Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After entering the Inn, Ryan asked how long Vahn was intended to stay as they made their way to the bar. The owner of the Inn was a stocky boaz man with ruddy-brown hair. Though he had a stern expression, he was still smiling as he made drinks for the customers at the bar."I'm not sure how long I'll be staying. It will depend on how things go." Vahn was somewhat distracted as his eyes glanced at the other patrons. Seeing there were no extra malicious auras, he continued tracking the three men from earlier. After Vahn entered the Inn, they all started heading further into the settlement towards the direction of the large tree. Eventually, the exited the area of his domain, which caused Vahn to frown."Hey, boss, two rye beers and somethin' strong to get us started!" Ryan flagged down the owner and placed an order loudly next to Vahn. Turning towards the amiable man, Vahn shook his head before separating slightly. "Sorry Ryan, I never drink in the dungeon. No exceptions." Vahn had been told by Tsubaki previously that alcohol was a very dangerous thing. Unless he was celebrating with people he knew or in the comfort of his own home, he should never accept alcohol, especially in a place like a dungeon.Vahn had never been drunk before, but he had seen the effects on others. He knew it had a debilitating effect on a person's mental state and even caused drowsiness and nausea. Most like as a result of his unique blood, but Vahn had been able to drink almost everyone he drank with under the table. Even a goddess like Hephaestus and the heavy drinking Tsubaki couldn't match him.Ryan shook his head, "Come now, kiddo. You gotta loosen up on occasion. Even if yer not of age, the fact you're this far in the dungeon more than makes you a man. Let's celebrate our reunion." Ryan still had an amiable smile on his face, and Vahn could see his aura was stable and kind. However, even if it was a fact he couldn't get drunk, Vahn wouldn't put himself at risk with unknown dangers lurking around.After seeing that his insistence had failed, Ryan gave a sad smile before throwing back a long swig of his beer. Vahn noticed the look and gave an apologetic smile before explaining, "Sorry, Tsubaki, the Captain of my Familia, and the person who helped me train, forbade me from ever drinking inside the dungeon. Even if she never found out, I wouldn't be able to lie to her. As someone far more experience than I am, I listen to her advice, as it will probably be what keeps me alive."Hearing Vahn, Ryan smiled and nodded while sipping at his drink. "Good kid. You'll live a lot longer than most with that kind of discipline. Here, even if you can't drink, you can still share a toast with this old fool." Lifting his glass towards Vahn, Vahn used his own glass of water to accept the toast."Cheers!!","Cheers." The two said at the same time which caused Ryan to laugh after seeing how serious Vahn was. They continued to make small talk and discuss the results of their recent ventures. Ryan explained how his sons were just recently promoted to Level 2, and that they belonged to a C rank Familia run by the God Caerus.Ryan's role was the lieutenant of the Familia, and he had brought his sons to the middle-floors so they could get some experience. Who would have thought that, on the same trip, he nearly lost the both of them due to their encounter with the Purple Wyvern? Claiming his god's Divinity was based on 'luck', Ryan toasted loudly to the bar and ordered drinks for the other nine customers.Vahn enjoyed the atmosphere before refusing the offer to stay at the Inn. Though they only charged 18 magic cores a night, Vahn had no intentions of staying in the area. After the men he was tracking left his domain, he had been intending to leave the vicinity after eating a hearty meal. Vahn wasn't willing to stay in the area the men had last seen him, especially if he didn't know their purpose or where they had gone. He intended to leave the settlement entirely and seek refuge in the forests until things became clear.After parting with Ryan, who tried insisting that he stay, Vahn made his way around Rivira and marked every building on his map. He was also looking for the men with the dark auras, but after identifying all 118 buildings within the area, he was prevented from continuing his search. Further down the main road of Rivira, there was a gate that was manned by a large group that was much more organized than the entrance to the settlement. They prevented Vahn from venturing further inwards unless he was accompanied by a large party or was able to identify himself as a Level 4 or higher.After investigating a bit, Vahn completely ignored the men and made his way to a secluded area before entering stealth and jumping over the wall. He noticed there