Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With her own anxieties growing alongside her Master's, Fenrir was more than willing to vent some of her frustrations on the unsuspecting arms dealers and covert delegations.Though he was doing his best to keep it hidden, Fenrir knew her Master was reaching the breaking point of his patience. The departure of Eva and the happenings in the world weighed heavily on his mind, as, unlike most, he had more than enough power to influence and outright force change.Before her Master could fall into his usual pattern of handling everything himself, Fenrir wanted to do everything she could to lessen his burdens. She also wanted to demonstrate, not her power, but the results of her meditative disciplining. The next world they visited might very well be the last, so, in order to alleviate her Master's concerns about taking her along with him, Fenrir was willing to do whatever it took to demonstrate her competence and control. To that end, she was dashing across the terrain, her scarlet eyes glistening as she set her sights on the first of many targets...Though it was remarkably slow compared to her maximum speed, Fenrir was able to move across the rocky and twisted terrain that surrounded the Dwarven nation of Vulcan with supersonic speed. Despite this, there was no shockwave generated in the wake of her passing. Instead, a bluish-black 'flame' emanated from the point where her paws had come into contact with the ground, seemingly dissolving the surface before fading away several seconds later.With the same mysterious flames flickering across her body, Fenrir was able to move silently despite her large size. This would normally be attributed to Ki, which allowed skilled practitioners to effectively 'ignore' physical Laws. Unlike a traditional shroud, however, Fenrir's was saturated with Severing, and, at times, Devouring Laws. The combination of these two energies allowed her to move through areas of dense Space and Time unobstructed, and, unless they were inordinately powerful, she could even pierce through most physical and magical barriers with impunity...---Due to the uneven terrain surrounding Vulcan, combined with the large number of merchants moving in and out of the country, ambushes and bandit attacks were rather common. To combat this, experienced convoys would travel with an Airfish escort or hire skilled Mercenaries to provide additional protection through the rugged, monster-infested, terrain. The average Magical Beast was exponentially stronger than the common residents of the Magical World, but, so long as they used tactics, strategy, and wit, veteran Mercenaries could quickly dispatch even large groups of enemies with relative ease.Unfortunately, amongst the Magical Beasts that roamed Mundus Magicus, there was one group in particular that even the most skilled Mercenaries tended to avoid. These were Magical Beasts that demonstrated a keen intellect and an ability to adapt to changing circumstances. These types were far more terrifying than the average beast, as, even if you made all kinds of preparations to counter them, such as setting traps, they could simply avoid them.Unless they were seeking fame, most groups would stay away from any commissions that pitted them against a sapient magical creature. There were few things more terrifying than a beast that was already more powerful than you using its abilities intelligently.Intelligence was often the only advantage most people had when it came to contending against magical creatures. When this advantage was removed, even the most famous group of Mercenaries could be wiped out by a single Magical Beast. Thus, over the centuries, countless methods to scout areas, analyze the terrain, and identify magical creatures had been created.Among the most popular methods available, especially when you were trying to be discreet, was using miniature drones to scout ahead and analyze the terrain in the surroundings. Other methods including using Familiars, and, if you had an exorbitant amount of money to spend, there were also portable magical wards that could detect and repel even weaker Magical Dragons. These came in the form of large black pylons covered in runes, and, so long as they were powered, large arcs of lightning elemental energy would emanate from them whenever a monster got within 300m of the convoy.Larger versions of the defense pylon existed in most cities, but, unless there was a large group of monsters approaching, colloquially known as a Wave, they generally remained dormant. As for why such artifacts weren't using during times of war, besides being banned by international convention, it was largely due to the fact that the pylons needed a powerful magical signal to lock onto. It was possible to calibrate them to target specific types of enemies, but, if something went wrong, there was a very real chance the pylon could go haywire and start frying anything, allies included, within its proximity.Due to this possibility, most people, including the technicians and Mages required to power and maintain them, felt nervous just being around the crackling black pylons. Though the actual number of incidents were few and far between, there were countless stories involving people being fried by the eerie black artifacts, either by accidentally grazing it or getting caught in between the arc and whatever magical creature it had targetted. There were even incidents of powerful Mages being turned to ash after