Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

True to his words, Vahn cleared up several more areas of the Dwarven underground slave trade, including the small military forces that had started to respond to the ongoing riot, before making his way to the underground lake. Though the Dwarves had access to the sea on the surface, this place was an underground reservoir that served as a source of fresh water for the Dwarves in the Undercities. There were several miles of complex aqueducts redirecting the water to the various Cities, many of which had been damaged or blocked by the malcontent slaves. Vahn frowned upon seeing this, as damage to the key infrastructure of the Iron Hills posed a variety of issues for the future.As cruel and foolish as the Dwarves seemed, Vahn knew they weren't innately evil since he had met a number of kind and honest Dwarves in his time. If anything, they were horribly misguided over several generations, much like the Elves had been before he introduced his reformations. Since their population was already rather low, Vahn fully intended to cripple the very foundation of their society, all while sparing most 'common' Dwarves. It was a simple truth that the Dwarves were the most capable craftsman and merchants on the entire Continent, with a history stretching back thousands of years. Since he was trying to build the basis for an Empire, Vahn knew it would be extremely useful to have the Dwarves around to build infrastructure and promote trade between the various regions of the Empire...The transition for the Dwarves would be rough, especially with the loss of their slave population, but it was an important lesson that they would survive through. Once they were in line with the reforms he intended to introduce, they would become a proud and glorious people, even greater than before. Other races would also come to reside within the Iron Hills one day, next time as citizens, not slaves. With the introduction of various cultures, the mentality of future generations of Dwarves would slowly change to keep up with the times. There would undoubtedly be resistance to the changes that were introduced but, by controlling information and deposing those with power and authority, change was inevitable...With the unconscious figures of several Slave Traders, Breeders, and Wranglers floating behind him, Vahn split the large crowd of Slaves who had been awaiting his arrival. In the mines, the large majority of Slaves, once again, were comprised of Pallum, Cat People, and some more burly slaves like the Kyrie tribe. Liberating the 'stock' at the farms had added a variety of Elves, Dark Elves, Dwarves, and a large number of unique Beast Tribe members into the mix. Now, there were nearly a hundred thousand slaves gathered in the area, kept safe by the existence of Fafnir lurking around in the shadows. Vahn had chosen this area, trusting that the Dwarves wouldn't arbitrarily attack their own source of fresh water without proper consideration...Aja, followed by several other slaves Vahn had entrusted with similar tasks, squeezed out of the crowd, eyes now filled with hope. The last few hours had affected all slaves a great deal but those who had been entrusted various tasks by Vahn felt a sense of empowerment. Instead of being whipped and beaten, they had been able to guide and direct other slaves while waving around weapons and supplies that Vahn had given them to pass out. Most slaves readily assisted each other, especially as the momentum continued to build in their favor. Now, the last step was to help them escape this hellish place, even though it would be very difficult to settle such a large number of people in a short period of time.Fortunately, preparations had been made to establish a refugee camp outside of the City to process this veritable ocean of slaves as proper citizens. Loki had even advised securing some land to the south, building an entirely new nation in close proximity to Orario. This would serve as a throughway for trade in the Southern Sands, making it an important hub for merchants in the future. Vahn would pitch the idea to the refugees after they had gotten comfortable within the encampment outside of the City. Since it would take several weeks to process so many people, it shouldn't be difficult to convince a few thousand to build homes for themselves instead of forcing them to adapt to the ever-changing Orario.After sharing a few words with the hopeful bunch that had surrounded him, Vahn pulled out the item that Terra had prepared in advance for these types of events. She had been growing rather tired of having to set up teleportation wards every time Vahn needed to move a large number of people. As a result, Terra had made the first SS-Rank artifact Vahn had ever seen, even though she possessed neither the [Master Smith] or the [Mystery] Development Abilities.The artifact took on the form of a simple disc but, once activated, expanded to a size of twenty meters, a complex teleportation ward carved into the surface. The indentations had been filled with several tens of gallons of Terra's own golden blood, serving the purpose of gathering natural energy to power the artifact in most environments. So long as there was a viable power source, such as Vahn with his 'limitless vital energy', it was possible to use Terra's [Path of Salvation] as a portable teleportation ward, an innovation that would even make a stir back in Eva's record...Vahn had the former slaves clear out an adequate amount of space as he explained what they should expect on the opposite end. The Alliance had already set up an organized encampment and was prepared to receive the large group of refugees outside the Eastern Gate of Orario. This put them in the closest proximity to Daedelus Steet and the various crafting districts where they would likely seek employ in the future. It would take some time for them to adapt to the lifestyle of the City