Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Vahn was floating in the void. He couldn't determine which direction was up as his body slowly rotated through space. There was a warmth permeating through his body, reminding him of a feeling he had lost long ago. As time passed a chill began to set in his body; he could feel the warmth begin to fade and a panic began to spread throughout his consciousness. He began a desperate search for the feeling, but no matter how much he struggled; no matter how much time passed, he could not find it again.---Eventually, he gave up searching and began seeking solace in the stillness brought about by the chill which had permeated every fiber of his being. But, even though he gave up searching, he wanted to protect the memory of the warmth deep within. He curled his body into the smallest form he could manage and imagined the warmth still existed, a distant echo of a memory which he should have never allowed to be lost.---The concept of time had long been lost as his body drifted aimlessly through the endless void. The stillness had been a part of him for so long he even lost the concepts that had defined him in the first place. His curled body had turned into an ambiguous shape and taken on a spherical nature. Thoughts, emotions, even dreams had long faded...remnants of a time long forgotten. Only the memory of the warmth kept his body from dispersing in the endless, eternal, darkness of the void.---One day the thoughtless sphere came across a small light within the darkness, stirring something within the remnant spirit contained within. From the tiny, almost inconsequential light, it could feel the now ancient warmth it had so desperately sought in the past. It quickly sought solace within the comfort of the light, but in its haste nearly extinguished the light entirely. It became conflicted, both wanting to take the light for itself, but unwilling to seize it for fear of losing it once again.It began to gently surround the light, allowing it's gentle touch to slowly warm its now cold and desolate frame. Every now and then it would split a small part of itself to nurture the light, hoping that it would one day grow and help it reclaim what it had lost. When it split these fragments, the light would emit fragmentary images of times and places the entity had never experienced. Within the images, it could see a figure, the source of the lights warmth. It leads smaller, but powerful lights, to confront the darkness and create a path through the abyss. The being hoped that one day the light and its companions would be able to----Vahn woke up in a cold sweat. His head was throbbing with a powerful migraine similar to the times he had overused [Will of the Emperor]. He desperately tried to remember what he had been dreaming about, but the more he focused on the thoughts the faster they would vanish. The only thing still remaining by the time he had calmed down was a deep, all-encompassing loneliness..."You're awake. I was worried you would end up sleeping all day." A gentle voice broke the empty feelings that had began to take root in his heart. Vahn turned to see the source and saw Hephaestus giving him a worried look."Sorry...I was having a dream, no, a nightmare...." Vahn shook his head to dispel the remaining negative feelings before leaving the couch. Hephaestus, who was currently sitting at her desk working on diagrams, gave him a gentle smile while setting her pen aside. "What are your plans for today? Since you've officially joined my Familia, you can have your own workshop, but I think it would be better for you to apprentice under someone else for the time being. If you're not busy I'll introduce you to a veteran blacksmith. She is quite capable, and someone I can trust to teach you everything you need to know for the future."Vahn shook his head with an apologetic look. "I've already made plans to meet up with someone this morning, and I still need to report my level up to the guild and renew my booking at the Inn. Hopefully, they haven't let someone else take the room yet."Hephaestus nodded in understanding, remembering his haste from the previous night. Even though she had already accepted him into the Familia, it wasn't appropriate to force him to change his current plans and living conditions until he was able to sort everything out. "Very well then. I'll give you a week to get everything sorted, but you'll have to report to me if anything changes. Though there aren't many requirements for being in the Familia, you'll still be acting as a representative of our brand. You'll have to put more thought into your future actions. I don't want you running around causing a bunch of problems for me to clean up."After informing him of everything he needed to keep in mind, Hephaestus began escorting him from the workshop. She was back to her usual attitude and had begun to wear her eyepatch again while Vahn was asleep. Once they had reached the entrance, Vahn gave a polite bow before waving goodbye. Seeing this, Hephaestus stopped him with a small hint of a blush on her face. "Make sure you let me know if you run into any problems. You're a child of my Familia now, and I won't let anyone bully my children."Hearing her words, Vahn gave her his best smile before saying, "Thanks Hephaestus. I believe in you..." As he began to turn away, he continued his words. "And one day, I hope you'll be able to believe in me." He then ran towards the direction of the guild, leaving a smiling Hephaestus leaning against the door frame with her arms crossed.She watched his retreating figure