Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

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

Taking Vahn's advice rather seriously, Ais decided to put off fighting against the One-Eyed Black Dragon until she and the others had properly prepared themselves. At the very least, Vahn had estimated that the avatars strength was around the peak of Level 8, which was truly monstrous considering that monsters had much higher parameters than normal people. Their only major advantage was that the size of the One-Eyed Black Dragon would restrain its movements quite a bit, something many of the girls could take advantage of. After all, if Ais decided to enlist the help of Ryuu, whose bow could penetrate it's thick hide relatively easily, they would be able to cripple it early in the fight.Currently, the people Ais had asked for assistance were Haruhime, Fenrir, Lili, Lefiya, and, though she wouldn't be participating in the battle itself, Shizune. At this point, she had a veritable shadow army under her command and, after helping Chloe deal with matters in Westport, there were few people who could hope to contend against her ability to gather information. Since the Dungeon seemed to ignore normal animals, of which Shizune had a menagerie, she could send insects and small animals into the Dungeon to scout out ahead of her. Because of her propensity to over-plan things, Shizune's capabilities as an assassin had reached a frightening degree in a very short period of time. She had essentially become a ninja at this point, as even her equipment was comprised of darker and non-reflective colors that allowed her to blend in even easier amongst her shadows.With Shizune's assistance, it shouldn't take the girls too long to find the location of the One-Eyed Black Dragon, even without Vahn leading the way. Since he had mentioned to Ais that it was a good opportunity for them to test themselves, she seemed to have conveyed that to the other girls and they had been treating it very seriously. Though Vahn would be accompanying them, this time his role would be as nothing more than an observer. He would also be bringing Fafnir in his shadow, as it had expressed an interest in seeing how strong 'normal' True Dragons could become, while the entire event would also be streamed to everyone back at the Manor and recorded.The One-Eyed Black Dragon subjugation was one of the 'Three Great Quests', the first two of which had been completed by the Zeus and Hera Familias. It was their completion of those seemingly impossible Quests that had allowed the two Familia to have such fame, even though they had also caused innumerable issues during their reign. After all, it was widely believed that Calamity-Class monsters like the Behemoth, Leviathan, and the One-Eyed Black Dragon could, quite literally, destroy all life on the Continent. If a Familia was able to subjugate one, this meant that they had a similar level of power, giving them an extreme amount of leeway with how they acted on the surface.Vahn intended to publicize the subjugation of the One-Eyed Black Dragon after he had risen to the position of Emperor, as it would further cement his claim to power. He had no doubt there would be a fair amount of dissent when he first rose to the position so it was actually rather timely that he learned about the One-Eyed Black Dragon just as things were coming to a head. This very well could be the influence of Fate, a thought that often caused Vahn to fall into deep reflection, but it ultimately didn't matter. It was his decision to become an Emperor and, though it had been pushed up due to various events, Vahn was wholly committed to his vision of a better future. The foundation had already been laid and, though it was still unstable in some areas, Vahn believed in those that supported him just as much as he believed in himself. With so many capable women at his side, he really had no excuse for failure...In order to make sure things continued to run smoothly, Vahn spent the time during leading up to the One-Eyed Black Dragon doing the thing he hated most, dealing with Nobles and politicians. With his vast information network, he knew that most of the people who would attend his meeting had already arrived in the City and were simply awaiting the day. As for those who had refused his invitation, Vahn had already given his orders to Chloe's ever-increasing Shadow Corps while Loki, Riveria, and Asfi had helped him draft an official missive as a response. Because he hadn't been raised within the Court, Vahn was still learning how to behave as a Noble and tend to other courtly affairs from Riveria and Asfi. Though he didn't really need to go to so much trouble, Vahn wanted to put on the airs of a proper Emperor so he had been doing a lot of private research while spending around two hours each day being lectured by the two taciturn and intelligent Princesses...As a result, whenever Vahn wasn't at the Manor, he could be seen walking around with his back straight and his chin slightly raised, even though there was almost always a kind smile on his face. He had been increasing his public appearance as of late and made sure to patron various businesses, all while listening to the words of his future people. Since he already enjoyed a great deal of fame, this change in character was noted almost immediately, giving more fuel to the rumors that Vahn was going to rise as a genuine King or Emperor. Many of the Nobles, Famous Merchants, and other foreign dignitaries had been intercepting him during his daily excursions since Vahn was generally hard to get in touch with whenever he was inside the Manor. This led to many long meetings where he listened to the other party try to appeal to him, many simply trying to earn his favor since they were also very perceptive and knew what was at stake.Fortunately, Vahn didn't have any arrogant and abrasive Nobles seeking him out as the rumors about what he did