Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

As Phyrne made her way through the corridors of the Belit Babili, the Ishtar Familia compound, she came across a group of fellow Amazons and remarked with a snide tone, "Shouldn't you ugly bitches be guarding the perimeter or off earning some money for the Familia? Why are you lazing about here like a bunch of idiots, huh~!?" The primary target of her snide remarks had been a relatively seductive looking Amazoness with a lean figure and very revealing clothing reminiscent of a dancer. She was currently the second highest authority within the Ishtar Familia, just behind Phyrne, and also the leader of their primary fighting force, the Amazon combat troupe, Berbera. If Vahn had been present, he would have recognized the beautiful woman as Aisha Belka, the Amazon he had freed from Ishtar's charm during the rescuing of Haruhime.Aisha stared at Phyrne with venomous eyes and stated plainly, "We know about what happened to Tammuz, so I had everyone gather just in case something happened. That boy, Vahn Mason, has incredible infiltration skills and might attack if we lax our guard." The large group of Amazons behind her nodded their heads in agreement while Phyrne spat a large wad of spit directly onto Aisha's chest and said, "Eh, you would be the one to know that kind of thing after you let that snot-nosed kid steal that bitch out from under your nose, wouldn't you~!? Well, whatever, go and find me a handsome boy and bring him to my quarters unless you want to be their replacement!"Without waiting for Aisha's response, Phyrne walked away while laughing boisterously in a manner reminiscent of some crazed animal. Aisha wiped the spit from her face with a cloth that had been handed to her by a nearby Amazon. She saw it had a disgusting green and yellow hue and felt a strong urge to vomit before seeking out Phyrne and fighting her to the death. If not for the fact she wasn't a match for the frog-like behemoth, Aisha wouldn't stand by and accept such mistreatment. Her primary concern right now, however, was trying to convince the other members of Berbera to avoid any future conflicts that might find their way to the Ishtar Familia. She didn't want to draw attention to her actions by opposing Phyrne, who she had no chance to defeat in combat. Even if she used poison, the monstrous Amazon had an S rank resistance against abnormal status effects.After the blob of flesh had disappeared through a corridor, Aisha turned to the group of Amazons and said, "As long as Phyrne is in charge, the Ishtar Familia will continue down a path that puts all of our lives at stake. We can't continue to wait for Ishtar to lead us to our deaths as she provokes the alliance between the Hephaestus and Loki Familia. After Tammuz's invasion of the Hearth Manor, we need to be prepared for a counterattack and use the opportunity to escape. I know most of you have no real loyalty to Ishtar, so this is the best opportunity for us free ourselves from her licentious clutches."For the past few days, Aisha had been proactively colluding with the members of Berbera to stage something akin to a coup in an effort to escape Ishtar's clutches. Fortunately, Ishtar wasn't capable of managing things on her own and had almost zero leadership capabilities. Because of this, she had put Aisha in charge of Berbera in an effort to 'shame' her for having the 'audacity' to protect Haruhime in the past. Even though the members of the combat troupe were 'loyal' to Ishtar because of the effects of her charm, they had also been ordered by her to follow Aisha's commands. Though Vahn hadn't realized it at the time, he had set events in motion that would inevitably change the lives of dozens of people after freeing Aisha from Ishtar's control.As if set about by some divine cue, a loud explosion sounded within an area of the Belit Babili, ironically in the direction that Phyrne had disappeared to earlier. Aisha wasn't sure what was going on, but she assumed it was related to Vahn and the Alliance at large. She knew the boy was the decisive type, so it made sense to her that he would use the opportunity after being attacked to seek vengeance against Ishtar. Without delay, she turned to the largest combat potential of the Ishtar Familia and said, "We're moving, don't fall behind. If you wish to die for Ishtar, feel free to stay." Aisha motioned for the troupe to move and led more than thirty Amazons, eleven of which were Level 3, away from the sound of conflict. Their destination was the brothels owned by the Ishtar Familia, and their mission was to gather as many Amazons as possible and urge them to escape the aftermath.