Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After everything was moved inside the material storage, Hephaestus gave Vahn a list of all the materials and it shocked him greatly. Not only did it include the names of every material, it also included their quantity, weight, and price. Though Vahn had noticed there were quite a lot of materials, he hadn't expected the total price to be 2,183,449,812 Valis. Seeing the astronomically high number, he looked at Hephaestus with a bit of concern on his face.Hephaestus saw his look and said in a firm tone, "You don't have to worry about the price of the materials, as it's only a small portion of my actual assets. If you want to pay me back, don't slack off!" Vahn found her words to be somewhat penetrating, so he nodded his head without refusing the materials. He couldn't deny that this was exactly what he needed to start forging his own equipment in the future. One of the biggest expenses he would have had would be the procural of materials. He had no mining rights and he couldn't hire people to gather for him, so he would have had to purchase everything from the distribution center of the Hephaestus Familia.After everyone was cleared out, Hephaestus gave Vahn a 'key' that would activate the defensive formation. He, as well as anyone he attuned it to, were the only ones that would be able to access the area where the materials were stored. Vahn was very grateful since it would have been impossible to transport the materials without anyone noticing. Vahn expected there would be endless troubles with burglars if he didn't have such an extensive formation setup. He wondered why they weren't more common, and it wasn't until much later in the far future when he learned the reason. The formation itself had cost nearly 900,000,000 Valis to establish.Once everything was ready, Hephaestus was preparing to leave without staying any longer. She had a lot of work to do and several other matters to attend to. However, before she could leave, Vahn ended up stopping her. Before she could complain, Vahn suddenly pulled her into his embrace and kissed her passionately. He felt so thankful for everything Hephaestus was doing for him, that it made him feel sad to see her leave without him thanking her.Hephaestus wanted to resist, but after the previous night, which still clouded her mind, she couldn't muster the willpower to resist Vahn's embrace. Even without him using [Hands of Nirvana], just his touch made her body feel warm and she was quickly losing herself in the passionate kiss. Hephaestus wrapped her arms around his back and held him close as she sought out more pleasure from his lips. It wasn't until Vahn's hands found their way to her butt that she was finally freed from the spell and pulled away with a flushed expression.She gave him a 'mean' look with her still blushing face as she sharply asked, "Why are you always grabbing my butt!?" Vahn, who seemed a bit sad when she pulled away, tilted his head and began to seriously ponder her question. The longer he delayed, the angrier Hephaestus seemed to get, as Vahn's 'innocent' and contemplative state was very frustrating for the goddess. Luckily, before her anger materialized fully, Vahn said in a very serious manner, "I think it feels really good to touch. It is very firm, but it's also soft enough for me to sink my fingers into. I feel like I can pick up your whole body easily just by lifting up your butt a bit."Vahn's 'serious' and honest words made Hephaestus's mind blank a bit as she repeated them in her own mind. She didn't know if she should be happy or annoyed by the boy in front of her, but her body seemed intent on being 'happy' without her permission. She could feel a sweetness in her chest that slowly clouded her mind. Eventually, Hephaestus sighed before closing the distance between Vahn and hugging him again. She knew he was giving her a compliment, and hearing him seriously consider and respond to her question made her feel a bit of pride as a woman.Vahn put his hand around her lower back and just held her for a bit while she hugged him. He was glad that she seemed to be less upset now, but her next words made him feel even better. Hephaestus leaned into him a bit and pressed her body into his as she whispered into his ear, "Then grab it...and never let me go, okay? Work hard, because not even I can wait forever."With her permission, Vahn firmly grabbed Hephaestus's butt, and just like he said previously, he put a bit of strength into his grasp until she was slightly lifted off the ground. Since Hephaestus was still taller than he was, he had to pull her up against his body a bit causing her breasts to contact his chin. Hephaestus released a short moan and then kissed the top of Vahn's head from her elevated position. Though it felt strange to have a boy pick her up, Hephaestus felt a bit of happiness at how possessive his action was. She even