Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

While they were recuperating their stamina, Vahn explained the details of what he had seen on the 58th Floor and confirmed the account of the Zeus and Hera Familias. He also talked about the practicality of moving between the floors using the 'tunnels' formed by the Valgang Dragon's like a shortcut in the future, something that caused a fair amount of discomfort amongst the group. Though Riveria's [Veil Breath] was very useful, it wasn't guaranteed to protect them from several bursts but Vahn assured her it shouldn't be a problem. He promised to make something that helped to amplify her magic power in the future, while also researching how to create permanant countermeasures for the breath attacks.Though Finn knew the 'tunnels' lead all the way to the 58th Floor, while passing through every floor in between, he had never thought about using them as a 'short cut' before. It seemed a little ridiculous, but Vahn's stunt showed that it was definitely possible, though there would have to be some preparations made beforehand. The fact that he had gone all the way down to the 58th Floor and returned in a matter of ten minutes, while also killing six Valgang Dragons, one Red Dragon, and several Ill Wyverns, was a big eye-opener for everyone present.The person that seemed to take the biggest impact, however, was Bete, who was standing at the side with a somewhat pale complexion. He had already agreed to fight with Vahn on the surface, but he realized now that Vahn was probably much stronger than he was. Bete had no way of replicating Vahn's feat on his own and he also knew there was no practical way to deal with his [Shundo] either. He was already intending to force Vahn into a brawl, as he wouldn't be able to deal with his ranged attacks for long, but even that seemed like a bad idea if Vahn was able to become hot enough to melt the Dungeon...After resting for a good half-hour, the group made their way into the 51st Floor and pressed forward with the same momentum as they cleared the other Floors. Though they could afford to take it slow, it was already in the afternoon and everyone wanted to return to the 50th Floor before it got too late in the evening. The only thing that slowed their progress slightly was that Vahn had let Fenrir ease some of her own frustrations by joining the fight while Lefiya had started her barrage once again. She was very near the pinnacle of parameter development for her current level, but there was still a little bit of wiggle room.By the time she returned to the surface, Lefiya would become a veritable powerhouse as a Mage because she was effectively growing to 'standard' levels at once. Vahn had been keeping track of her progress, as there was a real chance she might 'have' to Level-up soon, and she was currently at a somewhat monstrous 1779 Magic. Added to her 1998 base Magic, this gave Lefiya a total of 3,777 Magic, which would have put her 'normally' around the peak of Level 4, even though she was only Level 3. With any luck, she could potentially even reach the point where she would have been Level 5, even though she was just about to reach Level 4. It wasn't an exaggeration to say she was nearly a full level ahead of other Mages, and this gap would only continue to grow in the future.One of the biggest changes, however, had been the fact that the 'thread' in Lefiya's body had now reached the thickness of a piece of yarn and her magic power and recovery rate had increased by a marginal rate. Even though she didn't have the [Spirit Healing] Development Ability, Vahn could tell that Lefiya's natural regeneration was nearing the lower ranks of the ability. As for her magic itself, her 'Radiant Lancer' was to the point where it would continue forward until it collided with the Dungeon wall. Even if there were several monsters in between her and the resistant bedrock, the brilliant while lance would continue forward until it carved a decently sized concave hole in the Dungeon wall itself. As for the unfortunate monsters that got caught in its path, the only thing that remained of them were some glassy remains that almost instantly turned into purple dust.Seeing Lefiya killed five Black Rhinos with a single 'no-chant' magic, Finn his a somewhat blank expression on his face as he asked, "That staff is a magic item...isn't it? I had been meaning to ask about it for a while..." Though he had addressed the question to Lefiya, Vahn squeezed her shoulder slightly and said, "It is a weapon I personally created for Lefiya to cover some of her weaknesses regarding magic. You shouldn't worry about the details too much, as it is a private matter. Just knowing she can take care of monsters without having to cast long chants should be enough..." Vahn knew that Finn wanted to ask about the possibility of having more items like Lefiya's staff. Though it would certainly increase the combat potential of the entire expedition, Vahn knew it wasn't a good decision to start feeding the items from the shop into the world.Finn had somewhat expected the answer so he took it in stride and simply dropped the matter for the time being. Though Vahn took a 'hard-line' approach at times, Finn knew he was actually a pretty sensible boy that took the 'bigger' picture into consideration, at least when it suited his own interests. When it came down to creating a true defensive line in the Dungeon, Finn expected Vahn would be one of the people supplying equipment to the people stationed there. It was a good way to incentivize people, as it would also allow them to grow stronger and earn a bit of fame for themselves. This would also increase Vahn's reputation as a [Master Smith] and show that he treats the people that follow him well. Though he might not plan for it, Finn could see Vahn eventually giving in just to ensure that things runs smoothly in the future...Unaware of Finn's machinations, Vahn