Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Vahn awoke in the real world and stared at the ceiling in a daze for several minutes as a calm was slowly restored to his mind. Eva's idea of a 'reward' had been to change into her adult form while completely nude and torment him the same way she had grown fond of recently. Her height in her adult form increased from 130cm to 173cm, so instead of sitting on his abdomen, she was straddling his waist and it was very difficult for Vahn to resist attacking her as he felt her plump and incredibly soft butt pressed against his penis with the warm liquid flowing from her vagina.It wasn't until Tina moved a bit and hugged him from the side that Vahn finally came down from his dazed state of mind. Since it was Saturday, there was no need to wake the small cat girl and he wasn't in a hurry to get out of bed either. Instead, he just laid in the bed beside her until it was almost 8 AM and she woke up naturally.Since she had yet to wake up fully, Tina stared at Vahn in a bit of a daze as she nuzzled her face into his shoulder and tried to go back to sleep. Vahn laughed at her actions and blew into her ear gently to tease her. Tina's ears twitched several times every time he blew until she finally woke up while trying to escape away from his teasing. She stared at him with a slightly aggrieved face and said, "Don't blow into my ears Vahnya~!" In response to her adorable act, Vahn pinched her nose before rising out of the bed and saying, "I'll be going out today, Tina. I think I'll visit Hephaestus and Eina before making my way to the Loki Familia to spend some time with Tiona and Ais. Do you want me to escort you to the Inn now, or did you want to go later?"It was decided at the meeting that Vahn would be spending the weekends staying at the Hearths Embrace Inn so Tina could spend time with her mother. It also allowed him to get away from Anubis and her Familia and put him in close proximity to Hephaestus's workshop and Eina's apartment.Tina stripped off her yellow nightgown without bothering to mind Vahn's gaze as she turned her naked back to him and started picking her outfit. Before Vahn averted his eyes, he noticed she was wearing panties that ironically had a cartoonish puppy drawn on them. After he turned away, he heard her voice, "I'll follow you now and we can get some food from a stall before you drop me off at the Inn. Make sure you don't spend too much time out with the other girls so you can be back in time for dinner. My mother wants us all to eat together since you rarely ever ate there before."Vahn made a promise that he wouldn't be late for dinner before the two made their way into the corridor. Anubis was waiting as usual and Vahn explained that he would be taking Tina home as he affectionately stroked her hair. After leaving her some Valis so she could take the other children shopping later, Vahn and Tina left the house and made their way towards the Hearths Embrace Inn on the other side of the City.Tina had decided to wear a brown skirt with white lines in a checkered pattern with a white ribbon tied above her tail. The top she wore was a creamy beige with black frills that exposed her collarbones a bit. Though she always wore somewhat cute clothing, Vahn couldn't help but feel like she had dressed up for the occasion so he complimented her. She turned a bit bashful because of his words before she reached for his hand a few minutes later. Vahn didn't refuse as he walked with her hand-in-hand through the City. Though he knew she had affection for him, he couldn't help but feel like an adult escorting a child home to their mother.Because Tina's gait was much shorter than his, it took them slightly more than two hours to reach near the Inn and Vahn could feel that Tina entering her characteristic high-tension state the closer they got. By the time they were outside the inn, she was nearly pulling Vahn's hand as she dragged him through the doors and called out loudly for her mother to announce their arrival.Milan was attending the counter in the dining area, so she noticed their entrance the moment they arrived. Seeing her daughter dragging Vahn in by the hand, she couldn't help but smile and laugh at the sight. Because of awkward expression on Vahn's face, Milan felt like he was acting the role of a Father spoiling their daughter. That thought caused her smile to widen as she walked around the counter to receive the two of them.After Milan walked near, Tina let go of Vahn's hand before she hugged around her mother's waist and began to nuzzle her face slightly below Milan's breasts. Milan hadn't been caught unprepared, and the moment her daughter hugged her, she responded, "Ara~? Did Vahn bully you~?" As she spoke, she looked to Vahn with a slightly mischevious expression in her eyes. Tina, not noticing that her mother was teasing her, shook her head and responded with a somewhat choking voice like she was about to cry, "No, Vahnya was very nice to me...I just missed you."Vahn watched the interaction between the two and couldn't help but feel a