Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After giving Lenneth a quick wash down with a sphere of water and changing her into more suitable clothing, this time an adorable black dress with white frills, the two set out towards Freya's temporary residence near Daedelus Street. Her Familia had nearly seized full control of the first ten Floors of Knossos and also secured the sole elevator to control anyone that was trying to move in and out secretly. Though the number of emergency tunnels leading into various parts of the City would likely take months to explore, it was safe to say that Knossos was currently under the control of the Alliance. Vahn just needed to finish mapping out the lower floors and making sure there were no other illegal activities going on before construction to convert it into a 'practice dungeon' would begin.Lenneth enjoyed the relatively short flight, happily riding on her Papa's back without any fear of heights whatsoever. She had her hair styled up in a short ponytail that was fixed by a black ribbon, contrasting her silver hair and silvery-blue eyes splendidly. Much like Freya and Syr, she had fringe bangs that curved around her face but, after starting her training with the sword, Lenneth had picked up the habit of pinning her bangs up so they didn't get in her eyes. Overall, she was ridiculously adorable and Vahn found himself flying a little higher than normal so that he wouldn't have to deal with anyone eyeing her with malicious intentions...he ignored it in a lot of circumstances but, if anyone so much as looked at his daughters in a 'devious' manner, Vahn didn't think he'd be able to allow them to roam freely...By the time they had reached Freya's residence, she was already waiting outside on the balcony to receive them, something most people couldn't imagine her doing for anyone. Even before they had landed, Lenneth was already beaming as she cried out, "Mom~!" Freya, with a smile of her own, waved gingerly as a peal of bell-like laughter escaped her lips. Upon seeing her eyes wandering, however, Vahn realized he should have brought Diana along with them. After landing, he handed Lenneth over to her, even though she was a little big to be held, saying, "Sorry, I didn't think about things properly this time around...I just wanted to bring you a gift..."Without showing any signs of actually being upset, Freya began carrying Lenneth into the interior, softly stating, "Come along, I've already had a fresh tea set out. It is nice to be able to spend time with just the three of us, ufufufu~." With that said, Vahn quickly followed along, watching with a small smile on his face as Lenneth went into great details about what she had been up to since their last meeting. Freya showed genuine interest in everything her daughter said, even asking some questions of her own and paying Lenneth a few choice compliments that got the girl to giggle happily.Once they reached one of the interior rooms, very different from the location of his 'throne', the three sat around a rounded tabled that was formed from what appeared to be pure silver and quartz. There was a very fragrant pot of tea that had been set out while a tall thermal pitcher that Vahn knew contained a very expensive coffee was next to it. Since there weren't any snacks, Vahn quickly produced some of his own, earning a playful smile from Freya as she lightly mused, "I must admit, Vahn, I'm rather curious about what kind of gift would lead you to seek me out on such short notice. For you to bring out daughter along...well, I can't say any thoughts come to mind when it comes to presents you know I'll enjoy~."Vahn knew Freya was subtly teasing him about a very different kind of 'present' that he could have given her but, without losing his composure, he quickly pulled out the [Brísingamen] and gauged her reaction. More so than he had ever seen before, Vahn observed as Freya's eyes widened until they were nearly rounded. Even Lenneth's eyes showed genuine shock and awe as she mused, "So pretty..." in a voice less than a whisper. Then, realizing her own reaction, Freya blushed slightly without taking her eyes away from the necklace, saying, "That necklace...Vahn, do you know what that is? How...? I..." Freya couldn't actually believe the 'present' Vahn had brought her, as there shouldn't have been any way for him to even know about it, much less obtain it...Based on her reaction, Vahn knew that Freya was aware of the origin of the necklace and, as he had done a bit of research of his own, he knew the story might not be the most pleasant. Though the record of Danmachi certainly wouldn't match the lore and mythos of another world, almost every story regarding [Brísingamen] showed that Freya had paid to obtain it using her own body as compensation. Some stories even depicted her laying with several hideous Dwarven men who, so smitten with her beauty, refused to sell it to her unless she lay with each of them for a night. Vahn didn't understand how a Goddess of War could be manipulated by a bunch of Dwarves but that was simply how events were depicted in some texts...So she didn't misunderstand, Vahn maintained a casual smile as he said, "This is a unique item that my ability had produced while I was in the Dungeon. Since it seemed to share a fate with you, I wanted to return the item to its rightful owner...what you do with it is ultimately your decision, Freya. However, I believe it does suit you a great deal..." The [Brísingamen] was actually one of the more beautiful pieces of jewelry Vahn had ever seen and, based on its grade from the gacha, Vahn suspected it was actually bordering on the Divine in quality. His [Eyes of Truth] couldn't see through the secrets of any Unique items thus far, the [Brísingamen] included, so there was no way to be absolutely sure. Even so, the fact that it had a resplendent gold base that was affixed with seven inextricably pure amber gemstones drew a lot of attention...Freya gingerly reached out her hands, taking the [Brísingamen] from