Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Vahn watched over Fenrir and Mikoto as the two girls fought against the Black Rhinos in very different manners. Fenrir's attacks were filled with ferocity and the way she moved around the Dungeon was somewhat abnormal as she made use of all four paws to reposition herself. She was very similar to Lili in that she used her entire body to fight, but Fenrir's attacks were far more animalistic than the small Pallums. As for Mikoto, most of her movements were practiced and highly efficient as the dodged around the enemies with polished footwork. Though she bent about in smooth curves like a dancing willow, Mikoto was like a tree with deep roots and always maintained balance and control over her movements. Her combat style was very reliant on evading attacks and counter-attacking in the gaps between her opponents so she typically dodged attacks at a near-zero distance that made Vahn feel a little nervous at times because some of the attacks would sweep close enough to her that her hair would dance as a result of the wind pressure.As for Vahn himself, he was very nearly reaching the peak of his current parameter development and he wanted to maximize his magical potential. Many of his skills and abilities were highly reliant on the amount of source energy he had available so Vahn wanted to ensure that his pool was even larger. Though he used to be somewhat bothered by the fact that his magic outscaled his other parameters greatly, Vahn now knew that this was a good thing since it wasn't like his others were actually behind the 'norm'. Even the most capable Adventurers typically only got two parameters to 999 before leveling up, but Vahn's were almost always A or S rank with many of them reaching SS and SSS, values normal people couldn't reach without awakening their Innate abilities.He hadn't been able to practice much during the first half of the day, so now Vahn was focusing his [Eyes of Truth] while observing the changes in his domain as he tried to exercise control over the elemental energies contained within. Other than fire, Vahn didn't have proficiency with the other elements because he lacked a supporting skill like [Heart of the Eternal] flame that gave him 'perfect' affinity. He wanted to get to the point where he could at least make use of the six basic elements in the future before he began to study more complex elemental laws. Not only in the record of danmachi, but the vast majority of records used fire, wind, water, earth, light, and darkness as the foundational hierarchy while more complex elements were things like time, space, destruction, and creation. Elemental energies could also be mixed together in seemingly infinite variations, but that was only if the person doing so had the proper comprehension.Vahn could see the influence Mikoto's [Mizuryū-no-Mai] had on the water elements in the air so he had been studying the similarities between her control and his fire elemental control. She wasn't at the point where she was able to wield the pure energies within the void yet, but that didn't mean the sword itself had no influence over them. Vahn noticed that whenever she swung the blade, he could actually see 'ripples' that emanated in the void, almost as if Mikoto were cutting through the surface of water. They would quickly disappear soon after, but Vahn's eyes were able to discern their existence, however momentary they had been. As a result, he began waving his own hand through the air in an effort to emulate the effect while compelling the water elemental energies to follow his motions.With his visualization ability, Vahn was already able to create balls of water out of thin air and he had also practiced a lot with the 'Essence' that he had been researching with Riveria. Because of this, water was actually the element he had the third greatest understanding of, losing out only to his Fire and Light elemental affinities. With his excessive use of [Hands of Nirvana] and [Wounds Transfer], Vahn's understanding of the healing properties of light was remarkable and he had even experienced some minor success in replicating the effects of the [Heal] staff in the past. Water also had several healing properties and was also one of the more 'neutral' of all the elements, so it was easy to increase his proficiency with it.After about an hour of practice, other than when he was helping the girls fight directly, Vahn was at a point where his claws made small ripples through the air which actually caused his fur to become coated in condensation. As a result of the cooling sensation against his paw pads, and how 'normal' everything felt, Vahn started to believe that Vanargandr's had a natural affinity with water and it seemed like he was able to make use of it by changing his race. This was an important discovery because he might simply be able to adopt the most 'suitable' form for any future magic he uses. It also led him to believe that the reason why he had 'created' a new race like Progenitus was so that he could make use of all the elements efficiently. If he could understand how the flow of energy in a person's body was influenced by their affinity, Vahn should be able to emulate the affinities and create a form with 'perfect' affinity with all elements...Though she wasn't having any major difficulties, Miko had tired herself out after about an hour and forty minutes of combat so they had to take a break to replenish their stamina. She allowed him to place his paw pads against her back to help recover her stamina, but Mikoto wanted to take a longer break to recover naturally while she also processed how she had been fighting earlier. While she was meditating, Vahn leaned against the wall of the Dungeon with Fenrir sitting in his lap as she played with his left hand. She liked to over overlap her paws with his so Vahn let her mess around as he held out his right hand and formed it into a water ball before dispersing it once again by 'expanding' the elemental energies away from each other. He wasn't actually getting rid of the water, but essentially allowing it to return back to the air before the ambient energy spread out through the void.Once Mikoto had finished meditating, she looked at Vahn and Fenrir before bowing her head and saying, "I apologize for the delay..." Vahn smiled at her before reaching out his claw and pointing directly at her face as a small bead of water formed in front of her eyes. In a guiding tone, with a subtle humorous undertone, Vahn explained, "Rest is equally as important as actual training, so don't apologize so readily. I've been using this time to refine my own skills, and I'm sure Fenrir didn't mind at all..." Fenrir