Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

While Vahn had been testing his new gauntlets, Evangeline had been using her ability to sense mana to try and determine the internal structure that made Vahn's gauntlets function. She had noticed previously, when she used the giant weapon, that the magical circuits and the logic behind the pathways were fundamentally different than anything from her world. If not for the fact Vahn had created the weapon to be easy to use, she would have had a much more difficult time charging her magic previously.As Vahn continued to jump about and punching the air, Evangeline continued observing his actions and trying to make sense of the differences between their two worlds. Even though she had read the one-thousand-seven-hundred-eighteen books that Vahn had left behind, almost half of them had been regarding questionable subjects, while the others primarily focused on general knowledge, history, and some mythos. She hadn't learned anything about the actual magic structure of his world and didn't know how she would teach him since there were no guarantees the laws behind her magic would be of any use in his world.Putting down her pen, Evangeline stood up from the comfortable chair before vanishing from her spot. Vahn, who had just thrown out another full-powered punch opened his eyes wide as Evangeline appeared right in front of him. Though he wanted to divert his punch, he didn't have time since Evangeline grabbed his wrist before using his own momentum to flip his body over her shoulder in a manner similar to Tsubaki.Though it was an incredibly swift motion, it was also something that Vahn had experienced countless times, so he was able to twist his wait and right his feet before she was able to slam him into the ground. Evangelin, who had expected Vahn to crash into the floor, opened her eyes a bit as she said in a complementary fashion, "Oh, not bad." Vahn, who had been thrown by her, immediately frowned as he asked, "Why did you suddenly attack me?"Evangeline tilted her head and looked at Vahn like he had said something ridiculous as she responded, "You were the one who attacked me though? All I did was teleport in front of you so I could ask you a question. Don't blame other people just because you dropped your guard and lack control over your own abilities." Each of Evangeline's words were biting, and she spoke as if she was trying to lecture Vahn.Vahn just shook his head and dispelled his transformation as he asked, "What did you want to ask me?" Hearing the way Vahn was speaking, Evangeline furrowed her brows a bit as she said, "Every time you fail to call me Master is only increasing the punishment you'll receive in the future. You should do yourself a favor and fix your attitude, or is it that you're trying to test my patience?"In response to her words, Vahn just released a sad sigh and walked toward his workshop. Even if he could see she wasn't serious, it didn't make her words much easier to deal with. Vahn never expected that being able to see someone's aura would actually be a disadvantage. If he couldn't see it, he could easily be angry with her and might even concede to her demands just to make his life easier. However, since he could see she wasn't seriously upset with him, it made her behavior more tiring than intimidating.Watching Vahn walk away, Evangeline couldn't resist gritting her teeth as she wanted to lash out at the boy that constantly got on her nerves. She kept telling herself over and over that she would make him pay the moment they started their actual training. For now, however, she swallowed her anger and called out to him, "Wait, Vahn, I need to ask you a question." Vahn stopped his feet and turned toward her and asked plainly, "What would you like to ask, Evangeline?"Hearing Vahn once again calling her 'Evangeline', instead of 'Master', Evangeline couldn't help but taking several deep breaths to calm herself down. After she regained her composure, she asked, "Are you unable to obtain any magic books or grimoires from your world that I can study?" Hearing that she had an actual question and wasn't just playing around, Vahn turned his body fully and faced toward her as he responded, "It's not that I can't obtain them, but it is very difficult to do so. There aren't a lot of books regarding magic in circulation because they are kept as a secret of their respective cultures. In my world, most magic possessed by people are skills they have awakened and developed without study."Evangeline nodded her head in an 'as expected' manner as she looked toward Vahn and asked, "I want you to forge me an item and leave it behind so I can study it? You seem to have some knowledge in runes, inscriptions, and mana circuitry. Until you obtain an actual book for me to study, I'll have to make due with an item." Evangeline held her chin between her thumb and index finger as she considered for a few moments before saying, "I'll take a staff."Vahn realized that the way she worded her request wasn't so much a question as it was a direct command. He could tell that she expected him to immediately concede to her demands and forge her a weapon. Though he wouldn't mind making something for her, especially since