---Phyrne had been very pleased with Aisha expression when she spat in the ugly girl's face. She never liked the way the inferior Amazon looked at her and wanted to teach her a lesson but spared her since it was a hassle to manage things on her own. Phyrne would rather drink delicious alcohol, eat whatever she fancied, and sleep with whoever she pleased. The only thing she was missing in her life was a 'worthy' man to sire her some children and was now eyeing Vahn with the intent of adding him to her collection. Though she destroyed the bodies of the men she had killed, Phyrne had a habit of preserving their genitals within jars that were hidden away in her private residence.Wondering about the 'worth' of Vahn, Phyrne nearly stumbled into a figure that walked out and blocked her path. She stared down at the small figure and shouted, "The fuck are you standing in my way for you little shit!?" However, the moment she saw the figure completely, Phyrne's frog-like eyes widened into saucers as she jumped back and barely evaded the spear strike that would have pierced her neck. The 'small figure' had been a cat person wearing pitch-black armor that included a visor that covered his eyes. He had onyx-grey hair and carrying an unadorned silver spear that shone with a lethal light. Even though they hadn't met often, Phyrne immediately recognized the cat person as Allen Fromel, one of Freya's loyal subordinates.Were it almost anyone else, Phyrne would have crushed the 'foolish' person that attacked her, but Allen was Level 6, and closer to Level 7 than she was Level 6. Since he was an agility fighter and notorious for his skill with a spear, there was no way for Phyrne to actually fight against him without assistance. As she evaded his strike again, Phyrne shouted in a shrill tone, "Why the fuck are you here Allen!? Don't tell me that ugly bitch Freya is helping that brat too!?" The moment she uttered the words 'ugly bitch Freya', Allen's ears twitched and a visible red light shone through his black visor.Phyrne felt a powerful premonition of dread overtake her as a cold sweat built up on her already clammy skin. Without even seeing the path of the spear, Phyrne felt a powerful collision near her own heart as her body flew through the air and collided with a wall, destroying it in the process. She coughed up a mouthful of blood as heavy steps echoed from the corridor that she had just been sent flying from. Before she could climb from the debris, Phyrne her a cold voice speak through clenched teeth, "You filthy sow...you dare insult my goddess with your vile mouth!? Go die you frog-faced slut~!" Allen leaped through the hole and created by Phyrne's body and began thrusting his spear toward her appendages in an attempt to disable her. Even though he told her to die, he actually intended to cripple her permanently so she would spend the rest of her life suffering.Even though she knew she wasn't a match for Allen, Phyrne did her best to trade blows with the much smaller cat person. He was more than 30cm shorter than she was and less than a third of her weight. All she had to do was land one good blow with her [Fist Strike] and she would be able to turn the fight in her favor. Unfortunately, Allen was far too quick for her and accurately targeted near her vitals without actually piercing them. It was an incredibly one-sided fight because he was far more nimble than she was and outranged her with the use of his silver spear. In less than ten minutes, she had more than thirty wounds all over her body before she screamed out like an animal being slaughtered, "WHERE THE FUCK IS EVERYONE!?"Since it hadn't been that long since she separated from Aisha and the Berbera, Phyrne had some small hope that reinforcements would arrive to help her. However, the longer the fight dragged out, the more injured she became and the less likely it seemed she would survive even if help arrived. She had tried to heal some of the wounds on her body, but noticed that Allen's weapon seemed to carry some kind of curse that prevented the wounds from closing. She was steadily losing blood and had already started to become light-headed from the severity of her injuries.Though it wasn't the true answer to her question, Allen showed a cruel smile and said, "Scream you dirty pig! Lo and behold, the intrepid and mighty Phyrne, the touted 'Man-Killer', bested by a man half her size~! I'd say you're enjoying your just desserts, but I can tell by you're figure you've more than indulged plenty, hahahahaha!" At this point, they were no longer fighting each other in a life and death struggle. In the ten minutes they had been fighting, Allen had spent the majority of the last five just playing with Phyrne. It was rare he had such a 'large' target without it being an actual monster, so he was curious to see just how much blood she could lose before passing out. Though he couldn't be sure, he was almost certain she had lost enough to fill an entire washbasin.Unable to continue the fight, Phyrne kneeled and looked down on Allen as she asked, "What is your purpose here Allen? Even if Ishtar and Freya are enemies, there is no enmity between the two of us...if you spare me, I'll willingly become your woman and let you do whatever you want with my bo-." Before she could continue her words, Allen's spear cut through Phyrne's mouth and severed her tongue while destroying several of her teeth. He literally spat his response, "Fuck you, you filthy fucking pig! You think I'd give up my goddess for a literal sow!?"Phyrne held her hands to her mouth and mumbled inaudible words before launching a desperate series of attacks toward Allen with the hopes of landing a lucky blow. She knew that she would die if she couldn't defeat him in the next few minutes and find a way to stop the flow of blood from her wounds. However, no matter how much she tried to push her wounded body, she was already much slower than she was at the beginning of the fight. Even when he was enraged, Allen still fought with a level-headed mentality and easily avoided all her desperate blows while severing the tendons in her arms and legs with ease. After a long string of attacks, Phyrne eventually fell face-first into the ground with glossed eyes that were quickly losing their light.