature' women he knew, that he wasn't in some form of relationship with, were Mona, Mama Mia, Tsubaki, Shiva, Milan, and the receptionist girl he had met when he first entered the Guild, Fauna.Because of his interactions with Tsubaki and Milan, Vahn could easily remove them from the list, even though they technically matched Welf's requirements. Though he couldn't say why, Vahn felt like Welf would enjoy a relationship with Mona, even though she was very weak. She might be a little plump, but she also had a very mature body and a kind disposition that seemed like she was the type to pamper others. As for Mama Mia, Vahn wasn't even sure she had an interest in men anymore, and she would probably 'break' Welf on accident.There was a huge difference between a veteran Level 6 and a novice Level 1, not to mention that Mama Mia was in her 50's and much larger than Welf since she was a Half-Giant. The last girl, at least amongst those that readily came to mind, was the Dark Elf, Shiva. Vahn wasn't even sure she was still in the City, not if they would ever meet again in the future. However, if she did return, Vahn felt like she would get along with someone like Welf, and she also had a strong personality and a somewhat lascivious body. Though it seemed a little shameless, Vahn guessed he would be able to persuade her to give Welf a chance if she came asking to 'repay' her debts.When Vahn remembered Shiva's debts, he also thought of the Amazon girls that had recently tried to join his Familia before his eyes opened wide. For a brief moment, Vahn almost stood up excitedly before shaking his head and relaxing in the chair. Since Welf was only a Level 1, it would be almost impossible for him to maintain a relationship with an Amazon. Even if one gave him a chance, they would probably up and leave him the moment they got pregnant. Though he might be able to ask Aisha to 'look after' Welf, Vahn didn't think it was right to burden her like that.While Vahn was thinking, Welf had been paying close attention and saw all the changes in Vahn's expression. Though it wasn't to the extent of the girls, Welf was able to 'read' Vahn by watching how 'vocal' his facial expressions were when he was lost in thought. He had seen the struggle in Vahn's eyes after ruminating for a while and had also seen the excitement that briefly appeared before it almost immediately died. Welf finished off the contents of his glass and asked in a dejected manner, "Man, am I really such a shit show that even you can't think of a way to help me out?" Welf began to laugh at himself derisively before he tried to reach for the bottle and refill his glass.Before he could grab it, however, Vahn snatched it away and had a serious look on his face as he said, "Welf, you're not a bad guy at all...I'm just trying to consider things from every perspective. To be honest, I've thought of a few ways for you to approach a couple of girls, but the problem is...well, you're kind of weak...and maybe a little unreliable as far as your financial situation is concerned." Though it was a bit 'rude' to say, Vahn was trying to consider the happiness of the girls and knew it would be a struggle if they were seriously committed to Welf in the future. Welf didn't take many customers, and he also didn't sell many of the things he forged. He spent most of his time working away and conducting his research, and not too many girls would be fine with that unless they had a support system. Vahn started to realize why the 'network' used by the girls was such an important thing since they could always consult each other and seek the counseling of other members on the network.Welf frowned and his brows furrowed low, but he didn't argue with Vahn's words at all. Even though they were nearly the same age, Vahn's net worth well exceeded more than 100MV, and his property and assets were probably in the billions. As for himself, he only had about 140KV to his name, and most of that was for procuring materials and maintaining his own livelihood. He couldn't do things like buying fancy clothes, purchasing expensive jewelry, or taking the girl out on long dates. He also didn't leave his workshop often, and he couldn't imagine a girl sticking around and helping clean up his mess while he ignored them for his own research. In fact, even though he often compared himself to Vahn, Welf had long realized that they weren't even on the same level since their 'rivalry' started.After Welf hung his head, Vahn refilled his glass and said comfortingly, "Welf, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself. You're doing your best, and there is plenty of time for you to actually find someone to chase after. If you really want my advice, I would suggest you spend more time with the other members of the Hephaestus Familia and even consider venturing into the dungeon as a Supporter until you can reach Level 2. I know you also want to be a [Master Smith] someday, but you'll never be able to reach that goal if you're still Level 1. You can't even get the [Blacksmith] Development Ability unless you reach Level 2 after all..."Welf nodded his head before taking a sip of the alcohol and saying, "Yeah, I...know you're right...especially seeing what you've been able to pull off even though we're the same age. Tsubaki had pretty much beat that into me in the past, but I just blew her off and wasted the last few years while brooding over my own bullshit...feels like I tripped myself up at the starting