secretly decided to start exercising a bit more to tone up her butt for the future...Hephaestus finally managed to escape from Vahn's grasps, and he escorted her all the way to the main road before they parted ways. Vahn tried to give her another kiss in public, but she started walking away quickly like a startled deer. Vahn's eyes followed her retreat, and he noticed that she had very well shaped and long legs that perfectly accented her plump butt that was always attired with a figure-hugging cloth. Vahn even suspected that Hephaestus liked to show it off, or why would she wear such tight pants all the time? Either way, he was enamored by the sight and looked forward to holding her again in the future.After she had walked out of sight, Vahn headed back to his residence and quickly entered his workshop. He already had plenty of materials on the shelves which Hephaestus had prepared for him prior to the 2BV expense. Since it was one of her private residences previously, it was stocked with various mid and high-grade items as well as a variety of tools. Vahn was very grateful since they would have likely cost several million Valis.Nanu was also in the workshop and Vahn had her begin organizing and preparing things while he checked through his system for a bit. Though he had briefly glanced at the notifications, he hadn't had the time to seriously look through everything since he had been so focused on Hephaestus after the meeting with Loki.//Quest Completed//[Quest: Forge an Alliance, Progressive]Rank: A (I-SSS)Objective: Convince Gods/Goddesses to form an alliance between their Familia(s). Current Allies (1)Rewards: 10,000 OP x Familia Rank. Currents Ranks (S:100,000OP). Quest completion rank depends on the total number of allies.Grade Reward(s): 40,000 OP, 1x [Banner of Command][Banner of Command]Ranke: UniqueUse: Enhance all allied units parameters by 10% of users within an area for 10 minutes. Once set, the banner is indestructible and cannot be moved.With the quest rewards, Vahn now had a total of 998,309 OP, just 1,601 OP shy of the requirements for completing his quest. There were also matters like how Loki's affection had increased to 70(Favored), but that wasn't any concern of Vahn at the moment. Now that he was so close to completing the quest, Vahn did something he never would have done previously. Fumbling around with an ingot made of adamantine, Vahn converted it into OP through the system and received 2,000 OP in exchange.He had never used any of the materials or items he had received from Tsubaki and exchanged them with the system because, even if she let him use them, they weren't 'his'. Now that Hephaestus had gifted him a bunch of rare materials, he didn't mind exchanging just a few to make up for the difference he needed. Though the ingot would have been worth several million Valis, Vahn really wanted to finish his quest so that he would be able to use his shop more in the future.With a sigh, Vahn exchanged one-million of his OP to the system to complete his quest. He had experienced so much while working toward its completion and he was kind of grateful for having done so. If he never went into the dungeon at that time, he wouldn't have been able to fight the Goliath and inevitably join up the Loki Familia where he obtained two new lovers. Though the quest had been a struggle, Vahn couldn't help but send a silent prayer of gratitude to 'The Path'. After he was done, he looked at the notification that had sounded in his head with a bit of expectation and excitement.-------------------------------------------------------------------------//Quest Complete//[Quest: Birth of a Legend]Rank: SSCompletion Grade: SSS (317D09H43M Remaining)Rewards: 'Gacha Function Unlocked', [Enkidu:SSS], 10+1 Premium Gacha pull, 1000 KarmaGrade Reward(s): 1x [24 Hour Discount Gacha Coupon], 100,000 OP[Enkidu:]Rank: SSSSlots:0P.Atk: 100M.Atk: 0Ability: Indestructible, Piercing(Divine), Sealing(Divine), Soulbound(Vahn Mason)Indestructible magical chains forged by the heavens to bind even the gods. The spears on the ends of the chains can pierce through anything, while the chains themselves can restrict everything. The stronger the Divinity of the target, the more powerful the binding strength.[24 Hour Discount Gacha Coupon]Rank: UniqueUse: Reduces the requirements for all premium gacha pulls by 50% for 24 hours.