it would benefit him in the future, Vahn couldn't just give in so easily. Shaking his head, Vahn looked into her eyes and said, "I refuse; I might have forged something for you if you asked politely, but I'm not going to make you something just because you tell me to."Without waiting for her response, Vahn once again turned around and walked toward his workshop. Evangeline stared at his back with a frown and a bit of frustration in her eyes. She hated how easily he was able to dismiss her; it was almost like he could see through her actions and it made her feel incredibly frustrated because she couldn't set aside her own pride for someone that is supposed to be her disciple. Even though she was doing things to help him, he was still more focused on his own matters and didn't seem to be paying attention to her efforts.Evangeline continued to stare at his back all the way up till the point when he began creating a new item. The moment she heard the hammer strike the metal, she couldn't help but feel a sour feeling in her nose as she teleported back to the desk. After sitting down, Evangeline picked up the pen and began to continue her research as she tried to ignore her 'inconsiderate' disciple. The moment she leaned forward to write, a tear fell from her face and marred the page she was about to write in. As soon as she saw the tear stain, she disappeared from the chair and hid in the void to avoid wandering eyes.Vahn continued to forge without paying attention to what Evangeline had decided to busy herself with. Now that he had a pair of gauntlets, Vahn wanted to forge a pair of leg guards as well. Though he didn't rely on kicks too much, it wasn't as if he never used his legs to receive attacks, so he wanted to make sure they were well protected. Since he often relied on his agility to deal with foes, protecting his legs was of paramount importance.Since the process was very similar to how he had forged his gauntlets, Vahn was able to finish his work in almost the exact same amount of time. Considering that the leg guards were much larger, finishing within seven hours showed that he had made a marked improvement even though it was only the difference between forging a single set of items. Now that he has the pair of black, scaled, leg guards, Vahn wanted to try something that he had intended to do previously. He speculated that, like his twin-swords, Vahn would be able to create other items as part of a larger set. As he named the leg guards, he made sure to keep in mind that they were supposed to have a synergistic effect with his gauntlets.[Xuánwǔ Greave](s)Rank: A (Magic)Slots: 0P.Def: 598+120M.Def: 680+136Ability: Durandal(A), Shock Absorption(B), Energy Compression(B), Xuánwǔ Set Effect(20%)Greave(s) inspired by one of the Four Sacred Beasts of a foreign land, Xuánwǔ. It possesses a marginal amount of Xuánwǔ's capabilities and allows the user to emulate the might of the Sacred Beast. Enhances the defensive capabilities of items within the Xuánwǔ series of items.Vahn received 1,519 and 1,517 OP respectively, and he was very happy when he saw the new ability 'Xuánwǔ Set Effect'. As he had expected, as long as he forged the items in a similar manner and imbued his intent into the name, he was able to create synergistic effects between the equipment that had never existed before. Though he was still a ways off from being able to forge an item to impress Hephaestus, Vahn now had a greater hope for the future.After equipping the items through his equipment menu, Vahn was about to test them out before he looked toward the desk where Evangeline always sat. He noticed that she was missing so he looked toward the bed to see if she had decided to rest. Seeing that she was also missing from the bed, Vahn couldn't help but turn his head and inspect the surroundings for the figure of the small vampire girl. After noticing that she was nowhere to be found, Vahn couldn't help but feel confused as he made his way toward the desk.Arriving at the side of the desk, Vahn overlooked the notes and manuscripts Evangeline had been working with before his eyes were drawn to a peculiarity. The book sitting directly in front of the chair had been left open and the pen Evangeline often used had been left on the side and had long left a pool of black ink on the beautiful wooden desk. Vahn grabbed the quill and set it into the inkwell before looking at the book Evangeline had been reading. As he scanned the contents of the page, Vahn caught sight of an area on the book that had crimpled slightly and caused some of the ink to blur, something that would only be caused by spilling liquid onto the page.Vahn frowned and looked around the area for a bit before releasing a long sigh and heading back to his workshop. Though the way she acted annoyed him, Vahn wasn't the type of person that could make a girl cry and feel nothing. He already knew she didn't harbor any ill-will toward him and was just putting on an act, so now that his words had upset her to such an extent he couldn't help but try to appease her a bit. Thought it might be troublesome, Vahn had long realized he would rather inconvenience himself than allow others to be sad because of his actions.Though he wanted to take a break