being mistakenly recognized as a magical creature due to their inordinately high reserves of magical energy. Thus, even if the black pylons provided security against even virtually all magical creatures, most people gave them a wide berth...Unfortunately, not everyone had the option of steering clear from the malicious black pylon, as, due to their nature as magical artifacts, they generally required a lot of care and maintenance. There was also a technician specifically tasked with deactivating the pylon if it ran wild, so, despite most of her hair standing on end, a young woman with messy auburn hair, thick circular glasses, and an outfit that clearly identified her as a mechanic was stationed near the base.Every time they pylon would activate, the young woman would tense up considerably as a thick bolt of blue lightning flashed across the surface. A thunderous roar would immediately follow this flash of light, and, though she wore both earplugs and magically enhanced earmuffs, a painful trembling would spread through the woman's body with each activation.Seeing the tell-tale flicker across the black surface, the auburn-haired woman shrunk her body as much as she could, internally cursing, ("I'm going to apply for Medical Separation after this bullshit job is over. These earmuffs are fucking useless and I'm pretty sure I'll be shell shocked by the time we reach that godforsaken city!")At nearly the exact same moment as the woman's internal musings, a painful ripple spread through her body as a blinding light completely obscured her vision. Her only comfort was knowing that the creature on the opposite end was faring much worse than her. She had once seen a wyvern explode like a blood-filled balloon after being directly struck by the pylon's lightning, so, while it did little to alleviate the physical and mental duress she was under, the technician was satisfied knowing there was at least one creature having a worse day than her...Unfortunately, just as she was about to rise to her full height and shake off her jitters, the technician was knocked to the ground when the pylon began emitting several bolts of lighting in sequence. It wasn't just her pylon either. Both the front and back pylons were also going crazy, and, though she couldn't make sense of the situation, the young technician knew something was very wrong when a number of painful vibrations spread through her body. She could feel magical energy surging in the surroundings, and, rather than a potent and mind-numbing heat, a sudden chill had spread through the area in an instant.Preceded by an even more excruciating feeling of cold, the auburn-haired woman felt a physical wave of energy slam into her body. The air was forced out of her lungs in an instant, and, after a very brief feeling of weightlessness, a sharp pain radiated from her left leg as she impacted the ground and was sent rolling several meters.If not for her compression suit and the thin magical barrier than protected her body, meant to prevent her from accidentally contacting the pylon, the young woman was pretty sure she would already be dead. She was certain her pylon had exploded, and, after recovering her sight, the first thing she did was stare at the icy pillar that had completely enveloped her workstation.Rather than display fear or confusion, the young technician couldn't help but issue an unnatural laugh as she pushed up her cracked glasses and mused, "Good riddance, you loud piece of shit..."Following her musings, the woman began to absentmindedly stare at her surroundings, briefly pausing in her twisted leg before looking toward the massive wolf tearing apart even the most heavily reinforced vehicles within their convoy. The sight of the inordinately large wolf caused her to release another small chuckle, as, like a force of nature, it completely ignored the efforts of the soldiers attempting to stop its rampage. Even the overbearing members of the Armored Knight Squadron, who brazenly harassed any females with a lower ranking than them, were batted aside with a single swipe from the wolf's paw. There was nothing they could do against the terrifyingly powerful magical creature, so, rather than make any efforts to preserve her life, the woman just released another chuckle whenever another vehicle was destroyed...---Though Fenrir hadn't expected there to be any powerful foes among the covert convoy, she was still a little disappointed by how disorganized the group was. They had largely ignored her initial approach, a few even pointing in her general direction and laughing as they lazily prepared their defenses.At first, Fenrir was confused by their complacency, but, the moment she entered within range of the strange black pylons, she understood the source of their hubris. Several thick bolts of blue lightning immediately impacted her body, but, unlike a normal Ki shroud or Magical Barriers, hers provided more than adequate protection against the nigh-instantaneous onslaught.With Lightning being one of the more popular elements among powerful Mages, Eva and Arika included, Fenrir was very familiar with its uses. Her status as an Archmage wasn't just for show, and, though she was most proficient with Ice, Darkness, and Water elemental magic, she could easily use most other elements. The only thing she really struggled with was fire, but, even if it wasn't her most proficient element, she could still use Ultimate-Grade Fire Magic so long as she had a catalyst.Though she had worked