Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Throughout the night, Vahn periodically awoke and investigated his surroundings. Though his domain never picked up any presence, by moving around he was able to increase the area of his detection. Since there was a good chance his 'enemies' were still looking for him, Vahn wanted to remain cautious. Fortunately, by the time the crystals in the sky began to glow with a gentle warmth, Vahn had managed to make it through the rest of the night undisturbed.Come morning, Vahn was relatively well rested and decided to continue trying to increase his strength. As it currently stood, he could either backtrack and accumulate OP on the 17th-18th floors and wait for a chance to fight the Goliath, or Vahn could progress further into the dungeon. Vahn knew that if he wanted to gain OP in the fastest manner, fighting stronger monsters was necessary. However, it was incredibly safe if he returned to the previous floors.Vahn was able to earn well over 100 OP for each Minotaur he killed, and if he could around one-hundred a day alongside other monsters, he could earn between 15-20 thousand OP per day. If he managed to trigger any 'monster parties', or fight any variants, that number could easily increase. Vahn speculated that he would be able to complete the remaining seven-hundred-thousand or so OP within 30-40 days without exposing himself to too many problems.After careful deliberation, Vahn decided it would be best to head back up a bit. Right now, there were enemies that were trying to interfere with him, and Vahn even suspected they had something to do with the Juggernaut he encountered previously. If he decided to head down, not only would he expose himself to further danger but ran the risk of losing his path of retreat. Though the majority of people within the Osiris Familia seemed to be around Level 2, it didn't prevent them from paying others to sabotage Vahn's progress. Dealing with higher level adventurers while fighting dangerous monsters wasn't a pleasant thought.Before Vahn headed down, he decided to explore the perimeter of the 18th floor and completely map out the area. He would be here for some time, and knowing the terrain would allow him to protect himself if things took a turn for the worse. Vahn didn't believe anyone, even people that lived on the 18th floor, would have a better understanding of the layout and terrain by the time he finished mapping it.---As Vahn had woken up early, he managed to explore the majority of the 18th floor within three hours. Some of the things he noticed were that there were a large number of small lakes and ponds dotting the various forests and plains on the floor. They were all fed by a large lake that connected to the network of roots on the western side of the giant tree in the center. Vahn also learned that the central tree was also the entrance to the 19th floor, and unless you took one of the few holes leading downward, you would be identified by personnel as you enter.Some Adventurers had set up a post that listed some of the material and subjugation missions listed by the Guild. They would pay a fee to relieve the items from Adventurers and Familias that had no intention of returning to the surface within the near future. The fee would allow the adventurers a measure of convenience and ensure they were able to afford some of the ridiculously costly items in the Riviria Bazaar. And, the adventurers accepting the items, would be able to exchange them at the Guild on the surface for merit and the posted rewards. This was a method lower level adventurers used to earn rewards/merit for high-level quests.Their presence was a deterrent for Vahn, however, because even if he didn't leave his info they would still log his appearance for their personal gains. There was nothing to stop them from selling the information to other people, and they even kept a network of information regarding who was within the deeper floors. Vahn noticed they had even set up a betting board in some of the pubs and he could purchase information from one of the brokers about everyone in the lower floors. The prices were expensive, but Vahn had little doubt the Osiris Familia would be willing to pay to obtain his information. After all, even now, there was an information slip with the name 'Vulcan' posted on the wall.After resupplying some of his items, Vahn made his way up to the 17th floor to begin backtracking. Unlike other floors, the 17th-floor stairs only ran between the 17th and 18th floors. If Vahn wanted to return to the upper levels, he would have to venture through the 17th floor in its entirety. He also had the option of climbing up one of the holes in the ceiling, which Vahn thought seemed like a fun idea.Leaving the room full of holes that connected to the stairs, Vahn once again found himself in front of the 'Wall of Grief'. Like previously, it still had the rainbow hue and crystalline structure, but now the shadow within the depths had grown much larger. Vahn had Sis calculate the rate of increase since his last visit and try to establish a window for