warm feeling in his chest at the familial bond they shared. Though he treated Tina affectionately and tried to be reliable for her, Vahn couldn't replace her actual family members. Now that she had been reunited with her mother, the brave girl was on the verge of tears as her mother continued patting her back in order to soothe her.After Tina finally calmed down, she went up to her room to drop off her stuff and change into her work outfit. She intended to help her mother run the Inn during the weekends, so she left behind the two sitting in the dining room. Vahn sat at the counter while Milan prepared him a cold beverage that smelled of citrus. After taking a sip and enjoying the tart taste, Vahn looked at Milan who was looking at him warmly and said, "I wanted to apologize, Milan..."Hearing his words, Milan's brow arched slightly as she gave him a questioning look and asked, "Ara~? Have you done something to apologize for, Vahn?" Vahn sighed before extending out his hands and placing a bent and unusable sword on the counter. Milan was a bit confused at first, but once she realized what the sword was she couldn't help but frown with a sad expression on her face. Her expression caused Vahn's heart to ache and he began explaining the circumstances that led to the swords destruction.After his tale concluded, the sad expression on Milan's face turned into a happy one as she released a relieved sigh and said, "I'm glad the sword was able to protect you. You did well to come back to us in one piece." As she spoke, Milan stroked the broken [Lion's Pride] with a melancholic but somewhat happy expression on her face. Vahn couldn't bear her look any longer, so he reached out for her hand that was stroking the sword and took it into his.Milan was a bit surprised, but Vahn said, "Milan, thank you for everything you've done for me. Without meeting you and Tina, I don't think my life within the City would have gone as well as it had. Not only did you treat me well, but you even gifted me an heirloom that helped preserve my life..." Vahn then stared into her eyes with a sad expression on his face that made her brows furrow slightly as he said, "I want to be able to return everything you gave me in the future. I think that, when things settle down, I want you and Tina to live with me."Vahn noticed that Milan's affection increased from 64 to 68 with his words, but she still showed an apologetic expression as she half-heartedly tried to pull her hand out of his. Seeing that Vahn didn't let her go, she sighed and explained, "Vahn, there are already so many women around you. There are a lot of young girls, powerful people, and even goddesses that are pursuing you. As long as you make my daughter happy in the future, you don't need to worry about an old woman like me."Vahn shook his head and immediately responded by saying, "I refuse; I could never accept that. The thought of you being here alone at night breaks my heart, and I can't imagine you staying like that in the future. You can't use your age as an excuse either since you are still beautiful and have a lithe figure and fair features." Vahn noticed that, as he was speaking, Milan's tail began to twitch about slightly at his words. He smiled and continued, "Milan, unless you dislike me, please let me take care of both you, and your daughter."Milan was excited by Vahn's proposition, but she still shook her head with a sigh and said, "You've grown up a lot...but I don't want to be a burden to you and Tina. Even if I wanted to be together with you, there is no way I could be with the same man as my daughter-" Before Milan could continue, Tina burst through the door where she had been eavesdropping the conversation and loudly exclaimed, "Mom! Don't be stupid~nya!"Since Vahn had the ability to sense presences, he wasn't surprised by Tina's arrival, but Milan's eyes opened widely as she tried to extricate her hand from Vahn's grasp. Before she could do so, Tina ran over and grabbed both of their hands with her tiny fingers and looked at Milan with tears in her eyes and said, "We should be together~! Always and forever~nya!"Seeing the tearful look on her daughter's face and feeling the strong hands of Vahn refusing to let her escape, Milan couldn't help but feel a bit of nervousness building inside of her. She felt incredibly pressured by the joint attack of the two young children and almost immediately conceded.However, she managed to keep her senses as she looked between the two of them and tried to find words to refuse their request.Tina saw her mother's reaction and asked with an almost sobbing voice, "Mom...do you hate Vahn?" Milan heard her daughter's words and shook her head as she explained in a soft tone, "It's not that, Tina...it's just..." Before she could finish, Tina asked, "Weren't you also very sad when he was hurt? Didn't you have hopes and expectations for him? Didn't you let him touch your ears and flirt with him?"The barrage of questions made Milan entered a slightly dazed and flustered state as she tried thinking of answers to the questions her daughter