Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

From the status scroll, Vahn could tell that the girls from the Loki Familia were already awake and waiting for him to pick them up so Vahn didn't spend too much time in the bath. Since he was the only one present, however, Vahn transformed into his Xuánwǔ form once again before tracing his hands through the air and making similar 'ripples' to Mikoto's katana. The host onsen water within his vicinity swirled around him with the motion of his hands as he raised them and caused a section of it to rise above his head. Vahn enjoyed the somewhat turbulent water and felt his control over it had increased greatly, arguably even greater than the control he exercised over fire.He wasn't sure what had changed, but the shift in his Xuánwǔ form was a welcome change because Vahn knew he would eventually be able to emulate its influence in his 'base' form in the future. These changes had also reminded him of the runes he had seen on Báihǔ the last time he was in the endless void, but Vahn hadn't been able to discern anything from them previously. He knew there were changes to the form, but Vahn hadn't relied on it much for combat after the fact and had never discovered its increased potential. Now, with the changes in Xuánwǔ being so prevalent, Vahn was more inclined to research his Báihǔ form in the future to uncover its mystery. For now, however, he needed to make his way over to the Twilight Manor so he climbed out of the tub and got dressed before going to look for Terra and Fenrir.Just thinking about Fenrir was enough to make the girl come running, so Vahn went to seek the location of Terra. Though he had yet to visit it, Vahn knew her room was located on the first floor a short ways away from the twins. It was ultimately decided that, as she was going to be staying at the Manor the majority of her time, Terra would be looked after by Maemi and Emiru and help with the basic upkeep up the Manor. She would spend the rest of her time in the 'secret' garden and enjoying activities like sunbathing, so she was actually very happy about the opportunity. As one of his familiars, she didn't suffer the same 'gifting' restrictions as the other girls so Vahn had purchased her a custom Maid outfit that ended up being surprisingly suitable for her.It didn't take long for Vahn to find her room and she was already awake and moving about before he had arrived. As for Fenrir, he could sense her presence making its way toward him from Preasia's room with hasty, but practiced, footsteps. She had scuffed up the floor a bit in the past with her feet-paws, so she moved in a peculiar manner at times when she was inside.Vahn knocked on the door to Terra's room and heard her voice say, "Please enter, Master." so Vahn opened the door without hesitation before a wry smile appeared on his face. Terra was up and about, but she seemed to be having some difficulty wearing her clothes since she wasn't accustomed to them at all and it was difficult to get the fabrics around her wings properly. Realizing this Vahn began looking through his system to get her some soulbound equipment through the shop so she wouldn't have such problems in the future. After all, Vahn wanted to 'show her off' this morning, so she would transition into her dragon form soon before returning back to her human form.After averting his eyes, Vahn said, "Give me a moment and I'll find you some suitable clothes that you can wear..." Terra smiled in response and gave up trying to wear her other clothes as she hastily stripped them free of her body. She laughed slightly and said, "Clothing is strange and fascinating, Master, though I won't deny it is also a bit uncomfortable. I'll do my best to get used to them soon, so please let me wear lots of nice clothing from now on~." One of the things that Terra had learned about being a woman was that wearing stylish clothes was 'essential' because it allowed you to enhance your own appearance while also appealing to others. She recalled seeing many villagers and Adventurers wearing different outfits and could distinctly recall that the women always wore 'nicer' outfits than the guys and presumed this information to be true.Vahn nodded his head before confirming the parameters 'robe', 'form-fitting', and 'comfortable' through the gacha system since he couldn't select 'soulbound' as an option. Since a majority of functional equipment with 'soulbound' were things that cost in excess over 100,000OP, it made sense that he couldn't select it as a search parameter through the 10,000OP standard gacha. The only thing he could do was hope to get lucky like he had with the Nazha top or he would have to come up with a solution like setting up a changing station for Terra in the clearing in the forest out back. She would be able to land there in her dragon form before returning to her human form and wearing clothes...but Vahn felt that this would be a little unfair to her.Of the eleven orbs that popped out, the majority of them were white with the inclusion of two 'hits' in the form of a vibrant orange and a pale yellow orb. The robe from