Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

By the time Vahn deposited the peacefully sleeping Arles and Naho at their homes, the sun had long descended over the horizon. It was already after 9 PM, most of his children were asleep, and Vahn was currently spending time nestled between Hestia, Artemis, and Lante back at the Manor. With his avatar, Vahn found himself on the outside of Naho's shared residence with Rayne after politely declining the invitation to stay the night. There were still several things he needed to take care of and, having detected that Marie already descended into her underground cove for the night, Vahn decided to pay Helen a visit. He could tell that she was still awake and, though his questions could wait until the following day, Vahn's instincts told him not to let the matter lay.After passing his hand through the wind-chime on the outside of the residence, Vahn sensed Helen stirring and was left waiting for a little over a minute before her soft voice reached his ears, giving him permission to enter. He had used the small delay to make adequate mental preparations so, even though he instinctually held his breath upon seeing Helen again, Vahn calmed down much faster than normal as he smiled casually and said, "Sorry for disturbing you so late, Helen. If it wasn't an important matter, I wouldn't have come to bother you like this..."Hearing Vahn's words, Helen's expression didn't change much but she allowed an imperceptible sigh to escape through her nose. She wanted to make a comment that he could come and bother her whenever he wanted but withheld it, instead asking, "What matter is so important? Do you require something of me...?" Since Vahn had a serious expression, even with his smiling face, Helen was steeling her heart for whatever he wanted to talk about. At this point, she knew Vahn was 'different' than the other men she had met in her life but Helen couldn't help but think the worst since he had waited until Marie had left. Strangely, instead of being bothered by the possibility of something happening, Helen felt slightly anxious and was experiencing shortness of breath...Vahn's brows raised at Helen's reaction as, even though it was extremely subtle, he could tell she was harboring some expectations about his visit. This caused his heart to flutter madly but he managed to keep his calm as he explained, "I managed to reach the 70th and 71st Floors of the Dungeon today. There was a complex magical formation present on the 70th Floor and, after deciphering the puzzle, I came across an unbelievably powerful artifact. It was a mirror that allowed the user to see almost anything their heart desired while also giving them the ability to interact with it, albeit with various restrictions..."Helen tilted her head to the side by a single degree as she experienced a momentary confusion, followed by the return of the 'empty' feeling she had been troubled by as of late. Understanding that Vahn came here simply to talk, Helen performed a slow blink while taking in a shallow breath before answering, "That sounds like a truly incredible artifact...I wonder what it would show me if I asked it to reveal my own heart's desire..." As the final few words escaped her lips, a few strands of Helen's silvery-white hair decided to misbehave, falling from Helen's ear and giving her a melancholic look that caused Vahn's heart to seize up for a brief moment.After taking a moment to calm down, Vahn said, "With your strength, it wouldn't be difficult for you to reach the 70th Floor and make use of the mirror..." For some reason, Vahn felt extremely awkward as he said this and, as if she was in the same boat, Helen's pink eyes gazed upon him with a slightly dull light emanating from the runes contained within. It almost felt like she was judging him but Vahn ignored the feeling as he quickly added, "Anyways, I used the mirror to obtain a great deal of information about the Dungeon and its inhabitants. I was able to learn that there were ninety-nine Floors and was able to catalog every monster within after a few hours of select questions. However, the most important thing I came to learn was about the nature and origin of the Dungeon itself..."At this point, Helen was giving him her rapt attention since there were few people that weren't interested in secrets that had eluded both mortals and gods since the foundation of the three realms. Though some may know the purpose of the Dungeon, such as Ouranos, Amenominakanushi, Ymir, and Brahma, they had never passed the secrets onto the generations that followed. As a result, Helen buried her melancholic feelings and was closely listening to each word Vahn said, even as he swallowed hard and asked, "Helen...are you a reincarnated individual...?" This had caused her to blink in confusion once again before tilting her head, this time an impressive three degrees. She had been expecting Vahn to tell her about the Dungeon's secret, not ask about her identity...As this thought crossed her mind, Helen quickly understood the implication behind Vahn's question, deciding to follow-up with a question of her own, even as her heart began to race for the first time in hundreds of years. She gazed into Vahn's aquamarine eyes, something she genuinely avoided out of habit, asking, "Are you saying I have some relation to the Dungeon's origin...?" Several thoughts were racing through Helen's mind at this point, similar to puzzle pieces that had been carefully organized in the past but had never been brought together. Her fate as the 'key' to godhood now made a lot more sense, causing Helen to feel a mixture of emotions that she didn't know how to put into words.Since Helen didn't answer his question, Vahn felt slightly awkward but still nodded his head as he answered, "I asked the mirror several different questions to confirm it but, assuming the mirror isn't trying to mislead those that use it, there is a high chance you have some relation to the Dungeon and the two Primordial Goddesses, Nuwa and Tiamat. If you aren't a reincarnated individual, there is a high chance you were created by the Goddess Nuwa herself..." Nuwa, even till this day, was the only god that could proactively create life