hard to become a competent Mage, Fenrir's primary motivation, excluding her Master, was simply increasing her comprehension. Her [Heaven Devouring Wolf] allowed her to increase her proficiency and comprehension in things she already had a solid foundation in, and, at times, she could even copy the techniques of creatures she had devoured. There was no limit to this ability, so, even if it took her thousands of years, Fenrir was determined to master every element so that she could freely consume and convert even concepts into power.As dozens of magic circles appeared in the air behind her, Fenrir opened her massive maw without regard for the bolts of lightning singing her fur. A visible twisting of Space began to appear almost instantly, and, by the time she had opened her mouth fully, all of the lightning targetting her body had converged towards Fenrir's maw.Feeling power surging through her body, the magic circles behind Fenrir's body began to revolve at a high speed, her scarlet eyes glistening as massive spears of ice manifested around her. Then, as if the barriers surrounding the convoy simply didn't exist, Fenrir's spears of ice were released, twisting at high speeds as they tore through the thin membrane and slammed into all three pylons.Without waiting for her enemies to recover, Fenrir stopped absorbing the surrounding energy, her figure turning into a slight blur as she descended upon the convoy in an instant. She wasn't used to fighting against groups in her wolf form, but, with most attacks impacting powerlessly against the bluish-black flames enveloping her body, Fenrir could feel her excitement grow alongside her thirst for battle.Rather than give into the siren's call that was her own battle lust, Fenrir forced herself to remain calm, an icy sensation washing over her mind as she swat aside a man trying to spear her side with a javelin-like magical weapon. There were close to eighty people using similar weapons, and, while their movements weren't particularly swift, they were able to buzz around her like flies using their faux-magical wings.Despite feeling a little annoyed, Fenrir continued to systematically destroy each vehicle within the convoy. At the same time, she forced the surrounding temperature to rapidly decrease, her magical energy spreading for hundreds of meters and causing the world around her to appear as if it was moving in slow motion.Ice Elemental Energy had a unique quality in the Akamatsuverse, as, rather than simply freeze things, it actually decreased movement speed, reaction time, and, when the user was proficient enough, it could even slow the passage of time.With the exception of Eva, who was an incomprehensible monster when it came to manipulating Ice Elemental Energy, Fenrir was confident even the Great Spirit of Ice couldn't compare to her. She was even able to reduce the temperature in her surroundings to -270 degrees Celsius without the use of a single spell. If she got serious, she could even reach a state beyond 'Absolute Zero', a point where even quantum mechanical movement ceased. This effectively forced an object into a dualistic state of both 'infinite heat' and 'absolute cold', anchoring them within Space-Time and causing them to atomize the moment any external forces acted upon them.The theory of 'negative-infinity' was something that had been postulated by Da Vinci, and, after a series of experiments correlating Yin Elemental Energy with Space and Time, transcending Absolute Zero was no longer impossible. Instead of reaching 0 degrees Kelvin, however, the objects affected reached a temperature exceeding any natural state of matter. In Da Vinci's words, it was similar to assigning a value of negative one in a looping system that traditionally only accounted for values between zero and infinity. As a result, cooling something 'beyond' Absolute Zero effectively placed it at the upper end of the spectrum, registering close to four-trillion degrees Celsius before simply breaking the tools used to record the temperature.Though she would obviously never use such an ability against such weak opponents, Fenrir couldn't help but feel a slight urge to do so every time one of the armored knights attempted to stab her in the eye. There was even a bold individual who had fired a powerful magical spell towards her butt, seemingly attempting to exploit a 'weakness' in her defenses. This caused her to feel a great deal of shame and indignation, so, before she even realized it, the man had become one of the few people turned to meat paste during her assault...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'For Master (O,...,O)...!','RIP Technician-chan','YOU DARE!?')