had interlocked her left paw with Vahn's previously and lifted it up with a smile as she said, "Fenrir is happiest when she is with Vahn so she is grateful to Mikoto~."Mikoto stared at the two 'cuddling' Vanargandr with a somewhat blank expression before nodding her head and rising to her feet without comment. Vahn's behavior was often very difficult for her to understand because he actually worked harder than almost anyone else, yet confidently made claims like "rest is important". She wanted to tell him he needed to heed his own words, but his hardworking nature was one of the reasons she had developed an appreciation for him. Though he might jump about from one thing to another, Vahn always put a ridiculous amount of effort into whatever he was focused on. He also had a gentle character that was very attentive to other people and possessed a noble and heroic spirit that caused him to throw himself into harms ways to protect others...Soon after their break had come to an end, the trio encountered a pair of monsters within one of the grassy corridors. They were both Deformis Spiders and were trying to blend into the shadows as they awaited their 'unsuspecting' prey. Vahn knew that Mikoto needed to kill one of them so that she could benefit from her [Yatanokurogarasu], but it was actually too dangerous for her to fight up close. Unlike Black Rhinos, Deformis Spiders were actually somewhat difficult to deal with if you actually fought them up close. They had eight spear-like legs that they could assault you with and could just as easily move on the walls and ceiling as they could the floor. With the addition of toxic webbing and numerous eyes, which covered the majority of their blind spots, they were simply not worth fighting in a melee.Vahn had gotten a 'cool' idea to deal with the two monsters, which were still hiding out of sight, so he began trying to gather water elemental energies from the airs and simply making it more humid within the tall grass. It was actually possible to infuse energy directly into objects, though there were some compatibility issues, but Vahn was going for a different effect and just wanted to make them wet. As it wasn't an attack, the two Deformis Spiders ignored the moisture building up around them until it was too late and Vahn sent a pulse of energy through his domain and compelling the water elemental energies to transition into ice as he forcibly infused the energies into the limbs of the spiders. They immediately reacted and tried to move away, but it wasn't as though they could immediately dislodge all the water from their surroundings just by thrashing about. Vahn had seen Eva used ice magic all the time in the past, so the field of grey-purple grass immediately turned into an icy white as the Deformis Spiders slowly came to a stop.As she also knew it was dangerous to get close to them, Mikoto held out both of her hands, one over the other, as she began chanting, "I respectfully speak to you, my War God that can break through anything, lead me from the precious heaven. Give my petty body divine power of your grand body. Rescue them light of purification, sword of crushing evil. Sweep sword of suppression, sacred sword of conquest. It arrives here now by my order. Descend from heaven, rule the earth - Shinbu Tousei~!" At the end of her chant, Mikoto spread her hands apart as a purple gateway appeared above the nearest spider and allowed an immaterial sword to pierce into its body. Beneath it, there was a second purple gateway and, when the tip of the sword made contact with it, a black sphere appeared in Mikoto's hands that showed an image of the Deformis Spider before it began to contract and crush the monster under a powerful gravitational force.Vahn's [Eyes of Truth] were fully active as he watched Mikoto perform her exceptionally rare gravity-based magic. Of the elements most highly sought after for their overwhelming capabilities, gravity was at the same level as Destruction and Devouring magic. Even if the user wasn't that powerful, making the spell less effective, there was almost no way to escape the barrier created by the spatial magic unless you are capable of resisting it until the user entered 'Mind Down'. This meant that a weak caster of gravity magic could even hold down powerful monsters and Adventurers that far exceeded their strength. Thus, Vahn was very interested in learning how to use such skills himself, without having to copy the magic outright. Just like when he tried using the higher grade magics of Lefiya and Riveria, Vahn's source energy would drain very rapidly before he was able to actually finish the long chant...Unable to resist the oppressive force, as its body had been turned rigid from the ice, the Deformis Spiders body shrunk into a spherical shape before it eventually turned into purple dust. Mikoto released a heavy gasp before using the sleeve of her kimono to wipe away the sweat that had appeared on her brow. Though it wasn't able to fight back, the Deformis Spider was still a monster that exceeded Level 4 and it wasn't easy for her to crush it when she was only Level 2. Gravity magic might be one of the most powerful, but that also meant it had a very high rate of consumption when casting. Mikoto's record, since she had been told to practice using it more often, was holding the gravity barrier for a total of 47 seconds before she inevitably fell to her knees in complete exhaustion.For the final Deformis Spider, Vahn was actually curious about something so a pale golden aura spread through his domain before a ripple appeared above the monster. As if it had been fired from a canon, a link of [Enkidu] shot out of the ripple and pressed into the plated cephalothorax of the frozen arachnid and slammed it against the bedrock floor of the Dungeon. For several seconds, [Enkidu] remained rigid as it pressed into the monster until eventually, after thirteen seconds, it penetrated straight through the monster before coming to a stop against the floor of the Dungeon. Since he wasn't sure how the Dungeon would react if [Enkidu] began piercing into it, Vahn dispersed the chain before he could find out. Though it wouldn't break through instantly, it would eventually activate the 'Piercing(Divine)' of the golden chains before potentially breaking clear through the floor of the Dungeon effortlessly. (A/N: Remember that [Enkidu] only has 100 attack power, so it takes time to overcome the defense of things. When it reaches that threshold, it will then pierce straight through the object.)Since she didn't want to bring them to a stop so soon after they just rested, Mikoto accepted Vahn's help in replenishing her diminished mana, though it was through