Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With the meeting coming to an end after a short discussion regarding potential allies, Vahn left the conference room to find Sarina sitting out in the hallway.Plopping down next to her, Vahn gently nudged her shoulder with his own, asking, "What's up? Did you get in an argument with someone...?"Exhaling a sigh, Sarina shook her head before resting it against Vahn's shoulder and answering, "I tried sparring with Mash and Lotte...""Ah..."Understanding what the issue was, Vahn grasped Sarina's left hand with his right before planting a kiss atop her head and saying, "You're not weak, Sarina. You just need time. Mash might appear to be around the same age as you but she has been training ever since she was a very young girl. As for Lotte, she is several thousand years older..."Though she nodded her head in understanding, Sarina's mood hadn't improved as much as Vahn would have liked. The core issue wasn't that she was weak, it was the fact she was weak in spite of being the Vice Leader of the Sage Dragon's Hearth."Hmm..."Sensing the internal conflict in Sarina's mind, Vahn's immediately kicked into overdrive. There were actually a number of solutions to the problems currently plaguing her. One was a prize that others competed for, so, after a moment of deliberation, he asked, "Would you like to try spending some time in an Actualized World? We can go together and I can support you while you assist others in saving the world..."Perking up the moment she heard Vahn's words, a radiant smile developed across Sarina's face as she exclaimed, "I want to go to Dragon Ball! If I learn how to control and manipulate Ki, I can easily become stronger...!"Resisting the urge to point out more than half the members of his harem could teach her how to control and manipulate Ki, Vahn just nodded his head, saying, "Sure thing. Is there a specific point in the timeline you wanted to start from?"Understanding this was her opportunity to spend a lot of alone time with Vahn, a mischievous smile developed across Sarina's face as she answered, "I want to start from the very beginning. Back when Bulma and Goku had first met."Though he didn't actually mind, Vahn couldn't help furrowing his brows, asking, "Are you sure? At your current level, you could easily defeat most opponents prior to the Z timeline. If we arrive near the beginning of the series timeline, it'll take upwards of thirty years to reach the events in Super..."With an even bigger grin on her face, Sarina replied, "I know. To close the gap between me and the others, I need at least that much time. Besides, I'd rather start early so that we can change a few of the things I didn't like about the original series. Like, how did Bulma end up with Vegeta? He wasn't that bad by Super but the guy was a complete nutjob throughout the Android, Cell, and Majin Buu Sagas...!"Resisting the urge to point out there was a Vegeta among his Templates, Vahn just issued a light chuckle before squeezing Sarina's hand and saying, "Well, if that's what you want..."......Following Vahn's and Sarina's disappearance from the hallway, a period of thirty-seven years transpired in an instant. In that time, Sarina's power had increased by leaps and bounds. She was far from the most powerful woman in Vahn's harem, but, compared to her previous self, she may as well be a different person.Though her face maintained a youthful glow, Sarina was no longer the same sixteen-year-old girl that had descended into the Actualized World of Dragon Ball. An aura of confidence now exuded from her curvaceous body and, while her proportions remained relatively unchanged, she now possessed lithe yet powerful muscles capable of leveling mountains.Near the beginning of her training, Sarina had been worried that muscles, even small ones, would completely ruin her appearance. Now, similar to the spiky-haired woman at her side, she elected to wear clothes that showed off her back, shoulder, and abdominal muscles. They were her pride and joy, as, rather than appearing even remotely ugly or repulsive, they enhanced her beauty and made her appear more powerful."Is this really the Divine Realm? The air feels a bit different but I don't see what makes it so special."Punctuating her words, the woman who had spoken, a petite beauty with spikey golden hair, lithe yet well-defined muscles, and a monkey-like tail began to flare up her aura. This earned a number of exasperated sighs from her surroundings, as, despite entering the Actualized World with Sarina alone, Vahn had returned with an additional twenty-three people in tow.Appearing next to the perennially blonde beauty, Vahn ruffled the woman's mass of hair as he said, "Caulifla...it hasn't even been fifteen minutes since you promised to be on your best behavior. Don't make me put you on probation..."At 155cm tall, Caulifla was the perfect height for Vahn to caress at his leisure. The thing that would have surprised most people was the fact that she actually let him get away with it. As for the reason, well, Caulifla was