Vahn and once again showing a face full of surprise as she asked, "Your power made this...?" From what she could tell, this was exactly the necklace she often wore back in Heaven, meaning it should be on her Divine Statue, not here in the Mortal World. In truth, it was one of the only things that made her hesitate before descending, as it had been her most prized possession for several hundred million years. Unlike the stories Vahn had read, however, Freya had received her [Brísingamen] after taking an interest in Hephaestus' craft and trying to befriend the previously 'cursed' goddess...Though Freya was a Goddess of Beauty, she had never actually cared about the appearance of others so, while they weren't exactly friends, the two had an amicable relationship for a time. Since this had been shortly after Hephaestus came into existence, the then young goddess had put quite a bit of effort into creating a masterpiece solely for Freya's use. Vahn wasn't aware of it, but in Freya's hands, the [Brísingamen] greatly enhanced the effect of her own Divinity and was one of the reasons many gods feared her back in Heaven. If Vahn had given it to her in the past, Freya would have granted him almost anything he could wish for, even if it was her own body...Now, though Freya felt a powerful longing for the necklace in her hands, it almost seemed meaningless while she was sitting with her lover and their child. She would have used this necklace to conquer the entire City in the past but, now that Vahn had already conquered it, Freya was perfectly content at his side. Thus, without much hesitation at all, Freya smiled before placing the [Brísingamen] around Lenneth's neck, saying, "This necklace is a very precious 'heirloom' that I never thought I would be able to pass down...Lenneth, I want you to take care of this necklace and, when you one day find someone you love and have a daughter of your own...bestow it upon her as well, okay~?"Lenneth's eyes brightened like stars as she marveled at the beautiful necklace her Mother had just given her. Seeing this, Vahn was more than a little surprised and he couldn't help but adopt a smile of his own after witnessing such an event. He had still gotten the [Blessing of Freya] and the Unique item [Freya's Favor], so he didn't mind at all that she had regifted it to Lenneth. Though it was currently a little big for her, the necklace was still inordinately beautiful and seemed to give Lenneth's skin a subtle glow. Vahn was surprised to see this as Lenneth was actually able to make him feel a slight amount of pressure while wearing the necklace...As if to explain away any questions he might have, Freya softly stated, "The [Brísingamen] is one of the greatest masterpieces that Hephaestus had forged back in Heaven. It is one of the only artifacts with the effect to strengthen the Divinity of we gods, making it one of the most sought-after items in all eight regions of Heaven. From now on, it will help Lenneth grow even stronger, all while protecting her from any harm that may befall her...make sure you cherish it well, Lenneth, as it will one day protect your most cherished treasure as well..." As these words left her lips, Freya felt like a weight had been lifted on her heart as she internally mused, ("Yes, I have no need for such trinkets anymore...there are far more precious things in the world...")Seeing Freya look towards Lenneth with an expression full of love, Vahn felt like his own heart had melted, a great deal of warmth spreading through his body. Freya, susceptible to these kinds of feelings, turned her eyes towards him, a very similar look to the one she viewed Lenneth with...but with very different emotions contained within. Vahn's eyes squinted slightly and their moods began to overlap with each other until Lenneth suddenly asked, "Mom, whats an heirloom?" This innocent question had caused Vahn and Freya to startle slightly before the latter happily began explaining in great detail about heirlooms, love, and precious people...---It had taken nearly sixteen straight hours but, with their combined efforts, Vahn and Terra managed to finish setting up the teleportation ward. The longest part of the process ensuring that the large ritual ward couldn't be interfered with, requiring them to install several layers of protection. Though Yggy would be able to initiate a transfer without the larger ritual ward, during an emergency, it was necessary to power the formation with rather expensive materials during other instances. Vahn was able to circumvent some of the cost by using his [Lapidary] to make [Source Energy Crystal]s that could power a few transfers before being destroyed. These were also for emergency use, however, making it necessary to use twenty high-quality magic cores, generally obtained by monsters over Level 5, just to transfer a single person.With the girls' strength, and the power of the Alliance in general, it wasn't that difficult to acquire a number of such cores. However, this meant it would cost nearly 1.6MV just to transfer a person one-way, meaning it took 3.2M for a round trip. With the average party of Veteran Adventurers only earning around 600KV per day, generally split between five people, this meant the cost for transfers was exorbitantly expensive. Just moving everyone within their private group to the surface would cost, on average, around 180-200MV.Though Vahn could easily support these expenditures with his constantly increasing savings, it would even bankrupt him if they overused it. Fortunately, he expected that it would be relatively easy for them to acquire their own high-quality magic cores once they began venturing into the Deeper Floors. In the future, once things had stabilized, it might actually become relatively common for people to move between the 50th Floor and the surface with secondary transfer gates the Alliance might set up. Vahn expected the average strength of Adventurers to increase over the next few decades and, though it was currently rather impressive to even solo