Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

It was still the middle of the afternoon, so after Vahn pet her ears for a few moments, Anubis left looking reminiscent of how Vahn arrived. She seemed to be happy and looking forward to the future, and Vahn couldn't help but smile as he watched her leave. The golden ribbon around her tail stood out from the rest of her outfit, and Vahn couldn't help but let his eyes be drawn to it as she walked away. Shaking his head, Vahn left the corridor and headed toward his own bedroom to get everything ready to put his plan into action.After arriving, Vahn laid down in his bed and relaxed for a few minutes. He had been in somewhat high-tensions for a good part of the day, and he wanted to calm his mind before beginning. After around fifteen minutes, he smiled and had an expectant look in his eyes as he pulled out the orb that led to the black and white world where Evangeline awaited. He had learned from Sis that the time dilation within the orb was a factor of 1440:1. That meant, as long as his spirit was inside the orb, Vahn could spend an entire afternoon, roughly five hours, and it would translate to nearly 300 days worth of time.With the orb in hand, Vahn inserted his consciousness and once again opened his eyes in the black and white world. Evangeline was waiting for him, but she was now in her adult form and wearing an elegant black dress. She seemed to be expecting him, as she said, "Good, you're finally here. There are a lot of things we need to discuss now that you're my disciple." Vahn nodded his head, but he couldn't help but ask, "Why are you back in your adult form, doesn't it take mana to sustain?"Evangeline gave him a cold look and ignored his question as she said, "Didn't I tell you to call me Master? Don't tell me you've forgotten already, or is it that you want me to punish you?" Vahn could feel the air around him begin to grow colder as he laughed awkwardly and said, "Please forgive me, Master Evangeline. I've been a bit distracted with everything that happened today."Curious, Evangeline asked, "Hmm, and what made you forget common courtesy? Don't tell me...you were playing with one of your girls?" When she asked the question, Evangeline gave Vahn an even colder look and now every time he breathed he could see condensation. Vahn began to warm his body with the 'eternal flame' as he explained, "I wasn't playing around, Master, but I did go on a date with a half-elf girl named Eina. At lunch, we even got engaged before meeting with Hephaestus, who also became engaged to me."Vahn had a happy smile on his face as he spoke the words, but he felt like the air was continually growing colder as he stared at the mature form of Evangeline in front of him. Suddenly, she said in a low voice, "From now on, never talk about your women around me. I don't want to hear about you and other kids playing around when you should be focused on your training." She turned her head away from Vahn, and he could tell she was upset for some reason, but he wasn't willing to let her denounce the girls he liked so easily.Instead of shying away from her pressure, Vahn explained in a firm voice, "You can't look down on people like that Master. One of those girls, Hephaestus, has lived for several million years. Compared to the tragedy we have experienced, her loneliness is on a level we can't even understand." Evangeline had been annoyed when he stood up to her, but hearing his words she couldn't help but ask with an incredulous look, "Several-million years? How is such a thing possible...don't tell me she is an immortal as well?"Vahn nodded his head and explained, "She is the Goddess of Forging, Hephaestus, and has lived long before the existence of other sentient creatures." Evangeline scoffed at his words as she said, "Goddess of Forging? Don't try to joke around with me, boy, are you sure she isn't just pulling one over your eyes just to get pity?" Though Evangeline knew of the existence of gods, she knew they weren't the type of entities that lived among mortals and were usually some kind of abstract consciousness, not something of flesh and blood.Evangeline's words made Vahn start to get angry at how dismissive and mocking her tone was. It hadn't even been a day since they had compromised and learned about each other's pasts, but she was acting like he was lying to her for no reason. Instead of continuing to talk to her, Vahn just shook his head in dissatisfaction and walked off without saying anything. If she wasn't willing to listen to the truth, what else could he do to make her understand?Seeing Vahn walk away, Evangeline became even more annoyed with him and asked in an angry tone, "Where are you going? I told you that we had things to discuss if you wanted to be my disciple. Are you just going to ignore your Master?" Vahn's footsteps stopped, and Evangeline had a slight smile on her face, at least until Vahn turned around and caused her to feel shocked to her core.Vahn's eyes were glowing with a strange blue light as he stared at her with the same deadpan expression as he had when she tried to suck his blood. The moment she saw those eyes, she could feel her heart wrench in pain as anxiety began to build up inside of her. Vahn continued to look at her for a few seconds before he said in a tired manner, "Even when I tell you the truth, you look down on me and even accuse the people I care about for lying to deceive me. I'm not sure which world your orb originates, but it's a well known and documented fact in my world that the gods exist. There are literally thousands that walk around the very City I live in, and they each have their own Familia. Even if Hephaestus hadn't told me how long she has lived, I could find the information in the archives easily."Shaking his head, Vahn turned back around and continued walking as he said, "I don't need a Master that lacks basic trust in me, and even insults me when I speak the truth." Vahn continued to walk away and Evangeline felt a trepidation and unease as she watched him walk away. Even when he had spoken the first time, she could tell that he was telling