prideful to a fault. She had challenged Vahn a total of 1,538 times, each wagering that the defeated party would have to do what the victor said. Vahn had come out ahead in 1,533 of these challenges, so, while she would still glare at him, Caulifla no longer complained about having her head pat. Rather, based on the movements of her tail, she enjoyed it quite a bit."Relax, old man. I'm not gonna run off and cause trouble. Just make sure you keep your promise to Kale and me. We've been waiting for nearly six years. If you don't hurry and put buns in our ovens, we might start searching elsewhere..."Though she would never run off before settling their score, Caulifla really had grown impatient with Vahn. Her mother and grandmother had been pressing her to produce a successor even before the Tournament of Power. Vahn's resolution not to have children during his stay in the Actualized World had inconvenienced quite a number of people. If he kept making excuses, they were going to have to take matters into their own hands...Feeling the gazes of several women lock onto him the moment Caulifla mentioned placing buns in ovens, a wry smile developed across Vahn's face as he explained, "Don't worry. Now that we're in the Divine Realm, we just need to get everyone settled and up to speed. After that, I'm more than willing to keep my promises..."With what could best be described as a triumphant smile, Caulifla crossed her arms beneath her modest yet well-shaped breasts before retorting, "Good. I can't speak for the others but Kale and I didn't leave our Universe to follow some insincere pansy. Now, let's hurry and get all the mundane bullshit out of the way. I've got an itch in my belly-""Now wait just a minute you golden-haired bimbo! Don't even think about cutting the line...!"Realizing what Caulifla was trying to pull, a mature blunette immediately spoke out. This was none other than Bulma, who, despite being well over fifty, resembled a perfectly ripened woman in her mid-to-late twenties."Chi-Chi and I have known Vahn for the better part of thirty-seven years! If you think you're the first in line to receive a baby, you really are a monkey-brained fool...!"Clicking her tongue in response to Bulma's words, Caulifla didn't even try to argue with the enraged blunette. There was once a time when she would have readily butt heads with Bulma, but, ever since the latter afflicted her with an enchantment that made her butt itch in accordance with the amount of Ki she was using, Caulifla had done her best to avoid offending her. Bulma may be lacking in raw power, but, as an Archmage recognized by the Gods, she was a terrifying foe with countermeasures against everyone and everything.Emulating Caulifla's triumphant expression from before, Bulma stood with her arms akimbo as she stated, "The simplest method is to go in order of familiarity. Sarina would obviously be the first as she descended into the Actualized World alongside Vahn. After her would be me, Chi-Chi, my sister, Chronoa, Vados, and Kusu. It's only after the six of us have been given a chance that you, Kale, and Marcarita will have a turn."Though Chi-Chi blushed fiercely in response to Bulma's words, her hands cupping her cheeks, each of the other girls mentioned had relatively relaxed smiled on their faces. This was especially true for Chronoa, Vados, Kusu, and Marcarita. They were each over a hundred million years old, and, despite developing a fondness for Vahn, the latter three had departed the Actualized World at the behest of their father, the Grand Priest. He was extremely interested in the worlds beyond, so, once it became clear that Vahn was an existence above even the Omni-King, he instructed his daughters to pursue but not pressure him.Glowering in response to Bulma's words, Caulifla was about to protest when Vahn startled everyone by separating into ten separate versions of himself and saying, "Now that we're in the Divine Realm, the restrictions I forced upon my power's have been removed. Things like 'turns' no longer have any meaning..."As even a single Vahn was an incomprehensibly powerful existence, the presence of numerous was enough to leave the large group stunned. Chi-Chi even fainted, her face glowing bright crimson as she collapsed into an eleventh Vahn's embrace...Having nipped the squabble between Caulifla and Bulma in the bud, Vahn took advantage of the fact that everyone was focused on him to say, "Though many of you will be departing to create or join one of the Communities affiliated with the Sage Dragon's Hearth, this estate serves as a central nexus of sorts. The rooms here have the potential to function as independent realms. You just need to let Will, the Guardian God of the Sage Dragon's Hearth, know what you want. After that, we'll all reconvene in the dining room. A lot of introductions need to be made, and, despite no time passing while we were away, I imagine Sarina is eager to reunite with her friends and family. I know I am..."Though it wasn't his longest experience in an Actualized World, most of the memories Vahn had of their interior came from his Templates. Even so, thirty-seven years was still a long time to be away from his family, so, while he wasn't nearly as anxious as Sarina, he was yearning to spend time with his family, friends, and loved ones.........