Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

During the day of 'rest' that had been assigned by Finn, the expedition prepared all of the supplies onto the convoy for the coming journey. Since things were already consolidated into one area, it hadn't taken them much time at all so they spent the rest of the day talking about what they would do once they reached the surface. As for Vahn and the girls, with the exception of Mikoto who could be found training outside, they went unseen throughout the day, including during meals. Things had taken a strange turn at some point and Vahn had decided he wanted to pamper the girls more after Lili and Fenrir 'goaded' him into it. He spent the rest day polishing his [Hands of Nirvana] and [Petting] and, by the time the day of the departure came, all of the girls seemed more 'vibrant' than in the past.As they were already very beautiful, cute, and adorable, it was something that everyone within the expedition noticed and it started another round of rumors. Though it wasn't as 'extreme' as some speculated, Vahn didn't make any efforts to refute their words and they knew better than to try and badger the girls. He did notice a big change in the fluctuations of some of the women, however, and it was somewhat unnerving to be stared at with what could be described as 'feverish' gazes. Vahn was a very handsome man with high status, a lot of authority, and an incredible amount of wealth. Combined with the fact he could make them 'more beautiful', Vahn became a very popular existence amongst the female troupe. Since it was very well-known he had a 'harem', some of the girls that were confident in their beauty thought they might have a chance.However, Fenrir's gaze deterred the majority of them while the more sensible ones recognized the fact that Vahn was already surrounded by a number of capable women, including actual goddesses. Unless they were willing to put themselves in a position to 'compete' against some of the best within the City, their 'fortune' likely wouldn't hold out. Just the fact that Loki, their goddess, was amongst the women surrounding Vahn was a powerful deterrent. Since Loki was somewhat lecherous and licentious by nature, many of the girls had been 'victimized' by her in the past. She would be able to see through their plots relatively easily as well so, while they enjoyed looking and fantasizing, none of the girls had the boldness to approach Vahn.Once everything had been prepared, the expedition reformed the convoy and, after Finn gave the orders to march forward, the journey to the surface officially began. It generally took around five days to reach the 50th Floor, but the return trip could take nearly an entire week as they were transporting carts that were heavy with materials and supplies. Thus far, the expedition had been going on for twenty days, so they were still a little bit ahead of schedule as things had originally been planned for up to a month. Vahn's existence within the expedition had caused things to progress much smoother than in the past, but it also accelerated events by a great deal.As the majority of the girls from the Hestia Familia were near the limits of their potential, they took the initiative to help transport the supplies instead of trying to engage in combat. Lili was an especially welcome addition since she could actually pull a cart that typically needed several people all on her own. Though others had offered to help, Lili wanted to try and increase the proficiency of her [Artel*Assist] while also showing off her strength so that people wouldn't underestimate her. Combined with her [Atlas] Innate ability, Lili was dragging along a cart that weighed nearly 4,000kg on her own. She still needed help for elevated areas, especially on stairs, but was otherwise able to move forward without slowing down the pace of the convoy at all. For many people, this was a somewhat 'scary' sight, because Lili's diminutive size made her look like a small child instead of a physical powerhouse...During the return journey, Vahn had wanted to speed things up a bit so he had allowed invigorating energy to permeate through the convoy to keep everyone in high spirits. To increase his own reputation even further, Vahn would periodically perform feats like raining boulders onto the enemy, spreading waves of fire, or even hurling icy cannonballs at monsters. Unless he replicated Haruhime's [Icicle Edge], Vahn wasn't able to make normal spears of ice that could emulate the effects of her magic. To compensate, Vahn had instead decided to make compact cannonballs of ice that were infused with almost pure ice elemental energy. Using his physical strength to throw them, they would crash into enemies and disperse the collected energy into their bodies. As a result, unless they were fire-based or had resistance against ice, parts of their bodies would be instantaneously frozen. It wasn't the most lethal ability, but Vahn was focused more on building proficiency than anything else.For slightly more than two days, which was fast since the return often took three, the convoy continued tirelessly until they reached the safety of the 39th Floor. Vahn realized that reinvigorating people for long periods of time was a bit of a double-edged sword. Though their pace had increased greatly, the mental strain people had suffered during the trip was marginally greater than what they would have experienced dragging things out longer. Fortunately, nobody really complained about it since they were now closer to the surface even sooner than expected. To make amends, not that anyone was blaming him, Vahn purchased a veritable buffet of seafood for everyone and worked side-by-side with the chefs of the convoy to prepare the meals.Since the cooking techniques he made use of were 'foreign' to the majority of the other cooks, Vahn taught them a bit and even spread around the specific recipes he was using. Though it might lead to a 'food revolution' in the future, Vahn didn't think this was a bad thing at all as he was very fond of delicious foods. Though it was now beginning to fade from the forefront of his mind, Vahn could still recall the endless days of bland and tasteless food. Besides, everyone was happier when there was delicious food to eat and it made Vahn's reputation within the expedition increase even further. Not only did he provide the materials himself, which had caused a few rumors to begin circulating, but he also helped in the preparation. The fact they could be served meals by the 'Sage Aldrnari' made many people feel like he was a very amiable and humble youth.The only time anyone had any real 'conflict' with Vahn was when they said something to one of the girls that often surrounded him. At this point, most