-------------------------------------------------------------------------Vahn was completely in awe of the random weapon he had received for completing the quest. Though it seemed to have a relatively low attack, it had the trait of being able to pierce anything. Vahn didn't know what would happen if he pierced through a giant monster with an item that only had 100 Atk, it was a very strange thought. But, the most surprising fact was that it was apparently able to seal away gods or those that possess Divinity. Since he was currently located in a world full of gods, Vahn was terrified by the implications should he decide to misuse the item.Curious about its appearance, Vahn tried to equip the [Enkidu] and was surprised to find that he was unable to do so. After asking Sis, she informed him that, since the item was soulbound to him, he actually just had to 'use' it like a normal item and it would bond with his soul. Following her instructions, he used [Enkidu] and felt like the inside of his body was strangely filled with limitless golden chains. Though they weren't physically there, if he focused his intent inside, he was able to feel their presence. For Vahn, it was a very strange sensation, but he also felt like the chains contained limitless power.Now that [Enkidu] had entered his body, Vahn tried calling it out and felt a strange sensation like his blood was beginning to flow rapidly out of his palm. From the center of his hand, a golden light shone and an indescribably resplendent spearhead slowly emerged. Vahn could feel that his energy was beginning to drain a bit, but he continued pulling out the chain and noticed the body of the chain had the same golden color as the spearhead itself.Nanu had noticed the shining golden light but didn't think it was her place to ask what her Master was up to. She continued preparing the materials as ordered, but would periodically look over and the beautiful golden chain emerging from Vahn's palm. As the Southern Tribe worshipped the Sun, Nanu had a strange attraction to the light, because she felt that it was nobler than the celestial body her people prayed to. It almost seemed more sacred, more holy, than even the most divine artifact.Vahn was curious about the Piercing(Divine) attribute, so he grabbed another ingot of nigh-indestructible adamantine and tried stabbing it with the spearhead. The moment it came into contact, there seemed to be a bit of resistance but, after around 3 seconds, the spear went through the adamantine effortlessly. Vahn was able to determine that the [Enkidu] could penetrate anything, but it seemed to require a bit of time before the effect activated. He resolved himself to test it more in the future but was now curious about the binding effect.Vahn disliked the idea of binding or sealing away something, but it didn't prevent him from having some curiosity. If it came to a point where he needed to use the function but was unable to do so, it could cost him his life or the lives of others he cared about. After a long period of hesitation, he sent a mental command and waited for a minute or so with an uneasy feeling building up in his heart. After a brief delay, a knock was heard at the door before Anubis entered in with a curious expression on her face. When her eyes came into contact with the resplendent golden chain in Vahn's hand, she couldn't help but ask, "Master, what is that beautiful chain?"Title: Enkidu(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Literally OP in this world','Nasuverse in the next 1000 chapters?','Walkies with Anubis')

Vahn had thought of an explanation for Anubis, so he said, "It's strange, but this chain, [Enkidu], seems to have appeared in my body. I've never used it before, and it seems to be bonded with my soul." As he spoke, he disabled [Veil of the Traveler] to reveal his soul for Anubis to see. Her eyes opened wide when she suddenly had the chance to see Vahn's unique soul once again. Like before, it had a beautiful golden color with rainbow hues swirling within; she could now see a sphere of pure golden chains spiraling around each other.In a somewhat dazed state, Anubis slowly spoke out, "It's so beautiful..." Vahn nodded his head because he thought she was talking about [Enkidu], not admiring his soul itself. In Anubis's eyes, Vahn wasn't simply an anomaly or someone with a mutated soul, but he was something far greater. She suspected it had something to do with his origins, and she very much wanted to know what had transpired to create something as unique as the soul before her. As Vahn hadn't hidden it away, her vision was instinctually pulled as she gazed deeper into the interior of his soul. She felt like it contained the power of infinity, and had a strange desire to probe its depths.Vahn concealed his soul again because he had noticed that Anubis's eyes had actually begun to glaze over. He wondered if just the sight of [Enkidu] had an effect, but noticed that her dazed state faded almost immediately when he hid his soul. Now, she looked a bit sad and forlorn, almost like she had lost something precious to her. Even her ears, which normally pointed toward the sky, had drooped down a bit. Vahn was a bit worried about her, so he asked, "Are you okay, Anubis?"Hearing the concerned voice of her Master, Anubis's ears twitched before standing back up. She turned to him with a smile on her face as she bowed politely, "Forgive me, Master, I just got distracted for a moment." Seeing