the orange orb was something called a [Singer's Robe] and it was an off-black color with golden accents that was actually quite nice to look at. As for the second 'robe', Vahn was a little confused by its structure because it looked more like a purple backless-dress than a robe and was called [Robe of the Purple Order]. Neither had the soulbound option and didn't seem to have the function of the Nezha outfit so Vahn was a little disappointed before deciding not to mind it and doing another 10+1 pull.Vahn tried not to mind the naked Terra standing in front of him as Fenrir trotted up behind him before coming to a pause as she tilted her head and watched Vahn. He was standing there with his eyes closed momentarily and neither girl disturbed him just yet. On the second pull, Vahn got another yellow orb before opening it up to reveal a small white 'robe' that didn't even look like it reached halfway down the thighs. Since it also didn't have what he was looking for, Vahn mustered up his resolve and tried to 'will' the gacha system to give him when he needed. He removed the 'comfortable' option from the parameters and replaced it with 'noble' since it seemed more suitable for a dragon-girl.This time, the first orb that was spat out by the massive wooden wheel was a deep blue color and Vahn nearly pumped his fist in reality, especially after the second orb shot out was green. Unfortunately, all the others were 'misses', including the bonus pull, but Vahn had high hopes as he cracked open the green orb. What popped out was an elegant green robe that looked like it was also blue at the same time as a trick of the light. It was embroidered with golden runes and there were a few well-placed gemstones that accented its look. The best thing about it was that it looked like a three-piece outfit even though it was just a single 'robe'. The outer layer was the peculiar 'turquoise' robe that was completely open at the front and hugged the waist before drapping down from the hips. The second layer was a soft purple bodice that also followed the flow of the robe itself while the third layer was similar to the first in that it was the same turquoise color but also flared slightly like flames with golden patterns sewn into it. Vahn thought it was strangely suitable for Terra and noticed the name as [Anabel's Robe] within the display.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------[Anabel's Robe]Rank: A (Magic)Slots: 1P.Def: 280M.Def: 900Abilities: Nature's Concealment(A), Magical Amplification(C), Weatherproof(B), Insulated(B)A comfortable robe which was worn by an elegant mage in a foreign record embroiled in turmoil and strife. This robe had been a gift from her star-crossed lover who suffered a terrible hand at the whims of fate. The one thing the man desired before his death was that his lover would be protected from harm so he prayed to the land itself to offer her protection.Soulbound:(unbound)-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------As the other robe, from the green orb, looked more like a palatial gown than a robe worn by 'normal' people, Vahn decided to keep it in his inventory for the time being because he felt the [Anabel's Robe] was very suitable for Terra. When he removed it from his inventory, a smile appeared on his face because what appeared was a golden necklace with a diamond-shaped golden pendant on it and a blood-red ruby encrusted in its center. There were a variety of runes carved into its surface and Vahn felt a burst of inspiration strike him as he recalled that the Hephaestus in the Divination had a necklace similar to this one. Just like the Nezha top, Vahn realized that the people that created the outfits in other records used pendants as the medium to create their magical outfits.Though he would want to study it later, Vahn reached out and said, "Here, take this and wear it around your neck. Afterward, infuse your intent into the pendant and you should hear a whisper in your mind that binds it to your soul. From now on, you should be able to call this robe whenever you like and it will serve as your general attire when you're transitioning between your dragon and humanoid forms." Hearing Vahn's words, Terra stepped forward and received the pendant from Vahn's hand as a glimmer passed through her eyes. As a True Dragon, she had an instinctual love for treasure and shiny things, so Vahn's pendant was very welcome by her as she placed it around her neck.Vahn instantly noticed that Terra was having a bit of difficulty attaching the necklace so he stepped forward and helped her do so. With her Dexterity, he wasn't sure why she had any trouble but likened it to the fact that she didn't even have fingers before yesterday. With his assistance, Terra was able to wear the pendant before smiling to Vahn and closing her eyes to follow his instructions. A few seconds later, a robe appeared on Terra's body and completely clothed her from head to toe in an instant. Other than her arms and legs, which were still bare since Terra liked to be able to touch and feel the ground, she was now fully attired in what could only be described