Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

On the morning of Vahn's second day in the dungeon, Hephaestus awoke in a groggy state. She felt uncomfortable, and after looking at her disorderly clothing, she began to recall memories of the previous night. Hephaestus was flustered as she tried to fix her clothing, but noticed there was a discomforting feeling coming from within the fabrics. Sighing, she eventually left the couch and changed her clothes at a wardrobe located on the far side of the officeAfter wearing some fresh clothes, Hephaestus stared at her dirty laundry and powerful embarrassment enveloped her. She couldn't believe she had used Vahn as an accompaniment to her self-pleasuring. Remembering how innocent and naive he was, Hephaestus couldn't help but feel ashamed of her actions. She felt as though, just like the clothing she had soiled, she was a very dirty person...Trying to push the matters aside, Hephaestus tried to get some work done since she had slacked off the day prior. Unfortunately, this was also around the same time Vahn began his escapades on the second floor, and Hephaestus immediately became distracted by his increased heart rate. No matter how much she tried to ignore it, especially after the matters of the previous night, she was unable to do so. Eventually, she gave up trying to work and just put her head down on her desk while using her arms as a pillow.Focusing her mind, she could feel the various moments of excitement Vahn was going through. Hephaestus felt like he must be enjoying himself, and she wondered what kind of monsters he was facing to be having so much fun. After listening to and experiencing the various emotions, Hephaestus was disturbed by a knocking at the door. With a grim face, she left her desk and approached the door to see who had come by.Opening the door, Hephaestus recognized the man as one of her security detail. He was a tall man with lanky arms, black hair, and brown eyes named Jakk. "Yes, what is it Jakk? Why disturb my work...I am busy." Hephaestus asked the question, but she noticed that Jakk just stared at her like he had seen something unbelievable. After a few moments, just as Hephaestus was beginning to get annoyed, the man pointed to her face and said, "Your eyepatch...it's gone?"Seeing his pointing, Hephaestus reached her hand up and touched her face. Just as Jakk had said, ever since Vahn healed her eye, Hephaestus hadn't been wearing her eyepatch. Due to her dazed state, she had completely forgotten about the matter and answered the door out of habit. Hephaestus noticed that, as she was touching her face, the man named Jakk had a change in his expression as he smiled slightly. "I didn't know you were so beautiful under the eyepatch. It's a shame you don't take it off more often."Hearing Jakk's compliment, Hephaestus immediately felt sick in her stomach. In the years he had been working for her, other than a few looks every now and then, most of the security detail didn't have the courage to speak to her, much less try to flirt with her. His words, though the sounded polite, were nothing by a grating noise in Hephaestus's ears. "I asked why you are here," Hephaestus spoke in a cold tone as she stared toward him angrily.Jakk became flustered after seeing Hephaestus get angry; his eyes grew wide as he put his hands up in a defensive posture. He was just trying to give her a compliment, and he didn't think she would take so much offense. "A-ah, there was a customer that wanted to establish a contract with you. They are waiting at the negotiations table..."Hephaestus continued to glare at Jakk, even after he explained the purpose of his visit. In a cold voice, she spoke, "Tell them I am busy working on personal projects right now and am not taking any new clients for the time being. Leave here, and do not disturb me for the rest of the day." Hephaestus disliked how, even though she was obviously annoyed by his 'look', Jakk continued to stare at her face and eye even after she gave him a harsh look.Jakk nodded his head like a chicken before making his way toward his post. However, after he walked a few steps, he couldn't help but turn his head to catch another glance at Hephaestus. Seeing the audaciousness of her employee, Hephaestus felt her anger reach a boiling point in an instant. In a cold voice, she slowly spoke the words, "You are fired. If I see you around my workshop in the future, I'll have the City guards detain you."Hearing her words, Jakk's mind blanked out and he tried to mumble an excuse but, seeing how angry Hephaestus looked, he didn't have the courage to say anything. Bowing as low as he could, Jakk turned around and quickly left the premises without turning back. After a few minutes, the chief security guard Zaff came by and inquired about Jakk's departure. Hephaestus still had her face uncovered, but Zaff had enough tact to keep his comments to himself. After hearing the reason, he apologized to Hephaestus and swore such a thing wouldn't happen in the future.For the next few hours, Hephaestus was in a foul mood. The fact someone thought they could hit on her the moment her face was healing really pissed her off. Even if they had no ill-intent, she wasn't the type to take any flattery others were willing to dish out. Now that her face was no longer disfigured, Hephaestus felt an overwhelming sense of pride and confidence inside of her. She wouldn't defer to anyone that simply saw her looks and planted a target on her without considering their place and capabilities.In her angered state, the vision of a young boy flashed in her mind, and Hephaestus began to calm down. She released a long sigh and decided today would be another day where she was unable to get any work done. Instead, she decided she would visit the Divine Bathhouse and clean her body while relaxing. Even though she changed her clothing earlier, there was still a bit of discomfort which she wanted to wash away...