Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After adequately suppressing the melancholy he had been feeling, Vahn teleported directly to the location of Fenrir and the rest. There, he found Misaka in her Pikachu form, a helpless expression on her face as Lotte, naked as the day she was born, happily scrubbed and washed her fur. At the same time, a short distance away, Fenrir and Yuri could be seen lounging in a large bath that could easily be described as a pool. It was more than three meters deep at some sections, not so people could swim around freely, but to accommodate guests that had larger than average physiques.Noticing his presence almost immediately, Fenrir rose from the water to approach her Master's side as Yuri, enjoying the warm water, simply raised her hand and said, "Yo. Took you long enough.". This alerted Lotte to his presence, but, having participated in communal bathing for the better part of a month, she no longer had any real aversion to him. Rather, thanks to Yuri's persistent teasing, Vahn knew she spent upwards of half the day thinking about ways in which he might push her down...Though Lotte was among the 'exceptions' he was intending to make, Vahn had decided to wait until they had gotten to know each other before progressing their relationship to the next level. Ureko's words had resonated with him, and, though he had no intention of limiting himself, he had come to the conclusion that he should, at the very least, take his potential partner's hopes and dreams into consideration before making a move. He didn't want to place a burden on people he was supposed to love, so, understanding Lotte wasn't sure about leaving the Tower, he didn't want to pressure her.Adopting his characteristic smile, Vahn allowed his clothes to melt away, answering, "I decided to make the Floor appear more hospitable..." before sitting down on a wooden bath stool produced from his Inventory. This allowed Fenrir to use her fur-covered paws to wash every nook and cranny of his body, generally while pressing her exposed breasts against his back. This was apparently her way of making up for all the times he washed her in the past, but, based on the heat radiating from her usually ice-cold body, Vahn knew she enjoyed it just as much as he did...---Though they could have easily stayed in a lot longer, Vahn had everyone exit the bath after around two hours had passed. This was just enough time for him to help each of the girls wash, dry, brush, and style each of their hairs. He would also lightly massage them in order to remove any tension or muscle fatigue, but, thanks to his 'persistent' efforts, it was actually pretty rare to find any sequelae related to stress anywhere in their body. Instead, the short sessions were effectively an opportunity for the girls to improve the circulation of energy within their body, an exceptional boon considering even Lotte had been learning how to cultivate ki...Leaving Fenrir, Yuri, and Lotte to watch over their inordinately large and completely free suite, Vahn, accompanied by a reasonably mature-looking Mikoto, decided to head over to where the 2nd Army Corps had been gathering patients. There, more than seven thousand people had assembled, some missing limbs, others with illnesses that could only be cured with unreasonably expensive medicine. The one thing most of them had in common was that they were desperate, so much so that around thirty percent of the crowd consisted of people who had been matching Vahn's pace as he moved between Floors.Passing over the crowd without any of them actually taking note of their presence, Vahn turned to Mikoto, asking, "Will you be okay on your own? You don't have to do this if you don't want to."Rolling her eyes, Mikoto flew a little bit ahead of Vahn before turning around, flying backward as she said, "You worry too much. I seriously doubt anyone with an illness untreatable to Tier 5 Magic is going to appear. Besides, it'll make things a lot easier if you leave all the female patients to me."With Mikoto adopting an accusatory look near the end of her statement, a characteristically wry naturally made its way across Vahn's face. Fortunately, he knew she was 'mostly' just teasing him, as, back in the Actualized World of the Toaruverse, she had been the one to egg him into a number of relationships. There was even a moment when he nearly ended up cooking an Oyakodon, but, out of consideration for the fact that Mikoto's mother was somewhat happily married, he managed to restrain himself...After failing to pet the evasive Mikoto's head, Vahn touched down in the center of the make-shift medical ward that had been set up by the 2nd Army Corps. There, several Rankers were standing by to prevent people from approaching, but, even though he was only a few meters away from them, none reacted until he and Mikoto 're-synced' with the world around them. The latter had managed to become a Magic God during her stay in the Toaruverse, so, while her power was severely limited in a world where she lacked authority, she was still a Tier 5. As a