but, with a bit of guidance from their kin, Vahn believed the future was much brighter for these individuals with the support of the Alliance.Once explanations were completed, Vahn became the 'battery' powering the teleportation ward and began sending the slaves more than 3700km in the blink of an eye. It was actually a lot easier to teleport this group of people than it was to move in and out of the Dungeon, while his reserves were seemingly limitless in these circumstances. With his main body meditating within the Sub-Space orb, Vahn's reserves were hardly impacted at all, even when moving groups of more than one-hundred people at a time. In the time it took for the opposite end to be cleared out, Vahn's reserves would be completely filled once again, allowing him to send batches every forty seconds, on average.This massive exodus ended up taking more than thirteen hours, during which several large-scale attempts to breach into the massive cavern had occurred. Fafnir easily dealt with thousands of Dwarves who had tried breaking into the area while the slaves patiently awaited the chance to escape to freedom. Vahn had set out several large crates of supplies and blankets for their use, prioritizing the evacuation of women and children while the mature and sturdy slaves protected the perimeter. So they were able to keep the momentum, Fafnir let some of the weaker Dwarves through so that the former-slaves could use the weapons and equipment they had been given. It was a little strange seeing people get so riled up, cheering at the death of each Dwarf slain, but Vahn knew it was a fate they had brought upon themselves...When it was time for the last group to go through, Vahn's main body was already waiting on the other end with several members of the Hermes Familia, including Elilly. She wasn't the only one who had a vendetta against someone from the Iron Hills so he had captured several groups other than Hodin's. He had already talked to them about the 'correct' decision to make, advising them to either bring the group to justice or simply grant them mercy. Vahn was worried they would have a scar on their heart if they treated their vengeance as a cruel affair. If they went the route of torturing their previous oppressors, it would be a dark memory they would have to live with for the rest of their lives. For some, however, their deeply rooted trauma needed an outlet and, fully understanding this, Vahn had left the decision for them to make.Ultimately, Elilly, who already showed signs of slimming down, simply couldn't forgive Hodin and the two women who had been cruel to her during her time as a slave. When a Dwarf became a slave, they were treated much harsher than other slaves, as there was a great deal of scorn forced upon them. Elilly had been born as a slave because her ancestors had become criminal slaves after infighting between two of the Noble Houses more than two-hundred years ago. She was a third generation slave, forced to suffer since before she was even aware of her surroundings. The two women were similar in age to her so, as she grew, the two treated her as a plaything, forcing cruel a sadistic acts upon Elilly for her entire life...When Vahn brought her to a secure location with the three individuals, Elilly had released a great deal of pent up frustrations upon them within the privacy of a soundproof cell. After several hours had passed, she exited the room with long-tried tracks of tears on her face, blood stains covering her hands, face, and clothing. Vahn entrusted her to the care of Lulune and Pot, having them get Elilly cleaned up so she could put the matter behind her. As for the maimed corpses of the three monstrous individuals, Vahn prayed they became better people in their next life before burning them to ashes.Similar scenarios played out between several of the captive Slavers and other members of the Hermes Familia, something that made Vahn feel a strange heartbreak. Since the majority of those in the Hermes Familia had outgoing and vibrant personalities, it was saddening to see that only a few were able to let the past go. They let the Slavers be judged, forced to become criminal slaves themselves, instead of resorting to violence and placing a heavier burden upon themselves. Even so, Vahn didn't hold it against those that sought more 'direct' means to deal with the capture Slavers, many of which were females that had been brutalized in the past. There was even one member of the Hermes Familia, an Elven woman named Suicia, who spent nearly a full day torturing her former 'Master' before she was finally content.Suicia was a woman who wore an outfit that covered her entire body, to the point that she even wore a facial mask. In the past, she had been a personal sex slave that was forced to serve as an exotic 'pet' within an influential circle of the Iron Hills. Now, she had a very prominent androphobia that even extended to the men within her own Familia, Hermes being the only exception. She had slowly opened up to Vahn as well but, after reading her file, this was mainly because he kept a proper distance from her and made efforts to ease her burden over time. Now that the source of her suffering was dead, Suicia had come out of the room and, for the first time, removed her mask before bowing low and expressing her sincere gratitude...Most of the slaves who had wanted direct vengeance had been female, as the life of a female slave was inordinately harder than their male counterparts. Not only did they have to perform manual labor, but they were always subject to the whims and licentiousness of their owners. Even worse was the fact that the male slaves, in order to release their stress and tensions, would vent it out on the females' bodies during 'mating'. Since they were expected to produce the next generation of slaves, the life of female slaves within some 'farms' was extremely cruel. Many even forced themselves to have