Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Passing through the 'Dead Floors' between the 30th and 36th only took the Expedition around seven hours, setting yet another record that would be hard to follow for most groups. As he had intended, Ais, Tiona, and Tione had an opportunity to put their skills on display while Lefiya and Haruhime continued to barrage enemies with their ranged magic. They didn't have the benefit of Vahn replenishing their reserves indefinitely, but it didn't stop the girls from spamming their abilities since they wanted to increase their [Spirit Healing] Development Ability further. Though they could become much stronger when learning Eva's magic system, Vahn already told them that increasing their base parameters would still be highly beneficial.Though Terra already 'exceeded' Level 10, she actually wasn't as strong as she could have been if her Soul Tier had been higher. There was also a severe loss in potential parameter gain between levels and it wouldn't be impossible for other people to eventually grow much stronger than she was. An example would be Vahn himself, who would have around 65,000 parameters at Level 10 while Terra hovered around 42-45,000. This meant that, at the same Level, Vahn would have more parameters to work with when using enhancement magic and his spells would be inarguably stronger. Of course, his magic power itself would probably be significantly weaker than Terra's for a long while because of her heritage as a True Dragon. He would inevitably become much stronger, as his existence itself didn't have limitations, but it wasn't too surprising that she would outgrow him with an extra century in her favor...Shortly after entering the 37th floor, the beginning of the White Palace, Vahn watched as Ais flittered about and tore through entire waves of enemies. Vahn had already given them permission to use their artifacts, as long as they didn't use their outfits themselves, so Ais had taken to the skies alongside Tiona. With her [Ariel], Ais was a truly terrifying combatant in the sky and cut through the hordes like a beautiful doll-shaped blender. As for Tiona, she had already learned to conserve some of her own 'mana', Vahn wasn't really sure what she used to maintain her transformation, and had ended up smashing down with her [Dance of the Amazon] instead. She was already very skilled at twirling around and now didn't have to rely on 'leaping' to generate momentum, instead, using her ability to fly to the fullest effect to enhance her mobility.Asfi had been silent throughout the journey but couldn't help drawing in a sharp breath when she saw Ais slay a Variant Barbarian, more than 5m tall, with a single swipe of her sword. Vahn looked over at her with a playful smile on her face, asking, "They're pretty amazing, aren't they~?" Hearing Vahn's words, Asfi nodded with a serious expression on her face before hesitating for several seconds. Seemingly unable to resist the temptation, Asfi asked, "Is this because of their own efforts or the items you've forged for them? I've never heard of a wand that can let someone transform completely, even allowing someone famous for their inability to use magic the freedom to fly around and cast spells..."Vahn smiled while fluffing up Fenrir's ears with his fingers, contemplating his words for a while before saying, "Well, I've always done my best to try and make their dreams come true. Tiona always wanted to be able to use magic and desired to be treated like a princess. It took a bit of effort, and a great deal of luck, but I managed to procure an item that would allow her to do the former while the latter resulted in my pampering her on occasion. It's the same for all the other girls, and I'll never stop trying my best to make sure they are happy...isn't that right, Fenrir~?" Fenrir lazily nodded her head, dangling her feet off the edge of Vahn's knees while leaning against his chest, seemingly unaffected by the fighting going on around them.Asfi furrowed her brows slightly at Vahn's response and wondered if there was even a purpose for him agreeing to have her create a Magic Item for him. Though she might be able to make something similar to Ais', Asfi knew she wouldn't be able to make something like the wand used by Tiona, regardless of how much effort she put into it. All of her masterpieces seemed like baubles compared to some of the things Vahn seemingly made just to make the girls around him happy. It was very vexing and Asfi felt like she was losing confidence in her abilities. Compared to someone like Vahn, it was almost like she was just playing around...Sensing the change in Asfi's aura, Vahn gave her a curious look that caused her to avert her eyes with a slight frown on her face. Vahn's raised one of his brows in response, asking, "Are you trying to compare yourself to me...?" Though she didn't show any external response, Asfi's aura flared up even more, causing Vahn to feel a little awkward. This was something he never really understood since he felt it was 'inspiring' to see people with greater capabilities, as it meant there was more to learn. He didn't understand why people like Welf, Bete, and now Asfi, felt the need to compare themselves to him. After all, they were more than capable of being happy in their own lives, making use of their own capabilities to become successful.Vahn 'needed' to be as strong as he was since there were many things he wanted to protect, including the happiness of those around him. Asfi likely had things she wanted to protect as well and Vahn was certain she had been doing her best, just as he had. Rather than feel insecure about her own capabilities, she should instead aspire towards greater heights instead. Thus, with a serious expression on his face, Vahn said, "Asfi, people are as capable as they choose to be in order to protect the things they care about. You didn't become the Captain of the Hermes Familia on accident, nor did you become one of the most well-known Artificers in the entire City by chance. Comparing yourself to me, when we've both done our best for our own lives, does a disservice to us both...don't sell yourself short or you'll have insulted everyone that ever looked up to you..."Asfi slowly turned her head to match Vahn's gaze, seeing the seriousness in his expression and the 'conviction' in his eyes. She knew he was right, as she had gotten to this point in her life based on the efforts she had put in. There were thousands of people that looked up to her and it wasn't an exaggeration to say she was a household name in a City that housed millions of people. Before comparing herself to Vahn, all of her accomplishments were things that others had aspired towards and never been able