kept his attention trained on the Dungeon itself as he continued his perpetual pursuit for any signs that their enemies had taken action against them. In the future, Vahn wanted to explore around the Middle Floors more often, as that had been where he met the red-haired woman. He also planned to probe into the artificial dungeon, but only after his strength had increased to a point where he was confident there were few things that could stop him. Every day, twice a day, Vahn would check the orb in his inventory in the hopes that Eva once again awakened. When she finally reappeared, Vahn knew he would become much stronger and, the longer she was dormant, the more he somewhat regretted not learning from her when he had the chance.However, Vahn knew that it was his decisions that allowed him to get much closer to Eva as she likely would have treated their relationship differently if he truly took her as his Master. He was also able to keep his promise to Hephaestus so, while he somewhat regretted his lack of strength, he believed he had made the best decision at the time. She would undoubtedly awaken in the future, so Vahn just had to exercise a bit of patience until that day came. Based on her personality, Vahn expected it would actually be shortly after the birth of his first child. He felt like Eva wanted him to spend more time with the girls in the real world, as they had become very close at the time, and it seemed like something she would do just to make Vahn 'focus' on what he needed to do.After four hours of travel, as they had taken a bit of time to get their bearings, the group arrived at the stairs leading to the 50th Floor. It was currently 8:38 PM, according to Vahn's system time, so they had made it just in time to reach the camp and enjoy a long night's rest. When they reached the 50th Floor proper, Vahn oriented the group toward the direction of the encampment, as he had previously mapped the entire Floor, before they quickly made their way over. In a few short minutes, the group arrived at the camp and took the direct path leading up the plateau so as not to spook the guards.Seeing the arrival of the ten-person party, the watch sounded a lighter alarm to alert the camp of the main parties return. Most people were still up at this time, so people quickly gathered to welcome the triumphant return of the group. When Finn announced that they had reached the 54th Floor and discovered a new species of plant life, it caused a round of cheers from the entire expedition as a festive atmosphere took over the camp. Always being the type to get drawn in by the atmosphere, Vahn escalated things by getting Finn's permission to add some alcohol to the impromptu banquet that had been set up. To make matters 'worse', Vahn also offered a large quantity of food for everyone to eat, something that made Finn's brows twitch as he wondered about the capacity of Vahn's 'storage magic'. He already knew it wasn't normal, as it wouldn't be able to retain the heat of items and prevent them from spoiling, but he wasn't privy to the full details and was simply left guessing. Even Riveria wouldn't clue him in on any information other than the fact that she had made a vow to not disclose such things, one which had been presided over by Loki herself.Though it might not be obvious to others, Finn could see the signs that Vahn was being put into a position as the 'leader' of the entire Alliance in the future. He had thought about the 'peculiarity' of finding himself under Vahn's command in the future, as it wouldn't make sense for him to be the one that continually accompanied them, it now seemed like it was going to happen much sooner. With the support of the various gods and goddesses of each Familia, as he was the lynchpin, Vahn was in the perfect position to 'consolidate' power as a result of his own ridiculous capabilities. Just the fact that Riveria was so supportive of Vahn already put his own authority in a precarious situation, something Finn would have to adapt to or he would eventually be forced to step down in the future.As he was still committed to his role as the 'Braver' for the Pallum people, Finn couldn't afford to lose his position and authority in the near future, so the only thing he could do was backpedal a bit and go with the flow of events as they progress. Developing an antagonistic relationship with Vahn as a result of his interest in Lili seemed like a particularly foolish thing to do now. Since Vahn had never rescinded his offer to join the 'network' he was creating, Finn decided to try and get along better with him in the future. After all, Vahn was actually a person of commendable character that was highly thoughtful of other people. It didn't make sense to try and force an issue against him, especially after taking into consideration the complete lack of information Finn had about Vahn's true capabilities. Just the surface stuff was already enough to shake him down to the core, and this was likely just the tip of a very large iceberg...During the evening festivities, Finn decided to earn a bit of rapport for himself with the expedition by bringing up the fact they would be returning to the surface after resting for one more day. Hearing the news, everyone was much more excited than they had been, as the last few days had been somewhat boring being cooped up inside the encampment. Other than a few of the stronger groups, everyone else had been required to hole up within the small fortification they had created to protect the supplies. This meant they spent a fair amount of time sitting around and playing cards and dice as they eagerly awaited the return of the main group. As Finn had expected, many people became progressively nervous as the days passed, so it was music to their ears hearing about their imminent return.Though they sat with the expedition for the majority of the party, most of the girls eventually 'retreated' to