after testing his new greaves, Vahn picked up his hammer and started creating a new piece of equipment. The metal he used was a composite of mithril and orichalcum and would guarantee the piece of equipment had the highest magical conductivity of anything he had ever forged. Because he liked the contrast between the black and gold of the metal, Vahn decided to twine the two around each other while creating a solid core of adamantine to ensure that the final result would also have incredible durability.Because of the complexity of the project, Vahn spent nearly thirteen hours refining all the details and shaping the head of the item into a helical shape that coiled like a dragon around a large blue crystalline core. The final result of his efforts was a staff that was nearly two meters tall that looked like a black and gold dragon coiling around each other before converging at the head of the staff. Vahn had even painstakingly carved the details into the heads of the dragons to make them look more realistic. The core he had used in the center was a material known as 'Ice Dragon's Eye', even though it wasn't from a real dragon. It was a rare ore that could only be found in furthest reaches of the Iron Hills, to the far north of Orario.Vahn was incredibly tired, but he was still satisfied with the final product. He even considered it his new greatest masterpiece, as it's construction had been more intricate than the [Dance of the Amazon] he had forged previously. After focusing his mind for a bit, Vahn imagined the image of the small vampire whose colors matched the staff in his hands. She also had golden hair and always wore black attire, so the staff wouldn't conflict with her normal appearance. Picturing her standing in the sky surrounded by pillars of ice, Vahn couldn't help but imagine she was like an Empress that stood above all others. With that thought in mind, he smiled as he uttered in a low voice, "You shall be called [Ice Empress]."Since he had over exhausted himself previously, Vahn felt what little energy remained in his body drain as he used the last bit of his consciousness to inspect the item.[Ice Empress]Rank: A (Magic)Slots: 2P.Atk: 411M.Atk: 1337A staff forged with incredible attention to detail using Mithril and Orichalcum to create the visage of two dragons coiling around an Adamantine pillar. The core of this staff greatly enhances ice magic and allows the user to freeze everything under the heavens if they are worthy. If the standing of the user is low, the staff will cause the blood in their bodies to freeze as a just reward for their hubris.After reading the description, Vahn fell onto his butt and leaned against the table of his workshop. He held the staff in his hands as he whispered to the void, "This is for you, Evangeline. Don't be sad anymore." With his words spoken, Vahn allowed himself to fall asleep as the figure of a young girl appeared from the void before him.Evangeline had been paying attention to Vahn from the moment he approached the desk, and she had nearly tried to recover the book out from under his nose before he saw the evidence of her earlier tears. Unfortunately, as she had been hesitating, Vahn found the book and noticed the stain after giving the page a cursory glance. Seeing him sigh, Evangeline felt incredibly embarrassed and almost forcefully ejected Vahn from the space. However, contrary to her expectations, instead of trying to address her or making any remarks, Vahn immediately returned to his workshop and started creating an item.Since she understood that he was previously going to test his new equipment, Evangeline was interested in the item he had decided to forge instead of following his earlier plan. Though she didn't recognize the item at first, it wasn't too long before she realized that Vahn had begun forging a staff. Evangeline felt her heart ache a bit in her chest as the urge to begin crying again began to well up inside her. Watching Vahn work so hard and pushing himself beyond his limits as he refined the staff to greater and greater detail made Evangeline feel sorry about the way she always treated him.By the time he had finished completing the staff and named it, Evangeline had already decided to be kinder to her 'stupid disciple' in the future. The moment he sat on the ground and called out to her, she wasn't far from tears for the third time as she exited the void and stared down at his unconscious body. Using her telekinesis, she lifted his body and floated it over to the bed before putting him to sleep. Though he was sweaty and covered in soot, she didn't particularly care after all the effort he had put into making her a staff.Staring into the face of the young boy, Evangeline couldn't help but feel that he was quickly becoming more manly. Wiping away some of his sweat with her hand, she whispered quietly, "Even though you're an idiot, you do have your good points...If only had met the real me, I think you could have saved her." Releasing a sad and melancholic sigh, Evangeline leaned over Vahn's face and gave him a soft kiss on the lips before climbing into the bed and resting beside him.(A/N: 'Idiot Vahn','Tsundere Vampire Baba','Don't tell me you'll help anyone, just because they're a girl!? Vahn looks toward the crying girl before him before nodding with a confident expression and saying, "Of course. No matter what it takes, I'll do my best to make everyone smile."') &lt;--I imagine the image of when Lili is crying to Bell in the anime xDIf you'd like to support me on ******* so I can become a full-time writer, please follow this link~!https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149I am currently at $317/640 of my goal of making this my actual job. I promise that, if I'm able to do so, I will be writing 50 chapters a week :D