that Vahn hadn't been relieved by her words, she continued and tried to change the mood by asking, "So, those chains suddenly appeared in your soul? Do you have any idea about their use?"Her words reminded Vahn of his reason for calling her, so he explained with a bit of worry in his tone, "It seems to be able to pierce anything, though there is a bit of a delay before it takes effect. The primary function, though, seems to be...to bind things that possess Divinity..." Anubis was very interested in the effects of the remarkably beautiful chain, but hearing the last part of Vahn's words surprised her quite a bit. If what he said was true, then the chains would be a powerful artifact against gods, demigods, and some spirits.She suddenly had a thought and, with a strange glint in her eyes, asked Vahn, "Do you want to try it on me...Master?" Vahn was surprised, not only because her words coincided with his intent, but because she asked the question on her own initiative. Though he had 'ordered' her to come to the room, he hadn't done anything to make her take an interest in the chains other than displaying his soul and discussing the effects of [Enkidu].Vahn's surprise faded and he nodded with while saying in a cautious tone, "I do want to try...but the effects may be uncomfortable, or even painful, for you. I don't want to do anything that would bring you harm, but I would like to know the effects of the chains." Anubis didn't seem bothered by his words at all, as even her tail started to gently wag back and forth. She was pleased that Vahn was concerned for her, but she always wanted to help him if she could be of use. So far, it had been primarily Vahn taking care of her and her children, and she had yet to do anything worthy of mention.Anubis walked forward and grabbed the chain with her hand while Vahn was still hesitating. She asked in a curious manner, "What should I do?" Vahn hadn't expected her to be so unconcerned after he warned her of the danger. He was worried about the fact that her Loyalty may be influencing her decision, so he sent a mental command compelling her to speak her true thoughts.While she continued to fiddle with the chain, Anubis started speaking in a somewhat plain and dismissive manner, "I really wish Master would be needier. If he wants to bind me up in chains, he doesn't even have to ask. The idea of being bound by the Master I chose to follow makes my heart itch with anticipation." Though she hadn't paid it any attention when speaking, after her words finished, Anubis had a shocked expression as she stared wide-eyed toward Vahn.Vahn also had a very shocked expression as he looked at Anubis who appeared as though her brain had stopped working. It wasn't just the two of them either, as even Nanu stared slack-jawed from the side, almost as if she had turned into a statue. Hearing her goddess casually announce she wanted to be bound by their Master was a big impact on the young girl.After a few seconds, Anubis's lowered her head and refused to make eye contact with Vahn as she explained in a frantic manner, "I don't know what came over me! Please ignore what I just said, but I really meant it!" As she finished her words, Anubis once again paused after hearing what she just said. She had no idea what was going on, and all of the thoughts she buried in her heart seemed to be pouring out. Her ears began to twitch while her tail looked like it was trying to free itself from her body. She was incredibly embarrassed by what had just happened, not once, but twice.Vahn was still shocked, but after realizing the cause of her strange behavior, he quickly dismissed the original 'order' he had sent. He now knew that some of his orders had lasting effects, and he worried that he may have done something to severely damage Anubis's Loyalty. Interestingly enough, instead of going down, it had actually increased to 99. Vahn was confused as he stared at the flustered goddess who looked like she was trying to shrink into the smallest form she could. He never expected her to have such a reaction to embarrassment.At this point, Nanu was doing her best to look away from the scene that was playing out in front of her. If it weren't for the fact that Vahn was the 'Alpha' and her Master, she would have lost all the faith she had in her Goddess. However, when thinking about having her Master bind her with a chain, she couldn't help but slowly wag her tail from side to side just like Anubis. As a chienthrope from the Southern Tribe, the idea of a hierarchy and being somewhat submissive to those in a higher position was deeply embedded in her heart. She felt like the attention of her Master would raise her own value, and she would be able to brag about it to the others.Anubis seemed to recover a bit and tried regulating her breathing before fixing her posture and resuming her normally elegant and poised manner. She gave Vahn a gentle smile before bowing