people had reigned themselves in even though they had just been teasing them a bit. It was very obvious that Vahn was 'close' with all of the girls present and people weren't dumb enough to make an enemy out of the Captain of another Familia, especially when that person was also the Father of their goddess' child. Though it might give them a sense of 'conquest' if they were able to succeed, it was very obvious that Vahn would probably not take the matter laying down. Seeing the methods he employed when dealing with monsters, even those that were confident in their strength found themselves far from his capabilities. Thinking he was able to accomplish this when he was Level 3, and taking into consideration his age, many people treated Vahn like a maturing dragon that slept with one eye open...After resting for the evening, the convoy continued the climb in the hopes of reaching the surface within three days. Vahn still helped reinvigorate people, but he also spread calming energy through the crowd to help ease the tensions of their mind when they weren't engaged in hard combat. The monsters were getting progressively easier the further they went up, so he had stopped assisting in battle and focused entirely on supporting those at the frontlines. Vahn's support was his greatest 'miracle' of all and there was even an incident where someone had taken a spear directly to their diaphragm and would have almost certainly died if Vahn hadn't stepped in to save him.Though people had opened up to Vahn a great deal, there was a noticeable shift that had started to occur the longer they were exposed to his presence. Instead of giving Vahn grateful looks and sharing a few amiable words, people began to look at Vahn with solemn and serious expressions with somewhat respectful eyes. Every time he saved someone, that was someone's friend, ally, companion, and potentially even lover. Though many veteran Adventurers knew what it meant to lose someone close to them, that didn't mean they were accustomed to it at all. Vahn's intervention made many of them very grateful for his presence and it had started to infect other people with a similar mentality.With everyone's morale reaching ever greater heights, the expedition reached the 18th Floor, Rivira, well before the end of the third day. The atmosphere, especially after passing through the 'water hell' of the 27th-25th floor, had reached a critical level and everyone was in high spirits as they 'invaded' Rivira and began bartering goods. As the Loki Familia had accepted several missions from those gathered within the small settlement, they set up a small station after setting up their encampment in the forest. Even if there was little chance of it happening, there were always a bold few that might try to steal from the carts in the dead of the night if they stayed within the settlement itself. It was better to have people come to them, receive their items, and then send them away than it was to keep everything in the heart of relatively 'lawless' territory.As for Vahn, he had been on high alert ever since they reached the Middle Floors and had been inspecting the Dungeon as they progressed higher towards Rivira. He had noticed that the artificial dungeon reappeared near the 25th Floor and there were increasingly more signs of it the higher they climbed. This allowed him to confirm that the artificial dungeon wasn't actually that deep, which meant their enemies had to be using pathways within the Dungeon itself to reach the Deeper Floors. Since they were 'restricted' in their movements in the Deeper Floors, it made sense why they weren't able to easily take action against them. Now, however, the enemy could pop up at a variety of locations and could even intermingle with other people since they didn't actually look like monsters.While the Loki Familia had been setting up their camp, Vahn had started exploring the area where he had recorded entrances to the artificial dungeon and began setting up small 'ping' formations that would alert him as long as he was on the 18th Floor. There was a fair chance the enemies would be able to remove the formations, but event his would give Vahn more information about their capabilities. He had been using his highest stealth capabilities and had worn camouflage equipment during the process so there was little chance he had been detected through conventional means. If they were still able to find him, it meant they had 'eyes' within the Dungeon and were able to track the location of people through means he was unable to detect presently.To potentially 'lure' them out, Vahn remained near one of the entrances for a few hours until he could feel the 'angst' coming from the girls through his bond with them. It was beginning to get late, so they were probably starting to worry about him somewhat. Since his enemies never showed, Vahn left behind a letter pinned to a tree in the event that they had been watching him and simply were unwilling to act. If it were still there in the future, as Vahn had hidden it away from the common line of sight, Vahn would be able to determine if they were truly able to spy on him. Though it wouldn't eliminate the chance they could be watching, it would show they couldn't watch everything.---Around two hours after Vahn had left the area, in the dead of the night, a figure appeared from the concealed entrance that connected to the artificial dungeon. It was a man with a thin figure that had a layer of lithe muscles adorning his body. He was wearing what could only be described as white tribal attire and even adorned his face with a white skull mask with curved horns. As if competing with his outfit, the man's hair was also white and he carried himself with a flamboyant and arrogant attitude as he walked forward and ripped the letter from the tree. Opening it up, the man read the contents before crumpling it up into a ball and discarding it. He looked toward the area where the Loki Familia had set up camp with a cruel smile on his face before eventually shaking his head and returning through the same path he came from.