until it had disappeared, then sighed as she returned to her workshop. After entering, she looked towards the now empty couch where Vahn had slept the night before. After securely locking the door, she made her way over before falling face first into the cushions. For some reason, the room that was full of peerless equipment now felt empty. From the couch, she could smell a peculiar fragrance that hadn't been there previously, and she began to blush after identifying the source...Remembering his back as he left, Hephaestus had seen hints of the loneliness contained in the small silhouette. But beneath that, she also saw a powerful desire to grow stronger, as well as an intrigue in the world around him. His last words stirred her heart a bit, and her attempts to maintain her calm demeanor had worn away at her energy as she returned to her workshop. Once she was in the security of the room, she felt an exhaustion build up in her and decided to use the couch to take a small nap.After a while, she fell asleep. While Vahn had slept the night before, she spent much of the time watching his various expressions. When he had started having his nightmare, she began gently rubbing his head to soothe his unease. This continued well into the morning, until he began to show signs of awakening which prompted her to return to her desk and pretend to be working. Once he had awoken, she wanted to ask what he was dreaming about, but seeing the pained expression on his face made Hephaestus swallow her words and try to act casually. All these factors had accumulated in the fatigue of the red-haired goddess as she fell into the land of dreams herself.---Vahn made his way to the Guild, and was sad seeing that none of his acquaintances were available. He saw Fauna dealing with customers at the mission counter, while Eina, probably due to her adorable looks, had a long line of customers in front of her desk. He ended up being seen by a gentlemanly looking elf with green hair that gave him looks of contempt before changing to shock after seeing the number of cores Vahn had submitted. After finding out Vahn had been entering the tower for less than a week and had become level 2, he almost thought the boy before him was a monster in the guise of a human. However, once he found out Vahn had been accepted by the Hephaestus Familia and officially registered as an Adventurer, he gave a curt and respectful bow before processing the exchange.On his way out, Vahn caught the sight of Eina and the two waved at each other. He was happy to see that when the young half-elf made eye contact with him, there was a slight blush on her cheeks. Vahn felt a tickling sensation in his heart and resolved to try and tease her more in the future. Seeing the combination of her cute looks and serious nature trying to hide shyness brought a smile to his face for reasons he couldn't explain.He made his way to the Hearths Embrace before booking his room for an additional week. The proprietress, Milan, had tried to keep him for a few minutes. She wanted to know what he had been up to the previous week and advised that, if he were in trouble, he could come to her. "I may not look like it, but I used to be a Level 3 back in my active days. If some hoodlums are bothering you I'll give 'em a good beating~".Vahn smiled and thanked her for her kindness, assuring her that nothing serious had happened and promised to tell her about the details later. After having him promise, she finally let him go before giving him a small lunchbox. "My daughter made it especially for you~. Make sure you eat it all or you'll break her heart~nya."Vahn looked around and noticed the little girl was missing, and Milan laughed seeing his questioning expression. "She stayed up late because you hadn't shown up to renew the room. You know she lost her father to the dungeon, so she was very worried. Make sure you make it up to her later, okay?"Accepting the lunchbox, Vahn promised he would buy Tina a present before returning this evening. Milan patted his back while pushing him towards the exit and telling him to take care of himself. "Remember, a man always keeps his promises~nya!"After leaving the Inn, Vahn began running towards the Babel Plaza. It was already nearing 9 AM, and he was worried Lili had been waiting for a very long time. Adventurers typically entered the dungeon at even earlier times, and since they had agreed to meet in the morning she had likely been in the area for several hours by now.He continued running for nearly half an hour before finally reaching his destination. Looking around, he couldn't see Lili anywhere, and he began to worry she had left after he failed to show up on time. Finding a nearby bench, he sat down and began waiting. Even if she didn't show up, he would continue waiting for the rest of the day as a means of atoning for his actions.Three hours later, as Vahn continued to stare aimlessly at the sky in contemplation, he felt a sudden weight added to the bench near him. He looked over and saw Lili staring into his face with annoyance and displeasure written on her face. She had adopted the look of an elven child with blond hair and light-hazelnut colored eyes."You're late." She said with a pout."Sorry Lili, I got caught up trying to take care of a few things." All Vahn could do was awkwardly apologize why trying to appease the young Pallum.She stared at him before closing the distance and smelling his clothing. "It was a woman, wasn't it?"Vahn was shocked, "Eh? Yes?" He didn't understand why she now had an angry expression after sniffing his body."Grrrr, I want to