Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After tending to Anubis, Vahn didn't have anything to do so he spent the next few hours meditating to try and comprehend the [Mantra of Eternity]. Even now, he couldn't make out any of the words, but he had the benefit of easily clearing his mind using [Will of the Emperor], so he hoped to make progress on it one day. Eventually, though he didn't particularly require sleep at the moment, Vahn decided to go to bed in preparation for the coming day.While he was sleeping, Vahn dreamt about floating above the world in a weightless state. His body felt very relaxed, and it looked like the only thing he had to do was reach out his hands and he would be able to encompass the entire world. It seemed so effortless, and the shining blue orb seemed so beautiful that he felt a strong desire to keep it for himself. Vahn felt like the world was a tiny treasure box that contained limitless precious items that he wanted to adore and protect.Vahn awoke and could feel a fluttery and happy feeling in his relaxed body. It was almost as if his mind had awakened earlier than his body, and he enjoyed the tingling sensation of numbness throughout his body before he finally put strength into his limbs. Releasing a happy sigh, Vahn pulled out the black orb and began inserting his consciousness into it. The reason he had awoken was that the twelve hours had passed before he could enter the black and white space.Fortunately, he seemed to enter the space at the same point he left previously. Looking around, Vahn realized that, though some stuff had moved, there didn't seem to be anything missing. He had been worried that Evangeline might make a mess of things in her frustration, but it seemed like he had worried for nothing. Thinking of Evangeline, the girl appeared from the void not far from him and within the area of his perception. He noticed that she wasn't in her adult form, but she appeared to already be upset.She spoke in a forceful and annoyed voice as she said, "This space isn't meant to be used at your personal convenience to do whatever you feel like doing. When you're here, it requires more mana to sustain the energies that keep this world stable, and the original purpose was to pass on my techniques to future generations. If you're going to continue being selfish, I will not allow you to stay here any longer."Vahn frowned at her words, but he didn't say anything as he tried to consider things from her perspective. Even if she wasn't the original, she had a pair of memories and could form thoughts to make judgments. If he continued to deny the purpose for why she was left in the space, Vahn couldn't fault her for getting angry with him. Vahn imagined what it would be like if he created a personal space to teach someone, but they ended up ignoring his intentions and started doing their own thing. The only way Vahn wouldn't kick them out is if they were someone he was fond of or someone he had taken pity on.However, Vahn wasn't willing to simply concede to the small girl that was giving him a fierce look as she waited for his response. Vahn explained, "It wasn't my original intent to use this space at my convenience, and I'm sorry things have developed this way. However, I have a very limited amount of time to improve my forging and this space is the only way I can keep my promise." Evangeline's expression had relaxed a bit when he started apologizing, but the moment he gave her an excuse she couldn't help but ask, "Is it because of one of your women?"Vahn nodded without hesitation and tried to explain the situation regarding Hephaestus. Unexpectedly, Evangeline allowed him to narrate the story without interrupting. Considering it had only been a few hours since she lashed out at him previously, Vahn was a bit confused with how she had changed in such a short period of time...As that thought passed through his mind, Vahn's eyes widened a bit as he asked, "Evangeline, does time continue to move forward normally when I'm not inside here?"His words caused a deep frown on the doll-like face of the small girl as she gave him a blaming look and said, "You only just realized that now? You really are the biggest idiot disciple I've ever had the misfortune of meeting." Hearing her confirmation, Vahn asked Sis to calculate the time and realized that, in the short few hours he had been away, Evangeline would have been waiting an additional four years.Though he had misgivings with Evangeline, imagining her stuck in this empty space with nothing to do for four years every time he was away, Vahn couldn't help but pity her a bit. Evangeline saw the change in his expression and explained, "Don't give me that kind of look; I don't need your pity. If you're really sorry, work hard to learn my techniques instead of wasting more of my time."Vahn released a sigh and explained, "I want to train, but I still need to practice my forging. As I said previously, if I can't learn the [Master Smith] development ability before the next Denatus, Hephaestus would be embarrassed in front of the other gods. I can't let her down, no matter what!" There was a powerful conviction in Vahn's eyes as he stared at the hammer in his hands, the one personally forged by Hephaestus previously.Evangeline