Since the reason for his collapse had been due to the 'Mind Down' status, Vahn awoke after around two hours. Even though his body was still very fatigued and he wanted to sleep, he couldn't help but open his eyes due to the strange pressure on his left arm. Turning his head, he could see Evangeline using his outstretched arm as a pillow as she curled herself up next to him. He could feel the air from her nose tickling his neck and a numbness from his arm due to the loss of circulation.Perhaps sensing his movement, Evangeline's icy-blue eyes opened and stared at Vahn. After a few seconds, almost like she was pretending not to have noticed him awakening, she closed her eyes and curled herself up a bit more. Since she had moved her head slightly, the circulation had returned to Vahn's arm and he could feel it begin to vibrate as the blood started to flow properly. Vahn could see a gentle blue and yellow aura coming from Evangeline's body, and it was sticking to his skin like a wispy mist.Vahn smiled and closed his eyes as well and continued to rest. He made sure to increase the strength of his blood flow by using his [Heart of the Eternal] flame and hoped that it would prevent his arm from going numb when he next awakened. Evangeline's presence at his side didn't really bother him, and seeing her small form curled up next to him made Vahn feel somewhat protective of her.A few minutes after Vahn's breathing had changed to that of a sleeping rhythm, Evangeline opened her eyes and stared at the side of his face with a blank expression. As she had expected, even though Vahn had clearly seen her awake, the moment she pretended to sleep he ended up playing along. Unlike how cold he acted when she treated him poorly, he was always very kind when she treated him better. Though she had acted like he was inconsiderate toward her earlier, she had long since realized he only acted that way because he could see through her facade. Even though he was much younger than she was, they had both suffered greatly in the past. However, while she lashed out and treated people coldly, he always saw the best in people and treated them well...he even willingly let people take advantage of his kindness without complaint.Evangeline released a sigh, and the hot breath tickled Vahn's neck and caused him to grimace slightly. Seeing his reaction to her breath, Evangeline couldn't help but laugh to herself as she snuggled closer to his face and blew air softly into his ear. Vahn turned his head away to evade the airflow and Evangeline couldn't help but smile as she continued to tease him further. Compared to how he was when he was awake, Evangeline felt that teasing him when he was asleep was much easier.As she tried to lean over his face to continue teasing him, Vahn's left arm closed around her body and pulled her weight onto his chest. Evangeline was flustered and thought that Vahn had awoken, but she noticed that his breathing was still stable. Though she was now in an awkward position with her body pressed against his chest, Evangeline wasn't off-put by the situation. Even if Vahn woke up, she could blame him and he'd probably apologize for accidentally taking advantage of her. That thought made Evangeline smile as she laid her head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat. She noticed that his body produced a lot of heat, and it made her cold body warm up as his body heat radiated into her.Vahn awoke almost seven hours later, this time with a pressure on his chest instead of his arm. When he opened his eyes, he saw the top of someone's head and immediately recognized the figure as Evangeline due to the golden-blond color of her hair. Seeing his own arm wrapped around her back, Vahn slowly removed it before placing it on the bed.The moment Vahn had awoken and moved his hand, Evangeline had already fully awakened as well. She turned her face and rested her palm on Vahn's chest as she asked in a coy manner, "Did you enjoy hugging your Master as you slept, my idiot Disciple?"Vahn could see a glimmer in her eye while her aura danced around as she asked the question. Understanding that she was trying to tease him, Vahn wasn't to be outdone so he placed his hand back around her waist before saying in a matter-of-fact manner with a nod, "Yes, your body is very light and soft, Evangeline." Then, before the 'coy' vampire could respond, Vahn leaned forward slightly and smelled her long golden-blonde hair which typically hung past her waist.Though she had intended to tease him more, the moment Vahn smelled her hair, Evangeline quickly separated from his body before turning away and speaking in a sharp tone, "You lecherous