Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Even though they had cleaned up in one of the private baths, Vahn noticed that almost every girl that came across her realized he had spent 'time' with Tiona. Though he didn't understand it entirely, even Vahn could see that she was practically 'glowing' after the fact and, even though they hadn't said anything about it, it was easy to infer from how she was acting. Vahn felt like, after she had talked to him about her past, she was in a much better mood and it was obvious in her demeanor and how she spoke to others. When Ais had finally returned from the Dungeon, even though he was studying with Riveria at the time, she showed up in the Library and similarly asked the same question as Tiona had the previous day, "Vahn, can we have fun tomorrow?"Before Vahn answered, Riveria shot a glance at Ais and said, "If you're not going to contribute to the conversation in any meaningful way, please leave Ais." Ais frowned slightly and looked over toward Riveria and their eyes seemed to lock for a brief moment before Vahn deescalated the situation by saying, "Sure, Ais, we'll talk about the specifics after dinner." Ais squinted her eyes before a small smile appeared on her face and she said, "I'll see you later, Vahn...I look forward to it." Without tarrying any longer, Ais briefly looked toward Riveria as she exited the room.When she left, Riveria released a sigh and said, "That girl has changed a lot ever since she met you, though it doesn't seem like her competitive spirit has undergone the same evolution..." Vahn laughed at Riveria's words before remarking, "I think it's her way of getting closer to people...she doesn't want to be left out things, and it's not like she is competitive with all the girls. Tiona and her have a bit of a rivalry..." This time, Riveria released one of her exceptionally rare laughs before turning back to her notes and saying, "I can't infer anything from the sample you collected in the Dungeon...I'm not sure how you can get a liquid to maintain magical properties after being exposed to the air. If the body absorbs the energy when people are bathing in it, reason states that it should lose its properties over time..."Though there were arguably more pressing matters to consider, such as further developing his magic system, Vahn's hands were tied until he could reunite with Eva. Riveria might be able to offer him advice, but it would primarily be up to him to make any significant improvements to his magic. Vahn knew she would probably be willing to help him, but having Riveria watch over him as he trains and meditates, all while she stood at the side and took notes, made him feel a little queasy. He hadn't thought about it much recently, but Vahn didn't like the idea of someone 'studying' him like that. Though he trusted Riveria, for the most part, he still had an aversion to the idea due to his past life's trauma.Avoiding that situation, for the time being at least, Vahn had brought up the idea of magic 'vessels', specifically how different items were able to contain mana, and potentially even absorb it through the atmosphere. He had gotten the idea from the 'bathwater' he had 'stolen' from the red-haired monster girl as, even after using it several times, it still retained its healing properties and mana density. Vahn had 'observed' the liquid while the girls were bathing and noticed that it, very very slowly, absorbed mana from the surroundings. Other than organic compounds, there were no other liquids that could retain mana so well, and none of them were able to continue absorbing it from the atmosphere without a catalyst. Vahn had confirmed that, though it was full of elemental energies, there was no 'vitality' contained within the fluid at all.This raised a lot of questions in Vahn's mind, and also served to make him feel somewhat unnerved about his 'unknown' enemies. If they were able to create such a liquid, for the simple purpose of using it as bathwater, Vahn wondered what else they would be capable of. Just the fact they were making use of the artificial Dungeon was something that worried Vahn a great deal. For the structure to reach all the way to the 24th floor of the Dungeon, it would have to be more than 5km deep, and likely connected to several parts of the actual Dungeon. Such a structure boggled the mind and Vahn couldn't understand how such a thing was built without drawing the attention of 'literally' everyone. Instead, it was simply a rumor that had apparently never been verified even after nearly a thousand years of speculations, investigations, and probes...Vahn didn't think this was possible at all, which meant that the Guild, or more appropriately, Ouranos, had to be aware of it.---Vahn had separated samples of the liquid into more than a hundred vials and both he and Riveria had been testing how it responded to different stimuli. Vahn noticed that, even with the use of [Yggdrasil's Favor] and [Hands of Nirvana], he couldn't actually get the fluid to absorb his source energy at all. Instead, there would be a chaotic reaction, much like when he tried mixing, and Vahn would have to clean up the mess that resulted from his attempt. As a result, he was now sitting inside a large basin as he continued trying to insert varying levels of his energy while trying to understand the principles behind it.Riveria has some small degree of success in her own experiments, as her mana was easily absorbed into the liquid. Even without a skill like [Hands of Nirvana], Riveria was very skilled at controlling her mana and could easily infuse it into magic items. Whenever she inserted her mana, the glowing blue liquid would become brighter and eventually turn an off-shade of white after enough exposure. Vahn