Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After reading the description, Vahn explained the changes while Nanu started dressing. Hearing his explanation, she was incredibly excited at the prospect of being able to grow stronger based on her feelings. She already had a reverential passion for Vahn, and now that she would get stronger from it, Nanu had a lot of hopes for the future. Vahn noticed that her affection had hit the stat cap, and quickly scanned his eyes in the system to read the now familiar notification.//Nanu Has Reached Maximum Affection////Quest Completed: [The Hearts Desire: C-SS]//Completion Grade: BRewards: 10,000 OP, 1x [Proof of Affection], 1s [Hearts Desire: Nanu]Grade Rewards: 5,000 OP, 1x [Skill Enhancement Scroll: B][Proof of Affection]Ranke: UniqueUse: Conjures an item desired by the intended recipient. Warning: Item is bound to the recipient after acceptingVahn was curious about the [Proof of Affection] and decided to activate it to see what would happen. A light flashed which started the both of them as a deep red collar appeared in Vahn's hands. It has a small metal tab hanging down from the front of the collar and looked very reminiscent to what a pet would wear. The moment it appeared within his hands, Nanu's eyes started to shine like she had found the most precious treasure in the world. Without any prompting, she stood on her tiptoes while lifting her chin up high.Since he had used the item with Nanu in mind, he had received a collar, similar to what he had learned the previous night. It was the final ceremony between mates which required the dominant party to gift a collar to the submissive party. As Vahn had already resolved himself to the future, he opened the band of the collar and placed it around Nanu's neck while she had a big smile on her face. Her tail wagged back and forth like it was trying to rip itself free of her body, and Vahn couldn't help but wonder if the muscles in her lower back would get sore from the hyper-fast motion.After fastening the collar, it suddenly shrunk and adapted its size to fit perfectly around Nanu's neck. She raised both her hands to feel its presence before smiling toward Vahn and saying, "Thank you, Master. It is perfect." Vahn had never seen Nanu so happy before, so he just laughed awkwardly while petting her ears. She began rubbing her head against his palm, and Vahn started getting flashbacks to the incident with Anubis on the first night they arrived. Before things got out of hand, he pulled his hand away while Nanu stared at the retreating figure with a bit of reluctance.Now that Nanu was properly dressed and received her collar, the two began to get to work. Since time seemed to stop whenever he used them, Vahn activated the [Hearts Desire: Nanu] after she turned away from him. The air froze as time seemed to come to a crawl and a vision passed through Vahn's mind. Curiously, unlike his previous visions, this one was slightly different.Vahn was in a completely black space and felt like he was standing on water. Standing before him was a completely nude girl, and Vahn recognized the figure to be an exact replica of the current Nanu. Inspecting himself, Vahn also found that he was in his own body instead of the normal visions he had before. The nude Nanu walked toward him and embraced him around the waist as she rested her head against his chest and said, "I already found my heart's desire, my Master..."The black space shattered, and Vahn noticed the air was comprised of various memory shards that showed images of the life Nanu had led before he met. He didn't have the opportunity to experience them himself, but it seemed that she had put the past behind her after accepting him. Now, the only thing that remained was her present form as she wrapped her arms around his waist and nuzzled into his chest.Time started again as the frozen air warmed back up. Vahn was in a bit of a daze as he looked toward the back of Nanu and noticed her tail was still wagging about in a happy manner. He released a sigh, but this time it wasn't exasperation, but a mild affection for the adorable young girl. Though he hadn't made many intentional moves against her, she had already fallen for him completely. With a mental promise to do his best, Vahn opened the system and inspected his new rewards.//[Hearts Desire: Nanu] fulfilled. Extra parameter 'Love' unlocked.