---After her day at the Divine Bathhouse and a peaceful nights sleep, Hephaestus was in a much better mood than the previous day. When she had left yesterday, Hephaestus did so without wearing her eyepatch. She walked around confidently and drew the eyes of many onlookers along the way to her destination. When she finally arrived at the Divine Bathhouse, many of her fellow goddesses were in complete shock at seeing her uncovered face. Hephaestus spent the rest of the evening talking about Vahn and surrounded by people that teased her for doing so. After returning home, she was very tired and immediately fell asleep while listening to Vahn's heartbeat.Hephaestus decided she had to do some work today, or it would begin to pile up and become a problem in the near future. As the most prolific blacksmith in the City, she didn't have much leisure time to sit around idling. No matter how much Vahn's heartbeat distracted her, she still had to do her job, so she resolved herself and entered her workshop.Several hours later, Hephaestus was making good progress on a sword, when she suddenly felt a powerful fear grip her chest. She immediately tossed the sword aside and began to focus on the beating in her soul. She could feel that Vahn wasn't excited, but very, very afraid. The fear continued to build inside, and Hephaestus knew something was wrong, and Vahn had come across something that scared him terribly. The stronger his fear, the more afraid Hephaestus grew as well because there was nothing she was able to do to help.Hephaestus immediately sent an emergency message to Tsubaki, who began gathering members for a rescue party. Those that showed up were predominately the members that had been gathered the previous time, and seeing their goddess without an eyepatch surprised them greatly. However, the most impactful part of the scene was how pale and concerned Hephaestus was acting, and they knew the matter was very serious for her to be in such dire straits.As the members gathered outside of the entrance of the dungeon, similar to the previous incident, Hephaestus's heart began to calm. She could sense that Vahn was no longer afraid, and realizing this, Hephaestus nearly collapsed to the ground in relief. Tsubaki had been nearby, and she caught Hephaestus before she was able to fall. "Is he okay now?" Tsubaki was also very concerned about Vahn, as Hephaestus had informed her about the connection they shared.Hephaestus had a relieved smile on her face as she explained what she was feeling to Tsubaki. After understanding the situation, Tsubaki informed the rescue party and, though some of them were a bit annoyed, most of them were happy things had taken a positive turn. They stayed in the area for a while before agreeing to meet up later and have drinks, courtesy of Tsubaki, as repayment for their troubles.Afterward, Tsubaki informed Hephaestus that there was an expedition heading into the dungeon later that day, so the two met with the representatives and passed Vahn's information to them. Hephaestus made them vow that, if they met Vahn and he was in trouble, they would do whatever they could to assist him. Grant and Meryl agreed without much resistance, as they could see the concern and worry in their goddesses' face. They wondered what kind of boy Vahn was to have made such an impact on their usually 'cool' and 'stoic' goddess.---The next two days passed relatively uneventfully. Hephaestus was still concerned with Vahn, but she could feel his heart beating steadily in her soul, and it brought her some level of comfort. Other than a few instances where he seemed excited, the next few days were much easier to deal with than the previous two. Hephaestus actually managed to get some work done and completed some of her contracts. The 'eternal flame' had become much more powerful recently, and Hephaestus even saw wisps of vermillion in the flame from time to time. With its cooperation, she was able to finish her tasks with incredible efficiency, so much so that it even surprised her.After a relatively peaceful nights sleep, Hephaestus was awoken early the next morning by a knock on her door. As she was much calmer lately, she answered the door without any negative emotions clouding her mind. Instead of Jakk, the man she had fired, the messenger was now a powerful looking female. She was slightly taller than Hephaestus with auburn hair and purple eyes. "Good morning Hephaestus-sama, there is a Goddess