Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

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 felt a searing pain in his eyes as he floated weightlessly within a cold void. It felt like both of his eyes were burning, and he felt warm blood flowing between his palms as he tried using [Hands of Nirvana] to stifle the pain. However, no matter how much he willed himself to use the skill, it wouldn't activate and he could do nothing but gnash his teeth through the pain. Even his brain started to feel like it was melting, and Vahn thought he might lose his mind if things continued as they were.Suddenly, a cold sensation spread through his mind and began to combat against the debilitating heat radiating from his eyes. Vahn let out a gasp that was a mixture of relief and profound anguish. Even though the pain continues to wrack his body, the cooling sensation in his mind brought him some small comfort and allow him to protect his mind from losing itself to madness. After what seemed like several hours, the pain finally began to recede as the cooling sensation spread through the rest of his body, including his eyes which currently felt like coarse sand within his eye sockets.After several more hours, the cooling sensation returned the 'moisture' to his eyes, and Vahn no longer felt like they were compacted by hot sand. Mustering up a bit of strength, Vahn tried to open his eyes and immediately felt terrified by what he didn't see. Reaching his hands to his face, Vahn could feel that both of his eyes were opened, but he couldn't see anything. No matter where he turned, there was absolutely no light that could be picked up by his eyes. If he couldn't feel his body, Vahn would have suspected it didn't even exist.Vahn felt a sour feeling in his heart and could feel tears welling up in his sightless eyes. He tried seeking comfort by calling out to Sis in his mind, but even she didn't answer his call. Vahn felt terribly lonely at the silence and the fact he was no longer able to see. Imagining having to spend the rest of his life blind, Vahn felt a profound sadness overtake him as he recalled the faces of everyone that he had grown close to over the last few months. The idea of never being able to see their various expressions broke his heart. It wasn't the loss of his sight or his inability to fight that hurt him the most, but the fact that he would never be able to see the smiles of one of those he cared about.For what seemed like days, Vahn continued to cry as he floated weightlessly in a space that carried not a single sight or sound other than those from his own memory and body. None of his skills or abilities worked in this space, and even the system of 'The Path' couldn't be accessed. The only thing that kept Vahn from going crazy was the cooling sensation that was everpresent in his mind. He knew it was the influence of [Will of the Emperor] and found some solace knowing that he hadn't lost everything yet.After a long period of time, when Vahn had slowly started to let go of his thoughts and just allowed his body to float in space, he finally caught sight of something. Though he didn't react at first, when his mind finally processed what he had just 'seen', Vahn felt excitement well up inside of him. The tears that he thought had long dried up came back like a tidal wave as he stretched out his hand toward the tiny white light. It was so small, almost like a figment of his imagination, but Vahn knew in his heart it was real. He wanted to reach out and grab it so badly...Suddenly, the inconsequentially small light exploded with an irresistible force that quickly overtook Vahn's body. Though he could feel the explosion was more powerful than anything he could even conceive, the shockwave passed through Vahn's body without any resistance at all. Even though it was a cataclysmically devastating force, Vahn was entirely unaffected by its passage as he just bathed in the warm energies that penetrated through his body.The previously soundless and sightly space was suddenly awash with limitless colors that rapidly expanded from the origin point of the small light. Vahn could feel the energies spreading through his body, almost like they were reshaping everything that defined his previous existence. He could feel the passage of countless eons as he observed the formation of the nebula, stars, and even planets as they filled out the previously empty space that brought him so much sadness before.Vahn felt like he was watching the birth of the entire cosmos, and though he couldn't influence it in the slightest, it made him feel proud to have witnessed such a beautiful and awesome sight. The long years he had spent without a single light had impacted him deeply, and now everything within his vision brought comfort to his mind. Even the individual particles of cosmic dust that floated within the vast emptiness were infinitely interesting to him, and Vahn felt like everything had a beautiful purpose as his eyes overlooked their existence through the infinite passage of time.He had long forgotten how long he entered this space, but no matter how much time passed, Vahn was never lonely or sad anymore. Though he had a longing for something that he couldn't recall, he was satisfied with just observing the cycle of creation and destruction around him. At this moment, Vahn felt like there was order in all things, and an overwhelming sense of completion spread through every fiber of his being for having had the opportunity to observe everything taking place since its emergence from the tiny white dot.While Vahn was reveling in the sense of 'completion' in his body, all of the lights around him started slowly vanishing. Though he didn't mind it at first, as destruction was part of the natural cycle, after a large portion of the lights had extinguished, Vahn felt like there was something wrong. Looking through the void which was previously awash with an incredibly vibrant array of colors and sights, Vahn could see darkness encroaching from all directions. Though he desperately wanted to halt its advance, much like how he could do nothing to stop the spreading of the light, Vahn was unable to prevent the darkness from slowly reclaiming everything.Eventually, though an incredibly long period of time had passed, the darkness had claimed everything in