politely and saying, "Please forgive my verbal slip Master. I only wished to express my willingness to assist you in understanding the effects of the chains."Vahn was impressed with how quickly she was able to recover and even more so by how easily she seemed to be able to put the matter behind her. He promised to do something to make it up to her later since it was his fault she had been subjected to such an embarrassing plight. For now, he still wanted to test the [Enkidu] that she had been holding onto for a while. It seemed to have no effect just being held by a goddess, so he wasn't sure what to do to activate it.As Vahn was thinking how to 'bind' Anubis with the chains, he felt a pulse pass through [Enkidu] and it broke free of Anubis's hands and seemed to come alive as it danced through the air. While both Vahn and Anubis were surprised by the sudden lively chain, the chains itself seemed to coil around in the air surrounding Anubis as it continued extending from Vahn's hand and rapidly draining his energy reserves.Vahn began to panic as he stared at Anubis who had been encircled by the swirling golden chains. He tried willing [Enkidu] to stop, but it seemed intent on performing its duty as the chains froze in the air and began to contract. Anubis's eyes opened wide at the sight and she felt an incredibly dangerous feeling well up from the very core of her soul. She felt like, if the chains closed in on her, she would never be able to escape.Time seemed to come to a crawl as Vahn stared in horror at the sight as it was unfolding before him. He shouted inside his mind with as much force as he could manage while a cold sensation exploded out of his mind, ("DON'T YOU DARE HARM HER!"). The hatred Vahn felt at [Enkidu] and his own actions seemed to shatter reality itself as all color drained from the world around him. The pulse passed through [Enkidu] and, instead of rapidly closing in on Anubis, the chains slowed to a crawl and gently entangled her figure.The fear that had overwhelmed Anubis previously seemed to fade in an instant as the chains gently embraced her body. Anubis was surprised by the warm feeling of the chain and was curious at how metal was able to make her feel comfortable when it should feel much more restrictive. Seeing Vahn release a heavy and relieved sigh, Anubis said, "I don't feel any different Master. If anything, the chains are actually comfortable..." Realizing how her words could be interpreted, Anubis's eyes widened again and she suddenly wanted to crawl into a hole and hide.Vahn didn't seem to catch the innuendo contained in her words as he asked with a bit of relief and a tinge of curiosity, "Can you try using your Divinity? It doesn't have to be a large amount, just try activating it." Anubis nodded her head before standing still for a few seconds. After a while, she tilted her head in a confused manner after realizing nothing had happened. Even though she had 'activated' her Divinity, there was no release of aura or shaking in the atmosphere.After realizing what this meant, Anubis's confusion turned to shock as she picked up a segment of the golden chains with a reverent and awe-filled look. It was like she had found the most beautiful treasure in the world, and it made Vahn a bit curious, so he asked, "Did you notice anything?" Anubis looked toward him as he asked the question, and for some reason, she had a very big smile on her face as she said, "I can't activate my Divinity at all! It's like all my power is completely sealed."Vahn was satisfied with her answer, but he wasn't sure why she seemed to be excited at having her Divinity sealed away. Before he could ask, Anubis motioned Nanu over with her hands with an anticipatory look on her face. Nanu, though confused, didn't hesitate at all as she trotted over to Anubis. She came to a stop directly in front of her and waited for Anubis's order.Anubis still had a smile on her face as she said, "Take off your blouse, I want to try and update your Status Board real fast." Vahn was surprised by Anubis's actions, but it didn't seem like Nanu shared his shock as she immediately removed the black sleeveless blouse she had been wearing. Though he had seen her figure before in the bath, Vahn was a bit dazed at seeing someone undressing in the middle of a place like his workshop. Though her breasts were rather small, only marginally larger than Tiona's, she was wearing a form-fitting black sports bra with golden embroidery.After removing her blouse, Nanu turned around and Anubis quickly rolled up the back of the stretchy fabric. As she was standing between Vahn and Anubis, Nanu was staring directly toward him with her breasts exposed. Though Vahn felt a little flustered, Nanu seemed completely indifferent to being seen, so he managed to keep his expression from changing. He remembered that, as the 'Alpha', she had an inherent respect for him, and he didn't want to damage