named Anubis here who would like to speak with you."The woman was very polite, even though she had the build of a fierce warrior. Hephaestus made a note to commend Zaff for his selection of personnel later as she moved to the private meeting area where Hephaestus dealt with her VIP clientele. Entering the room, Hephaestus saw a very beautiful goddess with olive-brown skin, long black hair, large pointed chienthrope ears, a bushy tail, and a very regal attire. The most notable thing though were the eyes of the goddess, which seemed to contain a gentle golden light similar to the full moon.Noticing Hephaestus's entrance, the goddess put down the tea she was drinking and gave a polite bow toward the crimson-eyed goddess. "Greetings Goddess Hephaestus, I am known as Anubis, Goddess of the Anubis Familia that recently arrived in the City." Hephaestus gave a curt nod before sitting on the opposite sofa. It wasn't uncommon for gods and goddesses that recently arrived in the City to seek her out. Many wanted to form bonds and even establish cooperation with her, as she was the head of the 3rd most powerful Familia and the largest of all the production Familia in the City."What can I do for you, Anubis?" Hephaestus expected the normal courtesies and requests but was surprised when Anubis handed her a letter instead. Holding the envelope in her hands, Hephaestus gave Anubis a questioning look. Anubis said, "I was entrusted this letter by a boy named Vahn. He had given it to my children after they had...a misunderstanding." Anubis frowned after recalling the event as recounted by her children. She felt both angry and thankful to the boy named Vahn, and his action of sparing her children was what led her to Hephaestus.After hearing that it was a letter from Vahn, Hephaestus immediately opened it while asking,"What kind of misunderstanding? Vahn isn't the type to approach people and cause trouble." Hephaestus had noticed the 'discomfort'of Anubis and thought she was concealing something. Before reading the letter, she wanted to confirm her suspicions. Anubis, hearing the question, sighed before explaining the events. As the recounting the second-hand tale, Hephaestus could feel the blood in her body turn cold as she glared at the goddess in front of her. For Vahn to attack people, he must have felt threatened or had a very good reason for doing so.Hephaestus began reading the letter, and the cold blood in her veins seemed to drop an additional twenty degrees as a fierce rage began to spread through her mind. Within the letter, Vahn explained the events that had transpired from his perspective. He spoke of a god named Osiris that had been targeting him, and Hephaestus even believed he may have been the cause for Vahn's fear previously.Anubis, who had been sitting quietly across from Hephaestus, began to feel a cold sweat on her back as she stared toward the angry Goddess. As she was unaware of the contents of the letter, she had hoped it didn't complicate the matters since Vahn seemed to be the rational type from her understanding. Eventually, Hephaestus finished the letter before coldly looking at Anubis. "Why are you and that idiot god after Vahn? Even if Vahn says you aren't a threat if your answer doesn't satisfy me..." As she spoke, Hephaestus's expression grew grim as the stared into the frowning face of Anubis.Anubis wasn't afraid of Hephaestus, but imagining the danger her children would face, she couldn't help but swallow her saliva under the pressure. "Even I am unsure of the reason. I was asked to come to the City by Osiris to help deal with an anomaly. According to him...the boy named Vahn does not have a soul. As both our divinities are related to death, we can see the soul of all living creatures. Osiris seems to have a grudge against Vahn, but I only wanted to confirm if the matter was true..."Hephaestus nodded, but her expression hadn't become any better after hearing Anubis's explanation. She said, "For now, I want to meet this idiot named Osiris. As long as you stay out of my way, I'll arrange for your meeting with Vahn once he returns. I can assure you, this is probably some scheme of that pathetic friend of your's." Hephaestus said the words with such confidence that even Anubis believed she had been tricked by Osiris. She already expected there to be a greater reason behind his hatred for the boy, and seeing the firm manner in which Hephaestus spoke, she felt like she had been used.---Later that day, the Hephaestus Familia had surrounded the location of the Osiris Familia, which happened to be in a disreputable location near Daedelus Street. It was a small, run-down facility that looked like a criminal's hangout. After a brief conflict between the two Familia, Hephaestus ended up confronting Osiris who tried lashing out at her with various accusations and curses. Hephaestus struck the god fiercely across the face before detaining him using a seal specifically created to imprison gods. She would leave him with the Guild as they conduct their investigation, and if it turns out he was plotting against Vahn for personal reasons, she would make sure he received a one-way ticket back to Heaven.Anubis had been present during the raid, and seeing the unquenchable anger of Hephaestus, she felt like she and Osiris had accidentally awakened a fierce beast from its slumber. She suddenly felt very thankful for Vahn having spared her children and writing the letter to redirect Hephaestus's hatred away from her own Familia...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Roller coaster of emotions','Don't mess with bae','RIP Osiris')