(A/N: Since I'm sure everyone wants to know, the people who have come back from the Actualized World with Vahn are as follows: Sarina, Bulma, Chi-Chi, Tights, Broly, Cheelai, their three kids, Goku, Launch, Gohan, Krillin, Lazuli, Marron, Lapis, his wife and child, Chronoa, Vados, Kusu, Caulifla, Kale, and Marcarita. Though it's a bit spoilery, it should be pretty obvious that Vahn ended up with most of the aforementioned females. The only exceptions are Cheelai, who ended up with Broly, Launch, who ended up with Goku, and Lazuli, who ended up with Krillin. As for why Goku and several others wanted to follow along with Vahn, well, that should be pretty obvious. Vahn was a parental figure to both Goku and Broly. The others have their own reasons, but, for the sake of keeping at least a few secrets about the spin-off series, I won't reveal them at the present moment. Anyways, this isn't a part of the chapters I promised. I just figured I should have a 'filler' chapter since there are quite a number of changes introduced as a result of Vahn's time in the Actualized World. Also, when I said there were going to be 2-3 chapters of EPIC and 1 chapter of NOICE, I was specifically referring to today's block, not yesterday's. In other words, this is kind of a replacement for the Update chapter I posted previously. There should be 3-4 more chapters before the 10 AM reset tomorrow morning. Sorry if I wasn't as clear as I could have been.)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Deja Vu...','That's one malicious curse...','I wonder how many more years are going to pass before the next dawn xD...?')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Though it took weeks to get everyone settled, only a few minutes had passed from the perspective of people outside the Sage Dragon's Hearth. Vahn and Da Vinci had gone to great lengths to make sure each of the territories affiliated with the Aldrnari Empire referenced the same temporal axis. As a result, they needed only to inform Will of their intentions and they would basically have as much time as they required.Taking advantage of this remarkably convenient function, Artoria, Eva, Rin, Luvia, Olga, Tamamo, Semiramis, Arika, Theo, Asuna, and pretty much everyone affiliated with the Council of Wives gave Vahn a lecture he wouldn't soon forget. They weren't actually upset with him. Rather, after learning how long he had been gone, they took it upon themselves to make sure he knew exactly how much they loved him.Fortunately, while a few of the girls did whisk her away for a 'very' long discussion, no one blamed Sarina for the inordinately long delve into an Actualized World. They just wanted to hear her side of the story, and, more importantly, ascertain how her character might have changed. Even a few days with Vahn could be a transformative experience. Thirty-seven years may as well have turned her into a completely different person.Before her descent into the Actualized World of Dragon Ball, Sarina had been lacking in power and confidence. Now, while her Authority and comprehension were lacking, she possessed enough raw power to go toe-to-toe with people like Yuri. She would eventually lose, but, considering the latter was hundreds of years old and possessed an even greater mastery of Ki, that wasn't too surprising.Though she had the option of becoming a Saiyan, Sarina elected to follow the evolutionary path of a Human. As a result, she was managed to go from a High Human to a Demigod in just a few short years. Her penultimate goal had been ascending to the status of a God, but, despite gaining access to God Ki near the very beginning of her journey, she was never able to master it.One of the problems with entering a world you were familiar with was that very little could surprise you. Sarina had trained hard, but, knowing the relative strength of your opponents years in advance led to her becoming complacent. It didn't help that she had people like Broly around since the start. She had done her best to try and compete with him, but, the moment the latter's Legendary Saiyan Biology kicked in, he surpassed everyone by leaps and bounds.With most threats being dealt with long before they had the chance to mature, Sarina's interest in training gradually waned until the arrival of Beerus. This was around the time she suffered her first major defeat, as, shortly after the God of Destruction's arrival, even Broly was knocked unconscious with very little effort. After that, the cat-like God handily defeated each of the Z-Warriors until Vahn stepped in to bring an end to the conflict.Realizing how close they were to the Battle of Gods and the Tournament of Power, Sarina began training in earnest. She may have given up trying to surpass people like Broly and Goku but that didn't mean she was going to just stand aside and