Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

As it wasn't the first time he had heard a similar question, Vahn wasn't shocked when she asked if he was human. With still holding his bow fully drawn, he asked, "Why do you ask that when you're focused on trying to kill me?" Since she had yet to begin attacking again, Vahn didn't want to be the one to start the fight back up. He was already injured and hadn't yet recovered his strength from the severe beating he had received.The woman squinted her eyes and asked Vahn a question without answering his, "Do you think, if I wanted to kill you, you'd still be alive right now?" Her words sent a chill down Vahn's spine, and he prepared to loose the arrow as her hand raised. Though it looked like a slow motion in Vahn's eyes, she completely raised her hand in less time than it took for him to release the arrow. Opening her mouth slightly, the woman uttered, "Nivis Casus."The area more than 300m surrounding him suddenly exploded with a massive amount of ice and snow. Vahn felt his body enveloped by the cold elements as they started freezing his limbs even against the resistance of the 'eternal flame'. He couldn't breathe as the biting cold slowly tore through his body and seemed intent on freezing his entire being. Any hopes he had against the woman completely faded and Vahn felt a powerful fear as well as rage building up inside his body.Just as he was about to succumb to the god, he felt a palm press against his chest and a powerful force sending him outside the area of effect of the magical spell. He slid along the ground for hundreds of meters before finally coming to a stop. A light flashed, and the woman was standing over his body while looking down at him with contempt in her eyes. She asked, "Do you still believe I was trying to kill you?"The fear hadn't faded from Vahn's mind, but he could feel the rage continuing to build as his blood slowly started glowing with a crimson light. The woman seemed dissatisfied by his actions and tried infusing more ice elements in the surroundings to force him to surrender. She spoke in a cold tone, "Give up, boy. Even if you're upset by my treatment, you need to be a lot stronger if you want to stand against me. If you keep up your current actions, I really will kill you."Vahn felt that her words were true, and he knew she wasn't trying to kill him, but the fact he was being tossed around at her leisure compounded the fear he had felt when he thought he was going to die. Unable to suppress his rising emotions, Vahn transitioned from his turtle form into that of the vermillion sparrow. The moment his body change, the ice elements in the surroundings were dispersed and he sent a massive pillar of flames toward the beautiful girl who looked at him with a face full of scorn.A gigantic magical circle formed in the air between the two and Vahn's pillar collided against the light blue icy structure with an intense force. The woman frowned her face because she could see that the flames were slowly eroding away at her defensive spell. She teleported away just as the barrier broke and scorched the area where she had been standing for nearly 30m.Just as she finished the teleportation and was inspecting the damage, a golden sheen lit up the air around her, and her eyes widened in shock after seeing the resplendent figure of [Enkidu] surrounding her. She immediately tried to teleport away but found that the space in the area had been locked and she was unable to move outside of the chains containment. She turned her eyes to the source of the chains and saw Vahn, wreathed in flames, holding his palm toward her where [Enkidu] had emerged. He had a fierce look in his eyes as he pulled the chain and the sphere around the woman quickly closed.The woman immediately erected an omnidirectional barrier, and it was able to resist the coiling force of [Enkidu], but she noticed that the shield wouldn't last long. She started chanting a spell that resonated in the air and seemed to be bringing the temperature of the entire space down. At this point, Vahn had already overused his energy with the use of the vermillion sparrow transformation and [Enkidu], but he refused to go down before he could teach the contemptuous woman a lesson. Vahn didn't care if people looked down on him, but he wouldn't allow himself to be repressed to such an extent by someone that he didn't know.Blood started to drain from Vahn's nose and mouth as he refused to pass out while tightening the chains of [Enkidu]. Though it took a lot of energy to produce them, it didn't take much to sustain them. If he was able to seal the woman, he would be able to buy enough time to heal his body and escape. Vahn pulled out a senzu bean and tossed it into his mouth, and it seemed to prevent his body from breaking down for a brief moment. Unfortunately, though it was able to heal his wounds and stamina, it couldn't prevent the destruction he was imposing on his own body.The woman could feel her barrier beginning to break, but she paid no attention to it as she finally completed her incantation. She spread her arms out wide as she shouted, "Kosmike Katastrofe!!!". The darkness from the endless black sky seemed to drop on the white floor around Vahn, and he could feel the entire temperature