was some kind of mechanism to detect intruders, but it didn't seem to trigger with Vahn's presence. He looked around and noticed most of the buildings were far apart and much higher class than the ones in Rivira. It seemed like these were the camps/buildings that had been set up by the stronger Familia as a staging point for further exploration into the lower floors.Vahn assumed there were likely Level 3 or higher adventurers within the area and that it would be dangerous to go further. If he was caught infiltrating a forbidden area, it would cause a lot of problems when he visits the 18th floor in the future. There was also the matter that, Vahn didn't have confidence in concealing himself from people much stronger than himself. There were all kinds of people with unique skills and abilities that could help them discover his presence. Not to mention any mages would be able to detect the presence of his domain if they were strong enough.Resolving himself to increase the level of his [Stealth] in the future, Vahn leaped back over the wall and made his way to the entrance of Rivira. He left them a 'holding' fee and registered his identification so he would be able to enter without difficulties in the future. To prevent any trouble, he also demonstrated his 'magic' that allowed him to transform. The men were surprised, but Vahn made certain they annotated his transformation so that others don't randomly attack him in the future.Vahn had grown accustomed to being in his Báihǔ form, especially in places like the dungeon where he always had to remain cautious. It was hard giving up the enhanced senses and reduces parameters when he was walking around with unseen enemies lurking. After making his way several hundred meters from Rivira, he split off into the woods and disappeared into the depths.---Several minutes after Vahn left the settlement, a group of seven figures appeared along the route he had taken. They were each wearing dark clothes and had cloaks that concealed their faces. After coming to the spot where Vahn had entered the woods, one of the figures bent down low and inspected the ground. Noticing the tracks had turned to the woods, they sniffed around in the air before making hand signs to the other cloaked figures.They all nodded before branching out and entering into the woods. If Vahn had been in the area, he would have noticed that each of their eyes reflected the light coming from the crystals. Like him, they too could see in the dark. Without being restricted by the overgrowth of the forest, the group continued into the darkness, heading towards the direction Vahn had left in.---Vahn hadn't been going at a very fast pace, as he had not expected people to follow him outside of the settlement and into the forest. This didn't mean he had dropped his guard though, as he had dispersed his aura into the forest and was actively using his stealth as he made his way further into the forested trails. He was looking for a clearing or a water source so that he could bathe and clean his clothing before finding a nice tall tree to rest in.While he was making his way forward, Vahn detected 'anomalous' presences in his domain. Unlike normal presences, they seemed to be somewhat 'transparent' and hazy, but Vahn was still able to detect them. He slowed down and equipped his [Scout's Guille Suit] while crouching low to the ground. For a group to be trying to conceal themselves while following his path, Vahn didn't expect they had good intentions.---The group of seven continued tracking their target before slowing their advance to a crawl. The 'leader' of the group made a hand sign and they slowly started to fan out. As they specialized in tracking, they were very capable of following their prey undetected. The fact that the forest had suddenly become 'silent' triggered the instincts of the leader so they split their team into a wider net.Following the trail, the hooded figure slowly crept forward with perfectly silent footsteps. They kept their eyes open to the smallest movements and perked their ears to listen for any hushed breathing. It was uncommon for their target to simply vanish, so the leader assumed they had been detected which caused their prey to hide in the vicinity. The curious thing was the fact that, even with their enhanced senses, the group was unable to find any sign of the boy other than his trail.