let people like Caulifla and Kale steal her status as the most powerful female mortal.In the end, Sarina was able to defeat Caulifla without too much effort, as, unlike in the series she and Vahn were most familiar with, Vegeta hadn't been around to teach Cabba how to become a Super Saiyan. As a result, Caulifla ended up participating in the Tournament of Power in her base state. She was still monstrously powerful, but, without the 100x multiplier of Super Saiyan Two, it was impossible for her to contend against Sarina's magically enhanced Kaio-ken.Unfortunately, Sarina had never been the most forward-thinking individual. Her desire to defeat Caulifla had blinded her to the larger threat to her status as the most powerful female mortal: Kale.Similar to Broly, Kale was a very passive woman with very little interest in combat. This changed the moment she witnessed Sarina celebrating Caulifla's defeat. Her rage immediately boiled over, and, were it not for Broly coming to her aid, Sarina may have been killed the moment Kale transformed into a Legendary Super Saiyan.Fortunately, for everyone involved, the disparity between Broly and Kale was like Heaven and Earth. The former had spent nearly thirty years mastering his transformation, and, thanks to the training methods provided by Vahn, his power eclipsed even the Angels when he entered Super Saiyan Four, colloquially known as Super Saiyan: Sage Mode due to its reliance on natural energy.When everything was said and done, Broly ended up emerging as the final victor in the Tournament of Power. As for Sarina, she ended up being knocked out of the ring shortly after Jiren realized Broly was a legitimate threat. After that, she and Caulifla became fierce rivals as the latter, alongside Kale, migrated to Universe 7 in order to train under Vahn.With a powerful female rival, Sarina was able to increase her power by several orders of magnitude in a very short period of time. Caulifla was eventually able to surpass her after making Super Saiyan her base state, but, with the latter possessing absolutely no affinity with magic, Sarina was still able to secure victory in around thirty percent of their spars.In essence, Sarina had developed more in the final seven years than the thirty preceding them. She went from being a relatively level-headed individual to a battle-hungry maniac with a penchant for fighting first and asking questions later. A lot of this could be attributed to Caulifla, but, more than that, it was their imminent return that compelled Sarina to train harder than ever before. She didn't want to return only to find she was still one of the weakest members of the Sage Dragon's Hearth, so, for the better part of six years, Sarina had trained tirelessly to shatter her limits. Fortunately for her, Vahn's unwillingness to impregnate her had left Caulifla feeling more than a little frustrated, so, no matter how often Sarina wanted to train, the golden-haired Saiyaness was more than willing to accompany her.........While several of his counterparts were helping everyone get settled in, another version of Vahn was still attending Wu.Unsurprisingly, thirty-seven years apart had drastically affected how Vahn viewed the petite monkey girl. She suddenly appeared even more adorable, and, perhaps as a result of the amount of time he had spent with Caulifla, he couldn't help imagining the two of them overlapping, tails coiled around one another as he teased them both.Surprising the petite monkey girl quite a bit, Vahn asked, "Will you return with me to the Sage Dragon's Hearth...?" just as she was making herself comfortable atop his lap.Not expecting such a question, especially after Vahn had shown very little interest in making use of her power, Wu found herself unable to respond. She would be lying if she said the thought hadn't crossed her mind. Unfortunately, her pride didn't allow her to ask, and, due to her contract with the Buddhist Faction, her fate was tied to the Jade Palace. She could leave for short periods of time, but, the moment she tried to break away, much of her power and authority would be lost.Though Fragments of Origin could bestow someone with great power, they could also be a double-edged sword. This was especially true for individuals whose powers were directly associated with or linked to a specific group. Such was the case for Wu, so, unless she was acting in the interests of the Jade Palace, her power would be significantly reduced. To make matters worse, there was a very real possibility that she would become susceptible to foreign Poets...According to the Demon King of Confusion, Wu had actually been a man in the past. She obviously didn't believe this, but, with most of her incarnations in the Lower Realms being male, she couldn't deny the possibility existed. This resulted in her existence becoming less defined, so, while she was tempted to agree to Vahn's proposal, Wu found herself unable to voice her heart's desire. The one thing she and many other beings in the Divine Realm were afraid of was being forgotten...Sensing the fear and