her back and not her abdomen. Afterward, they made their way deeper into the floor while making sure to always return to previous corridors after they progressed forward for a bit. Vahn wanted them to always have quick access to the stairs leading up because he had been able to confirm the structural integrity of the stairs was actually much stronger than the other parts of the Dungeon. He hadn't seen any signs that their enemies had tampered with it and it wouldn't be too difficult to break through any obstructions even if they tried to collapse the ceiling. Vahn was constantly on alert for the arrival of any of Enyo's cronies even when he was 'leisurely' strolling in the Dungeon with the girls.Though he had only been able to make an orb around 20cm previously, Vahn had reached 50cm after four hours of practice and had started shaping it in an attempt to make things like ice spears. Unfortunately, though he was able to make the water float in the air, it was more difficult to manage with ice since the molecules became harder to manipulate. However, Vahn was able to overcome this by simply holding a 'core' of ice and then freezing the rest by having the water coat the ice in several layers as it got progressively longer. It was kind of similar to how a stalactite formed on the roof of a cave but much master. From the perspective of Fenrir and Mikoto, Vahn was 'sculpting' ice out of thin air and it almost 'beautiful' since his current appearance, with midnight blue fur and scarlet red eyes, matched well with the icy-blue mist and the crystal clear ice formations.There were several downsides to Vahn creating ice this way, regardless of how cool it looked, because it was almost in an 'inert' state instead of a magically active state like when Haruhime used her [Icicle Edge]. Though they were similar in structure, they were fundamentally different because Vahn's understanding of both water and ice laws was severely lacking. Unless he made some breakthroughs in the future, it wasn't really practical for combat since the ice spears would just shatter the moment Vahn threw them at monsters. Some of them even broke from the momentum of the throw itself so it was kind of awkward. When this happened, Vahn did his best to avoid the gazes of the two girls and resolved to practice it in private in the future...After having killed monsters for slightly more than five hours, Vahn decided to call it a day and guided them back to the stairs leading up. Since their pace had been much slower than the 'hunt' earlier in the day the group only managed to kill 384 Black Rhinos, with 204 credited to Fenrir, 91 for Mikoto, and a total of 89 for Vahn. Fortunately, Vahn was able to avoid having the least number of kill as he had defeated eleven Deformis Spiders while Mikoto only killed one. Vahn's parameter total was at 6,199 now so he would likely be able to level up tomorrow morning if he put in the effort. As for Fenrir and Mikoto, neither girl had experienced that much growth though Mikoto's was still fair seeing as how she was only Level 2. Ninety-two total monsters weren't actually that many and Mikoto's new katana had stunted her growth slightly as it made combat much easier...(A/N: I decided to make Fenrir's status a little more comprehensive since some people pointed out that her's read so much different than everyone else's. If you're wondering why her Level 1 stats are kind of garbage, please recall that she used to be a simple kobold and they only reason they are that high is because of the several years spent inside the orb.)----------------------------------------------------------------------------------[[STATUS]]Name: [Fenrir]Level:3(+)POW: L1:400+902+(C611)-&gt;(C644)END: L1:500+805+(E495)-&gt;(D529)DEX: L1:550+1089+(A850)-&gt;(A889)AGI: L1:600+943+(S900)-&gt;(S931)MAG: L1:0+388+(D513)-&gt;(C612)Skills: [Insatiable Hunger:Innate(-)], [Lunar Cry:A], [Freezing Roar:A], [Chainbreaker:C], [Devour:SS], [Huntress:SS], [Endeavor:C], [Severing Claws:D-&gt;C]Magic: -Development Abilities: [Chain Attack:D], [Fist Fighter:(sealed)], [Acrobatics:(sealed)], [Mimickry:(sealed)]----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[[STATUS]]Name: Yamato MikotoRace: HumanLV. 2(+)POW: 634+(E490)-&gt;(D548)END: 628+(E488)-&gt;(D532)DEX: 740+(C613)-&gt;(C694)AGI: 722+(E404)-&gt;(E470)MAG: 531+(D517)-&gt;(C609)Skill: [Yatanokurogarasu:B], [Prometheus's Blessing:A]Magic: [Futsunomitama:B], [Apocalypse: Innate(sealed)]Development Skill: [Abnormal Resistance:C], [Swordsman:(sealed)]----------------------------------------------------------------------------------(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn just casually walking while playing with water...','Gravity OP','Vahn's failure to show off...')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;3. Since it was requested, I also added a Paypal link if that is preferable~!)https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

After returning to the encampment, Vahn dropped off the girls before making his way and reporting to Finn. Even if he wasn't fond of the Pallum these days, Vahn wasn't going to neglect his duties since he was an entrusted decision maker within the expedition itself. He had made a good impression on most of the Adventurers thus far, but that could change simply based on rumors that could circulate around the canteen during meals. There was already a bit of tension that had been created as a result of Lili's 'outburst', but it hadn't gotten out of control as Finn himself explained to several people that he was at fault and had upset her. As Lili was almost like the mascot of the expedition presently, since people knew she was still young yet fought so ferociously, they still had an appreciation for her presence.Other than some missions having been completed, there was nothing new from Finn's side either so Vahn returned to his tent and spent the rest of the evening playing around, this time pampering and being pampered himself. Because he was still a Vanargandr, though decidedly less dangerous than Fenrir, Tiona and Ais had been 'triggered' by his appearance and Vahn found himself on the receiving end of a brush as he also combed through Fenrir's and Lili's hair. Fenrir didn't seem too fond of Lili 'copying' her still, but she let it slide since she likened the fact that Vahn was still transformed to her presence as well. If Fenrir could keep Vahn like he currently was, she felt like she would be able to tolerate 'almost' anything.During bedtime, Vahn found himself being practically smothered by Tiona, Ais, Fenrir, and Lili. Since they had their own tasks to take care of, the majority of the girls in the Loki Familia weren't easily able to