when the Goliath would actually spawn. After a few minutes, he was informed it would take between 70-75 hours, which gave Vahn nearly three days to prepare. If he could reach Level 3 in that time, it would greatly increase his odds in the ensuing fight.Vahn made his way through the 17th floor, and just like the previous day, there weren't a great number of monsters. It seemed like this floor was focused more on ambush combat combined with difficult terrain and low visibility. As Vahn was essentially immune to these factors, he was able to progress through this floor much easier than most people. After a while, as he wasn't earning a lot of OP, Vahn decided to follow through with his earlier urge.Following the indicators he had made on his map, Vahn quickly found what he was looking for. On the ceiling of a large room, there was a giant hole that crept further up into the dungeon. Vahn vaulted off the walls and then used his claws to find his footing within the hole. After getting his bearings and stabilizing himself, he began to jump up the sides of the hole and make his way directly to the 16th floor. Thinking that he was one of the only people that could use this method, Vahn couldn't help but smile at the thought.Arriving on the 16th floor, Vahn began his 'eternal' subjugation of the Minotaur species. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that, if he continued here for the duration of his quest, Vahn may very well be the most prolific Minotaur slayer in history. By the end of his quest, he would have slain several thousand at the very least, a number which would likely include a few variants.As he was butchering Minotaurs, Vahn also made an effort to explore the entire floor. Even though he had a 'map', the layout the dungeon changed from time to time and they weren't always up-to-date. The Guild had a repeatable mission that required people to submit any information they have about the changes they encounter. It was during this exploration of his that Vahn encountered a new, but recognizable, enemy.Standing in the center of the room and lazing about on the floor, Vahn saw a giant 4m long pink Wyvern. As he was constantly maintaining his stealth to avoid detection, it had yet to notice his presence. Vahn had already slain a Purple Wyvern, so he didn't believe a normal one would be his match, but he also wanted to try fighting it without someone else having to draw its attention.Deactivating the stealth component of his domain, Vahn focused his intent on the Wyvern. The moment he did so, the Wyvern's body jerked to life and looked towards Vahn with aggression and a hint, though very subtle, of fear. Vahn was curious about its reaction and began to take an interest in the Wyvern. Without drawing any weapons, Vahn got into a low crouching stance that he had adopted after constantly using his Báihǔ form. This pose allowed him to spontaneously reach his maximum speed in any direction without having to build any momentum.The Wyvern roared and approached the enemy that caused it to feel an instinctive pressure. It had never experienced an 'aura' like what Vahn was emitting. It made the Wyvern feel an apprehension within its mind and caused it to have doubts about the coming fight. Trying to resist the pressure, the Wyvern charged towards the small creature before billowing out a huge pillar of flames. The flames directly impacted the target and the Wyvern, for a brief moment, felt relieved.Seeing the flames approach, Vahn closed his eyes and unequipped the majority of his armor. He had lost his fire-proof clothing when he transformed into the vermillion-bird, and he didn't want the remainder of his gear to get charred as he directly allowed himself to be encompassed by the flames. After remaining motionless in the fire for around two seconds, Vahn suddenly launched himself forward.The Wyvern felt something was wrong with the situation as, even though it had directly hit the enemy with its strongest attack, its instincts were flaring up and it began to feel genuine fear. As that thought passed through its mind, a powerful force slammed into its jaw and knocked its 10,000kg body backward. The Wyvern felt a powerful shockwave resonate through its body and repress the mana within its core. It felt like its entire being had been restrained by the energy that continued to echo within its body without dissipating.Vahn had noticed that the Wyvern seemed to drop its guard shortly after launching its breath attack, so using the gap in its preparedness, he had focused his energy before kicking the underside of its jaw. The Wyvern's mouth slammed shut and its body was pushed back a few meters. Interestingly enough, instead of immediately counterattacking in a rage, the Wyvern seemed to be dazed and hesitant. Vahn could see the fear in its eyes more evidently than it had been previously. Testing his theory, Vahn slowly walked toward the Wyvern while converging his intent on it.The Wyvern could feel the repressive force within its body growing with each step the figure before it took. Every moment seemed to be drawing it closer to