pervert, how dare you tease your master!" The reason she had turned away before her outburst was due to the blush that had appeared on her face. After Vahn smelled her hair so suddenly, Evangeline felt a mixture of embarrassment and panic.Now that Evangeline had released his body, Vahn sat up and began to stretch his joints as he said, "Your hair smells very nice, it's a warm and gentle odor." His words made Evangeline hold her hands out like claws with her palms facing upwards as she looked toward the empty black sky like she wanted to scream out. Every time Vahn spoke in his 'gentle' voice and said nice things to her, she felt both happy and frustrated. She wanted to wring his neck and send him flying, but she didn't want to keep making him treat her coldly any longer.Vahn left the bed without turning to look toward Evangeline who had hidden her face from view. He had already seen her ears turn a crimson color from behind, so he knew she probably had a fierce blush on her face. The mental image made Vahn smile and he returned to his forging in high spirits. Noticing that he hadn't looked toward her, Evangeline followed Vahn's back with her eyes and gave him a 'blaming' look for teasing her so much. She once again swore that she would make him suffer when they finally started their magic training.As Vahn began forging another piece of equipment, Evangeline took out the [Ice Empress] which she had placed into the void. Without saying anything to Vahn, she teleported several hundred kilometers away in an instant in order to test the efficacy of the staff. The moment she started channeling her magic, Evangeline immediately noticed that the material was incredibly conducive to her magic power. It even seemed to enhance the accumulation of the ice elemental energy in the air and boosted her magic power by a large amount.Pointing the staff toward the distance, dozens of magic circles simultaneously appeared in the air and created a large formation as Evangeline shouted, "Nivis Casus!" The moment the words left her lips, a gigantic magic circle more than 1000m in diameter appeared on the ground before creating a massive explosion of ice and snow. The explosion reached a height of nearly 400m and sent a powerful shockwave through the stark white floor that stretched out for several kilometers.Seeing the devastating power of her own magic, Evangeline couldn't help but hold the staff with a hint of reverence in her eyes. Typically, to achieve the same result she just witnessed, she would have had to expend 40% more mana. That meant the staff in her hands increased her offensive magic output by as much as 40%, and there didn't seem to be any drawbacks. The staff felt like it was perfectly made to suit her magic, and she couldn't help but commend the craftsmanship and attention to detail that Vahn had put into its creation.Turning her head toward the direction where Vahn would be located if she teleported, Evangeline couldn't help but smile after remembering how much effort he put into the staffs' construction just so she wouldn't be 'sad' anymore. She decided to forgive him for teasing her earlier as she sat cross-legged in the sky and began to meditate while channeling mana into the staff in her lap. She was trying to understand the structure of the staff and reverse engineer how it interfaced with her own magic system to achieve the results that she just witnessed.While Evangeline was off trying to understand the 'logic' behind the magic of the 'record' of Danmachi, Vahn was busy forging a variety of different items. Since he had already forged the most commonly used equipment that he made use of, Vahn was now just improving his control over the 'eternal flame' by mass producing simple blades of various different sizes. Just as when he created the [Moon Piercer], Vahn preferred to make items that were simple and efficient. Not everything he made could be as intricate as the [Ice Empress] which he created for Evangeline.Though the blades weren't attached to anything and couldn't be used, it didn't prevent Vahn from being able to see their base stats. Generally speaking, even when a blade wasn't attached to a handle or a pole, it still had similar offensive capabilities and a basic rank. Most of the mass-produced blades were C-rank, but Vahn noticed he was making an increasingly greater amount of B rank blades as he continued improving his coordination with the 'eternal flame'.As a fragment of the original 'eternal flame', Vahn's flame also possessed its own will and tried its best to assist him during the forging process. Though he could achieve greater results when he forcefully controlled the flame, Vahn wanted it to learn and adapt to his skills on its own. There was something comforting about working with someone else when you were forging, and Vahn had been quickly building a camaraderie with the flickering crimson-gold flame.It too seemed to enjoy interacting with Vahn, as it would often dance around in an 'excited' manner every time Vahn was forging a piece of metal inside of it. Though he couldn't actually communicate with it, Vahn had started to learn how to understand what it was trying to convey to him based on its actions and the way it 'flickered' in specific