the truth. She just didn't believe that the person he was talking about was a real god, and neglected to consider they were both from different worlds. Where he comes from, the existence of gods is easily validated, and she had spoken based on her own bias and misunderstandings.She wanted to stop him and apologize, but she couldn't throw aside her pride for a second time just to appease someone that was supposed to be trying to become her disciple. The look he had given her had pierced straight through her heart, but she still couldn't say anything due to her own pride as the 'Queen of Darkness'. Instead, she hmphed loudly enough for Vahn to hear before disappearing into the void. Evangeline believed that, after Vahn calmed down a bit, he would eventually give in and ask to be her disciple again. She even began formulating ideas for how she could torment him a bit at the time to teach him a lesson for disrespecting her.Vahn hadn't seen when Evangeline disappeared and any thought of learning her magic right now had completely vanished from his mind. Though he had wanted to learn the 'Magia Erebea' as well, he already had a different use for this space in mind that was far more important. Though the white floor spread out infinitely in all directions, Vahn continued to wander for almost an hour before finally coming to a stop after having found a suitable spot.He began removing a variety of items from his inventory and had used the shop within his system to buy workbenches, tools, and even an entire forge. Within less than half an hour, an area of 10 cubic meters was converted into a workshop within the infinite white space. Without any hesitation, he extracted the 'eternal flame' from his heart and seated it within the forge he spent 40,000 OP on. Though he could use the 'eternal flame' through his hammer, Vahn wanted it to start learning and adapting to his forging instead of him having to guide it himself.From the void, outside of Vahn's perception, Evangeline watched him with confusion and curiosity. She had followed him when he walked away because she was curious what he had in mind for his personal training. She never expected him to suddenly start pulling out items to stock an entire workshop from out of nowhere. Though storage magic wasn't particularly rare, it wasn't a simple feat to keep so many items, and she couldn't sense Vahn using magic at all when he removed them. The thing she found most surprised was the small crimson-gold flame that emerged from his hand and was placed into the forge. As strong as she was since her attributed were darkness and ice, she couldn't help but feel an instinctual fear from the small flame.Vahn began processing materials and marveled at the brilliance of his own idea. Though his body was a spiritual form within the orb, he was still able to use the functions of 'The Path' without restriction. This allowed him to bring physical items into the orb, and now he would be able to practice forging without having to worry about a lack of time in the real world. With Sis's help, Vahn was able to calculate that, if he spent every afternoon and evening within the orb, he could even gain as much as 276 years of extra time to practice his skills. And that was just over the next seventy or so days he had until the Denatus.Without delay, he began processing the materials he had brought with him into a useable form which he would be able to use to make equipment. This was the second part of Vahn's plan and the reason he had spent so much OP on high-quality items for his workshop. As his skills in blacksmithing increased, even without selling the equipment to the system, he would be able to gain a large amount of OP every time he named an item. He could then use the OP gained to purchase more materials from the system and create an infinite loop of production, OP gain, and material acquisition.Evangeline continued to watch Vahn's every action from the void, and she had the urge to ask why he had come into her orb if he just wanted to practice forging. She knew he was likely making use of the time dilation of the orb, but she couldn't comprehend why he would waste time processing materials and making equipment that wouldn't exist outside of the space. Though he might gain experience, he would have just wasted his time an efforts on a senseless task since the objects he made were just spiritual constructs.Unfortunately for Evangeline, she had no way of knowing that the items Vahn was producing were actual items that he would be able to take to and from the orb without any difficulty at all. The existence of something like 'The Path' was far beyond her comprehension, even as a tier 5 being that had lived for hundreds of years. She just continued to watch him to alleviate some of her own boredom while making comments that only she could hear.Vahn continued processing material for nearly three days when he suddenly started to feel a powerful fatigue set in his body. He had taken breaks periodically, and it didn't make sense for him to suddenly feel tired considering his stamina recovery and natural regeneration. Almost exactly after 72 hours had passed Vahn, and the 'eternal flame' in the forge began to dissolve and he realized he was being forcibly ejected from the space.He was suddenly overwhelmed by anger because he thought that Evangeline was sending him out of the space just because she was annoyed with him for ignoring her. When the figure of the young girl appeared in front of him from within the void, Vahn couldn't help but clench his jaw in frustration. Evangeline saw his expression and frowned as she explained, "Don't look at me like that, you idiot boy. Your consciousness can't stay here for more than three days before the orb will forcefully send you out. You'll have to wait twelve hours before you can return, but make sure you come prepared next time. I might have let you be selfish this time, but don't expect my leniency to be without limits."Vahn could tell that she was speaking the truth, so he just sighed before saying, "I don't need your training, Evangeline. I'd rather spend my time practicing forging