didn't have any problem with her success, but he noticed she would give him a 'gloating' look every now and then while also asking if he needs help. After he broke the tenth vial, she even teasingly asked if he would like her to wash his back.Thinking he would be able to get her back, Vahn accepted her offer and Riveria unabashedly walked over to the basin, while holding an entire rack of vials, before dumping it on top of his head and saying, "Looks like you're getting a little hot-headed, maybe you need to cool down? Your clouded mind is interfering with your ability to focus...let me guess, you're thinking about your playdate with Ais tomorrow?" As he felt the chilled liquid passing through his hair and covering his scalp, Vahn showed a wry smile and simply shook his head. He could tell by Riveria's aura that she hadn't been affected by his teasing at all so he considered this small exchange his loss...After 'cooling his head', Vahn was using his elemental control, with his domain as the medium, to shape and manipulate the water within the basin. He had only tried it on a whim earlier, but now Vahn realized it was actually very easily influenced by his domain. After a bit of practice, he had even gotten the liquid to 'appear' solid and turned it into a small figurine that was similar to Ais, at least as far as the silhouette was concerned. He couldn't make any of the finer details at all, but it was still an impressive display, if Riveria's expression was anything to go by. Even if she didn't look at him directly, Vahn could detect the fluctuations in her aura and was able to read the changes in her typically cool expression. He had a lot of experience after associating with Ryuu, so Vahn knew what to look for when an elf was trying to hide their emotions.Realizing he had garnered her interest, Vahn decided to push his experiment further and used the same technique he had 'invented' to clean clothing, to remove all the liquid that had soaked into his clothes. Since she wasn't currently using it, Vahn also exercised his control over all 100 vials, nearly one liter of liquid, and shaped it into a miniature version of Riveria herself. Because he wasn't able to emulate the 'finer details', such as clothing, Riveria saw a 12cm tall version of herself, seemingly naked, that Vahn was doing his best to make walk around atop the table. Riveria's brows twitched at the sight, but she still observed the scene with interest and even started taking notes after a while.Once she had finished scribbling into her journal, Riveria sent a pulse of mana in the direction of the miniature Riveria and caused it to disperse across the desk. As if she hadn't just destroyed his painstakingly constructed creation, Riveria began to write again as she commented, "So, it seems like your control over elemental energies can still be interfered with..." Vahn felt an urge to chuckle, but then he paused and furrowed his brows as he considered Riveria's words. If Riveria could 'interfere' with his elemental control, why couldn't he interfere with the flow of other people's mana, such as when they were chanting spells?Riveria noticed Vahn's look and snapped her journal shut as she asked in a curious tone, "Another epiphany? I wonder what kind of groundbreaking concept you'll introduce this time..." Though she hadn't intended to, Riveria released a slightly exasperated sigh before furrowing her brows slightly at her own lapse in decorum. Vahn hadn't paid any real attention to her slip at all, so Riveria squinted her eyes and waited for him to eventually tell her what he had 'discovered' now. He got this way at times, even though she knew he was aware of everything going on around him, and he would simply blank and get lost in his own thoughts for a while. Riveria knew from experience that most 'prodigies' were somewhat eccentric and, since this wasn't the first time he had done so, she patiently waited for his 'awakening'.Vahn had been playing the image of Riveria casting her magic over and over within his mind as he observed the flow and its influence on the magic circle. He already understood that the magic circle was just a language that was influenced by chant, the image the person had in their mind, and the belief they had in the spells functionality. Since it was 'language', it should actually be very easy to 'interrupt' their words with his own, just like in a real conversation. Though he might not have that much proficiency when it came to casting magic, Vahn's source energy was a much higher tiered energy than mana itself. By influencing a spell with his own energy, Vahn should be able to do several things, such as interrupt it, change its structure, or even cause it to backfire...The spell Vahn was focused on, since it seemed to be the 'safest' option, was Riveria's [Veil Breath]. He could tell that there were subtle changes in the structure of the magic circle, even though the chant didn't change at all. Vahn was able to interpret this as Riveria designating a 'target' and he was focused on the part of the magic circle that was changing to reflect her intent. After he was confident he understood it well enough, nearly twenty minutes had passed and he noticed that Riveria had a somewhat icy look for a brief moment before she returned to normal and asked, "Did you realize something?"Vahn laughed awkwardly before saying, "I think I might have found out a way...to counter, or change, the structure of magic...?" Riveria's expression didn't change at first, but she slowly hung her head before bringing her right hand up and rubbing her temples after closing her eyes. Vahn felt a brief bout of pity for Riveria before saying in as casual a manner as he could manage, given the situation, "Can you try using your [Veil