---Vahn had identified a total of seven people within his domain and they seemed to be on very high alert. Though they had yet to find him, Vahn was impressed with how much caution they showed the moment he stopped moving. From his perspective, Vahn could see the figure closest to him moving silently through the underbrush. It was actually amazing how the person seemed to meld into the sounds of nature and moved without disturbing any loose twigs or grass.After watching the group slowly advance, Vahn began to realize that none of them triggered his 'instincts'. Every time Vahn had ever fought someone stronger than him or entered a dangerous area, something inside of him seemed to react and cause him to act more cautious. The fact none of these people made him feel that way made Vahn believe they were weaker than he was.By now the closest figure was within 7m of his position, a distance Vahn could cover in the time it took to blink. Tensing his legs and putting strength into one of his palms for support, Vahn launched himself forward with his maximum velocity. The moment his feet left the ground, the sounds of wind tearing exploded through the area as the trees and grass began to rustle furiously.The leader that had been closest to Vahn's position was shocked hearing the explosive sound but still managed to keep their cool as they tried taking evasive actions. Unfortunately, just as Vahn assumed, they were all Level 2 and much slower than Vahn was. Unable to evade, the figure tried attacking towards Vahn with a dagger, but Vahn received it with his left gauntlet before driving his claws into to the figure's stomach.Groaning, the cloaked figure collapsed to the ground while trying to put pressure on their stomach to slow the bleeding. Vahn wasn't simply faster than they were, he was also much stronger as well. Since the group specialized in speed and stealth, they had no hope of receiving his attacks head-on, so the hooded figure paid the price.The rest of the group immediately tried surrounding and attacking Vahn, but due to the seven months he had spent in the forest, and the fact he had increased his [Featherfoot] to rank B, Vahn was able to make excellent use of the terrain. Within two minutes, more than half of the group had been maimed or disabled, and the rest began feeling intense fear inside of them. They didn't expect the young boy who had only recently become Level 2 to be so ferocious.After Vahn took out another one of their companions, the remaining two figures tried to retreat in opposite directions. Seeing their attempt, Vahn scoffed before equipping his bow. He took aim at the figures who had abandoned all thought of attacking him and entered his stealth state. Even if there were other people nearby, as long as his target was unaware of his presence, Vahn could make use of a skill he had grown fond of recently. Loosing the arrow, Vahn activated [Call of the Reaper] and fired toward each retreating figure.Unable to sense the approaching arrow, the two fleeing figures ended up taking the hit straight into the back of their pelvic areas. Vahn had targeted a non-lethal spot that would prevent them from recovering even with the use of a potion. So far, he hadn't killed any of them as he still wanted information. As everyone was still within the area of his domain, Vahn would be able to sense if anyone recovered or tried to sneak attack him.Vahn made his way toward the first figure who was still clutching their gut. The person had tried to pour a potion onto the wound, but it was healing at a very slow rate. As Vahn had imbued his 'burning' effect into the attack, just like with all his previous enemies, the wound was slow to regenerate. The figure noticed Vahn's approach and tried attacking with a concealed weapon that was as black as the night.Vahn, with his night vision and high perception, easily detected the attack and caught the blade out of the air. It was a strangely shaped blade that was solid black in color and had a subtle, yet foul smelling, odor wafting from it.Frowning, Vahn threw the small knife into the knee of the hooded figure. The blade shattered the kneecap and embedded itself deeply into the area between the two bones. The figure, who Vahn had identified as a man by the scream, began writhing in pain as froth built up in their mouth. It seems like the poison was a fast reacting kind, and without an antidote, the man would probably die within a minute.Without any hesitation, Vahn pulled out his tamahagane blade and severed the man's leg. The man screamed out, but Vahn focused his intent through [Will of the Emperor] and caused him to freeze. Using his [Hands of Nirvana] Vahn helped 'pull' the poison from his system while also taking the time to sever the tendons in the man's arms using his claws."Start talking."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Spooky','Assassins vs. Reaper','Wrekt')