Vahn accompanied Hephaestus out of the medical ward and the two exited the Tower of Babel. Along the way, Hephaestus seemed very happy, and her mood had infected Vahn who also had a pleased smile on his face. While they were walking, Vahn noticed they were heading the north-west, instead of toward Tsubaki's place. Vahn was curious, so he asked, "Are we not going to Tsubaki's manor?"Hephaestus laughed a bit before looking at Vahn with a smiling expression and saying, "You'll still be staying there, but at least for today, I'm going to keep you at my workshop." Seeing Hephaestus's expression, Vahn's heartbeat began to increase which promoted Hephaestus to give him a curious look as she too was aware of the change. "Is there something wrong, Vahn? Is your body okay?" Hephaestus was very concerned about Vahn, especially considering he just awoke from a nine-day slumber.Vahn wanted to explain what he was feeling, but before he found his words a strange sound emitted from his stomach. The moment the noise ended, Vahn began to blush a bit as he looked at Hephaestus trying to hold back her laughter. "Let's get some food on the way, okay?" Hephaestus led the way, and Vahn followed slightly behind her while rubbing his stomach. He hadn't eaten anything in more than a week, and he was incredibly hungry...On their way to the workshop, they stopped at a small stand fried meats that had been seasoned with a variety of different spices. Vahn thought it was interesting because the basket he received had several different types of mystery meats with different seasonings. He had a wooden skewer to eat with, and every bite was a different flavor he had yet to experience. Hephaestus had gotten some for herself, but seeing Vahn happily eating away at his food, she couldn't help but offer him some of her own. Vahn gratefully accepted the food and ate directly from the skewer she offered.After around twenty minutes, Hephaestus and Vahn arrived at her workshop and she dismissed the security personnel. She instructed Zaff to stay in the area and ordered a variety of foods to be delivered for later in the day. Zaff affirmed her orders before giving Vahn a heavy pat on the back,"Good job coming back kid. You had me 'n the boys worried there for a bit." Vahn smiled at Zaff's words and gave him a polite bow in return.Hephaestus led the way into her office before promptly locking the door after they both entered. Looking toward Vahn who was taking in the sights of her office, she spoke in a gentle tone,"It seems like you have influenced a number of people. I was very surprised when so many members of the Loki Familia kept coming to visit you in the ward. Even Loki herself stopped by to discuss the matter of your reward and pay reparations."Vahn's brows raised after hearing Hephaestus speak. He didn't think he did anything deserving of a reward or reparations, or anything like that. Noticing his look, Hephaestus frowned and had a sad expression as she said, "If Loki hadn't tried to negotiate personally, my Familia probably would have had a falling out with her if you didn't wake up. What concerns me more than that is, you seem to have made a lot of...friends in the Loki Familia?"Vahn nodded his head and explained, "The Loki Familia was present when I fought against the Goliath. Afterward, I ended up joining them on the expedition and various things happened before we finally fought against the Juggernaut." Hearing Vahn mention fighting against the Goliath in such a casual demeanor, Hephaestus felt like she had taken a blow to her mentality. She had yet to know the full account of Vahn's adventures in the dungeon, and the fact he had even gotten to the 18th floor in the first place had surprised her.Hephaestus moved to the couch and patted it while saying, "Take off your shirt, I'll update your status while you tell me everything that happened in the dungeon. Don't try to hide anything, as I can easily tell if you're lying...you may not know this, but your expression makes it very hard for you to keep secrets." Vahn was surprised and he held his hand to his face like he would be able to discover something from her words.Watching his response, Hephaestus laughed before saying, "It's not a bad thing, just make sure you're careful around people trying to plot and scheme against you. Especially people like that imp Loki..." As Hephaestus spoke, Vahn walked over after removing his tunic. Hephaestus had been watching him, and after seeing his body, her words trailed a bit and she closed her mouth.Though Vahn wasn't aware of it himself, his 150cm frame had now grown to 156cm, while his frail looking body had started to develop in a more mature fashion. Unaware of Hephaestus's strange gaze, Vahn laid down on the couch so Hephaestus could update his status. The