Breath] on me? I want to see if I can change how the spell functions..." Riveria raised her head slowly before taking a deep breath and asking, "What exactly do you intend to change about the spell? I don't want my own magic to blow up in my face like your experiments with the vials..."Vahn felt a bit of an impact at Riveria's quip before shaking his head and saying confidently, "Your magic...shouldn't backlash. If I tell you what I'm trying to change, it might alter how you cast the spell and interfere with the experiment. Please trust me, Riveria." Riveria released an almost imperceptible sigh through her nose and began to chant her magic without asking any more questions, "Assemble, breath of the land - my name is Alf." Though she wasn't quite sure what had happened, Rivera felt a strange incongruity in her magic circle, even though her mana flowed according to her intent. However, she immediately noticed that something was very wrong as a magical light covered her body for a brief moment and her [Veil Breath] activated...on the wrong target.When Riveria had started chanting her magic, Vahn had 'seized' control of the elemental energies within her magic circle and altered the part that designated himself as the target. Since he had seen Riveria use the magic on herself several times, Vahn knew how to change it so that she became the new target. Seeing the light cover her body, he couldn't help but smile widely as this confirmed a variety of his speculations. Riveria, however, interpreted his smile as something completely different and flicked her pen at Vahn's face before he easily tilted his head to the side and evaded it.Riveria frowned slightly before recovering her normal expression and saying, "You...somehow changed the target of my magic...through the magic circle? How..." Riveria held her fingers to her chin in deep contemplation and Vahn knew that, like himself, she was also lost in her thoughts a bit. Unlike him, however, Vahn knew she was paying close attention to his words so he explained, "This further proves that magic is based on intent, or image, and how it influences the 'language' that you use to communicate with the elemental energies within the world itself. Even though you use the same chant, your spell never misfires and hits the incorrect target, at least for your [Veil Breath]. I can tell that, even though it is minuscule, there is a small change in the flow of the mana within the magic circle and, after replaying it multiple times in my mind, I was able to infer that this change designated the target. By altering the flow of energy within the magic circle itself, I was able to emulate the flow to designate you as the new target..."Hearing Vahn's words, Riveria felt her brain begin to buzz due to how incredulous she felt at the present moment. What he was saying, even though it made sense, was simply far too ridiculous for her to comprehend at the moment. He was basically saying that, as long as he had seen a magic circle once, he would be able to change it however he likes. Not only could he change the target, but he could outright prevent the magic from working...or much worse, cause an 'Ignis Fatuus' which would make a mages spell backfire and explode. Riveria had thought that Fafnir was a 'Mage's Nemesis', but it turns out that its Master was the true monster between the two...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Bathing is important','Riveria's 'revenge'','Vahn can put a skilled mage in a 'Mind Down' state just by speaking to them...RIP Riveria')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;3. Since it was requested, I also added a Paypal link if that is preferable~!)https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Vahn was very stressed out, even if he did his best not to show it. On the way up to Rivira, he had constantly been devoting his full focus to his surroundings as the group steadily made their way up through the floors. Because the monsters became progressively weaker, it got easier and easier the higher they went and, by the time they had reached the 20th floor, even Haruhime and Fenrir had joined in on the fighting. Vahn had let them take part since Fenrir needed to relieve the stress she had been 'receiving' from Vahn. When Fenrir was frustrated, it was very obvious to everyone around her and, because many of the girls were very perceptive, they knew Vahn wasn't in the best state of mind either.It wasn't that he was struggling with the difficulty of the situation, as there was apparently no danger to them at all, but Vahn was stressed out because he felt like something 'supposed' to happen. The more time that passed without his expectations bearing fruit, the more unnerved Vahn felt and he wanted to discover how they were able to track his position in the Dungeon. It was almost inconceivable that they had full control over the Dungeon itself, or they wouldn't have to go to such lengths to target him using such an indirect method. If they could spawn Monster Parties, track his position in the Dungeon, or even freely move between floors, Vahn didn't see how they would have any trouble killing or capturing anyone. The one thing he knew was that they seemed to be able to find him, but that was most likely related to an ability like [Diviniation].Vahn had been curious about how Freya was able to peer at anyone she wanted, generally without them being aware of it at all, while even being able to ignore the restrictions imposed by the Dungeon. He knew she was able to see what was going on inside, though he didn't know the extent of her ability, and learned that it was related to one of her Divinities, Divination. There was even a [Divination] Development Ability, so Vahn knew it was possible that, if someone was talented