//[Nanu]: Love 78(Devoted)//Bond established with [Nanu]////Optional Quest Triggered//[Quest: A Man's Responsibility, Repeatable]Rank: B-SSObjective: Impregnate Nanu (0). Ensure a safe delivery; Current Children(0)Rewards: 100,000 OP, 1x [Guardian:(Nameless)]Failure Condition(s): Death, Nanu's Death, (Nameless) Child's DeathPenalty: 200 Karma (0)In an almost identical fashion as Tiona, Vahn unlocked the love parameter with Nanu as well as the standard 'optional quest' that seemed to come hand-in-hand with the parameter. For a very brief moment, he imaged the young girl with a big belly and couldn't help but feel his brain buzz at the strange mental image. With her current height and frame, it was a very strange picture, and Vahn reaffirmed his conviction to wait until she was older before he did anything.After settling all the matters in his system, Vahn started his work and decided to forge a spear this time. Though he had no shafts to work wish, Vahn wanted to try to make one entirely out of magisteel with mithril coiled around it. He had studied magic circuits intensely, and could even bring up the diagrams in his own mind as he slowly carved the channels into the body of the spear with intricate detail. A single mistake in the structure of the circuits could cause the entire spear to explode if it was overloaded with mana. Vahn didn't want to have the reputation of injuring his own client, so he performed every step in painstaking detail.Because of his efforts, without even working on the spearhead yet, Vahn spent nearly eight hours just crafting the body. The hardest part was working the mithril into a thin enough strip and properly shaping it around the length of the spear's body. Fortunately, after a few failed attempts, he was able to complete the task and now had a 3m long spear that had yet to be fitted with a spearhead. Vahn wasn't at the point where he could shape the metal into intricate shapes, but the simplicity of his craftsmanship actually made him feel like it looked better.Though he had ignored the fact when he made his twin swords the day prior, it wasn't necessary to make a weapon intricate. Oftentimes, the efficacy of the item was based on its composition and internal structure, not the outward appearance. The tamahagane blade he had gifted to Ais was the best example of a weapon that was both simple and incredibly lethal. Holding the onyx-colored spear that was wrapped in bands of blue-black mithril, Vahn gave an appreciative smile at his own realization.Using the remaining two hours before dinner, Vahn started shaping the spearhead and, using the principles he had just learned, focused on making it incredibly durable and efficient instead of intricate. He ended up with a product that was precisely 27cm long and had a gentle, sloping, curve as the spearhead tapered toward the tip. When he affixed it to the spear's body, it now looked like a plain black spear, but it also shone with a dark and intimidating glimmer if you stared at it for too long.Vahn felt like the spear would be able to cut through the darkness and always strike true if wielded by a capable owner. Imagining the onyx-colored blade reflecting the moonlight, Vahn named the spear [Moon Piercer] and received 1005 OP from the system. Surprised by the amount, Vahn inspected the [Moon Piercer]'s stats within the system.-------------------------------------------------------------------------[Moon Piercer]Rank: B (Magic)Slots: 1P.Atk: 330+30M.Atk: 441Ability: Piercing(B), Hardening(C)A simple spear that combines beauty and simplicity to create a form with terrifying efficiency. Under the moonlight, this weapon reflects a deadly glow that draws its victims into the night's eternal embrace. Weilder is empowered under the moonlight.-------------------------------------------------------------------------Once again, Vahn noticed that his intentions seemed to be reflected by the item he forged. As he had imagined the spear cutting through the moonlight when he named it, it adopted that idea and developed an ability that reflected his intent. Vahn was confused because it felt like he was able to make use of the naming ability of the [Keeper of the Akashic Tome] even while it was on cooldown. It didn't have the drastic effect of evolving the weapon as it had done with Fafnir, but Vahn had felt a very slight amount of his energy drain when he 'named' the spear.As it was now nearly time for their evening bath, Nanu and Vahn cleaned up the workshop and had a brief window of time before Anubis usually showed up. Though Vahn had intended to polish his spear a bit more, Nanu seemed to take the opportunity to get a bit closer to him. She didn't say anything, but she just stood in front of Vahn with a smile on her face as her tail beat back and forth. Vahn reached his hand out and began stroking her bob-cut hair and pointy ears and she immediately began to squirm against his hand. Though he was somewhat worried that she would become 'heated' as Anubis had, Vahn noticed that her aura was stable, so he continued to pet her for the entire ten minutes before Anubis showed up.Afterward, everything else happened as routine as Vahn took a bath with everyone before enjoying a delicious dinner. Unlike previous nights, Anubis had encouraged the children to talk about what they learned today, and Vahn made conversation with them which seemed to make them excited. Vahn was pleased because if giving them light praise made them work harder, he didn't mind giving them a few encouraging remarks.Everyone cleaned up as normal and went about performing their duties before Anubis, Vahn, and Nanu made his way towards his room. Though Nanu knew she couldn't accompany him at night, she felt it was her duty to wish him well, similar to how Anubis was always around immediately before he went to sleep and right after he