result, they could effectively isolate themselves from the Standard Axes of Space and Time, more or less becoming imperceptible to the beings bound to each.Fortunately, most of the guards had been working with Vahn for the better of six weeks, so, rather than panicking, each of the Rankers promptly saluted as the most senior member stepped forward to report, "There are 5,947 patients, 1813 of which are returnees. What would you have us do?"Patting Mikoto's shoulder, Vahn adopted a friendly smile as he said, "This is the Misaka Mikoto, the Magic God of Lightning and Tribulations. She will be treating non-critical female patients from this day forward. Unless they are children, I don't want you sending any male patients towards her. Do I make myself clear?"Responding with a salute, the soldier exclaimed, "Sir, yes sir!" before pointing towards a few of the nearby Rankers and shouting, "Henderson! Schmitt! Prepare a second ward immediately! Make sure only female personnel and patients are allowed to enter!"Answering with salutes and exclamations of their own, the duo immediately set out to complete their assigned duty without a moment of hesitation. The Rankers of the 2nd Army Corps were the Elite among Elites, and, thanks to a concerted effort by Senna, there was virtually no corruption in their ranks. This allowed them to act as intermediaries between the other Corps, and, now that the Empire was treating Vahn as a 'VVIP', they were in the unique position of coordinating with Vahn to ensure he didn't go around causing chaos at every turn.With Mikoto more than capable of fending for herself, Vahn allowed her to go and treat non-critical patients within the crowd as a long queue began forming outside his temporary ward. Then, for the better part of twenty-hours, he treated more than two-hundred patients. This might seem like a lot, but, if he really wanted to, Vahn could treat the entire crowd without a single second passing. Doing so would require him to slow or even stop time, however, so, while he was committed to helping as many people as possible, he wasn't going to bend the Laws of Space and Time in order to do so.Fortunately, thanks to Mikoto, an additional 93 patients ended up being treated by the time Vahn had decided to take a break. She was quite a bit slower than him due to her inexperience and the genuine concern she showed for each patient, but, as it wasn't a competition, Vahn was extremely grateful for her assistance. Yes, she used Magic to broadly treat injuries and ailments she couldn't actually identify, but, in the grand scheme of things, the only thing that really mattered was that the patients were happy and healthy...---After apologizing to the crowd and telling the members of the 2nd Army Corps they were doing a good job, Vahn carried Mikoto on his back as they walked silently and undisturbed through the city streets. She might have functionally unlimited energy reserves, but, having never dealt with sick and desperate patients, her nervousness led to her exhausting her mental and spiritual reserves.Though a part of her wanted to ask why Vahn didn't simply teleport to their temporary residence, a contented smile had developed across Mikoto's face as she nestled into the nook between his neck and shoulder, enjoying the peaceful piggyback ride. She frequently felt guilty about 'borrowing' him for the better part of three years, but, at times like this, she was grateful to have been created. Vahn was far from perfect, sure, but, when it came to empathizing with and understanding others, he had a charm that simply couldn't be matched...Sensing the subtle increase in Mikoto's body temperature, a slight smile spread across Vahn's face as he turned a corner that led away from their temporary residence. At the same time, a secondary version of himself split off, appearing much like a phantom as it continued towards their previous destination. This was another method he could use to drastically increase the number of people he treated, but, as a matter of principle, he generally only used such techniques to spend time with the people he cared about.Having noticed Vahn's actions, a healthy shade of red began to spread through Mikoto's cheeks as she hugged him a little tighter, asking, "Where are we going?" in a subdued tone. In response, Vahn took a series of steps that caused their surroundings to change drastically, casually shifting through both space and time. He had learned that, so long as he created another version of himself to serve as an anchor of sorts, he could exist in two points in Space and Time simultaneously. This had been a pretty major discovery during his time in the Toaruverse, but, due to the rather ridiculous strain it placed on his mind, body, and spirit, he very rarely made use of it.In the end, Vahn ended up a few days ahead of his secondary self, but, due to the peculiar nature of his existence, he had essentially stepped into a version of the Tower where he was more of a rumor than an actuality. It was a peculiar world where his Templates and the residents of the