that possessed a soul. Though it would have taken her a long time, she had hundreds of millions of years to create something like Helen, all for a purpose that was becoming increasingly clear with the passage of time...For several minutes after the revelation, Vahn stood awkwardly near the entrance while Helen tried to process this new information. He didn't know what she was thinking but there were a few strong fluctuations in her aura, a stark contrast to how peaceful and 'stagnant' it was in the past. Though they weren't nearly as active as a normal person, it was obvious to anyone that knew Helen well that she was experiencing tumultuous emotions. Vahn couldn't comfort her in the same way he would someone he was close to but he still reached out his hand and sent calming energy through his domain so she wouldn't overstress her heart and mind.Feeling the foreign energy enter her body, Helen was more surprised that worried, causing her to give Vahn a questioning look while her thoughts were still racing. She saw genuine concern in his expression and, combined with the calming effects of the energy, Helen quickly regained her composure as she said, "I have long thought about my purpose and wondered why I had been burdened with such a tragic power..." Though she had never met Nuwa, Helen was very aware of the prestige the Primordial Goddess held, as she was the true origin of sentient life within the three realms. Being created by such an entity gave her a small feeling of pride, even though it also cemented the 'purpose' she had been given...Vahn couldn't help but furrow his brows when he saw the 'acceptance' in Helen's eyes, almost as if she were given some inescapable fate. Though he had the benefit of 'knowing' that such concepts were completely asinine, at least when he was within a record, Vahn still felt troubled by the fact that someone he associated with felt as if they were limited in their choices. He believed that there were an infinite number of paths forward and, if she didn't want to become a victim of fate, the only thing Helen needed to do was ask for help. Instead, she acted as if she were a solitary existence in the world and, even though Vahn knew why she behaved that way, it still annoyed him since he had also lived with similar burdens in the past...Though he knew it wasn't really his place to say, as Helen had lived a very different life than him, Vahn still squinted his eyes slightly and said, "From the moment you came under my protection, any fate you think you were burdened by has been completely removed. I cam here because I was curious and wanted to understand the truth of the matter, not because I wanted to make use of you. Even if you proactively wanted to use your power, I would exhaust every other option before ever coming to rely on something so contrived. And you can trust me when I say I have 'literally' infinite options at my disposal..." Vahn didn't know why, but the emotion he hated the most when dealing with people, himself included, was 'acceptance' of fate they didn't orchestrate themselves...Helen had never seen Vahn 'angry' before so she was taken aback by his behavior, causing her mouth to part slightly as her mind blanked for a brief moment. She didn't know if she should apologize, as she didn't truly understand what had happened for Vahn to become so upset. As a result, Helen remained quiet and just mulled over his words while issuing a soft 'Nn...'. Though Vahn had never shown any indication of wanting to 'use' her, Helen still couldn't fully believe his words. She knew that, if he encountered a bottleneck that he was unable to overcome, the knowledge he had obtained would bring him back to her.Understanding that Helen didn't truly believe his words, Vahn furrowed his brows and asked rather pointedly, "What is your dream, Helen? Other than the purpose you seem to have accepted for yourself, what do you desire out of life...?" This time, Helen gave him a gentle smile and explained, "After I have served my purpose, I imagine it would be up to my partner to decide how I will live from that point onward. I will do my best to support them, even though I don't have the heart to increase my strength a second time..." These words caused Vahn's frown to deepen even further, causing him to shake his head while turning away from Helen's gaze. He actually regretted coming here to confirm his suspicions as they hadn't even talked about the Dungeon much since Helen seemed incapable of escaping the 'fate' she had accepted for herself...After reaching the doorknob, Vahn took a deep breath before saying in a stern tone, "If you think your fate it something inescapable, I may come to rob you of it one day. I would rather bear your hatred and resentment than see you accept a fate you have every opportunity to break free from." Since it wouldn't even take that much effort for him to 'seal' away her power, even if it was the result of an Innate, Vahn was sincere when he spoke. Though it sounded like a threat, it was more of a promise that he would completely destroy Helen's expectations if she was unable to grow beyond the restrictions she had placed on herself. He wanted her to be truly free and, if she wasn't able to do it herself, Vahn would destroy the prison she had created through her acceptance...Hearing Vahn's words, Helen's felt as if a hammer had smashed into her mind, causing all of the thoughts that had been present to shatter completely. She was unable to form any thoughts at all as Vahn exited through the door without even sparing her another glance. Now, even more than before, Helen's heart was thumping madly with emotions she didn't truly understand. Part of her denied the possibility that Vahn would be able to change her fate but, seeing how 'serious' he was, Helen couldn't help feel there was just the smallest chance that his words were true. Since he had already done many things that should have been impossible, Helen, for the briefest of moments, thought about asking Vahn for help. This thought didn't last too long, however, as Vahn was long gone from her residence, leaving Helen to deal with the encroaching loneliness once again as she stared at the spot where he had only recently stood...