pressed her with. Tina continued without giving her mother time to collect herself, "I know, Mom, I saw what you did when you were alone...I heard you call Vahn's name..." Though she was confused for a brief moment, Milan quickly understood what her daughter was trying to tell her. A blush immediately covered her face as she tried to extract her hand yet again.Vahn didn't let her hand escape and Tina continued, "I know you like Vahn...so why are you trying so hard to be alone? Why not stay with both of us and be happy?" At this point, Tina had tears in her eyes as she implored her mother with a bereaved expression. Vahn piggybacked her words and continued, "Milan...even if you don't want to be with me personally, I still want you to live with us in the future. Don't stay in this lonely place spending the rest of your life tending to others."Milan shook her head once again and explained, "I can't...it's impossible." Vahn was confused and felt a bit frustrated in his heart as he asked, "Please, tell me why? Why is it impossible?" At this point, Tina was crying and staring at her mother with pleading eyes as she waited for the explanation. Milan's brows furrowed and she had a very distressed expression on her face as she explained, "Because..." Milan struggled with her words before releasing a long sigh and continuing, "Because I can't trust myself to not do anything. It's been a long time since I was with a man, and I wouldn't be able to live with the two of you without something happening."Vahn was a bit surprised by her words, but Tina spoke out first, "Who cares!? That isn't even a good reason, Mom~nya! If both of you want to do that, why are you hestitating~nya!?" Tina's outburst had caused both Vahn and Milan to pause. She stood there holding their hands breathing deeply to calm herself as she continued with a sob, "Why can't we all be happy together...?" Tina then started to cry and held her face above their hands and dripped her warm tears on where all three of them were connected.Both Vahn and Milan furrowed their brows and felt anguish within their hearts as they stared at the small girl crying before them. Vahn looked toward Milan with an awkward smile and a pleading look in his eyes that made the nervous feeling in Milan's stomach well up to a critical level. Since she had liked Vahn well enough to comfort herself to his memory in the past, she didn't have much resistance against the boy who was quickly becoming a man.If not for the fact that her daughter wanted to be with him, Milan wouldn't even hesitate to stand at his side. Then they could raise 'their' daughter together and support each other in the future. However, things didn't progress in that direction, and she knew her daughter was pursuing Vahn and would likely have a sexual relationship with him the future. Milan felt a lot of apprehension about the current situation and couldn't come to terms with the current developments.Vahn could see the hesitation in Milan's eyes and even saw a hint of purple begin to color her aura which showed that she was beginning to feel afraid. Releasing a sad sigh, Vahn decided not to continue trying to pressure her as he placed his hand on top of Tina's head and used [Hands of Nivana] to help soother her. Tina felt the familiar palm and looked toward Vahn with tears in her eyes and confusion clear on her face. Vahn showed her a gentle smile and whispered, "We can't force her to do something she doesn't want to do Tina...we'll just have to find another way to make her happy in the future. There is always a way..."Tina frowned at his words and looked toward her mother with a profoundly sad expression as she croaked, "Mom...please..." Her words sounded like a desperate plea as she looked at the most important person in her life with tears in her eyes.Milan had relaxed a bit when Vahn started comforting Tina, but now that she had felt a bit of relief her daughter's words hit her like a brick. Seeing the crying face of her daughter and the gentle expression on Vahn's as he tried to comfort her, Milan couldn't help but feel like she had wronged the two. It now seemed like Vahn was the one comforting her daughter as she caused both of them to feel pain just because of her own fear and inhibitions...Releasing a long sigh, Milan looked at her daughter with a gentle look that made the girl immediately turn silent. Tina's eyes widened as a bit of hope appeared in her hazy tear-filled eyes as she saw Milan turn toward Vahn and reply, "Fine, fine, I get it, I just have to do it, right?" Almost as if her earlier hesitation had been an illusion, Milan quickly adopted her cheerful and teasing demeanor as she continued to look into Vahn's eyes with a look that seemed both cold and affectionate at the same time, "It's too late to have regrets now...Vahn."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'It takes four years to cook an Oyakodon','Teamwork','Tiny Tina's Tears of Terror')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 $504/640 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