Little Garden still existed, but, despite acting in accordance with his will, he only existed in their memory.Fortunately, even if he transitioned through Time and Space, Vahn's contract with Gluttony was still active. The latter was a Tier 5 being fully capable of existing outside the Standard Axes of Space and Time, so, while it had caused him a fair amount of confusion the first time Vahn had performed the maneuver, he didn't bother to complain. Rather, after observing Vahn's increasingly absurd abilities, the voracious rabbit had become fully convinced of his status as a God who just so happened to be 'passing through'...While simultaneously piloting his past self to greet the trio of Fenrir, Yuri, and Lotte, Vahn began rapidly phasing between Floors as he answered, "There is a beautiful and serene place I think you would enjoy in the Lower Floors. It might be a little cliche, but I'm hoping to take each of you there before departing the Tower. Is that okay with you...?"Rolling her eyes, Mikoto resisted the urge to point out that they were already moving even before he had asked for her consent. Instead, she just nestled a little closer to him, forcing her breasts to press into his back as she purred, "I'm looking forward to it..." in the closest thing she could manage to a seductive voice. Unfortunately, she had learned from observing her mother's teasings, so, while it certainly sounded seductive, it also inspired memories of the buxom brunette that had very nearly become one of Vahn's 'victims'...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Fenrir is always doing her best (O w O)...','Mikoto over here using reality-bending magic to treat colds and broken bones...','Vahn, God of Madlads...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Just as he had on virtually every Floor since the 77th, Vahn spent the vast majority of his time on the 97th treating patients. The rest was spent within the confines of his temporary residence, effectively cut off from the rest of the world for around 8~10 hours. During this time, he would check in on all the groups exploring the Tower, his senses cycling through those of his Templates in order to get a first-hand account of everything that was going on.Fortunately, with the obvious exceptions of people like Mordred and, to a lesser extent, X, Nero, and Nobunaga, most of the groups behaved similarly to tourists. They were simply exploring the Tower, and, unless something 'obvious' caught their attention, they tended to avoid causing any kind of disputes, not because they were afraid, but because they wanted to avoid getting wrapped up in the politics of the Tower.Unsurprisingly, numerous factions had been attempting to establish contact and build connections with the Aldrnari Empire through the exploration groups. A few also tried to approach the girls with untoward and libidinous intentions, but, as could be expected, that didn't exactly end well. The girls all had artifacts that allowed them to detect such intentions, and, most importantly, protect against abnormal status ailments such as mental manipulation and poisoning. They were also around Tier 4, so, with the exception of a few High Rankers, few people could truly threaten them.The only people Vahn really had to worry about were the aforementioned, as, despite having the mental capacity of a super-computer, X could be irredeemably clumsy. She had a tendency to lose and misplace her equipment, and, so long as they were even remotely sly, she was dishearteningly easy to fool. Of course, compared to Nero, who accepted virtually any and all challenges, her antics could be passed off as cute and quirky.Though he had asked her to show a bit of restraint, Nero had basically been treating the Tower as her playground ever since she, Nobunaga, Yoruichi, and Angri set out. Fortunately, her talent was the real deal, and, though she had lost her [Imperial Privilege], she obtained an Innate called [Lead Actress] that, as far he could tell, qualitatively improved her luck. It also resulted in a fair amount of drama, but, more often than not, things would invariably turn out in Nero's favor.Checking in on the petite bombshell, Vahn found her laughing vivaciously across from a group of thug-like men with grim expressions. In front of her, there were thousands of casino chips piled up like a small mountain, a stark contrast to the insignificant amount present before each of the other gamblers. The only thing that kept them from attacking was the knowledge that they couldn't really do anything, as, even after spiking the beautiful blonde's drink, she continued laughing heartily with a massive grin plastered across her face...Severing the connection between him and the white-haired youth standing stoically behind Nero, the human form of a Pokemon called Reshiram, Vahn resisted the impulse to rub his temples and instead poked the belly of the sleeping Fenrir. The latter was currently curled up in his lap in the form of a small puppy, belly exposed as she nestled between his thighs on her back.Twitching in response to