---After leaving Spero Village, Vahn felt as if his convictions about the future had become even more cemented than before as a powerful desire to 'shatter' fate itself rose up within his heart. He had also been a victim of Fate, to the point that even now he wasn't truly free from its influence, but that was something of his own creation. It wasn't a Fate he had been assigned, but one he had taken upon himself willingly in the pursuit of the future he wanted to create for himself. This realization had been extremely liberating for him in the past and Vahn wanted everyone to be able to undergo the same realization in the future. The reason why he wanted to create a world where everyone could smile, all while helping them achieve their true potential, was for that exact purpose.Vahn ended up taking to the sky, flying high above the City until he could see the entirety of Orario in a single gaze. It was steadily growing larger and, though the massive external walls hadn't changed, there were already talks about created a secondary wall after the city-wide barrier was completed. Orario would be the heart of his Empire and Vahn knew that the population of the City would boom over the next couple of years, especially after he united all of the regions of Eden. Those that migrated here would bring with them the hope of a better future and, so long as it was within his power to grant it to them, Vahn would do everything possible to ensure that they had every opportunity all sentient life should be afforded...While thinking such thoughts, Vahn detected spatial fluctuations and wasn't surprised when Terra and Alexa appeared from the void at his side. He knew Terra would have been paying attention during his conversation with Helen and, as a result of the powerful bond they shared, she was also sensitive to his mood. As a result, Vahn's momentary melancholy was completely shattered, replaced by a warmth in his heart as he smiled toward the two concerned True Dragons. It had been a while since the last time he stayed in Terra's Garden so Vahn extended out his hands to the two, a loving smile on his face as he said, "Tonight, I think I'll stay in the Garden...will the two of you join me...?" Though he knew the answer, Vahn felt compelled to ask as a simple courtesy that didn't cost him anything.Terra's eyes flashed with a somewhat greedy light for a brief moment but she quickly quelled her urges and showed a genuine smile as she urged Alexa forward and said, "That sounds pleasant..." As for Alexa, she had calmed down a lot with the constant 'treatment' from Vahn so she was able to stay relatively calm as she grabbed his outstretched hand and said, "Let's go, Papa. Tonight, I will take care of you, okay...?" Since he was always bringing her comfort, Alexa wanted to at least support her Papa whenever he was feeling conflicted. Though she could also sense the resolution in his heart, causing her own to flutter excitedly, Alexa knew her Papa well enough to know he wasn't really the type to be overbearing. It gave her a small amount of pride, knowing she could have him rely on her during the moments when he sought comfort, even if there were limits to what she could do for him...(A/N: Sorry guys, but my Dad wanted to go out to eat since I'll be leaving for another eight weeks when I fly out tomorrow. There isn't much I can do about matters of life, just know I appreciate the constant support from each of you during these rather unstable times. When the Summer season comes to an end, I plan to fully commit myself to EPIC until we are able to bring the story to a natural conclusion together. Hopefully, when I begin to work on my original, I'll be able to treat writing as my actual career and won't have work interfere with my releases anymore xD...)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Sometimes, even when there are a lot of people trying to help, people feel as if they are still alone...','Nuwa's true intentions...?','*Casually Cuddles True Dragons As If They Were Service Animals*')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Early the next morning, after enjoying a rather hearty breakfast alongside most of the Manor's residents, Vahn was sitting in his study with Loki, Hephaestus, Hestia, Artemis, Eirene, Demeter, Eina, and Syr. With Winter descending upon the land, Demeter had a lot more free time so she had been staying at the Manor a lot more than in the past. She would often join Vahn in watching over the children whenever they would all go out to play in the clearing where Yggy's main body was located. Though she would spend most of her time just smiling at the side, Vahn had the spent more than a single afternoon enjoying her rather plump thighs as a pillow...The reason Vahn had gathered everyone was to discuss what he had discovered in the Dungeon during his previous excursion and his short-term goals. Vahn knew he would need to get to the bottom of Tartarus at some point but he had been putting it off since there were often more pressing matters to attend to. Right now, they were less than two weeks away from the day he may very well become the Emperor of Orario, a matter that couldn't simply sit on the backburner since there were various preparations that needed to be dealt with. He was also planning for his trip to the Far East, though it would likely have to wait until Tiona and Tione had given birth since he didn't want to split his focus so much.During his almost daily discussions with Loki, Vahn had come to accept the fact that he didn't necessarily need all of the gods that would make up the Divine Council in order to establish it. So long as they kept an odd number of members, it was possible to announce their existence during the next Denatus in order to set the stage for his rise. It helped that, though Ouranos didn't directly support his establishment of an Empire, he made no attempts to oppose it either. Ever since the Fels incident and the sealing of Enyo, Ouranos had been allowing Vahn to act with impunity, so long as he didn't take any extreme actions that would cause great harm to the City and its people...After his discussion with the 'core' members of the Manor, Vahn had decided to focus on