to such people had already widely circulated. It was people like that who had refused his invitation, something Vahn found both annoying and mildly humorous since they had effectively drawn a target on themselves in the process. When his missive reached them, after his rise to the seat of Emperor and the subjugation of the One-Eyed Black Dragon, Vahn could easily imagine their facial expressions growing pale while some may even choose to flee their nations and try to lay roots elsewhere. Even that would be impossible, however, as Chloe's Shadow Corps was constantly trailing them in order to document their crimes. The existence of Magical Items like the [Shadow Visor Mk. 3], the latest version created by Asfi, had truly turned the tide of any information wars in Vahn's favor...It was with such thoughts in mind that Vahn found himself sitting in a Cafe with the leader of that very same Corps, Chloe. She had just returned from a secret mission he had assigned her, this time venturing across the sea with Fafnir to investigate the affairs of the Maritime Kingdom of Aethiopia. Vahn always made sure to meet with Chloe before and after every mission, partially due to the guilt he felt with entrusting such tasks to her, but mostly because Chloe claimed she didn't feel at home until Vahn pampered her a bit. As a result, Chloe was laying across Vahn's lap as he fed her strawberries with one hand and fiddled with her ears using his other. Even though there was some service staff that came by, she was happily purring away without regards to her surroundings as the two had a telepathic conversation with each other.Though it might hurt his 'image' a bit to act this way in public, it was already widely accepted by everyone, to an almost scary extent, that Vahn treated the women around him 'very' well. Some looked at this as if it was a weakness but, if they were to every openly make such claims, others would look at them as if they had said something absolutely ridiculous. As for the reasons why, it was because even the weakest person that was officially recognized as part of Vahn's 'Flower Garden' was Level 4. The only exceptions were non-combatants like Syr and Eina but they almost always had an escort of powerful Valkyrie's following them whenever they were out in public. This meant that, if you actually did come across one of Vahn's women without an escort, odds were they were far stronger than you and could easily take care of themselves. If that wasn't the case, it meant Vahn was either in close proximity to that person or they had the terrifying Fafnir lurking around in the shadows, both terrifying realities that few enemies wanted to face...After giving her official report, Chloe was nibbling on just the tip of a strawberry as she telepathically communicated, ("That mother of Asfi's is a truly wicked woman..."). Though Asfi's father, King Cepheus, had originally intended to accept Vahn's invitation, her mother, Queen Cassiopeia, had convinced him otherwise. According to Chloe's report, Cassiopeia had already gained more power and authority within the Aethiopian Kingdom than its official Monarch. There were even some who claimed her to be a Saintess as, after the disappearance of Asfi, she had apparently 'offered to sacrifice herself' to pay for her daughter's transgressions. As a result, the 'enraged' Poseidon, finding Cassiopeia's sacrifice as truly noble, decided not to destroy the island and had allowed them to live in peace ever since...As a result of her twisted manipulation of the true events, Cassiopeia had gained an incredible standing within their small country and there was little King Cepheus could do about it. He had always considered himself a fortunate man for marrying such a beautiful woman, as he himself had a rather sorry appearance, so he often gave way to his wife's commands instead of taking a stand. The truth of the matter, however, was that Cassiopeia simply married Cepheus because of her own vanity and desire for power, both having been developed to ghastly extremes. Chloe's report showed that she wasn't simply a concubine to Poseidon but also had the habit of sleeping with many of the men that were supposed to be loyal to the King, all while 'collecting' a small harem of her own amongst the servant boys that she fancied...Vahn was truly awed by how twisted Cassiopeia had become but, as this was his time to relax with Chloe, he pinched the white tuft hairs in her ears, causing them to twitch as he replied, ("The end of her tyranny is already in sight. Asfi will make a far better Queen and I'll personally deal with Poseidon if he refuses to see reason. For now, let's just enjoy this moment...tell me, how long will you stay this time...?") Even without him asking her to do anything, Chloe had installed herself as the Commander of the Shadow Corps and often took the initiative to deal with things that she didn't want to trouble him with. It was her way of taking responsibility for the life she had pulled the other members of the Shadow Corps into, something that made them extremely reverential towards their rather adorable and mischevious leader...In response to his inquiry, Chloe opened her mouth wide and took the entire strawberry into her mouth, her moist lips and characteristically rough tongue twinging around Vahn's fingers as she answered, ("I've seen the reports and know there are issues in the Land of no Sun so I'll be going there to deal with a few things after you become an Emperor. Until then, I'll just be helping to train the new recruits at Haven so you'll have to spend a lot of money to come visit me, okay~?") Since not everyone treated money like air, most of the girls didn't exploit the teleportation wards to move in and out of the Dungeon daily as Vahn did. This was essentially Chloe's way of teasing Vahn, roughly translating to, 'If you want me, come and get me'.Understanding Chloe's intentions, Vahn's eyes squinted as a result