what seemed like an instant. Vahn was suddenly overwhelmed by loneliness again as his eyes looked through the darkness, but could find no light. He knew that he wasn't blind, but that there was simply nothing to see at all. Even if he traveled through the void for an eternity, he may never be able to find another light like the one that had brought him so much comfort.A powerful sense of desperation welled up inside him as Vahn turned his focus to the inside of his body. Though he couldn't use 'The Path', or any of his abilities, it didn't stop him from being able to inspect the inside of his body. He was desperately looking for something, anything, which might be able to restore some of the light to this now perpetually dark world. Eventually, he found what he was looking for, deep within the core of his heart.Though he wasn't sure why it was there, Vahn had an instinctual understanding that he would be able to find it if he looked. Within his heart, or the area where he believed his heart to be, there was a small blue light very reminiscent of the white light he had previously seen long ago. Vahn wrapped his intent around it and slowly guided it along his body until the blue light emerged from his bare chest. Though there was nothing else in the space, the blue glow of the light gently illuminated his skin and his palms which cradled the light.Even though there was now a void in his heart where the blue light used to reside, Vahn felt happiness well up inside of him as he stared at the gentle blue light. Tears began to flow down his face as an image replayed itself through his mind from long ago. Moments before the original white light had expanded, Vahn had seen another figure illuminated by the white light which he desperately saw. Though he hadn't given it any attention at the time, now that he reflected on it, Vahn could see the eyes of another person reflecting the gentle white light as it looked toward him. Just as Vahn was about to reach out for the light, that was when the cycle of creation and destruction began.Now, Vahn held the gentle blue light in his hands in a manner similar to the unidentified entity from long ago. As he slowly raised up the light, he looked into the darkness and could feel a powerful sense of love spreading through his being as he saw the eyes of countless individuals peaking through the darkness and seeking out the light in his hands. They all looked sad and desperate, and they reminded Vahn of himself from a time long ago. The moment one of the entities got close, Vahn exhaled gently and the blue light in his hand exploded outwards with an irresistible force. Unlike the time when the energies had passed freely through his body, this time they tore Vahn apart, almost like the light was using his body itself to fuel the process of creation and destruction that would follow...The last desire Vahn had before he ceased to exist was a desire that his sacrifice would be able to resist the darkness for even a second longer than the white light that had brought him so much happiness.---Vahn awoke in the bed he had purchased for Evangeline and stared wide-eyed at the infinite black sky above. For a brief moment, he thought he was still stuck in that timeless place with no light, but when he felt the covers on his body he suddenly felt incredibly warm and safe. From his left, an annoyed, but gentle, voice spoke out, "Boys shouldn't be so quick to cry...you look like an idiot."Turning his head, Vahn could see Evangeline looking at him with furrowed brows as she had an expression of mock contempt on her face. However, he could see the concern in both her aura and eyes as she looked at him.Vahn couldn't help but feel happy to have some companionship after what seemed like a literal eternity of loneliness. Though he had experienced all of creation and destruction from the very beginning of time, even the 'completion' he felt then couldn't compare to a single moment of his interactions with those around him. Though he knew she would probably get mad, Vahn couldn't help but smile and say, "After what feels like an eternity, I can't help but feel grateful to wake up next to a beautiful girl."Evangeline immediately frowned at him before turning away and jumping off the bed. She spoke in an angry without looking at Vahn, "You've been asleep for almost twenty hours, aren't you supposed to be in a hurry to get better at forging? Don't waste my time with your shamelessness." Even though she was acting angry, Vahn continued to follow Evangeline's back as she returned to her desk. He could see that, when he complimented her earlier, her aura had become slightly chaotic and had a pink hue to it. For some reason, likely due to the fact she was only a memory, Vahn couldn't see the affection Evangeline had for him, but he assumed it wasn't as low as she pretended it to be.After collecting his thoughts for a few minutes, Vahn whispered out gently in his mind in a probing voice, ("Sis, are you there?") The moment the womanly voice began sounding with his mind, Vahn felt an incredible amount of relief wash over his body. Her presence had been one of the things he missed the most during his 'dream', and it wasn't until she spoke that he finally felt like he had returned. Though her words weren't very long, they brought a profoundly happy feeling to Vahn's heart as she said, (*Good morning, Vahn. I will always be here when you need me.*)Releasing a long and contented sigh, Vahn habitually inspected his system for any changes and found what he was looking for. As expected, Vahn had obtained an ability related to sight which had triggered at the moment when he was watching Evangeline's attack. It wasn't the first time the phenomenon of time slowing down had happened, so Vahn had some expectation he would develop a related skill eventually...[Eye of Truth]Rank: Innate (B) *Innate skills cannot be identified. Attempts to do so will result in a backlash.*[Passive]: Greatly increased perception and visual acuity. Absolute immunity to illusions depending on rank.[Active]: 'Oblivion'. All things in creation are born from and return to oblivion.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Dreams of Eternity','Vahn is so deep','Voyeurism')

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')

Chapter 157: [Dance of the Amazon]