Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Using the map that Vahn had drawn out during their previous exploration, as he could quickly scribe it onto a piece of paper with a high degree of accuracy, the group continued their exploration of the 54th Floor by searching areas and corridors they hadn't visited previously. With Vahn's map, it was easy to see the paths they had taken and it wasn't remotely close to the presumed size of the actual Floor. As there were certain to be explored regions, which could be found easily with Vahn's detection ability, everyone was determined to find something new. Even Vahn felt like there had to be a reason why the Dungeon had orchestrated the Dragons Vase as it had. It was almost like the Dungeon didn't want people to spend much time on the floors, almost like it was concealing something.After searching for nearly seven hours, without finding anything new and interesting, the group came across another set of stairs that led further into the Dungeon. Just like the floors above, there were several possible ways to progress through and it wouldn't be surprising to find more than a hundred such stairways on any given floor. As it was a good opportunity, the group took a rest for lunch while Vahn spent the time searching around the 400m of stairs and the adjoining rooms. He was curious about why the Valgang Dragons didn't target the stairs with their breath, since the materials were fundamentally the same as the rest of the Dungeon. Other than a variation, almost like a 'break' in the flow of mana, there were no real differences between the stairs and the rest of the floor.Vahn wanted to know why there were two functionally identical flows that ran alongside each other without actually intersecting. By inspecting the top and bottom of the stairs, he could confirm that the 'break' passed through the entire set of stairs and even continued beyond his perception. It was hard to imagine, but Vahn felt like he could theoretically bore through the Dungeon and, as long as he follows the secondary flow, he would be able to reach all the way to the surface or even follow down into the depths. Though the planned to test it in the future, as he 'had' to know if this was the truth of the matter, Vahn set it aside for now and simply logged his deductions in a journal.When Vahn returned to the group, Tiona perked up and asked, "Did'ya find anything, Vahn~?" Vahn plopped down next to the table while shaking his head and saying, "It's something I'll have to look into later, but it would be much safer to test on the upper floors. I'll let you know how it goes, but you shouldn't worry about it too much right now." Though she looked like she was listening attentively, Tiona didn't care that much about Vahn's actual words and just wanted to talk with him. When he finished his 'explanation', Tiona nodded her head and asked, "When we get to the surface, you said you were going to try and finish the 'proto-type' armor, right~? I'm interested to see how things turn out, so please ask me if you need any assistance. Even if it's just to model, I don't mind helping out~."Spurred on by Tiona's words, the topic of discussion at the table immediately transitioned to the armor Vahn was making. Even Gareth and Finn were quite interested in it, but Vahn said it wasn't the type of thing he ever planned to sell. Because of the complexity of the design, Vahn only intended to make enough to be used by the girls within the Hearth Manor and would worry about other things after the fact. Though he was a [Master Smith], it wasn't actually a trade Vahn intended to pursue for profit or mastery.Vahn simply made the things he wanted to make, without putting too much thought into anything other than making them interesting and efficient. His main reason for doing so was because of the restrictions of the shop within the system, as it would be 'troublesome' to only give each girl one piece of armor every few weeks. Though he had been able to get around things a bit with the girls that had their extra parameters unlocked, as he could give up to three items to some of them, it still wasn't really a practical solution.During the conversation, Gareth supported his cheek with his fist and commented, "I have a personal contract with Tsubaki, so I'm not really bothered by not obtaining any equipment. However, it wouldn't be a bad idea to accept a few contracts of your own in the future, Vahn. Even if you don't have the 'heart' of a blacksmith, you certainly have more than enough skill to make use of. If you truly end up making new and innovative armors, you might be able to forge even more alliances in the future by creating custom-made equipment for powerful Adventurers." Hearing Gareth's words, Vahn knew it was true but he simply didn't have the 'time' to manage such things. It would be more 'convenient' if he just purchased them something through the system