the unexpected probe, Fenrir quickly righted herself before tilting her head adorably to the side and asking, "Is it time to go?"Nodding his head, Vahn picked up the adorable pup before shifting his attention to his right. There, curled up with 'Mikotochu' nestled between their inordinately large breasts, Yuri and Lotte could be seen sleeping in little more than their lingerie. This immediately gave Vahn flashbacks to his time in the Akamatsuverse, not just because he was sharing a bed with a girl he had yet to actually start an actual relationship, but because Lotte was an extreme masochist. She might look adorable cradling Mikoto in her arms, but, when you took into consideration her fondness was predicated on the fact that the latter could deliver a powerful shock, the scene lost a fair amount of its innocent appeal...With Fenrir nestled in his arms, Vahn was able to resist his almost instinctual urge to smack Yuri's largely exposed bottom, his expression appearing calm as he firmly stated, "I know you're awake. Get up. We have less than an hour before we're scheduled to depart."Groaning in response, Yuri used her monkey-like tail to gently smack Vahn in the face, saying, "Five more minutes..." in a groggy tone. Lotte, however, immediately sat up, her melon-like breasts, each a great deal larger than his head, threatening to liberate themselves from her top as she stretched her body and said, "Good morning~" with an expectant look in her eyes.Returning a smile, Vahn promptly levitated from the bed, Fenrir still in his arms as he said, "Mikoto. Thunderbolt."Though she had never experienced an actual Pokemon battle, Mikoto, like the vast majority of the Templated Pokemon, reacted on instinct whenever she heard battle commands. As a result, vibrant golden electricity instantaneously erupted from her body, and, though she had made a last-second attempt to escape, Yuri ended up being caught in the violent bands of lightning alongside Lotte.With the light rapidly dying down, Vahn landed on the floor, a teasing smile developing across his face as he said, "Breakfast will be in fifteen minutes. If you're not ready by then, you'll have to settle for dried meat and hard bread."Immediately following this threat, a ripple spread in front of Vahn's face, effortlessly absorbing the blood-red energy ball hurled by the disgruntled Yuri. She hadn't actually taken any damage from Mikoto's attack, but, due to the remnant electricity coursing through her body, the hair across her body and atop her head had become noticeably frazzled. This was especially noticeable on her tail, which, for the time being, vaguely resembled that of a Snow Leopard rather than a monkey...---Though Rindo was currently exploring the Actualized World of an anime known as Toriko, Vahn's Inventory was filled to the brim with dishes she had either hand-prepared or mass-produced. This was very important, not just to himself, but to virtually everyone in the exploration group, as, when their supplies ran low, they would immediately seek him out to resupply. While this hadn't been his intention when he created Rindo, Vahn found it somewhat amusing, as, even with his ability to cook similar dishes, he couldn't go more than a few days without eating something personally prepared by the voracious redhead.Given its influence on him, it wasn't difficult to imagine how Rindo's cooking might affect beings of a lower tier. If she was serious, she could even prepare dishes that would fundamentally alter how a person thinks about the world around them, and, should her time in Toriko prove fruitful, she might even be able to cook a dish that could inspire mutual trust against previously warring nations. Thus, shortly after his departure from the bedroom, Yuri emerged with carelessly combed hair, throwing the brush towards Vahn before sitting down with a huff.With the brush slowing to a stop a few centimeters away from his face, the edges of Vahn's smile curled up as he rose from the table to give Yuri a helping hand. Her pouting might amuse him, but, as she was still one of his women, he couldn't exactly ignore her. Brushing a beautiful woman's hair was also remarkably therapeutic, so, for the better part of half an hour, he methodically combed her raven-black hair before saying, "There are only two Floors remaining until we reach the 100th. After that, we'll officially be on the 'Higher Floors'. Are you prepared?"Demonstrating remarkably unladylike behavior, Yuri, cheeks filled with food, answered, "You're still asking that? I already told you like ten times. No matter what happens, I'm going to keep pushing forward. Besides, so long as I continue following you, there will be plenty of opportunities to fight against powerful opponents. At the very least, I'm looking forward to being able to smack that old fart from the Arie Family."Chuckling in response to the former Princess's rather brazen words, Vahn tossed the brush into his Inventory before gathering her silky hair with his hand and quickly fastening it into the rather stylish side-ponytail she was famous