Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After Loki left him behind in the room by himself, Vahn sat back down on the couch to contemplate everything that had happened. He now had a better understanding of why gods and goddesses acted the way they did, and Vahn was wondering if there was a way to help them. Unfortunately, unless he could re-write the laws of the 'record', there was no way for Vahn to change how Divinity functioned.[Enkidu] could circumvent the laws to an extent, but the usage was extremely limited and the chains couldn't even naturally exist in the world if not for the fact they were bound to his soul. Much like how his Innate abilities transcended the restrictions of the 'record', [Enkidu] had a similar effect. Vahn wouldn't be able to develop an item to emulate its effects unless it transcended Tier 4, which would also result in the destruction of the record...The only 'practical' solution seemed to be to find a way to inhibit their Divinity even further than their descent in the mortal world did. The fact that their Divinity was already heavily restricted compared to how powerful it was in Heaven showed that it should be possible. The problem was, Vahn had no practical way of doing so at the moment. Even if he could inhibit it further, there was no way of knowing what kind of long-term effects that would have on the gods and goddesses around him. In the worst case scenario, if their Divinity was inhibited for too long, they would cease to exist entirely since they were unable to fulfill their 'purpose'.Another solution Vahn came up with was to potentially give them 'more' Divinity instead of inhibiting their current ones. Since gods could have multiple Divinity and it was something that could be developed over time, Vahn figured it should be possible for him to find a way to trick the laws and give them a new purpose. That way, even if the effects of their prior Divinity faded, they wouldn't be destroyed since there was a secondary Divinity support their soul.Surprisingly, this seemed to be more practical and could even potentially enhance the power of the 'record' and increase it's Tier beyond 4. The problem with that was, if the fundamental laws of the world were altered to accommodate the change, there was no way to regulate the sudden influx of power. Not only would there be higher tiered gods roaming about, but even mortals would undergo incredible changes. Depending on how things played out, it might very well result in the end of the world and the destruction of the 'record' if it failed to adapt to the changes.There was also the problem about who Vahn should help to begin with. The fairest result would have him alter or enhance the Divinity of every god and goddess, but that would obviously lead to the greatest amount of chaos. However, if he only selected a few gods or goddesses that he had a preference for, the end result wouldn't be much better. There would inevitably be a war caused by the shift of power, even if the people that he empowered didn't initiate it. Since the current pantheons had been in place for as long as six-hundred-million years, it wasn't easy for them to stand idly by as other gods 'usurped' their power and authority.In that case, not only would Vahn likely die, but all of the people he cared about and enhanced would likely become the enemy of the others gods. In the worst case scenario, they would be killed or imprisoned while all of Vahn's children would likely be captured and experimented on so they could understand the origin of his powers. Vahn knew better than most that being born as a unique existence could heavily influence how you were treated from the moment of your birth. Imagining his children being experimented on in the same way that he was in his previous life, Vahn couldn't prevent his domain from expanding due to his rage.As if to respond to his 'outburst', Loki returned with a bottle of wine and two glasses as she stared at Vahn with a questioning look. Vahn noticed her presence and recalled his domain before inspecting her current attire. In twenty minutes or so he hadn't seen her, Loki had changed into a more casual outfit that looked distinctly different from her usual self. She was wearing a white long-sleeved buttoned shirt with a short dark-blue skirt.Noticing his gaze, she grinned and explained, "Even if I change my clothing, I don't like to wear pants and stuff. I may not have much in the breasts department, but I like to show off my butt." As she spoke, she turned slightly in the hopes that Vahn could get a better glimpse of her assets. Though the skirt covered half of her thighs, it did nothing to hide the curve of her butt. Vahn noticed that Loki did, in fact, have a rather pert and well-shaped butt.Seeing that Vahn had indeed looked, Loki's smile widened a bit before she walked over and sat down next to him before placing the two wine cups on the table. As she began filling the two cups with the ruby-red liquid, she asked in a cheeky manner, "So, what did you think? Like what you see?"Vahn sighed in his mind and decided to pay her a compliment and said, "It looks strangely 'healthy' and well shaped." Loki, hearing his words, laughed out loud as she considered how strange his compliment was. She could tell that he was being 'serious', but that just made it more hilarious to her since it was such an awkward way to compliment someone. She tried teasing him a bit further and asked, "How about it, want to try touching it? I don't mean to brag, but I have confidence that you'll be pleasantly surprised by its feel."Though he considered it for a moment, Vahn still shook his head and even refused the wine glass she held out to him. Loki's brows furrowed a bit and she said, "You don't have to worry, I didn't drug it or anything." Almost as if to prove her claim, Loki downed her entire glass in a few short gulps before exhaling out with a happy 'Paaah~' sound.Vahn explained how he never drank outside of his home or unless he was celebrating an event with several of his companions. Loki tried convincing him that they were celebrating the birth of their future children, but Vahn continued to refuse