seemed to be annoyed by his words, but she didn't say anything for several minutes as she mulled over her thoughts. Vahn waited patiently for her to speak, but after nearly ten minutes had passed, he started to feel the urge to get to work. Though he thought Evangeline was cute and didn't mind staring at her flawless features, that wasn't the reason he had come to this space. Just as he was about to give up waiting, Evangeline looked at him and said, "Fine, I will allow you to use this space to set up your workshop, but you'll have to provide compensation in exchange for my patience. And, the moment you finally get your [Master Smith] 'development ability', you'll have to swear to take my lessons seriously."Vahn considered her words for a moment before asking, "I understand why you would ask for compensation, but what can I do other than let you drink my blood?" When Vahn mentioned the matter of drinking blood in such a casual manner, Evangeline looked like she suffered a marginal amount of mental damage. She hung her head for a bit and took several deep breaths before calming herself and saying, "I noticed that the items you brought into this space are actual, physical, objects and not spiritual constructs. Though I'm uncertain of the principles behind it, as it doesn't seem to be based off any magical system, I know you have a way to link this space to the physical world."Considering she had four years to make her deductions, there was no way Vahn could refute her words so he just nodded his head in affirmation. Evangeline saw his look and gave a small smile as she continued, "If that's the case, it's very easy to compensate me for using this space. I've been trapped in here with nothing to do for such a long period of time that I've long since grown bored of the monotony. You just have to give me items from your world to keep me entertained. I don't mind what it is, be it books, games, food, or even other items."Vahn considered for a moment before giving her all the books he had stored into his inventory previously. There were several hundred, and the moment he removed them from his inventory, Evangeline's eyes widened a bit before she walked over and picked one up, asking, "These are books from your world?" Vahn nodded while she turned through the pages with a hint of curiosity in her eyes. After turning through more than half the pages of the book she was holding, Evangeline said, "I can't read any of this."Seeing the serious expression on her face, Vahn felt the urge to laugh but knew that doing so would likely get him hammered into the ground and ejected from the space. He never had the problem of having to learn to read and write the languages of the world, since 'The Path' had given him the ability to comprehend the basic languages, both spoken and written, of the records he was inside. While he was trying to think of a solution, Evangeline waved her hand and all the books disappeared in the void.After everything but the book she was holding was put away, she asked, "What kind of book is this?" Vahn tilted his head and saw that she had picked up a book related to the cultures and traditions of the Southern Tribe, so he explained the contents. Evangeline listened to his words before mumbling, "So your world also has demi-humans and beastmen? Maybe our words aren't as dissimilar as I expected..."Before Vahn was able to ask, Evangeline nodded her head before turning to him and saying, "I'll need a notebook, pen, desk, a comfortable chair, as well as a bed. If you have any interesting foods or sweets, I want to try them as well." As none of the items cost much OP, Vahn gave into her demands and purchased the items she requested through the system. When he pulled out a large king-sized bed with pink sheets, a comforter, and a few pillows, Evangeline was in a very happy mood. Even before he had the chance to make the bed properly, she had dove into the bed while hugging onto the book he had given her previously.Evangeline rolled about on the bed a bit before saying in an approving tone, "You're finally acting like a proper disciple. If you have any pastries or sweets, make sure to leave them on the desk before you go and start forging. Make sure to bring plenty of sweets in the future, or else I might change my mind~ For now, I'll learn your worlds language by studying the books you gave to me."Vahn wanted to retort that he had only lent her the books, but she had already turned serious as she sat cross-legged on the bed and started scanning each page in a focused manner. Unwilling to interrupt her current state, Vahn just shook his head before returning to his workshop. Along the way, he left a chocolate cake he had purchased through the system for 5OP so she wouldn't have any reason to complain later.After tending to the demands of Evangeline, more than an hour had passed, but Vahn felt like it wasn't too bad if she was going to let him do his own thing for a while. Unfortunately, almost every time he would finish processing a batch of materials, Evangeline would begin asking him questions about the books she was reading. Though Vahn was a bit annoyed, he was surprised with how fast she was learning the language, and the questions she asked always struck at the core of a matter.Evangeline