its death, and a powerful helplessness emerged in the 'heart' of the monster. The moment the figure came within 1m of its body, the Wyvern could no longer withstand the pressure and simply collapsed to the ground. It gazed towards the boy with tired eyes and released a 'sight' that was accompanied by a tuft of smoke.When the Wyvern collapsed to the ground, Vahn began to experience a feeling of déjà vu for the first time in his life. Much like the kobold that had 'submitted' to him in the past, the Wyvern was now laying with its head to the ground and looking upwards toward Vahn. He could see it had completely lost the will to fight and felt that, if he used [Will of the Emperor], he would be able to subjugate the creature.Vahn reached out and put his hand onto the snout of the Wyvern. The creature didn't resist in the slightest as Vahn continued to converge his intent, directing it towards the Wyvern's mind before asking, "Will you follow me?" Vahn said the words slowly and with power behind each syllable. As the words sounded, the Wyvern's body shuddered a bit before it closed its eyes. Less than five seconds after doing so, a notification sounded in Vahn's mind.//(Nameless) Wishes to become your subordinate: Y/N?//(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Cliff-sama descends','How to Train your Dragon','Pink is manly')

Seeing the notification, Vahn was somewhat excited. Unlike the kobold, which was too weak to make use of, a Wyvern was much stronger than most monsters on the same floor. It was almost like a mini-boss of sorts and was often found on its own within a territory it had established. Vahn never expected such a creature to submit, especially given its nature as a ferocious and somewhat prideful creature.As he had never subordinated anything other than the 'eternal flame', Vahn was very curious what benefits it may provide. Without any further hesitation, he decided to accept within his mind as a series of notifications sounded in his head.//(Nameless) has become your subordinate. 'Unit Management' function unlocked.//[Current Units] [Active: 2][Dormant: 1][Active Units]: (Eternal Flame),(Nameless)[Dormant Units]:(Nameless)After seeing the notifications, Vahn was surprised to see that he had a total of three units. As far as he was aware, the only things he had subordinated were the Wyvern and the Eternal Flame. The fact that there were two (Nameless) within the system confused Vahn, so he decided to expand their information.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(Nameless)Age: 4 daysRace: Wyvern (Juvenile Stage: 4m)Level: 2Loyalty:72Soul Strength: Tier 0 (Mana Construct)Karma: -State: [Active](Nameless)Age: 2 months 2 weeks 3 daysRace: KoboldLevel: 1Loyalty:84Soul Strength: Tier 0 (Mana Construct)Karma: -State: [Dormant](A/N: I also added this since people would probably ask. Note that I don't know how old the gods actually are, just that it is supposed to be several millions years.)(Eternal Flame)Age: AncientRace: Spirit of DivinityLevel: -Loyalty:100Soul Strength: Tier 4 (Divine)Karma: -State: [Active]--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Vahn was even more confused after he read the descriptions of each of his subordinates. According to the system, he had subordinated the Kobold he had met when he was first experimenting with his [Will of the Emperor]. From what Vahn could remember, it had died, so he wasn't certain why it was being displayed. A thought passed through his mind, and he searched his inventory for an item he had long since had concerns for.Within his hand, Vahn now held the magic core he had obtained from the kobold. Unlike a normal core, which just showed a grade and what it came from, the one in Vahn's hand now matched the display within his system under units. Vahn wondered what it meant for it to be dormant, but as he pondered the question, the core in his hand began to glow slightly. Curious, Vahn tried channeling his energy into the core and it began to heat up rapidly in his hand.The core slowly expanded with a strange rainbow miasma forming around it until it had assumed the shape of a kneeling Kobold. Within his map, Vahn saw three indicators for everyone in the area, including himself and two (Nameless) icons. Staring back and forth between the two, Vahn was beginning to get excited. If his assumption was correct...Vahn held out his hand towards the Wyvern that was staring at him and willed it to become [Dormant]. The moment the command was issued in his mind, the Wyvern collapsed to the ground and dispersed into dust with a blackish-rainbow hue. In its place was a medium sized magic core which, when Vahn picked it up, was identified as (Nameless)[Dormant].Unable to contain his excitement, Vahn started laughing while holding the crystal in his hand. The kobold stared at him with a patient expression as if it was waiting for his orders. Had Vahn known at the time, that the kobold had willingly subordinated itself to alleviate his concerns of dragging it around, he would have accepted it long ago. He actually felt a little bad, but still believed