---Though he had been asleep, Vahn had detected when the formation was triggered and it had immediately awoken him from his slumber. Along with his awakening, Fenrir also opened her eyes while Lefiya stirred about slightly. Within the contents of the letter, Vahn had stated, 'I don't know what your purpose is, but if you are my enemy I will not show you any leniency. If you have the courage, face me directly, as either friend or foe, and we'll see where each of us stands. I will arrive at that area within ten minutes if you haven't fled before then.' As the distance was only a few kilometers away, Vahn could cover it in less than a minute even without the use of [Shundo]. However, after just three minutes passed, Vahn felt another ping pass through his mind that made him frown deeply.This almost guaranteed that they were his enemy and showed that they had no intention of facing him directly at all. Vahn disliked schemers greatly and this caused him to feel greater animosity for them. At least he was able to confirm a few of his speculations, assuming they weren't trying to deceive him, so Vahn wasn't entirely dissatisfied with this development. He now knew they had a way to 'see' within even the safe areas, at least around Rivira, but it didn't seem like they had detected him when he was in stealth. Even now, Vahn could sense that all of his formations were still active and this meant that they either didn't care if he knew when they were entering and exiting their pathways, or they were simply unaware of it.Since the person that read the letter obviously didn't have any intention of confronting him directly, Vahn stroked the back of Fenrir's hair to calm her down and slowly allowed himself to fall asleep. They would be returning to the surface in the morning and Vahn wanted to put the matter behind him for the time being since it wouldn't benefit any of them to worry about 'cowards'. Now that he had reached Level 4, Vahn's confidence had greatly increased and the only people he could see himself losing against were the more powerful Level 5's, like Ais, and a few Level 6's. Other than that, the only opponent he somewhat dreaded fighting against was Ottar, because Vahn's instincts told him he wouldn't be able to withstand a single serious blow from the man known as the 'King'...Early the next morning, Vahn awoke with everyone else in the expedition as they prepared for the final leg of their journey. They could have easily returned to Orario the previous evening, but they still needed to exchange items with Rivira and it was already late by the time they had finished. Since climbing seventeen flights of stairs with carts wasn't something anyone looked forward to, they didn't mind waiting for one more night before returning to the surface. Once they reached the surface, they would have a two-week period where they weren't required to enter the Dungeon at all. People were already making plans for how they planned to spend their vacation while talking about what they intended to buy. Expeditions were very profitable for everyone involved and most of the combatants would be walking away with small bonuses that typically exceeded one-million Valis. Even the Supporters would make several-hundred-thousand Valis while the remaining amount would go to the Loki Familia's treasury to purchase the necessary supplies for the next expedition.Even Vahn was planning to have the girls take a decently long break so they could familiarize themselves with their new capabilities and advance their training. Now that they would all be Level 3, or higher, they would have a lot more freedom to move about the City in the future. Though they would still need an escort, while also reporting their intended destinations, it was still good for them to be able to move about more freely in the future. Thus far, Haruhime hadn't really explored the City much and had only ever gone out in large groups. Now, there were few Adventurers below Level 5 that would even be able to hurt her unless they took her by surprise.Though she might cause a bit of a commotion, as she had become increasingly beautiful with the development of her Innate ability, it was a good chance to spread awareness of her existence to other people. The Guild would undoubtedly spread the information of their achievements, but having some public exposure would be beneficial for both the girls and the Familia. Vahn expected he would have to accompany them during the occasion, but his schedule had opened up a fair amount for the foreseeable future.Until the orb awakened, Vahn would be holed up inside the Manor working on his research and the only times he planned to leave were during future expeditions and to accompany the girls when they went out. He wanted to complete the prototypes for the girls' armor, research a few of the things he had taken an interest in, and also develop his own network since his 'clubhouse' should be finished by now. The most important thing on his schedule though, other than spending some time with the girls that had patiently awaited their return, was to leave the City and name the Green Dragon that had been safely stowed away in his Inventory...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Don't mess with Vahn's girls (O,...,O)','Cowards','Slumbering Dragon')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

After a four hour climb up nearly 2km of stairs, the expedition finally reached the surface and Vahn got to experience what it was like to move a massive haul of materials via escort through crowded streets. Since it was early in the morning, there were numerous people entering the Dungeon and they all cleared the path and applauded the expeditions return. The main members of the Loki Familia led the way with Finn holding a massive banner and it was quite the sight to behold. Vahn had been tempted to leave after a few parting words by using Fafnir, but he decided not to 'steal' the spotlight from the Loki Familia this time around.Once the convoy reached Babel Plaza, they came to a temporary stop as it had come time for the other Familia that had accompanied them to part ways. Vahn stood with the group as Finn thanked everyone for their assistance while also expressing interest to work with them in the future. He had even taken the initiative to open the floor to Vahn for a little while, something that had caught him slightly off guard, but he managed to say a few encouraging words to the gathered leaders. Vahn was somewhat fond of the Hephaestus Familia blacksmiths and even promised to do a demonstration for them in the future. It wasn't uncommon for [Master Smiths] to do annual demonstrations for aspiring blacksmiths and many people were interested to see Vahn's actual skill level since he was so young.After everyone began parting ways, Finn walked over and said, "The girls will be returning to the Twilight Manor to celebrate with the Familia and get their Status Boards updated. It looks like Lefiya had reached her peak, though I'm sure you're more aware of that than anyone, so we'll be celebrating her rise as a Second-Class Adventurer. I'm certain there are things you have to attend to, but I expect I'll see you early tomorrow morning when you come to receive them?" Vahn had already known that the girls would be returning to the Twilight Manor temporarily, as they had talked about it within their tent, so he simply nodded his head before shaking hands