The man remained silent after hearing Vahn's demand. Looking around, he could see that all of his companions were still breathing so he released a sigh. Vahn waited for the man to speak, but after seeing him remain silent for more than twenty seconds, Vahn removed the hood masking the man's features. The moment the hood was removed, Vahn saw two pointy black ears reveal themselves.The 'man' ended up being more like a 'boy', as he looked to be around 13-14 years old. Though the boy's face was pale from the pain and bloodloss, Vahn could see his skin was a natural olive-brown color. Atop his dark-brown, almost black, hair stood two large pointed ears covered in fur. The ears were unlike any cat person or chienthrope Vahn had ever seen before. The most notable features of the boy were the pale gold markings on his face and the pale-red wine colored eyes.The large-eared boy continued to stare at Vahn with a hint of blame and anger in his brows. He seemed to be contemplating something and kept looking toward his leg that had been severed by Vahn previously. When Vahn had removed the poison earlier, he also channeled his energy into the leg to re-attach it. The boy hadn't recovered its use due to his shattered knee, but with rehabilitation, he would be able to walk again.Vahn, though he didn't care about the hooded figures, noticed none of them had the black auras as the previous three he had observed earlier. Though there was no doubt they were tracking him, Vahn didn't think they were after his life. The only things that confused him were the black knife and the reason they had to track him in the first place."I said talk. The longer you stall, the worse their injuries become." Vahn gestured towards the people laying on the ground. The boy followed his hand as his frown grew deeper. After a few more seconds of hesitation, he grits his teeth and asks, "Will you make a vow to spare them if I talk?"Vahn frowned in turn before responding, "I will vow to spare them if they do not pursue or attack me. But, you must also vow to speak the truth or I won't hesitate to go back on my word." Vahn looked into the boy's eyes and after a few seconds the boy raised his hand and made the oath. As they both possessed crests, they were bound by their vows or risked permanently losing their falna and bearing the mark of a curse.Vahn, after waiting for the boy to finish, also made his vow using their agreed upon terms. Aftward, he recovered the bodies of the other hooded figures and unmasked them. Vahn did this to allay the doubts of the boy and make him speak more easily. Even if he was bound by a vow to tell the truth, there were loopholes to everything. After he had gathered everyone, Vahn noticed their auras became more stable after seeing that everyone was alive."Speak. Tell me why you were tracking me and what you intended to do when you found me." Vahn moved about 3m away and surveyed his 'captives'. Like the boy, they were all very young, most looking to be around 10-13 years of age. They had the same colored skin, dark hair, and pointy ears that seemed a size too large for their heads. Among the group of seven, there were four males and three females. The males all had golden markings on their faces while the females had red markings. Each of them had the same light-red wine eyes. (A/N: I want to say rose-colored so badly.)The boy, who Vahn believed to be their leader, nodded as he began explaining their purpose. It turns out they were foreigners from the Southern Sands and belonged to the Anubis Familia who had followed their Goddess into the City only recently. Their orders were to track Vahn down and, if possible, capture him and bring him to their Goddess. The boy said he didn't know why his Goddess wanted to meet Vahn, but that she was acting at the request of a God called Osiris. They didn't know what agreement Osiris had with their Goddess but he seemed very hostile towards Vahn. Members of the Osiris Familia had tipped them off earlier about Vahn's existence, so the group had set out in pursuit.Vahn listened to the story and became confused. He couldn't understand why a god he had never even heard of was hostile towards him. According to the boy, Osiris had also just recently entered Orario, so there should be no connection between him and Vahn. After asking a few questions to allay his concerns, Vahn's frown only grew deeper after receiving no real answer. Lastly, Vahn decided to ask questions about the Anubis Familia."What is with your group? Why are you all kids, and I'm not sure what race you are." Though it wasn't uncommon to have children in a Familia, the fact that the entire group seemed younger than him and yet they were expected to track others was odd to Vahn.The boy frowned like he was insulted before he answered, "We're chienthropes, but all the members of the Southern Tribe have dark hair and pointed ears. We've been trained by our Noble Goddess Anubis to track criminals and possess an unrivaled sense of sight and smell. Lady Anubis taught us how to survive and saved us from the life of a street orphan. Don't look down on us just because we're young!"Vahn noticed that while the boy was letting out