was a veritable sponge for knowledge and information, and by the time Vahn was ready to take a rest from work, She had already learned the core structure of the written language and started translating other books.Evangeline noticed that he had set down his tools, even without her prompting him to, so she assumed he was finally taking a break. Vahn had worked for nearly eighteen hours straight and only stopped when she would ask him questions or distract him. Though she was annoyed by him, Evangeline couldn't help but commend Vahn's dedication. She wondered what kind of woman Hephaestus had to be for him to put in so much effort just to keep her from being embarrassed.Vahn had originally sat down and started eating a meal to recuperate his strength and take a short nap, but the moment his body touched the ground he felt his body turn light as he was pulled through the air slowly before being put down next to the bed. Evangeline, who was sitting nearby at the desk and writing in her notebook spoke out without looking toward him, "Sleep."Though she had spoken the word in a curt manner with a hint of coldness in her voice, Vahn could see that her aura remained gentle as she essentially gave him permission to use the bed. As it was far more comfortable than sleeping on the floor, Vahn finished his meal before laying down on the bed with his legs and arms stretched out. Forging was a very tiring task, and it wasn't easy to process hundreds of materials without losing a bit of focus. Setting an alarm in his head, it wasn't long before he had fallen asleep.Evangeline continued to move her pen back and forth for nearly twenty minutes before coming to a stop. She looked around in the air and noticed that Vahn had continued to maintain his domain even while he was asleep. Though she had seen him do the same thing before, it still amazed her how he had such control over an incredibly high-level skill. She waved her hand through the air, and it was almost like the void rippled a bit as she passed her own magical energy through his domain.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Daily Life of Master and Disciple','Babysitter Vahn','Clever baba')

Vahn awoke after four hours of rest and turned to see that Evangeline was still at her desk and translating books. After stretching a bit, Vahn asked with a yawn, "Do you not sleep?" Evangeline's pen stopped moving as she looked over at him with cold eyes and said, "What, did you expect me to sleep in the same bed that you occupy? I'm not one of your little girlfriends in the outside world."Rubbing his head to alleviate the awkwardness, Vahn couldn't help but frown a bit as he said, "I wasn't asking you to sleep at the same time, I was just curious since it's been almost an entire day and you're still awake." Evangeline's brows furrowed a bit as she turned away and continued writing in her journal without responding to his question. Vahn just shook his head before leaving the bed and continuing his work in processing the materials.Unlike the prior day, when Evangeline would constantly interrupt to ask him questions, she seemed to be keeping to herself which allowed Vahn to make steady progress. This was now the beginning of the fifth day since he started processing materials, and he had been intended to begin forging equipment soon. Every time he named an item after forging, he would gain marginally more OP than the requisite materials used in its construction. Vahn was excited by the prospect of creating an infinite loop which allowed him to gain experience, OP, and Valis when he sold the items later. Unlike equipment purchased from the system, he could give away the items he forged without relying on the 'gift' function in the system.Since he had been naming so many items, Vahn had inspected his [Keeper of the Akashic Tome] through the system and learned a very pleasant fact. Even though the system time showed the passage of time in the real world, the cooldowns on his abilities seemed to be tied to the passage of time within the orb. His original 60-day cooldown was already less than 39 days, even though only around two weeks had passed in the real world. At this rate, he could reduce the cooldown on his abilities by around 7 days per actual day that passed in the real world. (A/N: 6 days in the space, 1 day in the real world.)With all this new information, Vahn forged in high spirits and wanted to improve his skills as much as he could before the cooldown finally came to an end. He planned to use part of the time till then to create the framework for an item which he intended to name using the power of his Innate skill, instead of the traditional naming method. He already had a few ideas in mind and was trying to decide which of them would be the most optimal for his future progress. Though it wouldn't have the same power as the original, if Vahn decided to forge a sword and name it Excalibur, he knew that it would possess a fragment of the power of the original. If he put effort into it, it would even be able to grow and exceed the original in the future.Right now, Vahn didn't have much need for equipment, since his [Rakshasa Body] gave him incredible fighting potential. He also had [Enkidu] as well as his [Will of the Emperor] which