to achieve. If she saw those people resent and feel bad about themselves simply because they compared themselves to her, Asfi might even look down on them for discrediting her own efforts...Realizing the truth to Vahn's words, Asfi frowned slightly before closing her eyes for several long seconds of silence. Once she collected herself, she matched Vahn's gaze once again and said, "Forgive me...I see I have erred in my ways and have insulted a great many people as a result of my behavior. I will endeavor to be better...thank you for your guidance, Vahn." Vahn chuckled in response to her words before saying, "Whenever you see someone that is further along in something you want to study, you should see that as a point to overcome, not a height you can never reach. That is one of the 'secrets' behind all of our strengths..."Vahn smiled down at Fenrir, resting his head against her's as he explained, "You see, instead of getting wrapped up in the idea that we can't be better, everyone at the Hearth Manor is constantly trying to improve. Many of my accomplishments were dependant on the assistance of other people and I wouldn't even be the person I am today without the help and guidance of others. I'm sure, with your 'status', you understand the importance of having capable people to feed off of each other to develop their capabilities further. Well, we do much the same and that is the reason why the girls are becoming stronger so quickly...we share each other's burdens and never stop doing our best, not for ourselves, but for everyone's shared happiness."Asfi was slightly taken aback by Vahn's words but she couldn't help but consider them very seriously, especially after witnessing the strength of the girls around him. As he said, Asfi knew how important it was to have capable people managing the affairs of the Kingdom. She also needed reliable vassals to maintain order and deter the corrupt nobles and merchants that constantly threatened the stability of the Kingdom for their own greed. The main reason she had even come to Orario, other than to increase her own strength, was to scout capable people and establish a network with various Familia. She wouldn't have joined someone like Hermes if not for the fact it allowed her to protect her identity and have greater freedom to move about and make her own plans...The one thing she couldn't really understand, though she could rationalize it somewhat, was how the people in the Hearth Manor were able to grow so quickly. Yes, Vahn might be explaining it to her right now, but Asfi knew there was far more to the situation than he was making apparent. She could tell he was being sincere in his words but also understood he seemed to lack 'common sense', even though he was very perceptive. Others may have helped him reach this point, but the fact he got to it so quickly shows that his capabilities were monstrous from the start. The fact that he was beginning to drag other people along with his momentum, all for the sake of 'shared happiness', was both commendable and 'terrifying' at the same time. Given their rate of growth, Asfi could see the residents of the Hearth Familia becoming inordinately more powerful than everyone else...meaning they wouldn't have anyone that could challenge their power...Recalling the words Hermes shared with her before accepting this mission, Asfi felt like she had fallen into a trap of sorts and swore to punish her god once she returned. It was very obvious that she had been 'sacrificed', though not in the sense that Vahn may believe. Though she was loyal to the Hermes Familia right now, Asfi needed to return to her homeland in the future to prevent causing problems within the royal court. Associating with Vahn had the chance of guaranteeing she could meet her objectives since the power and authority of the Alliance would certainly expand beyond the City in the future.Just by becoming friends with the boy, Asfi knew he would aid her if she requested it of him but it was a very difficult matter for her pride to tolerate such one-sided support. However, there didn't really seem to be anything she could give him since he was already surrounded by so many capable people. Though Hermes seemed to intend for her to become 'involved' with Vahn, Asfi didn't feel like that would be fair to either of them, especially considering the number of girls in his life. If it was just a 'fling', in exchange for assistance and mutual benefits, Asfi wouldn't mind making such a sacrifice. The problem was, she could tell Vahn wasn't the type to trade benefits and his existence was simply too 'big' for her to escape if she actually tried. It was impossible to 'use' him in a conventional setting because the women around him simply wouldn't allow it...meaning she would be trapped from the very moment she let the boy touch her heart.Unaware of what Asfi was thinking, Vahn just cocked his head to the side for a few moments before turning away and allowing her to think. She seemed 'impressed' when he was speaking but quickly became very serious and ruminating a few seconds later. He decided to just ignore her for the time being since he still wanted to investigate her origins later on. She was probably thinking of 'sacrificing' herself in some manner so Vahn figured he could just find out the situation of her homeland and resolve a few things before she did something foolish. Though she might try to come to him after the fact, it wouldn't be that easy since he would already be wrapped up in the matters of his own family.Vahn didn't really mind being friends with Asfi, considering he had few females he could consider friends, so he didn't mind helping her out. He just didn't want another girl coming to him out of 'obligation' since it was always a difficult thing to rationalize and 'care' about. Though he had read a fair number of books on the subjects, Vahn didn't understand how Kingdoms and Empires could get so bad in almost every conceivable instance. The Aristocratic society seemed especially foolish and it didn't make any sense why incompetents constantly found themselves in power. Vahn didn't mind that Kingdoms and such existed, but it was silly to consider that people were 'special' by virtue of their birth and could come into power they didn't earn for themselves...he just couldn't understand it as it seemed ridiculously selfish and egotistical...Seeing that the convoy had approached a Coliseum, Vahn gave Fenrir a tight hug before saying, "Tell Finn I want to give you the chance to solo the Coliseum. You can take the others with you, but I want to have a better gauge for your power and it'll save the Expedition a lot of time." Fenrir showed a confident grin before nodding her head and saying, "Fenrir