his coming inauguration instead of trying to conquer the Dungeon in one go. That would have to wait until he had consolidated his power and authority a bit, as there would likely be a few hiccups during his rise to power that would need to be addressed. This didn't mean Vahn wouldn't be delving into the Dungeon, however, as the mirror had provided the answer to several important questions. One of the things Vahn had used it for was to learn the location of the One-Eyed Black Dragon and it's avatar, as he still wanted to help Ais gain some form of closure in regards to her past. Though she had put the matter behind her, Vahn knew that Ais would sometimes think about its existence since it had left a large shadow over her heart. Vahn wanted to help her remove that shadow and, once she was ready, build a family together with Ais that wouldn't replace the one she had lost, but allow her to honor their memory...As a result of the decisions made during the meeting, Vahn entered into the Sub-Space orb with his avatar to seek out Ais and discuss when, and if, she wanted to slay the One-Eyed Black Dragon. Her strength wasn't at the point where she would be able to defeat the main body, but the avatar that Vahn had seen through the mirror didn't appear to be that strong. As for the main body, it was almost on the same level as Charybdis and, even though Vahn had only seen its visage through the mirror, it still caused goosebumps to run along his skin. Fortunately, it had made its nest far to the north of the Dark Continent and was in an inactive state, presumably attempting to break through the limit of its Soul Tier.Vahn knew that, just as he would feel discomfort when reaching the peak of his parameters at any given level, there would be a similar pain when nearing the threshold for a new Soul Tier. Being stuck at the bottleneck would cause your body to feel as if it was swollen as a deep pain continually built up from your very soul, something you could never adapt to. The One-Eyed Black Dragon had likely reached the pinnacle of Tier 3 nearly a thousand years prior and, in order to deal with the pain, split off a fragment of itself before entering into a deep state of meditative hibernation. As for where that fragment was located, Vahn had been able to deduce that it wandered between the 71st and 73rd Floors.Though the mirror wasn't able to answer questions directly, Vahn had still been able to ask it to show him what other monsters were located on the Floor where the One-Eyed Black Dragon was located. Using simple process of elimination, he managed to narrow down the search area and, once Ais was ready, they would leave to subjugate the phenomenally powerful monster. It would have to be dealt with at some point, regardless, so Vahn felt it wasn't a bad idea to leave it to the Ais and the other girls. They needed a powerful foe to stimulate their growth once again and, with any luck, Ais may even be able to reach Level 8 in the process. She was currently only around the middle of Level 7 but, with how big of an impression the One-Eyed Black Dragon had left on her heart and mind, Vahn knew she would experience a monstrous boost after slaying it.As was often the case as of late, Vahn found Ais wearing a thin white robe as she meditated under the waterfall that Terra had constructed in the past. There was a green aura around her body that appeared to be nothing more than a gentle mist but was able to keep the water from directly contacting any part of the robe she was wearing. She had made startling progress on the path of Cultivation and, other than Fenrir and Alexa, Ais was the only one who had reached this point in her growth. Tiona had joked that it was because Ais didn't really 'think' about anything, making it easy for her to enter into a meditative state, but Vahn knew it was Ais' natural affinity with the Spirits that had led to her rampant growth...Having sensed Vahn's presence, Ais slowly opened her eyes to reveal pristine golden irises that were easily visible, even through the screen of Wind Elemental energy and water. They possed a slight glimmer as Ais' expression morphed into a gentle smile as she extricated herself from the waterfall and floated over to his side. As if it were the most natural thing in the world, Ais leaned into his embrace before asking, "You were looking for me...?" Since Vahn was generally very busy, even when he was spending a great deal of time simply relaxing, he almost always had a 'reason' for showing up and very rarely did so without purpose.Vahn combined his fingers through Ais' hair, which had grown nearly to the back of her knees at this point, as he answered, "Yes...there is something I wanted to talk to you about. Would you like to have tea with me while we discuss things...?" Though it had only been around seventy minutes back in the real world since everyone ate breakfast together, that meant nearly seven hours had passed within the Sub-Space orb so there was a good chance Ais wouldn't mind eating. She wasn't as gluttonous as Lefiya, who still kept her habit even after upgrading to a stronger weapon, but Ais could be a heavy eater at times.Ais' smile blossomed even more at the offer before she gently held Vahn's arm and issued a happy 'Nn~!' in response. Though she was a lot more open than in the past, Ais was still a taciturn girl whose words were nearly as precious as gold. She always spoke her mind and, contrary to Tiona's teasing, Ais put a great deal of thought into almost everything she said. Her nature was intrinsically introspective, even though her facial expressions had developed to the point where it was possible to understand how she was feeling even without her explicitly saying anything. This was a trait Ais had developed even when she didn't know how to express herself, though it took a discerning eye to notice the small fluctuations in her previously doll-like expressions...After setting up a small picnic near the top of the waterfall, Vahn and Ais were sitting shoulder to shoulder in intermittent silence as they playfully fed each other bits and pieces of food. Their discussion, while important, wasn't really a pressing matter so Vahn didn't mind enjoying a meal as he asked