until she had gone through nearly half the bottle on her own. She quickly became drunk and started acting uninhibited while Vahn had to continually remove her hands from his body to prevent her from sticking to him. Unfortunately, the drunker she got, the bolder she acted until the point where Vahn decided to quiet her.He turned toward the brazen goddess and asked in a casual manner, "Would you like a massage, Loki? I have been told I'm quite good at it. Even Hephaestus and Anubis have given me a number of compliments." Vahn almost mentioned Eva in his self-promotion, since she had been the one to help him polish the skill to a new level.Loki got very excited by his proposition and quickly laid down on the couch with her back facing Vahn. She gave him a teasing look with her drunk-blush and said, "Please, be gentle~." Completely unaffected by her words, Vahn nodded his head with a smile and placed both of his palms on either side of her body. Though she laughed cheekily at first, the moment Vahn channeled his [Hands of Nirvana], she quickly changed her tone.Since Vahn was trying to force her to calm down, he was giving her the same type of massage that he had given to Hephaestus and Anubis in the past. Though the shirt on her body prevented him from identifying the muscles and nerves effectively, it didn't inhibit his ability to use the skill by much.The moment Vahn had put his hands on her back, Loki began to panic as she quickly lost strength in her body. She couldn't help but feel that Vahn had used some kind of strange magic on her, but the more he traced his hands on her body and pressed into her muscles, the more comfortable and pleasant she felt. Her previously drunken mind immediately regained clarity as she grits her teeth to resist the sensations wracking her body. She tried to look toward him and get him to stop, but he seemed completely focused on his task.Because Vahn hadn't used his [Hands of Nirvana] on anyone other than Eva after obtaining Rank S, he was unaware of the efficacy it had on other people. Since Eva had incredibly high resistance and recovered quickly, Vahn had become accustomed to chaining together the sensations in rapid-fire sequence. Less than a minute after he started working on the muscles in her back, Loki's body began to have micro convulsions and she had become completely silent. Vahn could hear her gasp lightly and saw from the side of his vision that she was gritting her teeth in an effort to resist.He chuckled a bit within his own mind as he traced the energy in his hands along her spine while targeting various nerve clusters in her ribs and shoulders. Loki's body began to convulse even more and Vahn could feel the vibration of her muscles that showed that his massage was effective. Without skipping a beat, he continued to massage her back before turning his attention to the butt which she had so proudly touted earlier.Though he didn't start with it directly, Vahn wanted to tease her a bit so he began to massage the muscles around her thighs and noticed she had a greatly enhanced reaction. At this point, Loki had stopped gritting her teeth and had a slightly glazed expression as her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. Vahn worked his thumbs into her thighs and pressed his energy deep within the muscles which caused them to twitch incessantly.Satisfied with the results, Vahn moved on to the last bastion of Loki's sanity as he began to press strongly into the nerve clusters around her butt cheeks. Vahn had to admit that, as she had proudly declared earlier, Loki's butt was incredibly firm yet supple. It wasn't like Hephaestus who had a very soft and pleasant feeling butt, nor was it like Anubis who had a very springy and fleshy butt. Loki's was a mixture between feeling incredibly soft yet had enough resistance to make it tantalizing to the touch. Vahn felt like his description of it being 'healthy' was well suited to the feeling that was coming from his hands.After around twenty minutes had passed, Vahn was preparing to stop since Loki had long since tried putting up any resistance. She had turned completely silent and docile as she lay on the couch with a relatively large drool stain on the white cushions. As Vahn was beginning to cease his actions, he caught the presence of several people about to make their way into the room. Removing his hands, he stared at the doors and could see that two of the auras had slightly pink hues which indicated they were likely Tiona and Ais.As expected, Tiona, Ais, Tione, and Lefiya entered the room and saw Vahn leaning over Loki's unresponsive body. Tione and Lefiya gave him strange looks while Tiona and Ais had slightly varying reactions. Tiona seemed genuinely happy to see Vahn, and a smile appeared on her face as she made her way over with a spring in her step. Ais, however, stared at Vahn's hands with a bit of interest in her eyes since she was the most aware of everyone present about what Vahn was doing.Since he had stopped his hands, Loki managed to regain a bit of clarity as she looked toward the four girls that had entered the room. She stretched out her right hand and said in a slurred voice, "Shhaaave meeee~. It won't stooooop~" Even now, Loki's body still vibrated with the reverberations of a twenty-minute long continuous climax. She had severely underestimated Vahn's ability and now wanted to escape from his clutches before she lost her mind.Tiona immediately began laughing at Loki's cry for help as she said in a teasing voice, "Looks like even Loki-sama can't stand up against Vahn's [Hands of Nirvana]." She laughed like she had discovered something interesting as Ais walked over and poked Loki's powerless body and said, "Justice." Since Loki had often teased people and would occasionally try to tease and grope her, Ais felt like Loki had finally got her just deserts.Lefiya, who had a fierce blush on her face, heard Ais's words and stared at the body of Loki with a bit of vindication. Since she was the easiest person in the main group to tease, she was often the victim of Loki's shenanigans. Her breasts had been groped so many times at this point that she couldn't even begin to