in the area immediately drop several hundred degrees.Vahn noticed that his breath seemed to stop completely as his limbs, while still wreathed in flames, began turning into ice. He could feel his heart beating powerfully in his chest at it tried to resist the biting chill, but it was only able to delay the effects and not prevent them in the slightest. By the time the cold had reached up his arms and legs, Vahn was no longer able to focus his mind. The only thing he felt was a powerful and biting cold that consumed all his thoughts.Fortunately, the spell didn't cause him to feel any pain, and Vahn slowly lost consciousness as his torso fell to the ground. the chains he had summoned dispersed while the woman looked at him with a bit of fear in her eyes. Right now, Vahn was missing his arms and legs due to the effect of her spell, since she had only targeted his limbs. She was able to determine that the chains were only intended to seal her, so she didn't intend to take his life just because she was a little annoyed.She teleported next to his body and stood in deep contemplation as she watched him slowly begin to fade away into nothingness. Since Vahn had lost consciousness in the space, he would suffer a bit of damage, but it wouldn't be anything a good nights sleep couldn't recover. He would wake up in the morning with a headache, but before the day ended he would be fine. She wondered if the boy would return again in the future as she looked up in the empty black sky overhead.---Vahn awoke the next morning with a powerful headache as he raised his body up from the floor. He had used the orb on the edge of the bed and then lost consciousness when he put his intent into it which caused him to fall off the bed. Staring at the black orb that had rolled away on the floor, he moved forward an picked it up while inspecting its pitch black surface. It was eerily reminiscent of the sky in the world inside the orb, and Vahn wondered about the origins of the woman that had easily defeated him.Storing the orb into his inventory, Vahn resolved to continue trying to fight her again in the future. If the skill contained in the orb had anything to do with the magic she used, it would be a powerful asset to have for the future. Since she didn't seem intent on killing him, Vahn wouldn't give up after a minor setback. It also gave him the chance to fight against a much stronger opponent, and though his body hadn't been able to grow, his magic stat had increased by a fair amount during the battle.--------------------------------------------------------------------------[[Stats]]Name: [Vahn Mason]Age: 14Race: Human, *sealed*Parameter: [Danmachi: 1-4]-Level:3(3)-Power: 1906+(I14)-&gt;(I29)-Endurance: 2221+(I44)-&gt;(H105)-Dexterity: 1807+(I11)-&gt;(I52)-Agility: 1959+(I21)-&gt;(I33)-Magic: 3562+(G251)-&gt;(E498)Total:11455+(341)-&gt;(717)Soul Tier 2 (Hero Soul)[Karma]: 3,103[OP]: 81,309[Valis]: 3,261,630-------------------------------------------------------------------------When he fought inside the space, he was able to use all of his abilities, even his system, but since his body was a spiritual entity, it didn't have a big effect on his stats. If not for [Rakshasa Body], Vahn wouldn't have experienced such a large growth in his physical parameters at all. If Vahn was able to keep up with this type of training in the future, he felt like he could greatly increase his combat potential in the future. He had long realized that his domain and [Will of the Emperor] were based on magic, and they had a powerful influence on all of his skills and parameters. If he could increase his magic stat, it would enhance all of his parameters in the future and give him more control over his other Innate skills.After taking a potion to help recover his mental fatigue, Vahn made his way out of the room and came across the familiar figure of Anubis. He wasn't surprised to see her at all, but he noticed she had changed her usual clothing. Instead of the regal attire she normally wore, Anubis now had on slightly more revealing clothes. She had on an intricately designed black and gold dress that revealed her abdomen and was cut deeply on the sides to allow her long, olive-brown, legs to peak out from the sides. Around her neck, she had a beautiful necklace made of gold that was seated with green and red gems that only vaguely concealed the deep V cut of the top of her dress. Vahn could clearly see her cleavage contrasted by the black dress and the gold jewelry.Anubis had stood patiently with a smile on her face as Vahn inspected her new clothing. Though she wouldn't wear such an outfit outside, as long as she was at home she wanted to make Vahn pay more attention to her. Her ceremonial attire made her look like an actual goddess from the Southern Sands, and it was very eye-catching with how much skin it revealed. After Vahn stared at her for nearly a minute, she bowed forward slightly and said, "Good morning, Master."When she bowed, Vahn saw the golden ornaments around her neck dangle slightly and he could clearly see down the cleavage of her dress. Though it hugged her figure, whenever she leaned forward, he hung from her body slightly and created a captivating view. Vahn was in a bit of a daze as he habitually reached out his hand and