probing questions about Ais' training. This wasn't the only training area where the girls would train, as it was often better the 'Cultivate' in seclusion, so Ais had this particular waterfall all to herself most of the time. She explained that, if she increased her focus to the extreme, it was possible for her to completely bisect the 20m tall waterfall, even without activating her [Ariel]. This was a frightening degree of progress since it meant Ais' natural aura was already at the point where she could probably kill monster around Level 3-4 without even having to move...Towards the end of their picnic, Vahn decided it was an opportune time to broach the subject since Ais seemed to be in a particularly good mood while nibbling on a small bunny-shaped cookie. She turned her eyes to him out of curiosity almost as soon as the thought crossed his mind, seemingly able to read the small changes in his expression just as easily as the other girls. Since they had practically known each other for over a decade at this point, Vahn wasn't too surprised and simply explained, "I know the approximate location of the One-Eyed Black Dragon's avatar. Though I could take care of it myself, I wanted to give you and the others an opportunity to accelerate your growth. It will be a hard battle, but I believe you have already grown more than strong enough to defeat it..."Ais had been curious about what Vahn wanted to talk about but she hadn't expected him to suddenly bring up the One-Eyed Black Dragon all of a sudden. She had been wondering about its location ever since he had sealed Enyo but, with more than a year passing within the Sub-Space orb since then, Ais had started to let the matter lay. Though one of the reasons she had been probing into the Dungeon was to potentially discover its whereabouts, it was no longer her primary concern since it was far more productive to train and simply spend time with everyone else. Now that Vahn had found its location, Ais' mind blanked for a moment since she didn't really know how to think or react given the sudden surprise.After taking a moment to collect herself, Ais' expression turned serious as she nodded her head and said, "I will fight. Even if it is only a part of the real thing, even if my original body has long since faded into nothingness, the memory of what happened in the past has always remained inside of my heart. Though I no longer harbor as much resentment towards the One-Eyed Black Dragon, I still want to fight in order to overcome my past...!" At this point, Ais' perspective had changed drastically compared to her past self. She was no longer adamantly determined to slaughter all monsters and, even though the One-Eyed Black Dragon had caused the death and disappearance of her parents, she was actually more curious about the creature than what it had done. Part of her even wanted to try and reconcile with it as, according to one of the cultivation books she had read, hatred without making an effort to understand the other party just created an endless cycle that would consume you, preventing further growth...Vahn returned a nod of his own before smiling as he reached out and stroked Ais' cheek in a supportive manner. She really had grown a lot and, after this matter was settled, Vahn believed that Ais might even step into a similar realm as Jeanne in the near future. Though he couldn't imagine anyone defeating Jeanne, as even he would have to use a few 'unfair' methods just to keep her down, it wouldn't be nearly as one-sided as in the past. Coincidentally, as this thought crossed his mind, Vahn saw Jeanne sneeze from the perspective of his main body. She often followed him around and helped watch over the children when she wasn't training the Valkyries or visiting Helen.With a smile on both of his faces, earning a slightly embarrassed look from Jeanne as a result, Vahn brought Ais into his embrace and said, "When you're ready, we'll explore between the 71st and 73rd Floors until we come across the One-Eyed Black Dragon's avatar. Since this is an important battle for you, make sure you prepare properly before we set out. Remember, there isn't any reason to rush things and the strength of your comrades is the same as your own strength. Even if you choose to rely on me, remember that it is a burden we have shared together since the promise we made long ago..."Hearing Vahn's words, Ais was slightly surprised since she hadn't expected him to remember the promise from their first night together. In truth, she was rather embarrassed when recalling how 'brazen' she acted in the past and sometimes even felt guilty since it seemed like she had pressured Vahn into accepting her. Her long meditative sessions had caused her to think about many things, many of which were small 'heart demons' that she had been trying to overcome in order to progress her Cultivation even further. Seeing that Vahn wasn't even remotely bothered by the past, and even seemed to fall into appreciative reminiscence, Ais couldn't help but smile as she nestled into his chest and enjoyed the sound of his heartbeat with nothing more than an 'Nn' as her response.Since this wasn't the first time Ais had acted like this, Vahn habitually stroked her silky golden hair and just enjoyed the moment for as long as it lasted. While this was going on, he also thought about who else he could potentially take along with him as the battle would undoubtedly be educational. The only problem was, he may have to use his Qinglong form if there were any accidents, meaning Alexa would have to stay on the surface. Though it would potentially be a defining moment for her, as interacting with True Dragons more powerful than herself may even help her calm down a bit, Vahn didn't want to trigger the landmine that he himself had set. He knew that, at some point in the distant future, he would need to address the lingering issue of Alexa but that was a matter for another time, most likely after he had returned from his journey across other records...