abortions, doing their best to avoid bringing children into the world for the sole purpose of suffering as they had...Vahn could never truly empathize with the suffering they had gone through but, comparing it to his own, he had long since realized he hadn't had it the 'worst'. Ever since arriving in the record of Danmachi, Vahn had numerous reminders that there were infinitely greater tragedies than what he had experienced. Though this didn't make his suffering lesser, Vahn's mentality had matured a great deal since his emergence in this world. Now, he was no longer a victim, but a force that helped to liberate other victims and set them on the path towards the future. He felt a powerful drive to create a future where these people, having survived their tragedy, were able to prosper.By the time things had started to settle down, a celebratory atmosphere had overtaken the massive encampment as nearly 110,000 people celebrated their freedom. There had been some who were still skeptical, all the way up until they had arrived on the outskirts of Orario, but that sentiment no longer existed. As a result, Vahn's domain had broken through the 2km radius threshold, reaching 2,317m. While amongst the mass of former slaves, he felt an incredible amount of power that made it seem like he would even be able to split mountains with the turn of a hand. He knew this wasn't the case but, even so, Vahn celebrated with their freedom alongside them, talking at length about the bright future that awaited those willing to migrate south after the Rakia Kingdom's forces were dealt with...---While celebrating with the liberated slaves, Vahn's avatar was now investigating one of the Undercities, choosing the magnificent Ironheart City as his destination. Enough time had passed that each member of the Elder Council should have gathered to discuss matters. He wanted to get a sense of the tensions within the City, finding a dark atmosphere present amongst the citizenship, who now knew the truth of previous reports. Having their ancestral Mother Mountain 'desecrated' had been a big impact on many Dwarves and, though many wanted vengeance, the reality of the situation wasn't beyond their comprehension.In general, Dwarves were relatively intelligent, allowing most to understand there was simply no way for them to fight against such awesome power. They lacked the means to stage a large invasion and, understanding that Vahn would likely have similar weapons in reserve, any attempt to do so would undoubtedly be met with an unfathomably powerful counterattack. Though they were arrogant and prideful by nature, most Dwarves were also pragmatic to the extreme, the result of growing up in a society that always sought advantages from each other. Now, most pubs and taverns were filled to the brim with Dwarves who understood the futility of the situation, many cursing the Elder Council openly for allowing things to reach this point...What surprised Vahn was that very few people were talking about him directly, almost as if even mentioning his name would turn the ale sour. Those that cursed him did so indirectly, calling him things like 'accursed brat', 'false sage', and 'tyrant', never speaking his name directly. It was a little strange, to the extent that Vahn nearly wanted to reveal himself just to see how they would react to his presence. He avoided this course of action, however, as the 'deadline' he had set still had a little over forty hours before expiring. In that time, he planned to liberate as many of the slaves forced into labor farms as possible, forcing the Elder Council to feel greater pressure as they were powerless to do anything to stop him...(A/N: I'm once again reminded that moving sucks. I'm going to have to walk a series of mattresses like .4km just to save money on truck rentals (=_=);...Also, to those saying that Vahn should 'just kill the Dwarves', that is just senseless. Genocide is never the answer to anything and, if you find yourself believing it is, congrats on rising to the standard of reputed historical figures like Adolf Hitler, Julius Ceasar, and the Spanish Conquistadors xD~!)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Shatter the Foundation, Leave the Infrastructure','Terra, proof that, if someone sincerely wants to do less work, they can create amazing innovations...','He who shall not be named xD...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

By the eve of the second day, Vahn had done a cursory exploration of three of the Undercities, gaining a decent understanding of their social structure. Most of the wealthiest Dwarves, many of which belonged to the eight most influential houses, were located towards the heart of the Undercities. Surrounding these tall stone structures, it was possible to find numerous [Master Smith], [Master Craftsman], and even [Master Metalwright]s. In total, Vahn had discovered more than forty workshops belonging to such capable individuals, validating the claim that the Dwarves were the most 'skilled' artisans in the world. Even in Orario, excluding gods, there were only seven [Master Smith]s, two [Master Crafsman], and zero [Master Metalwright]s. Since the disparity in their population was massive, with Orario having several million residents compared to the Iron Hills only having around four-hundred thousand Dwarves, it really put things into perspective.Vahn's purpose for investigating these shops, other than getting a better understanding of the critical infrastructure of the Undercities, was in an effort to find Tsubaki's father. Though she had long since claimed it no longer mattered, Vahn still wanted to seek answers on her behalf. He didn't believe the Sakuya, a proud warrior and [Master Smith], was a foolish woman who would have opened her heart to a truly cruel man, even bestowing Tsubaki his last name after coming she was born. This showed there was a deeper connection between the two and, given Tsubaki's