her image of him.Vahn just continued to hold eye contact with Nanu who stared at his face unblinkingly as Anubis tried updating her status. After a few failed attempts, Anubis's smile grew wider as she looked toward Vahn with a strange and almost passionate gaze. Vahn was curious, but without having to ask Anubis explained, "These chains seem to completely restrict the effects of a gods soul on a mortal body. As long as you wrap up a god or goddess with these chains, they'll be just a normal man or woman."Vahn nodded his head at her explanation, but he couldn't understand why it seemed so interesting to her. Anubis smiled widely and explained in a manner that even Vahn could understand, "It means, if you tie up Lady Hephaestus's arms when you have sex, you might be able to get her pregnant. I'm really interested in seeing what is going to happen in the future. It seems like I chose my Master well~!"(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'There are no absolutes in the world','Godhand Learns a Useful 'Technique','Anubim, because there is no S in Anubis')

Vahn awoke the next morning in a groggy state. He had been in high tensions the entire day yesterday, and even though he recovered his energy and stamina, it didn't prevent him from feeling mentally exhausted. When he lifted himself up from his bed and looked over, he was surprised to see that Hephaestus had disappeared sometime during the night. He felt a little sad at the thought but assumed she likely had things to take care of and didn't want to wake him.As he had no plans for the day, Vahn wanted to make sure everything was running smoothly in the house. He felt a bit guilty about the fact that, the morning after he told the children their new schedule, he ended up leaving them behind for Anubis to deal with. As the 'Alpha', he needed to keep his word whenever possible, or it could create problems of trust in the future.Exiting the room, Vahn nearly fell over when he came across Anubis who had been waiting outside his door. As if she didn't see his fumble, Anubis said in a polite tone, "Good morning Master." She followed her words with a polite bow and Vahn returned the greeting. He noticed that, even after he spoke, she continued to bow toward him so he reached out his hand and pet her head a bit. When his hand came into contact with her ears, Anubis's tail began to sway back and forth a bit before Vahn pulled away.Apparently satisfied, Anubis smiled at Vahn before informing him, "Lady Hephaestus had left earlier, but she told me to pass a message to you. She said she was going to prepare a few things and that you should put your best efforts into improving your forging skills." Vahn imagined the image of a blushing Hephaestus telling him to do his best, and it made his heart feel warm as he showed a happy smile.Afterward, the two made their way to the training area that Vahn had designated on the northern side of the property. The children had awoken early, just as he had ordered them to the other day. They were now patiently waiting for his arrival while sitting on their knees in a seiza-like posture. The moment Vahn took his place before them, they all bowed low and shouted in unison, "Good morning, Master!"Though he sighed a bit in his mind, Vahn nodded and acted confidently before the seven bowing children. In a firm voice, he said, "Raise your heads and prepare yourselves. I will be teaching you a method of improving your footwork, as well as a variety of skills called 'Close Quarters Combat' techniques. I have a rough understanding of how strong everyone is, but from here on out we'll also be performing live sparing to familiarize everyone with actual combat."Vahn saw that the children were staring at him with serious expressions, so he nodded his head and continued, "As I said previously, you'll be left to your own devices after our training ends, but I forbid anyone from entering the dungeon alone or without informing either myself or Anubis. You already have experience working as a team, so I have confidence you'll be able to grow even stronger after training. Your goal now should be..." Vahn paused for a moment and looked at the glowing eyes of each chienthrope child. After he passed over the entire group, he continued, "Level 5."All of the children were very surprised by his claim, and even Anubis didn't understand why he gave them such a 'high' goal to start out with. Noticing their confusions, Vahn explained with a serious tone, "I have met people near your age that are already Level 5 and have yet to reach their full potential. They work hard and I imagine they will be able to obtain even higher accomplishments in the future. If you're satisfied with just 'the next level', you will never be able to go beyond your limits. Have confidence in your actions, trust your training, and never settle for easy to achieve goals."Anubis had a thoughtful look in her eyes, but