than continue suffering your abuse. See you soon..." As his words faded, Vahn too faded out of existence and turned into particles that ascended toward the sky. Evangeline followed the dust with her eyes with a deep frown on her face.The fact that Vahn wanted to exploit the space for his own convenience made her very upset, and she wanted to beat up the inconsiderate boy.It might be convenient that he was able to use the space twice a day to experience an additional six days worth of time, but that only accounted for around six minutes in the real world. For the remaining 23 hours and 54 minutes, she was stuck inside the space for an additional 4 years...Turning her head to the items that had stayed behind when Vahn was ejected from the space, Evangeline couldn't help but pick up one of the tools with a bit of curiosity. The items should have disappeared the moment Vahn was kicked out, but everything had remained behind which was very confusing for her. Feeling the weight of the hammer in her hand, Evangeline couldn't help but imagine the hammer was a real, physical item, instead of a spiritual construct. She realized that Vahn had a lot of other secrets she didn't know about, but now it would be harder to learn about them in the future given his attitude toward her.Releasing a long sigh, she put the hammer down and returned to the void to conserve her mana. She curled up into a ball and began entering a dormant state as she cursed the boy that had ignored her for so long. Evangeline felt like he didn't care about being her disciple at all, and it made her question why she even let him stay in the first place. If he didn't change his attitude soon, she planned to force his hand and refuse to let him use the space if he didn't wisen up.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Tsundere Loli-Baba','Vahn's resolve','Let the grind begin')

Vahn awoke, this time without a headache, but still felt the presence of one since he was forcefully ejected from the space due to time constraints. Now, instead of the exorbitant amount of time, he thought he could spend in the space, had been reduced to around 420 days. Though it was still an incredible amount of time compared to normal, he didn't believe that Evangeline would stand idly by as he continued to do his own thing. Remembering her begrudging look as he faded away, Vahn expected that their next meeting wouldn't be smooth. His only hope was, since he didn't have the items on his person, that she left his workshop alone.After making a mental note to keep track of the time until he could next enter, Vahn decided to change clothes and see what the children, if they were around, were up to. Leaving his room, Vahn made his way toward the usual congregation points and, finding nobody in the dining room, headed toward the training area. The time was currently nearing 5 pm and, as Vahn had expected, there were a few children doing mock sparring. Vahn had forbidden them from overexerting themselves on their rest days, but it didn't discourage them from practicing the forms he had taught them.All four boys, Rasui, Nour, Akil, and Ata were in the area. They took turns observing each other performing the techniques and discussing the practical applications for each differing movement. When the saw Vahn approaching, they immediately formed into a line and shouted, "Good afternoon, Master!" Vahn gave them a curt nod before spending about an hour offering them advice. Since he was much stronger than them, they were very attentive and focused during his teaching.After the hour, Vahn sat around with the boys and had a casual conversation with them. They all asked him about his various adventures and how he had become so strong. When they found out that Vahn had been Level 1 not too long ago, they all had stunned faces but Vahn could see sparkles in their eyes. Vahn laughed at their reaction and continued encouraging them to continue improving. Though they may stand at different starting points, if they made an effort, they would be able to exceed his current strength.Vahn continued to recount how he fought against several types of different monsters, and the boys were all impressed with his knowledge. Since he could reference the information in his mind, Vahn felt a little guilty to be 'misleading' them, but if they were able to remember the information because it came from him, he didn't want to break their image of him.At around 8 PM, they were had split into two groups and Vahn had told everyone to prepare for dinner. Akil and Ata left the group behind in a hurry, but Rasui and Nour stayed behind with apprehensive looks on their faces. Vahn was confused but, before he could ask, they both dropped to their knees and bowed their head low while shouting, "Please forgive us, Master!" Their sudden action surprised him, but he kept his composure as he urged them to explain.Rasui looked up at him with a fearful expression as he said, "We had the audacity to smell the scent of your mate. Even though Nanu already belonged to Master, we couldn't help but be drawn to her must trail. Please forgive us, Master!" Vahn held up his hand and explained in a patient tone, "If you are sorry, then lets put this matter behind us. However, you have to remember that I am not a chienthrope and I don't understand everything you reference. What is a musk trail?'Vahn's question made both boys blush, and he suddenly recalled Nanu's actions from earlier in the morning. He remembered that, at one point, Nanu had essentially attacked him with a scent bullet which permeated through the air long after she left. Vahn realized that the musk trail Rasui was referring to had something to do with Nanu's actions at the time. He also realized why Nanu had been in such a hurry to leave after her actions, since it would have caused a problem if she was present.Before Rasui could find the words to explain, Vahn held up his hand to stop him and said, "It's fine, I can understand what you're talking about. Since it is primarily the fault of Nanu, and myself, I won't mind the matter. Just continue working hard and put the matter behind you." Rasui