in a Noble Mage's attire.Curiously, the back of the outer layer was now in three parts so that it could make room for Terra's wings and there was now an opening in the back that left space for her tail. Terra seemed to be very pleased by the outfit as she fluttered her wings slightly and traced her hands around her body and said, "It is more comfortable than I had expected. Thank you, Master, for giving me such a beautiful dress." From Terra's perspective, the outfit was much closer to a dress than a robe but Vahn corrected her and listed out all the benefits the robe offered. After he was done, Terra smiled vibrantly and said, "I wonder where the name Anabel came from~? How interesting to have a kindred spirit loved by nature~."Vahn somewhat wanted to remark that Anabel likely didn't have a pleasant end if she needed such a robe but kept it to himself as he turned to Fenrir, who was still in her nightgown, and helped her change her bottoms quickly before leading the way out of the Manor. Though Fafnir had sunbathed for several hours the previous day, and even flew around the area for a bit 'teasing' people, it eventually returned to the 'comfort' of the shadows by the time night had fallen. As a creature with an affinity for darkness, it preferred the comfort of the shadows more than the surface world since it was like being 'wrapped in a blanket' according to Fafnir. The shadows were a chaotic dimension which was filled with almost pure darkness elemental energy, so it was good nourishment for Fafnir as well since its predominant element was also darkness.Fafnir peaked its head up out of the ground and said, ("Good morning, Vahn, Big Sis, Little Sis~!") Vahn reached out his hand and stroked Fafnir's snout as Fenrir leaped up to its back and pat the hard scales with her paws and said, "Fafnir is a good Dragon, very good~!" As for Terra, she simply chuckled without minding that Fenrir was subtly reminding her how she should 'behave'. Terra then smiled at Fafnir and said, "Good morning, Big Brother, it is good to see you in high spirits." Fafnir released a burst of growling laughter with its actual mouth, seemingly very pleased by Terra's response. As for Vahn, he couldn't help but wonder how Terra's manners and etiquette were already so refined and his interest in her previous life was stirred a great deal...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Waterbending OP~!','Vahn's gacha-luck is too high','30+ years of life, unknown')(A/N: There will be a few more chapters tonight, at the very least 1-2.)https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

After Eina and Vahn took their seats, it was officially time for the celebration to begin so Hestia raised up a glass mug full of alcohol called [Honey Stout] as she proclaimed in a loud voice, "Everyone, you did a great job on the expedition this time around. Not only did you increase the reputation of the Hesta Familia, but you also worked hard to increase your strengths and now our Familia has become much stronger than in the past! Most importantly, you all came home safe and sound, so thank you all so very much for your efforts~!" With Hestia's words as the trigger, everyone else raised their own cups and gave various hurrahs before everyone downed the contents of their glass and the festivities officially began.Other than Tina, Shizune, and the pregnant Hephaestus, Tsubaki, Aki, and Arnya, everyone else was allowed to drink as it was a special occasion. The only people 'too young' were Lili, Fenrir, and Terra, but Vahn wouldn't be able to stop any of them from drinking. Lili put her life on the line as a vanguard in the Dungeon, so it would have been strange if Vahn said she wasn't old enough to drink, while Fenrir couldn't get drunk at all and Terra's body simply didn't process the alcohol in the same way as everyone else.Terra didn't have a normal digestive tract, nor did she even have intestines. Instead, her body had two 'stomach-like' organs that processed what she ate and she seemed to be restricted to organic produce and lighter 'meats' like fish. Essentially, she was another girl that couldn't get drunk because the enzymes in her stomach broke down the alcohol into parts and then simply filtered it out instead of letting it enter her bloodstream. Vahn suspected it would make her 'sap' slightly alcohol based but he decided not to worry about that kind of thing for the time being...As Eina had yet to be introduced to Terra, she kept sending curious glances as the mature dragon girl, who always returned a smile as if were her natural expression. Vahn saw this happen a few times before he realized he should be the one to explain such things and said, "It's a bit late, but this celebration also includes the addition of our newest Familia member, Terra. Like Fafnir, she is a True Dragon that I had tamed within the Dungeon and her original form is that of the Green Dragon that I had subordinated during the Bloodsaurus hunt. She is Level 4, but she won't really be a combatant and will instead help to guard the Manor with Fafnir in the future."Because of her wings, which were