meet her later. Promise me." A glint had appeared in her eyes as she began pressuring Vahn for his word.Vahn could feel a chill run down his back as he nodded his head like a clucking chicken. "Yes, sure. I'll introduce you to them later.""THEM!? There is more than one!?" The young girl acted like she was undergoing an intense struggle and began acting out a tragic play on the bench. After a few seconds had past, she gave Vahn a fierce look before nodding after coming to some kind of understanding."I want to meet them all." She got very close to his body before staring into his face with a determined expression.Vahn just continued to nod, before giving in to the urge to pat her head. He understood she was a bit jealous but didn't understand the reasons. She probably just wanted to keep him to herself, since he had just recently saved her life. He thought petting her on the head would help ease some of the insecurities she was feeling.When Vahn had started patting her head, Lili tensed up for a moment before entrusting her body to Vahn. All her frustrations seemed to fade away in the face of the emergent pleasant sensation coming from her head. She wanted to snuggle and leave her mark on his body to warn any females that got too close..."Well, let's get to training." Vahn stopped petting the girl that had begun to lose herself to her delusions. He stood from the bench and waited for her to react before heading towards the dungeon."Wait, Vahn-sama! Don't leave me behind!" Seeing his departure, Lili began to chase after his back. She wouldn't allow herself to fall behind anymore...

Vahn and Lili made their way into the 'Beginner's Road' on the first floor of the dungeon. Vahn looked around and found the entrance to the path he had taken when he first entered the dungeon. He continued leading the way as Lili trailed behind him as the two made small talk."Lili, what is your goal in entering the dungeon?" Vahn decided to be direct, so he asked her why she wanted to become stronger.Lili looked into his eyes and saw his seriousness. She began to seriously contemplate the question before speaking. "I want to become strong enough to survive...and to protect the things I care about." During the last half of the sentence, she stared at his face, only to see him nod while thinking about her words."That's enough for now, but I want you to have a bigger dream. Everyone wants to protect something, be it their way of life or the people close to them. I learned that it's important to also have a goal to work towards since you won't be able to become stronger just by wanting strength."Lili nodded while hanging her head. She didn't disagree with him, but couldn't think of any goal besides just earning her freedom. Even now she was just escaping instead of directly facing her problems. Suddenly, something clicked in her mind and she looked curiously towards Vahn."Vahn-sama, why aren't you surprised by my appearance? It slipped my mind, but you were able to instantly recognize me even though my magic changed my appearance."Vahn laughed at her question, which caused her to frown slightly. "That's easy. I was waiting in the area we agreed to meet, and you were the one that mentioned I was 'late'. Besides, even if you change your appearance a little, I can easily tell you apart from others.""Eh, how come?" Not many people had been able to see through her disguise before, so she wanted to know why he was able to do so.Vahn thought for a brief moment, but couldn't tell her it was because he had seen her change form in the manga. He decided to tell a half-truth that should make her overlook any misgivings she might have. Looking towards the top of her head, he could see her pinkish-blue aura and decided that would suffice. "It's because you're cute and have a very unique aura. No matter what form you take I'd be able to easily recognize you." He decided to compliment her since girls seemed to be happy whenever he was polite to them.Hearing his reasons, Lili began to blush fiercely and hugged Vahn from behind. "Uuuuuu, it's not fair to say things like that Vahn-sama..." She began putting strength into her arms as she rubbed her head against his back.Vahn was surprised at the effectiveness of his simple compliment. He began to think he should try complimenting people more often if it's able to make them this happy. Seeing the way people reacted to his words also made him feel a variety of emotions, and it was very interesting since he had so few noteworthy interactions before coming to this world.Eventually, Lili separated herself from his back before assuming her original form. As long as they were in the dungeon and weren't around other people she should be fine. Besides, she wanted Vahn to get used to the real her as much as possible. To hide her previous embarrassment, she tried continuing the conversation from earlier."Vahn-sama, why do you want to become stronger?" She was very curious about his reasons since he had gone out of his way to protect someone he had never met before. As far as she could tell, he had a very heroic disposition, but she could still see a painful and solemn expression on his face from time to time.Vahn stopped walking and looked directly into her chestnut colored eyes. "I want to become strong enough to change the fates of those bound by the whims of others. I don't want to see people suffer just because it makes someone else's life convenient. And..." He looked towards the ceiling as if he could see through to something far off into the distance. "There is someone I must become stronger for..."Though she felt a warm feeling while he was stating his convictions, Lili felt her heart tense up when he spoke about becoming stronger for a specific person. 