started stroking her ears. In a somewhat complacent sounding voice, he said, "Good morning Anubis...I see you've changed outfits."While enjoying Vahn's 'petting', Anubis laughed a bit and said with her head still lowered, "I wanted to wear something that would please Master. What do you think, does it suit me?" As she asked the question, Anubis lifted her head and did a cutesy pirouette that contrasted her usual noble demeanor. The various pieces of jewelry she was wearing made beautiful sounds as they clashed against each other during the movement. However, what caught Vahn's attention the most was the areas where Anubis's tail was.Instead of the normal cut cloth that would allow a chienthrope to wear clothing without restricting their tail, Anubis's current clothing actually hung under the base of the tail instead of allowing it to pass through. Vahn hadn't realized it from the front, but almost her entire back was uncovered, and he could vaguely see the area where her back began to form into the shape of her butt. For the first time, Vahn got a close-up view of how the tail was connected to the body, and he almost instinctively stretched out his hand to touch it.Anubis had wagged her butt a bit while swaying her tail and watching Vahn's reaction. She had always been paying attention to his interactions with Hephaestus, and she knew he likely had an appreciation for women's butts. She also knew that his eyes often wandered to the ears and tails of herself and the children, so she suspected he also had an inclination towards chienthropes and other demi-human races. Seeing his hand reach out like he wanted to touch her 'butt', Anubis had a playful smile on her face as she said in a slow and sensuous manner, "Go ahead...Master."Her words were like a spell to Vahn, and his hand slowly made its way forward toward the base of her tail. Unfortunately for her, when her tail began to wag due to the excitement, Vahn was snapped out of his dazed stand and pulled his hand away with a slight blush on his cheeks. "Let's not keep the children waiting." When his words finished, Vahn started making his way down the corridor with Anubis looking at his back in a somewhat 'sad' manner. She released a quiet sigh that Vahn was unable to hear as she fell into step with him while standing at his left.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn gets wrekt','Sad Pupper','Ice Queen')

Other than a few changes in the hierarchy, with Nanu now being Vahn's 'disciple', everything else went without a hitch. The children were still rapidly learning the forms for CQC and they had even begun to spar using the techniques. Unlike the wild and instinct based attacks they used in the past, they were no focusing on form and adapting to their opponents. Interestingly enough, when the children had split into pairs to spar, Nanu came to him before bowing respectfully and assuming a combat stance.Vahn nodded his head and didn't refuse her request, and slowly guided her through the movements. She listened to his words very seriously and put so much effort into her movements that she was covered in beads of sweat and panting heavily after just a half hour of training. While the other children were also working hard, none of them attacked with the ferocity that Vahn saw in Nanu.He was worried she was going to push herself too far and thought to advise her against trying so hard. Strangely, when Vahn had that thought, he realized he would be contradicting himself. He had just told them the day before to set their goals high and push themselves beyond their limits. Vahn realized that, though he believed in his own words, it could be dangerous if he didn't guide the children properly. Luckily, he had plenty of support skill to help them recover if they became injured when training in excess.Almost as if his thoughts were prophetic, it wasn't long before Nanu collapsed to the ground after trying to perform an acrobatic twist in the air while aiming at Vahn's head. Though she was very flexible, her body wasn't prepared for such a strenuous movement while her muscles were already taxed. Though she managed to land the kick against Vahn's guard, when she landed on the ground on her pivot foot, she scrunched over into a ball while holding her hands against her ribs.Vahn felt a bit flustered at the sudden change and thought that her form on the ground looked very pitiful. Her tail had curled up while her ears hung low as she clenched her ribs with a pained and frustrated expression on her face. When Vahn got closer to her, she uttered through pained gasps, "I'm sorry...Master." Vahn released a sigh as he removed her hands to inspect the damage.Vahn placed his palm on her ribs and started channeling [Hands of Nirvana] to quickly disperse the pain. Within a few seconds, the pain on her face faded away and she rolled from her side onto her back while looking up at Vahn with a reverential look. Vahn was happy to have helped her, but before he could help her up, she did something that made his brain pulse with shock. With her tail curling up toward her abdomen from in between her legs, Nanu rolled up her blouse and revealed her stomach to Vahn.//Nanu wishes to become your subordinate: Y/N?