for. The only difference was, now that she had decided to 'go rogue', she no longer wore the flower-like hair ornament gifted to her by her Great-Grandmother. Instead, she had become rather fond of a bright red ornament that visually resembled a camellia flower. At a glance, this wasn't a drastic change, but, combined with the fact she no longer wore a Symbol of Jahad, those who knew Yuri well would immediately notice the change.Finished with the arrangement, Vahn ran his hand through Yuri's hair one last time, saying, "I wasn't asking if you had changed your mind. I just wanted to make sure you're adequately prepared. Hon's skill with the sword might not be particularly impressive compared to a true Grandmaster, but there is a reason he is ranked 5 throughout the Tower. Even with your physique, you won't be able to stop his blade."Swallowing the remaining food in her mouth, Yuri placed her left hand on her right bicep, flexing as she said, "Don't underestimate my toughness. Besides, even if I lose a limb, you can always give me a new one, right?"With the final few words said with a massive grin, Vahn couldn't help shaking his head, a wry smile developing across his face as he said, "I won't stop you. Just know I hate seeing one of my women get hurt. I hope you'll take that into consideration...not for your sake, but his..."Feeling a fluttery sensation in her chest, the smile on Yuri's face became even bigger before she ultimately erupted into a vivacious laugh. She never thought the day would come when someone verbally laid claim to her, but, unlike other members of the Ha Family, she didn't particularly care about the hierarchy between men and women. This could be attributed to her Ari Family heritage, but, more than anything, she was just happy to be traveling with the person she had both chosen and been chosen by.Resisting the urge to shake his head, Vahn surprised Yuri with a kiss to her crown before saying, "Finish eating. There are a lot of people waiting for us and you know I don't like to break from my routine unless it is absolutely necessary."With that said, Vahn combed his fingers through Yuri's fringe before directing his gaze around the table, a teasing smile appearing on his face as he mused, "Of course, I can always 'make time' if you really need it..."---With breakfast coming to an end, an event punctuated by Vahn helping Lotte style her hair, the group of five made sure to check out of their hotel before immediately teleporting to the next Floor. There, like every other Floor in recent memory, a large crowd of people had gathered to receive them. This included a number of familiar faces, as, even with Mikoto's support, they had only been able to treat 1,074 of the 5,947 patients. Thus, for the umpteenth time, a friendly smile spread across Vahn's face as he announced, "General treatment will take place starting tomorrow morning. If you have an emergency or a more pressing condition, please share your information with the 2nd Army Corp. I will begin treatment after a brief period of rest."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'I feel bad for the people who try to pull one over on Nero xD...','Lotte knows what she is about...','Routines are important but loved ones are even more so. Even if you're not a God of time, never be afraid to make some for what truly matters~')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

With the Little Garden largely off-limits, two months passed in what felt like the blink of an eye. This was aided by the fact that Vahn had resumed his healing work, and, as a result, he had treated more than ten thousand residents of the Middle Tower, not just members of the Hendo Lok Family.As could be expected, Vahn's fame was growing by the day, as, no matter how serious the injury, he would treat the vast majority of patients without asking for any form of payment. There were also a number of rumors attesting to his ability to help people leave the Tower, so, while there had been a fair amount of backlash from some of the people in power, his popularity among general residents, Rankers, and even a few of the Great Families had been on the rise.Unfortunately for the people who came seeking refuge and transportation via the Little Garden, the majority were turned away without consideration. Wolhaiksong had been the exception, so, unless their circumstances were especially dire, Vahn had no plan to harbor additional people, refugee or otherwise. There were exceptions, of course, but, more often than not, the people approaching him were just opportunists looking for a chance to start anew or spread their influence elsewhere...