moment he put his head on the cushion, Vahn smelled a strange scent that made his mind feel a little bit numb. Curious about what it was, he turned his head and inhaled the scent while trying to identify its source.Hephaestus, who had been dazed at seeing Vahn's body, now saw him smelling the couch and she immediately recalled that she had been sleeping there recently. She had even, on the night after he left, done something unmentionable on the very spot Vahn now rested. In a flustered manner, she actually grabbed Vahn's head before turning it sideways. "Y-you can't talk if your face is down. Look to the side while I read your status and, don't smell that cushion. I spilled something on it previously and forgot to get it cleaned."Vahn, who felt like his neck had nearly been broken, nodded his head slowly in response. He wondered what she had spilled on the cushion and thought about asking, but seeing the flustered look on her face, Vahn thought she would be embarrassed if he asked. Instead, he began recounting his adventures since the first day as Hephaestus kneeled next to him and dropped a bit of her blood onto the crest on his back.The moment the numbers popped up, Hephaestus was in shock as she listened to Vahn's tale. Vahn was curious at her response, so he decided to ask, "What's wrong, Hephaestus?" Hephaestus was broken from her stupor as she looked at Vahn with a serious expression on her face. "Vahn, how did you level up?" Now, it was Vahn's turn to be surprised as he checked his status window in the system.--------------------------------------------------------------------------[[Stats]]Name: [Vahn Mason]Age: 14Race: Human, *sealed*Parameter: [Danmachi: 1-4]-Level:3(3)-Power: 1906+(I14)-Endurance: 2221+(I44)-Dexterity: 1807+(I11)-Agility: 1959+(I21)-Magic: 3562+(G251)Total:11455+(341)( (A/N: For those curious, Vahn's total at level up was 5908.)Soul Tier 2 (Hero Soul)[Karma]: 2,003[OP]: 411,259[Valis]: 171,630-------------------------------------------------------------------------(A/N: As an example of a normal total after just reaching lv 3, most adventurers would be between 7000-8500 total points. That makes Vahn about 1.4-1.6 times stronger without buffs! Some Level 4 adventurers only have 10,500-12,000 parameters after reaching Level 4.)Vahn was shocked after seeing his stats. Not only had he leveled up without his notice, but he even had an increase in his magic afterward. Sis, who is always present within his mind, explained. (*When you suffered that mental attack, it nearly destroyed your brain. [Will of the Emperor] tried to protect you against the attack and slowly heal your mind. Since it was repairing your badly damaged brain for a whole nine days, it shouldn't be a surprise that your magic would increase. As for the level increase, that was due to the stress that was being placed on your body as your parameters grew. Without leveling up, your body would have exploded before your mind was able to recover.*)Hephaestus saw Vahn's expression and believed he had been unaware of the change himself. She suspected it could be a result of his blood, so she tried asking, "Vahn, has there ever been anything strange with your status before? Have you ever been able to feel changes after fighting?" Since most adventurer's parameters didn't increase without their status being updated, Hephaestus figured Vahn would be aware of there were any changes.Vahn slowly nodded as he began to repeat the words Sis was speaking in his mind."Yes, I often feel my body become stronger after fights. That is how I was able to progress so far into the dungeon. Even I was surprised by how far I was able to go, but every time I encountered a dangerous situation, I seemed to get stronger afterward..."Hearing his admittance, Hephaestus sighed and began to marvel at the mystery of Vahn's body. If her speculation was true, not only did Vahn not need a Falna to improve, but he seems to even be able to update any Falna he has received. With this thought in mind, Hephaestus suddenly recalled the little Pallum girl that often followed Vahn around. Hephaestus had learned from Tsubaki that Lili was a member of the Soma Familia yet, after training with Tsubaki, her status seemed to rapidly increase."Vahn, that Pallum girl, Lili, were you the one who updated her Status Board?" Hephaestus asked the question casually, and Vahn responded without thinking, "Yes, but how did you know she was a Pallum?" As far as Vahn could remember, Lili had always kept her cat person transformation ever since moving in with Tsubaki.Hephaestus frowned a bit before saying, "A little transformation magic isn't enough to disguise her from my eyes. I knew she was a Pallum the moment we first met. I assume she is hiding from the Soma Familia after you rescued her from the dungeon, but that isn't important right now. Tell me Vahn, how did you update her Status?" Vahn realized there was something wrong with how Hephaestus was questioning him, and as if to affirm his suspicions, a voice rang in his head.(*You're an idiot sometimes Vahn...