would give him an edge over almost anyone. However, this didn't mean he had no interest in equipment at all since the idea of wielding cool looking armor and weapons made him feel excited. Even if he didn't use them much, just being able to wear them would be awesome.Vahn knew these were all matters for the future, so he didn't spend too much time thinking about it. Once he got out of the space, he would have a lot of recreational time to consider things, so, for now, he continued to forge the large weapon he started earlier. After seeing the 'Urga' of Tiona, Vahn had wanted to try creating a similar weapon. Even with his powerful physical strength, he still had trouble handling the metal after realizing how difficult it was to work with a heavy and long object.It took him nearly twelve hours to shape the 140kg piece of metal into the correct shape while ensuring it had proper balance. Without the support of his domain and control over fire, Vahn would have been unable to complete the weapon, since it was far more difficult than he had expected. After consideration, he mocked himself for making it all as one part instead of creating a mold for the individual blades and then linking them together later. However, since it was all one piece during its construction, the mana circuits were linked properly and the entirety of the blade was far more durable. He had used a triple layer composite of adamantine for the core, mithril to act as a cushion and conduit around that with reinforced magisteel lining the edges.Vahn held the gigantic weapon that was longer than he was tall, and marveled at his own personal achievement. For the time being, this was his greatest masterpiece, and he even considered holding onto it until the cooldown of his Akashic Tome had ended so he could give it a powerful name. Eventually, he decided against waiting, because he was curious how much OP he would get from completing a weapon that far exceeded even his own expectations. After a bit of deliberation, he decided to name the weapon [Dance of the Amazon] after imaging Tiona jumping around and cutting through monsters in her characteristic lively movements. The moment he decided on the name, Vahn obtained 3,705 OP from the system and couldn't help but smile at the result.[Dance of the Amazon]Rank: A (Magic)Slots: 0P.Atk: 911+90M.Atk: 83Ability: Impact Dampening(B), Hardening(C), Crushing Blow(A)A gigantic weapon comprised of two blades meticulously crafted to be well balanced for ease of use. Uses a triple-layer-composite to increase the durability and striking potential of the weapon. This weapon carries the will of its creator and the hope that it will allow the wielder to dance freely amongst their enemies. Creates a thin barrier of wind around the wielder that increases agility.Seeing the description, Vahn couldn't help but be pleased with his own workmanship. Though he didn't know how his [Dance of the Amazon] stacked up against Tiona's [Urga], he believed that his creation wouldn't be far behind. Remembering that her weapon had been made by a [Master Smith], Vahn grew excited at the prospect that he wasn't too far from that realm. His [Blacksmith] skill was already rank S, so the only thing he needed was experience, perseverance, and time.Evangeline had raised her head to stare at the gawking face of Vahn as he looked at the abnormally large weapon with a silly expression on his face. Before long, he started swinging around the sword to test its use, and her brows raised a bit when she saw the elemental energies of wind dancing around his body. Though she could tell he was very skilled at forging, she hadn't expected him to be able to create magical weapons with such ease. Generally speaking, it took a powerful catalyst like a magic core or artifact if you wanted to make a magical weapon, but Vahn was able to do it using his forging skills alone.Placing her pen down, she left the large chair Vahn had purchased for her and used Shundo to immediately close the distance between her and Vahn. Since he had been testing the weapon, Vahn had his domain focused and his senses heightened enough to be able to catch Evangeline's movements. He still couldn't catch her actual speed, but he was able to sense when she entered and exited the movement at the very least. Expecting her to suddenly attack, Vahn got into a position to intercept, but she just ended up standing in front of him and giving him a strange and amused look.Seeing the small girl looking at him in such a manner, Vahn couldn't help but feel a hint of embarrassment. If it wasn't for [Will of the Emperor] helping him maintain his calm, he expected that he might have blushed a bit. Before he asked, Evangeline answered his question, "I wanted to inspect that weapon you made. I can sense it possesses a magical ability as well as a powerful affinity for magic in general. It's actually pretty impressive that you're able to forge such a weapon considering your age. I guess your intentions of becoming a [Master Smith] aren't as baseless as I expected."Reaching out her hands to accept the weapon, Vahn looked at her for a moment before handing it over. It annoyed him how her 'compliments' always seemed to have sharp criticisms hidden inside them, but he was quickly learning