enough with the skill, they should be able to track his position, even if he was in the Dungeon.He also knew, however, that it was possible to block such things by setting up formations, seals, and certain types of physical barriers. If they were able to track him, even after he incorporated such matters in the future, it would mean they had a way of tracking people through the Dungeon itself. Just as Riveria had suggested, Vahn was now focused on understanding his enemy and discovering their capabilities. He would develop countermeasures against their ability to spy, not only on himself, but his allies that would be entering the Dungeon in the future.Vahn was already very tempted to stop the others from entering the Dungeon in the future so that they couldn't be captured and leveraged against him, but Vahn knew this would be counterintuitive and cause more problems in the future than it would solve presently. The enemy obviously didn't have the means to maneuver that easily in the Dungeon, and there shouldn't be any practical way for them to target any of the girls through practical methods. He also couldn't avoid the Dungeon himself either, so Vahn would have to find a solution in the near future if he wanted to avoid trouble.---With their increased pace, the group managed to clear through the middle floors very quickly and had arrived at Rivira, the settlement on the 18th floor, with more than enough time to return to the surface before dark. It was barely 5 PM at present so, if they continued to hurry, they could be back at the Hearth Manor within an hour or two. Before they continued onwards, Vahn took Riveria's advice and they all stopped at the small residence managed by the Loki Familia for their expeditions into the lower floors. They used it as a staging area for supplies, which they would build up over several weeks, before consolidating everything together for their long expeditions into the Lower Floors of the Dungeon. Presently, the Loki Familia made quarterly trips to the 51st floor of the Dungeon to harvest items from the large dragon, Cadmus, and also harvest the spring water it guarded.Within the residence, there was a very rare communication magic tool that was permanently affixed to the ground of a secret room in the basement of the building. The Loki Familia had invested a lot of resources into installing a permanent line of communication that ran all the way from the 18th floor and continued upwards through the stairs using the route often taken by the Loki Familia. The reason they were able to do this was, unlike the deeper floors which changed their structure very often, the staircases on the first seventeen floors were always located in the same areas. It was possible to run a relay from the 17th floor, all the way up to the surface, without interference. Though they had to periodically inspect the link to ensure it wasn't damaged, it was still better than not having any method to contact the surface for logistical purpose and to report emergencies.After resting for around an hour, Vahn made the decision to return to the surface so they could find sanctuary within the Hearth Manor. Until he got out of the Dungeon, Vahn wouldn't be able to completely calm down and he wanted to be able to enjoy a nice long rest. Other than the 'minor' hiccups they had along the way, especially in their return trip, everything else had gone very smoothly. Vahn now had 1,263,117OP sitting in his reserves, had increased his strength by a marginal amount, had helped Haruhime and Fenrir grow much stronger, and had even gotten a new subordinate, the Green Dragon, and the Treasure Tree it guarded. The 17 Treasure Magic Stones that had decorated its branches were worth, at the very least, one-hundred-seventy-million Valis.All things considered, their week-long excursion into the Dungeon had been highly successful and, if not for the 'machinations' of enemies he knew nothing about, Vahn would have been ecstatic. He had never realized how frustrating it was to face an 'unknown' enemy, even though he knew there were evil forces at work in the background. Now that he had been able to put a face to the forces at work, their presence had seeded themselves into his heart and mind and now Vahn was determined to undermine their plans. As long as they targeted him, Vahn would do everything in his power to oppose them, especially if they tried to target the people he cared about. Even though he knew it would probably irreversibly change his perspective of the world, and perhaps all worlds to follow, Vahn would destroy the entire Dungeon if necessary...even if it took him years, and his entire life's efforts to accomplish...---As expected, from the very moment they reached the stairs leading to the 17th floor, the group's progress became incomparably smooth and they were able to reach the surface after an additional forty minutes of travel. The moment he stepped out into the first floor of Babel, Vahn felt like a heavy weight had been removed from his shoulders and he couldn't help but release a relieved sigh. The fresh air of the surface had an instantaneous calming effect on his mind and it felt like the looming threat in the shadows had lost its power to influence him. Though he couldn't confirm it yet, just based on his instincts, Vahn felt like his enemies weren't able to influence the surface, at least for the time being.Just as he had released his sigh, Riveria handed him back his own communication scroll and said, "For the time being, we'll have to show a bit of caution whenever we're entering the Dungeon. I don't know the extent of our enemies' capabilities, but I can deduce they don't have too many strong members comprising their group. You only ever saw the one woman, and it may very