venture into the Dungeon with him presently so they wanted to 'recharge' while they had the opportunity. Even Tione had gotten a few advantages from him during the bath because Vahn hadn't really made any efforts to stop her. The only 'exceptions' within the group were Lefiya, who was behaving as her usual bashful self, and Mikoto, who had spent several hours before going to bed training with her new katana before taking a bath alone...Early morning of the next day, Vahn spent a bit of effort extricating himself from Tiona and Ais before peeling Lili's body away from him and preparing to escape the sleeping area. Along the way, however, Vahn stopped near the dozing Lefiya and placed his palm against her forehead to awaken her. The previous night, they had been discussing the progress of the other girls and Lefiya's own had been brought up. As she had a flame seed in her chest, Lefiya's potential had increased a fair amount and she stood to benefit greatly from Vahn's [Mentor] Development Ability.Lefiya had a loose expression on her face as if she were thinking about a 'happy' dream so Vahn felt a little guilty about breaking her out of it. As for Lefiya, she had been enjoying some quality time with Ais in her personal world before she felt a very comfortable yet invigorating warmth spread through her head. The rosy atmosphere vanished in an instant only to be replaced by a giddiness when she opened her eyes and saw Vahn's apologetic smile as he looked down into her face. She felt a tremble run through her body as a hot sensation emerged from her cheeks and started to spread down her neck. It felt like her ears were on fire as she instinctually hid her face with her hands in an attempt to hide from Vahn's 'stupidly handsome' face.After Lefiya came to her senses, she began preparing for the day, which included the simple task of wearing her somewhat cute pink magic outfit. Lefiya's combat ensemble consisted of a white blouse, pink skirt, white stockings with accompanying garter belt, and pale-pink corset that made her already thin figure look even slimmer. The corset extended all the way past her hips in a somewhat loose manner and there was an even lighter-pink three-piece coattail-like attachment that hung down to Lefiya's calves but was entirely open in the front. To accent the outfit, she wore a purple bow around her neck with a pink shoulder mantle that matched the color of her skirt.Though she used to wield beautiful staff known as [Forest's Teardrop], Lefiya had taken to using the [Heal] staff that Vahn had given her in the past. It also had the ability to efficiently amplify her magic, just like her old staff, but also had the inherent ability to heal the wounds of others without requiring a chant. As for the other changes in her appearance, at least since associating with Vahn, Lefiya had two small orichalcum rings on her middle-fingers as well as a pair of earrings that Vahn had forged for her in an attempt to create more accessories that could serve as mana batteries. This was actually the first time Vahn saw her wearing them because she had commented about how strange it felt to feel mana flowing through her ears in the past. It was also very uncommon for Elves to wear earrings, as their ears were sensitive and it irritated them greatly, but Vahn's were the type that clung to the ears instead of piercing it.While Lefiya had been preparing herself, Vahn was doing the same thing as his previous stints with the other girls the previous days. Though she was fond of it, Vahn knew that [Heal] wasn't actually that powerful a weapon and he was considering getting her something more practical. However, he was a bit conflicted because Lefiya's actual power output made her capable of instantly killing the majority of monsters. Her only major weakness was her ridiculously low physical parameters and the fact that her chants could be disrupted since her proficiency with [Concurrent Chanting] was lacking. Even though she had been learning from Riveria and the highly-proficient Ryuu, she wasn't quite at the level for actual combat yet. This meant that Lefiya required the protection of others or she could easily be killed by almost any stray monster...As he had seen several examples of 'Magic' items that had powerful effects without requiring any chants, Vahn knew it should be easy to find her something that could increase her offensive capabilities without the restrictions of her magic system. Using his 'trusted' gacha function, Vahn designated the search terms as 'Magical-Staff', 'Cute', and 'Efficient' since he wanted something that accented Lefiya's 'adorable' factor that would also serve her well in actual combat. Thus, after feeding another 100,000OP into the system, Vahn got several misses with the best among them being a pale red...Vahn experienced an eerie feeling of loss after looking at the seven grey orbs, three white, and a single pale red. This was the first time he had 'failed' to use the gacha system and it made him feel like he had made a mistake in the search parameters. However, as there was a functionally infinite number of items that should match the search conditions, Vahn believed in himself and fed an additional 100,000OP into the gacha. He had experienced a huge windfall with Mikoto's sword technique so he didn't mind failing a few times if necessary. Fortunately, The Path seemed to be paying attention now and Vahn received a leafy green orb and a pale blue one this time around.After cracking them open, Vahn saw the two staves and his eyes opened slightly wider in the real world when he saw the appearance of the one that emerged from the pale blue orb. It looked like a small wand adorned with a large star on the end and tiny angel wings poking out of the side. It certainly matched the theme 'cute', and Vahn thought it was actually suitable to the somewhat petite and adorable Lefiya. However, as it was the lower rarity of the two items, Vahn set it aside for the time being and turned his attention to the inarguably more powerful staff. What appeared was a beautiful wooden staff that twisted around at the end before blooming into what looked like a giant white tulip with a pink center and golden tips. Respectively, the staves were named [Mirakurun Magic Wand] and [Miki's Tulip] with equal A-Ranks, but decidedly different stats...