and Nour once again bowed low and thanked him before moving away quickly.While they were walking away, Vahn began reading through the information in his head and learned exactly what a musk trail was. Whenever a female chienthrope was in heat, they could emit pheromones from their vagina to attract and excite potential mates. It was a very dangerous thing to do within the tribe because it had a powerful influence over younger chienthrope males. If they hadn't lost their virginity or found a mate of their own, they could enter a state of excitement and even try to track down the female emitting the scent.If they came across the act, it was even possible for them to challenge the other male for the right to breed. Since both Rasui and Nour were virgins, they had been drawn to Nanu's virgin scent and entered an excited state. If Vahn hadn't been present, they may have even acted on their instincts and followed the trail to where Nanu would have been. The reason they had fled away with 'fear' was due to the fact that, if they were thought to be 'challenging' Vahn's right as the 'Alpha', it wasn't uncommon for there to be bloodshed and there was even a chance the 'Alpha' could exile them from the pack.Vahn released a sigh and decided that he would have to talk to Nanu about her actions before something else happened. Even though he had told her to wait until she was older, it apparently didn't deter her attempts to draw his attention. While he was in his Báihǔ form and incredibly perceptive to scents, she had done something so sneaky before running away. No matter how he looked at it, Vahn understood that was an invitation to act on his 'beastly instincts' at the time. If he had been a chienthrope, it may have even worked out according to her expectations.During dinner, Vahn noticed that the atmosphere was a bit awkward at the table. Anubis was in high tensions to his left, while Nanu had sat marginally closer to him than previous nights. Rasui and Nour kept their heads low and avoiding looking toward Nanu, while even the other four children remained relatively quiet. Vahn noticed that the girls kept giving Nanu a strange look while Akil and Ata seemed to try and distract each other. However, even while they were making conversation, Vahn noticed they kept sniffing the air and giving Nanu a sidewards glance.Vahn sighed in his mind because he had a general understanding of what was going on. If he wasn't wrong, Nanu was probably still releasing her scent and it was distracting everyone else at the table. The only person that didn't seem to be influenced was Anubis, he seemed more focused on her own thoughts than what was happening at the table. The awkward atmosphere continued until dinner ended and the children had begun cleaning up the dishes.Unable to contain his own curiosity, Vahn transformed into his Báihǔ form while everyone, other than Anubis had their backs turned. The moment he transformed, Vahn could smell a heavy bittersweet scent in the air which confirmed his earlier deduction. Releasing his form, Vahn sighed heavily while shaking his head. Anubis had been watching his actions with a bit of interest, and she was even tempted to release her own musk now that she was aware of why he transformed.After the other children dispersed, Nanu remained at Vahn's side awaiting his praise, but he instead asked in a firm tone, "Nanu, have you been releasing your musk all day?" Anubis immediately giggled at his question while Nanu looked at him with slightly upturned eyes as she explained, "Yes, but it is because I started releasing it this morning. Unless I take medicine or sleep for a few hours, my body will continue producing the scent unless I mate."Hearing her words, Vahn scanned the information in his mind and found the name of the medicine she was referring to. He was able to purchase it for 5OP in the system, so he did so before handing her a small folded piece of paper with a green paste inside. Both Anubis and Nanu seemed very surprised by his actions, and Nanu received the medicine with a sad expression on her face. After confirming in his mind that there were no side-effects, Vahn began petting the hair of the girl as he explained, "I told you previously, you have to wait until you're a bit older before we do anything like that. Right now, you're making the other boys uncomfortable, and they keep giving me afraid looks."Vahn rubbed her head against his palms before saying in a low tone, "I understand, Master, I just got a little carried away when you asked me about scents earlier. I will do better in the future so it doesn't cause problems for the rest of the pack." Vahn smiled before giving her a light kiss on her forehead before sending her off. Though she wanted to follow him to his room, Vahn refused and told her to take the medicine and relax in her own room with the other two girls. Until the medicine took effect and her scent faded away, she needed to stay around the other girls while avoiding the boys so they don't do anything regrettable.Anubis commended Vahn for how he dealt with the situation whilst following him to his room. When they stopped outside his door, Vahn noticed her aura turn a bit whispy and her ears began to droop the moment he put his hand on the doorknob. Though he was a bit confused, he finally remembered that he had promised to give her a massage in the evenings. The six days he had spent in the orb had made the matter slip his mind.Vahn gave Anubis an awkward smile before he began to stroke her ears and said, "Sorry, I had been distracted by a few things and had nearly forgotten. Don't worry, I'll make it up to you in a bit." The moment he had started petting her ears, Anubis's face had turned a bit red as she kept trying to rub her ears against his palms with more force. This was one of the things Vahn found adorable regarding chienthropes because, even if they were the cool and calm type, they were always quick to change their demeanor when they were happy.Before things got too out of hand, Vahn led Anubis to her own room and she followed closely behind him with her tail wagging furiously. The moment he