After parting ways with the Mother-Daughter duo of Milan and Tina, Vahn headed toward his intended destination in high spirits. He was happy that he would be able to help ease the burden of Milan's loneliness and intended to help her take care of Tina. He didn't particularly want a sexual relationship with either of the girls; Vahn just wanted to take care of them both so they would be happier in the future. Though he couldn't replace Milan's husband or Tina's father, he still wanted to do his best for the kind and caring pair of girls.Vahn arrived outside Hephaestus's workshop soon after leaving the Inn and was informed by Zaff that he was allowed entrance to her office without having to notify her of his arrival. Zaff then handed him a key that could open the door to Hephaestus's workshop and Vahn made his way through the corridors with a big smile on his face. Vahn now had one of the only keys that provided access to Hephaestus's personal forge, with the only others belonging to Tsubaki and Hephaestus herself.Remembering that Tsubaki had knocked before entering previously, Vahn gave an indication of his arrival as he inserted the key and opened the door. Hephaestus was sitting at a low table with a special cloth used to polish weapons as she turned her head to acknowledge his arrival. Before she could greet him, Vahn said, "You're looking particularly beautiful today...my wife~"The small smile on Hephaestus's face after she noticed Vahn was the one entering the office froze as she processed the words he just spoke. This was the first time they were meeting after being engaged, and she was caught off guard by how he addressed her. After a few seconds, her face began to develop a blush as Vahn closed the distance between them.Vahn extended his hand and helped her stand before holding her in his embrace and kissing her flushed face on the lips. Hephaestus was still a little disoriented, but she began reciprocating his affectionate embrace after a brief delay. The two kissed for nearly a full minute before Hephaestus swatted his hands away when he tried to grab her butt. With an 'angry' look on her face, she asked, "What did you come here for today, Vahn? Did you just want to see me, or was there a purpose to your visit?"Vahn nodded in response and answered honestly, "It's both; I wanted to see you since it felt like a long time since we were together, but I also had something I wanted to show you. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised." As they were still embracing, Vahn kissed her on the lips again before pulling away a bit so he could show her the item he had brought.Hephaestus couldn't help but feel that Vahn had become much more assertive than the last time she had seen him, and his actions made her feel a little excited. She noticed that, even though he acted affectionately, he still had much more self-control and confidence in his actions. Unlike his previous self that often sought her out more and pushed his limits, now he was more playful and teasing than overbearing. However, her pleasant surprise at his change turned into shock after she saw the item he pulled out of thin air.Vahn had removed his [Lævateinn] from his inventory and presented it to her while explaining its use and cautioning her against swinging it around indoors. Hephaestus reached for the handle of the blade with clear intrigue on her face as she held up the sword and marveled at its structure. She couldn't help but ask with a tinge of disbelief in her voice, "You...forged this sword?" If that were true, Vahn would have clearly reached the level of a [Master Smith] in the brief period they had been separated. She began to feel a bit of excitement build up inside of her the moment she saw him begin to nod his head.Vahn nodded but explained, "I forged it, but I haven't awakened the [Master Smith] skill yet. I used a special technique to imbue a 'fate' or a 'legend' into the blade and elevated it to its current status." Vahn then went on to explain the basic premise for his 'naming' ability and showed her the [Dance of the Amazon] and [Gram] that had also been forged by him earlier in the week.Hephaestus inspected the three different weapons with a serious look as she used several tools along with her 'gods eye' to investigate the structure and composition of the weapons. Even excluding the [Lævateinn], the other two weapons were clearly crafted with exquisite technique. She looked at Vahn like she was appraising a treasure as she said, "Take off your shirt, I want to check your Status..."Vahn immediately complied with her demand and laughed when he saw her blushing slightly the moment he removed his tunic. Hephaestus saw his 'cheeky' smile and smacked him on the back as she ushered him to lay down on the couch. The moment he laid down, Vahn closed his eyes and smelled the couch before she could do anything to stop him. Her face immediately flushed a deep crimson as Vahn said, "Its a pleasant smell...makes my heart itch a bit."Hephaestus took several deep breaths to calm herself and somewhat lamented how casually he could say such words. She knew he was teasing her, and it made her feel a mixture of emotions that were hard to explain. Before he could continue smelling the couch, she twisted his neck and demanding that he stay focused as she began conducting the ceremony to view his status. When she saw the various changes in his parameters and the growth of his skills, Hephaestus couldn't prevent shock from settling in her mind.