awoke in the morning. Vahn pets the girl for a few moments before sending her on her way to bed. When she was gone, Anubis spoke out, "I see you gave her a collar."Vahn nodded, as it wasn't exactly a secret since she had proudly shown it off to the other children. The other two girls seemed envious and even gave Vahn a few looks, but Nanu immediately corrected their behavior and encouraged them to work harder in the future. Anubis had been quiet at the time, so he was curious why she seemed to be a little deadpan when she made the statement.Anubis furrowed her brows slightly as she mustered her courage and proclaimed, "Master, I too would like a collar. I am already Master's servant, and being without one makes me feel uncomfortable. I wasn't going to mention anything, but now that Nanu has received one, I can't keep it to myself any longer." Vahn was surprised at Anubis's outburst because she seemed abnormally flustered compared to her usual self.Vahn contemplated her words for a moment before a black collar appeared in his hands. Vahn hadn't paid much attention to it previously, but he noticed it had a similar color scheme as Anubis's clothing, and he realized she had purchased it with the intent to wear it in the future. Just as Nanu had been previously, Anubis entered a high tension and excited state as she moved closer to Vahn and tilted her chin up.After loosening the band, Vahn reached around Anubis's neck and fixed the collar to her. Unlike the one he had gotten from the system, the black collar didn't automatically adjust, so Vahn had to fiddle around with it a bit. Since it was his first time tightening a collar, he miscalculated and tightened the collar a bit too tight and Anubis issued an incredibly light moan. Though he might have missed it normally, as they were very close to each other, Vahn heard the sound and it made his heart thump a bit.He quickly loosened the collar a bit as he apologized. Anubis, with her chin still tilted upwards, looked at Vahn with a slightly 'pained' expression as she muttered, "It's okay, Master. I don't mind if you tighten it a bit..." Vahn swallowed his saliva as he began to slowly tighten the collar around her neck. Though she seemed to be encouraging him to tighten the collar, Vahn decided to play it safe and left a small amount of space between her neck and the collar before fixing the clasp to hold it in place.When he was done, Anubis seemed both happy and sad at the same time, and Vahn couldn't help but feel a sense of incongruity inside of his mind. He performed their small ritual of petting her hair before turning back and heading into his own room. After he closed the door, Anubis continued to stand in place while feeling the collar around her neck with both hands. She had a large grin on her face as she headed into her own room and disappeared from the corridor.For the third night in a row, Vahn lay down on his bed and focused his intent into the black orb. This time, the moment he entered the black and white space, he immediately activated his Báihǔ form and domain before quickly investigating his surroundings. In a manner similar to his first visit, the only thing in the surroundings with the infinite, contrasting, black and white space without a single soul in sight.Vahn was a bit confused, but he didn't drop his guard as he continued to look around for any sight of the blonde woman. After nearly an hour, she still hadn't shown up and Vahn began to suspect if there was something wrong with the situation. He thought she may be trying to toy with him, so he maintained his vigilance for what seemed like half a day, but he noticed that only several tens of seconds had passed in his system. Though he hadn't noticed it previously, there seemed to be a powerful time dilation effect inside the black and white space.After another hour, Vahn finally dropped his guard and dispelled his aura as he looked around at the empty space. He had expected that the moment he dropped his guard, the woman would attack him for his foolishness, but nothing happened. Space remained silent without the woman appearing before him. Sitting down, Vahn focused on recovering his energy while diverting some of his attention to the surrounding space. However, even after more than a day had passed, the woman hadn't appeared at all.Vahn began to worry because, though he knew how to enter the space, he had no way of exiting presently. Sis had informed him that, if he continually put in an effort, he would be able to break the space with the use of [Chainbreaker], but it would destroy the orb in the process. Releasing a sigh, Vahn crossed his legs and began focusing on the second skill he had obtained a few days ago. Though he was vaguely aware of the words that kept sounding in his mind, no matter how hard he tried, Vahn was unable to make out a single syllable.Not long after he started meditating, the figure of a woman appeared out of thin air with a distortion of space. She had completely sealed away her energy signature as she approached the back of Vahn undetected. Even with his domain expanded around his body, he was unable to sense the approach of the woman who seemed to have less presence than the void around them.While he was trying to comprehend the sounds in his soul, Vahn suddenly felt a sharp pain in the muscles connecting from his neck to his back. His mind immediately snapped to full awareness, but Vahn noticed he couldn't put any strength into his body at all. Vahn was spontaneously overwhelmed by fear, as he could feel a nostalgic feeling that still periodically haunted his dreams. Though he could feel a warm feeling spread through his body, the only thing Vahn focused on was the 'sucking' feeling of his blood being drained from his body.