the kobold was currently too weak to be of use. After patting its dog-like head for a few seconds, Vahn returned it to its [Dormant] state and re-activated the Wyvern.After the Wyvern was formed, Vahn felt slightly light-headed at the loss of mental energy. He reasoned that, while it was easy to put something into a dormant state, it consumed a lot of energy to reform their bodies. He didn't realize anything with the small kobold, but for a massive creature like the Wyvern, it was a very noticeable amount.Vahn sat on the floor to recover his energy while looking into the clear eyes of the Wyvern. Unlike the fierce eyes of normal monsters, the Wyvern now had a gentle blue color in its eyes and seemed very calm. It was actually kind of strange seeing a monster so close that is just standing patiently while looking at him. While he was recovering, Vahn decided to try and order the Wyvern to see if it would obey his commands.Issuing a command in his mind, Vahn watched as the Wyvern seemed to contemplate his 'order' before it started spinning around in a circle. Seeing its 'silly' act, Vahn couldn't help but laugh out loud. He had ordered it to chase its tail like a dog, and after sending a mental image, it immediately began trying to perform the act. Watching a 4m long pink dragon spin around in circles was incredibly entertaining, especially since it was such a huge contrast to the usual behavior.As Vahn was considering the extent of how obedient the Wyvern was, a hesitant look appeared on his face as he sent his new 'order'. Once again, the Wyvern seemed to pause in contemplation as it tried to understand the order. Moments later, it opened its mouth and fiercely bit into its own forearm. It began to tug away at the flesh as Vahn panicked and ordered it to stop.Vahn noticed that the loyalty of the Wyvern had gone down somewhat, and he felt a pang of guilt in his chest. It seems that, as long as the value is high enough, his subordinates would perform his every command, even if it brought harm to themselves.While it stood there bleeding, Vahn suddenly realized something. Unlike other monsters he had seen in the dungeon, the Wyvern didn't seem to be regenerating. After asking Sis the reason, she speculated that they were now isolated entities from the dungeon. Without being able to access the energy, they wouldn't be able to regenerate anymore.Hearing her explanation, Vahn felt even more guilty as he began healing the wound of the Wyvern. In the process, Vahn noticed that its loyalty had improved somewhat, but not to the same value it had been previously. When he had it self-mutilate, its loyalty had dropped from 72 down to 60, but it had now risen back to 63. Vahn understood that the way he treated them was important, and since they were willing to follow him, he decided to take care of them.Vahn thought for a while before asking, ("Sis, do they need to eat or anything? I know monsters eat adventurers and the crystals at the pantry, but what about these two? I've had the kobold for months, so I guess they are fine in crystal form...")(*You should be able to provide them energy just like the dungeon. As long as they are within your domain, you should be able to channel energy directly to them, or, you can also just imbue energy into their cores when you re-form their bodies. As long as they aren't killed, you can reform their body as many times as you want.*)Vahn nodded in understanding. It made sense that, if he was the one that separated them from the dungeon, he would now be the one to provide them with energy. After realizing that, Vahn had a new thought present itself. Even though they were magic constructs, they were still considered living creatures according to standard principles. They ate, digested food, even excreted, just like normal animals. Vahn figured he could use his skill [Prometheus] and increase the strength of the Wyvern, but first, he needed to confirm something.As he had rested for a few minutes, Vahn had completely recovered his energy. Rising to his feet, he had the Wyvern follow him until he came across a room with enemies. There was a group of five Minotaurs, and the moment Vahn entered the room with his Wyvern they immediately attacked. Vahn was surprised at first because he still had stealth active and didn't expect them to react so quickly.(*[Stealth], even when you apply it to your domain, is always focused on you as the user. It won't influence other creatures or those that enter your domain. Otherwise, everything would also be under the properties of 'stealth', including passersby.*)Hearing Sis's words, Vahn lamented that he wouldn't be able to move around sneakily in the dungeon as long as he had the Wyvern at his side. While he was thinking, his Wyvern had already started to take action. Along with the command to follow him, Vahn had given it the order to attack any monsters that appeared.Even though the Wyvern was not fully grown, it was still far more powerful than the Minotaurs. The moment they got in range, the Wyvern began using its breath attack to burn their flesh. Though they were somewhat resistant to the fire, it slowed their movements by a great deal. Once they managed to get within range, the Wyvern ceased its breath attack and then smashed the closest Minotaur with its tail. The moment the Minotaur turned to dust, Vahn smiled, as a notification had appeared in his mind.