their private tent since there were more than a few men that acted uncouthly when they were drunk. They didn't actually do anything, but most young girls didn't want to be around that type of environment as the stares alone were somewhat frustrating. Vahn himself also left the party, though a little later, but only after Tione had gotten drunk and had made several attempts to convince him to sneak away from the party. After helping her calm down, Vahn carried Tione's unconscious body back to the tent and set her down on the large futon. He pulled away all the sweat from her body before discarding the small orb of liquid off to the side and returning to the main tent to enjoy a relaxing bath with the other girls.The largest section of their tent had a table, which was big enough to seat everyone, while the rest of the area was taken up by a relatively large wooden bath. Since a normal basin wasn't big enough, Vahn had purchased a bath through the shop that was about 1m deep and could easily hold up to ten people, though it would be somewhat cramped. As the only girls present were Ais, Tiona, Lefiya, Naaza, Lili, and Haruhime, there was more than enough space for Vahn. Mikoto had retired earlier, apparently being somewhat weak to alcohol, and Vahn had seen her passed out on the futon with a silly smile on her face. It was somewhat regrettable because Vahn wished she could smile like that when she was awake.During the bath, Vahn ended up getting 'assaulted' by Haruhime and Lili for a short while before helping each girl, with the exceptions of Naaza and Lefiya, wipe down their bodies. Haruhime had been decidedly less 'bold' this time around, so Vahn was grateful for that and carefully washed her ears for her. Renards had slightly curved fox-like ears with large tufts of fur in their interiors to prevent fluids for accumulating inside. To prevent things like infections, cleaning the ears was a very delicate process that required a lot of care and it was somewhat 'intimate' to entrust it to another person. Though Vahn often washed her hair for her, as it was very long and silky smooth to the touch, it wasn't that often that he tended to her ears.As for Lili, she was very easy to clean as there wasn't a lot of surface area for Vahn to cover. Though she tried to make a bit of trouble, she didn't get too out of hand since Fenrir had been eyeing her a bit. After Lili, Vahn washed down Ais's body and once again marveled at her almost ethereal beauty and noticed that she was beginning to develop slightly. Though he approximately knew what she would look like in the future, Vahn had only seen that version of Ais on the pages of a manga and it didn't do a lot of justice when it came to describing the real thing. Vahn wondered how her body would develop further in the future and he felt especially blessed to see the changes with his own eyes.Tiona was up shortly after Ais and made things somewhat interesting by asking Vahn to wash her from behind. Vahn knew she was teasing him a bit, but the view of Tiona from behind made his heart itch and was a very pleasant sight so he indulged her. 'Fortunately', her breasts weren't very well developed so Vahn didn't have to reach far forward to wash the front of her body. He would never say it out loud, unless she specifically asked him in certain contexts, but Vahn thought smaller breasts suited Tiona as they made her seem especially lively.The last person to receive Vahn's care was the uncharacteristically 'patient' Fenrir who immediately replaced Tiona shortly after Vahn rinsed her hair. Tiona playfully let herself fall back into the water as a result of Fenrir's 'invasion' before she began to float on the top of the water spread-eagle. It wasn't long before she bumped into someone and, seeing that it was Lefiya, immediately 'attacked' the bashful Elf while offering to help wash her back for her. As for Fenrir, she emulated Tiona's behavior and asked Vahn to wash her from behind as well. Though he was momentarily hesitant, Vahn had already washed Fenrir's body well more than a hundred times at this point so he didn't mind it too much. Just like Tiona, Fenrir was in a similar condition as a certain trickster goddess and Vahn knew she would likely be stuck like this for all of eternity unless she either died, or he found a solution.There was a great deal Vahn didn't know about his Innates, including his [Keeper of the Akashic Tome]. Since it was possible to imbue a record into an entity without a fate, Vahn was able to drastically change the destinies of those that received his names. It also mentioned that they were capable of even exceeding the original record, which meant that further evolution and changes should be possible in the future. At the very least, Vahn wanted Fenrir to learn magic a bit so she would be able to transform her body a bit in the future. Though she wasn't nearly as small as someone like Lili, Fenrir was still rather petite, somewhat shorter than Arnya, and Vahn was very worried about her being 'hurt' when things inevitably escalated.As if she had read his mind, Fenrir angled her head up and let her head rest against Vahn's chest as she said, "Fenrir will be fine..." in a soft tone. Though he used to be surprised with how much information she received through their bond, Vahn had already grown accustomed to her behavior. He reached up and framed her face before rubbing the bottom of her chin and making her lower jaw quiver slightly before saying, "Lower your head so I can wash your hair..." Fenrir nodded before tilting her head back down and patting the water with her paws in a happy manner as she let Vahn wash her hair...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Lefiya's Laserbeams','Finn gives up','Fenrir evolves from Vanargandr into Copycat')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

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

Chapter 489: Fiery Wrath