shop instead, not that he could explain things in such a way.Though he trusted Gareth, Vahn wasn't going to explain his reasoning about things and simply nodded in affirmation of his words. Unless they took the same level of vow as the residents of the Hearth Manor, Vahn couldn't disclose any specifics to the three men present as there was always a remote chance they could disseminate it to other people. Finn and Bete were especially troublesome because there was no way of knowing how Finn would use the information while Bete was simply the type that rambled away 'sensitive' information when he was drunk. Vahn didn't want to be seen as a 'convenience' by Finn, nor did he want to have rumors circulate as a result of Bete's drunken ramblings when he vented his frustrations.From this expedition, Vahn understood there were various 'problems' associated with moving large groups of people through the Dungeon. Of course, in order to ensure their supplies were protected, it was 'necessary' to do so, but this wasn't a restriction Vahn faced. He had been thinking about ways to reach further into the Dungeon to increase the strength of his own Familia in the future and was planning to try and get a foothold on the 39th Floor in the future. Though this expedition had been an interesting experience, Vahn wasn't too fond of how things had played out and it almost felt like a waste of time, at least for him. If not for the fact he had been able to help the girls increase their strength quickly, while also finally reaching Level 4 himself, Vahn would have found things to be a bit droll.The simple truth of the matter was, Vahn had the capacity to make any expedition run much smoother than any other Familia on the surface. If he had been in charge of things, Vahn would have separated everyone into smaller cells to thin out enemies before they met up at various 'safe' zones like the relatively secure stairs and the actual safety areas of the 18th, 39th, and 50th Floors. Even on the floors where monsters attacked in 'waves', it was possible to deal with them in smaller parties by simply avoiding the fight or having a balanced composition. Though monsters were very powerful, some far more so than Adventurers, they weren't intelligent and they couldn't adapt to strategy and subterfuge at all.Traveling as a larger group, though necessary for large Familia expeditions, was something Vahn could circumvent entirely as a result of his Inventory and the 'limitless' supplies at his disposal. Even a slow day on the 51st Floor earned him more than 200,000OP and, though he couldn't buy Elixirs and Potions that could be used by others, Vahn could purchase the materials used to make them. If they had a few people with the [Mixing] skill in the expedition, they could easily produce consumables for the entire party. This also applied to things like food, equipment, and a variety of other things. If there was enough support behind the idea, Vahn was even confident in establishing the relay point on the 39th Floor within the next year before moving down to the 50th Floor and beginning construction of their 'Haven'...Since Vahn had been lost in his own thoughts for a bit, Ais poked his cheek with her gloved finger and said, "Vahn, don't worry so much...just do what you think is best. We will follow you..." Hearing Ais's words, Vahn looked into her shining gold eyes before looking around and seeing the supportive looks on the faces of the other girls. In fact, even Finn and Gareth showed appreciative gazes with the only exception being the always disgruntled Bete. Vahn decided at this moment that he needed to 'educate' Bete when they returned to the surface before nodding his head to Ais and addressing the table as he said, "I think for the next planned expedition, we should stop on the 39th Floor and begin making a settlement there to serve as a relay station. Though it may be more 'profitable' to come down to the Deeper Floors, there are too many unknowns and we're simply not ready. Until we can establish a supply line and get a proper foothold, I don't think it's wise to keep trying to go deeper..."Finn looked like he wanted to say something, but Vahn shook his head slightly and said, "I'm not considering the matter from simply the perspective of the Loki Familia, Finn, though I'm sure Loki would support me in the future. I'm trying to consider things for the Hestia Familia and the Alliance as a whole...and not just them, but for every Adventurer that delves into the Dungeon and all those that live on the surface. If we, some of the strongest and most capable, aren't the ones leading the way, what happens when things develop to a point where we 'need' to lead? I believe that, if you want people to walk the correct path, you need to lay it out for them and show the way..."Responding to his words, Tiona raised both of her arms as if she were very fired up and shouted, "Alrighty then! Let's