nature, Vahn knew she must have realized her understanding of events was lacking. It was perhaps her fear that there 'was' a reason behind his leaving that she was truly afraid to learn...especially after having harbored resentment toward him for decades in her youth.Unfortunately, even after poring over several documents and exploring three Undercities, Vahn was unable to find any trace of Tsubaki's father, or anyone named Collbrande for that matter. Since he couldn't exactly come out and ask questions openly, Vahn was left having to wait until he dealt with the Elder Council before pursuing the matter further. Presently, he was coming up on the eve of the second day so it was time to seek them out for their response before he had to teach them an even harsher lesson. Fortunately, things should be settled if he dealt with them directly, even if there were great instabilities introduced in the Iron Hills as a result...Instead of returning to the surface, Vahn decided to cut to the chase and head directly for the Ironheart residence. Most of the Patriarchs of the eight families had been staying there since the first day, with only the Stormhammers sending out men to search the premise of their Undercity for a bomb. In truth, Vahn didn't have nearly enough time to make a second Sub-Space orb to use as a weapon, meaning he would have to take matters into his own hand if the Dwarves didn't acquiesce. This would also allow him to avoid greater casualties to the slave population, so Vahn didn't mind getting his hands dirty.With that mindset, Vahn arrived on the stone steps of the fortress-like residence belonging to the Ironhearts before unequipping his [Shadow Visor Mk. 2]. There were quite a number of guards patrolling the residence while shiny gold and white ballistae were interspaced atop the stone ramparts. When they saw him appear, there was an immediate response from these troops who, upon realizing exactly who had just shown up within their defensive line, became slightly pale as a series of commands echoed about. Vahn was a little surprised that none of them outright attacked him, showing commendable discipline and bearing instead of inviting destruction unto themselves...After a few minutes, instead of a slave coming to guide him, there was a rather tall Dwarf, 166cm, who came out to 'greet' him. He was wearing ornamental golden armor, as Dwarves, in general, had a habit of wearing ornate and powerful equipment to show off their status. With his dark beard, filled with lines of grey, Vahn knew he had to be either a Patriarch or something like a Captain of the Guard. His power was around the peak of Level 4 while a resolute light glowed in his eyes, even though he didn't make any motion to attack. Instead, after approaching within twenty meters, the man stopped and said, "Vahn Mason, can't say you're welcome within my home, but I don't exactly have a choice this time...hmph...!"Without showing any change in his expression, Vahn simply asked, "Are you Kanav...?" Leaving out the full name and title of a person, especially in a diplomatic situation, was considered an extreme gaff. However, as Kanav had failed to mention his titles, Vahn knocked him down a peg by not even mentioning the man's full name. This caused the proud Dwarf to inhale deeply, a fierce look in his eyes as he stroked his own beard in a self-calming gesture. Then, in a voice that sounded like it escaped the very earth below, Kanav rumbled, "I am indeed Kanav Mun Ironheart, Patriarch of the Great Ironheart Noble Family and Ruler of this majestic Ironheart Undercity...!"Understanding the 'game' Kanav was trying to play, Vahn adopted a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes as he raised his chin slightly and said, "Very well, Kanav Mun Ironheart, I, Vahn Mason, Sage Aldrnari, Captain of the Hestia Familia, Supreme Commander of the Alliance, and future destroyer of the majestic Ironheart Undercity greet you, with all due respects..." Following his words, Vahn gave a theatrical bow without breaking eye contact with Kanav for even a moment. If the old man wanted to play politics with him, Vahn didn't mind 'reminding' him about the reality of the situation. He wasn't here to play games, nor were they going to be negotiating...Upon hearing the words 'future destroyer of the majestic Ironheart Undercity', Kanav had become statuesque for several seconds without even breathing. Part of him wanted to call Vahn's 'bluff' but, considering what was at stake, there were no benefits in doing so. The man before him possessed an unfathomable amount of power and, even if his nature wasn't the type to indiscriminately kill, he did indeed possess the power to destroy an Undercity. In a way, though they could hold their large slave population 'hostage', Vahn was already holding their entire nation hostage...if they truly set him off, there would be no coming back from the destruction that he could rain down upon them.By the time Kanav had started breathing again, he reminded himself of why he had been the one to come out and 'greet' Vahn. Thus, after a slight bow, he said in a slightly uneasy tone, "Well, let us hope things do not reach that point. I'm certain we can come to some form of agreement that will benefit both parties..." To this, Vahn gave a small nod before saying, "So long as the Elder Council is willing to acquiesce, I'm certain such a travesty can be avoided. It ultimately depends on how much you are willing to sacrifice in exchange for keeping a pretense of pride..." Without even waiting for Kanav to lead the way, Vahn began walking forward, passing the middle-aged Dwarf as he made his way to the interior of the residence.Resisting the urge to try and cut Vahn down, Kanav gnashed his teeth before falling into pace and 'guiding' Vahn to where the other Patriarchs were gathering. Things were beginning to play out in a similar way as to when he dealt with the Nobles of Orario, though