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Though she was able to replenish her reserves almost indefinitely, using magic always placed a mental burden on the user. This was one of the reasons certain groups didn't fear hunting down powerhouses like Eva and Vahn, as, in their minds, there would always come a breaking point where their target simply broke down and lost the ability to effectively cast magic.After around thirteen hours of rampaging, extended due to reinforcements arriving from Vulcan, Fenrir, looking a little worse for wear, returned to her Master's side.Seeing Fenrir's wolf form return, it's fur matted, disheveled, and burned in several places, Vahn had to forcibly suppress a surging feeling of regret as he extended his hand, smiling as he said, "You did well. Come."Without caring about the state of her own body, Fenrir moved over to her Master in much the same way as a dog that had lived well beyond their years. She had exhausted most of her energy in order to break away from the forces that had attempted to encircle her position, so, on top of her mental fatigue, exhaustion had settled into her body.After crawling into her Master's lap, Fenrir plopped down, a snorting sigh escaping her nose as she rested her head against his thigh. At the same time, Vahn began caressing her fur, a glistening light enveloping his hand and forcibly extracting all the dirt and grime infesting her otherwise soft coat.Feeling a comfortable tingling spread through her body, Fenrir released a contended groan from her throat as she instinctually rolled onto her back, exposing the fluffy white fur of her underbelly. This was where most of her enemies had focused their attacks, as, compared to the peculiar blue fur on her back, which glistened with a metallic sheen, it seemed inordinately soft by comparison.With his left hand sinking into the dense fur of Fenrir's underbelly, Vahn extended his right hand toward her mouth. Since they were in perfect sync with each other, Fenrir understood his intentions even before he had finished the act, so, without any hesitation whatsoever, she bit down upon the fleshier section of his palm, drawing a considerable amount of blood.Though he could easily just create something like a gemstone for Fenrir to consume, Vahn's time with Alaya had given him a strange attachment to having his blood suckled by the people he cared about. It was an exceedingly intimate act, and, though he never vocalized it, he was actually looking forward to Eva's return to vampirism. Holding her close as she suckled on his neck was always very pleasant, and, at times like this, it was strangely mesmerizing to see the puppy-like Fenrir vigorously lapping at his blood...---After returning to their hideout, Vahn had entered 'excessive pampering' mode, preparing a bath for himself and Fenrir so that he could continue doting upon her. She obviously had no complaints about this, but, after several hours had passed, she spontaneously ceased play biting his neck and shoulders to ask, "What will you do now, Master?"As there was no way for him to truly hide something from the loveable Vanargandr, Vahn wasn't surprised by Fenrir's question. Instead, he just released a small sigh before answering, "I will stay here for a few days to unwind and allow Theo, Arika, and Eva a chance to act. Afterward, I intend to force both sides to back down. Fairy Xuan has already prepared dossiers on several priority targets. I will begin publically addressing the corruption in Megalomesembria while entrusting the Empire to Theo. At this point, I no longer care about Cosmo Entelecheia...if they want to continue hiding away, it doesn't really matter. I'd like to see them continue hiding after I subsume this entire world into my Realm..."Imagining the surprise on their enemies' faces when her Master could forcibly summon them, Fenrir couldn't help but issue a mischievous laugh as she snuggled closer to his body. She looked forward to the day when her Master had as much power outside of his Realm as inside of it. It brought her a sense of comfort to see him exercising absolute power, as, in her mind, her Master had always been the only person 'worthy' of such authority.Hearing Fenrir's mischievous laughter, Vahn's serious expression quickly faded away, replaced by a loving smile. He knew he would be taking away some of her opportunities to grow stronger, but, so long as they were together, such things didn't really matter. She had already exhibited her ability to maintain control in even dire circumstances, so, after entering the next Record, he would create an opportunity to summon her the first chance he got...Sensing her Master's thoughts, Fenrir quickly fell silent, her scarlet eyes glistening in the low light of the room as she turned them up at him. This was enough to compel Vahn to swallow audibly as his dragon, which had been slumbering peacefully beneath Fenrir's inordinately cool body, awakened with a resolute vigor.With her tail waggling due to the motion of her hips, Fenrir continued to stare up at her Master with an impassioned look in her eyes as she muttered, "I'm a little annoyed about something that happened earlier...if it's okay with Master, I want to do something we haven't tried in a while..."Without waiting for him to ask, Fenrir demonstrated her intent by placing one paw on his shoulder and using the other to skillfully guide the tip of his glans past her glistening secret garden, aiming it towards the largely unexplored cavern beyond. This caused Vahn's brows to rise slightly, but, rather than refuse, he offered an approving nod as he leaned down and kissed the adorable Vanargandr's lips...