is the strongest~!" Like a flash of blue lightning, Fenrir charged forward and conveyed his message to Main Party, causing Finn to look back with a questioning look on his face. Vahn gave him an affirmative gesture that made the Pallum show a wry smile before eventually allowing Fenrir to proceed with Ais and Tiona in tow.As if she found her words, Asfu suddenly asked, "Exactly how strong is Fenrir...?" Realizing she may have said something invasive, Asfi furrowed her brows slightly before giving Vahn a curious glance as he simply laughed it off. When he was apparently content with laughing at her, Vahn showed a smile and explained, "Let's just say that Ottar can only enjoy his Title for as long as Fenrir is content being the 'Vanargandr'~." Asfi's eyes widened slightly but she became outright numb when Vahn continued, saying, "However, another one of my companions is much stronger than Fenrir already. The others will probably outgrow her in the next two years, at least if Fenrir stopped training...and I'm guessing you'd want to know my own strength as well? Let's see, I'm currently a little weaker than Fenrir and would probably lose to Ais if she fought me seriously...but, that won't be the case for much longer~." Vahn sent a playful wink toward Asfi because it was 'fun' seeing her fluster when he said increasingly 'unbelievable' things.Seeing that Asfi was having trouble believing him, Vahn leaned back with his arms behind his head, eyes closed as he said, "Asfi, even if you have trouble believing it, that is the truth of the matter. I won't stop until each of the people I want to protect become untouchable by the normal standards of the world. Though I want to protect them personally, I can't always be at their sides when they need me and will ensure they break the 'limits' that people are currently bound by. Then, together, we will help change this world for the betterment of everyone...not through conflict, though some won't be avoidable, but through dialogue, education, and cooperation..." As the Alliance's attempt to create a School was already circulating through the City, it wasn't a secret that needed to be kept close to the chest.Asfi swallowed as she heard Vahn's words, feeling that there was an irrefutable truth behind each of them even though it was very difficult to believe. However, it was more difficult to believe that there would have ever been such a thing as a 14-year-old [Master Smith]. It was also an observed fact that each of the people that joined the Hestia Familia have set records that were 'impossible' to obtain without a ridiculous amount of resources.Though they had the support of several S-Rank Familias, the girls would have still had to put in an inhuman amount of efforts to reach their current Levels in such a short period of time. However, it wasn't as if the resources had been saved specifically for their use so this couldn't be the reason behind their growth, meaning it was, in fact, Vahn's influence that allowed them to become strong. If he could extend that influence to a large number of people, it wasn't hard to imagine that the Alliance, especially the Hestia Familia, would be able to bring about great changes in the world...Asfi found herself at a point where she may have to make a very important decision for the future since, should she miss such an opportunity, not just herself, but her entire Kingdom may be swept aside in the wake of Vahn's 'revolution'. This was likely why Hermes wanted to try to get closer to him as well, as it would become progressively more difficult to reach the core of the Alliance as time passed. It was already very difficult to get near Vahn since Loki, Freya, and Hephaestus collaborated to protect him from the influence of external forces. They also didn't bat an eye at creating a blockage against a powerful nation, forcing economic sanctions and manipulating the upper echelons of the City to support their decisions. This meant they didn't care about foreign dignitaries and royalty at all, at least if they represented factions that were in opposition to Vahn...Though there had been several loud explosions going on, silence had returned to the Dungeon after a 'surprisingly' short period of time had passed. Asfi was broken out of her thoughts by the sound of cheering as Fenrir, Tiona, and Ais returned to the convoy, informing everyone that it was safe to move forward. It generally took around 15-20 minutes to clear a Coliseum, if the party doing so was very powerful, but it hadn't even been 4 minutes since the trio entered. Asfi felt a chill pass over her body before the cart made its way through the Coliseum, which had become an icy tundra from floor to ceiling, thousands of monsters frozen to death without ever having been able to fight back...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Parameters Aren't Completely Useless','The Struggles of Being a Princess When Sitting Next to the Hero','Time is Running Out (o,...,o)~!')https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Though there were several Coliseums barring their passage, the Expedition continued forward setting an increasingly greater precedent for others to follow. She didn't clear all of them, but Fenrir took out over half of the Coliseums entirely on her own, saving several hours of travel. Vahn was determined to reach the 39th Floor before it was time to re-enter Eva's orb so he let her cut loose in order to increase her reputation and 'awe' the Expedition itself. A large number of the Adventurers present remembered Fenrir from the previous Expedition so her performance had a greater impact since the difference between then and now was very 'drastic'. By the time they returned to the surface, Fenrir and, by proxy, the rest of the Hestia Familia, would become the stuff of legends.After reaching near the center of the 37th Floor, which was the Throne Room where Udaeus would reside, Vahn stepped forward while the Expedition began setting up the defensive line. Approaching Finn, with Fenrir and Asfi at his sides, Vahn had a smile on his face that made the Pallum shake his head in exasperation as he asked, "Are you wanting to fight the Udaeus alone?" Vahn chuckled before saying, "Actually, I feel it would be a waste of time setting up the defensive line so I was going to suggest we continue the march. If you recall the last fight, I can stop the Udaeus from using its massive AoE attack and I'm fully confident Fenrir and Ais can eliminate it shortly after the engagement begins. If necessary, I'll provide support and shield the convoy."Vahn could see the edge of Finn's smile twitching a bit but the veteran Pallum still followed Vahn's suggestion, surprising everyone when he gave the order to march