Vahn knew there would be greater resistance since he was in a foreign country. They would likely believe themselves to possess some form of leverage against him but, regardless of their demands, Vahn had already hardened his heart to do what it takes to make sure future generations are not born into slavery. Even if the Dwarves tried to hold the lives of their slaves hostage, Vahn would simply go around slaughtering every Dwarf with a dark aura until they surrendered, starting with the Elder Council.After passing through various corridors, Vahn found himself in a room with seven individuals, each around Level 4 in strength, while several powerful forces remained hidden nearby. Vahn gave them each a cursory glance, noting that each of these aged Dwarves had stern and cold expressions on their face, sculpted through decades of looking down on others. The most 'neutral' aura amongst them was a very dark grey, intermixed with furious reds and avaricious oranges. As for those who were on the criminal list Vahn had issued out previously, their auras were pitch black, a strong desire for Vahn's death deeply rooted in their hearts and minds.The moment everyone was in the room, Vahn brought his domain to bear upon each of them in an instant as he tilted his head upward and said, "I have shown you leniency in allowing you to discuss the matter, but that doesn't mean I have come here to negotiate. The moment you declared War or Orario and had the audacity to target my home, the place where my children are, you lost any right to negotiate with me. I have grown weary of your games and will accept nothing short of absolute surrender. You will acquiesce to my demands and begin to implement my reformations or, without any exception, each of you will die...!"At the end of his words, Vahn gestured towards the Dwarf with the blackest aura, the Patriarch of the Deepsbane Noble Family. In the distant past, they had been the family to pioneer the slave trade within the Iron Hills, leading to the suffering of countless millions over millennia. As a result, the Deepsbane family had become the fourth most influential of the Eight Noble Houses. Vahn had intended to bring the man to trial and execute him for his heinous crimes but, wanting to punctuate the severity of his words, his life would serve as an example to the rest.Unable to resist the force moving his body through the air, Ashram Tru Deepsbane found himself before Vahn as a powerful pressure began to press in on his body from all directions. He had several S-Rank equipment to serve as protection but, as if they served no purpose at all, Ashram found his joints twisted as a bloodcurdling howl escaped his hoarse throat. Then, after his arms and legs were shattered, Ashram found his body supported by several black spears that had pierced through his body. Most of his vitals had been avoided, leaving him to bleed out slowly while Vahn exchanged gazes with the other Patriarchs within the room...Adding to his previous statement, Vahn's cold voice sounded throughout the room, "I'm certain everyone here should have a basic understanding of my character. In general, I am not a cruel man and acts like this bring me absolutely no satisfaction..." As he spoke, Vahn had a genuine expression of disgust as he pulled out his [Mercy] and finished off Ashram. After stowing the nondescript black blade into his Inventory, Vahn continued, saying, "You will publically announce your surrender and immediately begin taking action to follow my previous demands. All slaves, without any exception, will be liberated from the cruel lifestyle you have forced upon them. In the future, the institution of slavery outside of criminal context will be banned within the Iron Hills. The Eight Noble Houses will be stripped of their titles and authority while a representative will be assigned to govern in your stead. Henceforth, you will become a vassal nation under the rule of the City-State of Orario..."There was a long list of terms that the Dwarves would have to acquiesce to, many of which would take several years to fully implement. However, they didn't have a choice in the matter as, unlike most countries, the Dwarves of the Iron Hills had established a system that was corrupt from the very roots. They didn't even have a general labor class within their society, entrusting farming and the collection of resources to slaves. Their privileged lifestyles would become a cancerous existence that would make true reform impossible unless it was addressed immediately. In the future, there may very well be members of other races working on their farms and within their mines, but it certainly wouldn't be as slaves. They would be actual farmers and miners, paid well for the work they had done by selling their produce and ores, instead of having them seized. The fact that farmers in the Iron Hills would have their teeth pulled out if they were caught 'stealing' some of the produce they themselves had cultivated was ridiculous...For nearly a full hour, without easing up his pressure at all, Vahn listed out his ultimatum before allowing the six surviving Patriarchs to fall to the ground. Then, without waiting for their response, Vahn turned his back and said, "I have numerous forces within the Undercities to observe if you have taken my words seriously. Your first action should be to announce that slavery is no longer a legal institution within the Iron Hills. Everyone, without exception, must absolve their slave contracts while all slaves will be required to congregate near the central plaza of each Undercity. Transportation to Orario will be granted to them while my teams investigate criminal activities and other forms of dissidence. Those that attempt to harbor slaves, or unjustly claim the lives of their servants out of spite, will suffer the same fate. Even if I have to put half the Dwarven population to the blade to ensure that future generations are not corrupt