opened the door, she stepped over the threshold without any hesitation before stopping right in front of the bed with her back facing Vahn. He followed after her and closed the door behind him before shortening the distance between them. Anubis had done something strange as he approached; she squeezed her tail between her thighs while looking back at Vahn and uttering in a sensual tone, "Ribbon..."Vahn realized that she wanted him to remove the ribbon, similar to his actions from before, and she was holding her own tail to prevent it from getting in the way. He desperately held back his own laughter as he reached his hands forward and pulled to two golden bands which caused the white cloth hugging her hips to fall. Vahn didn't grab her butt like before, which made her a bit disappointed, but he did lead her to the side of the bed and motioned for her to lay down.Though he had expected her to lay down on her stomach like in the morning, Anubis instead remained on her back as she looked at Vahn with an almost 'pleading' gaze. Vahn frowned a bit, because he thought she was trying to seduce him again, even though she had said she was okay with just 'petting'. Anubis noticed his change in expression and explained in a flustered, yet heated, tone, "I know there are massages that work on the front of the body. I want to be able to see your face, and I want you to watch my reactions..."Vahn realized her words weren't wrong, as there actually several techniques that could only be performed on the front of the body. Though he worked all the pressure points and muscles in her back, he hadn't touched anything on her abdomen or chest yet. The only person who had received a 'massage' from the front was Ais, and she seemed to enjoy it quite a bit. Vahn wanted to see how his technique would work on the goddess before him, so he didn't refute her claim.Anubis seemed to be overjoyed by his acceptance as she tried to relax her body a bit in preparation for what was to come. Vahn started to get into position, but since they were on a bed instead of a table, he had to straddle Anubis's thighs to be able to evenly massage her body. Almost as if she had expected his actions, Anubis had a large smile on her face as she stared at him with enamored eyes. Vahn hadn't seen her look hover, because he was focused on the fluffy thing that was in front of his crotch. When Anubis had laid on her back, she had tucked her tail between her thighs and it was now folded up over her vagina, almost like it was protecting it.The sight made Vahn's heart itch, and he almost wanted to tease the incredibly fluffy tail he hadn't had the opportunity to stroke yet. Now that he was going to massage her front, Vahn wondered if he could get away with touching her tail while she was distracted. He figured that, as long as he played it off in a casual manner, she probably wouldn't suspect anything. Placing his hands together, almost like he was uttering a small prayer, white light began emitting from his palms as he placed them on Anubis's abdomen.As soon as Vahn touched her stomach, the itching within Anubis's body started increasing in intensity. She desperately wished Vahn would scratch it for her, but she knew that what was to come would allow her to release a few her pent-up urges. Vahn slowly moved his hands up her abdomen before tracing them alongside her ribs. Because of the motion, he had to bend over Anubis and she continued to hold eye contact with him as she released stifled moans.Vahn was incredibly flustered by how Anubis was reacting because he was currently performing a massage that was supposed to relax the body, not excite it. Though he wanted to regret not massaging her back, he couldn't help but feel excitement and intrigue building up inside of him as he saw her various expressions and heard her muted cries and moans. Her tail was always wiggling back and forth near his crotch, and he even suspected that may have been her intention all along.Fortunately, though he wasn't sure why himself, Vahn seemed to have excellent control over his body and wasn't 'awakened' by her actions. Though it made him feel a little 'ticklish', he was able to prevent his penis from getting erect as he continued massaging her body. Because she was wearing the incredibly thin black cloth, Vahn was able to easily find each of her pressure points and insert his energy.Vahn was a bit of a completionist when it came to executing tasks so, even though it seemed a bit awkward, he even worked the pressure points on her breasts, heart, and even the muscles immediately below her abdomen and inner thighs. Anubis had long stopped her gasps, which had persisted for around three minutes, and she now had turned completely quiet as Vahn continued his work.Though he periodically looked at her face to gauge her reaction, after she had gone quiet, Vahn switched his focus to his hands and the reaction of her body. It was like every muscle in her body was twitching slightly, and even her tail had long gone stiff. While he was massaging the area where her abdomen connected to her inner thighs, it was almost like every press of his thumbs into the connecting tissue sent a jolt up her body. Vahn thought it was interesting because he could feel a powerful vibration as he traced his hands back up her body after the fact.By the end of the half-hour session, Anubis had long since passed out and had a lame expression on her face as slobber dripped from her mouth. Her eyes hadn't closed all the way when she fell asleep, and Vahn could see a thick glaze covering their surface. He was happy that he could help her relax, and he continued the aftercare by wiping down her sweat drenched body with a towel. In the process, he took the opportunity to try and stroke her tail a bit, but he found that the hairs had become completely moist during the process of his massage. When he moved his hands against the flow of the hair, they even emitted a slight mist that left behind a powerful scent in the air that made his heart flutter a bit.Vahn was very tempted to transform into his Báihǔ form to get a better grasp of the scent, but he felt his instincts trigger danger signals in his mind when the thought appeared. Trusting his own instincts, Vahn wiped down the remained of Anubis's body before covering her with the blankets. After stroking her head and wiping the slobber from her lips, Vahn gave her a kiss on the forehead before saying, "Good night, Anubis. I hope you're having a pleasant dream."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'RIP Anubis','Touch Fluffy Tail...it's moist','Nanu's failed plan')