well be the case she is acting alone...though it is unlikely, considering the situation..." Riveria looked around the area and squinted her eyes before saying, "We should leave this place, there are too many eyes and ears about."Hearing Riveria's words, Tiona released a long sigh that was a mix between relief and exasperation as she said, "Maaaaan, it's so much better to be on the surface after being cooped up in that dreary place for so long. Vahn, we should go and have some fun tomorrow~!" Vahn furrowed his brows for a very brief moment before showing a loose smile and saying, "Sure, I think that would be for the best. I feel like all my nerves have been pulled taught; it would be good to loosen them up a bit..." As if taking his words as an invitation, Tiona stuck her body to him and dangled from his neck as she playfully rubbed her face against his cheek. Though her actions drew the attention of the surroundings, Vahn felt like things had returned to 'normal' all of a sudden so he couldn't help but smile.---By the time they had reached the Manor, Vahn felt a lot more refreshed, likely as a result of the cold winter air and the warmth of the surrounding girls. Things escalated when, before the even made their way through the courtyard, several people exited through the front door of the Manor and came to greet the group. Vahn spread warmth through his domain as he caught the goddess-shaped bullet that launched herself at him. Hestia tightly hugged his body and said, "Vahn, welcome home~! I missed you so much~." Vahn laughed as he embraced Hestia's waist and, without worrying about the surroundings, kissed her on the lips for several long seconds. When he finally 'released' her, Hestia had a fiercely blushing face and a vibrant pink aura as she stammered, "T-t-there is a time and a p-place for everything...gnnnnuuuu, let's go inside and talk!"Vahn gave an 'apologetic' smile to the 'expectant' looking girls that also seemed to want a kiss of their own as he followed Hestia into the interior of the pleasantly warm Hearth Manor. He had noticed this several times in the past, but this was the first time Vahn had truly appreciated what this place represented. No matter how stressful things got, nor how his enemies schemed against him, Vahn would always have a place to return to in order to find a momentary reprieve from his struggles. It wasn't the Hearth Manor itself, but the people contained within that brought him the solace his heart and mind desired.Though it was somewhat uncharacteristic of him, Vahn was a bit 'overly' affectionate during their following discussion and had cuddled up with several girls until. Even Tsubaki, who had moved in at this time, didn't go out of her way to tease him and had even taken the task of washing his back during the bath as her own. She was easily the most 'mature' looking woman in the group, even though she had a youthful appearance after experiencing Vahn's 'Nirvana'. Syr also seemed to get along with her very well and was even somewhat deferential to her, likely due to Tsubaki's past, present, and future roles in Vahn's life. She had been his 'surrogate mother', 'mentor', 'forging master', 'caretaker', and now she was also his 'lover' and 'mistress'. Syr understood that making an 'enemy' out of Tsubaki would be very detrimental to the group's synergy, so she had quickly given grounds to the somewhat frank, and borderline tyrannical, woman.Tsubaki's presence in the Manor was very impactful and, other than Syr, she had even reigned in a large number of the other girls as well. She was Lili's 'mentor', since Vahn was her 'master', and also treated Naaza as her protege. Because of her straightforward personality, she got along will all the girls at the Hostess of Fertility and also developed a strong bond with Milan, as they had very similar circumstances, and was even helping look after Tina and Shizune. She had already started helping Mikoto train her swordsmanship, had been looking after the twins, and was also getting progressively closer to Preasia. Since he knew she had only moved in three days ago, Vahn was somewhat awestruck by how quickly Tsubaki had found her way into the very core of the group.After the relatively long bath, it was coming time for bed and Vahn had to make an 'important' decision. Though he wanted to sleep peacefully, Vahn also felt a strong urge to release his tensions and spend time with the girls that had been waiting for their return on the surface. He ultimately decided that, since he was going to be spending a lot of time lounging about the Manor in the near future, he would spend his evenings in a more 'proactive' manner. As one of the girls most affected by his absence, Vahn ended up inviting Hestia to stay with him, alongside Tsubaki, Syr, and Aki.Tsubaki had never been involved with girls before, but she was very proactive and had quickly 'subjugated' the mischevious Aki after being goaded on by Syr. Vahn had noticed this when he was with Tsubaki in the past, but she was a bit of a 'bully' when it came to displaying affection. Since she couldn't 'vent' on him, as he was dealing with multiple women at the time, she picked on the only girl in the group that was strong enough to 'deal' with her teasing. Vahn felt a little apologetic to Aki, as he hadn't intended for her to be his 'shield' against Tsubaki, but she seemed to be enjoying herself, so Vahn assumed she wouldn't blame him...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'TFW Karma 'isn't' a b!itch...','Burdens removed?','Tsubaki's 'Tyranny'')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;3. Since it was requested, I also added a Paypal link if that is preferable~!)https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 413: Emberwisp Silk