--------------------------------------------------------------------------[[Stats]]Name: [Vahn Mason]Age: 15-Level:3-Power: (I39)-Endurance: (H141)-Dexterity: (I92)-Agility: (I52)-Magic: (SS1009)Skills: [Bow Mastery:B], [Stealth:C], [Chainbreaker:S], [Call of the Reaper:B],[Yggdrasil's Favor:S], [Veil of the Traveler: S], [Swordsman:A], [Featherfoot:B], [Hands of Nirvana:S], [Prometheus], [Hearts of the Eternal Flame:SS], [Metallurgy:B], [Fist Strike:B], [Friend of Spirits:A]Development Abilities: [Wound Transfer: A], [Spirit Healing: A], [Blacksmith: S]Magic: [Thria*Mimos:C]-------------------------------------------------------------------------Though the changes in his parameters, especially his Magic, had surprised her, the biggest things that caught Hephaestus's eyes were the changes to his skills as well as a very important matter. She looked at Vahn with a questioning gaze and her brows slightly furrowed as she asked, "When did you turn fifteen?"Vahn was surprised by her question for a moment before he received the information from Sis. He looked to her and explained plainly, "It should have been on Wednesday, earlier this week. Why do you ask?" The moment his words finished, Hephaestus actually slapped him on his lower back with her palm as she loudly asked, "Why didn't you tell me!? Tell me honestly Vahn, who knew about this and kept it from me!?"Her reaction had surprised him a great deal and he couldn't understand why she was making a big deal out of things. As she had asked, he explained honestly, "I didn't tell anyone, Hephaestus. Why are you having such a strange reaction to such a thing?" Vahn was clearly very confused and Hephaestus saw it in his expression as she recalled his tragic past in her mind. After hanging her head in contemplation for a moment, she asked, "Vahn, have you...never celebrated your birthday before?"In response to her strange question, Vahn shook his head and explained, "I've never celebrated my birthday in the past. Other than someone telling me my age had increased, I never really thought it was something worth celebrating." Hearing his words, Hephaestus had a sad look on her face as she turned his body toward her and gently embraced his face into her chest.Vahn was confused by her actions, but he understood that she was obviously distressed by his words. She was trying to comfort him, so he just allowed her to do as she pleased as he loosely wrapped his hands around her body and enjoyed the warmth of her body.Hephaestus continued to stroke Vahn's back with her hands as a bit of moisture began to build in her eyes. The fact that Vahn treated his own birthday in such a dismissive manner made her feel a painful feeling in her heart. She wanted to cry, but she also knew it would only make him try to comfort her instead. For now, she just continued to stroke his back to make sure he understood her concerns.After a few minutes had passed, Hephaestus whispered to Vahn, "We should celebrate your birthday from now on...we can invite all the girls and turn it into a big event in the future..." In response to her words, Vahn just slightly nodded his head and uttered a quiet acknowledgment. He had been reading a bit of information about birthdays and learned that they were commonly celebrated events within most social groups and cultures. As he had never celebrated his own or been present for someone else's, Vahn didn't know about such customs previously.For the next twenty minutes, Hephaestus continue to embrace Vahn as she asked him about other things that he might not have experienced. She discovered that Vahn had never experienced things like festivals, holidays, or new years celebrations. It was such a strange thing to consider that she, as well as the other girls around Vahn, had never even considered the matter before. Hephaestus swore to Vahn that they would celebrate every event together from now on.Before Vahn left her workshop they had discussed gathering together a group of people to celebrate his birthday next weekend. Hephaestus said that she and Eina would coordinate the event and that Vahn should put the matter to the back of his mind so he could enjoy the experience in full when the time came. Vahn acceded to all of her requests and promised that he wouldn't plan anything for the next weekend so that there wouldn't be any issues. After that, the two kissed for nearly five minutes before Vahn finally left the warmth of Hephaestus's office and the embrace of the beautiful goddess.As he made his way toward the Twilight Manor, Vahn was lost in thought about the matters they had discussed. Now that he thought about it, he remembered that Ais had been