ways. It also coordinated with his efforts when it came to heating the metal, and Vahn had reached a point where he could actively preserve more than 95% of most metals, with the only exception being Adamantine, which he still struggled to achieve more than 80%. Fortunately, instead of being wasted as was common, the 'eternal flame' actually tried to filter out the remnant metals and separate them at the side of its basin. This allowed Vahn to salvage the metal and recycle it for later use when creating smaller adornments.After nearly twenty hours of working, Vahn finally decided to take a break and get some rest. He still had nearly twenty-five hours left before he was forcefully ejected, so Vahn wanted to take a short nap before returning back to his mass-production forge method. After wiping down his body and enjoying a hearty meal, Vahn made his way over to the bed and saw the soot stains and sweat marks from when he had slept earlier. With a frown, Vahn stored the blankets into his inventory before purchasing a newer pair within the shop. Though they were still pink, since Vahn thought it suited Evangeline, they were slightly higher in quality compared to the last set.Vahn relaxed on the thick blankets and dazed for a few minutes before he was finally ready to sleep. He couldn't help but wonder if Evangeline would find her way into the bed while he was sleeping again and try to play it off as she had done earlier. Vahn always felt comfortable whenever he was embracing or being embraced by others, so he didn't have a problem with her actions. He knew she was just a memory fragment and couldn't do anything that crossed the line without undermining her 'purpose'. However, her actions had caused Vahn to wonder what the real Evangeline was like, and he wondered if she would be as troublesome as the small vampire that tried to act like his Master.Resolving himself to ask her more about her past and the world she came from, Vahn allowed himself to fall asleep as he browsed through the system for similar items to the orb he had obtained. He found several magical textbooks and even other types of orbs, but they were all astronomically expensive. Even the book, 'Beginner Magic 101' cost 300,000OP...Not long after Vahn fell asleep, a figure appeared next to the bed and stared down at him with an uncharacteristically gentle expression. Her perception easily covered the entire area within the orb, so the moment Vahn went to sleep, Evangeline had stopped her research and hidden in the void to observe his actions. Seeing him replace the dirtied blankets and replaced them with newer, higher quality ones, she couldn't help but approve of his actions. When he finally fell asleep after a few minutes, she revealed herself and, as Vahn had suspected, crawled into the bed and cuddled up next to him as if it was a perfectly natural thing to do.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'More Dere than Tsun atm','Vahn, the Industrial Era Hero','I imagine Riveria would shank a hoe to get a staff like that')

After Vahn managed to dig himself out of the ground, he moved back toward the desk where Evangeline had already stowed away all the books into her spatial void. She continued to glare at Vahn until he came near, and then she explained without Vahn asking, "I left those books until last, and that is why I still had them laying about. Why do you even have so many books like that in the first place, are you some kind of super pervert?"Vahn sighed a bit at Evangeline's harsh words and explained the reason why he had so many books related to genealogy, pregnancy, fertility, and reproduction in general. He talked about the problems faced by the various different races and how spirits and gods were generally considered infertile. He even told her about the matters regarding [Enkidu], and the troubles he'd likely face in the future. Evangeline listened to his words with a cold look in her eyes before asking, "And you're just going to impregnate every girl you see, no matter what race they are, even gods?"Vahn shook his head and furrowed his brows as he responded, "That has nothing to with it at all. I just can't stand the thought of people wanting children but having to go through their entire lives without being able to have any. Don't you think that is a very sad thing?" As Vahn spoke, he couldn't help but display a sad expression as he thought about his own words. He could hardly imagine what they had to go through, and he already felt extremely saddened by the thought...However, what Vahn didn't expect, nor was he aware of, there was someone right in front of him that was able to empathize with the goddesses that he took pity on. Since Evangeline had been turned into a Shinso Vampire hundreds of years prior, she was also incapable of bearing children. Though the original her had thought about, and even desired it for a time, it was entirely impossible considering her body never aged. She didn't even have a period or other normal bodily functions since her body converted most calories and water into magical energy.Though her words about reading those books last were true, the main reason she had been ardently studying them is that she was curious about finding a