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'This chapter really sucks the life out of the story','Dumpity Dump','Now he owes all the other girls gifts')

Vahn continued to struggle, willing his body to move while a powerful cold sensation spread through his mind. The warm feeling that had been emanating from his shoulder was driven back while his fear and anger began to compound.Something snapped in Vahn's mind and his domain, which had been stuck at 99m, ever since he awoke from his coma, immediately increased to 100m. The moment it did so, the cold sensation in Vahn's mind exploded outward and a physical pulse pushed the woman away from his body.After being pushed away, the woman looked at Vahn with a hint of surprise and intrigue. When she had started sucking his blood, she had immobilized his body after taking advantage of his lowered guard. As she had only ever gotten to taste it in small amounts, she was curious what it would be like to take the blood directly from the source. As she expected, there was an incredible energy contained within the boy's blood which greatly assisted in the recovery of her magical power.She had a slight smile on her face and was about to commend the boy for being able to escape her spell. But, the moment she was about to speak, the words got stuck in her throat as a twinge of pain spread in her heart. Though she had expected the boy to be rightly angry and had even felt his rage explode outward, she never expected the sight before her. Intermixed within the furrowed brows of the handsome young man and his grim expression, there was an obvious fear in his eyes as tears streamed down his face.As someone who had been tormented and ostracized by society for hundreds of years, she could empathize with the pain the boy showed on his face. It was very similar to her own from when she had just become immortal, and it made her long-dormant emotions surge a bit. Though she didn't know his past, she realized she had wronged the previously courageous and spirited boy grievously.Vahn saw the woman vanish and teleport away more than 100m in the air the instant he turned his body. Unfortunately for her, the moment Vahn's domain had expanded to 100m and he felt the snapping sound in his mind, it immediately expanded to 300m. As it was very difficult to determine the dimensions of his domain from with the interior, the woman had misjudged the distance she needed to teleport.While she was looking around with a bit of interest on her face, the area within the domain suddenly turned a light golden color and she could feel a hint of fear welling up inside her mind. Staring down at the face of the boy, she was once again pained by the depth of emotions on his expression, and she tried to clarify things. However, before she uttered a single syllable, a golden light shined next to her and a resplendent golden chain shot out several times faster than the speed of sound.The woman was incredibly surprised by the sudden emergence of the chain which she had previously seen the boy use from his palms. She tried to teleport away the moment she sensed the terrifying energy but found that the space around her was now locked. She realized the reason why the domain had turned golden; it was because the boy had somehow merged the properties of the chain into it. In a last-ditch effort, she erected a multi-layer magical barrier to intercept the spear-like chain aimed at her gut.The chain collided powerfully with the barrier, and she released a short sigh of relief at having reacted in time. She diverted her attention between the barrier and the boy, who was still looking at her with a wrathful expression as tears continued to stream down his face. She could see that, if she didn't stop him, he would genuinely keep trying to kill her. Though the pain and anguish in his eyes seemed deep and profound, she knew that the anger he felt in this moment had trumped both emotions.A few seconds after the spearhead collided with the barrier, contrary to her expectations, the magical barrier seemed to become completely ineffective as the spearhead tore through with an unstoppable might. However, even if she was marginally focused on Vahn, she still had hundreds of years of combat experience. Creating a small foothold in the air itself, her figure vanished and she appeared next to Vahn in an instant.Surprisingly, though she knew he hadn't been able to follow her movements, the boy had already tilted his head in the direction