//Nanu looked at Vahn with anticipation in her eyes as all the other children stopped their sparring and stared at the sight with various different expressions. Vahn was confused by the sudden series of events, and Anubis approached from the side and explained in his ear. "In the Southern Tribe, laying on your back and showing your stomach is a sign of submission. If you rub her stomach, she'll become your subordinate until you abandon her or she dies."After hearing Anubis's words, Vahn couldn't help but release a sigh in his mind as he looked down at the girl holding up her shirt while staring at him with shining eyes. Though he didn't mind having more subordinates, his experiences with Anubis had led him to have various doubts about subordinating sentient and intelligent creatures like the various races on Eden. While dismissing the notification in his mind, Vahn extended his hand forward and put it on her stomach. He knew that if he refused, she would likely take a heavy blow, but he also didn't want to bind her by the system at the moment.Though it was still between her legs, Nanu's tail started wagging back and forth between her thighs as she placed her hands on top of Vahn's and said with a smile, "My Master." Vahn felt like she put a lot more emphasis on the word now, and it made him feel both happy and guilty. Being the 'Alpha' seemed to have a lot of troubles in store for the future. While his hand was on her stomach, Vahn noticed she still had a few muscle cramps and internal injuries, so he used his [Hands of Nirvana] to clear away the remainder of the damages in her body.When Nanu felt a warm energy enter her stomach, she had a very excited expression on her face and closed her eyes while the writhed around on the ground. Vahn almost laughed a bit at her reaction, because she was acting like his hand was very ticklish. After a minute or so, he removed his hand from her stomach and she veritably bounded up onto her feet in very high tensions. She ran over to the other children, and they all had happy smiles on their faces as they gave her various forms of congratulations.Vahn smiled after seeing that their bond was close enough that they shared each other's happiness, but his smile froze when he heard Anubis say with a hint of exasperation, "For both boys and girls, placing your hand on their stomach after they submit is enough to accept them as a subordinate. If you continue stroking them for so long, that is essentially telling the other person you don't see them as a simple subordinate. For the Southern Tribe, where marriage isn't popularized, it is the same as asking someone to be your mate..."After receiving the congratulations of the other children, Nanu bounded over to Vahn while he was still in a dazed state. She stopped in front of him before bowing low for a few seconds while waiting for Vahn to pet her head. Vahn wanted to explain that he was only trying to heal her wounds, but after she was received in high spirits by the other children, he felt like it was impossible to do so. Stretching out his hand, he began to stroke her head while saying, "You have to wait until you're older...for now just focus on becoming stronger."Without any delay, Nanu said in a happy voice, "Yes, Master, I will do my best." After Vahn stopped petting her, she walked around behind him and took a position at his right. Remembering Anubis mention that position was reserved for his wife, Vahn felt a bit of a headache in his mind as he stared at the clearly befuddled goddess. She saw his look and furrowed her brows a bit before bowing low and saying, "I apologize, Master, I should have explained things clearly. I am willing to accept any punishment for my mistake."When she bowed, Vahn once again caught sight of the view concealed in her dress and he couldn't help but release a sigh as he said, "No, it's my responsibility for what I do with my hands. I am expecting a proper explanation regarding any other important matters about the Southern Tribe. That will be enough for a punishment."Anubis furrowed her brows lower and had a slight frown for a second or two before she sighed and said, "Yes, Master. I will make sure to explain things in detail." Vahn hadn't missed the fact that she seemed very 'sorry' for her mistake, so he reached out his hand and pet her ears for a bit. Once her tail started to wag slightly, he pulled his hand away and said, "I don't blame you. It's my own fault for not putting more effort into understanding your culture. If I'm going to be the 'Alpha', I need to take things seriously from now on."Though she gritted her teeth a bit when he pulled his hand away, Anubis just released a small sigh before she smiled toward Vahn and said, "Please rely on me, Master, I will teach you everything I can." Anubis knew that Vahn was very considerate of others, but she didn't know how painful his 'consideration' could be. She actually wished the strange event from the previous day would happen again, so she could tell him what was actually on her mind.