'Is it his lover?'. She became saddened at the thought she had already lost the race before she even had a chance to compete. Through her dejection, she decided to ask, even though the answer might disappoint her."Who is it you need to become so strong for...your lover?" She couldn't look him in the eyes, afraid he might see through her false bravado."Ah, no, I don't have anything like a lover. It's my Mother. I want to become strong enough to reunite with her, but I don't know how strong I'll have to become before I'm able to do so." Though he couldn't understand why she was acting so strangely, Vahn decided to be honest with her.Hearing that the person in question was his mother, Lili released a heavy sigh. She also noted he specifically said he didn't have a lover, so if she tried her best she should still have a chance. Now she just had to meet the women he mentioned earlier to get a better understanding of the situation. A fierce competitiveness began burning in her eyes as she pumped her tiny fists in front of her chest.She seemed to be a lot more excitable than Vahn remembered, but he wanted to think it was a healthy change. Maybe it was because he had met her so much sooner than Bell, so she hadn't yet devolved to the state of mind she had in the canon storyline?"Well Lili, for now, I want you to start thinking of a goal for yourself. While we train your foundation you can think of why you want to grow stronger, while I'll think of how to make you stronger." This was the best solution he could think of for now. As long as he was able to give her time, she should be able to find a reason for herself even without his interference.Lili nodded before shaking her head moments later. "I'm not sure I can become stronger Vahn-sama. I already learned early on that I don't have the talent to be an Adventurer. Since I'm a Pallum, my body is weak and my small stature makes it difficult to directly engage stronger monsters. Its probably better that I just focus on being a Supporter while you continue to work towards your own goals. I'm happy just being at your side."She tried to give him a smile, but Vahn could see the melancholic undertones and believed that she was forcing herself. He also noticed the aura around her body began to flicker slightly, so he understood her emotions were becoming unstable."Are you an idiot?" He decided he needed to be a bit harsh, or else she might not be willing to listen to his words. "What made you decided you couldn't be an Adventurer just because you were a Pallum? One of the strongest Adventurers in the entire City is a Pallum, and he has even reached Level 6. You think just because you failed once or twice when you were just a kid you have no talent? That is completely ridiculous."Lili became absolutely shocked after hearing her kind and gentle Vahn-sama calling her an idiot before berating her. 'Eh? Did I say something wrong?'. She couldn't process the sudden change and just absentmindedly listened as the continued."You might not believe it after seeing me now, but there was a long period of time when I couldn't do anything. I lived at the convenience of others, and couldn't even make a single decision to change that reality. There was even a time when I tried to take my own life, only to be prevented from doing so and facing severe repercussions for my failure..." The entire time he was speaking, he continued locking eyes with the now terrified girl."My life continued in that fashion until a series of events changed the conditions I had grown accustomed to. I had completely given up, but by the grace of external forces, I was guided back towards a path where I could live as I please. So as not to fail to meet their expectations, I continued to train tirelessly while constantly seeking to improve my own capabilities. It wasn't until facing death on numerous occasions and experiencing the kindness of several people that I reached my current strength." At this point Vahn had begun showing a smile on his face as he remembered all the past events and interactions that have defined his life in this world.Lili had begun to tremble as he spoke. When he first began she could see the pain he had experienced through his expressions and how he conveyed his words. She knew he wasn't lying to her and had likely experienced a terrible suffering in the past. When he continued and started talking about his efforts to become stronger, she could see an impassioned expression on his face filled with desire and a hint of confidence. Lastly, she could see the appreciation on his face as he reflected upon everything that had happened...She began to wonder, 'Can I really become stronger?'. Everything she has experienced seemed to scream at the impossibility, but the boy before her inspired something inside of her. She wanted to believe. She wanted to see if the boy could really change the frail image she had of herself. Most importantly, she wanted to become strong enough to meet his expectations...she didn't want to fail.Lili looked towards Vahn who had returned her gaze. She had tears in her eyes as she questioned, 'Vahn-sama...can I really become stronger? Can I be like you?"Vahn smiled before reaching out and placing his hand on her head. As he gently patted the tearful girl who had experienced so much tragedy in her life, he put on the most confident airs he could manage."As long as they are willing to put in the effort, Lili...Anyone can become strong."