line and then decided to take a break or something..." Welf was lazily staring at the contents of his glass was berating himself yet again.Vahn frowned because he realized he probably did the same thing as the current Welf, and that was the reason why he worried the girls around him so often in the past. It was too easy to beat yourself up over things that happened in the past, even though there was nothing the past could do to actually stop you from moving forward. The only thing you needed to do in order to chase your dreams was take that initial step and never look back. Vahn thought the current Welf was somewhat pitiful so he said, "Welf, if nothing else, the thing I've learned that women look for in a man...is confidence and empathy. If you don't act like a man worth being with, you'll never be able to find a good woman...only someone that takes pity on you."Welf frowned but didn't argue with Vahn as he considered the words for a moment. He noticed that, even though he was drunk, Vahn's words stuck with him and he was able to focus on them even though his mind was hazy. He wasn't aware that Vahn had been secretly using [Hands of Nirvana] through his domain to help diffuse the alcohol in Welf's bloodstream for a while so he retained his clarity. The only thing he knew was that Vahn's words seemed to resonate with something deep inside of him and it made him want to improve himself and be a better man.Vahn nodded approvingly and took a swig of his alcohol before saying, "If you're just worried about women in general, I know a few Amazon's that I can introduce you to. If you have no aversion toward Beast Humans, I also know a relatively beautiful Cow Person that meets a lot of your requirements. However, even if I introduce the girls to you, it's ultimately up to you to win their hearts. Though it might be a good idea to seek counsel from others regarding matters of the heart, everyone is responsible for finding their own happiness...their own love." Hearing Vahn's words, Welf gave him a questioning look before a crooked smile appeared on his face. He placed his elbow on the table and said, "Tell me about these Amazons...and this Cow Person...she must have an impressive pair of tits on her, right?"Vahn raised his glass to his lips with a ruminating smile before tilting the glass a bit and saying, "Yeah, I think she might have the biggest pair I've ever seen...though, they definitely can't hold a candle to a certain airheaded goddess..." Though he wasn't trying to 'insult' Hestia, Vahn couldn't help but laugh a bit at being able to 'vent' to Welf in a casual manner. Welf had heard his remark and an incredulous look appeared on his face as he asked, "Do you mean that chibi goddess with the black hair and the handlebars?" Vahn spit out the alcohol that he had just poured into his mouth after hearing Welf call Hestia's twin-tails 'handlebars'. Without concerning himself over the spill, Welf commented, "I don't know how you can do it man...I like the 'big' girls myself." Welf had been gesturing with his hands as if he were tracing the outline of a woman before he continued, "She looks like a midget, even if she is a goddess...well, she is still better than that super shortie Pallum sidekick of your's..."Though Vahn was still listening to Welf's words, he couldn't help but imagine a strange scene that might appear in the future between him and Hestia. After a while, Vahn managed to shake the image from his mind and decided to tease Welf a bit since he had taken a small amount of mental damage from his comments. He locked eyes with the red-headed youth and asked, "Welf, are you still a virgin?" It was Welf's turn to nearly choke on his drink, because Vahn had waited until he had a large mouthful before asking his question. A bit of the expensive liquid had even shot out of Welf's nose as he said, "I've been busy! Not everyone meanders about playing with several women like a certain dumbass without any common sense."Vahn knew that Welf was 'insulting' him, but he showed a polite smile and nodded his head as he asked, "Well, some of the girls I know...lets just say they have a bit of experience. If I introduce them to you, there is a fair chance they might...eat you up?" Welf's ruddy face turned somewhat crimson as he glared at Vahn without saying anything for several long seconds. Eventually, he pulled his glass up to his lips and sipped on the beverage for a while before saying, "Yeah...that doesn't sound too bad." Since Vahn had only intended to tease him, he was somewhat surprised by Welf's interest in the suggestion. He quickly ran through the various Amazon's in his mind before deciding to consult with Aisha to see if she had any suggestions. Vahn knew that there were some Amazons that were proactively looking for men, even in the Loki and Hephaestus Familia's, so he didn't think it was a bad idea to introduce one of them to Welf...at least until he could find a more permanent solution to help this lonely little red-headed friend of his.(A/N: The title is a pun making fun of the fact that this is Vahn's first world/record (O,...,O))(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Bruh...seriously!?','What it takes to be a 'man'','RIP Welf, Press 'F' to Pay Respects')If you'd like to support me as a writer so I can write even more stories in the future, please follow the ******* link below (O,...,O)~! Stay beautiful &lt;3https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 319: Fall