with Finn and saying, "I'll be bringing a surprise by, so look forward to it."Hearing Vahn mention a 'surprise', Finn's expression broke slightly before he smiled widely and returned to the convoy and began leading the way once again. Vahn was left behind with Fenrir, Haruhime, Naaza, Lili, and Mikoto as they watched the departure until they had reached the opposite side of the tower. Vahn then turned to the patiently waiting girls and smiled before saying, "We're going to take a short detour before we return to the Manor, okay?" As the 'voice of reason' within the group, Naaza asked, "Where are we going?" She didn't plan to oppose Vahn at all, but she couldn't help but ask the question that was on everyone's minds.As if to answer her question, the shadows at their feet expanded greatly as Fafnir popped up out of the ground and 'spooked' several nearby Adventurers and pedestrians. Vahn rubbed its snout before answering, "I have a promise to keep to one of our allies, and I'd like to take care of it before we get busy over the next few days." Vahn still wanted to surprise the girls a bit, so he was being a little roundabout in his explanation. Haruhime, Mikoto, and Fenrir had some idea about what he was talking about, but Naaza and Lili were completely in the dark about the situation since they hadn't accompanied Vahn during the Bloodsaurus hunt.After mounting Fafnir, Vahn didn't immediately depart the City because he didn't want to make a 'bigger' scene by circumventing the laws that governed every resident. Though it caused a bit of panic amongst the guards, Vahn arrived at the West Gate of Orario before filling out the paperwork for their departure from the City. Things went especially fast because of the 'pressure' people felt from Fafnir's presence. Even though it didn't do anything to actually intimidate them, Fafnir looked inarguably like an 'evil' dragon and its appearance was enough to unnerve weaker people. Most of the guards didn't exceed Levels 2-3, so the pressure from a Level 5 Dragon was a bit much for them.Vahn explained that he would check back in through the same gate so that they could inform others not to panic when a dragon appeared outside the gate later. Afterward, they mounted Fafnir once again before flying to one of the large structures that dotted the horizon to the northwest of the City. Eden was a 'mystical' looking continent so there were several uncommon structures that couldn't be found on Earth, not that Vahn would know for certain. One of the features was a series of 'pillar' like objects that erupted from the ground at slight angles. The reason people called them pillars was because they were either cylindrical or squarish in shape and the peaks were also flat. As for why you wouldn't see such a thing in other records, it was because many of them were several kilometers tall and there was no way they were formed 'naturally'.Fafnir landed atop one of the massive pillars that were more than 7km wide before everyone climbed down to the surface. They weren't the first ones to reach the top of one, as some people actually used them as a form of training by climbing to the top, but it was still a spectacle to behold, being able to look out over the nearby City from several kilometers in the air. Vahn eventually wanted to take them all freefalling one day, but there were other things to take care of right now so he pulled out the large monster core from his inventory and began infusing his energy into it.While he was infusing his energy into the core, which was taking a fair amount of time, Vahn explained, "When we entered the Dungeon to hunt Bloodsaurus, we had come across a sentient Green Dragon..." Vahn had already told them about this in the past, he was just reminding them so they understood the situation a bit better. Once it seemed like everyone recalled this fact, Vahn continued by saying, "I had promised to allow it to see the surface and live a lifestyle free from combat as much as possible. From here onwards, please treat this dragon as one of our companions and look after it so it understands the kindness of others...Fafnir, since you're a dragon as well, I'll be relying on you to look after your sibling, okay?"Hearing that it would have a new companion, Fafnir roared out with its mouth with a terrible roar as a childish voice resonated in everyone's minds, ("Yay~! Leave it to me, Vahn, I'll take care of them to the best of my ability~!") As if not to be left out, Fenrir pumped her paws in an excited manner and said, "Fenrir will also look after the Green Dragon as the big sister!" Then, as if realizing something, Fenrir tilted her head and asked, "Master, are you going to make the Green Dragon a girl or a boy?"Vahn had been thinking about that for the last few days as well, but he eventually settled on just naming the Green Dragon without thinking about its gender at all.He knew monsters could be 'genderless', so he would leave it to the Green Dragon itself to decide what it wanted to become in the future. However, he couldn't help but shake the feeling it would end up as a girl while Fafnir would likely become a boy, as it's childish voice had taken on a more masculine intonation as of late.Even as a Xenos, which is what Vahn assumed the Green Dragon to be, it had a soft and somewhat womanly voice so Vahn figured that is how it identified itself.To answer Fenrir's question, Vahn finished infusing his energy into the monster core and said, "I'll leave it up to the Green Dragon to make that decision. I should have consulted you and Fafnir about it bef-" Before Vahn could finish his words, Fenrir's hair stood on end and she said, "Fenrir is super happy to be a girl~! If Fenrir had been a boy, she wouldn't have been able to spend so much time with Master!" Vahn was slightly surprised by Fenrir's outburst but he didn't have much time to address her as a Green Dragon nearly 12m in length appeared after a large cloud of purple dust formed its body.When it opened its blue eyes, the Green Dragon looked toward the sky and dazed for a moment before a soft voice sounded out in a low growl, "The sky is so beautiful and vast...". Everyone was brought to a temporary silence, as a combination of the sudden appearance of another large dragon and the 'sadness' they could hear in its tone. If the Green Dragon had tear ducts, it might have started crying as a result of seeing the cloudless sky above. Like most Xenos, it longed for the light of the surface and this was the first time it had been able to realize its 'dream'.After staring at the sky for a short while, the Green Dragon turned its head toward Vahn before leaning forward and nuzzling against him in an affectionate manner as it said, "My Master, you have kept your promise...thank