turn this Dungeon into our own personal stomping ground so that other people can safely venture into it in the future~!" Surprisingly, the next person to speak up was Riveria who nodded her head and said in a calm tone, "Vahn is right, we can't simply wait around in hopes that things 'improve' naturally. We need to be the ones that are taking proactive action if we want to truly bring about change..." Knowing what the future potentially held, Riveria didn't think it was the correct decision to keep acting passively on things. One of the things mentioned in Vahn's journal was his idea about creating an 'Advanced Academy' on the 50th Floor and she had thought it was an interesting idea since it would prompt people to become stronger.After Riveria, Ais, who had been staring at Vahn, said, "I want to kill the One-Eyed Black Dragon one day...but until then, I want to try and find happiness in my own way. After we defeat Enyo...I..." Though it wasn't the first time Vahn had seen her blush, it was one of the first times he had seen Ais frown in mild frustration as she struggled to speak the words from her heart. Vahn smiled at her before reaching out his hand and stroking her silky golden hair with his 'combination' skills. She showed a slight smile before resting her cheek against his palm and saying, "I want to become a real family..."As if it were some kind of competition that had been incited by Tiona's initial words, everyone began stating their own wants and desires for the future. Lefiya wanted to reach the pinnacle of magic, Fenrir wanted to 'protect' Vahn, and Tione embarrassed Vahn slightly by saying that the only thing she wanted was to be loved. She had looked to him with a somewhat amorous look and Vahn felt like she might have attacked him if it were just the two of them alone. As for the men at the table, Gareth just laughed heartily and chimed in with his own, "If we really end up making a settlement on the 50th Floor, you should open up a pub that serves that [Dwarven Drought]. I guarantee you'll see an influx of powerful Dwarves coming all the way down to the 50th Floor just to get a sip of the stuff!"Gareth's words always made Vahn feel warm inside so he nodded his head and said, "Not just [Dwarven Drought], I have plenty of other alcohols that can't be found anywhere else in the world..." Hearing Vahn's words, Gareth suddenly became very serious as he said, "That won't do, Vahn. You can't simply serve unknown alcohol to guests...I'll make sure to test it all for you before you make it public. You might not think it to look at me, but I'm quite reknown in the circle of Dwarves for my capable alcohol tasting abilities. With my word and reputation, forget Dwarves, you'll have people coming as far as the Far East just to sample a shot!" Vahn chuckled slightly as Gareth started laughing heartily as he slapped his knee with his hand a couple of times.Seeing how things had played out, Finn felt slightly exasperated because he knew Vahn would easily be able to get the support of Loki. In the future, instead of Vahn accompanying their Familia, it might be the case that the Loki Familia was 'escorting' him on his own expeditions. When they did establish a settlement on the 50th Floor, Finn had little doubt that Vahn would be the representative and that the credit would likely fall to the Hestia Familia, even if he did it in the name of the Alliance. With the amount of support he could garner as the 'Sage Aldrnari', Finn couldn't help but imagine a somewhat 'brighter' future than the current state of affairs he had come to know. Though it couldn't be called a natural charisma, Vahn had the capacity to draw people together, something that was especially effective when it came to the ladies...After taking a bite of the juicy steak on his plate, Finn felt his resistances 'break' as he chimed in after Gareth, "Your reputation has grown a fair amount within the Loki Familia as a result of this expedition. I'll explain the situation to Loki-sama and talk to a few key members to get support for the idea of establishing a settlement on the 39th Floor. I'm certain that, if you can provide proper incentives, we will be able to make it a reality in the future." Hearing Finn also 'concede' to Vahn, Bete clicked his tongue and said, "Even you're giving in to this kid, Captain? Has everyone lost their bloody minds...?"Everyone present heard Bete's snide remark and showed slightly awkward expressions until Tione slammed her fork hard enough that it embedded in the table as she shouted, "Damnit Bete, if you don't fix your attitude I'll fix it for you! Vahn has never done a single thing to earn your ire, so why do you have to be a little bitch about everything!? You never even thanked him for saving your little girlfriend!" Bete looked like he was about to yell back at Tione but swallowed his words with an expression of disgust and incredulity when he heard