his frustrations, his ears began to twitch which made his anger seem more comical than threatening. He stifled a laugh, which the boy seemed to realize as he started gritting his teeth.Vahn shook his head and sighed. "I can't meet your goddess now, as I'm on a mission, but as long as she harbors no ill will towards me she can always pass a message to my goddess Hephaestus. After I've finished my mission, I don't mind meeting her personally." Vahn didn't believe that someone who took in orphans was a bad person. The fact their orders were just to capture him was enough evidence to convince him.A thought passed through his mind, so Vahn asked,"That knife. What kind of poison was on it?" Vahn remembered that, even though the boy claimed to only want to capture him, he tried using a poisoned knife to attack at the end. Remembering how the boy frothed at the mouth, Vahn thought it was a very potent toxin.The boy answered, "It's a poison that causes people to become disoriented and eventually pass out." After hearing the words, Vahn was confused. "Why did you froth at the mouth and act like you were dying then?" The boy flinched when Vahn asked his question and looked at him with an incredulous expression. "You threw the knife into my kneecap and shattered it! It fucking hurt!!!" The boy yelled the words with tears in his eyes.Seeing the tears and hearing the boy shout, Vahn began to feel guilty about his own actions. He had noticed none of them had black auras, so maybe he should have held back more...Shaking his head, Vahn decided he wasn't wrong to take the actions he did. If he didn't have 'View Affection', there was no way he could have recognized them as anything other than assassins. They were very lucky he hadn't killed them all, as he would have been justified in doing so according to common logic.---They continued to talk for a while longer while Vahn began treating their wounds. None of them tried to attack him, and they even had a bit of fear in their expressions as they accepted his treatment. Vahn felt especially bad for the two he had shot with the arrows earlier. They were both girls, around twelve years old, and he had hit them in the area right above their bushy tails. Even after he healed them, they looked at him with eyes of resentment after having to expose their backs to him.Though Vahn felt awkward under their gazes, he pretended to be unperturbed and helped treat the entire group. After everything was done, Vahn wrote a letter that the goddess Anubis would be able to pass on to Hephaestus if she had no ill intent. Vahn trusted Hephaestus to see through the unknown Goddess, so if she didn't receive the letter he would know it was a trap. Handing the letter to the boy, who had identified himself as Rasui, Vahn allowed them to leave.After a few minutes, the group had left the range of his domain and Vahn released a heavy sigh. At least he managed to obtain information about some of the people scheming against him. The letter also informed Hephaestus about the ill intent of the god Osiris, and he believed she would take action after knowing. With the speed of the group and the fact they held resentment towards Osiris's lackeys after this event, they would be out of the dungeon by tonight. If things went well, Hephaestus would receive the letter early tomorrow morning.---After trekking through the forest for half an hour, Vahn finally came to a clearing that had a small pond that was fed by a creek. Taking the opportunity while no-one was around, Vahn took a bath and washed his clothes. The water was incredibly cold, but Vahn could keep himself warm by channeling his [Heart of the Eternal Flame]. Not only did it make him fireproof, but by activating it he could resist the cold as well.Once he had finished bathing, Vahn spent an hour mapping the area. Even though Rasui's group didn't have any malicious intent, it didn't change the fact there were still members of the Osiris Familia that wanted to harm him. He would have to keep on-guard until he was able to return to the City and sort things out with Hephaestus and Anubis. Hopefully, Anubis was the noble person her children believed her to be, and Vahn wouldn't have to guard himself against two Familia at once.He at least had the benefit of meeting members of the Anubis Familia and identifying them. According to Rasui, every member of the Familia was a chienthrope from the Southern Tribe, so Vahn was able to recognize their members by smell as long as he was in his Báihǔ form. Osiris seems to have formed his Familia after entering Orario, unlike Anubis who had migrated her people into the City.Vahn looked around the area until he found a tree with a large canopy with poor visibility from the ground. Climbing to one of the larger branches, Vahn stretched himself out before laying on the branch. Vahn had long possessed the ability to remain absolutely still while sleeping, so even laying on a branch wasn't dangerous. Spreading out his domain, Vahn slowly drifted off to sleep after inspecting his status.