intending to celebrate her birthday when he had visited last. Vahn realized that people considered it appropriate to celebrate such events and it brought them closer together while also serving as an important benchmark to allow reflection of the past and planning for the future.Vahn imagined celebrating his birthday while surrounded by the people that he cared about and the thought itself made him feel warm and excited inside. Though it was only a week away, he began to look forward to the day and could hardly wait for the time to come. He set a mental reminder and a countdown to inform him of the event so he wouldn't forget. Since he would spend more than a month in the orb in that span of time, Vahn was slightly afraid that he might forget the very event that he was looking forward to.By the time Vahn arrived at the Twilight Manor, it was approaching noon and he was slightly afraid that he might miss the window to enter the orb. Fortunately, the time spent in the orb was only a few seconds in the real world, so it shouldn't cause any problems if he uses the orb out of the view of others. The only thing he had to be worried about was forgetting what he was doing the moment before and after his return to the real world. Vahn had the strange thought of using the orb in the middle of a conversation and completely forgetting what it was about by the time he returned. Since it was a very embarrassing thought, he wanted to avoid ending up in that situation by all means.Because of the past incident, Vahn was a very famous face within the Loki Familia and he got all kinds of reactions the moment he entered the reception area. There were several men that looked at him like he had stolen something from them while some of the girls gave him appraising looks which caused their auras to shift slightly towards yellow or sky blue. Vahn ignored the majority of the malicious gazes and gave polite nods to the people that showed no ill-will toward him.Not long after his arrival, there was a bit of a commotion as someone had shown up that Vahn somewhat wanted to avoid. Instead of Tiona or Ais, the person, or should he say goddess, that showed up was Loki herself. The most peculiar thing that made Vahn feel uncomfortable was her 'gentle' expression and the subtle pink and yellow aura that radiated from her body. Not only the aura, but her expression was something that Vahn couldn't associate with the trickster goddess within his mind.Everyone in the reception area gave Loki strange looks as she closed the distance to Vahn and showed a smile as her eyes opened slightly. The moment Vahn saw her eyes, he couldn't help but feel his skin turn clammy as a shiver ran down his spine. Every time he had seen her open her eyes in the past, Vahn remembered she always had an 'intimidating' or 'greedy' look. Now, however, he saw no malicious intent in her eyes...and they even seemed somewhat gentle.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Fly, you fool~!','Hephaestus's oversight','Vahn learns a bit of common sense. Currently up to 11% functionality')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 $523/640 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

Vahn had to spend nearly half an hour after releasing Fafnir explaining all of the details about its capabilities to Eva. She seemed to suddenly become very interested in his naming magic as well as any other skills he had yet to reveal to her. When she found out that Fafnir had 'magic immunity', she even tried testing a small scale magic that wouldn't damage it to see if it was as Vahn had claimed.The ice that would have built up normally when she used her domain seemed to turn into steam in an area surrounding Fafnir. It was almost like there was an invisible sphere surrounding its body that encompassed the maximum spread of its wings. This meant that, for an area of 10m around its body, it completely broke down the structure of foreign magical elements. Eva realized that, unless she used her ultimate magic or physical prowess, there would be no easy way to deal with Fafnir. It wasn't an exaggeration to say the black dragon was the nemesis of all mages.When she learned that it was capable of using magic but hadn't learned any, Eva became even more curious of the 'evil' looking dragon. She actually found its appearance quite cute and convinced Vahn to allow it to stay with her for the time being. Though he was a bit surprised by the request, after a bit of consideration, Vahn decided to allow Fafnir to stay in the orb. He gave it a mental command and told it to follow Eva's orders and be nice to her. He also told it that, if it could, try to learn magic from her in the future.Fafnir stood before the two of them for a few seconds before it leaned down and tried nuzzling its snout toward Eva. She immediately became enthusiastic as she pet the hard and somewhat jagged scales of the malevolent-looking dragon. Vahn was also happy since now Eva wouldn't be alone in the space when he was in the real world. Though he was somewhat worried about Fafnir dissipating from