trepidation contained in the deepest recesses of Wu's mind, an affectionate smile developed across Vahn's face as he stared into her emerald green eyes and said, "The Little Garden is set to experience great changes in the near future. If being together isn't enough reason to convince you, ask yourself this. Would you rather be at the forefront of the changes to come or remembered as someone who sat at the sidelines?"Furrowing her brows, a threatening glimmer flashed across Wu's eyes as she whispered, "You're playing with fire talking like that..."Returning a dauntless smile, Vahn reached down to cup Wu's butt, his fingers digging into her firm yet pliant flesh as he retorted, "I'm brave enough to love the legendary Sun Wu Kong. There isn't a flame in all of creation that could intimidate me..."Though she was tempted to headbutt him for daring to fondle her butt in the middle of a serious conversation, Wu's anger was promptly assuaged by Vahn's confession. A warm and fluttery feeling spread through her chest, and, though it didn't show in her expression, the curling and twitching of her tail gave away the fact she was happy.Hammering the proverbial final nail into the coffin, Vahn drew his lips progressively closer to Wu's as he said, "Let's shake up the Little Garden and create a new legend...together..."Without waiting for Wu's response, Vahn sealed her slightly parted lips with his own. This caused the golden-haired monkey girl to tense, but, after weeks of 'weaning', her desire for intimacy had reached unbearable levels. She could also sense Vahn's desires more powerfully than ever before, so, after a very brief moment of panic, she habitually tore away at the fabric of his tunic, her tongue eagerly entangling with his as the sofa and floor beneath them spontaneously collapsed due to the strain and intensity of her movements.........Witnessing the remarkably intense and passionate session of lovemaking between Vahn and Wu, a glimmer of concern flashed across Shiroyasha's luminescent golden irises. Vahn's extended stay in the Actualized World of Dragon Ball was something she hadn't accounted for, so, while she didn't think it would affect her plans, the notion that he was far beyond her control had reaffirmed itself within her mind.Fortunately, while the implications behind Vahn's existence were terrifying, so much so that it had caused her to question the very nature of reality, Shiroyasha was confident that he didn't actually need to be controlled. Vahn was altruistic to a fault, so, even if he did become the most powerful being in existence, it wouldn't corrupt him. The greater threat would always be the people around him, as, even if he had the means to know their thoughts, Vahn had a bad habit of limiting himself when it came to the people he cared about. If someone particularly clever got their hands on him, he might not even try to stop them from exploiting him.She would know..."It would appear my reunion with that hateful woman is fast approaching...well, at least I won't be the only one to suffer this time around..."......(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'TBH, I can't really blame Sarina for slacking off when Broly basically solos the entire verse xD...','Sun Wu Kong? More like Sun UwU Kong...','Shiroyasha the Schemer...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

After waiting for around three days, standard axis, Vahn decided it was time to leave the Heavenly Domain. He had half-expected Meng Zhang to seek him out to confirm their relationship, but, after conferring with Loi-chan, Vahn discovered that the opposite was true. Meng Zhang, as if he were an elder expecting his descendant to come and pay respect, was waiting for him.Since Meng Zhang hadn't even bothered to send a courier, Vahn decided he wasn't going to play the prideful dragon's game. Instead, he wrapped up a few small matters with Erlang Shen, Nuuba, and Xiao Yue before informing Wu of his departure. They had been cohabitating the Celestial Star Gazing Pavilion for the past two and a half months, divergent axis, so he was fully expecting her to make a scene."Huh? You're leaving...?"Nodding his head in affirmation, Vahn explained, "I have a Community to manage and a number of preparations to complete before our promotional Gift Game. Hanging out with you has been pretty fun but there are more important matters for me to attend."Demonstrating none of the pep and vigor she was known for, Wu was clearly searching her head for a solution when she suddenly placed her hand over her belly and stated, "I'm pregnant..." in an uncharacteristically meek tone.As it was quite literally impossible for him not to know, Vahn adopted a deadpan expression on his face as he said, "No, you're not..."Clicking her tongue, Wu grumbled, "Asshole..." before entering another ruminative silence. She had become rather fond of lazing about and having Vahn take care of her so the prospect of his sudden departure was...inconvenient, to say the least..."This is too sudden. You should have told me at least a month ago if you were going to leave. You can't alter my tastebuds to your cooking and change my insides to the shape of your cock and just leave. At least give me time to wean..."Having already anticipated such an argument, Vahn produced a jade ring from his Inventory. There was more than a decade's worth of food on the inside, so, even if Wu stuffed herself to the brim, it should still last her a month or two.While other girls might have been excited by the prospect of receiving a ring, Wu snorted through her nose before swatting it at a reality-altering speed. The ring's durability allowed it to withstand the blow, but, as a result, it ended up penetrating through the foundation of the Jade Palace like a laser before descending into the Mortal Domain like a meteor..."