count. Seeing Loki on the couch at the mercy of Vahn made her respect him a little bit more.The only person that seemed genuinely confused about what was going on was Tione who looked at the entire scene with a perplexed expression. She turned her gaze from Vahn and Loki before settling on her sister and asked, "Tiona, what is going on here?" Tiona, hearing her words, looked at Tione and said in a humorous tone, "Vahn has an incredible massage technique~! With just a single touch, he could probably make even an Amazon purr like a cat person~!"Though Tione had some doubts, she saw that Ais immediately nodded at Tiona's claim. With a bit of intrigue in her eyes, she turned her vision back to Vahn's hands and stared at Loki who had yet to recover even after a few minutes had passed. She was very curious if Vahn really was as skillful as purported. Unfortunately, though she wasn't aware of it at this time, Tione would later look back on this moment with the desire of warning her past self for her curiosity.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Godhand Returns','How to Tame a Trickster Goddess','Justice')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 $555/640 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

Leaving Loki on the couch, Vahn moved to the opposite couch where he was flanked by Tiona and Ais as Lefiya stood at the side and Tione took the place where Vahn had left an occupancy next to Loki. After everyone had found a spot where they were comfortable, Tiona asked, "So, what happened to cause you to turn Loki-sama into putty?" She still had an amused grin on her face since she had never seen her goddess in such a compromised state.Vahn explained everything that happened during his private meeting with Loki, including the parts concerning Divinity, [Enkidu], and pregnancy. As for the reason why Loki was currently a goddess-shaped blob, Vahn explained that she was acting brazenly after getting drunk and he decided to help her relax so she wouldn't be so restless.Loki, who heard his explanation uttered in a distressed and tired voice, "Don't listen to him...He didn't help me relax at all..." However, though she was speaking the truth, none of the girls present seemed to care about her current state. Lefiya looked as though she was enjoying Loki's suffering while Ais just muttered in a plain tone, "Sneaky..." She then grabbed Vahn's right hand with hers and gave him a somewhat inquisitive look.Vahn understood what she was trying to ask, so he began to channel his [Hands of Nirvana] with the intent of 'relaxing'. Ais felt the warm energy enter into her hands so she smiled and said, "Pleasant feeling..." Tiona seemed to be incited by her actions and took Vahn's other hand and asked if he could do the same for her, so he did.Tione stared at the three with a bit of annoyance and asked, "Does it really feel that good?" In response to her question, Ais nodded her head while Tiona just started laughing with a cheerful expression on her face. Ever since she had lost her virginity to Vahn, Tione had been bugging her for details a lot. There was even an incident where she tried to sneak into Finn's quarters in the middle of the night before being promptly booted out.For the next hour or so, the entire group continued to talk about the events that had taken place since the meeting between the other girls. Though Lefiya blushed after knowing Vahn was aware of her presence at the meeting, she still contributed to the conversation a bit. Both Tiona and Ais ended up apologizing to Vahn for pressuring him into having sex with them. In response, Vahn frowned and shook his head as he denied them any blame. He admitted that he was just as curious as Ais, and the entire reason he had shown up that day was that he genuinely cared about Tiona's desire for children.Even though Vahn agreed that things had developed too fast, he explained to both girls that he cared about them deeply. He told Tiona how he liked her active and cheerful demeanor and how she was always outgoing. For Ais, he explained how, though she might seem to lack expression, he greatly appreciated her kindness and admired her strength. When they had dueled after their first meeting, she constantly tried to take his state-of-mind into consideration and tried to encourage him to grow stronger.Ultimately, Vahn managed to convince both girls to not blame themselves for what had happened, and Vahn even expressed his intention to continue their relationships in the future. From now on, they would constantly be together on expeditions, and Vahn wanted to protect them both while trying to increase his own strength. When the conversation got to this point, Tiona was in high tensions and had glued herself to Vahn's body while Ais leaned against his shoulder while still holding onto his hand.Lefiya had a somewhat sad expression as she watched the three acting so affectionately toward each other while she stood off to the side on her own. She had known Vahn just as long as Tiona and Ais, and they have even shared a few intimate moments in the past. Vahn had always been kind to her and tried to cheer her up when she was scared with the same warm hands that were held by Tiona and Ais. Remembering his hand against her back in the fight against the Juggernaut and his subsequent collapse from the mental attack, Lefiya felt a bit saddened to be left out.She wasn't the only one having strange thoughts, as even Tione and Loki looked at the trio with a bit of frustration on their faces. In the hour they had been talking, Loki finally managed to recover and had begun slowly drinking her wine as she made weak attempts to jump in on the conversation. Tione herself had actually been resenting both Vahn and her sister ever since their tryst because she felt jealous due to her on unrequited love. She imagined her and Finn enjoying the company of each other and being affectionate on the couch, and couldn't help but join Loki as the two continued to drink their troubles away.After a while, Vahn managed to free his hand from Ais and laid out a variety of weapons on the table starting with the massive [Dance of the Amazon]. Fortunately, the