that it was Evangeline's way of concealing her own emotions. Since he could easily see her aura, it was very difficult for her to fool him just based on her words and actions alone. Though Vahn still remained on guard a bit after his negotiations with Loki, he had quickly understood how to better read the aura by matching against the values in the system.After Evangeline received the [Dance of the Amazon], she was surprised when her hands dropped a few millimeters. Though she expected it to be heavy, it was a bit more than her assumption due to the adamantine core. Swinging it around a bit, she could feel the wind forming a small barrier around her that made her body feel lighter. With a slight smile on her face, she disappeared from in front of Vahn before reappearing nearly 200m away in an instant.Vahn was amazed by the sheer speed she was capable of achieving and wondered if he should ask her to teach him that movement. He could tell it was some kind of technique, but he wasn't able to understand the principles behind it presently. While he was a bit lost in thought, he saw Evangeline jump high into the air before coming to a stop. Vahn's brain started to buzz because the moment she came to a stop he could feel an incredible amount of magic flowing through the air like an endless tidal wave that made him feel a bit pressured.Evangeline wanted to see how useful the giant weapon was as a magical catalyst and she was amazed by how smoothly her magic could consolidate and flow through the blade. She felt like the weapon in her hands could rival some of the masterpieces created by magical blacksmiths back in Mundus Magicus. If she hadn't seen the process herself from start to finish, she wouldn't have believed Vahn was the one who forged the item in her hands. After her magic reached a critical level, she spun around in the air once and struck out with the heavy weapon.From Vahn's perspective, the moment Evangeline spun around, the entire world seemed to slow down as the image in his eyes was magnified with an incredible amount of clarity. He felt like he could see every movement of the muscles beneath her skin and dress, and could even see the flow of the magic creating thousands of small magical circles in the air around her. The attack that shot out from [Dance of the Amazons] seemed to contain an irresistible force which collided with the ground and sent a shockwave that reached his position from 200m away, even though she had aimed in the opposite direction. Vahn stared in horror at the giant pillar that seemed to stretch to the heavens from where her magical energy had struck. By the time the light had disappeared, there was a canyon-sized hole with the infinite white space of the floor that slowly started regenerating.When Evangeline nodded her head with a satisfied look on her face, Vahn felt a sudden throb in his mind as both of his eyes started to emit a painful sensation which caused him to close them with a grimace. From her elevated position, Evangeline saw Vahn's state and had a questioning look on her face as she teleported next to him without saying anything. She could feel the mana in his body converging on his eyes and around his brain and knew that he had likely awakened something due to watching her earlier actions.After a few excruciating seconds, blood started to drips from Vahn's closed eyes and Evangeline began to worry as she watched him continue to struggle. Since she had no understanding of his magic system and origins, she didn't know what she could do to help. When Vahn fell to his knees and clutched his palms over his eyes, she felt a slight twinge in her heart as she grits her teeth and watched the process complete. It took nearly twenty minutes, but the energy began to stabilize in his body before he finally passed out.Vahn fell face first onto the ground with tears of blood dripping down his face, but he no longer had a pained expression. After sighing in relieve, Evangelina used telekinesis to pick up his body and lay him down on the bed. Using a handkerchief, she wiped the blood away from his face. After he was cleaned up, Evangeline stared at him blankly for a few minutes before she was unable to resist her own curiosity any longer. Using her index and thumb, she opened the eyelids of Vahn to inspect if there had been any changes to his eyes. Though he still had the same aquamarine colored iris, she could see there was a hint of azure blue around the pupils which glowed with a magical light.Evangeline released a long sigh as she let Vahn's eye return to a closed state. Everything about him was a mystery, and the longer she was around him, the more the mysteries seemed to deepen. Since she knew about his past from his own recounting of events, she began to wonder why those researchers had tracked him down in the first place. She knew it likely had something to do with his blood, but there seemed to be far more to the story than Vahn understood from the events. Sitting on the bed next to him, Evangeline watched his sleeping face with a bit of curiosity and intrigue in her eyes.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Amazon bait','Forging Cheat','Jiiiiiiiiiiii-')

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')

Chapter 156: Compromise