-------------------------------------------------------------------------[[Stats]]Name: [Vahn Mason]Age: 14Race: Human, *sealed*Parameter: [Danmachi: 1-4]-Level:2(+)(2)-Power:1001+(B714)-&gt;(B760)-Endurance:1108+(S998)-&gt;(SS1019)-Dexterity:887+(C686)-&gt;(B737)-Agility:940+(B751)-&gt;(A822)-Magic:1611+(SS1072)-(SSS1114)Total:5547+(4221)-&gt;(4452)Soul Strength: Tier 2 (Hero Soul)[Karma]: 1,219[OP]: 234,241[Valis]: 171,630-------------------------------------------------------------------------(A/N: Vahn didn't kill a lot of monsters on the 17th floor as they were usually alone or small groups. Also, you don't gain exilia from fighting or killing the sentient species and those with falna unless its an official duel where you made a vow. Murder isn't really accepted by the gods~!)Title: Osiris : Anubis(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn uses his brain','Vahn : Bully','Ouch!','RIP Osiris')

After resting for two hours and completely recovering his energy, Vahn made his way into the 17th floor. He was excited to see how much progress he had made, as he originally expected to spend more than a week trying to reach the 18th floor. Vahn was even prepared to turn back if he had difficulties, but his training with Tsubaki and the time he spent adapting to his skills and mobility had greatly enhanced his capabilities. Even though his stats hadn't increased much during that time, he was able to progress much further than most people at his level.The 17th floor introduced a new monster to Vahn, but one he had seen in the compendium and intended to hunt for a while, the Lygerfang. They seemed to be somewhat territorial because Vahn only ever encountered individuals within a room. To make up for their low numbers, they were much more powerful than other monsters and possessed both power and agility.Vahn enjoyed fighting them, as they actually had very similar combat styles to his own. They would charge forward quickly and then use the walls to rebound and continue the assault with their powerful claws. Though they weren't nearly as powerful as something like Minotaur, Vahn actually felt like they were a greater threat if not for the fact they fought alone.During the fight, Vahn had been studying the moves of the Lygerfang and even picked up a new technique he hadn't considered before. In one instance, where Vahn had managed to get to the Lygerfang's exposed flank, it performed a rapid turn and smacked Vahn with its tail. Vahn was caught off guard as the whip-like strike hit his ribs like hard iron.The Lygerfang tried to take advantage of the opening and nearly managed to sink its fangs into Vahn. But, the moment it leaped forward, Vahn rolled back and kicked the underside of the Lygerfang and launched it over him. The monster managed to spin in the air and land on its feet, but Vahn had enough time to recover. Though his ribs hurt, there wasn't anything broken as his body had relatively high endurance.Vahn was feeling a bit vengeful, so when the Lygerfang created an opening after missing its lunge, Vahn returned the favor and smashed his tail into the exposed left eye of the monster. Seeing it flinch, Vahn couldn't help but let out a laugh as he saw the 'offended' look on the Lygerfang's face. The two exchanged blows for another couple of seconds before Vahn snapped the flexible back of the monster with a heel drop.After collecting the core, he noticed they were actually worth more than a Minotaur, as the only had awarded 157OP. Vahn felt like the reputation of the Minotaur wasn't as well-deserved as it seemed. If Lygerfangs fought in packs, they would probably be much more difficult to deal with than a humanoid monster.Vahn continued further into the 17th floor and slew a variety of creatures while noticing the structure of the dungeon was slowly changing. Instead of the wide open and cavernous spaces, the layout of the dungeon became more compact and there were several obstacles that barred easy passage. Large rocks were strewn about on the floor, and there were several places that Vahn even had to crawl through to continue forward.In some of these spots, monsters like Almiraj would try to ambush him, but even though they were very agile, Vahn was always able to react since he had long noticed their presence. By using his [Stealth] in conjunction with [Will of the Emeperor], he was able to detect things within a 71m radius while remaining undetected himself. Unless the monster has very high perception and could sense the change in the atmosphere, Vahn could easily move through the dungeon while always having the advantage