spread out behind her since she was sitting low to the floor, Terra was a very 'obvious' presence at the table even without anyone pointing her out. Several of the girls had yet to meet her earlier, including Eina, Chloe, Arnya, Lunoire, Anubis, and Nanu. They had spotted her immediately upon entering the same room since Terra's leafy-green hair and wings stood out a great deal. It was easily understood she was another one of Vahn's 'tamed' monsters, but the fact that she was a woman caused the interest in her to increase a great deal.Terra smiled at everyone present and said, "Greetings, everyone, my name is Terra Evergreen. I have come to reside in the Manor today after my Master helped me evolve. I will do my best to get along with everyone, so please treat me kindly and teach me many things." After Terra introduced herself, everyone went around the table and made a short introduction of their own as well before the atmosphere of the celebration became decidedly less awkward. It was difficult to open up when there were 'strangers' present, but now everyone had relaxed a lot more after knowing what type of girl Terra was. She seemed to be very popular with the girls, as her hair, wings, and tail, were all somewhat unique and interesting. Since her personality was the 'kind and elegant' type, combined with the fact she had an air of nobility while being highly receptive, made her easy to talk to and befriend.Though their dinners usually ran very late, things continued deep into the night this time around as the festive atmosphere had become even more so after people began to get a little tipsy. Some of the girls, including Hestia, Lili, and Chloe, got outright drunk while only a few, such as the pregnant group and Syr, remained completely sober throughout. The obvious exceptions included Vahn, Fenrir, and Terra, but that was a result of their constitution and not the amount they had to drink. The truly surprising thing was that even Eina got a little drunk and eventually ended up falling asleep against Vahn's shoulder after a few glasses of beer.When the atmosphere had slowly started to die down, as a result of several of the younger girls falling asleep, Vahn looked to Chloe, Arnya, and Lunoire, the first two of which were currently teasing each other, and said, "I'd like to check your Status Boards in the near future. I may not be able to give you flame seeds right now, but I might be able to infer some things from your-" As Vahn spoke, the drunken Chloe 'boldy' pulled off her black t-shirt and revealed a cream-colored bra as she said, "Nyahaha, nyou can chyek it nyoow~!" Fortunately, Arnya still had her awareness as the grabbed Chloe around the ribs and picked her up before saying, "I'll take this mischevious cat to her room. We'll see you tomorrow, Vahn."Arnya was in the pregnant faction, so she was completely sober and surprisingly 'thin' compared to the other pregnant girls. If not for the fact that Vahn could see the small bundle of vitality within her stomach, he might not have even believed she was pregnant. Chloe, though drunk, wasn't going to put up in major resistance and just allowed her body to go limp as Arnya carried her under her arm and left the room. This left less than half the original attendees present, if excluding those that had passed out, and Vahn knew it was time to call the celebration to an end and help everyone back to their rooms. Since it was his first official night back, Vahn retired to his room with just Eina while Hephaestus took the 'initiative' to stay with Hestia, who had been in the faction of girls that had passed out.Once they were alone in the room, Eina had a deep flush on her face that was enhanced by how 'out' of it she felt at the moment. It was a lot harder to think in her current state and she was wondering how things would play out now that it was just the two of them. Vahn, however, didn't like to take advantage of people when they were drunk so he simply helped Eina wipe down her body before cuddling up with her in the bed. Eina gave him a loving smile for his care and hugged him against her chest as she stroked the back of his head. There was no need to have sex every time they were alone, and Eina actually just wanted Vahn to relax a bit since she knew he probably exerted himself a lot in the Dungeon.There were very different thoughts running through Vahn's mind, however, as he knew he hadn't actually exerted himself much at all. Other than the 'stress' of wondering when their enemies might attack, and the interesting interactions he had with the girls, there was nothing that exciting about the recent expedition at all. Vahn had felt somewhat constrained, but even when they were free to take action the monsters weren't actually that great a threat, at least to himself. He knew his stamina wouldn't be able to hold out in the long run, but there were few monsters at any Level that could actually threaten him currently.This was one of the reasons Vahn wasn't as focused on the Dungeon right now, as it couldn't actually provide much stimulus to him presently and there were far more things he was concerned