table was of a rather high quality, so it was able to support the weight of the weapon without too many issues. Everyone in the room was somewhat confused at the sudden appearance of the weapon, so Vahn explained, "I've been trying to improve my forging so I can create an item for Hephaestus before the Denatus. Though my products may not be the best, I wanted to try and create items that would be beneficial to those I cared about."Hearing his explanation, Tiona's face immediately brightened since she realized the similarities between the current weapon and her own Urga. Before Vahn even explained anything about the weapon, she grabbed his head with her hands and began to kiss him passionately with a somewhat fervent expression on her face. Fortunately, Tione and Ais managed to separate the two before Tiona got even further out of hand. Since Vahn triggered her instincts as an Amazon, even if she tried to control herself it was very difficult when he did things that pleased her to such an extent.Vahn made a mental note to be more cautious around Tiona as he explained the specifications of the [Dance of the Amazon] to everyone present. Hearing each different feature of the weapon made Tiona's expression turn more flushed and she had to be placed in between Ais and Tione as Vahn sat next to Loki who was eying the weapon with clear intrigue on her face. Eventually, she turned to Vahn and asked with a mischevious smile on her face, "Given the design of this weapon, I can't imagine it costs less than ten-million Valis. Are you really going to give it away for free?"Vahn returned her gaze for a few seconds before turning he head and matching the 'fierce' gaze of Tiona. The moment he looked at Tiona, both Ais and Tione tightened their grip on the girl as Vahn said in a serious and sincere manner, "For the people I care about, there is no price I'm not willing to pay. Ten-million Valis is nothing if it's able to keep them safe for even a minute longer."Not only Tiona's, but everyone in the room had their eyes widen to various degrees before they showed different expressions. Loki began to laugh at the bold proclamation while Ais gave him a happy smile. Tione seemed to be frustrated while Lefiya had hung her head low and had a somewhat sad expression on her face. Tiona herself looked like she was about ready to eat Vahn alive and if not for the two Level 5 girls holding her at bay, Vahn may very well have had to beat a hasty retreat.Eventually, things developed to the point where Vahn had to use [Hands of Nirvana] to help Tiona calm down before she left the room holding [Dance of the Amazons] like a precious treasure. When she left, Vahn felt a bit sad at her departure but could also feel a heavy pressure relieved from his shoulders. After settling back down, Vahn took out the next weapon which was [Gram].As if she had taken a note out of Tiona's book, Ais gave Vahn a short but deep kiss for nearly a minute before she lifted up the sword and inspected it with a slightly enamored expression on her face. Vahn was still a bit dazed from her affectionate display and it took him a few seconds before he began explaining the features. Hearing that it provided her a benefit against dragons, Ais looked at Vahn with the closest thing to a 'loving' gaze he had ever seen from her.After placing the sword back on the table, she tried to embrace Vahn's face and kiss him again before Loki shouted out to stop her actions. Watching Vahn constantly being kissed and acting passively had triggered her a bit and she couldn't help but try to put a stop to things before they got out of hand. She couldn't help but wonder where the 'dominant' Vahn that had tormented her for nearly half an hour had disappeared to.Though everyone had assumed he was finished with the weapons, Vahn had noticed that both Tione and Lefiya had strange reactions to everything that happened. After a brief period of thought, Vahn decided to give both girls gifts as well, albeit much less impressive than the ones he had given Ais and Tiona. Placing his hands over the table, Vahn removed [Gale] and [Tempest], the twin swords he had forged when he first entered the orb.Ais didn't seem to have much of a reaction, but Loki, Tione, and Lefiya stared at the two intricately designed swords with confusion and intrigue. Vahn looked at Tione and she seemed to understand his intentions as she pointed to her own face and asked, "For me?" Vahn nodded his head with a smile and began explaining the functions of the two swords. Since he had seen that Tione used shortswords in the past, he thought they suited her well.As she listened to his explanation, Tione took the two swords into her hand and admired their structure. Since Vahn had put a lot of effort into every minor detail of the sword, they both looked almost ceremonial in their make. Even a novice could understand the effort put into their creation, much less a skilled veteran like Tione. She looked at the boy who was supposed to be her sister's lover and asked with mixed emotions and a frown, "Don't tell me you're trying to get to me after getting your hands on my sister?"Since Tione had intended to try and pressure Tiona into being with Finn when she finally managed to break down his resistance, she thought that Tiona and Vahn had developed similar fantasies to her own. Though she thought highly of Vahn as well, she still had far more affection for her Captain, even though he never reciprocated. After hearing Vahn's words about protecting the people he cared about, she couldn't help but think he was trying to win her over.Vahn shook his head and explained without losing his smile, "If something were to happen to you, Tiona would be heartbroken. If these swords can protect your and her smiles, I think that would be the best situation for everyone." Hearing Vahn's words, Tione frowned and accepted the two swords without complaint. Knowing that Vahn was just giving her the swords to make her sister happy, Tione felt several conflicting emotions in her heart and mind.After Tione accepted the swords, Loki and Lefiya stared at Vahn with a slight anticipation on their faces. Even though Lefiya had a lot of