you...". Vahn used his [Hands of Nirvana] and [Petting] to comfort the dragon, something it seemed to be somewhat startled by, as he said, "I've only kept part of my promise so far, and I'm about to make good on the second part. To ensure that others are able to accept your presence, I'm going to bestow upon you a name. You should know that the name I give you can give you great power, or it can change your fate to guarantee you can experience the peace you desire. Depending on your choices, you can even become humanoid and take on the appearance of a man or woman...it's all up to you."Hearing Vahn's words, the Green Dragon opened its eyes with a slightly contemplative look as it turned to observe Fafnir and Fenrir. It could sense that they were the same as it was, monsters that had come to serve Vahn. It didn't know the name of the dragon, but the Green Dragon felt an instinctive fear towards it and knew it wouldn't be able to fight it at all. Even the small Fenrir had become much stronger since the last time the Green Dragon had seen her, so she knew Vahn's words were true. After coming to a decision, the Green Dragon turned to Vahn and said, "I will accept the fate my Master bestows me...just know that I do not like fighting...though I do desire the power to protect myself and others..."Vahn smiled before asking, "Do you have a preference about being a boy or a girl...or perhaps you'd like to be genderless? I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to change it in the future, so you'll have to consider the matter seriously." The Green Dragon cocked its head slightly before saying, "I am a female, even in my past life, so I'd like to remain as such. As for my form, it doesn't matter to me that much as long as I'm able to live a peaceful life..." Since the dragon wanted to be a female, Vahn respected its decision and began to form an image in his mind.There were surprisingly very few records he could find about dragons that protected nature, but that didn't mean there weren't any. As part of an experiment, though it might have been 'rude' to conduct it without permission, Vahn harbored the desire that it would be able to change form in the future. If it truly obtained the ability to do so, Vahn figured he would be able to glean some understanding from the ability and potentially even teach it to Fafnir in the future. Fafnir was still an adolescent dragon, which meant it would still grow much larger in the future. Vahn was worried it might even reach more than 40m and it would be very difficult for it to move above on the surface. It's weak spot also grew in proportion to its size, so Vahn wanted to find a way to help it shrink its body so it would be safer.Some of the names Vahn had researched came up with results about a peaceful dragon of dreams and nature, named Ysera, a guardian of the mortal plane, Treva, and the more preeminent of the earth dragons, Gaea and Terra. Vahn knew there was a powerful primordial goddess by the name of Gaea, so he was somewhat worried about 'borrowing' the name and inadvertently offending someone. Though he would be borrowing the name from a dragon from a different record, Vahn still had a few concerns about it. As for Treva, it might give the Green Dragon a lot of power, but it might also bind her to a fate of inevitable conflict. The last name on his list was simply a nature spirit named Evergreen, and Vahn was curious what would happen if he wanted her to stay a dragon while giving her the name of a powerful nature spirit...Eventually deciding it would be best to take into consideration the Green Dragon's desire for a 'peaceful' life, Vahn looked up and asked the dragon itself, "I can name you Evergreen, which would give you power over nature and plant life, or I can name you Terra, which would give you dominion over the earth itself if you become strong enough. Neither would require you to fight, but both names give you great potential..." The Green Dragon blinked its large eyes once before asking, "Can I choose Terra Evergreen as my name? They both seem like good names and I do not wish for either to go to waste..."Hearing the Green Dragon's question, Vahn found his mind had blanked somewhat before thought began to rapidly bounce around in his head. Out of curiosity, Vahn opened up his system shop and did a search for 'Terra Evergreen' and found several books and items related to entities with that existence. Vahn was somewhat worried that the Green Dragon might end up being named after a person from a different record, one which had nothing to do with dragons, and it seemed like he had good reason to be. Since he didn't want to read through every book, Vahn decided to trust in the nature of his skill since it had even been able to make Fenrir into an adorable girl simply because he wanted the evolution to be 'cute'.Vahn smiled before nodding his head and saying, "We'll go with that then...from this point onward, you shall be known as Terra Evergreen, Dragon-Avatar of the Earth, and Guardian of Nature..." The instant his words finished, a vortex of energy began to envelop the Green Dragon and Vahn as powerful winds formed atop the surface of the Pillar. Fortunately, the girls were much stronger now and they had the protection of Fafnir's magic to block the turbulent energy. It wasn't nearly as chaotic as Fafnir's and Vahn felt a gentle warmth spreading from the Green Dragon as her form shrank a great deal.After a bit of time passed, the 12m dragon had shrunken down into a sphere 3m in diameter as roots began growing from the ground and twining around it. The roots began to sprout branches from which rainbow-colored flowers began to bloom from. Vahn could smell an incredibly calming fragrance spread through the air as the turbulent energy immediately came to a stop, replaced instead by a gentle breeze. The entire top of the Pillar erupted with plant life as the cold atmosphere now permeated a spring-like warmth as a sea of flowers was formed throughout the entire 7km radius atop the Pillar. The green energy that had formed into a sphere began to solidify until it looked like a piece of pure green amber with a shadowy figure located in its core.The energy in the air had completely stabilized and there was a very strange yet comforting sense of 'peace' that had enveloped everyone present. Vahn felt like there would be nothing better in the entire world than simply laying down in the field of flowers and enjoying the sunshine as he counted the clouds or took a long nap. However, he was more interested in the emerald-green amber that had been entwined with 'magical' roots. Though they looked normal at first glance, there were emerald-green lines that grew along the roots that were full of vitality and life. Vahn felt like they would be incredibly valuable materials for alchemy but decided not to concern himself with it as he waited for Terra to emerge from the amber. He instinctually knew she would awaken very soon and turned his attention to the Unit Management to check her status in the meantime...