---Stepping out onto the 97th Floor, the first thing Vahn took note of was the blood-red sky. Then, in response to the large crowd that had gathered, some to receive him, others hoping for treatment, he adopted a friendly smile and said, "General treatment will take place starting tomorrow morning. If you have an emergency or a more pressing condition, please share your information with the 2nd Army Corp. I will begin treatment after a bit of rest."Though he has initially been treating people arbitrarily, Vahn ultimately accepted when Senna came to offer her assistance. This allowed the Jahad Empire to save a bit of face, but, more importantly, it helped to ease some of the tensions provoked by the girls freely roaming the Tower. They had been rather proactive in their attempts to root out corruption and protect the people, so, while he had no intention of reigning them in, there was no harm in working alongside members of the Empire who sincerely wished to improve things.In response to Vahn's words, most of the crowd began to disperse under the direction of the 2nd Army Corps. A few, however, chose to stay behind, not because they wished to defy the Empire or inconvenience him, but because they were that desperate. This was actually quite common, so, as the larger group was clearing out, Vahn had Law of Identity vet each of the people who remained.As was often the case, most of the stragglers were actually estranged members of the Hendo Lok Family or former agents related to Wolhaiksong. More surprising was the number of people related to FUG, but, thanks to the Law of Identity, Vahn quickly understood the reason. This was apparently the Floor that served as Slayer Karaka's seat of power. It wasn't the most important location to him, but, at the very least, it was the place where most of his troops had been stationed...Though there was a fair amount of 'bad blood' between him and the aforementioned Slayer, Vahn no longer cared about eliminating him outright. FUG, or, more specifically, two of the other Slayers had harshly reprimanded the younger Slayer for his actions, so, for the last several months, Karaka had been relatively silent as he focused on split his forces in an attempt to limit the damage caused by Ureko. She had yet to forgive the man for what he had done to Hell Joe, so, whenever she found any traces of Karaka and his forces, Ureko made sure to tear them out by the roots.Committing the location of Karaka's base to memory, Vahn made a mental note to inform Ureko of its location as he shifted his gaze towards a dull-eyed woman cradling what appeared to be a dead infant in her arms. She had the kind of look you would see when someone had completely given up hope, but, perhaps as a result of her maternal instincts, she forced herself to appear despite several days passing since her child's death...Unable to suppress the discomfort he was feeling, Vahn couldn't resist furrowing his brows as he looked behind him, saying, "Go on without me. I'll catch up in a few minutes..."Acting as the representative of his entourage, Fenrir lightly thumped her chest, answering, "Leave it to me. I'll make sure to choose someplace that has a large bath. It will be waiting for you when you return."Following an appreciative nod, Vahn watched as the group, now consisting of Fenrir, Yuri, Lotte, and Misaka, hastily departed. Pram had been asked to return home shortly after their arrival on the 95th Floor, and, though she had initially chosen to accompany Ichigo and Orihime, it didn't take long for Misaka to feel like a third wheel. As a result, she was currently traveling together with him, but, once another group returned, she was intending to join them in order to continue completing Quests. As for Ryun, she had chosen to return to the First Layer, allegedly to keep an eye on the Research Team until her services as a Guide were required.Trusting the girls to choose a suitable residence, Vahn returned his gaze to the bereaved mother, his vibrant aquamarine eyes meeting her almost lifeless brown orbs. For a fleeting moment, he thought he could see a flicker of hope ignite within their depths, but, almost immediately thereafter, it faded as a member of the 2nd Army Corps approached her with the intent of ushering her away.Teleporting next to the man before he could presumably say something rude, Vahn placed his hand on the soldier's shoulder, saying, "It's fine. Please, move along."Though he had startled quite a bit due to Vahn's instantaneous and vice-like grip, the man quickly managed a salute as he nervously stammered, "Y-Yes! Understood!" before practically bolting away.After following the man with his eyes for a few moments, all while the Law of Identity revealed his true thoughts, Vahn returned his gaze to the bereaved mother, guilt swelling in his heart as he said, "Let me see him. I can still feel a thread of consciousness lingering around him..."With a layer of moisture immediately developing across her eyes, the woman weakly presented the body of her infant son, voice croaking as she sobbingly stated, "Please...I beg you...save my child..."Though he felt even more guilt, Vahn forced himself to adopt an assuring smile as he said, "Leave it to me.". Then, with a tremendous amount of light gathering in his palm, he pressed his hand to the infant's chest, his voice echoing through the surroundings as he somberly declared, "Live." in a tone that resonated in the hearts and minds of everyone present.Immediately following this utterance, a