solution to her own problem. However, it was just a mild curiosity since, as a memory, she was unable to truly experience anything the original had yet to experience. Since the original Evangeline had never had sex, even if she wanted to, she would never be able to perform the deed. The moment she tried, the memory would destabilize and the orb would break down. (A/N: I'm not saying Eva wants to have sex, but that she couldn't even if she wanted to. Since she is a memory fragment, she would still have a curiosity regarding finding an answer though.)When Vahn had asked her if she thought it was sad, she couldn't help but feel a slight pang in her heart. There was no way she couldn't empathize with the desire of races like spirits and goddesses, especially if they truly had lived for millions of years. Seeing the earnest expression of Vahn and the sadness in his eyes as he thought about the suffering of others, Evangeline couldn't help but sigh in her mind. She had long realized that Vahn was the foolishly heroic type, tragic background and naive personality included.Interrupting Vahn's reverie, Evangeline put the matter of the books behind as she said, "I spent a lot of the last four years awake, so I've run low on mana while maintaining the space. I need to replenish my energy, and then you can continue forging items. Also, you brought books and other things to entertain me, right?" Evangeline didn't want to discuss the topic any further as, even after reading all the books, she hadn't found the answer Vahn was looking for when he purchased them.Hearing Evangeline's words, Vahn took out some of the books he had purchased in preparation for her question. This time, he picked out a lot of stories and novels that he thought she might find more interesting than textbooks and compendiums. Since she was a girl, he thought she would like things about romance, fantasy, and magical creatures. Evangeline seemed very pleased by his selection before waving her hand and lifting Vahn's body using telekinesis.As it wasn't the first time she had done such a thing, Vahn just sighed and allowed her to move his body. Though he wanted to retort, she didn't listen to him last time and Vahn didn't really feel like being thrown for the third time. Even though he had the majority of the three days within the space remaining, Vahn felt like he needed to use every minute he could to increase his skills in forging.After setting Vahn down on the bed, Evangeline crawled atop it before seating herself on his lap once again. Vahn immediately closed his eyes and relaxed his body, but Evangeline didn't immediately start drinking his blood. Curious, Vahn opened his eyes and stared at the small vampire that was sitting in his lap. She seemed to be thinking about something and, after she noticed his gaze, she looked at him and asked, "Exactly how many girls are you involved with?"Vahn found it strange that she chose the moment when she was sitting in his lap to ask the question, but he didn't think it was information to keep secret, so he said, "If it is just association...probably around twenty to thirty? If you're asking about relationships specifically, I have two fiancees, two lovers, one 'mate', and a few other girls that have high affection toward me who I haven't entered a relationship with."As Vahn narrated the various girls he was associated with, Evangeline just looked at him with a mock 'disgust' on her face. After he was done explaining everything, without asking him any further questions, she immediately started sucking his blood. Though Vahn was a bit confused, he just relaxed his body before wrapping his hands around her waist in a loose embrace. He enjoyed the warm feeling that spread throughout his body and even began to feel like he was dozing off after nearly an entire hour had passed.After Vahn had 'embraced' her, Evangeline just rested her body against his and enjoyed his warmth as she slowly drained his blood. Since Vahn had been her only accompaniment in this orb and she was likely going to vanish sooner or later, she wanted to enjoy the small comfort she could obtain from him. She didn't consider herself one of his many women, but she knew he would probably make some concessions for her if she sought him out. All of the relationships he had talked about seemed to be him on the receiving end, so she decided to take advantage of his weakness for the time being.Completely unaware of her thoughts, Vahn continued to enjoy the warmth in his body until another half hour had passed. Since it was longer than the previous session, he couldn't help but ask in a lazy and relaxed voice, "Did you really use so much mana in the time I was away...?" Evangeline, who had been somewhat absorbed in the moment, flinched before she stopped sucking his blood and moved away from his body without responding to his question. Picking up one of the books, she made her way to her desk as she said in a huff, "Fine, go play with your tools if I'm bothering you. Stupid moron disciple..."As Vahn had already been climbing out of the bed, he nearly fell down when he heard her words. He couldn't help but ask himself why she was always so harsh, even when she was very clearly not actually angry with him. Shaking