her mention Lena. Though he had never said it, Bete was actually thankful to Vahn for arranging to have the Amazons stay with the Loki Familia. He never planned to be with Lena when she was a prostitute but, now that she was within the Loki Familia, Bete had been looking after her.Before things got out of hand, Vahn gestured to Tione and said, "Relax, I know Bete isn't actually as harsh as he tries to act. I'm certain he has his reasons, and I already ignore most of the things he says...I don't really need his gratitude for things like that, as it was a decision I had made for myself, not on his behalf..." After turning his eyes away from Tione, Vahn looked at the disgruntled Bete and said, "When we return to the surface, I will show you that you have a severe misunderstanding about my strength, Bete. Afterward, I'll have you keep your snide remarks to yourself or you can only blame your own actions for how I will treat you from then onwards..." As Vahn spoke, he allowed his aura to bear down on Bete and saw his hairs stand on end slightly as a fierce expression appeared on his face. However, Vahn could see that his aura was fluctuating greatly under the pressure and was even diminishing slightly when Bete said, through gritted teeth, "We'll settle it on the surface then..."Though the atmosphere was somewhat tense, Gareth didn't seem to mind it at all as he asked, "Speaking of that little lass, when do the two of you plan to get married, Bete?" Hearing Gareth's words, Bete felt forward and nearly slammed his face into the table before looking to Gareth and shouting, "Butt out, Old Man! Don't concern yourself with my business!" In response, Gareth simply began laughing as the tense atmosphere from before completely dissipated. Bete had a very slight blush on his face as he looked around at the table and decided to escape away at the last moment when he saw that even the 'monster' girl was snickering at him. After grabbing his cup from the table, Bete stood up and walked off to the side without saying a word to the rest of the group.For the rest of their break, the group at the table started talking about ideas they'd like to see implemented when they began making the relay station on the 39th Floor. Vahn started taking notes of things, even though he knew the majority of them were somewhat impractical. Though creating bathhouses and the like weren't too difficult, things like opening up a bakery and stuff were somewhat 'advanced' for what they had in mind, at least for the time being. Once the 'Haven' became firmly cemented in the 50th Floor, Vahn didn't even mind turning it into a small city, much less having a single bakery present. He already planned to build an Academy there, so it would make sense for other types of business to also be present. However, such things would need to be strictly regulated as Vahn wouldn't tolerate criminal activity and the like occurring within 'Haven' at all...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Peculiarity within the stairs','Gareth is the Dad of the group','Little Slice of Haven')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 enjoying a long lunch break, it was time for the group to breach into the 54th Floor and start their exploration. Though they would document the approximate location of the stairs leading down, it was decided that they would stay on the 54th Floor unless it was the closest point to retreat to during the evening. Their goal became to explore as much of the 54th Floor as possible before their supplies started to run low and they were forced to turn back to the 50th Floor. Based on how the size of the Dungeon increased the further down you went, it was approximated that the 54th Floor was more than 300km in diameter and had unknown dimensions, as there were variations in elevation for some areas while others became complex labyrinthian structures.Finn gave the order to proceed forward and everyone began running through the Dungeon once again as, a few seconds after they started their journey, pillars of fire once again shot up from the floors below. It was amazing how the Valgang Dragons were able to calculate the trajectory of fast-moving objects and target them from several kilometers away. Vahn wasn't sure how they were able to accomplish such a feat, but it reminded him of how the red-haired woman was able to sense his presence when he had looked at her in the past. Since there shouldn't be any easy way for them to detect his presence, especially if he used [Stealth] on his domain, Vahn likened it to some kind of sixth sense. It was either that or the Dungeon itself that was helping them make the complex calculations that would be necessary. After all, the pillar of fire didn't really travel that fast, as it had to melt through several hundred meters of bedrock, which meant the Valgang Dragons would have to account for nearly thirty seconds of high-speed movements