against sneak attacks.The lighting of the dungeon continued to decrease and it started becoming hard to see more than a few feet in the corridors. Rooms were a bit easier to deal with since they still had luminescent stones embedded within the rocks, but it didn't help much. Luckily, as Vahn found out while wandering in the dark, he seemed to have great night-vision capabilities with his Báihǔ transformation. Though Vahn already knew he had enhanced sight, smell, and hearing, he didn't know it actually allowed him to see in the dark as well. From an outsiders perspective, his eyes would have seemed to glean in darkness with a green glow when reflecting light. (A/N: Tigers are nocturnal hunters~! Makes sense why there would be tiger monsters on the 17th floor in low lighting~! Smart original Author.)Vahn made his way through the dungeon before noticing the corridors start to open up slightly with additional lighting. Confused, Vahn made his way toward the source and came into a massive room with a gigantic crystalline wall that emitted a rainbow-like hue. Within the depth of the wall, Vahn could see a partially formed shadow. Within his mind, Sis informed him this was the structure mentioned in the compendium and was known as the 'Wall of Grief'. Periodically, the wall would spawn the Monster Rex known as Goliath which typically took a team of skilled adventurers to fight.Intrigued, Vahn approached the wall and noticed the 'shadow' within was dormant. Testing the wall with his hand, Vahn noticed it was several times harder than the surrounded bedrock. Even with his sword, he was only able to penetrate a few millimeters into the surface before his attack was rebounded. The wall seemed to be made of a composite of very dense minerals as well as magical energies.Vahn waited in the room for an hour while watching the wall. He really wanted to try and fight the Goliath, but it seems it was recently eliminated and wouldn't respawn for another couple of days. The shadow within the wall was much smaller than the recorded 7m height of a Goliath, so it wasn't worth staying in the area any longer. It was also quite common for the Familia that hunted it previously to be in the area for its next spawn so they could harvest materials from the body. Unless Vahn was 'lucky' or assisted in the subjugation, it would be very difficult to fight the Goliath on his own.With a bit of disappointment, Vahn entered the corridor heading away from the 'Wall of Grief'. He followed the path until it opened into a medium sized room with multiple holes in the ground. The path continued forward to a staircase which likely led to the 18th floor, but given the nature of holes on the previous floor, Vahn also assumed the holes led to the same destination. Deciding the stairs were the best option, Vahn ignored the holes and continued downwards. He didn't want to be one of awkward few that had to enter the 18th floor through a shortcut since it would be embarrassing if people thought he had run away from something.Unlike the staircases of previous floors that only took a few minutes to descend, Vahn arrived at the exit of the current stairs after nearly an hour of travel. The further he had traveled, the more light shone into the corridor, and by the time he entered the 18th floor, it was a vibrant orange color. Vahn was confused at the peculiar color and looked towards the giant crystals where the light was emitted.(*The crystals emit light that emulates the surface. Right now it's shortly after sundown, so they are emitting an orange glow. It looks like you made it in time before night came.*)Vahn checked the clock and noticed it was 7:31 PM, and since it had been getting dark pretty late in the day recently, it made sense for it to currently be around sunset. Vahn could see a large forest beyond the plains he was currently located in. A path had been established from the entrance of the 18th floor to a large settlement surrounding a massive tree in the middle of the region. Vahn could see the lights from his current location and even heard the sounds of people going about their business.Staring up at the large tree, Vahn was overwhelmed by the urge to climb it. He wondered what kind of view he would be able to enjoy at that height, and how such a large tree even managed to form in the first place. Vahn really wanted to explore this entire floor, as all the trees, rivers, and lakes were very beautiful. In fact, this entire area was incredibly scenic and unlike anything he had ever seen before.As Vahn was taking in the sights, he noticed the sky was beginning to darken rapidly, so he made his way towards the closest settlement. He could see there were several different sections around the tree, and only one of them seemed open to foot traffic. Vahn also noticed that there were mansion-like