-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------(Terra Evergreen)Age: 7 months 19 days (Ageless)Race: True DragonLevel: 4Loyalty: 92Soul Strength: Tier 1 (Named Familiar)Karma: -State: [Active], [Chrysalis]Skills: [Avatar of Earth:Innate(B)], [Guardian of Nature:Innate(C)], [Pacifism:C], [Aroma Therapy:B], [Healing Sap:C][Terra Evergreen] A unique entity formed from the amalgamation of two records, The Earth Dragon, Terra, and the Queen of the Spirits, Evergreen. As an entity formed to be the embodiment of peace, they are unable to exercise their might in the majority of combat situations but have incredible support potential. Within a given area, they are able to exercise rudimentary control over nature, with their power growing further the longer their roots are embedded within the soil. Proper nourishment could even give them full control over the planet, so take proper care of the one who bears this record, lest you face the wrath of the planet itself![Avatar of the Earth]Rank: Innate(B) *Innate skills cannot be identified. Attempts to do so will result in a backlash.*Passive: Allows the user to exercise dominion over the land in a given area. Proper nourishment is required to sustain their growth and they can become sick if the land in the area is polluted.Active: Strengthens allies within their territory while weakening enemies.[Guardian of Nature]Rank: Innate(C) *Innate skills cannot be identified. Attempts to do so will result in a backlash.*Passive: Nourishes plant life and greatly accelerates their growth.Active: Creates a 'Nature Spirit Guardian' that siphons natural energy in the surroundings to defeat enemies.[Pacifism]Rank: CUse: Increases parameters when out of combat. Sharply decreases parameters if the user builds negative emotions.[Aroma Therapy]Rank: BUse: Allows the user generates a fragrance that is pleasant to all entities. Calms the mind of those that smell the fragrance and reminds them of fond memories.[Healing Sap]Rank: CUse: Allows the user to produce sap that can be applied to wounds to rapidly regenerate damaged tissue. Can also be ingested and has a flavor reminiscent of honey and sugar dew.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The sky is so beautiful...','Combining Records','Every team comp needs a good support')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

While they were recuperating their stamina, Vahn explained the details of what he had seen on the 58th Floor and confirmed the account of the Zeus and Hera Familias. He also talked about the practicality of moving between the floors using the 'tunnels' formed by the Valgang Dragon's like a shortcut in the future, something that caused a fair amount of discomfort amongst the group. Though Riveria's [Veil Breath] was very useful, it wasn't guaranteed to protect them from several bursts but Vahn assured her it shouldn't be a problem. He promised to make something that helped to amplify her magic power in the future, while also researching how to create permanant countermeasures for the breath attacks.Though Finn knew the 'tunnels' lead all the way to the 58th Floor, while passing through every floor in between, he had never thought about using them as a 'short cut' before. It seemed a little ridiculous, but Vahn's stunt showed that it was definitely possible, though there would have to be some preparations made beforehand. The fact that he had gone all the way down to the 58th Floor and returned in a matter of ten minutes, while also killing six Valgang Dragons, one Red Dragon, and several Ill Wyverns, was a big eye-opener for everyone present.The person that seemed to take the biggest impact, however, was Bete, who was standing at the side with a somewhat pale complexion. He had already agreed to fight with Vahn on the surface, but he realized now that Vahn was probably much stronger than he was. Bete had no way of replicating Vahn's feat on his own and he also knew there was no practical way to deal with his [Shundo] either. He was already intending to force Vahn into a brawl, as he wouldn't be able to deal with his ranged attacks for long, but even that seemed like a bad idea if Vahn was able to become hot enough to melt the Dungeon...After resting for a good half-hour, the group made their way into the 51st Floor and pressed forward with the same momentum as they cleared the other Floors. Though they could afford to take it slow, it was already in the afternoon and everyone wanted to return to the 50th Floor before it got too late in the evening. The only thing that slowed their progress slightly was that Vahn had let Fenrir ease some of her own frustrations by joining the fight while Lefiya had started her barrage once again. She was very near the pinnacle of parameter development for her current level, but there was still a little bit of wiggle room.By the time she returned to the surface, Lefiya would become a veritable powerhouse as a Mage because she was effectively growing to 'standard' levels at once. Vahn had been keeping track of her progress, as there was a real chance she might 'have' to Level-up soon, and she was currently at a somewhat monstrous 1779 Magic. Added to her 1998 base Magic, this gave Lefiya a total of 3,777 Magic, which would have put her 'normally' around the peak of Level 4, even though she was only Level 3. With any luck, she could potentially even reach the point where she would have been Level 5, even though she was just about to reach Level 4. It wasn't an exaggeration to say she was nearly a full level ahead of other Mages, and this gap would only continue to grow in the future.One of the biggest changes, however, had been the fact that the 'thread' in Lefiya's body had now reached the thickness of a piece of yarn and her magic power and recovery rate had increased by a marginal rate. Even though she didn't have the [Spirit Healing] Development Ability, Vahn could tell that Lefiya's natural regeneration was nearing the lower ranks of the ability. As for her magic itself, her 'Radiant Lancer' was to the point where it would continue forward until it collided with the Dungeon wall. Even if there were several monsters in between her and the resistant bedrock, the brilliant while lance would continue forward until it carved a decently sized concave hole in the Dungeon wall itself. As for the unfortunate monsters that got caught in its path, the only thing that remained of them were some glassy remains that almost instantly turned into purple