a lack of energy, Vahn would be able to replenish it when he next visited. As long as it didn't use its mana in excess, it shouldn't be too difficult for it to last for the four years it took him to return.As Eva flew around in the sky on the back of Fafnir at around 3700km/h, Vahn returned to his workshop and began forging what would be his weapon for the time being. Though he didn't rely on equipment nearly as much as in the past, Vahn didn't want to take chances and end up in a situation where he needed a weapon and didn't have one on hand. Because he assumed that the make and design of the weapon would matter when he named it later, Vahn had studied a bit about suitable legends that he could use.Since he had grown somewhat fond of the mythos related to the northwestern gods, especially after naming Fafnir and [Gram], Vahn decided to keep to the theme and was now forging a weapon that would be capable of withstanding his vermillion-bird transformation. The sword he was forging was based on a legendary weapon that was wreathed in flames that could even burn through the foundation of the world. It was called Lævateinn, and Vahn was excited at the prospect of having a flaming sword to swing around and cut through his enemies.Vahn spent nearly twelve hours just shaping the core of the sword and had used pure Orichalcum as the base. He then painstakingly carved hundreds of small runes into the core with the intent of gathering fire-elements from the air and reinforcing the structural integrity of the future blade. Though he believed that naming it with the [Keeper of the Akashic Tome] would fill in some of the gaps, Vahn wasn't going to cut corners since each use of the Innate ability had a certain significance to it.After forming the core, Vahn took the pure white Adamantine that had been soaking in the blood essence of a red drake that could only be found rarely in the Iron Hills. This caused the pue white metal to take on a crimson red hue as absorbed the energy within the blood. By the end of the process, the blood had turned almost clear as water and Vahn used to the final product to shape around the core a form a large claymore-like structure. Since Vahn would only need the weapon if he was fighting something large or above his strength, he wanted the sword to be large and powerful enough to cut down anything.After the Adamantine had been shaped around the core, nearly thirty hours had passed, but Vahn was supplementing his energy with mana potions and senzu beans. Eva had shown up several times, but she left him to his own devices without bothering him. Instead, she just sat at her desk and watched his actions with a bit of intrigue in her eyes. Seeing how hard Vahn worked always made her feel pleasant and she had grown accustomed to admiring his figure as he worked the metal.By the time Vahn had finished carving more runes and creating the handle and guard of the sword, nearly sixty-five hours had passed. Even with the use of items to supplement his energy, he was incredibly tired as he looked at the result of his efforts with a fervent expression on his face. The final result of his sixty-five hours of strenuous exertion had been the created of a crimson-red claymore that was 220cm long, with the handle making up about 50cm of the overall length to allow for an easy double-handed grip. The guard itself was nearly 30cm wide and the entire figure of the blade had a bit of a malevolent feeling to it with the runes carved into its surface in an intricate pattern.Vahn spent the next few hours in focused meditation as Eva contemplated whether or not she should drag him away to rest. However, seeing the serious demeanor of Vahn, she couldn't bear to disturb him so she just sat quietly and observed at the side. Fafnir had been left in her garden after she rode it around for a bit earlier, and it seemed perfectly content to lay there without being disturbed.After his mental energy had recovered, Vahn took the prototype Lævateinn into his hands and began focusing his mind on the image of the sword he wanted to create. Eva had noticed his actions and marveled at the energy that had begun to converge around Vahn. Even though he shouldn't be able to draw mana from the atmosphere of the orb's space, she could sense an incredible amount of energy seemingly appearing from the void without explanation.Vahn held up the sword with both hands and arranged it to point straight toward the sky as he looked into the crimson blade with his eyes and spoke in a low voice that seemed to echo through the surroundings, "You shall be called [Lævateinn] from this point on. Become a sword that will burn my enemies to ashes." The moment his words sounded through space, Vahn felt his energy begin to rapidly drain from his body as the sword in his hands began to glow with a powerful ruby-red light.Eva had been paying attention throughout the entire process and, seeing the ruby-red light, her eyes widened as she spread her magic throughout the entire workshop and teleported the entire structure and its contents away several