she appeared. For a very brief instant, the woman's mind blanked out as she stared at the mixture of emotions contained within his eyes. Since their meeting three days ago, she had never heard his name or understood how he had managed to enter this space with his strange magical system.Several golden lights flashed in the area around the boy as an additional four chains emerged at super-sonic speeds and tried to coil around her body. As she had experienced this type of attack before, she had been able to move long before they had cut off her path of retreat. She started chanting a spell with the intent to disable the wrathful boy so she could question him.Suddenly, the boy seemed to release a long and sad sigh as he turned his sights away from her and looked toward the sky. She felt a powerful fear begin to well up in her heart as he raised his hands skyward and began emitting energy in pulses. Every pulse seemed to collide with the void and was slowly but surely beginning to break the space of this pocket dimension. She suddenly realized what he was doing; he was using some kind of strange skill to destroy this space. He had given up on trying to fight her, and would rather throw away the attempt at learning her secrets than continue the fight.She stopped channeling her magic and shouted, "Wait, boy! That is unnecessary! I didn't intend to harm you!" Though she normally spoke in a cold and disinterested manner, even she wasn't willing to suddenly have the space she inhabited destroyed. Even though she was a construct and not a physical entity, she still had a purpose to achieve. If the boy before her destroyed the space, she might be free of the solitude, but it would have invalidated her purpose.Vahn turned his head toward the woman and saw she had an almost frantic look in her eyes as she held out one of her hands toward him. He continued channeling his [Chainbreaker] skill as he spoke in a dull and hate-filled tone, "Not just giving up the chance to learn your techniques, I would rather die than become another tool to be used for my blood at someone else's convenience. Selfish and cruel people like you...I cannot feel anything but hatred for. I don't know what caused you to have so much loneliness in your heart, but I have no reason to put in an effort to try and help you anymore."Though she didn't know the reason, the woman felt anguish in her heart after hearing his words. Even though they hadn't known each other for long, he was able to see through her facade and notice her loneliness. All she had done since their meeting was continually test him, but now she seemed to have overstepped her bounds greatly. Like her, the boy must have suffered greatly in the past, and it likely had something to do with his blood.Cracks began to spread out in the sky, and the woman could see that space would likely be destroyed in the next few minutes. Though she could forcibly send him out of the space, he would likely destroy the orb the moment he left. She didn't want to kill him, but she also didn't want to vanish without completing her purpose. Gritting her teeth, she did the last thing she thought might work against the boy who seemed to have thrown away his emotions.Vahn felt a pulse of magical energy from the woman as he continued to stare at her in an almost dead-pan manner after giving up the fight. The figure in the elegant dress disappeared in a puff of smoke, and what remained of the mature beauty was now just a small doll-like girl hugging the remnants of her clothing to conceal her naked form underneath. Though Vahn was surprised by her sudden change, he wasn't interested in her tricks so he turned his focus back toward the sky and continued to channel his [Chainbreaker] skill.Seeing that her plan had failed, the little girl screamed out, "You idiot! I don't want to kill you, but if you destroy this space, I will disappear! Don't make me do something we'll both regret!!!" The girl cast a spell and the black dress turned into particles which formed into a black gothic-style dress on her body. She pulled out a large bluish purple sword as she aimed it toward Vahn with a 'warning' look in her eyes.Vahn slowly turned his head and made eye contact with her as he spoke in a dull tone, "I said, I would rather die...Kill me if you must, but I will escape this space and never return to this cruel world." The moment his words ended, the small girl disappeared before reappearing in front of Vahn with the sword in hand. She swept it in a diagonal motion like she was going to bisect Vahn shoulder to hip. However, before the sword made contact with his skin, she stayed her hand and Vahn could feel the ambient energy from the blade tickle his neck.Though she had intended to kill Vahn at that moment, his dull expression and voice had overlapped with her own memories of the past. She remembered there was a time, not long after she became immortal and traveled the world, where she had completely given up. If she had the opportunity at that time to die, she would have accepted death with open arms. After having been made a tool and experiment of that hateful