the smile on her face couldn't conceal the appreciation she had for Vahn's words. Each of the children was staring at him with fervent expressions as they shouted at the top of their lungs, "YES, MASTER VAHN!" They seemed to be in incredibly high-tension as their tails beat against the sides of their hips and they looked like they wanted to jump up from the ground and immediately begin training.Vahn smiled with a hint of pride in his eyes as he slowly released his domain while transforming into his Báihǔ form. Since he didn't put any intent into the domain, the children weren't able to sense it at all, but Anubis's eyes glowed like moonlight as she observed his change. Like Hephaestus and Loki, she suspected that Vahn had a 'Divinity' and it made her even more certain of her desire to follow him.While Vahn had been hyping himself up for the coming training session, he suddenly heard a notification in his head that made him lose a bit of his momentum. The system had informed him that Anubis's Loyalty had just shot up to 98 and he noticed she was looking at him with a similar fervor to the children. Matching her gaze, he slowly asked, "What will you do? Do you want to train, or will you watch at the side?"Anubis shook her head while continuing to smile as she said in a happy sounding tone, "I am perfectly happy watching from the side. If you need my assistance, please let me know Master." She then bowed slightly and walked away while Vahn followed the figure of her wagging tail with his eyes. Vahn found that specific trait of a chienthrope to be very interesting and seeing the bushy tail coming from the shapely hips of Anubis, Vahn actually swallowed a bit as a small desire to pet her tail emerged from his mind.Almost as if sensing something, Anubis's ears twitched as she turned her head to look at Vahn and asked, "Do you want to touch my tail, Master?" Though she didn't know why, Anubis felt like her instincts had told her that Vahn had such a desire. It made her heart flutter a bit, and she couldn't help but ask the question with a hint of anticipation.Vahn's brows shot up by her question and he covered his embarrassment with a cough before saying, "I'm going to train the children. I don't have time for that right now." Since he was a bit flustered, Vahn allowed a small verbal slip which wasn't missed by Anubis. Her tail began to wag at a slightly faster pace as she laughed while covering her mouth with her sleeve and saying, "Later then...when there is time."Her words made Vahn's heart rate quicken, but he put the matter to the back of his mind as he began training with the kids. As he expected, they each possessed incredibly lithe and flexible bodies, and their method of fighting relied heavily on their instincts and senses. This is the reason Vahn had used his Báihǔ form from the beginning, so he would be able to teach them in the most effective manner.Perhaps due to their young age, but they absorbed everything he said like a sponge and were quickly learning the routines for their future training. By the time the sun had peaked over the outer walls and breakfast had approached, the children had memorized all of the basic forms. Vahn attributed to their identities as Level 2s and their willingness to assist each other when they made mistakes. He noticed they had a powerful bond and acted very close but never acted against the hierarchy.Rasui and Maat put in an insane amount of efforts into their training and all of the other kids were somewhat deferential to them. Whenever they had concerns, they would immediately ask the two children Vahn had put in charge. Rasui and Maat would do their best to explain, but if the matter was too complicated they would ask Vahn before returning to the child that asked. Vahn noticed this was always the case and, unless he directly instructed one of the kids, they would always get to Rasui and Maat first. He began to understand how much emphasis they played on the hierarchy and how much respect they had for him as the 'Alpha'.After training, the entire group at breakfast together in a similar fashion as they had done so previously. The biggest difference was, now the group had a large circular low tabled to congregate around. Everyone worked together to ensure everyone else had the proper food and portions before waiting for Vahn to give the order to eat. Vahn felt strange having the children so reliant on his actions, but it also made him feel strangely confident in everything he did. He wanted the kids to continue placing their trust in him because it made him feel like a more reliable person as a whole.Once breakfast had completed, the entire group helped clean up the table before tending to the dishes. Everyone had their own assigned roles, and because they cooperated together, they finished the process in an incredibly short period of time. Vahn continued to watch them with interest as Anubis maintained her