to the middle Floors, that bar could very well be raised to the Deep Floors one day...Once the teleportation ward was functional, causing the interior of Yggy's trunk to become even more fantastical in appearance, things weren't quite finished. Though he could take a break, Vahn was determined to bolster the defenses of Haven before he began venturing inward to confront Enyo. Terra also didn't tire out and, after promising to spend some time with her in the Sub-Space orb for a few hours, she happily agreed to help reinforce the perimeter wall. As a result, there was now a 50m tall bedrock wall that was more than 15m thick creating a giant ring around Haven that was nearly 10km in diameter. When the construction crews saw this 'miracle', the way people had started looking at Terra now had an extra layer of fear and reverence contained within their gazes.As powerful as she was, Terra wasn't quite strong enough to used such a large-scale unnamed spell, at least outside of her Dominion. Instead, she relied heavily on her Master's support for the task and, with [Yggdrasil's Blessing] and [Hands of Nirvana] not quite providing nearly enough energy, this resulted in Vahn getting yet another bite mark on his shoulder. Though she had brought up the idea of obtaining a very different fluid from him, Vahn had been back on the surface dealing with some issues at the School and didn't want any 'distractions'. As Terra had no aversion to sucking his blood at all, as it was often reputed to be quite sweet, they ended up embracing in the sky above Haven as she manipulated enough mana to even make a god sweat...Once the spell's structure was complete, there were no other steps required and, other than one of the largest magic circles anyone had ever seen forming above the City, the wall itself had come into existence without incident. After that, Vahn had gone around to set up several defensive wards while Terra, finished with her own duties, returned to the surface to patiently await her 'reward'. Though she could have helped to establish the defensive wards, Vahn's were inherently more powerful as, even though Terra was comprised of Source Energy, she actually couldn't sense this at all. She had no way of using it directly but, unlike Vahn, had nearly no trouble converting it into the natural energy she used in her spells...it was quite enviable. Even so, as his wards were several times stronger than normal, Vahn willingly placed a total of 1,000 wards before he was finally satisfied...As they had been patiently observing him, Fenrir, Maemi, and Emiru had all come to his side immediately after Vahn had sat down to rest. He wasn't physically tired but, if his avatar hadn't been resting for the both of them, Vahn's mental energy would have failed a long time ago. Emiru and Maemi brought over a warm towel, placing it around the back of his neck as Fenrir turned into her Bunnywolf form, except even fluffier than in the past, and curled up in his lap. Vahn couldn't resist smiling as he began stroking her fur, feeling immediately more relaxed as Maemi even went about massaging his shoulders. Emiru, seemingly having nothing else to do, came around to the front of Vahn, kneeling down as if she were going to perform a seiza before bringing her hands up to create 'paws' before saying, "Master, good work, nyaa~" Though she was a Leopard Person, Emiru still had a similar appearance to a Cat Person and could definitely pull off the adorable appeal their species were known for. Thus, with a very contented smile on his face, Vahn found himself petting two adorable creatures while a very determined Maid massaged his shoulders. At the same time, in the back of his mind, Vahn muttered, ("I'm coming for you, Enyo...")(A/N: Though I was supposed to do 5 chapters today, the next chapter is the start of the new volume and I wanted to start the day off strong. I'll see if I can't pump out six tomorrow, though it will probably still just be five. Please keep in mind that it can take upwards of 10-12 hours to write and edit five chapters so don't think I'm trying to short change you any xD. Even so, I'll make tomorrow's releases on separated by one hour, as there should be some action that everyone has been looking forward to (UwU)~!)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Freya has changed a lot...','That is an expensive form of transport!','RIP Enyo...messing with Vahn's happy times (&gt;,...,&lt;)~!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

The more time that passed, the greater the sense of incongruity in Vahn's heart grew. He knew this was his 'instinct' that was associated with karma and fate so his desire to seize the initiative in his own favor was growing by the day. Now that the basic defensive perimeter of Haven had been established, the only thing left to do was venture into the Dungeon and try to unlock its secrets. At the very least, they needed to interrupt the momentum that Enyo was trying to build with her forces and try to prevent her plans from coming to fruition...In preparation for this, Vahn was doing some finishing touches on the routine maintenance he would perform for the girls' equipment. Though they could rely on their [Pactio] in a fight, it didn't mean their other equipment could be neglected. There was always a chance that something could go wrong and, in the event the girls weren't able to use their [Pactio], having powerful equipment to fall back on was very important. With his maintenance also providing enhancements to the base stats of there equipment, it was worth the time it takes in order to protect the people he cares about.After giving Ais' [Gram] an oil rub, Vahn finished wiping the rather holy looking blade with a cloth before handing it over to the patiently waiting Ais. The girls had a habit of watching him whenever he was doing maintenance on their equipment so Vahn was used to her unwavering gaze at such times. Ais happily accepted her now 'extra shiny' sword, an appreciative smile on her face as she said, "Thank