man, she had lost any semblance of emotion for several hundred years.Seeing the look on the boy's face, she realized that she had now taken the place of the person she hated the most. Because she had been interested in the boy and his blood, she plotted against him for her own convenience and even took advantage of him when he was unprepared. He was just like her at the time, a helpless child at the mercy of something far more powerful than he could hope to overcome...The young girl in front of Vahn dispersed her sword, but Vahn continued to channel his [Chainbreaker] without cease as he stared down at her small figure. She looked almost pitiful in her current form, far different from the mature beauty she had been before. But, even if she looked like a child, Vahn knew she was anything but. In his mind, she was the same as the people that had tormented him for the fourteen years of his previous life. He had literally died and fled to another world to escape that kind of torment. Now that he had been met with a similar situation, he felt completely apathetic to whatever situation might have resulted in her sadness.The girl looked into his eyes and the two continued to stare at each other as space around began to destabilize with chaotic energy. After a few seconds, the girl spoke in a quiet voice, "I'm Evangeline A.K. McDowell, a vampire that has lived for hundreds of years. Even if you destroy this space, I want you to know who I am, and know that I am sorry for having wronged you." She had a very sad expression on her face as she looked into Vahn's cold and dead eyes.Vahn continued to channel his [Chainbreaker], but he couldn't help but feel a bit sad after the arrogant woman's sudden change. He didn't know which form was her real figure, but he could see clearly that she was very saddened by everything that was happening. Her aura, which had previously been very powerful and a deep icy blue, was now small and slowly beginning to diminish. Instead of the icy blue color, it had become a watery blue tinged with purple hues. Vahn knew that, if nothing else, she was incredibly sad at the moment.Releasing a long and frustrated sigh, Vahn slowly retracted the energy he had put into his [Chainbreaker] skill before plopping down onto his butt. Though space was still cracking around them, it was slowly beginning to heal at a visible rate as the small doll-like girl stared at Vahn with a mixture of relief and sadness. Vahn looked into her eyes as the cold sensation in his mind began to melt. His domain shrank until it had dispersed entirely and Vahn said, "My name is Vahn Mason, and I think we need to talk."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Fuck this shit, I'm out. -Vahn Mason, Ch 147','It was a trap! That's not a mature beauty!','Vahn is a big softie')

Vahn awoke the next morning with another powerful headache as he held his head in his palms. Unlike the previous night, when he was able to put up a bit of a fight, this time the woman within the orb defeated him using her martial skills against his. He knew she was very strong, but didn't expect her proficiency in close-quarters combat to far exceed his own. When Vahn used Báihǔ form with his domain, he was almost able to rival the speed of the Level 5 Tsubaki. However, when he fought against the woman in the orb, he couldn't even keep track of her speed at all.Releasing a sigh, Vahn awoke and washed his face before heading outside and greeting Anubis. As usual, she was waiting for him patiently, though she still seemed to be wearing the revealing robes from the previous day. After exchanging greetings, Vahn gave her a pat on the head before making his way towards the training area. After everything that happened recently, there were several things Vahn wanted to make known before any other accidents happened in the future.The children were waiting for his arrival, and Vahn couldn't help but wonder how early they woke up to always be ready and waiting for him to arrive. Right now, the sun wasn't even rising in the sky, so they would have to be getting up around 4 AM to be ready in time. Unlike the previous times, where all the children lined up, Nanu was waiting at the side of where Vahn normally stood. After accepting the greeting of the children, Vahn had everyone sit down while he explained the future plans he had in mind.Vahn made eye contact with each of the kids, including Nanu, before he spoke, "I have come to realize many things in the few days we have spent together. Though I will continue to do my best as the 'Alpha', it doesn't change the fact that I am not someone that shares the same culture as everyone here. I will most likely make mistakes, and I will rely on everyone here to help explain anything I may misunderstand."All of the children were listening to him attentively and they each nodded their heads before he continued, "But, just as I am going to do my best to adapt to the lifestyle here, you are all obligated to do the same. I will not ask you to change your values, but you need to learn how other people live to avoid conflicts in the future. I'm certain there