(A/N: Serious trigger warning ahead. Nothing 'significant' happens after this point, so move on if you have weaker sensibilities~!)Seeing Phyrne fall to the ground, Allen walked around her gigantic body and confirmed that he had cut all of her tendons. Even if she was 'playing dead' and wanted to get him to drop his guard, there was nothing she could do with her body in the current state. A cruel glint appeared in the red eyes shining through the black visor as Allen walked over to one of the windows that was fixed with iron bars, almost like a prison. He swiped his spear across and picked up several of the long metal rods in his hand as he made his way over to the catatonic Phyrne.Uttering a short chant, Allen gathered flames in his hands and began to heat up the rods as he remarked, "So the reputed Androctonus falls to a man, rather ironic isn't it~? Well, I wouldn't want you to be lonely after you made an effort to seduce me, now would I? Here, as a parting gift, I'll leave you with an everlasting memory of today's events." With a crazed look in his eyes, Allen went around to the backside of Phyrne and skewered the damp mound of flesh with the red-hot metal pipes. She squealed like a pig and managed to move her limbs slightly even though the tendons were cut. Incited by her muffled squeals, the cruel glint in Allen's eyes grew in intensity as he inserted the remaining five rods alongside the first one. Even though the putrid smell of burnt flesh made him slightly nauseous, he couldn't help but feel a sadistic glee in Phyrne's suffering. From the moment she slandered his goddess, Allen had decided that her fate would not be a kind one.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Aisha's Plan : Ripples of Fate','Phyrne engages a handsome man','Smells like teen spirit')If you'd like to support me as a writer so I can write even more stories in the future, please follow the ******* link below (O,...,O)~! Stay beautiful &lt;3https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149

While Phyrne was being tended to by Allen, elsewhere in the Belit Babili there were several minor skirmishes still ongoing. The elite members of the Freya Familia had invaded the interior of the Ishtar Familia's compound and were slaughtering anyone that bothered to put up a fight. Since Freya actually had the blueprints of all the surrounding buildings, she had stationed people at every conceivable exit to prevent Ishtar's escape. She knew this incident wouldn't be over unless she was able to weed out the root of the problem herself. As long as Ishtar was at large, she could simply charm any number of people to do her bidding and slowly build up her forces to become a pain in the neck in the future.Since the lowest Level of the elites within the Freya Familia was Level 5, they made short work of the Amazon warriors that had retained their loyalty to Ishtar. Though the premier combat forces of Ishtar had long fled, it didn't mean everyone in her Familia had abandoned her. There were quite a number of people, like Tammuz, that were fiercely loyal to the goddess of beauty that had 'tended' to them in the past. Even without her charm, they would fight to protect the place that had been their home and provided opportunities to them. Of course, there were a number of them that simply fought due to their nature of belonging to a criminal Familia. They were rather cruel and bloodthirsty individuals that thought too highly of themselves and were paying the prices of their hubris.Some of the most prominent fighters on the scene for the Freya Familia was a group of four Pallum warriors known collectively as the 'Gulliver Brothers'. Though it wasn't abnormal for Pallum's to give birth to twins, or even triplets, they were the rare exception of quadruplets within their race and were well-known for their skill and coordinated attacks. Their members consisted of four 120cm tall, white-haired Pallums named Grer, Alfrig, Dvalin, and Berling. Each member of the brothers was Level 5, and they wore matching black armor with black visors that concealed their faces. Nobody knew which brother was which and the only difference between them was the weapons they wielded. Though some had made an attempt to identify the brothers based on their weapons, it had been noted that each was capable of using the weapons of the others with nearly identical prowess. The only thing for certain was that the 'eldest' brother, Grer, was the one that almost exclusively used a greatsword.Using their coordinated strikes, they quickly cut through several tens of Ishtar Familia loyalists and prostitutes without batting an eyelid. Even when a slightly stronger enemy showed up, Grer would immediately pressure them as the other three took to the flanks and overwhelmed any resistance with incredible precision. Though the majority of their enemies were much weaker than they were, the brothers still teamed up and treated every engagement seriously without showing any leniency. Because they always maintained the mystery of their identity, they cut through the masses silently without uttering a single word throughout the massacre.Of course, though their capabilities were impressive, they were nothing compared to the tyrannical might of the man that had charged deep into the heart of the Belit Babili without stopping to draw a single