----------------------------------------------------------------------------------[Mirakurun Magic Wand]Rank: A (Magic)Slots: 0P.Atk: 0M.Atk: 0Abilities: Magical Transformation(A), Indestructible(A)A wand that can even turn a normal girl into a magical girl. Greatly amplifies the magical capabilities of the user and allows them to freely manipulate the wand into a variety of shapes. Rumored to be powered by emotions, but it was never specified whether they had to be positive or negative~!Restrictions: Contract(unbound)--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[Miki's Tulip]Rank: A (Magic)Slots: 0P.Atk: 80+8M.Atk: 1400Abilities: Radiant Lancer(C), Ex Healing(A), Magical Amplification(A)A staff once wielded by a petite, adorable, incredibly kind, and voracious gourmand rumored to have a stomach that rivaled a black hole. Legends state that she was even capable of devouring everything listed on a restaurant's menu in a single sitting. Rumored to have been banned from more than 9,000 buffets over the course of her lifetime. This staff allows the user to wield powerful magic to aid their allies, but be warned as the spirit of the young woman is retained in the staff...Restrictions: Gourmand(S)----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Seeing the descriptions of the two items, Vahn was very impressed by the [Miki's Tulip] while he was intrigued by the [Mirakurun Magic Wand]. He was curious what a 'Magical Transformation' entailed and the influence it would have on the weilder. Since the wand had 0 Magic Attack, Vahn couldn't help but assume that the ability was a very powerful one, especially if the description was accurate. The only thing he was worried about was the 'contract' listed in the restrictions and the small warning contained in the last sentence...However, even the beautiful flowery staff had a pretty big restriction since the weilder would likely experience something similar to Fenrir's 'hunger'. Just imagining the petite Lefiya munching away at food...actually brought a smile to Vahn's face. She wasn't a big eater at all and he thought it would be somewhat funny to see her clearing away an entire table on her own without gaining any weight. It also had two active abilities, 'Radiant Lancer' and 'Ex Healing' that seemed very suitable for Lefiya. Active effects on items typically only required the intent to use them and there wasn't anything like a chant attached to the item. It would likely greatly increase Lefiya's potential in combat while also serving to enhance her other magics as it also had the Magical Amplification ability.Vahn decided to give Lefiya the [Miki's Tulip] instead of the [Mirakurun Magic Wand] because it seemed like the more useful of the two. As for the wand itself, Vahn decided he would let Tiona give it a try in the future since it said it could even make a 'normal' girl into a 'magical' girl. Vahn had actually wanted to study Tiona's unique constitution in the past since he was very curious about the [Magic Devouring King] sealed Innate. If it was even capable of consuming the magical power of the wand, Vahn would at least have a better idea of how to help her awaken it in the future. He imagined that Tiona might one day be the bane of all mages since it seemed like her body was capable of absorbing massive quantities of mana, even though he couldn't see where it disappeared to.When Lefiya had finished readying herself, she turned to Vahn was a light blush on her face and said, "T-Thank you for waiting, V-Vahn..." This would be the first time she accompanied Vahn into the Dungeon and, even though it was to hunt monsters, Lefiya couldn't help but shake the feeling they would be going on a date together. She also knew he would likely be closely guarding her for the entire duration and it felt like her heart was going to explode in her chest just thinking about spending the next few hours at his side, especially knowing that he would be helping 'replenish' her mana when she was tired. Though he usually placed his palm on her back, Lefiya knew the most 'efficient' method was through the navel and it made her stomach giddy imagining his wide palm against her bare stomach as he...Lefiya had been getting lost in her own little world while ignoring his calls so Vahn pulled out the [Miki's Tulip] and presented it to her while saying, "Here, Lefiya, this is a powerful magic staff that will greatly enhance your current capabilities. It is almost of the same quality as Riveria's [Magna Alfs], but has a few unique abilities associated with it that make it better in some aspects..." Lefiya startled when Vahn pulled the staff out of thin air before hanging her head with a fierce blush on her face as she reached out and accepted the staff while saying, "I-I'm so sorry, Vahn! Thank you for the new staff, it is very beautiful!" At this point, Lefiya's face was red enough to rival Fenrir's scarlet eyes and Vahn was beginning to worry if things were going to be a bit problematic when they were in the Dungeon.Vahn spent a few minutes explaining the functions of the [Miki's Staff] to Lefiya and she finally returned to normal when he mentioned the abilities 'Radiant Lancer' and 'Ex Healing'. Lefiya was a magic prodigy who often got carried away in her studies and research so she was especially interested in new magical abilities, even more so when they didn't require a chant. However, not long after Vahn had started his explanation, Lefiya's stomach released a loud protest that made the bashful Elf's eyes widen into saucers before her face turned beet red. They had yet to eat breakfast and Lefiya had been a little hungry, though she hadn't expected to be so hungry her stomach rumbled right in front of Vahn. She felt so embarrassed that she didn't even know how to make an excuse and just hid her face with her hands to an effort to calm her heart.When he heard the loud protest from Lefiya's stomach, Vahn had to desperately resist the impulse to laugh but he couldn't stop a smile from appearing on his face as his cheeks were touched with a little heat. Seeing her reaction made him feel a little guilty at the same time, however, so Vahn explained, "Because the staff is so powerful, there is a bit of a detriment to it as well. I'm not sure if it makes the user hungry, but it should increase your appetite and food consumption by a great deal. Please let me know if there is any discomfort in the future, Lefiya..." Hearing Vahn's explanation, Lefiya felt a bit of relief while several questions appeared in her mind. She was curious about how a magic staff could make someone hungry since she didn't feel any different and there wasn't any energy flowing from the staff into her body...Vahn was about to mention eating on the way to the entrance into the 51st floor, but Sis's voice sounded out in his mind as she reminded, (*Vahn, don't forget that you need to update Lefiya's Status Board before you leave. I don't think she would be too fond of having to undress in the middle of a forest with just you and Fenrir present.