(A/N: As many have pointed out, Alexa and Vahn actually have no blood relation to each other and it is somewhat 'unfair' to her for Vahn to treat her as his daughter. However, just as many foster parents would never harbor those intentions towards their children, please don't expect Vahn, who genuinely cares for familial bonds, to do anything with his yet to mature 'daughter'. After spending a few thousand years in other worlds, it is very likely that his perception would have changed greatly since his soul would also evolve several times in the process. When the time comes, he may very well end up fulfilling Alexa's desires, though it is even more likely that he would have come up with a simple solution to the problem since he would possess an extreme amount of power by then. Also, I'm flying out in a few hours but I'll try to write another chapter on the plane since I'll be in the air for around three hours.)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Setting the Stage','*sneezing intensifies*','RIP OEBD-Chan...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Unable to take the mirror artifact from the statue, Vahn made a few more inquiries from it to test the limits of its functionality before heading towards the 'heart' formation. As for what he asked the statue, it was to show him things like the location of Zeus, the appearance of Gilgamesh, and any powerful monsters he had to be aware of. Since it could show him things within the Dungeon, Vahn spent more than two hours cataloging every monster contained within using the mirror as a proxy. It was truly one of the most useful artifacts Vahn had ever come across since it seemed to possess a scary degree of omniscience. Vahn had even asked about the location of any secret treasures that had been lost to time and was shown the location where they rested, waiting for someone fated to stumble across them...At this point, it was already late in the afternoon but Vahn wanted to continue his exploration for a short while longer since he could always use his Qinglong form to exit the Dungeon. It took most of his reserves to do so but transitioning a few Floors to use the teleportation wards on the 60th Floor wasn't that difficult. So long as he didn't encounter some kind of spatial lock, Vahn wasn't worried that he wouldn't be able to return to the surface when he was ready to do so. Thus, without any further delay, Vahn arrived at the large illusory barrier that represented the 'heart' before taking a step inside. He found a large temple contained within while the surroundings changed, making it appear as if he were atop a mountain outside of the Dungeon.After marveling at the complexity of the magic formation, Vahn made his way into the interior of the temple and quickly found the stairs leading into the 71st Floor. The fact that there hadn't been any enemies since his encounter with the Guardian was somewhat worrisome but Vahn knew there were threats lurking deeper within. After all, he now knew exactly what monsters were located on each Floor, including any Monster Rexes and unique variants he would have to be wary of. The only thing he didn't know were their strengths, weakness, and general ecology. He would have to discover these on his own since the information from the system shop may not pertain to the version of Danmachi he resided in.Upon reaching the 71st Floor, the layout of the Dungeon had changed once again, this time into an ashen-grey stone that emanated a peculiar magical glow. The density of mana at this level was far more powerful than the upper Floors, to the point that there was a thin mist consolidating in stagnant areas. This was a physical manifestation of mana, something that rarely appeared outside of communities where Great Spirits resided. Constant exposure to such high potency mana could lead to the evolution of animals into monsters while also providing great benefits to anyone that was able to absorb external energies into their bodies. Vahn suspected that, once he popularized Cultivation techniques in the future, there would be some bold practitioners that may use Floors like this to further advance their strength.With that thought in mind, Vahn created a 'sucking' force with his domain and began to absorb the mana in the atmosphere to supplement his own reserves. The blessings from Yggy made such an action almost unnecessary, but Vahn was curious about the potency of the mana and if it contained any dangerous elements that could cause harm to the body. He quickly noticed something similar to a numbness spreading through his limbs before the malignant energy was naturally filtered from his body. Vahn wasn't surprised there were toxins contained within the mist as there were few instances where the Dungeon would outright reward its invaders without putting them through a trial...After traveling for a few minutes, Vahn came across a few vibrant blue lights that were fluttering around in the air, illuminating the cold grey walls with their magical light. It was a truly mesmerizing sight since there was a subtle hypnotic effect contained within the light, courtesy of the small pixie-like monsters at the center of the luminescence. They looked like tiny figures that were carved from wood, each possessing vaguely humanoid qualities while their eyes looked like tiny gemstones that glowed various shades of green and blue. Each had a pair of dragonfly-like wings that made high-pitched sounds as a result of how quickly they were moving about.Vahn spent a few moments staring at the rather beautiful sight before quickly extending his hand outward, catching one of the tiny pixies that attempted to ambush him. They had speed that could easily rival a Level 4 and, with their tiny and agile bodies, Vahn imagined it would be difficult to face large groups of the pointy-toothed creatures. The one he had caught was trying to gnaw on his hand with sharp teeth that easily tore through the S-Ranked gloves he had been wearing. This caused Vahn to frown as he put a bit of strength into his hand, marveling at how durable the tiny creature was before its defenses were eventually overcome. Vahn's hand came to a complete close before he opened it to reveal a tiny yet extremely high-quality magic core.As he marveled at the magic core that was barely bigger than a grain of rice, the other pixies in the surroundings began to make annoyingly high-pitched noises that sounded