heavy breath. Though his body was covered in blood, there wasn't a single scratch on the 210cm tall muscular frame of the Boaz man. He wielded two massive greatswords that typically required two hands to wield, each in a single hand as he swung them around as if they had no weight to them at all. Anything that crossed his path was immediately cut down without hesitation, including any obstacles that might get in the way of the beautiful goddess following behind him.Almost as if their progress hadn't been barred by more than fifty people, Freya and Ottar effortless made their way into the heart of the Ishtar Familia, all the way to the inner sanctum where Ishtar typically staged her nightly orgies. The area was more than 30m in diameter and was surrounded by curtains with pungent incense situation on each pillar that had a tantalizing aroma. The entire center of the huge circle was a gigantic bed that was covered with a variety of pillows, blankets, and instruments of pleasure. Seemingly unaware of the chaos that had occurred outside, Ishtar was currently being tended to by two muscular men before her eyes widened at the unexpected intrusion.Before Ishtar could say anything, Freya began laughing in an overly elegant manner as she mused, "Oh, please continue my dear Ishtar. It would be a shame if your final moments in the mortal plane weren't spent enjoying what time you have left~." There was an incredibly cold glint in Freya's eyes as she observed the scene as if she was watching animals on display. Though the two men near Ishtar had well-developed bodies, she could tell they were insignificant men that spent more time improving their bodies than actually developing their strength. They were very likely men personally cultivated for pleasure and served no other purpose whatsoever. In Freya's perspective, they looked like pitiful ants that had never broken free of their small little world.Ishtar looked at Freya with eyes that had widened as if they were trying to compete with the full moon. Her gaze wandered to the mountain-like Ottar and gawked at the sheer presence of the man known as the 'King' amongst all others within the City. He had a body as if it had been carved from granite by a heavenly artisan and she could see the line of his figure through his clothing almost as if it served no purpose other than to tease women. When she turned her attention to his eyes, however, Ishtar's eyes opened even wider because the only thing she could see was a complete lack of interest even as he witnessed her naked figure. The fact that he was covered in blood and also wielded two giant swords sent danger signals to her mind and she suddenly felt like she was fresh meat served up on a silver platter.Waving away the two men, Ishtar stammered, "W-w-what are you doing here Freya!? Y-y-you have n-no business here! This is my home, not your playground where you can wander about freely!" Even though she put on a brave front, Ishtar already had tears in her eyes as she looked at the cold and amused expression of Freya. She had been constantly trying to charm Ottar, but he didn't waver in the slightest and continued to stare at her as if she was insignificant. Seeing that Freya didn't respond to her words, the worry in Ishtar's mind continued to grow as she asked politely, "Freya, t-to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit? Is there a matter I can help you address?" The only way forward was to take two steps back and put herself in a submissive position even though she had a profound distaste for the goddess before her.Freya's smile widened partially and a 'gentle' look appeared on her face as she stated plainly, "Of course Ishtar~! You see, there had been this really frustrating pain in my neck for the last few years..." Freya released a sigh and theatrically rubbed her neck as if trying to remove some discomfort as she continued, "If it isn't too much trouble, perhaps you'd be willing to help rid me of it~?" Even though she knew what Freya was implying, Ishtar asked with a wry smile on her face as tears dripped from her eyes, "W-would you like me to help m-m-massage you?" Ishtar was doing her best to keep her nerves, but her teeth had already started to clatter and she regretted sending her servants away. Even though both men were just Level 1, Ishtar suddenly felt very alone and afraid even though she was in the room that brought her the most comfort over the last fifty years.As if she were amused by Ishtar's words, Freya laughed like a bell as she covered her mouth in a very elegant gesture before saying, "Silly girl, I have capable men like Ottar if I need things like that~! Unlike those pitiful toys of your's, my partners are quite capable you know~?" Ottar understood Freya's intentions as he swiped one of the greatswords in his hand through the air and a line of pressure bissected every single pillar in the area cleanly. Even though the 'pleasure circle' was 30m in diameter, Ottar was able to split each one in half with a single swipe of his blade. There wasn't even in extra wind pressure trailing behind the sword and Ishtar hadn't even seen the movement clearly with her eyes. The only thing she was aware of was the small bald spot that had appeared at the very top of her head.Seeing Ishtar's state, Freya began to laugh with an incredibly amused expression on her face as she said, "That is quite a look, perhaps you're trying to start a new fashion