//(Nameless) Has killed Minotaur: Level 2, Gained 9OP//Vahn was super excited because, not only did he gain OP when the Wyvern killed the Minotaur, he was also able to determine he had received exilia from the kill as his magic stat had increased by 1 point. He now understood why his [Will of the Emperor] also included 'followers' when mentioning his growth. It seemed that he could also increase his stats by having his subordinates fight for him.The best part of the current situation though was the fact Vahn could still exchange the magic cores of the Minotaur and earn the original amount. This meant that, if he increased the strength of the Wyvern even further, it would be able to increase his total earnings by a fair amount.In his jubilation, Vahn joined the fight alongside the Wyvern and injured the remaining Minotaurs. Once they were disabled, he let the Wyvern finish them off and noticed the amount of OP he gained was slightly reduced when it killed the severely injured ones. He was able to infer that, the amount of bonus OP depending on how much effort the Wyvern had to expend for the fight.After trading in the four cores, Vahn smiled towards his new companion and decided to give it a name. Since it had pink scales and blue eyes, Vahn wanted to name it 'Blinky', but Sis released an exasperated sigh when he had the thought. With a mild flush on his face, Vahn coughed slightly and asked. ("It's not that bad, is it? I think it cute...")Another sigh could be heard in Vahn's mind as Sis said, (*Its a Wyvern Vahn, not a pet. If people hear you named it Blinky they will laugh at you and look down on it.*) Hearing the words, Vahn was very concerned. Though he didn't particularly care about how other people saw him, he didn't want people to look down on his companions. After a few minutes of deliberation, Vahn decided he was bad at naming things, so he asked Sis to do it for him.Sis didn't respond directly, but a list of names began to pass through Vahn's mind. They were all very powerful names, and Vahn could recognize a few from the books he had read since arriving in this world. Vahn saw a name that was attached to one of the most powerful 'dragons' in this world, and seeing it was also a winged creature like his Wyvern, decided it wasn't a bad fit. They both breathed fire and had reddish scales as well.Vahn looked towards the Wyvern and placed his palm on it, much like he had done in his dream when he named Báihǔ. Looking into its azure blue eyes, Vahn spoke the name, "Fafnir." The moment the word left his lips, Vahn could feel energy drain from his body as the system gave a notice that the name had changed. The Wyvern, Fafnir, seemed to be very pleased with its new name as it roared powerfully toward the ceiling. Its body began to increase in size as a brilliant rainbow radiance covered its surface.Curious about the sudden loss of energy, Vahn inspected the display and noticed there had been a huge change that he hadn't expected.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------(Fafnir)Age: 4 daysRace: Dragon (Nascent: 6m)Level: 3Loyalty:90Soul Strength: Tier 1 (Named Familiar)Karma: -State: [Active]--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------After naming the Wyvern, its race had changed to 'Dragon' and its level had increased from 2 to 3. While Vahn continued watching the evolution progress, he noticed that the changes hadn't just been in Fafnir. Though he had overlooked it due to the drastic change happening before him, within the skill section of Vahn's status, he saw a new addition. As he read the description, Vahn's mind began to become numb with shock before excitement began to boil within his stomach.[Keeper of the Akashic Tome]Rank: [Innate: B] *Innate skills cannot be identified. Attempts to do so will result in a backlash.*[Passive]: Allows the user to understand the origin of all things. Limited by the knowledge of the user. Promotes the development of mental energies.[Active]: Allows the user to confer a name to an unnamed entity. The record of the name within the Akashic Tome alters the fate of the recipient. No second entity can share the same name, and the backlash of attempting would result in the death of the former. Cooldown(Determined by the Power of the Name): 59D23H58M[Current Names][Fafnir] A powerful black dragon who possesses incredible wisdom and an immunity to magical attacks. Incredibly weakened against those who possess 'heroic' spirits and righteous hearts. Those that bear this name are tied to a tragic fate unless they abstain from the path of evil.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'But what about the Flame Seed!?', 'Name: Fafnir', 'The third [Innate] appears', 'I want to be the very best')

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')

Chapter 87: Déjà Vu