you, Vahn. I love it...ah...!" As if realizing something, Ais' smile changed subtly and she quickly put away her [Gram] in the runic golden ring on her finger before leaning down and giving him a quick peck on the cheek. Then, with a smile that reached all the way to her eyes, Ais whispered, "I love you more..."The moment these words left her lips, Tiona was already flying through the air and 'tackling' Ais as she said, "Ais, that's sneaky~" This little display got a small rise out of many of the surrounding girls while even Vahn gave a light chuckle as he rose to his feet. While using a quick 'cleaning magic' to remove some of the grime that had built up on his clothes, Vahn looked towards everyone and said, "Well, it's about time for us to head down. While we're away, I'll leave the defense of Haven to you all. Remember, if things get really bad, Yggy will protect you and, should you decided to go up to the surface, try not to draw too much attention to yourselves..." At this point, every girl had enough magic cores in their inventory to move to and from the surface around five times. Maemi and Emiru had already returned but Vahn expected that Tina may end up heading upwards at least once in the next few days...In response to his words, Tione actually snorted with her arms crossed but didn't say anything, a slightly conflicted look on her face. Though she knew her strength was quite a bit lower than her sister's, the fact that she was remaining back at Haven bothered her a fair amount. However, among the girls that Vahn was taking with him, the only one she had even a small amount of confidence beating was Lefiya. Even Lili had grown almost 'ridiculously' strong and, though she could fight on the defensive for a decent amount of time, Tione knew she wouldn't even be able to take one solid hit from the diminutive Pallum...Seeing Tione's behavior, Vahn unhesitantly walked over to her, causing the conflicted look on her face to waver a bit as he wrapped his arms around her like a bear hug. He held her tightly in his embrace and, with his mouth next to her ear, stated, "Remember, Tione, this is just supposed to be a scouting party...but, even if something happens, it isn't because you are weak that I'm not taking you along. Don't forget, I care more about the protection of Haven than anything related to Enyo...I need everyone to keep it safe while I'm not here to protect it...besides, once this is all over..." At this point, Vahn's voice had become a hushed whisper as he added, "We'll be one step closer to resolving the issues at Telskyura...I'll be taking you and your sister with me when the time comes, okay...?"By the time Vahn had finished his words, Tione's face had become slightly flushed as she nodded her head, an angry facade as she muttered, "You better remember it..." To this, Vahn chuckled very lightly, causing the slight blush on Tione's face to develop even more, especially when he said, "I've been looking forward to it for a while...I think you'd make a great mother, Tione. I can hardly wait..." Towards the end of his sentence, Vahn traced a small circle on Tione's back with his index finger, a rainbow-hue suffusing from the tip. She pushed him away rather abruptly and 'stormed' off, not angry, but to prevent herself from pushing Vahn down in the middle of the group...Vahn followed her with his eyes for a few moments before turning his attention to Arnya and Ryuu, saying, "The two of you will be in charge during any defensive operations. Make sure you familiarize yourselves with the terrain and, in an emergency, you can send a message to Terra through Yggy..." Seeing the two girls nods, Vahn then turned his attention to Chloe, Tina, and Shizune, his eyes resting on the maturing Kitsune as he said, "You've been very patient thus far, Shizune, thank you. If there are any large scale battles that occur while I'm away, don't hesitate to use your abilities to their fullest. Chloe, Tina, I'll trust you to keep Shizune safe, but don't forget that your own safety is just as important..."Hearing Vahn's 'permission', Shizune chest puffed up and she smiled radiantly, saying, "Finally, it's about time I had an opportunity to shine. I'm looking forward to it~." As for Chloe, she simply nodded her head and said, "Leave it to me, nyaa~." while Tina showed a serious expression, saying, "I'll protect everyone, Vahnya~!" Vahn habitually reached out to stroked Tina's head and, as she was standing right next to her, Shizune's as well. Both girls had matured quite a bit but, the moment Vahn began stroking their heads, they had happy and contented expressions that made them appear much younger. This caused Vahn's smile to soften a bit before he turned his attention to the stoic Mikoto who, without him even saying anything, gave a small nod and said, "Please, leave it to me, Vahn. This is why I've trained so hard...to protect the things I care about..."Vahn ruffled the two girls' hair one last time before walking over to Mikoto and placing his hand on her shoulder, saying, "I believe in you, Mikoto. You have already become incredibly strong..." Though there were a few bad matchups for her, Mikoto's offensive power in a melee was just under Ais'. Her speed had reached a point that most of the other girls couldn't even cope with and, so long as she was able to close the distance quickly enough, very few people would ever be able to defend against her attacks. Vahn had full confidence that she would even be able to deal with the large plant-like monsters on her own and wanted to leave her as a failsafe if there were any enemies that could resist ranged attacks.As it was growing closer to the time Vahn had wanted to set out, he lastly turned to Shakti and Rufina, the later of which immediately asked, "Can I not go with you...?" She knew she was far from the strength of the other girls but, imagining Vahn going to face against a terrifying enemy while she just 'waited' didn't sit well with her. In response, Vahn slowly shook his head and, before Rufina could lash out, smiled to her as he said, "Vana would never forgive me if something happened to you...also, this place, this Dungeon, it has already influenced your life enough...the fact you were able to return here shows that you are a very strong woman, Rufina. One day, if that is your wish, I'm certain you will become even stronger...but now, this is our stage and 'my' fight...