have been times when you deal with others that issues have arisen because of misunderstandings. Isn't this correct?"Once again, all the children nodded and Vahn could see they were recalling events in their minds based on how their auras fluctuated. After everyone stabilized, he continued, "From now on, your training will be split into two parts. In the morning, you will continue your current training, while in the afternoon, you will study knowledge and work on developing a profession. You are all currently Level 2, and there is a bit of time before you gain your own alias' and can accept missions from the Guild. Until then, I want you to learn what it means to live in this City, and adapt your mentality to prevent conflicts in the future."Vahn looked over toward Anubis and saw she had a gentle smile on her face after hearing his words. He nodded slightly before turning to the children and explaining, "Anubis will be charged with your education, but I will also require everyone to pick a study of their own. You should all focus on different things, as you'll be able to teach each other in the future. I will say this plainly, but if it is a question concerning your education, or the future, I want everyone to come to me directly. I won't ask you to ignore the hierarchy, but the issue will only compound if you consider things in such a roundabout manner."After explaining a few other things, Vahn was satisfied and began their morning training. He didn't know well enough to make them study specific things, but he could trust Anubis to pass on the correct information. Though she acted a bit odd sometimes, she was an incredibly intelligent goddess who liked to collect books. If Vahn asked her to seriously teach the children history and culture, she would be more than willing to assist him.Other than the matter of Nanu being his sparring partner again, everything else for the morning went without a hitch. The group ate breakfast together before cleaning up the dishes and making their way to Anubis's room to study. Vahn had found out that he could purchase various texts and compendiums from the system for a very low cost. He gave her several topics of study, including history, mythos, and things Vahn found interesting like astrology, and various fairy tales.Anubis was surprised at receiving such a large number of books, but she didn't ask Vahn where he had obtained them. She assumed that he either had purchased them previously to support his own personal education. The idea that Vahn took studying so seriously made her respect him even more, and Vahn finally achieved a Loyalty value of 100 with Anubis. He had somewhat expected to get a new system prompt when the value reached the max, but he learned from Sis that 100 was only the maximum for affection and not hidden parameters. Instead, for extra parameters, there wasn't actually a cap and they could increase in value indefinitely.After parting ways with Anubis and the other children, Vahn made his way to his workshop with Nanu. When they entered, she immediately tried to get to work, but Vahn interrupted her and she trotted over to him with an anticipatory look on her face. She had recovered her spirit since the previous night, and Vahn was happy to see her in high spirits. However, there were things he needed to clarify, so after organizing his thoughts he said, "I need to explain the matters that have taken place over the last few days."Nanu's expression turned from excitement to concern as her ears immediately flattened on her head as she waited for him to continue. Vahn spoke in a firm tone as he said, "First, I will say this. No matter what, I will not abandon or toss you aside. However, you need to understand that it was not my original intention to court you. I will not use it as an excuse, and my treatment toward you will not change, but you have to understand that my actions were based on simple affection and not intimacy."The concern on Nanu's face continued to grow as she asked in a quiet voice, "Does that mean you don't like me? I thought...all the things you did..." It almost seemed like she was about to cry, but Vahn spoke in the same firm tone, "Don't think about things like that. Though it may have been a misunderstanding, I'm not going to shirk my responsibility in the matter. I just needed you to know now, instead of finding out in the future and being disappointed. Now that I've already accepted you, I intend to do my best to meet your expectations as well. However, you need to consider things from my perspective as well, and not through the lens of what your culture has taught you, understand?"Nanu nodded her head slowly and considered every word that Vahn spoke. She was a bit saddened that he hadn't been proactively courting her, and she actually felt ashamed for misunderstanding his actions as interest. Her pride took a big hit, and she started to feel like she wasn't worthy of having received his affections in the first place. As the guilt began to eat away at her, Nanu saw Vahn do something mysterious as a small flame appeared in his hands.Vahn held out the 'flame seed' that