*) Hearing Sis's voice, Vahn was momentarily stunned before he thanked her for her reminder. Ever since he had asked her to keep track of 'important' things for him, Sis had often reminded him of things he overlooked. He had a propensity of getting caught up in the things he was focused on so it was very helpful to have someone watching over him all the time.Though he knew it would probably cause the small Elf to fluster, Vahn said in a calm and casual manner, "We'll eat breakfast before we leave...ah, I almost forgot about this, but I'll need to update your Status Board before and after the excursion. I'm very concerned with your growth, so I'd like to document it properly to ensure you're..." Vahn realized his faux pas almost immediately after it left his mouth as it caused Lefiya to turn into a beet-red statue before she drooped down to the ground as if her soul had left her body. Though he was worried about her 'growth', it was the development of her parameters and not her body that he was concerned about. However, he hadn't properly considered his words before speaking so he once again triggered the bashful Elf, this time to the point where she was moderately overwhelmed.From his side, Fenrir looked at the fallen Lefiya and remarked, "Lefiya is a strange creature..." as she tilted her head to the side in confusion. She could see that her Master enjoyed Lefiya's reactions, but was also troubled by them at the same time. Fenrir didn't know if she should try to act like Lefiya in the future, or if she should avoid behaving in a similar manner so as not to trouble her Master. She began to consider if there was a 'healthy' balance between the two that would allow her to get an edge, but it was so difficult to tell since all of Lefiya's behaviors were a little extreme. Fenrir knew she liked her Master, or else she wouldn't have made space for her in the bed previously, so she couldn't understand why Lefiya always turned into a tomato whenever she interacted with Vahn. The only thing she was certain of was that Lefiya was a 'strange' girl that she would probably have to protect in the future...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Fifty Shades of Lefiya, all Red','Tiona, Magical Girl~!?','Strange creature...')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;3. Since it was requested, I also added a Paypal link if that is preferable~!)https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

The happy atmosphere shared by the three, with Fenrir as a silent observer, didn't last for long however as Mikoto seemed to recall what else was 'necessary' before they departed. She had been thinking about heading out to train with her new katana, but the practical training against monsters was inarguably more important since she could hone her battle awareness at the same time. Though she still had inhibitions about it, Mikoto had already made her resolve in the past to serve Vahn as his blade and, if he one day decided to push their relationship forward, she had already prepared her heart after discussing the matter with Haruhime several times...Vahn had noticed the slightly chaotic fluctuations in Mikoto's aura as the smile disappeared from her face and, although it wasn't that noticeable, how she had started to take slightly deeper breaths through her nose. Seemingly finding her resolve, Mikoto's eyes became somewhat serious as she moved her hand up and unfastened the clasp holding her shoulder guard in place. Then, Mikotoko loosened her own kimono with somewhat rigid movements before revealing her breasts, which were wrapped tightly with a cloth sarashi, similar to Tsubaki. Her breathing had become slightly more labored as she reached up to loosen the sarashi before her head drooped a bit and she decided to turn around instead. It almost appeared as if she was going to set aside her shame as a show of conviction, but she hesitated at the end after imagining how her behavior might be misconstrued by others as her 'tempting' Vahn.Fenrir had already moved out of his lap so that he would be able to move easier so Vahn kneeled behind Mikoto before pricking his finger and tracing a line of blood down the curve of her back. The Hestia Familia crest came into existence and Vahn began scanning his eyes over the values present. Since she was one of the girls that generally went to Hestia for her Status update, this was the first time Vahn was seeing Mikoto's progress since before they departed for their excursion in the past. Though she had made fair progress, Vahn could understand why she was feeling a bit of pressure as the majority of girls within the Familia had overtaken her in a short period of time. Even Haruhime, the girl she had sworn to protect from future harm was now much stronger than her and the few spars they had always resulted in the disciplined swordswoman's loss...(A/N: I went back and checked only to realize I never posed Mikoto's updated status in the past so I'll do so now...)----------------------------------------------------------------------------------[[STATUS]]Name: Yamato MikotoRace: HumanLV. 2(+)POW: 634+I75-&gt;E490END: 628+I70-&gt;E488DEX: 740+H132-&gt;C613AGI: 722+H119-&gt;E404MAG: 531+I50-&gt;D517Skill: [Yatanokurogarasu:C-&gt;B], [Prometheus's Blessing:A]Magic: [Futsunomitama:B], [Apocalypse: Innate(sealed)]Development Skill: [Abnormal Resistance:C], [Swordsman:(sealed)]----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Though her foundation was very 'balanced', Mikoto had increased her level far too quickly because she had been desperate to become stronger to save Haruhime. After they entered the City, Takemikazuchi had the fortune of establishing a connection with Hephaestus while also learning of the existence of the 'heroic' Vahn so he had his children focus on growing stronger instead of simply searching the unknown City. He wasn't aware of this, but the current Mikoto was far stronger than her future self had been by a fair amount. However, when compared to the growth of some of the other girls around her, she couldn't help but feel very weak and often spent several hours a day honing her skills in the pursuit of greater strength.While Mikoto was fixing her clothing, Vahn held his hand to his chin while in deep thought about methods he could employ to help her become stronger. She was certain to experience parameter development when they hunted on the 51st floor, but Mikoto was the type that placed greater value in her swordsmanship and actual skill than her base parameters. Since she didn't actually have any skills or abilities that modified her parameters any, Vahn understood why she would have such an emphasis since she didn't have anything else to rely on previously. Now she