*)Seeing Hephaestus look at him, Vahn began to sweat under the pressure and decided to speak the truth, "After you told me about my origin, I thought I would be able to update someone's status using my skill [Yggdrasil's Blessing]. Though it wasn't easy at first, I was able to do so after a bit of practice." Hephaestus, hearing Vahn's confession, began to panic a little inside her mind.If what Vahn said was true, if anyone found out about it, he would likely become a target of other gods or syndicates. A mortal that can update status would be invaluable to organizations where their gods weren't willing or able to perform the ceremony themselves. Vahn could probably even become a powerful tool for exploitation if anyone found out. Grabbing Vahn's face, Hephaestus looked directly into his eyes after bringing her face right in front of his. "Never, ever, tell anyone you can update the Status of another person. Promise me, Vahn."Vahn, for the second time today, felt like his neck was about to break as he slowly nodded his head. "I promise Hephaestus..." He could see the panic and concern in her eyes, so Vahn knew it could be very dangerous if word were to spread of his ability. Though Vahn never planned to publicize it, if anyone from the Soma Familia found out about Lili, rumors might begin to spread.Hephaestus realized this as well, as she said, "We'll need to have Lili undergo the conversion ceremony. I know she wanted to do something about the Soma Familia herself, but this is no longer just her problem. Even if she became strong enough to crush the Familia on her own, it would raise too many questions and would draw too much attention to the people close to her." Hephaestus planned to inform Tsubaki immediately, so she pulled out a strange parchment and a red magic pen.As she wrote a message onto the parchment, the words slowly began to burn and dissolve into ashes that disappeared into the air. Vahn thought the sight was very interesting, so he couldn't help but ask,"What kind of magic tool is that? I've never seen such a thing." Hephaestus sighed after seeing how casual Vahn was acting given the severity of the situation. However, seeing the honest look on his face, she answered, "The parchment is made from the hide of a magical beast and has been linked to a sister scroll. Using this Fire-link Quill, anything written onto the parchment would be sent the scroll on the other end. Its only effective within 100km, but it's quite useful in emergencies."Vahn began to realize there was still a lot about this world he didn't know about. He planned to use the next few months to familiarize himself with the City and learn all kinds of new things. Seeing the letter Hephaestus was writing, he suddenly had a thought and asked, "Hephaestus, did anyone come by to give you a letter when I was in the dungeon?" Hephaestus's quill stopped a while before she looked at Vahn with slightly widened eyes. "Yes, I had almost forgotten about that matter. I'll have her stop by tomorrow and we can get to the bottom of that situation." Toward the end of her words, Vahn saw that Hephaestus had a fierce and angry expression. He almost felt bad for the person on the receiving end of her wrath...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Level 3','Hephaestus noticed Vahn's growth','Within the Couch's Embrace')

Vahn felt a heaviness in his body as a deep throbbing pain was emitting from his head. He felt like his skull had been cracked open and his brain had turned to mush. Unable to form any thoughts, he just allowed the pain to encompass his entire being, almost to the point he was unable to distinguish between where the pain began and where it ended. He felt like the pain stretched out endlessly, and it was almost as though his body was infinitely expanding along with it to allow for more pain to fill him.Suddenly, from a place deep within, a cooling sensation began to build from a minuscule point at the very center of the seemingly endless pain. It began to expand, almost as if it was trying to erase the pain from existence, but no matter how quickly it spread out, it was always slower than the pace of the pain itself. Vahn felt like his soul was beginning to tear apart by the duality of the two contrasting feelings. One filled him with energy and life, while the other seemed determined to destroy everything and erase it from existence.Vahn tried focusing on the 'cool' sensation and tried to tear his mind away from the pain that had wracked his body for what felt like an eternity. He could feel his consciousness accelerating toward the center of the sensation, but no matter how fast he thought he was moving, he never seemed to get any closer. A fear began to grip his mind as Vahn felt, if he was unable to reach the center, he would lose himself entirely.Suddenly, along with the cool sensation, Vahn was also able to feel a soft and warm sensation that seemed to surround the entire space. What previously seemed like an infinitely expanding void, now seemed to be much smaller as the warmth quickly spread through his mind and banished the pain. The cooling sensation, no longer suppressed by the pain, now spread out at a speed faster than perception itself. Before an instant had passed, the cooling sensation encompassed Vahn's entirety as he began to feel at ease.No longer wracked by the pain, Vahn began to enjoy the feeling of warmth that was spreading from an unseen area outside of this strange space. It felt gentle, kind, and full of things that Vahn couldn't quite describe. All he knew is, the feeling made him feel very safe an secure, very similar to something he had lost long ago. Slowly, the cooling sensation began to recede, allowing for the warm feelings to replace the emptiness where Vahn currently resided.