about. He was more interested in his research and working on the prototype armor he had been developing before he left. With his focus also invested heavily in the girls, Vahn was simply 'uninterested' in the Dungeon, at least during expeditions. Since his own capabilities outstripped the 'common sense' of the world, Vahn felt it wasn't that productive at all until he was free to act with just the girls alone. When they made the Dungeon a part of their 'territory' in the future, Vahn wouldn't be taking orders from other people at all. He might not be the most capable leader, likely far from it, but his capabilities more than made up for his lack of leadership qualities. He also had relatively 'devout' girls that followed him, so it wasn't really a concern if he could inspire others to action...---Though Vahn found his own leadership qualities lacking, this wasn't a sentiment that was shared by other influential people. Completely unaware of the situation, a stir had been passing through the Loki Familia after the triumphant return of the expedition. Finn had shown up leading the convoy back to the Twilight Manor with their banner waving proudly in the wind, but he couldn't help but feel things were distinctly different than normal. Their members would usually be 'relieved' and happy to return to the surface, not that they didn't show signs of this, but now there was an underlying current of excitement and anticipation. Instead of simply talking about what they were going to spend their earnings on, people were already talking about how the next expedition would go...One of the most common names that spread around the group was Vahn's, though the girls had their fair share of 'fans' amongst those spreading gossip. The fact that most of the girls were only Level 2, but showed capabilities far greater than their level, impressed many people, even more so because they were all cute girls. Though they 'jokingly' said all the girls were part of Vahn's 'harem', they couldn't ignore the achievements they had earned. Not only Vahn, but all of the girls had a massive boost to their reputation while Vahn himself was talked about almost with a reverential undertone. Those that had been 'saved' by him made their respect very clear and it had quickly spread through the whole convoy.Since Vahn had been fair and just during the entire trip, even sharing his own supplies with the convoy to make things better for everyone, there were few people that could actually dislike him. He was a handsome boy with a kind disposition that showed care and concern for everyone around him, even if it brought harm to himself in the process. This type of character wasn't the type that sensible people could hold a grudge against, and most of the members present now had a great appreciation for his existence itself. They had never been on an expedition that had gone so smoothly, and it almost seemed 'impossible' that things had actually gone so well.This was the first time they hadn't lost at least two carts while suffering a number of casualties, with a few fatalities in the mix. Instead, they hadn't lost a single cart at all and actually managed to fill each of them to capacity, increasing their earning by nearly 20%. Other than three unfortunate deaths, there were no other casualties within the group at all because Vahn had been able to heal their wounds flawlessly. As for the three that had died, they had all lost their lives accomplishing missions away from the encampment. It wasn't an exaggeration to say, given the evidence, that Vahn had ensured the expedition hadn't suffered a single loss, be it in supplies or personnel. There wasn't anything he could do about those that died as a result of mishaps, especially if he wasn't there, so those numbers could be removed from consideration on the matter.Hearing the various rumors, Finn didn't know whether to laugh or cry and simply resolved himself to get along better with Vahn in the future. His position as Captain wasn't threatened, but the number of expeditions he leads would probably be on the decline from now on. Since the majority of their main members were in Vahn's 'faction', Finn didn't really have much of a choice and simply intended to go with the flow from now on instead of trying to oppose it. He could even see that Bete had an uncharacteristically serious expression on his face, as his ears were far more sensitive and he could hear the discussions people were having.Vahn already had the support of Riveria, Gareth, Ais, Tiona, Tione, and even Lefiya at this point, leaving the only two 'on the fence' as Finn and Bete. Finn had already taken a step back on his own volition, but Bete's personality wasn't the type that could make such decisions without coming to a head against the things that troubled him. At this point, Bete knew he was probably in for a 'thrashing' and his demeanor had become somewhat solemn amongst the expedition that was full of a celebratory atmosphere.When the Loki Familia reached the Twilight Manor, the rest of the Familia was waiting to receive them, including a somewhat 'disconcerting' looking