After everything had settled down, Vahn, Hephaestus, and Eina had moved their conversation to the couch, which was the only place where all three could sit. Vahn ended up flanked by the two women, one mortal half-elf and one immortal goddess. Though they weren't married yet, they were now all engaged to each other and Vahn felt an uncontainable jubilation in his heart.His excitement affected Hephaestus as well, which caused Eina to be a bit frustrated so she asked, "Hephaestus-sama, why are you so easily excited around Vahn? I understand you love him, but it is a bit strange seeing how quickly your mood changes." In response to her question, Hephaestus ended up explaining the bond she had with Vahn. They also discussed the matters of Vahn's 'origin' and Eina was incredibly surprised to realize her fiance was very likely more parts god than man.Eina turned to Vahn and asked, "Can I see your 'divinity' as well? I am very curious what it's like when someone other than a god uses divinity." Vahn, who was sitting between the two in silence, nodded his head and expanded his domain a bit. The moment he did so, both Eina and Hephaestus gave him shocked looks. Though he wasn't focusing his intent on either of them, Hephaestus could sense that the domain had become much more powerful. Eina, who had only ever experienced the divinity of Ouranos, was shocked to discover that she felt more pressure from Vahn.Since he had activated [Will of the Emperor], Vahn's emotions started to stabilize which allowed Hephaestus to calm down as well. Eina had noticed the change and asked, "Your divinity affects your emotions?" Vahn nodded his head and began explaining all of his uses for his domain without giving out any information about 'The Path'. The two girls, especially Hephaestus, were very surprised when Vahn said he could fuse his skills into the domain. He demonstrated by using [Hands of Nirvana] and infusing his calming energy which spread throughout the room and made everyone feel pleasant.Hephaestus became very interested in what else Vahn was capable of and continued asking him questions about everything that had happened recently. Vahn continued recounting the events of the last four days and even discussed the matters with Anubis and Nanu. Since Eina had already heard this part of the story, she didn't ask any questions, but Hephaestus seemed to be confused and inquired how that situation had developed so quickly.Vahn was a little surprised by her words and began considering his response. He explained all the details and the misunderstandings he had with Nanu, and the fact that the catalyst for everything revolved around an interaction he had with Anubis in his workshop. At this point, Vahn began pulling out [Enkidu] for his palms as both girls stared in awe at the resplendent golden chains.Though Vahn had intended to mention it later, he thought now was a good chance, so he explained, "These chains suddenly appeared within my soul and seem bound to me. They give me the power to bind anything, including the divinity of gods and goddesses. I had asked Anubis to help me test the effects, and that ended up causing the biggest misunderstanding with Nanu. However, the most important thing I learned..."Vahn hesitated for a moment as both girls stared at him with curious expressions. Vahn swallowed his saliva as he looked Hephaestus in the eyes and said, "According to Anubis...if I use [Enkidu], I can temporarily turn a god...or goddess...into a mortal." Eina seemed surprised by his words but didn't understand why he was acting so strangely. She peered around Vahn's body to see how Hephaestus had reacted to his statement and noticed the ruby-eyed goddess had incredibly wide eyes all of a sudden.Seeing that she understood his implication, Vahn nodded his head with a smile and said, "Anubis said that, if I use these chains on a goddess...there is a chance they would get pregnant." Hephaestus stared at the chains like they were the most sacred treasure in the world whilst Eina had taken the opportunity to open her eyes widely now. If what Vahn said was true, there would be no end to the number of goddesses that would approach him in the future. Eina began to realize that it would be much harder than she originally suspected to guarantee Vahn could live a somewhat normal life.Hephaestus didn't seem to be able to form any words as she picked up the chains from Vahn's hand. As a goddess that had lived for millions of years she, like almost every other goddess, had always wanted to have children. Other than goddesses of fertility and life, it was impossible for a goddess to get pregnant, even if they used items to increase the odds.This was the reason why most gods and goddesses had Familia and called their members 'children'. The chains she now held in her hands represented a hope that she had never harbored previously as she looked toward Vahn with a bit of fear, but mostly expectation in her eyes and asked, "Do you want to get me pregnant...and have children with me?"As it was something Vahn had been thinking about a lot recently, he immediately nodded his head and said in a matter-of-fact manner, "Of course. The moment I found out about the use of [Enkidu], it has been on my mind ever since." Though he hadn't lied, Vahn left out or perhaps overlooked, the fact he had thought of several girls getting pregnant, not just Hephaestus.Hephaestus heard his confidence and 'eager' voice as her hands holding [Enkidu] began to shake. She held them close to her chest and bent over a bit as she looked up at Vahn and said, "Please...hurry and forge me an item. I don't know if I can hold myself back