---Vahn opened his eyes and noticed he had difficulty seeing in the dim light coming from a source outside of his line of sight. Currently, the only thing he could see was the sleeping figure of a woman, resting against the bedside where he was currently located. Vahn's mind froze for a moment because he couldn't understand why the person he saw would be present. The last thing he remembered was staring into the eyes of the Juggernaut before spending what felt like an eternity lost in that painful black space.Feeling his movements, the figure woke up with a start and stared into Vahn's eyes with a surprised expression on her face. The two stared at each other for a few moments before the woman, Hephaestus, threw her arms around Vahn and began to embrace him in a powerful and emotion-filled hug. "Uuuuh, Vahn, you idiot! Don't scare me like that!" Hephaestus cried out in an aggrieved manner, and the pain-filled voice tore away at something in Vahn's heart.Without explanation, tears began falling from Vahn's eyes as he returned the embrace of the crying Hephaestus. Feeling the warmth coming from her body, Vahn realized the thing that had brought him away from that painful darkness had been her embrace. He didn't know how long he was unconscious, but he felt a great deal of time had passed. Without her gentle warmth, Vahn wasn't sure he would have been able to come back from that abyss of pain and despair.For now, Vahn allowed Hephaestus to embrace him while he rubbed her back in an effort to return some of the comforts she had given him. He could hear her mumbling accusations and various curses about him under her breath, but Vahn just allowed her to express her emotions as she pleased. Eventually, just as she started to calm down, Vahn spoke, "Thank you Hephaestus...you saved me. I don't think I could have come back on my own."Hearing Vahn's words, Hephaestus put more strength into her embrace before pressing Vahn's head into her chest. "You stupid..." Hephaestus wanted to curse him again, but seeing the grateful expression and relief in his face, she couldn't find the words to berate him any longer. Instead, Hephaestus spoke gently, "You had me worried...Vahn. I'm glad you came back."Afterward, the two enjoyed each other embrace until one of the doctors had come by with a number of people in tow. "Oh? Finally awake, my goodness, you sure know how to sleep, kid." Vahn turned towards the voice and recognized the familia figure of Granny Marin. She was the same doctor that had treated his injuries when he collapsed outside of the dungeon previously. Behind her, there were five figures that looked toward Vahn with happy expressions after seeing him awake.Before Vahn could greet them, Lili and Naaza both rushed toward his beside while Ais, Tiona, and surprisingly, Lefiya approached in a more moderate manner. The two girls had tears in their eyes as they neared, especially Lili who literally jumped into Vahn's chest and began crying. Hephaestus, who had already had her time with Vahn, made way for the other girls before moving away to speak with Granny Marin.Lili was inconsolable as she cried into Vahn's chest. Even when he tried comforting her, she just nestled her face into his hospital gown and continued crying. Naaza took the seat that Hephaestus had left vacant as she stared at Vahn with a tear-stained face. Unlike Lili, she wasn't crying loudly, but her silent sobs made Vahn feel even worse than the small pallum on his chest.Vahn made eye contact with Tiona, Ais, and Lefiya and noticed they were acting more reserved than he expected. Noticing his confused expression, Tiona opened her mouth and explained. "The moment we brought you out of the dungeon, these two had been in a flurry after seeing your unconscious body. In the entire 9 days you were unconscious, they barely left your side."Hearing that he had been unconscious for nine days, Vahn was very surprised. The last-ditch efforts of the Juggernaut had done more damage than he expected, and it was very likely he had been on the verge of death at that time. Seeing the two crying girls that he had parted ways with previously in a confident manner, Vahn felt a terrible feeling in his heart. Placing his hand on both of their heads, Vahn muttered in a low voice, "I'm sorry...Lili...Naaza. I didn't mean to worry you.""It wasn't just the two of them that were worried, ya know~? Ais and Lefiya have been down in the dumps all weeks after you failed to wake up." Vahn stared toward Ais and Lefiya, and he could see a sad look in Ais's eyes. She looked directly at Vahn and said, "I'm glad you woke up. I was worried." Ais didn't deny Tiona's claim at all, but Lefiya seemed somewhat hesitant as she said, "I'm also glad you are awake..."Vahn felt happy to have