hundred meters. Vahn was left behind as he stared in a daze at the ruby light emerging from the sword as the stark white ground around him began to char black from the heat coming from the sword in his hands. Eventually, the ruby light expanded into a sphere nearly 10m around his area and burned everything within to ashes. Strangely, no matter how hot the temperature was, it didn't seem to affect Vahn or his clothes as they just gently swayed about as if blown by the wind.After a few minutes, Vahn had nearly been completely drained of his energy and the ruby light receded back into the sword in his hand. Now, instead of crimson claymore he had forged previously, it now had a charcoal black color as all the runes shone with a ruby-red and vibrant orange light like the fire of a forge. The entire figure of the blade looked profoundly evil but also had a strangely noble appearance if you looked at it for a while. It was like a sword that stood above anything that could be made by mortal hands, and Vahn even felt like it possessed 'pride' within its blade.In a somewhat dazed state, Vahn swung the sword with a bit of force to test its capabilities. The moment he drew the sword into an arc, the runes glowed and the entire blade traced a long trail of fire behind the main body. When Vahn suddenly stopped the blade mid-swing, the fire trail continued outward in the direction he had swung and burned a large swathe of the stark white floor. The result was eerily reminiscent of a dragon's breath as it continued to burn into the ground like it possessed a powerful acidic quality.Vahn couldn't prevent a large smile from appearing on his face as he held the majestic looking burned blade in his hands and read its description in the system menu. He had obtained a total of more than 17k OP when he had named it, so Vahn had high expectations of its status.[Lævateinn]Rank: S (Magic)Slots: 0P.Atk: 1708+170M.Atk: 1153Ability: Lævateinn(S), Flame Wreath(A), Explosive Thrust(A), Piercing(S), Sharpness(B)A sword possessing the legacy of the legendary Lævateinn. The flames emitted by this sword cannot be extinguished by normal means and will continue to burn until the entire world turns to ashes as long as the user does not extinguish them.After reading the description, Vahn's smile grew even larger and he felt a great excitement build within his body. The original sword he forged would have only been Rank-A, but naming it had actually pushed it to Rank-S. Though it didn't give him the [Master Smith] ability, Vahn felt much closer to obtaining it now that he had experienced forging such a powerful item.Pointing the sword tip toward the flames that continued to burn into the white ground, Vahn willed the fires to extinguish and noticed them slowly burn out and stop dissolving the floor. He was incredibly satisfied by the result, as he now had an incredibly powerful weapon that could be used to deal with troublesome enemies. Even if he couldn't defeat them immediately, as long as he could get a few good attacks in and cover them with the flames, they would continue to burn and cause more damage even if Vahn ran away.Vahn put the sword into his inventory and turned toward Eva who had appeared next to him long ago. She looked at him with a smile and a slightly flushed face as she said, "That sword is incredible. Your 'naming magic' is far more powerful than I imagined." Vahn nodded his head and responded, "It is the greatest masterpiece I ever forged, but it will not be the extent of the items I'll create in the future. I still have a long way to go..."Eva smiled before disappearing using Shindo and reappearing next to Vahn with her hands on his chest. With a slightly fervent expression in her eyes, she whispered in a low tone, "It's good that you're working so hard...let me give you a reward." Before Vahn could reply, the two disappeared from the spot after Eva used her teleportation. Fafnir, who had been sleeping in the garden, lifted its head and looked toward the house where it could feel large energy fluctuations. It could vaguely sense that its master was in danger, but it also knew there was nothing it could do to help him against the 'enemy' he currently faced.After it received its name, Fafnir had been developing its intelligence and was capable of reasoning through problems instead of acting solely based on instinct as it had done in the past. Now, unless its Master specifically requested its assistance, Fafnir decided to avoid trouble as it laid its head back down on the garden floor and enjoyed the smell of the various flowers surrounding it. After a few minutes, it once again fell asleep as it completely ignored the plight of its Master.Title: [Lævateinn](A/N: Alternate Titles: 'See no evil, hear no evil','Burn baby, burn~!','Akashic Tome OP')(A/N: Getting closer and closer to the ******* goal~! Thanks everyone that has already put in their support, I love you all &lt;3)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 $504/640 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 179: Return to the Hearths Embrace