---Following Fenrir's attack on the convoys and her subsequent defense against Vulcan's forces, a very large bounty had been placed on a creature known as the 'Scarlet-Eyed Wolf King'.Though most were deterred by the prospect of fighting against a monster that had demonstrated a keen intellect, the fact there were so few casualties during the thirteen-hour conflict was enough to embolden some of the more experienced groups.Unfortunately, even after several days of searching, no traces of the Scarlet-Eyed Wolf King could be found. This caused many to speculate that it was just passing through the region, a belief that was solidified by the fact it predominately made use of the Ice Element in a region saturated with Fire Elemental Energy.More often than not, the creatures around the various Holy Lands made use of the same energy as the Great Spirit that resided nearby. It was very difficult for creatures with an opposing element to survive in a region saturated with their greatest weakness, so, after three days of fruitless searching, most of the groups seeking to make a name for themselves by hunting an S-Rank Magical Creature gave up.What none of them could have expected was that almost immediately after groups began to give up the search, the Scarlet-Eyed Wolf King would reappear. Even more surprising was the fact that it appeared more than eight-hundred-kilometers outside their search zone, not in any unpopulated region, but one of the most populous in all of Mundus Magicus: the outskirts of Megalomesembria.---Though he knew it all but guaranteed they would be attacked, Vahn, accompanied by Asuna, had decided to approach the rather futuristic Megalomesembria by riding on Fenrir's back. She had a rather stylish harness that served as both a saddle and an S-Rank piece of protective equipment. She was also the one that had come up with the idea of using her as a mount, well over a hundred years prior, so, while it was certainly a little strange, Vahn also felt it was kind of cool to casually ride atop the head or back of a giant armored wolf...Seeing hundreds of military craft responding to their approach, Vahn had a calm smile on his face as he turned back to Asuna and said, "You are allowed to defend yourself. However, if you feel it is justified, I will not stop you from attacking. I trust your judgment."To punctuate his words, Vahn gently caressed Asuna's head, returning the smile to her face. She had been showing a serious expression ever since they entered enemy territory, as, even with her power, having a literal army as an opponent was a little overwhelming.Though she was still feeling a little nervous, Asuna knew nothing would happen to her so long as she was with Vahn. She believed in him more than anything else, so, after enjoying his caress for a few seconds, she smoothly drew her tanto and said, "I won't let a single attack slip through."Finding the twin-tailed girl's zealous response rather amusing, Vahn issued a light chuckle before retracting his hand and saying, "I have no doubt. Here, take this."Seeing the rainbow-hued gemstone in Vahn's hand, Asuna's eyes widened slightly as she instantly understood his intentions. Then, before he could stop her, she quickly snatched it out of his hands before shoving it into the elastic sports bra-like Aegis she generally wore beneath her clothes.Feeling a sudden warmth surround his 'body', Vahn's expression became a moderate deadpan as he mechanically turned away from the mischievous young girl. He wasn't actually that surprised by her antics, and, considering it was a relatively safe location to store the gemstone, he decided to simply ignore it. Instead, he set his sights on the approaching Megalomesembrian forces, golden lightning flickering across his body as an oppressive aura spread through his domain...---Though the majority of their forces were used to guard the border and the frontier, no nation was foolish enough to leave their capital unprotected. Megalomesembria was no exception, and, being one of the oldest and most technologically advanced nations in the world, its defenses were some of the most powerful.Mere moments after the appearance of the Scarlet-Eyed Wolf King, an exceptionally advanced AI, programmed to assess threat levels and allocate forces accordingly, noticed the appearance of two Priority 1 targets upon its back. As a result, alarms began blaring in nearly every military installation around the capital, effectively mobilizing all of Megalomesembria's reserve forces.Fortunately, the same AI programmed to assess targets was also linked to the automated defenses of Megalomesembria. It was able to recognize that the targets had yet to become hostile, so, unless it received a direct order, it had correctly chosen to abstain from attacking. Instead, it trained every weapon system in the region on the 'Scarlet-Eyed Wolf King' while awaiting the direct order of the nation's new Dictator...---While the city above was entering lockdown, a group of middle-aged and elderly men had quickly gathered together in one of the most secure rooms in the entire Confederation. Not only was it suspended in an alternate dimension, but, to provide an advantage to the decision-makers inside, an exceptionally powerful temporal distortion barrier had been erected within.With a time-dilation of 100:1, those within the Situation Room had plenty of time to consider the most effective course of action. All of the data they received was in 'real-time', but, with computers able to process information at near the speed of light, the only latency came when commanders on the outside were issuing their reports.Seeing the data displayed on the various monitors lining the spherical chamber, everyone inside the room had a mix of solemnity and fury visible in their countenance. The Sage Dragon Emperor had quickly become the largest thorn in their side, so, seeing him 'casually' approaching their city, only the trio seated near the head of the table was able to remain completely calm.Seated at the very head of the table, denoting the highest authority, a rather handsome middle-aged man with neatly-combed silver hair and peculiar purple eyes silenced the turmoil in the room by simply raising his hand. All eyes quickly converged upon him, and, after a moment of silence, the man stunned nearly everyone present by saying, "We will seek a compromise..."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Delicious (UwU)~!','Be bold! Explore the unknown!','I mean...let's be real...')(1/4)https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