trend~?" Though she was profoundly afraid, Ishtar still glared at Freya through her tear-filled eyes and screamed, "Freya, you bitch! What right do you have to do something like this!? Why must you embarrass me and put me down at every turn!?" In response to her words, Freya began to walk forward and Ishtar immediately fell onto her butt with her legs spread slightly as if by some primordial instinct. Even now, there was the proof of her licentious behavior dripping out from her inner thighs and it added a strange peculiarity to the otherwise serious atmosphere.Unaffected by the immortal sight, Freya continued to walk forward as she said, "It was your decision to oppose me when you arrived in the City those many years ago. Even though I ignored your actions and let you do as you please, you continued to act in spite of my generosity and constantly sought to oppose me. Did you honestly have the expectation that my patience was without limit~?" Within Freya's eyes, there was the visible light of a predator eyeing its prey and Ishtar wasn't able to move a single centimeter under the gaze of the goddess she hated. She had always been fiercely jealous of Freya's success and the fact that her charm was much stronger than her own. Even though Freya had never proactively acknowledged their rivalry, Ishtar continued to undermine Freya whenever she got the chance just to vent her own frustrations.Ishtar looked up at Freya and realized that they were never even on the same playing field from the outset. Freya had slowly built up her forces and focused on nourishing elites while she just haphazardly charmed whoever caught her eye and tried to build an empire. The majority of her subordinates disliked her, and even refused her commands at times, while each of Freya's showed an unwavering loyalty toward her. Even now, though she had tried more than a hundred times to charm Ottar, he hadn't even flinched in the slightest. The only woman in his eyes was the beautiful, silver-haired, goddess that was looking down on her as if she were an insect.With tears streaming down her face, Ishtar asked, "Tell me Freya...what is the difference between us? Why do you get to be so happy and experience so much success even without working hard? Why do you get to sit at the top of the tower above everything else while I have to slough away in this foul district surrounded by criminals and incompetent subordinates? Why do you get to live in the light and enjoy everyone's adoration while I have to live in the darkness surrounded by filth, drawing the ire of everyone around me?" From an objective standpoint, Ishtar knew that Freya was more beautiful than she was, but they were both goddesses of beauty. She couldn't understand why Freya enjoyed so much success while she had to struggle endlessly and constantly suffered setbacks.As if she were seriously considering Ishtar's questions, Freya tilted her head slightly as she gently stroked her chin in a gesture of deep thought. After waiting for Ishtar's expression to break down a bit, Freya smiled and responded, "It's an interesting thing, really, that you thought we were ever comparable in the first place. I wonder where I went wrong to be compared to such an insignificant creature~?" For a brief moment, the indignity Ishtar felt from Freya's words overwhelmed her fear and she tried to scream out a rebuttal. However, the moment she opened her mouth, Ishtar felt a 'sickening' feeling followed by an intense pain as she raised her hands up to her throat.At the moment when Ishtar had been stunned by her words, Freya drew a black dagger and slit the pitiful goddess's throat before she could say anything to defend her own dignity. Freya watched as her expression turned into one of pain and incredulity as she tried to stymie the flow of blood from the gaping wound on her neck. Her healthy brown complexion quickly began to grow pale as she activated her Arcarum to try and stop the flow of blood. Unfortunately, the dagger Freya used was a cursed weapon and the wound couldn't be healed so easily. Since Freya didn't want to face the matter of 'killing' a goddess on her own, she simply pushed Ishtar into a corner and forced the goddess to activate her own Arcarum. As compensation for breaking the taboo, Ishtar's body began to glow with a Divine Light as she scowled at Freya and tried to form words, but the only thing that came out of her lips was a line of blood that spatted along Freya's face.Freya continued to watch the light slowly dissolve Ishtar's body as she was forcibly returned to Heaven. Since she was 'ejected' for breaking her vow, she would be able to return in a few short decades instead of waiting for hundreds of years. This was the common outcome for disputes between gods since it wasn't considered a heavy penalty to spend a few shorts years in Heaven to settle any enmity. After Ishtar had completely vanished, Freya wiped the blood off her face and remarked, "A curious thing, that you were able, in your death, to actually manage to leave an impression on me. Sadly, it wasn't a lasting one..." As she spoke, Freya wiped away the blood on a handkerchief before throwing it onto the sweat-stained cushions beneath her feet. Turning around, she smiled elegantly at Ottar and said, "Ottar, dear...please burn everything. I don't want a single building belonging to the Ishtar Familia to remain~." Without a change in expression, Ottar bowed subserviently and proclaimed, "As you will."