("don't worry, if you feel lonely, I'll be waiting for you on the surface...") Vahn said the last few words telepathically, causing Rufina's face to flush a bit as she hugged her body and averted her eyes...Vahn couldn't help smiling slightly when he saw this, as Rufina's actions reminded him a lot of how Eva used to behave back when they first met. He didn't tell her this, of course, as it would have likely required him to dodge a few punches, and just turned to Shaki to say, "Shakti, take care of yourself and watch over Rufina for me. If things get dangerous, please retreat to the surface...remember, you can't just think about yourself anymore." Though she didn't seem to do it intentionally, Shakti's hand naturally gravitated towards her abdomen as a very serious expression appeared on her face. Even so, she managed to pull off a smile after a few seconds had passed, saying, "I won't take any risks, Vahn, I promise...Rufina and I will both be okay."Choosing to believe in her words, Vahn gave a curt nod before sharing a long embrace with the two girls. Rufina's ended up being a bit longer since she didn't seem willing to let him go but, after a few minutes had passed, she finally relented while saying, "Try and come back quickly...but, if you see that bitch, Enyo, make sure to give her a solid hit on my behalf..." This comment gave Vahn a slight urge to laugh but he managed to keep it in, instead, saying, "I'll make sure Enyo pays for everything she has done...don't worry, your share will be included, Rufina."After sharing a few more parting words and expressions of affection, Vahn ended up heading towards the outer perimeter of Haven with Fenrir, Ais, Tiona, Haruhime, Lefiya, and Lili in tow. He had already discussed things with Finn previously so, other than a few people that were patrolling around the perimeter, there was nobody to send them off. Even so, everyone was in his spirits as Tiona and Lili began making bets as to who would kill the most monsters between them while Haruhime, Lefiya, and Fenrir were, somewhat embarrassingly, talking about him. As for Ais, she simply walked at his side and remained relatively quiet as a resolute light shone within her eyes...Once they reached the entrance to the 51st Floor, Vahn brought everyone to a stop as he said, "We've already gone over the plan a few times but, now that we're about to put it into action, I'll give everyone a brief reminder. Our goal is to map the entirety of the 51st Floor and make sure Enyo's forces aren't trying to undermine the integrity of the 50th Floor. Once we're finished, we'll be heading into the 52nd Floor and use the Valgang Dragons' breath to cut a path down to the 58th Floor. Our goal will be to secure the 58th Floor and then make camp before proceeding to the 59th Floor, tying the record of the Zeus and Hera Familias from the past. There is no way of knowing what awaits us beyond that point so we will be systematically exploring and mapping everything as we proceed, especially when we reach the 60th Floor...understood?"Seeing that nobody had any questions, as they had probably discussed these plans nearly a dozen times at this point, Vahn nodded his head and said, "Lefiya will be our pace-setter. Ais, Fenrir, the two of you will be our Vanguard while Lili and Tiona will take up the Rearguard positions. Haruhime and I will protect Lefiya and act as the ranged support during the exploration. If there are any new enemies, act with caution but do not be afraid to make a decisive strike to keep the momentum in our favor. I will support you with my [Wounds Transfer] and my bow unless the enemy looks particularly dangerous. In that circumstance, remember to retreat into Haruhime's barrier so that Ais and I can try to deal with it. If that happens, I'll be relying on you, Lefiya, to chant a spell so I can absorb it with [Magia Erebea]..."Lefiya, a fiery glint in her eyes, nodded her head fervently and exclaimed, "Leave it to me, Master!" Even without any thought required, Vahn had reached out his hand to pat the adorable Spirit's head, causing her expression to melt. At the same time, he gave a confident nod to everyone, saying, "We can do this. The preparations we have made over the last few years give us a distinctive advantage in these engagements. So long as we maintain the momentum, there is nothing that can stand in our way. Remember, communication is the most important thing...now, let's go teach Enyo that she can't simply do whatever she wants...!" Following Vahn's words, everyone gave a loud hurrah in response, each equally excited to teach Enyo not to mess with their 'family'.With everyone's morale at its peak, Vahn smiled confidently before giving the signal to advance to Ais and Fenfir. He also drew out his new bow, [Khryselakatos], a powerful weapon that had cost him a total of 30,000,000OP to make full use of his [Archery Goddess' Blessing]. Though it didn't have the rather 'scary' effect of Naaza's [Yi], this bow carried a fragment of Artemis' record, as Vahn had specifically looked for equipment related to her mythos. Its form was that of a golden crescent and, in conjunction with his greatly increased critical hit rate, it was a truly monstrous weapon...----------------------------------------------------------------------[Khryselakatos]Rank: S (Magic)Slots: 5P.Atk: 700+70M.Atk: 1500Ability: Artemis' Blessing(S), Curse of the Huntress(S), Impeccable Aim(A), Crippling Blow(A), Moon's Grace(A)A legendary bow that was enshrined at the Temple of Artemis, rumored to have obtained her Blessing. Those that wield this bow, so long as they have the Goddess of the Hunt's favor, are fated to never miss their targets. During the night of the Full Moon, this bow is said to reach its full potential...