Hephaestus started the process by taking a rough piece of metal that had been soaking in solution to remove the impurities contained within the ore. She then inserted it into a heat-resistant container that could withstand the heat of the 'eternal flame' within the forge. She would periodically remove the super-heated metal before inspecting before hammering away any slag buildup.Vahn watched the process and marveled at how methodically she performed each step. She seemed to be extremely relaxed, but there was an intense focus in her eyes which created the illusion they could see through anything. Every small change in the metal was easily noticed by her gaze, and she used the magical hammer within her hands to beat out the imperfections within the ore. After what seemed like several hours, which was in fact only a few minutes, she finally withdrew the purified metal and began shaping it into the shape of a bar."This is the process for refining an ingot. The metal you saw me use is the magisteel alloy used in some of our higher end products. We use mana to force out any impurities within the raw iron ore and then enhance the structure of the resultant material using pressure. During this phase, you can use your hammer to reinforce the structure of the metal and give it a magically charged nature. This allows it to conduct mana for use in skills, and with enough practice, you'll even be able to incorporate special qualities into the metal."Seeing the befuddled look on his face during her explanation, she began to laugh before setting the metal on a nearby platform to cool. "You don't have to worry about it too much, Vahn. What you just saw was the process of countless hours of effort and experimentation. As long as you understand the basic principles, you'll get the hang of it as you accumulate more experience. Here, give it a try. I'll walk you through it step-by-step."She offered the hammer she had used to refine the magisteel, and Vahn took it into his hands. His first impression was that it was much heavier than he expected. If not for his increase in strength the past week, he may not even be able to lift it. He was half tempted to put it into his inventory for analysis but decided to focus on the task at hand.Removing a piece of raw iron from the solution, he began trying to replicate the process of creating the ingot. He noticed it was very difficult to position the ore within the flame, and even small miscalculations would result in the loss of iron to the fire. Understanding this was probably the reason why Hephaestus would often remove the ore from the flame, he began trying to look for any change in the metal to indicate it needed to be removed.Hephaestus watched and gave an appreciative nod seeing his progress. Though it was very obvious he was a beginner, his attention to detail when making mistakes showed he possessed the observational prowess to become a blacksmith. She continued to watch as he processed the ore and offered him words of advice when necessary.Vahn's focus began to increase to it's maximum allowance, and he began to struggle while trying to handle the raw iron. Whenever he removed it from the flame to beat out the impurities, he noticed it was actually very difficult to shape the material. The hammer's weight aided in the effort, but he was unable to shape the metal as he desired."Remember Vahn, you need to focus and channel your mana through the hammer strikes. It will make it easier to shape the metal." Hephaestus understood why he was having difficulties. Because of his monstrous stats, she had decided to pressure him by allowing him to use a hammer from her personal collection. Without proper control, he wouldn't be able to shape the metal, but she believed that his SSS magic stat would allow him to adapt to the situation with practice.Hearing her advice, Vahn took a deep breath and tried to relax. If it was an issue of control and focus, he just had to use his trump card. He activated his [Will of the Emperor] and his domain spread throughout the entire forge.Hephaestus frowned a bit at the act, but once she saw him continue working the metal she gave an appreciative nod. The moment he activated his pseudo-divine state, she noticed his control over his mana increased exponentially and he was able to easily infuse it into the hammer. She was surprised since the internal mana conduits of the hammer are typically impossible to use without an understanding of their internal structure. She believed his aura allowed him to perceive the flow of mana within the field he generated, and she wasn't that far off from the truth.Vahn used his enhanced perception and control to finish removing the impurities. It took nearly five times the duration required by Hephaestus, but he still managed to keep more than 70% of the initial amount. He immediately started shaping the raw metal into the shape of an ingot, but only managed to form it into a lumpy oblong shape.Hephaestus saw the final product and laughed a bit on the inside. Even though he seemed to have an incredible talent for refining the metal, it would still take a lot of experience before he was able to control shaping the metal. She could see the reason he failed at the end was due to how he let the metal cool while observing it. If he had begun immediately shaping the raw metal after removing it from the forge he would have been able to generate better results.Seeing the dissatisfaction on his face, she decided to cheer him up. "Don't worry Vahn, you did