for much longer..." Hephaestus had an incredibly serious look in her eyes, almost like they were glowing, as she looked into Vahn's face with a fierce blush.Eina had been worried that the two might immediately start going at it, and she released a small sigh of relief after hearing Hephaestus showing restraint. She, like almost everyone else in the City, knew about the vow Hephaestus had taken in the past. Vows were soul-binding, and Hephaestus wouldn't be able to break her own word without facing a serious backlash. In the worse case scenario, she might even suffer a curse that removes all of her abilities or forces her to return to Heaven.The look in Hephaestus's eyes caused Vahn to feel anguish in his chest and he spoke with a mixture of confidence and concern in his voice as he said, "I swear...I'll improve faster and faster. I won't keep you waiting for much longer..." Vahn then reached down and kissed Hephaestus, but he made sure to restrain himself a bit so she wouldn't suffer even more. Since he was still using his domain, he managed to keep his calm without influencing her too much.After that, the three discussed various matters, including when the wedding would be. Both Hephaestus and Eina had things to consider before they could actually get married. Hephaestus had to inform the Denatus and officially announce the wedding before all the attending gods, while Eina still had her contract with the Guild. She couldn't suddenly quit her job and follow Vahn and would have to spend time training a replacement. Vahn refused her intentions though and asked her to continue working at the Guild. Though she wanted to force her stance, she noticed Vahn was being especially sincere and she ended up giving in to his insistence. Vahn had told her that working at the Guild suited her, and he believed she would be a great help to novice adventurers when she took on the role of a supervisor.Ultimately, it was decided that the wedding would be planned after the conclusion of the Monster Feria that would be taking place after the next Denatus. Vahn swore that during the time until then, he would earn the [Master Smith] development ability and create an item that would impress Hephaestus. He wanted her to attend the Denatus and have confidence when she addressed the other gods and goddesses. They would call her out for getting engaged to a boy that didn't meet the requirement of her vow, and Vahn was determined to prevent her from being embarrassed.Afterward, he offered to escort Eina home, but she ended up sending him off from the workshop while saying there were various things she had to discuss with Hephaestus as women. Hephaestus affirmed her words and gave Vahn a long hug and a kiss before they parted. After their embrace ended, Hephaestus gave Eina a look which made the half-elf girl blush. Mustering her resolve, she approached Vahn and also embraced him, albeit for a much shorter period of time than Hephaestus.Vahn left Hephaestus's workshop feeling light on his feet as a big smile covered his face. As he passed by Zaff and the other security staff, they all gave him incredulous looks after seeing his current appearance. Even Zaff, who usually had a gruff and serious expression, looked at Vahn like he was some kind of monster. Given how Vahn was acting, Zaff understood that he had somehow managed to convince Hephaestus to accept his relationship with that half-elf girl. If he had known Vahn had actually accepted the two as wives, he, as well as every man present, might have fallen over in shock. Everyone was aware of his relationship with Tiona and Ais, and in less than a week he was now engaged to a powerful goddess and a beautiful half-elf receptionist!?---After Vahn had left, the two women stared at each other in silence for several minutes. Eina's emerald green eyes were a stark contrast to the beautiful ruby-red eyes of Hephaestus. Now, they were both on somewhat similar levels, even though their authority and status were significantly different. They had been united through Vahn, and now would have to work together to help bring stability to Vahn's life.Eina, who had originally proposed the idea, was the first one to speak up as she said, "Hephaestus-sama..." The moment she spoke, Hephaestus shook her head and said, "Just call me Hephaestus when we're alone or around Vahn." Eina paused for a moment before nodding her head and continuing, "Hephaestus, I believe we need to gather up all the girls around Vahn and make our stance known as soon as possible. Not just the girls he is currently with, but those that have an ambiguous or potential relationship as well. If we can't make everyone work together, it will be significantly harder to help reign in Vahn's behavior."Hephaestus had a serious look on her face as she considered Eina's words. After nearly a full minute, she nodded and said, "Most places aren't busy on the weekends, so we can send out messages and have everyone gather tomorrow. Do you know all the girls Vahn is currently associated with? I have a few notes myself, as the Guild had been investigating his details in the past."Eina nodded her head and recounted everything she had discussed with Vahn during their picnic. Though Hephaestus wasn't too surprised, she still couldn't help retort in her mind about how many girls were around Vahn. She resolved that, for Vahn's rehabilitation, she would introduce him to some male friends and role models. After bouncing the idea of Eina, she too agreed and they began discussing potential candidates.