----------------------------------------------------------------------So long as he had this bow, Vahn was confident he could even take out one of the large plant-like monsters in a single shot. Not only was he almost guaranteed a critical hit, but every time he landed a critical it would stun the monster for a minimum of one second. Though that didn't sound like much, every successive critical would increase the duration of the stun and, with how fast and powerful their attacks were, this was a death sentence to anything without borderline Innate levels of resistance. Since he also had skills like [Call of the Reaper] to back him up, Vahn felt like he had literally become Artemis' Champion with a bow...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Poor Tione xD...','Best laid plans...','Vahn is Archer, confirmed...?')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

With Yggy being much stronger than he expected, especially after 'consuming' the two [Yggdrasil's Branch]s, Vahn's confidence in his future actions increased greatly. He wasn't actually that concerned with what Enyo might have prepared for them and had been considerably more worried about protecting Haven. Now, though it would still take a few years, Yggy would be able to completely take over the 50th Floor while protecting the residents of Haven. There was no danger of her actually being hurt, assuming the enemy didn't have some Innate that could circumvent her defenses. Even then, Yggy could regenerate very quickly, a fact she had made apparent by 'burying' Vahn in a pile of crystalline leaves after he asked for a few. She could apparently regrow them completely anew once a month, leaving Vahn with 227,019 multi-colored leaves that would make most Alchemists fight tooth and nail just to obtain one...Yggdrasil's branches were slightly different than her leaves, as they possessed an inherent 'indestructible' quality to them. Unless Yggrasil herself gave them up, it was impossible to harvest them through normal means and, though her 'regeneration' was quick, such as if she somehow suffered slicing wounds, it took time to regrow limbs. Since it would stunt her growth, and Vahn could just obtain branches from the system shop on his own, he refused her offer of a branch until she had already grown to an adequate size.Since these branches would become even more powerful with time, there was no rush in trying to procure resources from her. After all, much like how he felt towards his other 'subordinates', Vahn felt very awkward when they willingly tried to give up their 'resources' for his use. This was something that bothered him about the Xenos as well since even Marie had happily offered her blood while Lyd even cut off one of his horns. Vahn adamantly refused the former but, as Lyd had already cut off the horn and presented it, Vahn infused it into a scimitar that the proud Xenos loved so much that he even slept with it...Remembering the uniqueness of the Xenos, Vahn felt like he should spend some time at Spero village when he finished up with all these troublesome matters. For the time being, however, he was helping establish several layers of defenses, not necessarily to protect Yggy, but to keep people from discovering the teleportation ward that was going to be placed in the center of the region. Though he wasn't sure of the reason, all Trees of Life seemed to be hollow on the inside and there was even a small 'stump' located in the center that contained a rather deep well.The well was only 1m in diameter but was nearly 3m deep, containing a very thin layer of luminescent water contained within. Vahn understood this was water created by Yggy's [Fountain of Youth]. Since it was produced from an Innate, Vahn suspected it was a 'Unique' grade item but decided to leave it be for the time being. If Yggy hadn't possessed sentience, he might have tried to harvest some of its resources but that was no longer an option, at least from his perspective. Yggy, upon seeing him inspecting the well, beamed with a face full of innocence as she said, "If you want, I can give you all of my fountain water, Father~! Please, just tell me if there is anything I can do to help!"Hearing this, Vahn turned to this 'daughter' of his and performed his almost instinctual head-patting technique on her. She squinted her eyes happily as a result while Vahn returned a smile of his own, saying, "I am truly grateful for how eager and giving you are, Yggy, but please don't strain yourself. If you truly consider yourself my daughter, then allow me to take care of you for a bit...so long as you protect this place, I'd rather you focus on being happy, not trying to make me happy..." In response to this, Yggy smiled wide enough that Vahn could see both rows of teeth, a smile full of the same vitality that the young Spirit herself represented...After having Ryuu hold 'their' daughter, Vahn began inscribing the teleportation formation in the location where the fountain had been located. Just as she had been able to make an opening for him and Ryuu to enter into her trunk, Yggy had easily relocated her fountain to the back so that Vahn had enough space to make the formation's core. The actual teleportation ward would be much bigger than the location where people would transfer from, but that was intentional.Having a larger transference area would exponentially increase the number of resources required for teleporting and, though Yggy offered to supplement some of the energy with her own, Vahn didn't want to use her as a 'battery' for their convenience. She could produce a seemingly infinite amount of energy, but that didn't mean she was producing an infinite amount at every moment. There was a limit to what she could do at any one moment and, in order to supply the energy for single teleportation, it would almost completely use up her reserves.Vahn was at a point where the amount of OP he was gaining actually