his head, Vahn walked over to his workshop and started forging a new piece of equipment. Vahn had been gaining confidence when it came to producing weapons, but he wanted to practice his skills and forge other kinds of equipment as well.Since he commonly used gauntlets and leg guards, Vahn decided to make a pair for his own personal use. The [Damascus Steel Gauntlets] that he had been using for a while were only rank C, while the [Dance of the Amazon] that he forged earlier was rank A. Vahn was incredibly confident that he could upgrade the majority of his current equipment and even obtain OP for his efforts.Because of his transformations with [Rakshasa Body], Vahn knew there was no 'best method' or design to producing his new gauntlets. As he spent the majority of his time in his Báihǔ form, the only thing he needed to consider was not restraining his hands and claws. Other than that, the just needed to be able to resist high temperatures from when he absorbed fire elements into his body to increase his offensive capabilities.The material Vahn decided to use was a composite made from adamantine that used orichalcum as the core. Adamantine was incredibly heat resistant and had unrivaled defensive capabilities while orichalcum was a stronger mana conduit than even mithril. Vahn wanted to create a pair of gauntlets for long-term use, so he used some of the best materials he had on hand. To increased the defense even further, he hammed slots into the adamantine before using his 'eternal flame' to embed actual dragon scales into the outside of the gauntlet. For the interior, he used the hide of a Goliath and bundled the entire thing together using the tendons of a cyclops.Nearly seven hours later, Vahn had a pair of matching gauntlets that were a dark black color that reflected a purple light. The adamantine frame made it look like the scales were growing out of a golden base and Vahn felt like the entire thing looked somewhat regal as it used the same color scheme that he associated with Anubis in her ceremonial garb. After thinking for several minutes, Vahn recalled the names of his four transformations and thought about naming the gauntlets after his turtle-form, which would like become his Xuánwǔ form once it had fully awakened. Since he grew scales in a very similar manner, and both provided extra defense, Vahn was very satisfied with his own idea and named the gauntlets [Xuánwǔ Protector](s).[Xuánwǔ Protector](s) &lt;-- each gauntlet is a different itemRank: A (Magic)Slots: 1P.Def: 641M.Def: 620Ability: Durandal(A), Shock Absorption(B), Energy Compression(B)Gauntlet inspired by one of the Four Sacred Beasts of a foreign land, Xuánwǔ. It possesses a marginal amount of the Xuánwǔ's capabilities and allows the user to emulate the might of the Sacred Beast.After Vahn named the gauntlets, he obtained 1,408 and 1,417 OP for each and felt the excitement build up inside him after reading the description. Since he had thought of Xuánwǔ when he was naming the gauntlets, they each possessed a weakened version of the abilities he could use in his turtle form. Without any hesitation, Vahn equipped the two gauntlets before transforming into his Báihǔ form and moving to an empty area away from his workshop.Evangeline was constantly paying attention to Vahn, so when he had finished the gauntlets she had also begun inspecting them. Just like the giant weapon he forged the previous time he entered the orb, the gauntlets were also magical items of a similar quality. The fact that he could consistently create such advanced pieces of equipment never ceased to amaze her, and she was curious about their capabilities. Now that Vahn seemed to be testing them, she had stopped moving her pen and observed him with intrigue in her eyes.Vahn opened up his legs into a wide stance with his left foot forward and stabilized his body while keeping his back straight. Exhaling a long breath for several seconds, Vahn then sucked in quickly before twisting his hips and striking out a fierce punch that caused a snapping sound in the air. When he had breathed out earlier, Vahn had channeled his energy into the gauntlets and the scales began to glow with a subtle green light. When he shot his fist forward, it was like an air cannon as Vahn could see the flow of air around his fist compress into a pillar that stretched out nearly ten meters before dispersing.Though it wasn't nearly as impressive as when he was in his turtle form, Vahn was very satisfied by the result. Now, even if he fought bare-handed against monsters with durable hides, he would be able to damage their internal organs and punch clear through their bodies. Vahn felt like, if he fought the goliath now, he would be able to achieve victory without having to rely on his vermillion sparrow transformation.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Fisty Boi','Memories of Nobody','Jiiiiiiiii-')If you'd like to support me on ******* so I can become a full-time writer, please follow this link~!https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149I am currently at $317/640 of my goal of making this my actual job. I promise that, if I'm able to do so, I will be writing 50 chapters a week :D

Chapter 167: [Ice Empress]