With Asuna purporting not to feel well, Vahn dutifully carried her back to their hideout so that she could rest. Her reaction wasn't a surprise, as, unless there was something 'very' wrong them, it was perfectly natural for people to feel queasy at merely the sight of human blood. It was a biological response that generally took years of training to suppress, so, in preparation for Asuna's sickness, Vahn prepared carbonated ginger ale and peppermint tea. Then, for the better part of an hour, he just sat with her on the sofa, hugging her close and sending calming energy into her body through her stomach.Though she felt Vahn's reaction was a little excessive, Asuna had the expression of a contented cat as she nursed the contents of her cup. She enjoyed being pampered quite a bit, and, though she was well-aware nothing would happening, being alone with Vahn always made her heart palpitate in a pleasant rhythm.Unfortunately, all good things were enjoyed in moderation, so, after a little more than an hour had passed, Asuna released a small sigh before muttering, "I never expected it to be so 'easy'...life seems so fragile...it's scary..."Reaffirming his hold on the subtly shivering young girl, Vahn nodded his head, his voice as gentle as he could manage as he said, "It is for this reason that we use our power to preserve life. It takes very little effort to take a life, a fact our enemies are all too aware of...though it can be terrifying to wield the power to decide between life and death, the world would be far more terrifying if there weren't kind-hearted people willing to take up arms to oppose the wicked..."Feeling comforted by the warmth flowing through her body, a small smile spread across Asuna's face as she rested her hands atop Vahn's. She would continue to protect the world even without his guidance, but, knowing she could rely on him when things got difficult, she felt extremely safe and secure in his embrace. If she really wanted to, she could even set aside her sword, and, rather than blame her, she knew Vahn would silently shoulder her burdens with an understanding smile...---While one of his vessels was comforting Asuna back at their hideout, another version of Vahn was idling a few hundred kilometers outside of Vulcan, the Holy Land of Fire.Though it was located far to the South, adjacent to a large body of water, Vulcan was one of the hottest regions in the entirety of Mundus Magicus. The average temperature, even during winter, was close to 46 degrees, and, if you moved closer to the center of the region, temperatures of 60 degrees, or higher, became relatively common.Despite the heat, Vulcan was actually one of the more populous Holy Lands, as, with the exception of the Wind Element, Fire Elemental Affinity was the most common. For this reason, many warriors and mages migrated to Vulcan to either increase their affinity or harvest the precious minerals that could be found within the vast underground mines. Many of these were publically accessible, as, unlike other nations, Vulcan was located almost entirely underground.As could be expected from a world with Mages, Magical Creatures, and Elves, Mundus Magicus also had a sizeable population of Dwarves. Like their counterparts in other Records, the Dwarves native to the magical world were exceptionally skilled artisans, craftsmen, and blacksmiths. They were also notorious and miserly merchants, but, unlike the Dwarves of the Iron Hills, they disdained the use of Slaves. Instead, they made use of the foreigners entering their country, allowing entrance to all but their most important mines in exchange for a negotiable fee.Vahn had always felt something of a kinship with Dwarves, largely due to Tsubaki and Gareth, but, much to his surprise, the natives of Vulcan were just dark-skinned humanoids with slightly pointed ears. Though they were a bit stockier than normal, their bodies rippling with powerful muscles, he wouldn't have blamed anyone for mistakenly identifying them as 'Dark Elves'. Very few actually had beards, and, with the exception of the children, the average height of a Dwarf in Vulcan was pretty close to 180cm...Needless to say, Vahn felt a strange sense of incongruity during his short exploration of Vulcan, so, after wandering around for a bit, he ended up departing the peculiar nation in low spirits. They had a number of skilled craftsmen present, but, as could be expected from a world where even an Elixir could cost tens-of-millions of Drachma, even poor-quality items were worth a fortune. This resulted in the skill level of the Dwarves gradually waning as it was simply more profitable to mass-produce mediocre magical armor than it was to invest an inordinate amount of time and effort into an item that would never sell.Even after exploring the workshops of a few 'Masters', Vahn hadn't been particularly impressed. The only thing he found even remotely interesting was the design of a few Airfish, but, as these were a far cry from even the Custos Rosea, they were more novel than