forward. As for Vahn himself, he kept Asfi at his side as they entered the Throne Room with Ais, Tiona, Tione, Lefiya, and Haruhime. Mikoto would have probably accompanied them but she was currently with the rear guard, following Raul's orders for the time being. It wouldn't really make a big difference, however, as Vahn didn't expect the fight to take long at all. Previously, they managed to defeat Udaeus in a few minutes and they had all become much stronger since then.Ais tightly gripped her [Gram] before asking, "Can I...fight it alone?" in a quiet voice. Vahn was a little surprised but quickly shook his head, making Ais show a pouting expression for a brief moment. Reaching out his hand, Vahn stroked her glossy golden hair before kissing Ais' forehead, saying, "Don't worry, Ais, you'll have plenty of chances to fight it later on. Remember, it'll respawn before we're supposed to be returning to the surface and I don't mind if you want to fight it on your own next time. Since we already have everyone following behind, it isn't a good time to try and solo the monster because its attacks might stray and cause unnecessary injuries."Though she still wanted to be able to fight against the Monster Rex on her own, Ais nodded her head before sneaking a kiss from Vahn. By the time she separated, her pouting expression had turned into a small smile as she said, "Okay, next time then...I'm looking forward to it." Ais held up her gloved fist with a fiery resolve burning in her eyes as she visualized the future fight she would have. Her behavior caused Tiona and Tione to laugh at her, causing Ais to blush slightly while maintaining her resolute look. After that, Vahn explained the strategy they would employ while the rest of the convoy slowly ambled into the Throne Room.The reason he had wanted them to be present, which most of the senior members immediately realized, was simply to show off the might of the Hestia Familia once again. This was meant to be both a deterrent and a 'challenge' to those that might be plotting against them. Most of their enemies would back down once their current capabilities were known while the truly dangerous ones would feel compelled to take action sooner. Since Vahn's own strength was rapidly increasing, while Fenrir and the girls themselves hadn't actually shown off the extent of their might, it would allow them to deal with most threats by causing their enemies to overextend based on 'faulty' information.By the time the rear guard had made its way into the Throne Room, complete with Mikoto, Vahn smiled before gesturing towards Udaeus' location. Everyone in the convoy was very tense and had more than a few inhibitions about the current situation. The senior members, with the exception of Bete, weren't worried at all though and simply held their weapons loosely while watching the fight. It started by Ais flying forward with her Wings of Light in conjunction with [Ariel]. She created a large vortex of wind before striking towards the ground where Udaeus was hiding, causing it to explode with a shrill cry as it tried to use its massive skeletal claws to swipe at her. Though she might have trouble dodging from the air in the past, Ais now easily flittered about as she evaded its swipes before opening up a distance.As soon as Ais was out of range, a vibrant blue light appeared 50m above Udaeus as Fenrir's small figure 'blinked' into existence, shouting, "Master, give me strength! Come spirits of ice! Tundra and Glacier, Spread Forth into the Air, in the Realm of White Night! Frozen Earth!" Though her chant had taken a while, Udaeus had been more focused on retaliating against Ais and trying to summon its spikes. Thus, perhaps overconfident about its famous magic resistance, Udaeus allowed Fenrir to finish her chant as a massive wave of magical energy converged on its body. The black skeletal frame of Udaeus became covered in ice before a pillar more than 50m in diameter and 70m in height came into existence, completely freezing it.There were numerous murmurs amongst the members of the convoy, including several exclamations of disbelief. As for Vahn, he had a small smile on his face as he saw the glowing eyes of Udaeus burning with rage. Unfortunately, though its strength was phenomenal, it couldn't easily break Fenrir's ice, which was becoming increasingly more vibrant as she channeled her mana into it. Several smaller ice pillars slowly started growing around the first one and Vahn could see the glowing red eyes of the Monster Rex begin to waver as its magic resistance was overwhelmed by the chill. Even Vahn had been overwhelmed by Fenrir's magic when his constitution was a natural counter to her attacks. Udaeus was virtually powerless and, though it could resist normal magic attacks, it couldn't do anything in the face of Fenrir's might.As the ember eyes of Udaeus slowly burned out, Vahn called Fenrir back before looking toward Ais, who was already channeling a tempest of air elemental energy around her [Gram]. The moment Fenrir used [Koku Shundo] to clear the area, Ais moved forward at nearly seven times the speed of sound, shattering clear through the pillar erected by Fenrir as the tempestuous blades of wind tore through Udaeus' frame, destroying its magic core in the process. Ais had moved so quickly that she went clear through the pillar and slammed into the wall behind, causing spiderweb cracks to spread out for several hundred meters before she, unharmed, jumped out of the hole she created.Though Fenrir's display was overwhelming, inspiring many to believe there was no way to resist her might, Ais' attack caused many people to feel one single though in regards to her power, simply that it was unstoppable. There was nothing anyone could think of that would be able to stop her blade and it brought a quiet over the entire group, broken only by the congratulations of Vahn's group. Many people eyed Fenrir and Ais, both very young and youthful looking girls, with abject terror and shock on their faces, including some of her own allies. Though the strong gave her looks of respect, the weaker members of the Expedition were outright terrified of the two...Vahn exchanged a few words with Finn before heading back to his cart, causing several people to give him or, more specifically, Fenrir a very wide birth. Asfi had become a little pale as she followed along, absentmindedly accepting Vahn's hand when he pulled her up into the cart. Shortly after, Finn gave the order to continue the march since Vahn had already looted all the drop items from Udaeus, leaving nothing but icy devastation behind to prove it existed in the first place. Perhaps more terrifying, however, was the still-collapsing wall where Ais had struck previously...