---After the training ended, the entire group sat down to eat breakfast together. The seating order had changed once again, and now Nanu sat at his right while Anubis remained at his left. For some reason, he felt a bit of pressure from the chienthrope goddess and small girl to his right. Now, not only did they wait for Vahn to begin eating, but the children also waited for Nanu to nod before the started. Though he remained unperturbed on the outside, Vahn felt a bit of frustration in his mind as he quickly ate away at the delicious breakfast.Once breakfast was over, the children split again into two separate groups while Anubis and Nanu stayed behind. After everyone departed, Anubis bowed before asking Vahn, "Master, there are several items I need to purchase. Though I still have the Valis you left me, some of the items may be slightly outside of my price range." Vahn nodded his head before giving her a bag containing an additional 300,000 Valis. Anubis received it with a smile before heading out the door. Vahn saw her smile and felt it was a little peculiar, and he was very tempted to have her explain later using an 'order'.While he was ruminating over the idea, Nanu spoke up from his side in a polite tone, "Shall we go to the workshop, Master?" Vahn had been a bit surprised at her question since none of the children typically addressed him first. Realizing it was likely due to her current 'status', Vahn sighed in his mind before showing a gentle smile and responding, "Yes, let's go, Nanu." Nanu smiled brightly and waited for Vahn to lead the way before falling into step on his right side.Vahn felt like the little girl that was nearly 30cm shorter than he was emitted a very powerful pressure on his body the moment she stood on his right. Even though he was a full head taller than she was, Vahn suddenly felt very small next to confident chienthrope. The pressure didn't ease up until he entered the workshop and she quickly went about her previously assigned duties without being asked. Vahn released a relieved sigh and also began preparing the ingots from the previous day.The majority of the ingots were comprised of magi-steel, but Vahn had also taken the time to form 5 mithril ingots with a strenuous amount of effort. Though his [Blacksmith] skill was at S and offered a lot of correction to his ability, he still lacked the experience to effectively work with the more difficult metals. Fortunately, mithril was very receptive to magic, so he actually had a much easier time than when he worked with orichalcum, adamantine, and processed drop items.Vahn began heating the metal while holding it with a pair of heavy tongs while working the metal using the pneumatic hammer he had 'invented' with the help of the manuals he had in his mind. All Vahn had to do was insert a bit of his energy which infused the rig with magical energy while he focused the majority of his efforts on the metal itself. This was the reason so many claimed his invention to be 'innovative', because it allowed people to focus entirely on the metal instead of splitting their efforts between controlling the hammer, mana output, and consistency in strikes.Nanu had been very happy to use the rig as well since she didn't have the physical strength to use a hammer for a long period of time. When she found out that Vahn had 'invented' the amazing contraption, she stared at him with an almost 'feral' look that sent chills down his spine.Vahn wasn't entirely reliant on the pneumatic hammer though, and he only used it to shape the basic structure of the blade he was forging. Once he was satisfied, he removed the metal and removed the hammer Hephaestus had made him from his inventory. Nanu was enamored by the sight of the hammer so she asked, "Master, where did you get such a beautiful hammer?" Vahn smiled at her question and stared at the hammer with a reminiscent expression on his face as he said, "It was given to me by Hephaestus. This hammer represents her trust in me, as well as our hopes for the future."Nanu saw the expression in Vahn's eyes, and she remembered the beautiful red-haired goddess that was able to intimidate her goddess. She already understood that her Master had several women, and it was likely that Hephaestus took the highest place in his heart. Though Vahn had 'accepted' her as his future wife, Nanu knew that she wouldn't be able to compete for affection with the other girls. Instead, she decided to use this time when they were alone, or when Vahn wasn't around the other girls to slowly break down his defenses against her. Nanu had seen how her goddess was appealing to Vahn, and she decided to follow her example in the future.Vahn, unaware of the decision Nanu had made in her mind, continued to work the piece of magisteel he had shaped previously. The hammer Hephaestus had made him allowed him to have an incredible amount of control in refining the shape even further, and he managed to complete the short sword he had started forging within two hours. The final result was a black around 50cm long with a beautiful onyx coloration. Now Vahn just had to sharpen the blade, seat it into a guard or handle, and then polish it to completion.The process was much easier than forging the blade, but Vahn put a lot of effort into every small detail. Though he had noticed this about himself in the past, he wasn't fond of overlooking details if he had direct control. By the time he was finished, an additional two hours had passed and Vahn had an almost ceremonial looking sword on his table. It had a beautiful sheen, and Vahn became enamored as he slowly polished it even further. Though he had assisted Tsubaki, and even forged several items with careful guidance, this was the first time he had made a weapon entirely on his own.After leaving his 'makers mark' on the blade, the same scale with two winged snaked twining around it, the sword was finally complete. Vahn held it up in the light and remarked at his own workmanship as his eyes turned to the system.