difficulty dealing with her emotions regarding Vahn, seeing him give out weapons to even Tione made her slightly expectant. Remembering how Vahn had said he wanted to protect her back in the dungeon, Lefiya believed that she might fall into the category of people that he had forged an item for.Unfortunately, Vahn had only originally forged items for Tiona and Ais, so he didn't have a staff on hand to give the bashful young elf. The [Gale] and [Tempest] had been made on a whim and now he was in a mild predicament as he noticed the hopeful look in her eyes. Since he had decided to give them both gifts previously, Vahn ended up having to purchase a staff from the system and 'gift' it to her. Fortunately, Lefiya's affection for him had reached 84 points since he had fallen unconscious in the dungeon.The staff he gave her was the same [Heal] that he had purchased long ago. Since it cost 2,000OP, it was actually slightly higher quality than the items he had forged for Tiona and Ais. Of course, Vahn didn't think that was the case since the OP reward he got for naming an item probably had no correlation with its rarity considering that [Heal] was C.Vahn gave the staff to the fiercely blushing Lefiya who received it with shaky hands. After explaining its functions, everyone in the room had somewhat shocked expressions when they found out that it was actually capable of healing any non-lethal wounds as long as the user had enough mana. The only downside was that using the healing effect of the staff would affect its efficacy until finally breaking after a certain number of uses.Lefiya hugged the staff to her chest as she looked at Vahn with slightly teary eyes and bowed. With a quiet and shaky voice, she said, "Thank you...Vahn. Thank you..." Vahn didn't know why she was so affected by a simple gift so, since he had been standing when he handed it to her, he reached out his hand and began channeling [Hands of Nirvana] as he had done for her several times in the past.Feeling the somewhat familiar and warm sensation coming from the marginally larger hand of Vahn, Lefiya felt like she wanted to cry but managed to keep her tears contained within her blurry eyes. Vahn was always so nice to her, and he had even given her an item that not only increased her combat capabilities but also allowed her to save the lives of her allies in a pinch. Healing magic, especially healing magic that could be used from a distance, was incredibly rare. Lefiya, along with everyone else in the room, had never even heard of a staff like the one Vahn had presented to her.After Lefiya had calmed down a bit, she ended up excusing herself from the room since she was in an unstable state. Vahn had asked Ais to take care of her which made the elf blush and hang her head as the two left the room in silence. Loki gave Vahn an inspecting gaze as she asked, "That staff, did you make it?"Vahn turned to make eye contact with her and noticed that even Tione was giving him an appraising look. After a brief consideration, Vahn realized it wasn't incorrect to say that the items he purchased from the system were created by him. Since 'The Path' had bonded with his soul, that meant that everything it produced was a product of his soul, which was the same as being a product of Vahn himself.He affirmed Loki's words with confidence and it seemed to work since she actually seemed to be impressed and said in an appreciative manner, "Thanks, Vahn, that kind of staff couldn't have been easy to make. I'm sure it'll be very helpful in the dungeon if anything happens. If possible, I'd like for you to create even more and I don't mind paying for each of them."Vahn shook his head and explained, "That staff is forged with a very special method. Other than Lefiya, nobody else would be able to use it." Since it was technically true, Loki couldn't see through his words and just showed a bit of disappointment for a brief moment before her expression turned into a teasing one as she asked, "So you made that staff especially for Lefiya~? At this rate you might end up conquering all the girls in my Familia, myself included~!"Tione seemed to latch onto the words as she also tried to tease Vahn a bit, "Really, if Captain doesn't change the way he treats me soon, I might have to compete with my sister for your affection. Since she was able to take on that little monster of yours, I should be able to handle it just as well." Her words caused Loki to ask, "Little monster?" Though she somewhat understood what Tione was implying, she wanted to confirm her suspicions.Tione laughed and gave Vahn a playful look as she leaned over and whispered into the grinning Loki's ear. After a few seconds, Loki's eyes widened and she looked at Vahn with an incredulous expression. If what Tione said was true, she nearly made a grave error earlier when she tried to goad Vahn into having sex with her. She might need to prepare herself both mentally and physically before she tried approaching him in the future.(A/N: Alternate Title: 'The Legend Lives On','Vahn casually gifting out 100MV of items','The Danger that is Tiona')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 $599/640 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 was beginning to understand what Loki was trying to tell him; he also understood why she had essentially accused him of hating her very existence. If what she was saying is true, which Vahn felt it very well might be, it meant she had little to no control over her own personality. Since she had lived for millions of years, even if she wanted to 'resist' against her Divinity, her nature would have been irreversibly altered. Since her divinity was related to trickery and schemes, Loki couldn't help but act accordingly...even if she wanted to act differently. The moment she started trying to change her character, she would grow weaker until the point where she ceased to exist entirely.Loki could see that Vahn somewhat understood what she was trying to convey, so she continued, "It is the same for every god. Gods of production are constantly creating the items related to their divinity, while gods of the people are always trying to serve and better