when they released their fiery breath.The progress through the 54th Floor, while relatively fast as a result of their speed, was a slow and arduous process. Vahn actually found himself growing slightly bored because there were so few monsters and the flame breath would have entirely no effect on him even if it did hit. Since he could detect it long before it reached them, Vahn was in no danger at all and kind of wanted to start walking through the Dungeon and cataloging everything at a casual pace. He could understand why these Floors were very dangerous for the majority of Adventurers, but that didn't apply to him at all and it made him a little on-edge continuing this 'farce'.Another group of Venom Scorpians intercepted the party and, as they only numbered eight in total, were quickly taken care of by Bete, Ais, and Tiona. When they went to loot the drop items, the floor heated up and they all jumped to the side, once again evading the flame breath without any major difficulty. To prevent any waste, Vahn had looted the 'lost' items before the floor completely broke down and separated them from the other items in his inventory, as per usual. This was another one of the reasons Vahn was growing bored, because Ais, Tiona, and even Bete, tore through the monsters with unstoppable momentum as if they were illusions instead of actual Level 4 enemies. Though Tiona wasn't really an agility-based fighter, she still had more than 3400 total agility and could easily kick off from the ground with enough force to cover a 50m distance in less than a quarter of a second. As for Ais and Bete, they easily fit the description of agility-fighters as Ais tore through enemies with her [Ariel] while Bete kicked his enemies hard enough to make air pockets in their bodies as a result of the shockwave.Since Lefiya and Riveria weren't really using their magic, Vahn wasn't even helping to recover their mana so he found himself just looting items and scanning around the Dungeon for signs of danger. He had expected the Deeper Floors to be somewhat more exhilarating than this and was somewhat disappointed by the reality. To pass the time, he started trying to 'catch' the Valgang Dragon's flame breath with his domain since he had a perfect fire affinity. The breath was made up of pure fire elemental energies, though it was incredibly powerful and chaotic, so Vahn figured he would be able to divert them with enough practice.Unfortunately, it was already somewhat difficult to control 'stagnant' fire elemental energy, much less the super-volatile flame breath that was emitted by the Valgang Dragon. Though it was surprisingly not that hot, the flames had a corrosive element to them that allowed them to eat through the bedrock of the Dungeon without any major difficulty. Vahn couldn't isolate what this element was, but it was very similar to his [Lævateinn]'s flames. If he could figure it out, and truly exercise control over their breath, Vahn theorized he could add such an effect to his own flames to make them 'perpetual' in the future. Unless he extinguished them himself, the flames would continue burning without ceasing and, since Vahn's flames could reach up to Tier 4 in strength, he knew they would be a devastating weapon against most enemies.After nearly six hours of running, the group arrived at a stairwell that led down to the 55th Floor and proceeded inside of it to take a break and set up camp for the evening. Though Finn was very tempted to breach into the 55th Floor, he had already given his word and wasn't going to break it since it would cause his own credibility to take a hit. Unless others wanted to venture further in, specifically Vahn, Finn would let the matter lay for the time being and be content that they already reached a deeper floor. Bete, however, explored ahead a bit and even entered the 55th Floor for a short while before returning. Since simply reaching the floor wasn't enough, as it was called a 'clear' record for a reason, it wouldn't count as an achievement and was simply him obtained a new 'personal best' for himself.When it came time to set up camp, everyone had their own personal tents to use but Vahn still set up a larger tent for the residents of the Hearth Manor. It wasn't as big as the one that was used on the 50th Floor, which had been left behind, but it had enough sleeping room for ten people. As there would only be six using it, it wasn't that cramped at all. As for Riveria, she used her own tent, which had also been provided by Vahn, while Gareth, Finn, and Bete all set up individual tents for themselves. Bete seemed to be annoyed by the fact Vahn was still sharing a tent with the girls, but he had momentarily given up on trying to 'address' the matter. There wasn't anything he could do to change the situation, so he kept to himself and just retreated into his own tent after dinner.For the evening watch, it was decided that people would have two-hour shifts to keep guard with Vahn, Fenrir, and Lefiya being made exceptions. Since Vahn slept with his domain active, while also using his own energy to 'conceal' them somewhat, it wouldn't be 'fair' to make him stand guard as well. As for why Fenrir and Lefiya were removed, it was because Fenrir needed to be watched over by Vahn while Lefiya's senses, except when it came to magic, were somewhat weak. The rest period had been designated as a ten hour period, so that everyone could get proper rest, with the first watch belonging to Finn...