---Without any major flair, the expedition reached the 39th Floor around 3:40 PM, giving Vahn plenty of time before he needed to attend to return to the orb. Since they were going to be setting up a permanant settlement this time around, the expedition moved towards the large flat plateau at the center of the Floor and immediately set up a perimeter. Construction efforts wouldn't officially start until tomorrow, but that didn't mean they could slack off on the defense. Though some people made comments about it being pointless, especially with people like Ais and Fenrir around, Finn kept order and had everyone get to work.To ease tensions, Vahn took several large stone slabs and cut them into shape, creating a semi-permanant bath for each gender. Instead of creating a normal formation to heat the water, Vahn drew a magical ward at the bottom of the stone basin that served the same purpose. Though formations were very effective, Vahn knew it was far more practical to draw wards and create ritual magic circles instead. They used significantly fewer materials and, as long as you understood the formula properly, they could be set up a lot faster than standard formations. Instead of spending twenty minutes fortifying things, Vahn finished the entire ward in less than three minutes, only because it was his first time drawing it.After that was finished, Vahn set up some tents to cover the area, ensuring they were well ventilated, before erecting stone walls in the periphery and drawing wards that barred entry to anyone that wasn't the appropriate gender. By the time he finished both baths, it was around 4:30 so Vahn started unloading the extra supplies at the center of the camp while everyone else was setting up their tents. He had already erected the Hestia Familia tent nearby and was just depositing things that would be used for the meal preparation. There were already several chefs standing by, each giving up a gratified cheer when Vahn gave them a variety of fresh and high-quality ingredients to make use of. Tonight was going to be a small celebration to congratulate everyone for making it to the 39th Floor in record time, avoiding casualties along the way.People were undoubtedly a little tense after watching Fenrir tear through the Floors, but that would pass once the mood livened up a bit and they had good food in their bellies. After a few weeks, Fenrir's display wouldn't be as impactful and would instead become something talked about with excitement and appreciation. Once they saw how cute she behaved normally, Vahn was certain they would open up to her, just like the members of the previous Expedition had. Since Fenrir was far more stable than the past, there shouldn't be any problems unless someone directly antagonizes her, which wasn't very likely. Worst case scenario, at least Vahn hoped, she would probably just knock them out with her martial arts and break a 'few' bones...Vahn left Finn in charge of things before heading into the Hestia Familia tent, giving Asfi leave to rest in her room or wander about the encampment. He warned her not to wander off without informing him, however, as their agreement didn't cover her proactively trying to circumvent his protection. If she wandered off and got attacked by monsters, that was entirely on her and couldn't be held against him since it would be a fate she brought upon herself. Vahn could easily track her if she tried to leave, and would likely do so, but he didn't want Asfi to have the mentality that she was allowed to do whatever she wanted. He didn't even mind her spying on them that much, as she couldn't get any 'important' information, but that didn't mean he intended to become her patsy and allow himself to be used.Asfi gave a firm nod in response before retiring to her room, likely to take a nap before dinner. She hadn't had to fight during the journey to the 39th Floor, but it had been very taxing her mind being next to Fenrir. There was also the fact that she had a lot to think about at the moment and it was difficult to be around Vahn since he seemed to react to the subtle changes in her mentality. Vahns words, though naive and idealistic, were very heavy and impactful since his capabilities meant that they weren't simple platitudes. It was obvious that Vahn was very serious when he spoke and it was apparent she would have to make a decision by the end of the Expedition, lest the 'wave' that was Vahn Mason swept by and left her in its wake...Before entering the orb, Vahn sat around with Haruhime, Mikoto, and Fenrir as they talked about their upcoming training. They were going to be on the 39th Floor for two months and it would be a good opportunity to begin their magical training since it was better to start sooner. Vahn gave them several additional language textbooks so they could study up and, in a strange twist of fate, Fenrir became the person tutoring them. She had been illiterate only a few months prior but could now read, write, and speak, four different languages.Haruhime and Mikoto knew how to speak and write in two, which surprised Vahn a bit until he remembered they both hailed from the Far East. There was no 'universal' language within the Danmachi record and it wasn't uncommon for different races to have completely unique languages and dialects. Vahn had overlooked this entirely at first because his brain, likely as a quirk of The Path, automatically translated everything into a format the could understand. The fact he conversed with them in their own languages, completely unaware he was doing it, had been eye-opening, to say the least. Thus, while Fenrir taught them 'Latin', 'Germanic', and 'English', they were also going to teach her 'Ya'nese' while refining her 'Koine', which was apparently the language used in Orario.While the girls were having a small study session, Vahn watched them with a smile while palming Eva's orb in his hand. The moment the light changed, Vahn sunk his intent into the orb to once again continue his training with Eva. Of course, before they got started, he had to pamper a needy Vampire princess and a progressively more seductive True Dragon...