he had created using his skill [Prometheus]. He explained with a hint of gentleness in his firm tone, "This is a very special seed...if you allow me to put this in your body, your capabilities will increase. You could gain higher parameters, or even skills similar to my own. Creating this seed is very difficult, and it will even cause a backlash on my body when I place it within yours. I want this to serve as the proof that I will never abandon you, so maintain your confidence and keep striving forward. You're a lot cuter when you are happy."The melancholy that had been building up in her heart immediately vanished as she stared at the tiny seed in Vahn's hands with anticipation and jubilance. Even if their current relationship was based on a misunderstanding, the fact Vahn was willing to go so far for her made the young girl very happy. She looked into Vahn's eyes and asked in an excited voice, "Please, Master, tell me what I need to do!"Vahn returned her smile before explaining, "You just need to remain still while I place this seed into your heart. I'm not sure if it will cause you any discomfort, so prepare yourself for anything." The moment his words finished, Nanu stepped closer to him and excitedly puffed up her chest toward Vahn while saying, "I am ready, Master! Even if it burns my body, I won't even flinch."After giving her an appreciative nod, Vahn stretched out his right hand and placed it over her heart. He noticed that nothing seemed to be happening, so he moved his palm closer until the outer part of Nanu's blouse began to turn a slightly charred color on the already black cloth. Nanu had been watching his actions, and the moment her blouse began to smoke, she immediately grabbed the sides of the shirt before pulling it over her head in a single motion.Vahn was a little surprised by her actions, as he hadn't expected the clothes to burn when he was trying to insert the 'flame seed'. After removing her shirt, Nanu also rolled up her sports bra before looking at Vahn with an excited expression and saying, "Please, Master, continue." Releasing a slight sigh in his mind, Vahn moved his hand forward until his palm came into contact with an area right above her left breast. Though the seed had burned clothes, it seemed to pass freely through her skin for a reason Vahn couldn't understand.The area around her left breast began to glow with a reddish light that emitted from deep within the body of Nanu. Vahn almost felt like he could see her heart and the shadow of her ribs as the 'fire seed' embedded itself into her heart. Nanu didn't seem to feel any pain, but she gave Vahn a slightly passionate gaze until he finally removed his hand from her chest. Vahn stared at the glowing light with intrigue, because it had been his first time using the skill.He was vaguely aware of the fact that Nanu was trying to inch closer to him, but before he would retort his body was suddenly racked by a fierce pain. Vahn's entire body seized up a bit and it scared the previously enamored Nanu who went to his side to help. Vahn held up his hand to stop her and explained, "This is the backlash I was talking about. It is nothing to worry about, and it should pass by the time the light in your chest fades."True to his words, after about ten minutes, the light began to fade in Nanu heart until only the healthy olive-brown skin with the slightly pale protrusion remained. Vahn's pain faded at the same time before telling Nanu, "Now, I'm going to see how your status has changed. Go ahead and turn your back to me." Nanu had been happy that Vahn was no longer in pain, but she was a bit confused by his words as she obeyed his instructions and turned around.Vahn put his palm on her back and began performing the ceremony to update Status while Nanu stood silently with absolute shock. Even though she didn't have a high degree of education, she knew that only gods were able to update Status. Any inhibitions she had from Vahn's earlier explanation of their current relationship flew out the window as she imagined that her future mate was also a god or demigod. The pride she had earlier immediately returned, and there was a slight glint in the eyes of the young chienthrope girl.Since updating a Status always showed the prior stats as well as the increase, Vahn was able to see that Nanu had about a 10-20% increase in all of her parameters. Her potential should have also increased by a fair amount, and Vahn had high expectations of seeing how strong she would become in the future. The most important thing to note was that her [Blacksmith] had increased from F to D and she obtained a new skill called [Prometheus's Blessing].[Prometheus's Blessing]Rank:AGrowth dependant on the strength of the caster that applied this blessing. As long as the originator lives, the recipient of this blessing will experience rapid growth based on their feelings for the originator. If the feelings fade, the flame seed within the heart will dwindle before eventually burning out.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Doki Doki Flame-Desu?','Education','Standing Firm')

Chapter 144: Fear