anything. Most of them would never even see production, as, much like the items themselves, even the materials used in the production of high-qualities goods were inordinately expensive.Blue Orichalcum, used as a bonding agent in various magical alloys, cost upwards of 6,000 Dracha per gram. With even a gauntlet taking upwards of a kilogram of the substance, without accounting for other material costs, purchasing a single suit of 'high-quality' armor could cost over a hundred-million Drachma. Of course, this was only the price if you were a 'normal' person, as, much like the technology spread through high-society, it was much cheaper to purchase such items if you were a member of the aristocracy or the representative of a nation.With the exception of Ostia, the structure of virtually every nation was designed to prevent 'power' from falling into the hands of the people. A nation like Hellas or Megalomesembria could purchase a suit of magical armor for around 4,000,000 Drachma for a mass-produced model. This was a sharp contrast to the 150,000,000 price tag presented to normal buyers, so, unless you had connections in the Black Market, obtaining such a 'high-quality' piece of equipment required a chance encounter.Though Vahn could understand the reasoning behind limiting the availability of powerful weapons and armor, he was never fond of systems that one-sidedly served the wealthy, often corrupt, upper class. It always annoyed him to see so-called 'Nobles' selectively enforcing laws and acting however they pleased, not because they were strong, but because they were born into an environment that arbitrarily elevated them over others.At this point, Vahn sincerely believed that 'people' were simply incapable of ruling over others, no matter how kind, capable, or competent they were. There would always come a time when even the most benevolent individuals acted in their own interests, so, in the grand scheme of things, the only entity capable of ruling over the people were the people themselves.Unfortunately, people in groups were often exponentially dumber than the average individual, so, rather than a democracy, the only real 'solution' was to entrust the task to an objective system. Only by removing the illusion of choice could a government function wholly for the people, as, no matter how sound an argument, there would always be people for and against any proposed change. As a result, they would elect people to represent and argue their opinions, oftentimes disregarding other qualifications just so they could purport themselves correct.As the average person struggled to even manage their own household, finances, or health, it was a little strange to think anyone was qualified to represent the 'majority'. Rather, even the concept of the majority was dangerous as it led to a situation where people were suppressed for belonging to the minority, even if they were right. Nobody wanted to become a victim, so, even if they knew they were correct, there were countless examples of people acquiescing and conforming to the majority just to avoid censure or literal violence.By removing the illusion of choice, as people seldom had an actual say in politics and policy, it was possible to create a system that unilaterally benefitted everyone. This often required relinquishing a few 'freedoms', such as privacy, but, more often than not, such things were also just an illusion. The average government, even if it wasn't actually corrupt, would never allow a system they could not directly monitor and influence to exist. This was especially true when transactions were involved, as, without a way to track money and trace people, there would be nothing stopping foreign countries or hackers from arbitrarily stealing vast amounts of wealth.Even Mundus Magicus had a global network similar to the World Wide Web, and, unsurprisingly, it was saturated with snooping programs. Just gaining access to the network through normal means drew the attention of several nascent Artificial Intelligence programs. They wouldn't interfere with anything you were doing, but, from the moment you logged in, they would attempt to trace your location, logging all of your keystrokes and keeping track of every site you visit.Vahn had numerous ways to avoid detection, chief among them being Sis, but, unless they were some kind of computer whiz, the average person had no choice in the matter. Everything they did was closely monitored, and, from the moment they started making transactions, several programs specifically designed to manipulate their purchases would take notice. Some of the more invasive programs even directly tapped into any microphones or cameras you made use of, recording your voice and monitoring your facial expression when you perused various sites.Though he believed in privacy and the importance of secrets, Vahn knew the absurdity of trying to guarantee such things. So long as people congregated in large groups, they 'needed' to be closely monitored, as, without such things, criminals would run rampant. He could never tolerate things like kidnappings, violent crimes, and ****, so, rather than turn a blind eye just for the sake of something that didn't truly exist, he would rather implement a system that objectively scrutinized everything in order to make the best decisions for the populous.There would always be some random group of omniscient beings observing everything, so, rather than pretend privacy existed, creating a system to protect