---Because of how happy he had been, Vahn managed to clear the distance between Hephaestus's workshop and his house in less than half an hour. Generally speaking, if he had been walking a normal pace, the trip should have taken more than two hours. When he entered through his courtyard, Anubis had barely been able to arrive in time to receive him because of how unusually quick his movements were.Anubis gave a polite bow and said, "Welcome home, Master." Vahn noticed she was still wearing the incredibly revealing black fabric clothes and had tied the white cloth around her waist with the golden ribbon. Learning from his mistake, he gave Anubis a gentle pat on the head for a few seconds before heading to his workshop. He had a plan to make his promise with Hephaestus a reality, and he was excited by the prospect and couldn't wait to get started.Seeing how casually he pet her ears before walking off, Anubis released a sigh as her ears drooped. She had hoped to be able to set Vahn off again with her seductive outfit, but he already seemed to have developed resistance against it. If he had untied the ribbon again, this time she would make sure he wasn't able to escape so easily. The torment she had suffered earlier was now imprinted into her body, and she didn't think she would be able to keep her sanity much longer if Vahn kept treating her the same way. The fact that he had made her climax for over a half hour straight left an itching feeling in her body and she desperately needed to scratch it.---Vahn, completely unaware of the 'imprint' he had left on Anubis, entered the material storage and began storing away the majority of the contents into his inventory. As he had a limited amount of spaces, he had to take out some of his other items to make room for the mountain of materials Hephaestus had purchased for him. Once he had everything, he checked his OP reserves and noticed he had 114,618 OP available. This was more than enough for his needs, so he exited his workshop in high spirits.Along the way, he came across Anubis again who had been waiting in the outer corridor. He saw her drooping ears perk up the moment he stepped out, but she wasn't able to fix her aura so Vahn was able to tell she was in low spirits. Feeling a bit bad, Vahn decided to explain to her everything that happened during the day. Anubis was very surprised to learn that, in the few hours he had been away, he somehow managed to pick up not one, but two wives. The itch in her body started acting up, and she couldn't help but give Vahn a 'mean' look as he continued narrating events.Vahn noticed that Anubis seemed to be even more upset after his words, and he didn't know what to do to make her feel better. After his interactions with Hephaestus and Eina earlier, Vahn realized he had a bad habit of causing misunderstandings because he kept his thoughts to himself. Wanting to change that trait, he looked to Anubis and asked in a serious manner, "Anubis, I can't understand what is making you sad, can you tell me what is wrong?'Anubis's ears twitched at his question as she looked into his serious expression and noticed that he had changed a bit compared to his past self. She understood it was likely the influence of Hephaestus and the Eina woman she had yet to meet. Thinking this might be an opportunity, Anubis mustered up her courage and told Vahn, "Master...I don't think my body can last much longer..." She looked him in his eyes and continued in a sultry tone, "I want Master to make me his..."Vahn was a bit taken aback by her words, but couldn't fault her since he was the one that asked. She was usually reserved, but after he had her speak her mind that one time, he also knew she bottled up things and didn't always act according to her wants and desires. Now that she was approaching him in such a direct manner without him giving her an 'order', Vahn didn't know how to react.Like all the other girls, Anubis had become accustomed to how expressive Vahn was. She could see that, after she spoke her desires, Vahn went through a series of emotions. His initial expression was that of surprise, but then it transitioned from understanding, to blame, and then finally contemplation with a moderate amount of confusion. She knew that he was seriously considering her words, and she couldn't help but bite her lip and hope he gave her some leniency.Vahn looked at Anubis and noticed she was paying close attention to his face as she waited for his response. Before he even spoke, he noticed that her expression turned sad and her ears drooped a bit. Releasing a sigh, Vahn said, "Anubis, both Hephaestus, and Eina want me to practice showing restraint. I won't lie, I have a great interest in both you and your body, especially after all the recent events. However, until I get matters sorted out, I can't cross the line and have sex with you."Anubis nodded her head with a sad expression, but then her eyes opened a bit as her ears stood proudly on her head. Vahn was confused at her sudden change until she said, "Then, other than sex, everything else should be fine, right?" Her momentum had caused Vahn to falter a bit because she had closed the distance between them and looked into his eyes with clear excitement on her face. Vahn asked in a muted tone, "What did you have in mind...?"The moment Vahn asked, Anubis got even closer to him and grabbed his hand with her own. She looked into Vahn's face with her moonlight eyes glowing as she said, "I want you to pet me more like you did this morning. Even if we can't have sex, that will be enough for now." Anubis had started breathing a bit heavily as she held Vahn's hand in her chest and hugged it like it was some kind of treasure.After considering her words for a bit, Vahn didn't think it would be much of a problem if it was just petting. Before he responded, Anubis's tail had already started wagging about wildly as she waited for his words. Vahn laughed a bit at her cute actions before saying in an amused tone, "Only for a bit, and only in the evenings. If you pass out during the day, it could cause problems with your duties and sleep schedule."Anubis nodded her head and had an excited expression on her face as she continued to hug his hand for a moment and laughing in a silly manner. Vahn never expected someone to have so much interest in his massage technique, and it made him a bit proud of himself. There were still various things within the manual for [Hands of Nirvana] that he wanted to try. Now, it looked like he had found a willing assistant for his future experimentation.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Wedding Plans','Gathering of the Vahnguard','Dogs have a bad habit of digging holes')

Chapter 154: Vahn Tries Exploitation