structures built upon the roots and even into the side of the tree. Those were likely places reserved for high-level Familia or those that had established themselves within the 18th floor for whatever reason.After around twenty minutes, the light from the crystals had completely darkened as a gentle moon-like glow was emitted from their surface. Vahn found it to be even more spectacular than the orange light from earlier, as the dark night was beautifully lit due to his night vision. He approached the small gate that was manned by a few men in light equipment. They seemed to be lazily guarding the gate while making small talk and enjoying what Vahn could smell to be alcohol.Noticing Vahn's approach, one of the men loudly shouted, "Oi! Who goes there!?" while drawing his sword. His fellow guards also took up arms as they started at the silhouette approaching from the darkness. Though they couldn't make out the person features, they were able to see a pair of eerie green eyes reflecting the light from the torches. It was an unnerving sight, so they couldn't help but draw their weapons and put up their guard.Vahn stopped before raising his hands to show he had no ill intentions. "I am the Vulcan, Vahn Mason, of the Hephaestus Familia. I have come to seek shelter for the night and resupply my rations and consumables." Vahn made his purpose known to try and calm the rising tensions. Most of the men seemed to relax after hearing him, but Vahn noticed they didn't put their weapons away.The 'leader' of the group grabbed a torch and made his way towards Vahn. After seeing Vahn's Báihǔ form, he nearly dropped his torch and attacked on instinct. From his perspective, the 'young boy' in front of him looked like a demon. "V-Vulcan, was it? How're you down here in Rivira on yer own? I heard Vulcan only recently hit Level 2, so you shouldn't be able to reach here yet." The man, especially after seeing Vahn's appearance, had trouble believing his words.As Vahn was beginning to explain, another man at the gate loudly called out. "Hey, it's you! Hahaha, Bart, leave that kid alone. He saved me an' my boys the other day!" From beyond the gate, a gruff middle-aged man with brown hair exited Rivira while wielding his spear. The man holding the torch looked back and called out, "Ryan? This's the boy you were drinkin' up a storm about?"The man laughed loudly and approached towards Vahn and wrapped his arm around Vahn's shoulders. "That's right. If not for this kid, me an' my boys would be sleeping in a Wyvern's gut instead of an Inn. Go ahead and let him in the settlement, I'll personally pay all his fees." Though Vahn was somewhat uncomfortable with the contact, he noticed the man, apparently named Ryan, had no ill intentions. If he was able to enter and find lodgings without any troubles, that would be for the best.While Ryan and Bart were talking, Vahn released his Báihǔ form which caused the tensions of all the men to visibly lessen. They had heard the rumors that 'Vulcan' could transform using a rare magic, but seeing him in his normal human form did a lot to ease their worries. The boy look small and frail with a handsome face, much easier to deal with than the fierce looking 'demon' from earlier.Bart, the gate guard, shook his head before looking at Ryan. "Okay Ryan, but anything happens and it's on you. Make sure you explain all the rules to or you'll have to join 'im if he gets kicked out." Bart had a firm tone but relaxed after Ryan handed him a sack filled with a few magic cores.Ryan escorted Vahn under the sign that said, 'Frontier Settlement Rivira', and began to laugh next to Vahn's head. "I'm glad you made it down here! I knew someone as strong as you wouldn't get holed up on the middle-levels. Come, I know a good Inn and bar where you can settle in and enjoy a good meal. This place ain't the most hospitable, but it beats sleeping on the ground!"Vahn nodded complacently, but he had never dispelled his [Will of the Emperor] even when he dropped his transformation. Now that he could infuse stealth into it, it was almost undetectable unless Vahn focused his intent on someone. Vahn stared at each passerby and noticed many of them didn't bother much with the new face, but, beyond the normal crowds, Vahn was able to see people he had never set eyes on before.The reason his attention was drawn to the group, is that they all had dark auras surrounding their bodies. Allowing himself to be pulled towards the Inn, Vahn mentally marked the men on his map. Even if he wasn't actively tracking them, unless they had stealth or he dispelled his domain, Vahn would be able to see their position on his map at all times.Title: Rivira(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'No Goliath Fight','Shadows Approach','Ryan's Hospitality')

Chapter 85: Moonlit Encounter