(A/N: People aware of the original canon might draw some parallels with Ishtar's current fate and the original plot. Please keep in mind that Ishtar's fate was more or less sealed from the moment she decided to make Freya an enemy. The only thing Freya ever needed was 'any' excuse to eventually get rid of her~! Also, I always found it strange that Ishtar never spread word of Haruhime's magic even when she died in the original plot. It's really weird, since 'oracle' magic is totally a thing and there is a direct line of communcation with Heaven. Since the original Author completely ignores this fact, I'm going to take a note out of their book and pretend Ishtar simply didn't care about Haruhime when she was returned to Heaven and kept the information to herself kappa (O,...,O)~!)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Chuuni Brothers Quatro','Soundproof rooms go both ways, unlucky.','Till nothing remains...')If you'd like to support me as a writer so I can write even more stories in the future, please follow the ******* link below (O,...,O)~! Stay beautiful &lt;3https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149

After carrying Aki to her room, Vahn decided to get some fresh air and sat out on the balcony as he overlooked the property surrounding the Manor. It was already nearing 3 AM, so Vahn didn't see the point in returning to sleep after having been awoken and participating in a duel. Even though he had calmed down, Vahn still felt a bit of excitement that made his blood boil in anticipation. Since he had just recently fought with Tione, Vahn was a bit uncertain about the growth of his own strength. The duel with Tammuz had been a good opportunity for him to develop a bit of awareness for his own growth and he now realized that he was very strong, but could still grow much stronger. Even without delving into the dungeon, Vahn could fight well above his level depending on how he uses his skills in the future.Vahn didn't often have the opportunity to fight against strong opponents, and it was distinctly different from his experience fighting within the dungeon. Monsters were very strong, arguably stronger than most adventurers, but they had a very static way of fighting. As long as you could outmaneuver them and find an opening, it wasn't actually that difficult to defeat most monsters. Even something like the Goliath, a creature much stronger than himself, wasn't too difficult to defeat if he was properly prepared. If he fought it at his current strength, Vahn was confident he would defeat the titanic monster without taking a single hit. The important thing to note was that Vahn's actual strength hadn't grown much since then, yet his combat capabilities had drastically increased through practice and training. Just learning Shundo had pushed his capabilities to a point where most people, even those stronger than himself, weren't his opponents.After he leveled up a few more times, Vahn couldn't imagine another Adventurer being his opponent, even the 'monstrously strong' Ottar that he knew would be supporting Freya. Though Vahn had never met the man, his 'legend' was well known throughout the City and he was inarguably considered the strongest Adventurer because of his alias, The King. Vahn felt that, as long as he reached Level 5, even the 'strongest' Adventurer might not be his opponent if he avoided direct confrontation against him. Since he could freely maneuver within his domain, there weren't many, if any, opponents that would be able to land a hit on him. If he switched to ranged combat, or learned a few magic spells, Vahn felt like he would be unrivaled amongst his peers.Of course, this was assuming he could become strong enough to reach that point and obtain Level 5. Vahn knew it was actually very difficult to increase your parameters unless you were fighting against monsters that allowed you to push beyond your limits. Because he was already capable of fighting things above his level, it meant he would actually struggle to increase his parameters further. It wasn't a simple situation where he could just mindlessly kill monsters and eventually grew strong; Vahn had to genuinely expose himself to threats and overcome intense difficulties if he wanted to reach the point where he was without equal.This was the big reason most people never got beyond Level 3, much less the rare adventurer's that reached Level 5. As your capabilities increased, and you used higher quality equipment, it actually became increasingly difficult to become stronger. This was why the Loki Familia used a rather strenuous method to increase their strength, which was to allow their members to fight against powerful variants and bosses on their own. They would only step in if the person was unable to defeat their opponent, but this didn't remove the threat completely. One accident would result in someone dying, and there was actually a high mortality rate amongst rookie adventurers and supporters that accompanied the expeditions.Vahn began to wonder if there was a more efficient way to increase strength, not only for himself, but for the benefit of his allies and those within his own Familia. He had already observed from watching Ryuu and Fenrir, but they gained almost nothing from killing monsters on the upper floors. Fenrir had probably slain well over ten-thousand monsters and had only marginally increased her