others. The worst, and perhaps most unfortunate of all, are gods that draw their power from concepts like Love, Beauty, and Service. There are innumerable gods and goddesses that end up slaves inside brothels or prostitution rings just because they can't resist their own compulsions. In the worst case scenario, there are even those that cannot refuse someone that wants to sleep with them at all, even if the person is a disgusting person or a deviant."Vahn could feel his mind begin to buzz from her explanation as he considered the implications of her words. It would explain why gods like Soma were in charge of such disreputable Familia since he prioritized creating his alcohol over everything else. It even made Vahn somehow empathetic towards people like Freya, even though he still disliked everything she had done within the manga.Loki still had a sad expression on her face as she continued, "Though gods may possess a lot of power and authority, especially in Heaven, we choose to descend to the mortal world instead of making use of our abilities...do you know why that is, Vahn?" Vahn frowned and shook his head, so she explained, "It is because our Divinity is marginally weaker when we come to the mortal world. Things get so monotonous in Heaven, and we're unable to act outside of the influence of our own Divinity. We descend to the mortal world to experience variety and change while trying to enjoy a somewhat free life. However, no matter how hard we try, as long as we possess Divinity within our souls, we cannot escape our fate..."The more Loki explained things, the worse Vahn felt about the entire situation. Though he would need to confirm it with Hephaestus, he instinctually understood that Loki was telling him the truth. There is no way Hephaestus would have continued forging countless items when they had caused her so much pain in the past. The only reason for her to do so was that she was unable to avoid forging for long periods of time. She constantly had to push herself to try and exceed her limits and understanding, because that was the only way to satiate the compulsion that emanated from her very soul.Looking into the sad expression on Loki's face, Vahn suddenly felt...pity. Though she was one of the most powerful and influential goddesses in the mortal world, she still had to live the life of a schemer and trickster just to satiate her own Divinity. No matter how much she cared about her Familia and tried to live a free and unfettered life, she would continue to exploit and try to use people for her own convenience. It was truly a pitiful existence...Loki had seen the way he was looking at her and she gave him a mischevious smile as she shook her head, "Don't feel pity for me, Vahn. Even if I'm restricted by my own Divinity, I've lived a much better life than most gods and goddesses. Fortunately for me, my Divinity almost guarantees that I can be successful in both Heaven and the mortal world. If you want to pity someone, you should visit one of the gods or goddesses that are bound to serve people. I believe that Dog Goddess of your's has that trait."As she mentioned Anubis, Vahn couldn't help but recall his interactions with the beautiful chienthrope goddess. Even before she came to Orario, she spent the entire 300 years of her time in the mortal world helping the children of the Southern Tribe. Vahn had learned that she ran both an Orphanage Familia as well as a Funerary since her Divinity was related to Death and taking care of others. She even willingly became his 'servant' just because she had 'almost' brought harm to him due to a misunderstanding. From then on, everything that she did seemed to be to try and please him, even to the point where she began making advances on him after the incident in the bath...Vahn released a profoundly sad and disheartened sigh as he looked at the goddess in front of him. There was no way he could hate Loki after knowing that she was bound to act this way due to her own Divinity. Though he could resent her actions, and even avoid interacting with her because he disagreed with her, there was no way he could continue to have a bias against her.As if she had seen his understanding, Loki showed a seemingly genuine smile as she said, "At least you're quick to rationalize things. Even if you can't trust me, know that I'll never do anything to compromise myself or my own Familia. I can promise at least that much since it would be very inconvenient for me otherwise."Vahn nodded his head and furrowed his brows a bit as he gave her an apologetic expression and said, "I'm sorry, Loki, I didn't consider things properly and treated you with my own bias. Though I still can't easily drop my guard around you, I can at least empathize with and place a bit of trust in you." Though Vahn needed to confirm things with Hephaestus and Anubis, he still felt like he needed to apologize.Loki nodded her head and had a large smile on her face as she spread her legs a bit and put both of her hands on her abdomen. Vahn was confused by her actions until she said in a teasing manner, "I'll consider forgiving you if you put a baby inside of me~." Vahn's eyes widened to a full circle as she continued to laugh at his reaction. She moved her hands down her abdomen and thumbed the stretchy fabric of her shorts as Vahn averted his eyes.After calming his mind a bit, Vahn asked in a somewhat exasperated manner, "So, you know about [Enkidu]...?" Loki laughed and opened her eyes slightly as she eyed Vahn somewhat like a predator as she explained, "Indeed~! Hephaestus and Eina had told me about it after our little get-together. Since they wouldn't have been able to keep it a secret, they ended up telling me about it to prevent me from scheming against you in the future."Vahn's eyebrows perked up a bit as he looked at her with a questioning gaze and asked, "Aren't you trying to scheme against me right now?" Loki shook her head and said, "Nope, I'm just teasing you a bit. Why, were you seriously considering knocking me up~?" She then laughed for a bit after seeing Vahn's inability to answer her question. Once she had calmed down a bit, she explained, "I took a vow, so if I was