Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

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

Though he was the youngest person present, none of the other officials dared speak out against the decision made by the silver-haired man, Lars Laetorius Primulus. The majority had been hand-picked for their positions following the former's rise as Dictator, so, rather than speak against him, they patiently waiting for an explanation.Satisfied with the room's response, Dictator Primulus gave a small nod before gesturing towards the man seated to his right. This caused all eyes to shift towards the elderly individual, who, despite his age, radiated a considerable amount of power. He had short grey hair that was combed back in a heroic manner, and, though he wore the traditional robes of a high-ranking Mage, it was possible to make out the powerful body concealed beneath.With all eyes focused on him, the man, Magister Militum Arkan Vale Primulus, Director Primulus' Uncle and former Consul of the Megalomesembrian Senate, gave a small nod of acknowledgment before adopting a hawk-like countenance as he explained, "We cannot afford to overly antagonize the Sage Dragon Emperor. He might not be as dangerous as someone like the Dark Evangel, but his capabilities make him no less a threat. Unless we can lure him into a trap and seal him, there is little we can do against an opponent who has demonstrated the ability to freely teleport without the use of a magic circle..."Nodding in approval of his Uncle's words, Dictator Primulus added, "Until we have collected more information regarding his characteristics and weaknesses, attacking the Sage Dragon Emperor is a waste of resources. Our priority should be seeking a compromise in an effort to lull him into a false sense of security. If we meet with him openly, we can reduce the amount of collateral damage while also limiting the number of people he will inevitably assassinate. The Sage Dragon Emperor seems to act according to a code, so, as long as we show a willingness to compromise, he will be limited in the actions he can take against us."Though it wasn't the 'ideal' solution to their problems, none of the men present could argue against the statements made by their Dictator. The Sage Dragon Emperor had exhibited a number of truly troublesome capabilities, and, unless they could find a way to ensnare him, defeating him in a direct engagement would be extremely difficult. He managed to repel the Leviathan, destroy several War-God Soldiers, and ground two separate fleets without any discernible difficulty. None of these feats could be ignored, so, unless they were willing to sacrifice a considerable number of assets, trying to openly oppose him was the same as shooting themselves in the foot.With similar thoughts running through their minds, nearly every official present decided to support their Dictator's decision. The only person against the idea was the man seated to the Dictator's left, an exceptionally wrinkled old-man with unnatural black sclera and golden irises.Unlike the traditional black robes worn by most senior Mages, the elderly individual wore a blood-red variant that loosely hung from his languid and seemingly frail figure. He wore a peculiar golden apparatus inscribed with a series of complex runes around his neck, and, rather than sit in a normal chair, he was floating several centimeters from the ground in a throne reminiscent of a silver egg.With all eyes focused on him, the elderly man opened his eyes a little wider than normal, his voice sounding like an echo from the depths of Hell as he warned, "We will not tolerate having our plans interrupted. If Megalomesembria cannot deal with a single Ancient Dragon, we will not hesitate to wipe you out ourselves. Everything that has been given to you can be taken away. Never forget that simple truth."Finished with his words, the elderly man gripped the staff in his right hand. It had the appearance of a two branches that had been twisted together to appear as malevolent as possible. At the very top, where most catalysts could be found, a blackened heart could be seen pulsating with a mysterious purple light. A constant trickle of brackish-purple blood flowed from its valves, staining the wooden components of the staff and causing a perpetual hissing sound to resonate throughout the room...After a series of simple taps against empty air, a complex magic formation appeared beneath the man's throne-like chair. In the next moment, a vibrant purple light enveloped his figure before the man, along with his chair, vanished completely. This left everyone in the room completely silent for several seconds until the Dictator, seemingly unperturbed by the man's warning, plainly stated, "We will continue with my plan. Any questions?"Though some present were tempted to ask if it was wise to disregard the warning of the Supreme Consul, none were bold enough to speak out against their calmly smiling Dictator. He radiated an aura of absolute confidence, and, considering their own careers were riding on his success, nobody wanted to risk earning his ire by opposing his decision.Satisfied with the silence following his question, a hint of a smile spread across Dictator Primulus' face as he nodded his head and stated, "Very well. We will send an emissary to intercept the Sage Dragon Emperor and his entourage. While they are buying time with pleasantries, I suggest each of you attempt to secure your assets and conceal your secrets. If you somehow manage to earn the ire of the Sage Dragon Emperor, the Confederation will not protect you."With his words finished, Dictator Primulus rose to his feet, dismissing the group of officials before turning to his Uncle and stating, "I will leave you here for the time being. Establish contact with the facilities researching more...contentious subjects. They have less than an hour to relocate all of the more pertinent data and assets to a secure site. We should assume the Sage Dragon Emperor has the ability to sense everything within fifty kilometers. Unless it is secured safely within a sub-space, I want everything moved as quickly as possible."Though the man before him was his much-younger nephew, the Magister Militum did not hesitate to bow low, answering, "I will see to it without fail!"Nodding his head in approval, Dictator Primulus pat the shoulder of his Uncle in passing, his voice changing completely as he mused, "Remember, you are protecting your future assets. Do your best, dear Uncle..."