status. Since Vahn was somewhat overprotective, he couldn't easily watch those within his charge expose themselves to danger. This might protect their lives, but it also stunted their growth because they had a mental reliance on him and knew he would always step in to save them.Vahn released a sigh that caused a large cloud of condensation to build up before dispersing in the surroundings. Just his normal body temperature was enough to make steam rise from his exposed skin while he was sitting idly on the edge of the balcony. Right now, it was cold enough that ice was building up on the grass within the courtyard yet Vahn was able to sit with his torso exposed without any discomfort whatsoever. He was acclimating himself to being in his Xuánwǔ form and he drew a striking sight for anyone that might be observing from the distance.----Within the highest floor of Babel Tower, a beautiful silver-haired goddess dazedly stared into a giant mirror that glowed with a magical light. Because of the angle, she could see Vahn sitting on the edge of his balcony with the cloudy sky and waning moon was a backdrop. She had a fervent expression on her face as a strange red glow was reflected in her eyes as she marveled at his figure under the influence of his Xuánwǔ transformation. Other than when he was within the protective formations of the Manor, the goddess had been watching his every move after knowing about the movements of Tammuz. Since Ishtar often interfered with her plans, the goddess, Freya, also kept tabs on her and had been observing the progress of events to see if she could find a method to garner Vahn's attention.Even though Hephaestus had restricted her from approaching Vahn, it didn't mean she couldn't find ways to make him want to come to her. Freya might not be able to do things directly, but if his actions overlapped with her own plans there was always a way around the vow that kept her at bay. Now that her enemy, Ishtar, was also the enemy of Vahn, Freya was very tempted to deal with the problematic goddess. Even without approaching Vahn, there was a chance he would come to her after the fact since she knew his character was very 'genuine'. If nothing else, she could use it as leverage against Hephaestus and Loki to ease tensions and potentially have the vow she was under revoked.Though he couldn't feel her touch, Freya stroked Vahn's face through the reflection and had an enamored look in her eyes as she whispered, "Vahn...when will you be mine~? Do you not grow tired of the company of such troublesome girls...should I perhaps rid you of them to make your life easier? Nnnn~" Freya kissed the reflection of Vahn and laid against the reflective surface of the magical tool as if her actions could bring her closer to the boy contained within. As Freya's vow only restricted her from scheming to interfere with Vahn, there was nothing that protected the other girls from her unless she specifically did it to get to Vahn.There were loopholes to everything, and Freya was very experienced with getting her way if it came down to it. She couldn't stand to see someone with so much potential escape her grasp, especially after watching him dominate someone above his own level...his figure when he was fighting was already deeply engraved in her body, especially when he had the tyrannical look on his face when he burned the eyes of his opponent. The moment he had stabbed Tammuz through the heart, Freya felt as if her own heart had been prodded and she couldn't help but climax a little.Freya released a hot sigh that marred the surface a bit as she comforted herself overtop Vahn's reflection. A deep blush began to cover her face as she traced her free hand over the figure of Vahn and imagined what it would be like if they were together. All she needed was a single instance and he would be her's forever...this thought alone, where Vahn serviced her with his stoic and tyrannical expression was enough to bring her to the height of pleasure. She wanted to cultivate his potential and see how far he could grow since even she couldn't see his limits without being able to observe his soul.She knew he was definitely keeping it hidden somewhat because she had been keeping track of the events involving the Anubis and Osiris Familia's in the past. For someone like Anubis to begin following Vahn after their first meeting, Freya knew there was something incredibly unique about Vahn's soul even without seeing it for herself. This was the only reason she could think of for someone like Hephaestus, who typically avoided contact with people, and the trickster goddess Loki to band together and protect him.Freya moaned loudly and collapsed against the reflective surface of the magic tool before removing her hand and blankly staring at the moisture on her fingers. She gingerly extended her tongue to sample her own flavor before a drop of moisture fell onto the image of Vahn below her. She looked down at his face, solemnly staring into the distance while wearing the moon as his silhouette before wiping her own nectar across the reflection of his body. Even though it wasn't really Vahn, Freya felt a possessive desire and called out, "Ottar...gather everyone. Ishtar has interfered with my affairs for far too long as is..." As her words fell, a large silhouette that had been watching the events from start to finish nodded before responding, "As you will."As Ottar exited the room, Freya