[(Nameless) Magisteel Shortsword]Rank: CSlots:1P.Atk: 240+90M.Atk:138Ability: Sharpness(B)A sword forged by a blacksmith who showed careful consideration in its creation. It has been polished to an incredible extent and possesses a refined edge enabling it to show a cutting prowess far above similarly constructed swords.Though his actual naming ability provided by [Keeper of the Akashic Tome] was still on cooldown, Vahn couldn't help but mutter as he looked toward the sword, "You shall be called...Tempest. I hope that, whoever wields you, will be like an unstoppable tempest as they cut through their enemies." The moment his words ended, the named within the system changed to display the name [Tempest:C] while also giving him a notification he hadn't expected.//[Tempest:C] Created. Obtained 403 OP//(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'First Official Creation','Literally a 'hand' in marriage','Pressure')

Once Vahn was in his room, he sat down on his bed and gave a short sigh. He had seen the expectation in Anubis's eyes, but he wasn't willing to go any further at this time. The words of Hephaestus had appeared in his mind the moment he started petting her ears, and he didn't want to let down the red-haired goddess that had shown him so much love. Though Vahn might interact with other girls, he didn't want to be the type to betray the trust of the ones he was already with. Right now, Vahn had to worry about his date with Eina, the aftereffects of his rendezvous with Tiona and Ais, as well as various other things. Creating friction between Anubis and Hephaestus wasn't on the top of his to-do list.With that thought in mind, Vahn opened his system and looked at the information of the new function he had obtained recently, the 'gacha' function. Right now, the function had two options available to him, each called 'standard gacha' and 'premium gacha' respectively. Vahn learned that he could use the standard gacha with just OP, while the premium gacha only accepted tickets that could be obtained if he fights strong enemies. According to Sis, the way the gacha functioned worked was by allowing him to choose a specific type of item, such as healing, strengthening, weapons. armor, accessories, etc. After he chose the category, he could put in 10,000 OP into the system and it would give him ANY item within the category regardless of price. This meant that Vahn had a chance of getting items that cost several million OP, but it also had a much greater chance of giving him something worse much less.Vahn wasn't too interested in potentially wasting away his OP, so he put the 'standard gacha' to the back of his mind while learning about the 'Premium Gacha'. It worked very similarly to the standard gacha except for the fact that the items were always useful for his current soul tier. This was an incredible surprise for Vahn, as the shop didn't list the use of items and it was a bit of a gamble whenever he bought something. At least now he could guarantee the item would be practical for his current strength level. The problem was, right now he only had the 10+1 premium gacha pull ticket, and it required him to use the ticket on a single category.While Vahn was lost in thought, Sis spoke out in his mind, (*Since it will be difficult to explain where weapons and armor come from, you should focus on consumables that can increase your strength. Just like the 'body strengthening liquid' you used when you first arrived, there are limitless items within the system that can empower your body and strengthen your foundation. For equipment, you're already in cahoots with the most prolific forging god in the entire record. I'm sure if you ask, she would be more than willing to help you out.*)Sis words were true, and Vahn knew that, if he asked, Hephaestus may very well forge him an entire set of equipment. The fact she spent more than 2BV just to secure him materials made this painfully aware to Vahn. However, though it might be the best course of action, Vahn couldn't agree to take advantage of her kindness when he could rely on himself to improve. He had learned that equipment wasn't the most important factor to strength, as his use of [Rakshasa Body] had almost invalidated his need for it entirely. Vahn now understood that equipment would always be secondary to personal strength, and he even felt like that was the lesson 'The Path' had wanted him to learn when it gave him the quest in the first place.Following Sis's advice, Vahn used his 10+1 draw ticket and he heard a loud sound playing in his mind as a giant wooden wheel studded with gold started spinning in his consciousness. The wheel continued to spin, and every revolution made Vahn feel a bit more excited as it slowly began spitting out orbs from a hole in the center of the wheel. After it spat out 11 orbs, they each started cracking open with a rainbow-colored light as 11 different items that could increase his strength popped up.Vahn noticed that most of the items seemed to have a white aura surrounding them and they looked rather plain compared to the two which had a resplendent rainbow color. As Vahn focused his intent on the items, their use appeared in his mind and he smiled after reading the descriptions. The [Bone Tempering Pill], [Mental Expansion Liquid], and other items had very obvious functions just based on their names, and they would provide direct benefits to his parameters. However, it was the two rainbow items that stood out which caught his interest and made a large smile appear on his face.