---Much like the previous sessions, Vahn spent the majority of his time sparring with Eva, which meant he was usually her punching bag or desperately evading her attacks. His [Koku Shundo] was currently sitting at D-Rank and Eva wanted him to get it to B-Rank before the moved onto the next part of their training, which would be working on his internal control. He already had great control over his source energy, but Vahn needed to be able to supplement his capabilities with external mana since it was very apparent he wouldn't be able to convert his source energy into a usable form to cast magic. The efficacy was simply terrible and Eva recommended he conserve his own energy for reinforcement while making use of his domain to absorb external mana and temporary channel it through his body. This would also allow him to have greater mastery of his [Magia Erebea] while simultaneously making it easier to master other types of control magic in the future.Of course, all of that was assuming he could get his [Koku Shundo] to B-Rank before Eva turned him into a perpetual popsicle. Her attacks became increasingly more fierce and it felt like he was never really adapting since he always seemed to be on the receiving end of a pummeling. Eva had even created an ice wall to split the entire space in two, one side vibrant and lush under the influence of Terra, while the other was a frozen wasteland. On the last day, Eva even required him to meditate completely naked in the -90-degree weather, without using his [Heart of the Eternal Flame]. The only thing he was allowed to do was cover his body with a very thin layer of [Cantus Bellax], which wasn't really enough to resist the cold.The reason for this was because Eva was worried about his ability to continue fighting for long periods of time since his 'mana' would be used up after just a few short minutes. He needed greater control and obtaining such mastery under harsh conditions was a common practice in her world. There were several phases to the training, starting by having a person traverse through a tundra wearing nothing but light clothing, surviving only on what they obtained during the journey. The second phase was to meditate at the top of a mountain, where the oxygen was thin and blizzards were common. As for the last phase, it took a drastic turn and required the person to meditate within the mouth of a volcano, finished only when the student managed to submerge themselves within the magma up to their neck for twenty-four hours...Unsurprisingly, Vahn wasn't able to complete Eva's trial at first and 'accidentally' cheated when his body adapted to the temperatures without protecting himself with mana. Since his form could change to whatever he wanted, Vahn had naturally adapted to the cold since it had been very uncomfortable. This earned him Eva's temporary ire and a bit of 'punishment' before she left his tired and drained body out in the cold again. She lectured that it wasn't wrong to rely on the capabilities of his body to overcome difficult situations, but being overreliant on 'shortcuts' would only harm him in the long run. Thus, with a few frozen lines of blood draining from small puncture wounds all over his body, Vahn sat and meditated within the cold until his time in the orb had come to an end...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Entertaining the Peanut Gallery','The Path is a Cheat','Ice Empress Evangeline')https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Before everyone went to sleep, Vahn went into greater detail about the [Pactio], classifying the armor as a 'raiment' for the time being. As they had already noticed, activating their cards greatly increased the physical parameters of the girls, though the full extent was currently unknown. The most important thing was that, though it wasn't as reliable as their aegis armor they usually wore, the raiment provided them a great deal of protection against physical attacks and even enhanced their natural regeneration, meaning they would automatically recover from minor wounds. When the contract was activated, they were borderline 'immune' to damage as long as Vahn had enough energy to provide for them.They would need to study the efficacy and conversion ratios later, but it was a major boon knowing they had a form of temporary invulnerability during emergency situations. Since Vahn could also summon them to his side, it meant most of the girls wouldn't be endangered ever again because they could telepathically communicate with him to escape. There was a good chance the Dungeon would interfere with this transference, but that was something that could be tested at a later date. Just knowing it worked, with a remarkably small cost, already fundamentally changed the way they could fight and reposition. If Vahn could learn how to teleport around like Eva and Terra, he could move great distances and then just call the girls to his side in an instant...Though everyone wanted to give their new cards a try, Vahn brought a stop to that and told them to keep it a secret for the time being unless they were in a dangerous situation. They could pass it off as an item like Tiona's wand, but Vahn wanted them to keep their true capabilities a secret since it was always better to have an element of surprise when facing enemies. He did, however, have each of them promise to use the card if they had even an inkling that the fight would be dangerous. Vahn never wanted to come across a situation where one of them sustained grievous injuries just because they were trying to respect his decision to keep secrets. He also briefed them about all of the people with less than 'clean' auras within the Expedition so they wouldn't do something silly like falling for some scheme. If there was ever any doubt, they could now just communicate telepathically with Vahn for an update on the situation and should 'never' trust the words of those they aren't close to.Vahn knew he was being a little over-protective of the girls but he was also on the precipice of becoming 'unstoppable' within the record of Danmachi. Though there would certainly be things that could defeat him, Vahn would be unkillable by most means and could always gain an advantage in the end. He wanted to help the girls get to a point where he wouldn't have to worry about them in this life while also preparing them for the 'evolution' of the record in the future. There would undoubtedly be forces in the world that would rise up against them, especially when the record became a higher tier, and Vahn wanted to avoid tragedy this time around. He harbored no illusions that he could protect everyone, knowing full well he would have to accept losses over the course of eternity, but Vahn wanted to do his best to try...after all, they were the first family he truly knew and Vahn cared deeply for each and every one of them.After everyone calmed down, the rest of the evening was relatively peaceful, coming to an end with Fenrir snuggling up with him while Ais and Lefiya took the spots at his sides. Lefiya had become a lot more 'bold' these days and didn't seem to mind using his shoulder a pillow now, even though she had to deal with teasing from Tione and Tiona. The latter of the two twins ended up snuggling up to Lefiya's back and using her as a hug pillow while Tione, Mikoto, and Haruhime all laid in a line at the flanks. Tione tried to get away with hugging Ais but was denied by the taciturn girl because it was too stuffy and Tione had bad sleeping habits. This caused a fair amount of giggling to occur, causing Tione to flush a great deal as she slept with her back to Ais instead...