dust.Seeing Lefiya killed five Black Rhinos with a single 'no-chant' magic, Finn his a somewhat blank expression on his face as he asked, "That staff is a magic item...isn't it? I had been meaning to ask about it for a while..." Though he had addressed the question to Lefiya, Vahn squeezed her shoulder slightly and said, "It is a weapon I personally created for Lefiya to cover some of her weaknesses regarding magic. You shouldn't worry about the details too much, as it is a private matter. Just knowing she can take care of monsters without having to cast long chants should be enough..." Vahn knew that Finn wanted to ask about the possibility of having more items like Lefiya's staff. Though it would certainly increase the combat potential of the entire expedition, Vahn knew it wasn't a good decision to start feeding the items from the shop into the world.Finn had somewhat expected the answer so he took it in stride and simply dropped the matter for the time being. Though Vahn took a 'hard-line' approach at times, Finn knew he was actually a pretty sensible boy that took the 'bigger' picture into consideration, at least when it suited his own interests. When it came down to creating a true defensive line in the Dungeon, Finn expected Vahn would be one of the people supplying equipment to the people stationed there. It was a good way to incentivize people, as it would also allow them to grow stronger and earn a bit of fame for themselves. This would also increase Vahn's reputation as a [Master Smith] and show that he treats the people that follow him well. Though he might not plan for it, Finn could see Vahn eventually giving in just to ensure that things runs smoothly in the future...Unaware of Finn's machinations, Vahn kept his attention trained on the Dungeon itself as he continued his perpetual pursuit for any signs that their enemies had taken action against them. In the future, Vahn wanted to explore around the Middle Floors more often, as that had been where he met the red-haired woman. He also planned to probe into the artificial dungeon, but only after his strength had increased to a point where he was confident there were few things that could stop him. Every day, twice a day, Vahn would check the orb in his inventory in the hopes that Eva once again awakened. When she finally reappeared, Vahn knew he would become much stronger and, the longer she was dormant, the more he somewhat regretted not learning from her when he had the chance.However, Vahn knew that it was his decisions that allowed him to get much closer to Eva as she likely would have treated their relationship differently if he truly took her as his Master. He was also able to keep his promise to Hephaestus so, while he somewhat regretted his lack of strength, he believed he had made the best decision at the time. She would undoubtedly awaken in the future, so Vahn just had to exercise a bit of patience until that day came. Based on her personality, Vahn expected it would actually be shortly after the birth of his first child. He felt like Eva wanted him to spend more time with the girls in the real world, as they had become very close at the time, and it seemed like something she would do just to make Vahn 'focus' on what he needed to do.After four hours of travel, as they had taken a bit of time to get their bearings, the group arrived at the stairs leading to the 50th Floor. It was currently 8:38 PM, according to Vahn's system time, so they had made it just in time to reach the camp and enjoy a long night's rest. When they reached the 50th Floor proper, Vahn oriented the group toward the direction of the encampment, as he had previously mapped the entire Floor, before they quickly made their way over. In a few short minutes, the group arrived at the camp and took the direct path leading up the plateau so as not to spook the guards.Seeing the arrival of the ten-person party, the watch sounded a lighter alarm to alert the camp of the main parties return. Most people were still up at this time, so people quickly gathered to welcome the triumphant return of the group. When Finn announced that they had reached the 54th Floor and discovered a new species of plant life, it caused a round of cheers from the entire expedition as a festive atmosphere took over the camp. Always being the type to get drawn in by the atmosphere, Vahn escalated things by getting Finn's permission to add some alcohol to the impromptu banquet that had been set up. To make matters 'worse', Vahn also offered a large quantity of food for everyone to eat, something that made Finn's brows twitch as he wondered about the capacity of Vahn's 'storage magic'. He already knew it wasn't normal, as it wouldn't be able to retain the heat of items and prevent them from spoiling, but he wasn't privy to the full details and was simply left guessing. Even Riveria wouldn't clue him in on any information other than the fact that she had made a vow to not disclose such things, one which had been presided over by Loki herself.Though it might not be obvious to others, Finn could see the signs that Vahn was being put into a position as the 'leader' of the entire Alliance in the future. He had thought about the 'peculiarity' of finding himself under Vahn's command in the future, as it wouldn't make sense for him to be the one that continually accompanied them, it now seemed like it was going to happen much sooner. With the support of the various gods and goddesses of each Familia, as he was the lynchpin, Vahn was in the perfect position to 'consolidate' power as a result of his own ridiculous capabilities. Just the fact that Riveria was so supportive of Vahn already put his own authority in a precarious situation, something Finn would have to adapt to or he would eventually be forced to step down in the future.As he was still committed to his role as the 'Braver' for the Pallum people, Finn couldn't afford to lose his position and authority in the near future, so the only thing he could do was backpedal a bit and go with the flow of events as they progress. Developing an antagonistic relationship with Vahn as a result of his interest in Lili seemed like a particularly foolish thing to do now. Since Vahn had never rescinded his offer to join the 'network' he was creating, Finn decided to try and get along better with him in the future. After all, Vahn was actually a person of commendable character that was highly thoughtful of other people. It didn't make sense to try and force an issue against him, especially after taking into consideration the complete lack of information Finn had about Vahn's true capabilities. Just the surface stuff was already enough to shake him down to the core, and this was likely just the tip of a very large iceberg...During