-------------------------------------------------------------------------[Magia Erebea Manual]Rank: SSUse: A manual detailing the forbidden technique developed by a forsaken queen in a foreign world. Comprehension of this skills allows the user to absorb elemental attacks and infuse it into their body to increase strength. Mastery allows the user to embody the elemental properties of the skills and achieve an immortal body.[Mantra of Eternity]Rank: SSSUse: A record of the first words heard at the beginning of eternity. Comprehension of the words increases the spiritual strength of the user without limit. In the vastness of Eternity, there were never any limits to begin with.-------------------------------------------------------------------------Though the two techniques would be incredibly difficult to learn, just practicing them would greatly increase his strength over time. Vahn immediately pulled out the two items from his inventory and noticed that the [Magia Erebea Manual] was actually a black orb while the [Mantra of Eternity] was a strange piece of white jade, unlike anything Vahn had ever seen before. The moment the jade landed in his palm, it dissolved into a liquid and Vahn heard a series of nine words sound out in his mind. Unfortunately, no matter how much he focused his mind, he was unable to make out what the words were. Interestingly enough, they seemed to silently repeat in his mind without ceasing, so Vahn assumed he would be able to comprehend it with time.Vahn then took the black orb into his hand and stared at it curiously for a few minutes before Sis sighed in his mind and said, "You need to focus your intent into the orb. The technique should be recorded inside, but even I don't know what will happen when it activates." Vahn nodded his head and considered Sis's words. After weighing various factors for around ten minutes, Vahn took a deep breath and focused his intent on the orb without any further hesitation. Though he didn't always understand 'The Path', Vahn trusted that it had never done anything to harm him since he obtained it.---------------------------------------------------------------------------After Vahn's intent entered the orb, he opened his eyes and found himself in a strange space. The ground below him seemed to be an endless white plain that stretched out beyond the horizon, but the sky above was pitch black without a single light or star to be seen. Vahn felt a bit unnerved by the strange space, almost like he was an inconsequential being in the vastness of this black and white world.Vahn assumed he was inside the orb, or at least his spiritual sense had entered into it. Though his body felt real, Vahn was able to vaguely sense that his body was closer to a projection which lacked any real substance. While he was inspecting himself, the voice of a woman filled with disgust, intrigue, and a profound loneliness sounded out in the space from all directions. "How are you able to come here, boy?"Since the voice appeared from every direction, Vahn didn't know where he should look as he was unable to see the source of the voice. Assuming the voice was likely the 'forsaken queen' mentioned by the system, Vahn gave a polite bow to the empty space and said, "Forgive my intrusion. I obtained a strange black orb and tried infusing my intent into it. Afterward, I awoke in this space."The voice spoke out in a deadpan manner, but Vahn could still feel the sadness dripping from each of her words, "Perhaps a legacy left behind by my future self...very well, I'll play along for now. I assume you've come here to learn my ultimate technique?" As the voice ended, the appearance of a tall and beautiful blonde woman appeared in front of Vahn. She was wearing a beautiful black dress and had sad blue eyes as she looked at Vahn in an expressionless fashion.After looking him up and down, the girl said in a somewhat confused manner, "I can sense a powerful magical energy in your body, but it doesn't seem to be from any system I've ever seen. What kind of magic can you use?" As a being that had existed for thousands of years, the woman was interested in the strange magic coming from the boy's body.Vahn nodded his head and said politely, "Other than a beast transformation magic, I have never learned any other forms of magic. Most of my energy is used to maintain my domain and to amplify my skills and body." The beautiful woman nodded her head and muttered, "So you're the type that relies on body enhancing and transformation...maybe you'll be suited for my magic after all?"Hearing her words, Vahn couldn't help but smile with a bit of excitement building up