at the very foundation of society, I will do so..."During his exploration of the Undercities, Vahn noticed that more than a few of the more successful Dwarves had grey or black auras. Their pride caused them to flaunt their power and authority at any opportunity, often at the expense of less reputable Dwarves and slaves. Though things got markedly better at the lower rungs of society, the treatment of Slaves was still terrible. Because of the way they were treated by the more affluent members of the Dwarven community, those from smaller houses had a tendency to take it out on the slave population. Even women and children weren't exempt from this behavior as Vahn had seen examples of Dwarven youths stoning slaves while laughing in glee, all while the adults that should have been correcting their behavior simply watched in amusement...By removing the slave population entirely, the Dwarves would be left in a closed community with only each other to exploit. Though laws would be implemented to regulate things and introduce reforms, there would undoubtedly be a number of hiccups along the way. They would have to delegate part of their population to agriculture and mining operations just to maintain their businesses while their merchant caravans would have to pass through customs before being allowed to leave the Iron Hills to conduct trade. Because of this, Vahn fully expected that many Dwarves, especially those that would be 'selected' to become farmers, would likely try to migrate to other Cities with their ill-gotten wealth. This, however, would become completely illegal in accordance with the terms forced upon the Dwarves during their surrender. Vahn didn't want them to simply escape the repercussions of their actions by trying to flee to other countries...no, the Dwarves now had to face their comeuppance, one way or another...(A/N: I honestly have no idea how many chapters will come out and when over the next few days. There are a lot of things going on and, until my real world commitments have been dealt with, I don't have that much time to sit at a computer. To be fair, I generally write upwards of 10-12 hours a day, making my work weeks between 70-84 hours at times. That is time I typically need to allocate well if I want to avoid becoming too stressed out, making it very difficult to write when I have other things going on. Don't worry as, even when I go away for work in a few weeks, there will ALWAYS be a least one chapter a day. Thank you for your patience and understanding.)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Seeking Tsubaki's Father...','When the Emperor Speaks, Everyone Else Listens','It is going to be a rough transition...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

While Vahn was skulking around in the darkness of the Dwarven mines, Sterlaag had quickly gone to meet with his father, Kanav. It had only been a few minutes since the Mother Mountain's upper half was destroyed and, even though the information had already reached the various Patriarchs, none had seen the true extent of the damage. There were even some who, upon receiving the message from the slaves, ended up caning the messengers for grossly exaggerating events. Though the shockwave was powerful enough to even resonate within the Undercities, few could believe their precious Mother Mountain had been devastated to such an extent.Kanav, holding the most authority amongst the Elder Council, was one of the more level-headed of the bunch, even though he too couldn't quite believe the words that had reached his ears. When his son burst into the room unannounced, Kanav's expression became icy as he used his golden scepter and thumped his panicked son, stating, "Calm yourself, boy, are you trying to embarrass the Ironheart household?" At the same time, Kanav sent a glare towards his Chief Steward, a sturdy Kyrie tribe member who was 220cm tall with shaven horns that were capped with gold. The man bowed low in response and quickly cleared the room, forcing the servants into a nearby chamber where the sound of a whip could be heard...Sterlaag made no effort to wipe the blood from his forehead as he looked into his father's eyes and exclaimed, "Vahn Mason had appeared within Enterprise, Father. He warned that, if the Elder Council did not acquiesce, even greater devastation would befall our people. You may not have seen it yet, but half of the Mother Mountain is now gone...! Father, he said the next target will be the Undercities themselves...!" Right now, information and reality weren't quite caught up with each other so the response of the Dwarves had been staggered in an extreme manner. If this had been a real invasion, the amount of damage they would have suffered due to their complacency would have put them in an unrecoverable situation.Hearing his son's words, Kanav scowled in disdain but still said, "Calm down and explain what has happened. You said half the Mother Mountain is gone? Preposterous..." Even as these words left his mouth, Kanav simply couldn't believe such a thing were possible. Though he could tell his son was being serious, his words matching with other reports, such a devastating weapon as a 'green sun' was beyond comprehension. If Vahn really had a weapon that could destroy half a mountain, there was simply no way they would be able to defend against his attack. They hadn't even been aware until after the attack had happened that he was within their perimeter. Now, his son was saying that Vahn had even appeared within Enterprise...it sounded like a horrible nightmare, far removed from reality.Seeing that his father didn't believe him, Sterlaag felt incredulous as he recounted everything he had seen with his own eyes. He spoke of how the outgoing shipments were being prepared when, out of nowhere, a massive green sun had appeared where the Mother Mountain once stood, tall and majestic. By the time the light had cleared away, the peak had now become