---As usual, Vahn entered the orb at the proper time and spent a few hours celebrating his reunion with Terra and Eva before he moved on to his training once again. Eva was drilling him very hard, forcing him to fight against her while she would generally barrage him with spells. She knew it was more important for Vahn to learn how to fight against powerful Mages since he would always have time to work on the 'theory' part of things later. Though the dangers of [Magia Erebea] would likely be circumvented by the nature of his existence, she didn't want him to be a pushover since it would embarrass them both.Terra usually watched at the side while Vahn and Eva were fighting, painting or reading books depending on her mood. Associating with Eva for several years gave her many of the same hobbies and she had already become a very powerful Mage in her own right. Though not nearly as strong as Eva, who had the classification of an SSS-Rank 'Calamity', Terra was now at the S-Rank, which is what Vahn would be at once he learned [Magia Erebea]. Her Status Board now showed more errors than actual stats and, though her Level hadn't increased over 10, it was very obvious she was breaking the limits of the Falna. The biggest change, however, was the fact that her Soul Tier had increased from 2 and reached the same Tier as Vahn himself, making her a Lord Soul.Eva watched as Vahn dodged another barrage of ice spears before disappearing from sight and intercepting his vector. She had been teaching him how to use [Koku Shundo] more skillfully and had been 'punishing' him for how long it took to create his anchor points. Once again, she landed right where he exited his technique before smacking him with enough force to send Vahn crashing into the ground. Since his body was wrapped in a golden aura, as a result of using [Molodia Bellax], Vahn didn't take much damage at all, even though the crater he created was nearly 20m in diameter. Standing up, Vahn rolled his shoulder, wincing with a smile on his face before using [Koku Shundo] to evade Eva's tireless assault.Because of the way Vahn fought, Eva had been drilling him on speed and perception, making sure he would never be caught unawares by attacks. He had a big advantage over other people with his domain so she wanted to make sure he was using it properly instead of letting it go to waste. Currently, he used it more for detection than anything else, which made Eva a little annoyed since it meant he was more reactive than 'proactive'. A 'true' Mage, at least in her opinion, was something that could remain relatively untouchable and simply outmaneuvered their opponents, overwhelming them with unstoppable magical might. Vahn wasn't a 'true' Mage, as he was closer to a Magic-Knight, but Eva still wanted him to be a passable Mage by the standards of those at the peak. After all, though she had taught Terra and Fenrir, Vahn was her first disciple and she couldn't tolerate him being looked down on by others...For nearly seven hours straight, Vahn continued dodging 'most' of Eva's attacks and was starting to get the hang of what Eva 'seamless transitioning' into and out of each [Koku Shundo]. He had a habit of thinking about where he wanted to move instead of 'knowing' where he wanted to move, meaning his time between movements caused small gaps. Since the technique also made an 'anchor' where he intended to move, skilled Mages could sense the subtle fluctuations and intercept him if they were fast enough. This was why Eva wanted him to be able to make seamless transitions to where he wanted to move so he wouldn't end up getting caught in traps. Though it was very painful to get knocked around by her, Vahn knew it was necessary since it made him far more battle-hardened while ' incentivizing' him to improve faster.Seeing Vahn's [Koku Shundo] improve so rapidly made Eva smile because she knew he really did have a lot of talent for physical enhancement and movement skills. It took most Mages several months to even get to the point where they can use [Melodia Bellax], yet Vahn had been able to do it after a few days. Now, he could already sustain the aura for nearly ten minutes and had reached a stable 18x increase in most of his physical parameters while his agility was around 24x. Since she knew Terra was already reaching the pinnacle of existences in the world Vahn came from, Eva had a good idea of where he needed to be to become 'unstoppable'. [Magia Erebea] would already put him near the peak, but Eva knew things were never that clear cut and there were plenty of ways a capable Mage could work around 'immortality'...Just as Vahn's [Melodia Bellax] was about to end, Eva smiled slightly before creating a massive 'spear' out of lightning. It was nearly 30m long and comprised almost entirely of lightning elemental energy, throwing it towards Vahn at 107,925,284km/h, around 1/10th the speed of light. This wasn't the first time Eva had tossed one of her spears at him so Vahn did his best to try and evade it, erecting a wall of earth in front of him to obscure her vision before trying to use [Shundo] to move at the same moment her body twitched. Unfortunately, as had been the case every other time, Vahn felt a powerful impact against his body as all of his muscles and nerves clenched up. Electricity danced around his skin, frying parts of his body before he fell to the ground, smoke emerging from some of the cracks before they were replaced with a vermillion light a few seconds later.Eva landed next to the charred body of Vahn, watching how rapidly he healed with the passive influence of his Zhūquè form. Though she forbade Vahn from using the forms actively, there wasn't too much he could do to stop their passive activation. Since she knew very well how much his body could take, Eva made sure never to push him to the limits and only dealt enough damage to cause his Zhūquè form to begin activating. As it had a 'ridiculous' consumption rate of magic power, Eva knew it wouldn't be that dangerous since his body didn't have enough energy to complete the transformation. This meant he would get the enhanced regeneration to recover his wounds without actually turning into what she called a 'fiery chicken boy'...Terra appeared next to them shortly after, leaning down to lift up her Master's body as she, for what felt like the tenth time, fed him a potion concocted using her Nectar. She quickly learned that her talent in