stood up and the magic tool grew dim as the image of Vahn faded away. She walked into the adjacent room, which was a boudoir that contained an ensemble of outfits. Freya dragged her finger along the incredibly expensive assortment of dresses and mused aloud, "I wonder...what is the most appropriate dress to wear when sending off a dear friend~?" Freya's hand stopped on a beautiful black one-piece dress that had a deep v-cut on the front and completely exposed the back. It was form fitting and made of an incredibly expensive silk that could only be obtained from the Far East. Even though it had no defensive capabilities, the dress cost a total of 20,000,000 Valis and Freya thought it was suitable for the occasion.After removing the dress from the hangar, Freya laid it against the intricately designed chaise lounge as the godly attire she was wearing began to fall as petals to the floor. If Vahn had been present, he would have noticed the dress disassembled in the same way as Hestia's, even though it was predominantly black with red petals instead of the pure white of Hestia's. Though there was no one present to admire her figure, Freya still cut a beautiful image in the low-light of the room as she stood with her body completely exposed to the night air. She traced her hands along her body and mused toward the moon overhead, "I wonder when you'll warm my cold body...Vahn."---Unaware of the death sentence that had been passed on her, a beautiful brown-skinned goddess kicked the relatively handsome messenger that had been kneeling at her feet. She had just learned that Tammuz had not only failed his mission, but he had even died at the hands of the boy she currently set her sights on. She chewed the long fingernail of her thumb and had a vexxed look on her face as she shouted, "Phyrene, isn't there something we can do about this situation? Can't you send Aisha to crush that puny little Familia and get back my slave!?"In response to Ishtar's outburst, a massive lump of flesh in the shape of a woman rolled over to stare at the anxious Ishtar. She was more than 200cm in height and weighed more than 240kg and had the face of a frog with 'healthy' brown skin and somewhat visible muscles. Though there were few people that would agree with the claim, this titanic lump of flesh was the Captain of the Ishtar Familia and considered herself to be the most beautiful woman within the entire group, even compared to the Goddess of Beauty, Ishtar.After tracing her thick tongue across her lips, the Amazon named Phyrene looked at Ishtar through beady eyes and said, "Why are you always so stupid Ishtar-sama? The whole reason you sent that dumbass was because the Alliance would have come to protect the Hestia Familia if we took any major action. All you're doing is making matters more troublesome, and now we even lost a combatant even though there is an upcoming Wargames."Ishtar scowled at Phyrene and shouted, "I don't see you coming up with any ideas! If we can't recover that Renard brat, there would be no way for us to oppose Freya in the future. Damnit, why am I surrounded by lazy incompetents while that bitch gets to surround herself with handsome men all day..." In response to Ishtar, Phyrene spat a large wad of spit onto the ground and remarked, "What an ugly personality...blaming others because of your own ineptitude. Well, whatever, as long as we deal with the Loki Familia in the future we'll be able to recover that brat and then you can do whatever you want with her. I want that boy though, yeah, Vahn Mason was it? I'm certain he'll be able to appreciate my beauty, wahahahahahaha~!" Phyrene, though it had never been proven, had a reputation as a 'man-killer', preferring young boys to actual men. Her alias had even been decided as 'Androctonus', which literally meant 'Man-Killer'. Because of her massive frame and status as a Level 5, Phyrene had killed a total of 103 'boys' after forcibly sleeping with them in the past. To cover her crimes, she would pummel them into an unrecognizable state before disposing of them in the sewers below the City.Hearing Phyrene's desire to obtain Vahn, Ishtar screeched, "No, I won't let you spoil another handsome boy! I need someone to replace Tammuz now, so you'll have to find someone else to sate your ridiculous little fetish!" Phyrene grunted before rolling over and rising to her feet. She towered over Ishtar and stated plainly, "We'll see who gets their hands on him first then. I'd like to see what you can do with him when I'm done with him, wahahahahaha~!" Without paying any respects to her goddess, Phyrene walked out of the large hall and went to look for something to release her own urges on. She proudly claimed herself to be the most beautiful and sought-after prostitute within the entire Familia and actively 'chose' her clients. If they weren't willing to pay up for her 'services', Phyrene had no trouble providing an extra service, which often involved helping them pick out a comfortable place to sleep for the night...and every night thereafter.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'What it takes to become stronger','Freya's Intrigue','Beauty is in the eye of the beholder')If you'd like to support me as a writer so I can write even more stories in the future, please follow the ******* link below (O,...,O)~! Stay beautiful &lt;3https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149

Chapter 295: Androctonus