constant presence behind and to his left.Vahn had noticed that, unless she was unable to do so, Anubis always stood slightly adjacent and to his left. When he had asked about it, she informed him that, as a servant, it was her duty to always stand at his side. When he asked why she never stood at his right, she gave him a soft smile before saying that the spot at his right was reserved for his wife. Seeing her expression, Vahn felt a hint of danger as he turned away and began ruminating over the idea.He once thought that people had to be married to be 'lovers', but after having multiple lovers now, he hadn't thought much about marriage. Though he had learned from Riveria that polygamy was very common in Eden, he still never thought about the prospect of having multiple wives himself. Now that he was trying to balance several relationships, Vahn had to seriously consider the matter for the future.After everything had been cleaned up by the children, Vahn released them to their own devices for the rest of the day. The group immediately broke up into what he had expected were pre-designated teams as all but one person left from the house after receiving Valis from Anubis. Vahn had left quite an amount with her, and she seemed to have been delegated the role of handling and distributing the funds.Once the two groups of three left, Vahn looked curiously at the remaining person and asked, "Nanu, are you not going out with the rest?" The young girl who had remained behind was Nanu, one of the two unfortunate girls Vahn had previously pinned with an arrow. He always felt guilty whenever he was around her and Chione. Of the three, she was the smallest and stood around 130cm with short, very dark brown, hair that was cut into a bob that framed her face. She had the same olive-brown skin as the rest of the Southern Tribe as well as their characteristic fuzzy tail, pointed ears, and rose-colored eyes.Hearing Vahn's question, she bowed her head a bit but didn't lose her composure. She continued to stare at him with respect as she answered, "Master, I have been asked to assist you. I also possess the [Blacksmith] development ability and received some instruction from Tsubaki-sama yesterday. She informed me to act as your assistant and work on developing my own skills."Vahn hadn't expected one of the children to have the [Blacksmith] development ability and decided to find out the rest of their capabilities later. Since Anubis knew all of their statuses, she should be aware of their skills and abilities and wouldn't keep the information from him. Vahn wasn't going to turn away Nanu's assistance, as it would go against his words of telling the children to do as they please. If Nanu wanted to become a blacksmith in the future and decided the best method would be to act as his assistant, he didn't have any reason to refuse.Almost as if on some divinely-inspired queue, several people began showing up outside of Vahn's house. Curious, he exited through the courtyard and noticed a familiar red-haired goddess instructing the group. Hephaestus, after the experiences of the previous day, decided to take matters into her own hands and procured a ton of resources which she was now shipping to Vahn's workshop. Since he would be unable to enter the dungeon and secure funds, she wanted to make sure he had plenty of resources at his disposal without having to worry about cost.Vahn walked up to her and, noticing his presence, Hephaestus immediately began to blush before turning away. Vahn was surprised by her reaction and the fact she seemed to be trying to ignore him, so he got closer and asked, "Hephaestus, what is all this?" Hearing his words, Hephaestus sighed a bit before giving him a sidewards glance and saying, "It's materials so you can develop your forging ability faster. If I find out you're slacking off, don't blame me if I beat you into a pulp. From now on, unless you make plans and confirm them with Tsubaki, you're on house arrest except on the weekends. I'll stop by to monitor your progress when I'm free."After she finished her words, Hephaestus kept guiding the burly men into carrying the materials inside while she instructed another group to begin establishing barriers and formations around the house. The resources she had acquired for Vahn would easily net more than 2 Billion Valis if someone decided to steal them, so she had people working to secure the perimeter around Tsubaki's manor and Vahn's residence.Seeing the determination of Hephaestus and hearing her firm proclamation from earlier, Vahn just stood at the side and watched her work. He couldn't help but feel that she needed to relax more, and decided that he would help her do so in the future.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Hephaestus is just about fed up','Future Exploits of the Godhand','New Apprentice')

Chapter 135: *Spoilers: Title at End*

Chapter 135: Spoilers: Title at End