truly scheming against your, or trying to pressure you, you would know since there would be a pretty big backlash. Hephaestus was very meticulous regarding the terms of the vow, probably because of that little elf girl~?"Thinking of the two women that Vahn placed his trust in, Vahn couldn't help but imagine that they had gone to great lengths to protect him. With how Loki was acting, there was probably much more to the situation than he was aware, but she wouldn't be able to answer his questions since it might influence his decision. The strange thing was, Vahn felt like she was still pressuring him, even though she was supposed to have taken a vow that restricted her from doing so.Loki saw his confusion as he was contemplating the matters and explained with a smile on her face, "Even if you're feeling 'pressured', it doesn't mean I've done anything to pressure you, ya know~? That would be something like me using your relationships with Ais or Tiona to force you to make a decision. All I'm doing right now is teasing you and letting you know my own intentions. I really do want a baby, so if you're ever in the mood you can give ma call and I'll come running~! I even cut off all my ties with the other people I associated with just so I would be more appealing to you, so show a bit of gratitude~!"Vahn frowned at her explanation and asked, "What do you mean when you say you cut off your ties with others?" Loki's smile widened by a marginal amount as she opened her eyes and the peculiar 'gentle' look that she had in the reception room was present. In a low and soft tone, she said, "I decided that it would probably influence your decision to give me a baby if I was acting promiscuously with other people. You might not understand it well, but there is very little I wouldn't be willing to give up in order to become pregnant and have my own child. Even if I had to abandon my relationships with other people for the rest of your life, I think it would be a small sacrifice considering the benefits. You should be prepared for other goddesses to have similar convictions in the future as well. Those chains of yours, even if you don't personally do the deed, represent something that many goddesses have sought after."Even without her explaining it, Vahn was already well aware of the chaos that would result when his [Enkidu] became public knowledge. The moment he got Hephaestus pregnant, there was no doubt that the matter would become known to the various gods and goddesses. Once they knew, it would disseminate to the normal people, and there would be no end to the troubles he would have to face in the future. Without personal strength and connections, Vahn may very well end up at a disadvantage against the great number of gods, goddesses, and mortals that would approach him.However, Vahn didn't think it was right for Loki to suddenly give up her 'relationships' with other people just because she wanted to have a child. From his perspective, there was no need for him to be the one to impregnate her, so he explained, "It isn't necessary for you to have my child if you want a baby. I can use the [Enkidu] and you can continue to have your relationships with others without my interference."Loki's eyes opened to an almost normal extent as she looked at Vahn with a serious expression on her face. She continued to stare at him for nearly half a minute before she said, "I'm not asking you to give me a baby right now, but I want you to bind me with your [Enkidu] so I can experience its effects for myself."Vahn furrowed his brows as he considered her words, but before he made a decision, she continued, "If I'm bound by your [Enkidu] and it truly restricts my Divinity, you'll be able to believe my words, won't you?" Seeing the serious expression on her face and hearing the logic within her words, Vahn finally acceded to her request and let [Enkidu] emerge from his palm. The moment the chain appeared, Loki looked at it with a fervent gaze as she marveled at the resplendent golden chains.Before she could ask anything, Vahn expanded his domain and 'ordered' Enkidu to bind Loki without harming her. Less than a second after he sent the mental command, the chains came to life and immediately withdrew further from his palm at an incredible speed. Though Loki was somewhat startled by the change, she didn't resist at all as the chains coiled around her arms, legs, and torso.The moment she was firmly wrapped up, Loki realized she was completely unable to move and couldn't help but laugh as she asked, "Isn't this a bit excessive?" At this point, she almost looked like she had been turned into a resplendent golden cacoon as she laid down on the couch and looked at Vahn with an incredulous look on her face.Vahn also thought it was a bit excessive, so he willed the chains to loosen up enough for her to move without undoing the sealing effect. After a brief delay, the chains created enough of a gap for Loki to free her arms and legs as they continued to dangle from her limbs. She fiddled around and inspected the chains a bit and continually tried spreading her domain and trying to use her other powers. From the moment she had been wrapped in the chains, Loki actually felt almost 'free', even though she was clearly restrained. There was a certain clarity to her mind now and she couldn't help but release a sad and somewhat relieved sigh.From Vahn's perspective, the moment he had bound Loki with [Enkidu], her chaotic aura had stabilized completely and now had a subtle pink and yellow hue. From experience, Vahn understood this implied she had a certain amount of affection and positive feelings toward him. Given the fact that her Affection and Intrigue were both at 100, it made sense even if it made him feel a little uncomfortable.Loki looked into his eyes and noticed that his expression had changed the moment she had been bound. She smiled and asked, "So, did you notice anything?" Though he was somewhat hesitant, Vahn still nodded his head as he continued to hold eye contact with now 'Divinity-less' Loki. She seemed a lot more calm than normal and stared back at him with a thoughtful look on her face.After a few seconds of silence, Loki