had the [Mizuryū-no-Mai], her strength would likely increase greatly but Vahn wanted to help her have something she could personally rely on, other than her equipment.If Mikoto was truly going to treat him as her Master, Vahn wasn't going to overlook her training in a passive manner anymore and wanted to help push her along the path she chose for herself. Other than making her do some training to develop [Featherfoot], Vahn wanted her to have an attack skill or something else that could bolster her strength in a pinch. Every powerful Adventurer he had seen all had some way to enhance her parameters while the only benefit Mikoto had was the support of Haruhime on occasion. Relying on other people for such things could have adverse effects, however, since you might become over-reliant on their buffs and never develop any of your own...Vahn ultimately decided that he actually wasn't capable of teaching Mikoto and there wasn't much he could do other than offer her advice and guidance on her own path. She also had the guidance of capable swordswomen like Ais and Tsubaki, so Vahn changed his approach about things and instead decided to make use of The Path to assist him. Though it would put his daily expenditures over 600k OP, Vahn unhesitantly used the gacha again, this time looking for sword techniques and manuals that could help Mikoto increase her own comprehension. It could also benefit his own growth in the future if he decided to pursue sword techniques so there was no major downside to it at all, especially considering his own [Swordsman] was A-Rank.Against his expectations, the first orb that was spat out by the wooden wheel was a deep Indigo in color that had a powerful light shining within its core. Vahn had started to speculate that the colors were either based on the color spectrum or the progression of chakras within the body so Indigo should be much higher quality than even the blue orbs that had contained the two girls' katanas. If his assumption was correct, the grades should range between Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet, with the highest rarity being a combination of them all creating a resplendent rainbow such as when he obtained [Magia Erebea] and [Mantra of Eternity] in the past. However, Vahn also knew that the color should be based on his current Soul Tier so something that was rainbow when he was Tier 2 might be as low as Red in the far future.Other than the first Indigo orb, there were two red orbs while the rest were white in coloration with the only exception being the 'bonus' pull which had come out as a dull grey that made Vahn's eye twitch. He had felt like the bonus pull had a higher chance of being a 'win' so it was a little unexpected to see a dud as the final item. Harboring a hope that it was a 'unique' shade of black instead of an actual dull grey, Vahn cracked it open and the only thing that popped out was a piece of paper showing three images. The first image was them standing still while the second showed them raising their sword only for the third image to be the exact same as the first. It showed the most basic form of a slash and Vahn knew his delusion had been shattered as he fed it back into the shop for a whopping 0 OP.Without wasting any more time, even though so little had passed that Mikoto was still wrapping her sarashi around her breasts, Vahn cracked open the Indigo orb to reveal a somewhat worn looking silk scroll with ornamental carved bamboo at the ends in the style of the Far East. Vahn couldn't discern anything from its appearance so he threw it into his inventory to read the description and saw the name and rank of the scroll before his brows raised. After checking in the system shop, Vahn saw that it was actually worth 3,000,000OP and any worries he had about 'wasting' his OP had completely flown out the window.-------------------------------------------------------------------------[Flying Heavenly Sword Scroll](A/N: Or as many people would know it: Scroll of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū)Rank: S (Heritage)Use: A manual detailing an ancient kenjutsu style from the Sengoku Jidai, developed to allow a single samurai to defeat numerous foes single-handedly, created by Hiko Seijūrō I.-------------------------------------------------------------------------After scanning the surprisingly lengthy contents with his mind, Vahn pulled out the scroll and held onto it with a serious expression on his face as he waited for Mikoto to finish dressing. When she noticed his look, her countenance also because serious because the atmosphere in the room had become somewhat tense a short while earlier. After she resumed her seat, Vahn held up the scroll as if it were an especially fragile artifact and said, "This scroll contains a powerful sword heritage that could allow you to one day become the greatest swordswoman in the world. I will entrust it to you for safekeeping Mikoto, in the hopes that you will master its contents and one day proliferate the techniques through your own disciples one day..."Mikoto was a little confused by Vahn's claims, as they were very bold and it seemed very difficult to believe, but she reached out and the accepted the scroll regardless while deciding to believe in his words. At the very least, she knew the contents of the scroll would allow her to become much stronger so Mikoto treated the matter seriously, especially considering that it was Vahn's first official bestowment since becoming her Master. Even if he gave her a scroll that caused her to gain proficiency in doing a task like laundry, she would study it seriously simply because of the value she placed in her own pride and the principles she lived by. Vahn wasn't the type to mislead people in such a way, however, but Mikoto had no way of knowing that the scroll she had just received would one day become one of the most coveted items within the entire mortal world...