the evening festivities, Finn decided to earn a bit of rapport for himself with the expedition by bringing up the fact they would be returning to the surface after resting for one more day. Hearing the news, everyone was much more excited than they had been, as the last few days had been somewhat boring being cooped up inside the encampment. Other than a few of the stronger groups, everyone else had been required to hole up within the small fortification they had created to protect the supplies. This meant they spent a fair amount of time sitting around and playing cards and dice as they eagerly awaited the return of the main group. As Finn had expected, many people became progressively nervous as the days passed, so it was music to their ears hearing about their imminent return.Though they sat with the expedition for the majority of the party, most of the girls eventually 'retreated' to their private tent since there were more than a few men that acted uncouthly when they were drunk. They didn't actually do anything, but most young girls didn't want to be around that type of environment as the stares alone were somewhat frustrating. Vahn himself also left the party, though a little later, but only after Tione had gotten drunk and had made several attempts to convince him to sneak away from the party. After helping her calm down, Vahn carried Tione's unconscious body back to the tent and set her down on the large futon. He pulled away all the sweat from her body before discarding the small orb of liquid off to the side and returning to the main tent to enjoy a relaxing bath with the other girls.The largest section of their tent had a table, which was big enough to seat everyone, while the rest of the area was taken up by a relatively large wooden bath. Since a normal basin wasn't big enough, Vahn had purchased a bath through the shop that was about 1m deep and could easily hold up to ten people, though it would be somewhat cramped. As the only girls present were Ais, Tiona, Lefiya, Naaza, Lili, and Haruhime, there was more than enough space for Vahn. Mikoto had retired earlier, apparently being somewhat weak to alcohol, and Vahn had seen her passed out on the futon with a silly smile on her face. It was somewhat regrettable because Vahn wished she could smile like that when she was awake.During the bath, Vahn ended up getting 'assaulted' by Haruhime and Lili for a short while before helping each girl, with the exceptions of Naaza and Lefiya, wipe down their bodies. Haruhime had been decidedly less 'bold' this time around, so Vahn was grateful for that and carefully washed her ears for her. Renards had slightly curved fox-like ears with large tufts of fur in their interiors to prevent fluids for accumulating inside. To prevent things like infections, cleaning the ears was a very delicate process that required a lot of care and it was somewhat 'intimate' to entrust it to another person. Though Vahn often washed her hair for her, as it was very long and silky smooth to the touch, it wasn't that often that he tended to her ears.As for Lili, she was very easy to clean as there wasn't a lot of surface area for Vahn to cover. Though she tried to make a bit of trouble, she didn't get too out of hand since Fenrir had been eyeing her a bit. After Lili, Vahn washed down Ais's body and once again marveled at her almost ethereal beauty and noticed that she was beginning to develop slightly. Though he approximately knew what she would look like in the future, Vahn had only seen that version of Ais on the pages of a manga and it didn't do a lot of justice when it came to describing the real thing. Vahn wondered how her body would develop further in the future and he felt especially blessed to see the changes with his own eyes.Tiona was up shortly after Ais and made things somewhat interesting by asking Vahn to wash her from behind. Vahn knew she was teasing him a bit, but the view of Tiona from behind made his heart itch and was a very pleasant sight so he indulged her. 'Fortunately', her breasts weren't very well developed so Vahn didn't have to reach far forward to wash the front of her body. He would never say it out loud, unless she specifically asked him in certain contexts, but Vahn thought smaller breasts suited Tiona as they made her seem especially lively.The last person to receive Vahn's care was the uncharacteristically 'patient' Fenrir who immediately replaced Tiona shortly after Vahn rinsed her hair. Tiona playfully let herself fall back into the water as a result of Fenrir's 'invasion' before she began to float on the top of the water spread-eagle. It wasn't long before she bumped into someone and, seeing that it was Lefiya, immediately 'attacked' the bashful Elf while offering to help wash her back for her. As for Fenrir, she emulated Tiona's behavior and asked Vahn to wash her from behind as well. Though he was momentarily hesitant, Vahn had already washed Fenrir's body well more than a hundred times at this point so he didn't mind it too much. Just like Tiona, Fenrir was in a similar condition as a certain trickster goddess and Vahn knew she would likely be stuck like this for all of eternity unless she either died, or he found a solution.There was a great deal Vahn didn't know about his Innates, including his [Keeper of the Akashic Tome]. Since it was possible to imbue a record into an entity without a fate, Vahn was able to drastically change the destinies of those that received his names. It also mentioned that they were capable of even exceeding the original record, which meant that further evolution and changes should be possible in the future. At the very least, Vahn wanted Fenrir to learn magic a bit so she would be able to transform her body a bit in the future. Though she wasn't nearly as small as someone like Lili, Fenrir was still rather petite, somewhat shorter than Arnya, and Vahn was very worried about her being 'hurt' when things inevitably escalated.As if she had read his mind, Fenrir angled her head up and let her head rest against Vahn's chest as she said, "Fenrir will be fine..." in a soft tone. Though he used to be surprised with how much information she received through their bond, Vahn had already grown accustomed to her behavior. He reached up and framed her face before rubbing the bottom of her chin and making her lower jaw quiver slightly before saying, "Lower your head so I can wash your hair..." Fenrir nodded before tilting her head back down and patting the water with her paws in a happy manner as she let Vahn wash her hair...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Lefiya's Laserbeams','Finn gives up','Fenrir evolves from Vanargandr into Copycat')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 491: Toward the Surface