nodded her head as if she had realized something and said, "Even with my Divinity repressed, I still feel like my decision is the correct one. My previous thoughts and actions were always influenced by my Divinity, and now that I am free from its influence I am even more positive of my choice. These chains of your's represent a future I couldn't even consider before, so in order to experience it to the fullest, I want to commit myself completely. Even if it might be a blink of time in the eternity of my existence, I don't want to have regrets. As the person that gave me the opportunity, I don't want to have the child of another person. Even though it might be a result of the fact of your origin and me wanting to take advantage of your genes to have powerful children, is it really wrong for a mother to desire that her children have high potential?"The entire time she was speaking, Vahn just sat in silence as he stared at the longing expression of the girl before him. Yes, though she was still fundamentally a goddess, now that she was bound by [Enkidu], she was also just a mortal girl. Her desire for children was perfectly natural, even more so considering that she had been unable to conceive originally. Even her claim to want strong children wasn't wrong if Vahn considered it from the perspective of a parent. Though he believed he would treat all of his children fairly, Vahn couldn't help but feel as though he would take pride in the accomplishments, capabilities, and successes of his children in the future.After considering matters for several minutes in silence, Vahn finally released a long sigh before staring at Loki with a mixture of emotions on his face. Seeing the look in her eyes, Vahn realized he was very weak to women that were emotionally unstable and reliant on him. He knew that she was serious about forsaking other relationships just to appeal to him and would likely think the same way, perhaps even more so, when she got her Divinity back. She would probably never give up trying to have his child and, because of the influence of her Divinity, she would eventually find a way to successfully entrap him even with the vow binding her.Vahn could see that she was about to speak up, but he just raised his hand to interrupt as he said in a somewhat tired voice, "Until I have had a child with Hephaestus and become strong enough to successfully impregnate Tiona, I won't be trying to have children with anyone else...however, I will promise to give you a child in the future. I don't know when, and I still can't say I agree with how you behave, but I will keep my promise as long as you agree that I will have the final say in how the child is raised."Loki showed the most genuine smile he had ever seen as she said with excitement in her voice, "Sure, that's no problem at all~! Even I didn't think I'd be able to get to you before Hephaestus." She then began to laugh out loud for several seconds before explaining the agreement and vow she had made with Hephaestus in detail. Hearing that the matter regarding their child had already been settled before this conversation even began, Vahn couldn't help but feel both grateful and disconcerted at the efficacy and preparedness of his two wives.After recalling [Enkidu] back into his soul, Loki had resumed her mischevious demeanor as she stepped onto the table before plopping down onto Vahn. Though he had been unprepared, he still managed to catch her in his arms to prevent her from falling heavily into his lap. Loki put her arms around his neck as he held her in a mock-princess carry as she laughed in a somewhat taunting fashion and said, "It should still be a while before the girls show up...want to practice making a baby?"Vahn gave her a strange look before standing up and lifting her body into the air. She seemed to have a bit of expectation in her eyes as she peeked through the slits and stared into his face with a slight smile. Vahn stared into her eyes for a moment with a smile of his own as he turned toward the couch where he had just sat...and dropped Loki onto it in a not-so-delicate fashion. She gave him a somewhat aggrieved look as she rubbed her butt and said, "Hey, that's no way to treat the future mother of your child~!"In response to her words, Vahn laughed a bit before saying in a somewhat humorous tone, "I think, before you have any children, you need to work a bit on your behavior. Though your clothes are very eye-catching, they aren't exactly clothes you'd expect a 'mother' to wear. I don't mind playing around with you a bit, but don't think I'll let you get an advantage over Hephaestus. Just imagining how sad she would be if she found out I had sex with you while I'm still forging an item for her...I can't even begin to consider it."Loki stood up from the couch and gave him a somewhat approving look as she nodded her head and said, "Fine, fine, don't blame me for trying. I just heard about your 'prowess' from those two brats and wanted to experience it for myself. I'll be patient until you're able to please your precious Hephaestus..." With her words finished, Loki began to walk toward the door and seemed to be leaving Vahn behind.Moments before she exited through the large double doors, she turned around and asked, "What kind of clothes do you think would suit me...?" Vahn had been watching her leave and stopped to consider her words for a moment before replying, "I'm not too sure...you current outfit seems very 'you', but it also doesn't seem to suit you either. It's a very strange thing..." Loki nodded her head and showed a contemplative expression for a few seconds before saying in a playful manner, "Next time, I'll let you dress me up until you find something you like~! I don't mind trying on any kind of outfit, as long as it is something that interests you~." Then, without waiting for his response, Loki left through the double doors while laughing in a strange manner.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Slaves to the Laws Part 2', 'Let's play dress-up','Logical Prison')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 $555/640 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 183: Solutions