exceeded his somewhat ridiculous expenditure by a great deal. He knew he hadn't exactly been frugal with his OP but, even with that being the case, his reserves were currently sitting at 238,443,417. With the [Leaves of the Tree of Life] being worth between 700-1000 OP, if he chose to sell them to the shop, Vahn was at a point where his passive earnings could reach more than 200,000,000OP per month. Things like this caused him to question why his Emperor self hadn't been able to afford the [Dimensional Anchor: Statis] but, almost immediately upon thinking this, Vahn realized he must have made the decision 'not' to freeze the world. Vahn didn't know what 'he' would have done with Eva in the Divination but it was very apparent that the path he was currently walking had diverged greatly from the course he had taken to become that lonely Emperor...With Yggy's help, Vahn knew it was only a matter of time before he accumulated enough OP to be able to purchase the anchor and complete his Quests. If necessary, he even had a 'trump' card, as it was possible to exchange the [Skill Advancement Scroll: SSS] for 10,000,000,000OP, meaning he could complete two of his important Quests in almost an instant, assuming he was willing to take a loss of 90 Billion OP as a result. For a moment, just after he had obtained the scroll, Vahn humored the thought of using it on his [Grooming] to see just how far the skill would develop. Sis immediately discouraged this course of action, not because it was a bad idea, but because it would very nearly push him into Tier 4 as a result.The [Skill Advancement Scroll: SSS] wasn't restricted to simply giving you SSS-Rank in the current skill, it immediately advanced it to the highest evolution within the record. This meant, if Vahn used his scroll just after obtaining [Blacksmith], he would have been able to immediately reach [Godsmith: SSS]. Though he wouldn't be able to forge Tier 4 items within the mortal world, the comprehension he would obtain in relation to forging could actually push him towards awaking his own Divinity the moment his soul was strong enough to sustain the transition. This meant, if Vahn had truly used the scroll on his [Grooming], it would have reached the 'pinnacle' of Tier 4, making it very possible he would one day obtain an actual Divinity related to Petting...As a result of this conversation with Sis, Vahn decided to hold onto the scroll until he moved on to a higher Tier record. This was because, according to Sis, the 'price' of the scroll actually increased based on the record he was in. Since it always elevated a skill to the 'peak' of the record, this meant the scroll was infinitely more useful in a Tier 5-6 world than it was in Danmachi. He already knew that most of the parameters and skills he possessed related to the record would completely vanish when he entered a new record, losing all of his parameters in the process, so having a [SAS: SSS] to rely on could very well save his life. So long as he learned a single useful skill or ability within the record, he could immediately increase it's rank to the 'peak' of that record. Though he would certainly have to adapt, just as when he had upgraded his [Blacksmith] faster than his comprehension, it would undoubtedly prove useful...---Around the same time he was working on the teleportation ward with Terra, Vahn was also back at the Manor watching over his newly appointed 'Battle Maid Division'. They had been given access to the Sub-Space orb and were currently receiving a basic education on how to use enhancement magic from Alexa. She was surprisingly motivated to be teaching so many people, even though a somewhat 'haughty' look would appear on her face when she did demonstrations. Vahn was watching over them and serving as a 'demonstration dummy', enjoying the 'oohs' and 'ahhs' from the large assortment of women sitting at desks very studiously. Though they would struggle to ever outpace any of the main combatants within the Manor, this 'Battle Maid Division' would truly become a very powerful 'arrow' for the Alliance in the future...Alexa's lesson had come to an end after the clocktower in the center of the Sub-Space orb began ringing that it had just turned 10 AM. Since the Maids had other training and duties to attend to, Alexa dismissed them before she and Vahn enjoyed a half-hour tea time with Risna. The two had become surprisingly close friends since Alexa genuinely enjoyed reading all kinds of books and it was very interesting for her to know someone that wrote them. She had even started writing a few short stories of her own, though Vahn had sweat a little when she snatched away a 'blank' template novel that she had been working on. Since he knew about Risna's own collection, he decided not to inquire about the contents of the novel and had never mentioned it since then...As enjoyable as spending time with the two adorable authors was, Vahn bid them farewell after their tea time had come to an end. He wanted to give Freya the [Brísingamen] sooner, rather than later, as the effects offered by her Blessing were still very useful. Though it would certainly cause him a few complications, it wasn't anything new that he couldn't deal with. The fact that it enhanced the growth rate of all combat skills was simply too useful and, though he never intended to use it, having the chance to charm almost anyone was still an extra weapon in his arsenal. Since it worked on 'anything' of the opposite sex, Vahn knew it would actually be quite useful if he ever came across any difficult to handle female monsters. There was even a chance it would momentarily effect Enyo, creating an exploitable gap that could result in a much easier victory for their party. Besides, no matter how he tried to spin it, Vahn was 'good' at using such techniques and there were no limits to being 'better' at something...After explaining to the girls where he was going, Vahn stopped by the training area his hardworking little daughter, Lenneth, was tirelessly swinging her sword. She