of his smile and, this time aloud, said, "I wonder if you'll be able to keep your voice down this time..." These words caused Chloe's face to turn slightly ruddy as she peered around to make sure there wasn't anyone who had heard what he said. Confirming they were indeed alone, Chloe lightly 'pawed' Vahn's face as she said, "You're a real scoundrel these days, Vahn, nyafuu~." She could, very vividly, remember the last time Vahn had actually paid her a visit down at her impromptu headquarters. Even though they had installed soundproofing to the room, there were many in the Shadow Corps who had 'very' sensitive ears, some even having Innates related to them, so she had gotten strange looks from some of the members after the fact...Vahn found Chloe's actions adorable so he snaked his hand to her stomach, causing her to tense up for a bit before relaxing. Cat People didn't like to have anyone touch their stomachs unless it was something they genuinely trusted. This was because it was one of the fastest methods to turn them docile, which could be 'extremely' embarrassing in a public scenario. Vahn was very aware of this but, much like their earlier behavior, he didn't really care if anyone saw him and Chloe being affectionate with each other, so long as they didn't interrupt. Thus, for a few minutes after the fact, Vahn lightly rubbed Chloe's stomach as a contended purr sounded out from her throat until she inhaled rather sharply and said, "Feed me, nya~!"---After his rendezvous with Chloe, Vahn escorted her down to Haven and met with the current and future Shadow Corps members to see how they were progressing. Many of their core members were already Level 4, each becoming Squad Captains, while the new recruits were all around the peak of Level 1 or low Level 2. Vahn noticed that, as was often the case, most of the members were Cat People, Pallums, or Dark Elves. The basic requirement of being a member of the Shadow Corps was either having an affinity with Darkness and Shadow magic or, at the very least, a natural talent towards Stealth, Concealment, or Information Gathering. It was the latter that allowed a few Chienthropes into the mix, as their hearing and sense of smell made them excellent additions to every squad.One other thing Vahn noticed was that most of the members of the Shadow Corps were almost all uncomfortably young. This was because, according to Chloe, anyone that had the 'talent' to be in the Shadow Corps would need to be developed before they became 'deviant'. If she recruited people who were older, who already had a disposition towards assassination and the like, it meant they were almost undoubtedly criminals or outright murderers. She didn't want anyone that enjoyed killing to be part of their Corps as, even though they were often required to kill, it was because of the 'mission', not for entertainment. This ideology was much easier to instill in the minds of younger people and, as they were often isolated from others because of various 'quirks', these same youths found a home amongst the Shadow Corps, filled with people that understood them.Knowing that every member scouted by Chloe had chosen to become part of the Shadow Corps of their own volition, Vahn didn't have much to say about how she ran things. After all, he also allowed Shizune, who he had then treated as a child, to undergo similar training. Even Tina, who was only eleven at the time, had studied under Chloe a bit while most of the girls at least knew enough to identify traps and assassins. Since there was a 'very' high chance they would be targets in the future, Chloe had taught them how to stay safe and become a 'hard' target for assassins, as strength didn't always matter when things like poison and stealth were involved. It only took one well-placed dagger to end the life of even someone as capable as Ais, though the odds of that dagger ever finding purchase were almost negligible...After parting ways with Chloe, though not before promising to pay her a visit the following evening, Vahn made his way over to Haven to meet up with Finn. He was also planning to head down to the 60th Floor to check on Enyo's seal a bit later but, along the way, Vahn encountered someone rather unexpected. At this point, there were nearly 40,000 people living and working on the 50th Floor, many of which were his subordinates. Because of this, they often became something akin to background noise that Vahn didn't fully pay attention to. This time, however, Vahn's awareness had completely shifted to the perspective of his avatar as he had just crossed paths with a rather fierce looking Aisha. She was wielding what looked like a giant cleaver that was made out of blackened wood, a weapon he had personally made for her in the past. Her eyes reflected a cold yet hungry light as she hunched down slightly, weapon resting on her shoulders as she said, "You finally show your face...let me punch it a few times...!"(A/N: I'm back at work now, so there will only be 1 chapter a day unless I have free time. I noticed a lot of people pointing out that I shouldn't promise more chapters, as it can get people's hopes up, so I'll try to keep that information to myself and simply post when I can. Keep in mind that I'll be working until around mid-August before returning to my full release schedule so please be patient with me. Know that I'm doing my best and, if not for the need to have enough money to support my already frugal lifestyle, EPIC would always be my primary focus. It is because I need this money to support me for the next few months of writing that I have to treat my job as seriously as possible...!)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Preparing to fight the Raid Boss','Shizune is a spooky girl...','Chloe's Happy Mofu-Mofu Time~!','Oh shit, you better run, boi~!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

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

Chapter 964: Focus