..."Seeing the unamused deadpan on Vahn's face, Wu adopted a somewhat defiant look as she asked, "What? Do I look like the kind of woman who wears trinkets and accessories? I might consider it if you begged me to marry you. Other than that, there's no way in hell you can pacify me with just a ring..."Conveniently ignoring the fact she was wearing no less than seven accessories, two of which were rings, Wu crossed her arms in preparation for what Vahn would say or do next.Rolling his eyes, Vahn undermined Wu's defiant posture by extending his hands to frame the sides of her face. Her rounded, monkey-like ears grew on the sides of her head rather than the top, so, as his thumbs rested on her slightly flushed cheeks, the tips of his fingers dug into the fringe located behind her ears. This quickly shattered the illusion of her defiance, as, even if she wanted to resist, Wu was powerless in the face of his Godhand..."Listen closely, Wu..."Opening her half-lidded eyes, an embarrassed and somewhat melancholic expression developed across Wu's face as she looked up to meet Vahn's gaze. When she saw him smiling down at her, a faint yet audible throbbing could be heard as he said, "You don't need to make excuses if you want to spend more time together. If you want me to stay just say it. I'm a God of Time. While there are a number of pressing matters that require my attention, I also have all the time in the world..."Though she had gradually gotten used to Vahn's almost overbearing sincerity, Wu couldn't prevent the palpitation of her heart whenever he held her gently or stared into her eyes. It was like he could see through to the most vulnerable parts of her existence, but, rather than condemning her for her weakness, there was nothing but empathy and compassion in his unfathomably deep, aquamarine eyes...Feeling as though she might get lost in said eyes, Wu promptly averted her own as she muttered, "I don't know what you're talking about..."Restraining a light chuckle, Vahn tilted his head slightly to draw Wu's gaze as he whispered, "That's a shame...I was looking forward to preparing a banquet and binge-watching some anime. I suppose that'll have to wait till my next visit..."Releasing his hold on Wu's head, Vahn motioned to leave only to feign surprise when Wu promptly pounced on his back, her arms, legs, and tail wrapping around him like indestructible chains as she bit the tip of his ear in frustration. She really wanted to ask him to stay but it was almost impossible for her to vocalize such sentiments. This was something she had hinted at multiple times, so, unless he was unbelievably dense, Wu knew Vahn was just teasing her.Proving her suspicions, Wu was slightly creeped out when Vahn's body suddenly 'inverted' on itself so that she was suddenly straddling his front. Then, as per usual, his hands gravitated towards her butt as he leaned down to whisper, "You're adorable..." before planting a kiss on her lips. This gave Wu an almost overwhelming urge to bite his lips, but, the moment Vahn's fingers began to knead her bottom, such notions were quickly banished to the back of her mind........."With the support of the Jade Palace, the only thing we're really lacking is the requisite number of subordinate Communities. How are things going in the West and North?"Though there was a teleportation nexus in the basement of the Sage Dragon's Hearth, Vahn had gathered each of his Subordinate Community Leaders via projection magic. They were all seated around an oval-shaped table, as, despite regarding his lovers as his equals, the guidelines of the Central Network required that conference rooms be structured in such a way that the hierarchy between attending Communities was apparent.As the de facto head of operations in the West, it was Da Vinci who replied, "We experienced a few minor issues at the start but things have been going smoothly ever since our Alliance with the Sage Dragon Riders was made public."Piggybacking off of Da Vinci's words, Mordred rubbed the underside of her nose with a massive grin on her face as she said, "Those bastards thought they could pressure us with their tech but their mechs might as well be toys in front of an Imperial Dragon. My Community is undefeated in seventeen Gift Games thus far. If it wasn't for those paper-pushing scumbags