empty space as a catastrophic amount of debris rained down upon Enterprise, dealing enough collateral damage that it would take years to complete the repairs. He even spoke about how his office, which he was about to enter, ended up being completely crushed by a large boulder before, a few minutes later, Vahn appeared right before him with his message. Then, after leaving his message behind, Vahn simply 'vanished' from sight, leaving a powerful pressure in his wake that took minutes to disperse...While listening to his son, Kanav had poured himself a cold glass of the exceptionally rare [Dwarven Drought]. He had acquired it for 70,000,000V through the black market after thieves had stolen it from the abode of one of Vahn's Clubhouse members. It was one of his prized possessions and, during stressful times, Kanav found himself nursing a crystalline glass of the aromatic substance as he ruminated over the best course of action. Even as his son practically salivated upon smelling the aroma wafting from the glass, Kanav just gave him an icy glare and encouraged him to continue his recounting of events as he locked away the precious alcohol within his personal safe...After his son had finished explaining things, Kanav knew it likely wasn't an embellishment of the facts, especially when several other messengers came to deliver updated reports. There were even reports about Slave Wranglers and Breeders being found dead while their slaves were rioting in the mines below. Given the rumors of Vahn being a 'Saint who liberates Slaves', Kanav believed the chance that Vahn had infiltrated their underground was very high. It was even likely, with almost absolute certainty, that Vahn had already planted the 'Green Sun Bombs' within the Undercities, all without their notice. He obviously had the means to move about undetected and, even if they searched every nook and cranny of the Undercities, it would be nigh-impossible for them to locate the bombs, especially if he planted them in the mines below...Though it was incredibly wasteful, Kanav found himself opening his safe and pulling out an entire container of [Dwarven Drought] and downing its contents. It immediately hit him like a ton of bricks but, at the same time, allowed him a strange bit of clarity as he looked toward his son and said, "Pass a message to those old bastards. We need to discuss this topic immediately...!" Three days was hardly enough time to make such important decisions and, given Vahn's track record, Kanav knew they didn't have the option to try and stonewall him. It was very possible to buy a bit of time for themselves, as Vahn was known to be 'relatively' lenient, but, the moment he decided to take action against them, it would already be too late.Sterlaag immediately went to pass on his father's words without sending for a slave to do so in his stead. He knew it was a matter of supreme importance and, if they sent slaves to communicate through slaves, the context of the message could get distorted slightly. Generally, it could take several hours just to get all of the Elder Council members into the same room, as each member tried to show up later than the others, but that would only cause more problems this time around. Now wasn't the time for fronting and fencing issues as, for the first time in their long history, their walls and defenses served absolutely no purpose in protecting them from enemies. In fact, rather than protect them, it was almost like they were Pallums stuffed into a barrel and prodded with hot irons. There was no escape and, if Vahn found their response lacking, they would be the ones to feel the burn this time around...---Following behind a bronze-skinned Pallum with dark hair and golden eyes, Vahn found himself at one of the middle levels in the underground infrastructure beneath the Undercities. This was one of the regions where slaves were bred, born, and, after their deaths, mashed up into protein for future generations of slaves. Vahn had already slaughtered the majority of Dwarves manning these farms, as the vast majority had auras so black they were like pure darkness. This time, however, Vahn was intended to 'spare' the 'Professional Breeder', as this young Pallum had actually known the name and location of the man Elilly had wanted vengeance against. Vahn promised that, if the Pallum led the way to the farm, he would take him back to Orario with him, providing food, clothing, and payment for his services.Pointing a maimed and calloused finger forward, the Pallum, named Aja, spoke in an icy tone, "That is where Master Hodin lives...what do you want me to do now...?" Since Vahn had already identified the man who should be Hodin, he looked toward the young Pallum and saw that the light in his eyes had yet to return. For many slaves in these circumstances, they simply couldn't believe that a better future awaited them, even as Vahn went around killing Dwarves like harvesting wheat. They were so accustomed to being used and tossed aside that, within Aja's mind, it 'made sense' if Vahn simply killed him before going on his way...Understanding Aja's worries, Vahn held out one of the apples that grew naturally within the illusory forest. They were extremely rich in nutrients after bathing in the natural and vital energies from Yggy's and Terra's combined dominion. Instead of red, they had actually started to take on a pale yellow color while, those growing closer to Yggy, even had a slightly golden hue to them. Since they were extremely delicious and could make a person feel full with just a few bites, Vahn had stockpiled a few into his Inventory for such situations. They had been a big hit whenever he gave them to the starving slaves and, though he was hesitant at first, Aja accepted the apple before biting into it moments later. When he tasted the rich juices and the indescribably delicious 'meat' of the apple, the boy broke down into tears and began cradling the apple