Loki. She would be completing her first trimester in the coming weeks so her belly had also started to swell up a fair amount. As she was already a thin and petite girl, even though her height was normal, Loki looked somewhat 'odd' as a pregnant woman. However, even though it was a strange sight, she seemed much more vibrant than normal and her expression actually looked somewhat soft as she said, "Welcome home. You all did well."As many people had already been talking about Vahn, Loki's appearance had reminded them of another 'important' fact about the boy. Not only was he surrounded by girls in his own Familia, but he also had the affections of several goddesses, including their own. Though their impression had already been high, the respect people had felt for Vahn expanded a great deal, even though there was a fair amount of envy mixed in. Vahn enjoyed the 'benefits' of his current lifestyle because of the efforts he put into his life, combined with his character. Given that he was only 15 years old, much younger than many of them, this showed how hard he truly worked to get to where he was. Though they could envy him slightly, the majority knew it would have been impossible for them to take his position as it would have likely overwhelmed them long before they reached that point.Finn smiled proudly and reported, "This time around, we made it back with all the carts and only suffered the loss of two Adventurers and a Supporter. There are no other casualties to report, and I'll submit the official paperwork after exchanging the materials at the Guild in the morning." Loki nodded her head but was somewhat surprised by the numbers that Finn had reported. She knew Vahn's presence would have been a great asset to the expedition, but she hadn't expected things to go so well. Looking around, she saw the 'atmosphere' of the group and her eyes opened partially as she said, "Good work, Finn. I look forward to your report...for now, get this stuff to the staging area and let's celebrate everyone's return!"Finn gave a hand signal to the convoy and they once again began moving forward as they took the carts near the massive warehouse at the back of the Twilight Manor. As for the first and second groups of the Loki Familia, their duty officially ended at the Gate and they were free to roam around at their leisure. However, it was typically considered poor taste to avoid a celebration where you were one of the guests of honor, so everyone stayed at the Twilight Manor and made their way inside to bathe and change into casual wear. One exception to this was Riveria, who had followed Loki into her personal study since she was the one that would be reporting the matters regarding Vahn.Loki sat down in her cushioned chair and released a sigh of exertion as she placed her hand on her stomach and stroked absentmindedly as she asked, "So, anything interesting happen? I can tell something major must have gone down with how everyone was reacting. I don't think I've ever seen Finn with such a bad poker face before, kukuku~." Riveria was standing in front of Loki's desk and watching her rather uncouth behavior with a straight expression as she nodded her head and said, "Vahn's influence on the expedition had been greater than we anticipated. Even without making full use of his capabilities, just his support made everything run much smoother. He also managed to take down the Udaeus and Balor, the last of which was just him and Ais..."Hearing Riveria's words, Loki wasn't actually that surprised and simply asked, "Did he use the chains?" As Riveria had been assisting in Vahn's research, she knew a great deal about [Enkidu] and nodded her head, saying, "Yes, but only when he fought against the Balor. He was about to suppress it long enough for Ais to finish it off with her [Ariel] and there were no others present to witness it." A flash passed through Loki's eyes for a brief moment before a satisfied smile appeared on her face. Vahn's [Enkidu] was undoubtedly one of his most dangerous secrets at present, and Loki was happy he had enough sense not to use it around the expedition. If she had known he used the aura from [Enkidu] as a 'torch', Loki might have run over to the Hearth Manor and strangled him...just a little.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Terra stands out Firma-ly...kappa','Party hard','Loki about to choke a boi')(A/N: A lot of people have been showing their support since my last request and I'd like to especially thank, D. Nunes, J. Townsend, and Y. Bouchard for their Paypal donations~! As for the beautiful people that are pledging their support on *******, I would like to express my gratitude and know I intend to make a list thanking everyone on the 5th of every month with a bonus chapter based on a theme that will be polled for on ******* itself. If we can get the funds up to a consistent amount, I'll even let the ******* decided what artwork we'll have commissioned in the future &lt;3.)https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh(A/N: Thank you J.Townsend for your Paypal donation. It helps a lot &lt;3)

Chapter 498: Early Morning