and those wannabe heroes mucking things up with their deceptions and schemes, we would have already secured our status as a 5-Digit Community."As Communities in the West were effectively nations, the requirements for occupying a lower-digit Gate were different than the other three regions. More specifically, there were infrastructure and population requirements that could only be circumvented if you were part of an existing Nation or Alliance. It was possible to start a business and climb through the ranks of an existing Community, but, more often than not, this involved cutting deals and compromising on your principles just to become a cog in a broken machine.Da Vinci was basically starting her own country, so, from the moment her intentions were made clear, the existing factions had been doing everything in their power to slander and put pressure on her. They have even tried labeling her a Supervillain imposing sanctions on the goods her company was producing, but, unlike the majority of Communities in the West, Da Vinci didn't have to concern herself with profits or purchasing supplies. If it weren't for the deadline Vahn had given them at the start, she wouldn't even require the assistance of the Sage Dragon Riders."That's good to hear. The West Side has more than 40% of the Little Garden's population. It is also the region that will require the most oversight once the Aldrnari Empire has been established so the work you're doing now will serve as the foundation for our future endeavors."Smiling faintly in response to Vahn's words, Da Vinci playfully teased, "Oh my...it seems I'll need to work a little harder...". As for Mordred, she simply adopted a toothy and somewhat fierce smile, as, ever since she had become the Leader of a Community, her Divinity related to War was seeing a lot of use...After chuckling in response to Da Vinci's playful retort, Vahn briefly directed an affectionate smile toward Mordred before turning to meet the gaze of Semiramis. The North was the most peaceful region after the East so her Community, the Hanging Gardens, was alone in its task of gathering information in preparation for his future takeover.Though it was lacking the undertones of love and affection she exhibited towards Vahn and her daughters, Semiramis managed a smile in spite of the general disdain she had for nearly every other woman in the room. It had only been thirteen years since the time of her summoning, so, while she had made an effort to befriend people like Eva, Iris, and Medusa, Semiramis tended to avoid interacting with people outside her very small social circle."If things go well, Ebony and Raven should be infiltrating the Salamandra Community as attendants of their future Leader, Sandora Doldrake. Their ages are less than two years apart so they have had little trouble befriending the troubled heiress."Having 'suffered' at the hands of his mischievous daughters quite a bit, Vahn couldn't help smiling wryly in response to Semiramis's words. At the same time, he was happy they were making friends, as, due to their peculiarities, they typically only associated with each other. It was simply 'easier' that way, as, much like Maemi and Emiru, the two shared a remarkable bond that allowed them to know each other's thoughts without direct communication."Just make sure they don't go poisoning the poor lass. There's a decent chance that Sandora might become my adoptive daughter in the future so don't allow them to bully her..."Though the look in her eyes was reminiscent of a snake that had just stumbled upon a rat, the smile on Semiramis's face appeared more amused than malicious as she sensually replied, "Worry not, my beloved Emperor. Though I cannot predict what the future may hold, there is currently only a single person our daughters are interested in poisoning..."Understanding exactly who Semiramis' was referring to, a dry laugh emanated from Vahn's throat. Fortunately, while Semiramis was a literal disaster in the kitchen, Ebony and Raven had learned the art of cooking from Bennienma. Thus, while everything they prepared was poisoned, Vahn enjoyed their meals nearly as much as he enjoyed Rindo's...Adopting a reminiscent smile, Vahn nodded in approval before answering, "I see. I'll be sure to stop by more often to make sure that remains the case for the foreseeable future. Do you mind if I bring Stheno and Euryale along? It's been a while since they had a playdate with Ebony and Raven."As Medusa, Stheno, and Euryale were among the people she allowed free passage in the Hanging Gardens, Semiramis didn't hesitate to nod in affirmation. The trio of Gorgons had some of the most powerful venoms she had ever analyzed, so, even if Vahn hadn't given the excuse of a playdate, she would have happily accepted them into her home.........(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn really enjoys teasing strong-willed women xD...','Da Vinci was already Last Boss material. Now she has Boss level adds!?','Only in the Aldrnari Clan...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 2177: Stop-Gap