very well for your first time. Remember that this is the material we use in our higher-end products, as well as your first time forging. If you had succeeded in your first try, that would have been abnormal."She grabbed the malformed ingot before reheating it using the 'eternal flame'. "Watch closely, I'll demonstrate again. You have to begin shaping the metal the moment it reaches its critical state. Due to the conductive nature of the material, it will quickly cool down by absorbing the elements from the air. You only have a brief window to shape the metal before reheating and repeating the process."This time, instead of immediately forming the shape of the ingot, Hephaestus showed him the normal process a blacksmith had to go through. She repeated the process of shaping and reheating the magisteel a total of seven times before it had taken the same shape as her previous ingot, albeit smaller in size.When she was done, she set it on the shelf before turning towards the observant Vahn. "That'll be it for today. I can tell you have a lot of latent ability when it comes to forging. I'll have someone teach you the basics in the future, and when I have free time I'll give you some personal lessons. Make sure you pay attention when the time comes because my time isn't cheap."She gave him a playful grin while speaking the words, but ended up losing her smile after seeing his reaction. Though he was obviously listening, and even nodded when she spoke, he seemed more focused on the metal within the solution than her words.('Does he want to try again?') She appreciated his motivation but understood it was dangerous to overexert yourself, especially when first starting out. The build-up of physical and mental exhaustion would just make the process more difficult. As she was about to try and convince him, she stopped after seeing his current state.Vahn had picked up the hammer and grabbed a piece of raw iron. The aura that had spread throughout the entire forge had converged to an area of three meters around him. Perhaps it was due to his embarrassment at his previous failure, or maybe the emergence of his competitive nature, but Vahn decided to purchase manuals on blacksmithing within his mind to absorb the teachings within.He spent a total of 17,000 OP to purchase all the manuals he could use at this current soul tier. As his brain processed the veritable tidal wave of information, Vahn almost lost consciousness but managed to hold on by pushing his [Will of the Emperor] to the limit.From the outside, Hephaestus could see an actual fluidlike energy forming a bubble around Vahn. Though she could sense it originally and make out its area using her eye, this was the first time she had seen a physical representation of his mana. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it took a god-like level of control to reach such a state. She worried that anything she said or did would break the mysterious state Vahn entered, so she remained silent and continued to observe.After his brain had finished sorting all the information, Vahn suddenly felt as if he had been a blacksmith for decades. He knew his practical skills were a bit lacking, but with enough effort, he would be able to quickly improve in the future. Since the information he obtained included a variety of 'records' outside of Danmachi, he very likely had more theoretical knowledge in the basics than even Hephaestus. He might not be able to match her in actual skill or experience, but he would be able to innovate and master his 'otherworldly' techniques given enough time.Vahn entered a state of absolute focus and began refining the metal. Though there was still a bit of loss, he managed to retain around 83% of the total raw material. After he removed the newly created magisteel he quickly began forming its shape, this time using his mana to forcibly mold the basic structure of the ingot as he hammered away.He repeated the process of reheating the metal and shaping it until an idea popped into his mind. ('If I can use my mana to hold the shape of the ingot, can't I do the same while heating it up?') He immediately attempted to verify his conjecture, but quickly understood the difficulty involved. While the influence of the flame was negligible when he was just refining the metal normally; when he exposed his energy to the flame in a concentrated amount he was able to feel an actual burning sensation within his body, almost as if the energy of his body was on fire.Hephaestus had been closely observing as he worked the metal, and immediately noticed the change. Through her eye, she could see that he was using his mana to 'cast' the ingot within the forge. As the 'eternal flame' was a mystical fire that could burn anything, it was very dangerous to concentrate mana directly into it. If he were unlucky, it could lead to a rebound within Vahn's spirit and cause harm to his foundation.Though she wanted to stop him, she feared that interrupting at this moment would hasten the arrival of the worst case scenario. Hephaestus began to feel helpless as she watched him struggle. Had she known he was such a hothead, she would have prevented him from taking action earlier.A tense atmosphere began to permeate throughout the room. On one side there was a boy, Vahn, focusing his mental energies beyond what he thought to be his previous limits. But no matter how much he pushed himself, it seemed as if failure was close at hand. On the other side of the room was the veteran Goddess, Hephaestus, who