---Though he was relaxing his body and mind in a peaceful slumber, accompanied by the warmth of Fenrir, Tiona, and Tione, Vahn was still aware of his surroundings somewhat. Whenever people moved around within his domain, a part of his mind constantly tracked them and it was things like this that made Vahn feel like his brain had 'split' at some point. Even when his mind itself had slipped away into unconsciousness, he would still probe around with his intent and sense his surroundings. Though he couldn't 'see' what was happening, Vahn could envision it somewhat based on his imagination and perception of things so it was almost like he had the ability to 'wander' around even when he was asleep.Things were relatively peaceful for the first half of the night and Vahn only stirred slightly whenever an enemy would appear within his domain. His 'second' self would alert the person on watch by infusing [Enkidu] into his domain to light up the surrounding area. As all those on the watch were Level 5-6, they would make short work of the enemies without having to stir the others awake. Everyone was surprised the first time Vahn's domain 'alerted' them, but then they appreciated it a bit after a while. Even Bete, who didn't think it was fair that Vahn got to stay sleeping in the comfort of women couldn't complain too much after Vahn 'alerted' him for the fifth time. This showed that, even though he was asleep, Vahn was 'always' on watch while he only had to stay up for two hours. Vahn even picked up on the enemy's presence before his enhanced senses could so Bete just sat quietly atop a rock with a solemn expression on his face...The third shift was taken by Gareth and had been relatively uneventful as he sat with his axe in his lap and sipped away at the small flask Vahn had given him. He usually diluted the [Dwarven Drought] by a fair amount, but he had entrusted Gareth with a bit of the 'real' thing and the veteran Dwarf was very grateful. After the first 'surprise' of Vahn's domain alerting him to the enemy, Gareth had eased up a lot and simply overlooked the tents from a higher vantage point. Whenever an enemy would show up after that, Gareth would toss over a small rock in an attempt to smash them without leaving his perch. Though it made a loud sound, that would have awoken most people, the Loki Familia members were able to ignore it since they weren't being alerted to any danger.Once Gareth's watch came to an end, the next person to take up the post was the somewhat sleepy Ais. She escaped from Lefiya's grasp before climbing atop the large rock nearby with nothing but her sword. She hadn't bothered wearing all of her armor and was just dressed in the 'basic' equipment that she went to sleep in. When she sat down atop the rock, Ais found a small tray with snacks and steamy tea on it before she sat down and enjoyed the calm and quiet atmosphere. She noticed that there would be a brief golden flash every now and then and quickly dealt with the monsters nearby. After returning to her perch, Ais patted herself down before sitting atop the small blanket Vahn had set out and began to relax a bit when she felt the cold air of the Dungeon fade away as a warmth surrounded her...The final shift was taken up by Riveria and, shortly after she finished preparing for her post, she found a wooden table had been sat out for her with a comfortable chair to accompany it. On the table, there were various journals and books present with a freshly brewed pot of tea and bite-sized snickerdoodle cookies at the side. Riveria released a sigh before looking over at the tent where Vahn was sleeping with the other girls. After shaking her head slightly, she sat down at the table and partook of one of the cookies before opening up one of the journals present. It was all of Vahn's notes that he had been taking throughout the day and there was even a few excerpts about things they had discussed in the past. Riveria realized that Vahn must have been somewhat bored during their expedition and it brought a small smile to her face as she picked up the quill and began writing notes of her own.Though there were no visible changes in the layout of the Dungeon, it was time for everyone to wake up and Vahn had been one of the firsts to stir since he wanted to prepare breakfast. When he came out of the tent with Fenrir and the somewhat drowsy Tiona, Vahn