the two girls' care, but he was a bit confused by a matter and couldn't help but ask while looking at Tiona,"Were you not worried?" Tiona began to smile with all of her teeth showing as a passionate fervor filled her eyes, "No way~! The entire time you were asleep, I kept telling everyone you would wake up! There is no way a hero would be defeated in such a way, hahahahaha-ack!" Toward the end of her laugh, Tiona choked a bit and Vahn could see that, while she likely believed he would wake up, she was still worried about him.Vahn began to laugh out loud after seeing Tiona's gaffe, and the entire room seemed to go silent as he was unable to repress the emotions that had been building inside of him. Seeing so many people concerned about his well-being, Vahn felt incredibly happy and fulfilled. Tiona's actions had been the last straw and, even though he felt guilty for having worried them, he was unable to repress his happiness any longer.Everyone in the room stared at the boy who was both laughing and crying at the same time. Though he seemed unaware of it himself, Vahn was currently in tears as he widely smiled at everyone in the room. They could all feel the relief and happiness contained within his voice, and everyone present began to feel happy, chasing away all the negative feelings that had been present previously.---After everything had settled down, Vahn was required to give every girl a hug before Granny Marin shooed them all out of the ward. Even Lefiya gave Vahn a short hug before departing with the rest of the girls. Once everyone was gone, the only people left in the room were Granny Marin, Hephaestus, and Vahn. Hephaestus sat next to the bedside and grabbed Vahn's hand while Granny Marin began speaking."Kid, I honestly don't know how you're alive right now. After the Loki Familia brought you to me, I checked your condition and, by all rights, you should be dead. Your brain had suffered severe trauma and the liquid inside had increased to such an extent that, even if it didn't kill you, you should have been in a coma for the rest of your life." Granny Marin looked at Vahn like he was a corpse that had got up off the table and started parading around."For now, you'll need to take time off from adventuring for the foreseeable future. I would suggest you spend time recuperating to see if there are any sequelae that present themselves. If nothing happens within three months, you should be fine to head back into the dungeon. And don't try to sneak in either; I already informed all of the Guild Staff to bar your entrance, and if they catch you there will be consequences." Granny Marin had a firm tone to her voice, and Vahn didn't feel like there was any room for negotiation.From his side, Hephaestus had decided to speak up and piggyback the words of Granny Marins, "Don't worry, until I've confirmed with my own eyes that he is fit and healthy, I won't allow him to enter into the dungeon. Even if I have to lock him away inside my workshop for the entire three months." Hephaestus, much like Granny Marin, also spoke with a firm tone. Her words actually made Vahn a little scared but, seeing the concern in her eyes, he couldn't find it in himself to refute her.Vahn could see from his system that he was in perfect health, but he felt he owed it to everyone that had been concerned about him to rest for a while. He could always spend the time improving his blacksmithing skills and studying medicine with Naaza. Vahn hadn't made much time to explore the City, and this would be a good chance to do so while he was unable to enter the dungeon.Nodding his head, Vahn looked toward the two 'fierce' women and said, "I understand. I will take the next three months off to recover fully. I'm not in any particular rush to go back into the dungeon anyway." Granny Marin nodded at his response, while Hephaestus released a relieved sigh. She knew that, if Vahn wanted to, he would find a way to enter the dungeon somehow. Seeing him so cooperative, a lot of the feelings that had been stressing her out in the two weeks faded away.Hephaestus asked Granny Marin, "When can he go home?" The Doctor shook her head and nearly spat out the words, "Just take him. With my prognosis, he should have been in that bed for the rest of his life. He obviously has something special about him to bring him back from the brink. I'm not going to meddle in your Familia's secrets, just make sure to foot the bill properly." Granny Marin had quickly become paranoid about a patient like Vahn. It seemed like every time she saw him, it lead to a mess and an increase in the pressure she had to deal with.Hearing Granny Marin's 'consent', Hephaestus had a big smile on her face. Looking towards Vahn, she spoke her next words with more affection than she had ever mustered in all her millions of years of existence, "Let's go home, Vahn." Vahn noticed how happy Hephaestus was, and it felt like her mood had seeped into him from the point of contact in his hand. He nodded his head and returned her smile, "Let's go home."Title: Return(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Sleepy Boi','A wild Hephaestus appears!','Surrounded by fire and flowers')

Chapter 107: Hephaestus's POV