gasping sound, followed by an extremely loud cry, could be heard emanating from the wailing infant. This, in turn, caused the mother to completely break down into tears, repeating things like 'thank you' and 'my precious baby' while cradling the crying infant in her arms.Offering the most reassuring smile he could manage, Vahn placed his hand on the woman's head, this time producing considerably less light as he said, "Everything is going to be okay. So long as there is hope, the promise of a better future is never far..."With that said, Vahn finished healing the woman's injuries before retracting his hand and promptly teleporting to the top of a building several kilometers away. There, he sat with his back pressed to a wall, a tired sigh escaping his throat as he looked towards the blood-red sky.Though he had made good on his promise to revive the child, there was nothing Vahn could do to restore the original consciousness. Instead, he could only 'invite' another Soul to inhabit the child's body, effectively 'creating' a new consciousness from scratch. In other words, he had failed to bring back the woman's child, and, though he believed it was the right thing to do, he had technically left her to care for a stranger inhabiting the resurrected flesh of her son...Fortunately, as the new consciousness was something he had personally crafted, Vahn could be relatively certain that her son would grow up to be both kind and filial. Even if he was forced to face adversity, he should have more than enough willpower to push through, and, if it was for the sake of his mother, he might even be able to ascend to godhood. As for how Vahn knew of these things, well...-----------------------------------------------[Status]Name: [Andray Liam], Sobriquet: N/AAge: 73 DaysRace: HumanPosition(s): N/AStrength: N/AToughness: E-Rank RegularIntellect: N/AAgility: N/AControl: N/AShinsu Resistance: C-Rank RegularShinsu: [Quality: Light], [Total: 400], [Baang: 0], [Myung: 0], [Soo: 0], [Tension: 50:1]Soul Tier: 2Innates: [Child of Destiny: S], [Blessed by the Sage Dragon Emperor: S]Skills: [Resolute Heart: S], [Tough Body: D], [Chainbreaker: C]-----------------------------------------------Though the child's physical vessel hadn't changed all that much, a person's Innates were directly tied to their Soul. Since the latter had been created as an expression of Vahn's intent, it wasn't an exaggeration to say he had been blessed by fate. As a result, he ended up obtaining the coveted [Child of Destiny] Innate, and, so long as he wasn't tempted by the darkness, it was only a matter of time before the child grew into a hero that others both respected and envied. Vahn was hoping this would make up for his failure, but, even if it didn't, he now had a point of reference to look back on if he wanted to 'fix' things in the future...While he might have chastised others for doing the same, Vahn was slowly forcing himself to come to terms with the notion that the past, present, and future will one day be his to shape. He couldn't reach Tier 7 while restricting his behavior in accordance with reason, so, even if it was unbelievably selfish of him, he had been taking note of events that he might want to change in the future. At the very least, he needed to accept personal responsibility for his Templates, creations, and the people who had joined his Familia. They would all experience an 'eternity' the moment he ascended to the Divine Realm, so, if necessary, he needed to be prepared to extricate them or undo the events that led to their initial creation...As that thought crossed his mind, a tired sigh escaped Vahn's lips as he extended his hand toward the blood-red sky, muttering, "This isn't healthy..." as an unbelievably complex series of runes and magic circles formed across his fingers, hand, and forearm. Immediately thereafter, a rainbow-like circle appeared around his wrist with a tiny arrow pointed towards a similar shade of red as the sky. Then, with a turn of his hand, Vahn changed the color of the sky from blood-red to a gentle shade of blue, alerting virtually every resident before going on to produce billowy clouds the emulated his current, spiritually drained, mental state...---Though this wasn't the first time Vahn had done something completely nonsensical, Senna felt an irresistible compulsion to massage her temples as countless messages, many questioning what the hell was happening, came pouring in. Fortunately, Vahn had taken pity on her in the past, so, while there was little she could do about her exasperation, her heart was healed thanks to the presence of an adorable little bear with a moon-like crescent on its forehead. It would apparently evolve into a larger and more intimidating variant in the future, but, at least for the time being, it remained fluffy and huggably pliant...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Cooperation is always better than conflict','Vahn has to make some pretty tough choices...','(O w O)...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1983: Routine : Parallels : Divergence