---There obviously wasn't time for Mikoto to practice the [Flying Heavenly Sword Scroll] right now, so led her and Fenrir to another different entrance to the 51st floor. Mikoto hadn't been too fond of the idea of riding Vahn's back or having him carry her, so they ended up running to a nearby entrance instead of taking advantage of his [Shundo] as a convenient mode of transportation. Vahn didn't actually mind running along because he was still a Vanargandr and there was something 'exciting' about feeling the wind pass through his fur and the large ears atop his head. Other than his hyper-sensitive senses, the thing that Vahn had the most trouble adapting to were the two large ears he had obtained as a Vanargandr. They were around 15cm long and it was very weird for him to feel them moving about atop his head.One of the reasons it was strange is because Vahn wasn't normally able to 'move' his ears about in most of his forms yet, as a Vanargandr, they were capable of rotating around 30 degrees, almost like a rabbit, whenever he picked up on sounds. There was also the fact that, whenever he tried to relax and stop focusing on the various sounds around him, the ears would flop down unless he stood with a proper posture or willed them to stand tall. He started to realize why Fenrir, after obtaining her new body, would often flop her ears about in an adorable manner. Vahn felt she had been trying to get used to the much larger ears and he wondered if he would have to do the same in the future since the form was actually very convenient for fighting.After making their way down to the 51st-floor entrance, Vahn explained to Mikoto all the things she would have to be aware of. She was only Level 2 and didn't have a 'cheat-like' combat Innate to enhance her capabilities like Haruhime and Lili. She would also be using a new weapon so she needed to exercise caution while doing her best to avoid taking blows from the powerful Level 4 Black Rhinos. Fortunately, she had the benefit of years of training and her skills had been polished to a much greater extent than many of the other girls. Her agility should allow her to dodge the Black Rhinos with relative ease, and the 90cm long blade would be able to cut through the hide of the monsters without any major difficulties. As long as she didn't lose her focus, things shouldn't become a problem. With her passive ability to sense monsters she has slain before, the moment she kills a single Black Rhinos and Deformis Spider things would get a lot safer for her.Hearing Vahn's cautionary words, Mikoto listened with a serious expression on her face before responding, "I understand." in a firm tone the moment he finished. Vahn nodded his head with a smile before turning to Fenrir and gesturing to her to lead the way. They wouldn't be 'hunting' like they had during the first half of the day, but she didn't seem to mind it too much at all. Fenrir knew that Mikoto was 'weak' so it was important to make sure they took things slowly so accidents wouldn't happen. When they finally approached the first group of monsters, Fenrir looked at Mikoto and said, "Mikoto will stay back and fight the enemies Fenrir lets through. Vahn will watch over you, but make sure you do your best if you want to become stronger."Mikoto nodded without showing before unsheathing her new katana and preparing for the coming battle. Fenrir gave her one last glance before charging into the corridor and triggering the spawn of the Black Rhinos. She felt much faster now and had already killed nearly six-hundred Black Rhinos on her own so she unhesitantly charged at the supposedly strong monsters before passing her claws through them effortlessly. Her [Severing Claws] allowed her to cut as deep as 30cm if she tried hard and each of the 'blades' carried the same unstoppable momentum of her normal claws. Fenrir didn't bother making sure they were dead, instead focusing on disabling them and controlling their movements since she still needed to let Mikoto fight. As a result, one of the first enemies she had attacked, which had large gashes in its thigh, had recovered a bit and charged toward Mikoto with significantly reduced speed.Seeing the enemy approach her, Mikoto's expression turned even more serious and she even pursed her lips slightly as she leaned forward slightly and shifted her weight to the right while kicking off with her left foot. In the same evasive motion she used to dodge the Black Rhinos' charge, Mikoto slashed horizontally with [Mizuryū-no-Mai] and sliced through the side of the monster before using her right foot as a pivot to twist around and follow its back for the next strike. Because she hadn't done anything to stop its momentum, the Black Rhinos had continued forward and slid across the ground for several meters, still alive. Mikoto chased after it before piercing her katana into its back and pulling it out in an arc that left a 130cm gash in it's back. Mikoto was surprised with how little 'feedback' she felt from her own actions because the sword was much sharper than she had expected.After finding her footing, Mikoto targetted another nearby Black Rhino before dashing forward. Its momentous charge was much faster than her own, but Mikoto was able to easily change direction while the monster was forced to carry forward as a result of its own inertia and its propensity for mindlessly charging forward. Before it was able to slow down and change direction, Mikoto had stepped in behind it and traced her sword in a horizontal slash across the back of the Black Rhinos that nearly bisected its entire body. Once again, there was almost no feedback from the slash and Mikoto felt like she was passing her black through water instead of a monster known for its durability. As a follow-up to her attack, Mikoto pierced forward with her katana once again, but this time she didn't put much strength into the movement. Her sword passed through the back of Black Rhinos like she was inserting it into a block of tofu before it turned into dust when she struck its magic core.Mikoto was somewhat conflicted with how 'easy' it was to kill the enemies because it almost felt like she was relying more on the katana in her hands than her own strength. However, as long as she used any weapon at all, she was inarguably relying on it to defeat her enemies. Thus, though it caused her a bit of discomfort, Mikoto looked at the unblemished blade with a somewhat affectionate look and resolved herself to become worthy of wielding it in the future. This katana would one day become an extension of her own body and a trusted companion that she placed her fate in during the heat of battle. Having a strong companion was always better than having a weak one so Mikoto promised that she would become strong enough so as not to hold the katana itself back...---(A/N: Some people might be confused why a technique from a Tier 2 world could be S-Rank in a Tier 1-4 world so I will explain. It is simply because the technique, if used by people with superhuman parameters like those in Danmachi, would be pushed even further beyond the almost ridiculous levels seen in Rurouni Kenshin.)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Mikoko is a good girl','The birth of a legend','Doki Doki Sword Desu?')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;3. Since it was requested, I also added a Paypal link if that is preferable~!)https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 476: Elemental Manipulation