like a rudimentary language to Vahn's ears. This wasn't necessarily a sign of true intelligence, however, as even Goblins and Kobolds were able to communicate with each other. Since none of them had auras, and were proactively trying to attack him, Vahn didn't hold back as he sent a tidal wave of crimson-gold flames through the corridors, scorching most of the Pixies in an instant. None were killed by the attack but their fragile wings seemed exceptionally weak to high temperatures, forcing the 10cm tall monsters to rain down from the sky as they lost the ability to fly.Undaunted, and extremely angry, the Pixies began to leap at Vahn with their tiny legs, many targetting his face and throat. With Vahn having already erected a magical barrier, their attacks were ultimately futile. As a result, Vahn had ample time to observe them as he wondered how exactly such weak creatures were meant to pose a threat to Adventurers. He supposed that the toxins within the extremely dense mana were supposed to incapacitate intruders, leaving them helpless as the small Pixies tore their bodies to shreds. They also had high Endurance, making them somewhat difficult to kill, while their magical resistance also seemed rather high. Combined with the other monsters that should be present on the 71st Floor, Vahn was able to understand that they were more of an inconvenience that could overwhelm Mages than a genuine threat...After completing his analysis, Vahn transformed into his Baihu form before creating tempestuous blades of wind that cut through the surrounding Pixies with relative ease. He confirmed that they were remarkably resilient as some continued trying to attack even after losing arms and legs. It wasn't until their small magic cores were damaged that they finally dispersed into motes of dust, leaving vibrant bluish-green cores in their stead. Vahn quickly looted these cores, selling them for a substantial 800-1100 OP each before turning his attention toward a particularly dense cloud of mana that had been skulking around in the periphery.Understanding it had been spotted, what appeared to be a rainbow colored snake shot out from the mist with a speed that caused Vahn's eyes to widen, even in his Baihu form. It was practically like a bolt of lightning as it snaked through the air and tried to bury its long fangs into his neck. Though it was only around 110cm long, Vahn imagined it would even be able to take out a Monster Rex with the speed it had displayed. Unfortunately, he was a particularly bad matchup for fast moving enemies as the monster, which Vahn decided to call a Rainbow Viper, slammed into his magical barrier. He used the momentary gap before it was able to react to catch the snake by its neck, completely shattering its spine in the process.Though the Rainbow Viper had yet to die, it was no longer able to move on its own volition once Vahn had essentially severed the nerves between its brain and body. It twitched about like a whip, impacting Vahn a few times in the process, but each hit was absorbed by his secondary magical aura as he marveled at the surprising beauty of the snake. It's rainbow-colored scaled made a striking pattern that could put to shame most jewelry Vahn had laid eyes on. He imagined it would be an exceptional material for producing accessories for the girls, particularly Anubis, Nanu, Tiona, and Tione. Vahn knew the rainbow-colored scales would accent their healthy brown skin and was already thinking about how he could acquire a few more Rainbow Vipers to collect enough materials...-------------------------------------------------------------------//[Nameless] Wishes to become your subordinate. (Y/N?)//-------------------------------------------------------------------Vahn was snapped out of his momentary reverie by the system notification and, having accepted several tens of thousands of subordinates over the last year, actually accepted without even thinking about it. His eyes widened slightly as he stared down at the rather pitiful looking Rainbow Viper that was still twitching about in his grasp. A small feeling of guilt welled up in his heart when he saw it's golden pupils beginning to lose their light, causing Vahn to send a wave of healing energy into the Rainbow Vipers body to preserve its life. It quickly regained its vitality and, though Vahn was still holding its neck, the snake coiled around his arm with gentle pressure as it happily flicked its tongue.Seeing how affectionate the Rainbow Viper was acting just moments after it tried to kill him, Vahn couldn't help but issue a wry smile as he stated, "You're pretty clever, aren't you? Well, we'll chalk this up to fate...so long as you obey my orders, I will help you become even stronger in the future." As if it truly understood his words, the Rainbow Viper flicked its tongue a few times as its Loyalty increased from 53 to 57. If his [Keeper of the Akashic Tome] hadn't been on cooldown, Vahn would have named the clever little snake that had somehow weaseled its way into his life. For the time being, he simply let it coil around his neck like a scarf as it flicked its tongue near his ear and mirrored the movements of his head as he walked through the 71st Floor and continued to hunt more Pixies...With the evening deepening, Vahn was preparing to cut his adventure short after another hour of probing the 71st Floor. Most of the enemies he had encountered along the way were the rather annoying Pixies, which seemed to roam in groups of more than thirty at a time, while only a few Rainbow Vipers appeared. Whenever one showed up, the [Nameless] Rainbow Viper on his shoulders would immediately set into motion, coiling together with the opposing snake as they fought for dominance. Vahn wasn't sure if it was due to the influence of his Unit Management, but his Rainbow Viper always emerged victorious before slithering over with the paralyzed body of its prey, laying it at his feet before happily flickering its tongue. At times like this, Vahn would reach down and gently stroke [Nameless]'s head before allowing it to resume its place on his shoulders once again.During the moments when there weren't any enemies present, Vahn was explaining various things to the