began to blame herself for the current situation. She held her breath and began to feel a strange emotion tugging at her heart.As the pressure continued to increase, Vahn began feeling as if he was teetering on the edge between consciousness and unconsciousness. He had long noticed something had gone wrong but refused to give up after seeing how close the ingot was to taking shape.Finally, after several painstaking seconds which seemed to stretch for an eternity, the ingot had been formed. Its surface had a flawless metallic luster and each edge was well defined. Unfortunately, Vahn didn't have time to celebrate as he found himself unable to remove his energy and awareness from the flame. It seemed intent on consuming his energy to the brink, almost as if it possessed a spirituality of its own. And on a very rudimentary level, it did...The so-called 'eternal flame' had been a unique possession of Hephaestus since she obtained her divinity. It had even accompanied her to the mortal world to continue aiding in the production of thousands of peerless items. But during that time it had begun to grow bored of the tedium of the mortal world. It longed for the days when it could process celestial metals and create artifacts fit for use only by the gods themselves.When Hephaestus allowed this novice to work metal using its flame, the 'eternal flame' began to focus all its resentment on the foolish human in front of it. He made almost imperceptible adjustments to the balance in the flame, which resulted in a greater loss of the materials. It even mocked the boy for his inability to adapt to the changes, completely ignoring any blame owed to itself.After the boy had completed his shoddy product, the 'eternal flame' watched as he failed to convert it into an ingot. At that moment, if it could laugh, it would have done so uproariously. After Hephaestus had reheated the ingot in its flames, it allowed her to demonstrate what true mastery was so as to discourage any hopes he may have about being a blacksmith in the future. But what did Hephaestus do? She slowly worked the metal and demonstrated the process of forging used by novices. It had to reheat the same piece of bland metal over and over until the ingot had finally taken shape.The 'eternal flame' had begun to resent the human child even more, for dragging its master down to his miserable level. When he saw the boy try to work another piece of metal, he tried to get revenge but was unable to because of the control the boy showed. The 'eternal flame' began to burn with a vengeful fury seeing that the boy had managed to retain so much of the metal even with its interference.As the boy began shaping the ingot, its rage had begun to peak...until the boy made a foolish error! The idiotic child had the audacity to try and infuse his mana directly into the flames internal energy structure. The moment the 'eternal flame' realized this, it attempted to create a spiritual lock around the invading energy but was surprised at the result. The energy possessed by this human seemed to suppress its pure elemental nature, causing an instinctual fear within the flame.The fear it had felt caused its rage to reach the absolute pinnacle of its meager intelligence. It began trying to consume the energy of the boy and convert it into its own, and was surprised by the absolute purity of the energy. It seemed to be able to nourish its 'core' and make the flames even stronger. All the hate it had built up for the boy turned into jubilation as it greedily tried to consume the energy.Vahn could feel the suppression of the flames grow increasingly stronger, and began to grit his teeth till his gums bled. He tried forcibly removing his energy, causing his 'soul' to scream out in protest. Every failure brought him closer and closer to collapse, but he adamantly refused to yield to the flame. His desire to escape the flames imprisonment grew, and he could feel his spiritual strength compound.Within Vahns eyes, the image of a warrior appeared. If the unfortunate kobolds that had experienced this previously were around, they would note that the illusion had grown far more tangible than before. The figure raised an awe-inspiring sword towards the heavens before cutting down with an unstoppable might.Vahn could hear the resonating sound of chains being shattered as he finally wrested control of the ingot from the flame.He held the flawless ingot and gazed at it in a fervent manner before presenting it to the befuddled Goddess who had observed the series of events. "I did it..." As the words left his lips, Vahn entered a state of 'Mind Zero' as he continued holding out the result of his efforts.Hephaestus stared at the unconscious boy who stood proudly displaying his achievements. She slowly relieved him of the ingot before carrying his body to a couch within her office workshop. After laying him down, she continued to stare with both of her eyes for several minutes."What kind of kid did I accept into my Familia...to be able to contest against the will of the 'eternal flame' and pull away as the victor...." As she continued to stare into his sleeping face, an anticipation for the future began to build within Hephaestus."His sleeping expression is very cute~. He looks like he worked so hard~"The cool Goddess began to smile and laugh like a fool, completely contrary to Vahn's impression of her. Sadly, it would be a long time before he was able to see this adorable side of her for himself.

Chapter 38: What was Lost : What was Found