and govern the people seemed to be the most sensible solution. Few people genuinely cared about politics, and, unless it directly concerned their livelihood, they didn't really care about what was happening to other people. They just wanted to be happy and protect the things that were important to them, so, even if they had a choice in the policies of their nation, most people defaulted to whatever was most 'convenient'.Vahn had witnessed the success of the Ark, Mother, and Shadow systems, so, while he was certainly biased, that didn't really affect the truth of the matter. People, regardless of their wealth, power, or intellect simply weren't suited to rule over others. Even he wasn't an exception to this, as, if put in a situation where he needed to choose between caring for his loved ones and the Empire, the former would always take precedence. If he couldn't even protect the things he cared about, pretending he was qualified to rule over an Empire would be completely asinine...---While ruminating over various 'truths', Vahn continued to spread his senses through the area, using his domain to keep track of several groups of people.After his previous display above Lake Argyre, there were a number of groups who had been eagerly trying to track his location. These particular groups, however, belonged to delegations representing both the Empire and Confederation. They were trying to secure trade agreements with the Dwarven nation of Vulcan, as, after having two of their largest fleets grounded, they were in desperate need of capable craftsman and supplemental resources.Like most nations governed by a Great Spirit, Vulcan was considered neutral territory, often trading with both sides during times of war. For this reason, Vulcan was one of the few nations that hadn't experienced a recession prior to the war. Rather, a large number of people had migrated there for work, as, every time war broke out, they were sure to profit immensely.Vahn wasn't particularly fond of arms dealers that supplied both sides of a conflict, but, as is wasn't like they were the ones to trigger the war, he couldn't really blame them for wanting to benefit. The only other option was to shore up their defenses and risk antagonizing both superpowers, as, in the pursuit of profit, the Dwarves had literally built Vulcan in between the two nations. This was one of the reasons the two powers chose to fight near Lake Argyre, as, with the heavily fortified Dwarven nation in the way, they didn't have much of a choice...Even if their main purpose was profiteering, it was impossible to deny that Vulcan was responsible for preventing things from getting too far out of hand. Due to their country's location, Hellas and Megalomesembria were generally forced to kill each other in their own territory. Though this didn't really stop them from fighting elsewhere, the positioning of Ostia forced them to travels thousands of kilometers just to avoid antagonizing the ancient kingdom.Though it wouldn't have made much of a difference in the original timeline, Vahn was impressed by the efforts of nations like Vulcan, Ostia, and Al Jamila when it came to restricting the movements of Megalomesembria. They effectively forced the infamous industrial nation to fight in the deep South, a sparsely populated region of ice and snow. Their only other option was to travel more than eight-thousand kilometers East, traversing a vast ocean in order to try and attack the Empire by invading Ariadne.As it simply wasn't feasible to extend their supply line through a massive wasteland, requiring them to circumvent the Noctis Labyrinthus in the process, Megalomesembria had little choice but to play by the 'rules' that had been imposed upon them. This was one of the downsides to being an almost universally hated nation that bullied others into acquiescence. They ended up making an enemy out of virtually everyone, and, if not for the large number of supplies they received from Mundus Vetus, it wasn't difficult to imagine Megalomesembria crumbling under the weight of its own ego.Vahn was in a unique position where he could greatly accelerate the corrupt nation's collapse by simply putting his foot down and preventing the creation of weapons of war. He could also sever the supply lines of both the Empire and Confederation, forcing them to gradually withdraw until it was simply impossible for them to continue waging war. Then, if he genuinely wanted to act as a deterrent, he could systematically remove the corruption from both sides. The only downside to this was that he would effectively trigger a civil war, as, the moment they thought he was on their side, those who had been lowering their heads would not hesitate to lift their banners and commit even more heinous deeds in the name of 'justice'...Shaking his head, Vahn repressed a sigh as he lightly pat the tiny wolf cub that had been nestled in his lap. This caused the midnight blue pup's ears to stand on end before she looked up at him with rounded eyes, an unspoken question lingering in their ruby depths. To this, Vahn gave a small nod, and, without needing to inquire further, Fenrir's body rapidly grew to nearly twenty meters in length as she leaped from her perch and prepared to disable or destroy all of the passing vehicles...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Life is fragile...','People and Politics don't mix','Vahn is finally taking action!?')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1637: Assault