small snake since he could tell it was already growing attached to him. He couldn't easily walk around with it on his shoulders all the time and, knowing it would one day possess a humanoid form, Vahn didn't want it to develop any strange expectations like some of his earlier subordinates. Though it couldn't really understand his words, Vahn knew the Rainbow Viper could understand his intent as it bobbed its head as if nodding and stared back at him with its golden eyes that would often emanate a gentle light...While preparing for his return trip to the 60th Floor, Vahn had detected a much larger presence than a Pixie or Rainbow Viper so he decided to investigate since it wouldn't take too much time. He already knew what to expect from the unseen entity so Vahn wasn't surprised when an emerald-colored tree entered his vision. It had vibrant blue leaves that rustled gently, even in the absence of wind, as microscopic spores spread from its canopy. Vahn found the aroma coming from the spores rather pleasant but [Nameless] had snuck into his collar to avoid exposing itself since they were a lethal poison to most biological lifeforms.Vahn experienced his nerves seizing up painfully before his body filtered out the toxins, allowing him to confirm the potency of the spores before creating a barrier that prevented them from entering his body once again. The strange tree seemed to sense this as it began to tremble, causing the ground to quake as large roots began to break through the floor. They attempted to coil around Vahn but he was much faster, allowing him to easily evade as hundreds of Pixies began to pour out from the trees canopy as they attempted to overwhelm him. Vahn decided to name the tree-like monster as a Pixie Colony as he stretched out his right arm. He focused his mind to the extreme as cracks began to emerge along his skin before Vermillion feathers began to sprout like tiny flames escaping the gaps of a blast furnace...One of the things Vahn had been working on recently was partial transformations with his [Rakshasa Body] since he suspected it should be possible to make use of multiple transformations in the future. Currently, he could only transform a single arm with his Zhuque form, likely the result of his general affinity with Fire Elemental energy. As a result, Vahn was able to create a pillar of vermillion flames that washed over the flock of Pixies, this time burning them to ashes as the pillar collided with the Pixie Colony's emerald green trunk. A deep groan escaped from the monster, though Vahn wasn't quite sure where from, as it began to twist in a futile attempt to escape the flames.After a few minutes had passed, the only thing that remained of the Pixie Colony and its residents were a few Drop Items and enough rice-like magic cores to fill a five-ounce bag. Vahn sold the entire bag and was gobsmacked when he was awarded over 700,000 OP in a single go. He happily threw the other Drop Items into his Inventory as the Rainbow Viper poked its head out of his collar and licked the air a few times. Vahn was reminded of its existence, causing him to issue a wry smile as he said, "You better not develop the habit of trying to sneak into my clothes or I'll never allow you to have a human transformation..." He didn't know why, but Vahn felt like he had some kind of fate with this small snake, causing small warning signals to sound in his mind as a result of his extremely high karma...In response to his words, the small snake stared blankly with its golden eyes before flicking its purple tongue a few times. It then tried to sneak back into the depths of Vahn's tunic but he quickly snatched it before tossing it up into the air. The Rainbow Viper showed a momentary panic as it flipped through the air but ultimately landed without issue before quickly returning to Vahn's side and coiling around his leg with a sorry expression on its face. Seeing this, Vahn shook his head while releasing a sigh as he wondered what name to grant the small snake in the future. He didn't have to grant it a human form but Vahn knew the small snake would likely want one at some point. Since he knew how unfair it could be for his subordinates to make decisions on their behalf, Vahn needed to seriously consider what was best for his new [Nameless] companion before picking its name...With several suitable names crossing his mind, Vahn had [Nameless] momentarily return to its core as he transformed into his Qinglong form and tore through space to reach the 61st Floor. Though he could enter the 60th Floor proper, Vahn liked to play it safe by not messing with the spatial fabric near Enyo's seal. The last thing he needed was the errant goddess breaking free from her seal just because he wanted to save a few minutes of time. As a result, Vahn had to kill a few Slimes and Berserker subspecies before he finally reached the secret area that connected with his most secure base. Gros had already been waiting for his arrival, as there was a team constantly monitoring the surroundings, so Vahn spent a few minutes discussing various matters before finally using the teleportation ward to return to the surface.Since the teleportation ward connected to the Xenos Village, Vahn's eyes instinctually focused on the small residence where Helen and Marie resided together. It was only a brief moment, however, as the two Xenos who had been watching over the teleportation ward happened to be Naho and Arles. The former was wearing a black and white gothic style dress while the latter had a pristine blue dress with a white apron and frills that matched closely with Diana's outfit. Freya had called it an Alice-Style outfit, though even she didn't know the origin of the name. The only thing that really mattered was that both girls looked unbelievably cute, especially with Arles' small white rabbit ears, so Vahn was prevented from going to meet with Helen since it would have broken the two girls' hearts if he left just after arriving...(A/N: Alternate Titles: '*Squishing Intensifies*','Clever snek...!?','Arles wearing an Alice outfit with a large pocket watch nestled against her diminutive chest...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Chapter 963: Acceptance