forging was lacking so instead decided to learn chemistry and alchemy with Eva, converting her Master's former workshop into her own personal lab.As Vahn ingested the contents of the bottle, steam began appearing from his wounds as the vermillion light faded away and was instead replaced with the sight of mending flesh. Terra's potions, when inspected, had the ability to heal most wounds while replenishing 30% of a person's vital energies. They couldn't be consumed too often, by most people, but had a similar effect to a Master-Grade Elixir, meaning each of the small green bottles she carried could be worth up to 10,000,000 Valis each.Combined with her using healing magic, Vahn was up and ready to continue training after just a few short minutes. Of course, it took significantly longer for his mental energies and source energy to replenish so he usually spent that time letting Eva suck his blood while meditating. This was how he spent the majority of his time within the orb since, even though it would be nice to just seek comfort in each other, there simply wasn't enough time to do so. Other than when he first entered, and exited the orb, Vahn didn't get to spend too much quality time with Eva or Terra. He did his best to make it up to them during the moments they were together, but it never felt like enough since he knew they would be waiting another four years for his return...These thoughts were going through Vahn's mind as he lay with the naked Eva against his body, causing her to pinch him and say, "Vahn, stop worrying so much...just make sure you treat the real me properly and stop worrying about the present so much. Focus on training and becoming stronger so that you can use the trial scroll and learn [Magia Erebea]. That is the best thing you can do right now..." As Eva finished her words, she sealed Vahn's lips with her own, playfully moving her leg to intertwine with his. They had just finished a rather intimate session but there were still a few more minutes until he had to leave the orb. Not wanting to waste it by watching him 'brood', Eva took the initiative this time around while Terra laid limply at the side, watching with an amused glint in her sky-blue eyes...---Upon returning to the real world, Vahn felt his body warm up as he was momentarily caught in the aftereffects of Eva's 'playful' nature. Feeling the warm bodies of the girls around him, Vahn slowly calmed down before everyone started getting ready for the next leg of the Expedition. He had somewhat selfishly delayed things so that he wouldn't miss the timing of the orb, but most of those on the Expedition didn't really mind since it was always preferred to have more time to rest. The fact that Vahn provided high-quality food, access to baths, and even some wine with a low alcoholic content made the majority of people praise him, offering no complaints whatsoever. Though some of the more 'veteran' members teased the younger members for being 'lazy', they generally did so with a smile before joining the relatively festive atmosphere and sharing their stories and cautionary tales.As they were readying everything, Asfi came out of her own room with a peculiar expression before sitting down and enjoying a very quick breakfast. She noticed that all the food was already cooked, even though nobody had cooked that morning, and knew there was far more to Vahn's storage magic than had been revealed. Asfi was also aware they had stayed up very late the previous night and had sensed large magical fluctuations and mild tremors before her perception was completely cut off from the room. Seeing all the other girls in high spirits made her curious about what had happened but there never seemed to be a good opportunity to breach the conversations of everyone else.Vahn, noticing Asfi's 'discomfort', just offered a wry smile since there wasn't much he could do to help her fit in while she was still 'spying' on them. Though the girls made conversation with her, it was almost like they were 'teasing' her instead of actually trying to get along. Vahn wondered if Haruhime had said anything to them but Asfi herself didn't seem to be bothered by anyone, with the exception of Fenrir. Though Fenrir wouldn't actually do anything to her, Vahn had to admit that Asfi wasn't wrong to fear the small Vanargandr since, with Terra in the orb, she was probably the most dangerous 'person' to make an enemy out of.Sensing the arrival of Finn, Vahn jumped up and smiled to the girls before saying, "Go ahead and wrap up breakfast so I can put the tent into storage. You don't have to clean up just yet if you want to leave everything out for snacks later. Asfi, Fenrir, please come outside as soon as you're ready." Asfi gave him a sidelong glance before nodding her head in a curt manner and rising to her feet, quickly falling into pace with Fenrir following close behind her. She was already used to Fenrir 'watching' her and did her best to ignore the glowing scarlet eyes that followed her with an unwavering gaze.Finn smiled the moment the three stepped out of the tent, saying, "Good morning, Vahn, Asfi, Fenrir. It's good to see you're all in high spirits so early." Vahn smiled and asked, "How soon until everyone is ready to move?" while Asfi just nodded politely towards Finn. Fenrir didn't return the greeting and instead just flopped her head from side-to-side, almost as if she was bored but rarely removing her eyes from Asfi. Finn saw this and felt a little awkward but kept it to himself as he said, "Everything should be ready within the next ten minutes so we'll probably start moving within fifteen. Did you want to do any extra checks...? Also, we never really got the chance to talk about it previously, but is there anything I need to consider for pacing purposes?"Understanding that Finn was asking if Fenrir was going to be clearing out the majority of monsters again, Vahn just smiled and said, "Fenrir will protect the convoy today so the others have a chance to gain some experience. I'll provide support, healing, and utility while she uses ranged attacks to target any problematic enemies. I know Ais, Tiona, and Tione probably want to move their bodies and gain some exillia as well..." Remembering the scene of Tiona flying around and raining down magic on enemies the previous day, Vahn couldn't help but smile as he considered purchasing a wand for each of the girls. Though Vahn thought it would make them look 'cute', he also knew it wasn't really 'appropriate' and he didn't want any strange rumors to begin spreading...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Secret Trump Cards','Master Eva-chan','RIP Magical Girl Squadron')https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 641: Rumination