in his chest as if it were his most precious possession.With a calm smile on his face, Vahn lightly whispered, "I always try to make good on my promises, Aja. When I am finished here, I will make an emergency teleportation ward that will allow those within these mines to escape this hellish place. For now, take these apples and meet me back at the large underground river where the aqueducts were located. I have already sent others to do the same and, once you enter that area, you will be safe from harm until I return. Before this day ends, your life as a slave will be no more..." Though there would undoubtedly be casualties amongst some slaves, as their Masters could kill them at a distance with simple commands, it required a long process that included naming and imagining the correct person. Vahn was killing most of the slave owners and breeders to prevent the loss of innocent lives, but there was no way he could get everyone in this massive underground complex...Aja, feeling full of energy, accepted the bag of apples without any argument and quickly began making his way to the underground lake. Even if Vahn was lying to him, the fact that he had a bag filled with nearly a hundred delicious apples was a fair exchange for simply guiding him to a single destination. However, seeing the serious expression on Vahn's face, Aja felt hopeful that there was truth in the strange and powerful man's words. He had already seen Vahn completely annihilate every wrangler and guard within the mines in an instant while quickly controlling the slaves with just a few concise commands. They all listened to him without question, readily taking up the strange black swords and spears to begin rioting for their freedom. At the time, even Aja had proudly waved around a black shortsword as warm energy filled his body with limitless stamina...Seeing the boy run off, Vahn's smile faded away, replaced by an icy and emotionless expression as he held out his hand and locked on to the position of Hodin, his apprentices, and his Wranglers. Vahn felt them resist against his telekinesis but completely ignored their efforts to escape as he pulled his hand back, forcing their bodies to crash through the reinforced walls. The natural Endurance of a Dwarf, without a Falna, could even rival most Level 2 Adventurers. Being smashed through a few walls might break a few bones, but it wouldn't cause any fatal wounds unless they were 'unlucky'...With the eight men and two women floating in the air above him, Vahn's icy gaze passed over them as he set eyes on Hodin, asking, "Which one of you is Hodin...?" He wanted to see if this disgusting man would try to talk his way out of the situation, throwing one of his companions forward as a sacrifice for time. Surprisingly, Hodin struggled in the air, screaming, "Let me down you pathetic human cur...! You think you can just do whatever you want here on my farm!? I'll have the guards shackle you to a sheer limestone surface and whip you for days...!"Hearing Hodin's words, Vahn was actually slightly taken aback, wondering what kind of thoughts were running through the madman's mind for him to think he had any such authority. If not for the fact Hodin's life belonged to Elilly, Vahn would have simply snapped the arrogant man's neck for his asinine remark. However, just because he couldn't kill him, didn't mean Hodin was exempt from any form of suffering after saying such foolish things. Vahn, with a pebble in hand, flicked it towards Hodin's elbow with enough speed that it created three audible 'claps' from the air breaking around it. He could see as the pebble passed clean through the joint, shattering Hodin's elbow, as the muscle and skin flared outward from the shockwave before collapsing back inward from elasticity. Even so, there was a gaping hole where the stone had passed, causing Hodin to scream out bloodcurdling insults as spittle flew from his mouth...Since holding them up was troublesome, Vahn used his domain to exert pressure on these ten individuals as he dropped them to the ground, hard. He gave the group a quick once-over, taking note that the 'cleanest' amongst them had a muted grey aura, before pulling out a set of metallic collars. These weren't normal slave collars, but a specialized item that Vahn had developed to restrain troublesome individuals. Capturing Enyo had gotten him to think about means to keep others captive for short periods of time and, as a result, Vahn developed an indestructible Adamantine collar that was coated in magisteel. It could resize to fit a person, causing extreme discomfort, without losing any of its rather hefty weight. At the same time, the collars had a detrimental ability called 'Extreme Fatigue:A' that made even small actions extremely difficult.Once the collars were on, Vahn released them from his pressure but, even without his domain pressing down on them, none of the ten 'monsters' were able to rise to their feet. Even Hodin, who had strength over Level 3, was left clutching his arm as his body trembled like a man caught in a snowstorm for several days. Vahn just looked down on them from above, feeling absolutely no pity as he said, "Your status is unique amongst those that will die for their inhumane treatment of others. One of your former slaves, Elilly, will decide how to deal with you...I hope you are prepared..." As he spoke, Vahn noticed the two Dwarven women began trembling just as much as Hodin who, upon hearing Vahn's words, became extremely pale...(A/N: I had to go get keys to my new apartment and move some stuff with my roommate so I'm not sure when the other chapters will come out. Still, there should definitely be at least two more with a fair chance for three.)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Corrupt to the very foundation...','God of Liberation','Karma isn't just a bitch to Vahn it seems xD...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Chapter 898: Liberate