was growing up quickly, already 115cm tall and able to swing around a weighted iron sword with relative ease. At the side, her Guardian, the True Silver Dragon she had affectionately named 'Vaan' was patiently watching each of her movements. It responded to his presence much earlier than Lenneth did but Vahn held up his finger in a shushing gesture as he watched his daughter complete her current training set. Though she only had the physique of a six-year-old, Lenneth was as adorable as a doll, even with her face showing an uncharacteristically serious look as she struck forward for what must have been the three-thousandth time today.Once she had finished her set, Lenneth didn't immediately rest and instead planted the tip of her sword into the ground and focused on her breathing. She struck a 'horse stance', with her tiny fists balled up near her waist, and took in several slow and steady breaths through her nose while exhaling somewhat loudly through her mouth. Since she was only wearing what amounted to an Aegis-grade sports bra, spats, a skirt, and weighted forearm and leg protectors, it was easy to see that she was sweating a great deal. Vahn didn't really know what to say to get his daughters to try and wear more 'appropriate' clothing, as he had never really been bothered by it when the other girls wore similar attire. He didn't want to sound like a hypocrite and cause any kind of strange misunderstandings so Vahn just tolerated it...so long as no men from the outside world began harboring 'intentions' towards them...After three minutes of focused breathing, Lenneth moved to pick up her sword for a new set but was interrupted by a hand patting the top of her head. Since only one person was really able to sneak up on her so easily, while patting her head, Lenneth immediately giggled before asking, "Papa, how long have you been watching me...?" As she spoke, Lenneth looked up to confirm it was indeed her Papa before happily enjoying the comforting energy flowing into her head. Vahn smiled in response before saying, "Well, I've been watching since you were about halfway through the last set. You must remember to always pay attention to your surroundings, Lenneth, even if your senses don't inform you something is amiss..."Lenneth puffed up her cheeks in response to this, saying in a tone full of childish exasperation, "Papa, that might be the case in a battle, but this is our backyard. Vaan would have told me if there were any real threats...!" With True Silver Dragons having some of the highest perception amongst all True Dragons, it was even able to track Vahn while the latter was using stealth, not to mention almost any other people. Even so, Vahn poked his daughter's puffed-out cheeks and said, "Though it isn't wrong to rely on your allies, the mark of a truly great warrior is how reliable their own skills are. Isn't it your dream to become an unstoppable General in the future~? What will you do if the enemy tries to send assassins against you when your guard is down?"Vahn never truly treated his children as if they were 'incompetent' and he had often discussed what each of the Vanir wanted to do in the future to obtain achievements for their [Heroic Tale]s. Erika had wanted to be a Scholar and a Diplomat and intended to become a Professor within the Academy one day, if not the Governor of Orario itself. Ina, inspired by the tale of a castle floating in the sky, had actually drafted a basic blueprint similar to his [Heavenly Palace] in the Divination. As for Vana, her desire was to become a powerful Hero that traveled around the world and saved people that were in trouble. Lenneth, somewhat inspired by Vana, actually took things a little further and said that, if the Alliance one day had a standing military, which was very likely, she would become it's General and uphold order. Aisha, having become somewhat of a follower to Lenneth, was studying hard to become her Advisor while Autumn, being rather peculiar amongst the Vanir, simply wanted to bake bread to make people smile...In response to her Papa's question, Lenneth frowned slightly and seemed to fall into deep thought before realization dawned upon her. With a radiant smile that felt like it could purify the darkness in one's soul, Lenneth confidently stated, "Papa will protect me~! Even if I become the most powerful General, Papa will always be the absolute strongest. If people try to hurt me, I know Papa will always be there to protect me, ehehehe~." Though he wanted to 'correct' her, Vahn didn't have the words to say she was wrong and, instead, patted her head a little more affectionately as he asked, "I was going to go visit your Mother; will you come with me, Lenneth...?" This caused the intensity of Lenneth's smile to go up a few notches, rivaling the sun in the sky as she happily shouted, "Yes, let's go visit Mom~!"---(A/N: Though I've explained this several times, I will reiterate for those who have forgotten or were confused about the way things work. When Vahn enters a record, his body essentially has to be 'created' and 'tuned' to match the Laws and system within the record. A skill like [Master Smith] may not even exist in a record without skills and development abilities, meaning Vahn would lose it. However, that doesn't mean he loses his knowledge and skill as a blacksmith. You have to remember, in a record like Danmachi, skills/magic/abilities have modifiers and correctional attributes. In other words, they can increase damage, manipulate laws, and increase the chance of success for certain outcomes. Vahn would still be able to forge high-quality equipment, even without the [Master Smith] Development Ability, he just wouldn't have any of the extra benefits associated with it. I hope that made sense o3o~!)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Just imagine all the leaves of a tree falling off at once...','Battle Meidos, fighto~!','The True Guardian of the Vanir, Vahn Mason')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Chapter 866: Defensive Measures