---Though the presence of the military continued to grow, Vahn had a slight frown on his face after realizing they weren't going to attack. He hadn't expected them to respond in such a 'reasonable' manner, forcing him to either continue his casual act or shift to a more 'proactive' approach.Sensing the civilian population was still relocating to secure bunkers located beneath the city's vast skyscrapers, Vahn decided to momentarily delay any destructive actions. Instead, he closed his eyes and began shifting his intent around, observing and analyzing various people, places, and things.It didn't take a genius to realize that Megalomesembria would probably try to lure him into a trap, as, a few hundred years prior, they had attempted the same thing against Eva. She had decided to compromise with the nefarious superpower after a long drawn out battle that had gradually worn away at both sides. In response, Megalomesembria had attempted to trap her in a barrier infused with Chronoton. If she hadn't seen through their obvious attempt, circumventing their effort with a doll that perfectly emulated her appearance and magical signature, Megalomesembria would have conquered Earth long ago.Imagining Megalomesembria trying to seal him away, Vahn felt both amused and incensed. A rather vicious glimmer flashed across his eyes, and, for a fleeting moment, he actually considered allowing them to succeed. He was largely immune to the effects of Chronoton as a God of Space, and, even if they could somehow seal a part of him, he could either use [Chainbreaker] to break free or simply sever his connection with the vessel, dispersing it and effectively liberating himself in an instant.Vahn never kept all of his vessels in one place, so, unless they could discover the Garden of Avalon and locate the position of his hidden gemstone, located within the void, it was simply impossible to seal him away. As for killing him, that was even more difficult, as, without the ability to affect Source Energy in the slightest, he would perpetually revive, stronger, faster, and more resolute.Though it might seem a little unfair, the truth of the matter was that any reasonably powerful Tier 5 entity was able to revive countless times. It took destroying their ego or erasing the concepts they represented to truly kill an entity above Tier 5. He also didn't particularly care about whether or not his resurrection was fair against his foes, as, more often than not, he was pitted against some of the vilest and most appalling people within the Record. They rarely showed mercy and fairness towards their victims, so, unless there were some extenuating circumstances, Vahn didn't mind turning the tables and allowing them to experience something similar.As that thought cross his mind, Vahn set his sights on the group of people that had separated from the massive wall of troops that blockaded the entrance of Megalomesembria. He found it amusing that Megalomesembria would dare to send a Demihuman ambassador to meet with him, seemingly with the intent to demonstrate that 'not all' Demihumans within their country were slaves.Unfortunately for whoever had made the decision, Vahn was not so easily fooled. He could sense a number of lingering injuries in each member of the approaching group, and, though she appeared calm and stoic on the outside, Vahn noticed that the female Ambassador actually had a number of piercings and a literal brand on her body...Before Vahn realized it, the smile on his face had become slightly dangerous, prompting Asuna to lightly grip his hand and whisper, "Vahn..." in a concerned tone.Looking down at the concerned young girl, Vahn's expression instantly softened as he used his free hand to caress her head, his tone gentle as he said, "Thanks for your concern, kiddo. Don't worry, I won't let this place corrupt me. Now, stay with Fenrir while I go see what these people want to talk about. I'm trusting the two of you to keep each other safe."To punctuate his words, Vahn lifted up Asuna's bangs to plant a simple kiss on her forehead, a calm smile on his face as he turned away and used shundo to appear in front of the approaching group...---Seeing a figure suddenly appear in front of them, the group of emissaries tensed up quite a bit as their leader, a woman with droopy dog ears and a tail that curled like a shiba-inu bowed her head and said, "Welcome to Megalomesembria, Sage Dragon Emperor. It is our greatest honor to stand before such a legendary figure..."Leaving the woman at a loss, Vahn didn't immediately reply to her words. Instead, he scanned his eyes over each of them, his irises blazing with a golden light that caused a layer of sweat to spread across their bodies.After scanning each member of the group with his View Affection toggled on, Vahn was pretty sure these people were former slaves who had been specially trained to act as emissaries in Demihuman countries. They put on a strong front, as could be expected from people in their positions, but, with even a cursory look beyond the surface, it was easy to see they were all suffering.Without beating around the bush, Vahn surprised the group of eleven by extending his hand and crushing the devices used to record their conversation. At the same time, the bracelets and anklets which served as replacements for slave collars flickered with golden light before crumbling to dust as he said, "I offer you freedom. If there is something or someone that binds you to this place, I will guarantee their freedom as well. I can't be held responsible for how you will live from now on, but I can send you to a place free from Megalomesembria's influence. Now, make your choice..."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Let's not piss off the dragon that can teleport around and throw miniature suns...','Vahn doesn't play fair','Well, that escalated quickly...')(2/4)https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

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

Chapter 1638: Entry