inside of him. However, before he could celebrate, the woman waved her hand and Vahn felt a powerful surge of cold energy encompass the area around him. He immediately expanded his domain and transformed into his Báihǔ form to evade the lethal attack. Where he stood previously, there was now a gigantic ice pillar more than 20m tall and 8m wide. It emitted a fierce cold that caused all of Vahn's instincts to trigger warning bells in his mind.Suddenly, Vahn spun around mid-air and tried to kick the figure that had appeared behind him in an instant. The woman effortlessly caught his attack with her delicate hand before saying, "Interesting. This domain of yours seems very powerful, and that transformation seems to boost your speed." As she spoke she spun Vahn with a terrifying force and threw his body like a bullet into the stark white ground. Vahn's body slammed heavily into the ground and caused a crater to form in the previously flawless surface.From above, he could hear the now cold voice of the woman as she stared down at him and said, "Do your best to survive. If I'm not satisfied with your efforts, not only will you not learn my technique, but you'll never escape from this space for as long as you live. Its been a long time since I've had a companion to talk to, so don't die too quickly." As she spoke, she began to form large spears of ice in the air without any chanting or movement.Vahn saw the sight and felt fear begin to emerge from deep inside his mind. The woman was able to effortlessly float in the air and use incredibly powerful ice magic without any prior indicator. Not only that, but her strength and speed far outclassed his current state, even while pushing his form and domain to the limit. Vahn had to maintain his focus or he wouldn't even be able to react when she made her attacks.Though Vahn had met actual gods and goddesses, this was the first time he felt awed by the power and presence of another person. The blond-haired beauty stood like an untouchable goddess in the air as a blue light radiated from her body and spread out into the surrounding area like a divine aura. Everything within her icy domain seemed within her control, and even Vahn felt his body pressured by the force. If not for the 'eternal flame' beating in his chest, he feared he may have been frozen solid on the spot.The spears of ice launched at such speeds that the air shattered around them as the ruthlessly pierced toward Vahn's location. He managed to react in time and evade the attacks, but he could feel frost begin to build on his body as he continued pushing himself further beyond his limits. Seeing him dodge another attack, the woman's brows raised a bit as she said, "Your domain is even able to resist mine? I had expected you to be an ice sculpture by now, but you seem to be unaffected by the suppression of my magic power. Very interesting..."After she finished speaking, Vahn lost sight of her figure as she teleported into his blind spot. It wasn't sped, which he might have been able to deal with, but actual teleportation. Vahn had never dealt with such a technique and he was powerless as he felt a powerful energy pierce through his body. He coughed out a mouthful of blood onto the previously flawless body of the woman as he stared at the magical sword piercing through his body.The woman seemed entirely unconcerned by the boy dangling from her sword as she supported his body in the air with the blade. When he coughed a mouthful of blood on her body, she used her free hand to wipe up a bit and, in front of the pained and confused expression of Vahn, licked his blood off her finger. As soon as she swallowed the blood, her cold expression immediately faded as she looked incredulously at Vahn who was rapidly losing strength. Just as she was about to question him, Vahn's body underwent a change and he turned into his turtle form before shattering the magical sword in his gut.As he started falling toward the ground, he pulled out his bow and without hesitation used 10,000 OP to buy a [Yi] arrow which he fired at the currently surprised woman. Though she was going to swat away the arrow at first, the woman's expression changed once again as she tried to initiate her teleportation and evade. Unfortunately, it was like space was locked around her and she had to meet the deadly arrowhead on using her magical energy.Vahn collided with the ground hard before bounding onto his feet and notching a second [Yi] arrow. Though he had entered this orb with the intention of learning the skill, it seemed like the woman was intent on actually killing him. Though his current body wasn't his physical body, Vahn knew that if his spiritual energy were dispersed forcibly, he'd likely end up brain dead or in a coma once again.After the black gravitational field dispersed, Vahn was surprised by the appearance of the woman. Though he hadn't expected to kill her with the arrow, he was surprised to find that, other than parts of her beautiful dress, she remained entirely unharmed as she looked down on him with a mixture of contempt and intrigue. In her same cold voice, the woman asked, "Are you really human?"(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Getting Strong Aint Easy','Vahn in Danger','Gacha is Dangerous')

Chapter 139: Rage