saw Riveria writing in the journals while periodically looking around at the surroundings. She noticed their presence and gave Vahn a curt nod before returning to the journal in hand. Tiona stretched her body before clinging to Vahn and asking in a sleepy voice, "Vahn, make something sweet for breakfast, okay~?" As a result, Vahn decided to make the main dish as pancakes and then accompanied it with bacon, eggs, and some rice porridge for those that weren't too fond of sweets.With the smell of food on the air, everyone in the camp started to wake up soon after and came out of their tents seeking the source. Finn looked over at Riveria and was slightly stunned to see her sitting at a desk before promptly ignoring the matter and walking over to Vahn. Seeing what he was making, Finn asked, "Would you like my assistance, Vahn? I'm not the greatest chef in the world, but I should be able to assist you easily enough." Though Vahn was tempted to decline, it felt like it would have been unnecessarily rude of him to do so. After nodding his head, Vahn turned over the skillet to Finn before he moved on to the next set of items and they started cooking together. As for Tiona and Fenrir, they were already sitting down at the table as Tiona helped Fenrir eat some of the snacks Vahn had set out.Unlike the previous lunch incident, Vahn had set out a low table with a total of ten cushions present with the same red one designating Bete's spot. Without offering any complaints, Bete just walked over and sat down next to the slightly groggy Gareth who had inadvertently emptied the flask Vahn had given him after returning to his own tent. He wouldn't be affected for long, but he was slightly hungover for the time-being and was nursing a cup of dark-black coffee that Vahn had set out. As Bete had been one of the last people to sit at the table, the atmosphere was already somewhat lively after the girls had all washed up a bit and sat down. They hadn't taken a bath, but Vahn set out a small basin so they could rinse off their faces and brush their teeth before breakfast.Finn saw the lively atmosphere as he dexterously flipped over an omelet and remarked, "This is rather different from any other expedition I've ever been on, not that I'm complaining. It's good to see everyone's morale is so high even though we're so deep in the Dungeon..." Vahn nodded his head lazily and cast a glance over at Finn before saying, "I used to think you had to treat the Dungeon very seriously because I had been made aware of the dangers by Tsubaki when she trained me in the past. Now...I don't think that is entirely the case...after all, we're supposed to be on an 'adventure' right now, and all the stories make them out to be fun and exciting affairs. Though I'm not going to promote complacency, I think exploring the Dungeon should be something that is enjoyable when we have the capabilities to make it so..."Hearing Vahn's words, Finn was slightly surprised and had even paused his hands for a brief moment until the small of slightly burnt eggs reached his nose and he slid it off onto a plate. Vahn's words, though somewhat 'romantic' in nature, really were what Adventurers were supposed to aspire towards. Other than those that entered the Dungeon simply to 'get by', many people pursued its depths in the pursuit of fame, glory, wealth, and power. Most of those that actually achieved them were typically very free-spirited people that eagerly sought new stimulus and wanted to experience new things, even though it wasn't always pleasant.It was this desire for adventure that had caused the Guild to begin labeling explorers and dungeoneers as Adventurers in the first place. However, this was something that was often overlooked on missions and expeditions, and Finn hadn't really thought about it too much until he heard the words from Vahn's mouth. It suddenly seemed like him harping over the small details was 'incorrect' as there was no need to follow established conventions when people could be 'happy' and productive at the same time.Typically, as an expedition reached the end, it had become something of a slog and people just wanted it to be over. This was why the majority of losses happened on the return trip, because people were simply 'too eager' and were prone to making mistakes. However, Finn could actually imagine people wanting to stay longer with people like Vahn making things more 'fun' for everyone. Though he couldn't imagine it happening any time soon, Finn was starting to see Vahn's image of creating a permanant settlement in the Dungeon as a reality. Even if it was only a 'possibility', Finn knew it would be better to jump on the bandwagon early so a smile appeared on his face as he gave the young human boy a thoughtful look...(A/N:Alternate Titles: 'These flames are 'boring'...','The Night's Watch','Happy Fun Times')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 488: Brunch