Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

As the Twilight Manor was one of the furthest points at the north of the City, it placed it as nearly 104km away from the Hearth Manor. Fortunately, it wasn't a great distance at all for many Adventurers and even Vahn could cover the distance within fifteen minutes at a relatively quick pace. With Fafnir, however, even when they flew at a slow and steady pace to allowed Terra to keep up, they still reached the area above the Twilight Manor in less than four minutes. Terra was currently in her dragon form, so it was quite the sight to behold seeing two dragons flying next to each other as their massive frames dominated the sky.The Twilight Manor was built on a plot of land that was nearly 5km wide so there was plenty of space for them to land even though there were numerous people out and about. Terra would have normally been at least 'slowed down' by the barrier surrounding the Manor, but she was able to bypass it completely since her 'signature' was actually identical to Vahn's. The same applied to both Fafnir and Fenrir as their bodies had been completely restructured by his source energy during their evolutions.Several members of the Loki Familia showed up after Vahn landed in the massive courtyard but they didn't show any hostility at all as they were already familiar with Vahn and Fafnir. Though Terra was a new existence, she was actually quite beautiful as far as dragons were concerned and she was much easier on the eyes than the 'evil' looking Fafnir. Her scales glimmered vibrantly in the sunshine above and the aroma that followed in her wake was extremely pleasant for everyone that smelled it. It was a strangely 'reminiscent' smell that was hard to describe, and Vahn speculated it actually had a different scent for everyone that had the opportunity to inhale it.Vahn hopped down from Fafnir's back and waved to the guards who returned a salutation of their own before resuming their posts as one of them ran off to inform Loki of Vahn's arrival. Though there was no way she hadn't detected his arrival through the barrier, it was still required to convey the details directly to her so she could 'prepare' herself properly. Not that he minded waiting, but it was fortunate that the girls had already been expecting his arrival as they emerged from the Manor just a few short minutes later. Vahn had a casual smile on his face at first, but his eyes widened marginally when he saw Loki's 'unbalanced' appearance and the somewhat 'cold' gaze of Riveria.Loki was around ten-eleven weeks pregnant at this point but she looked strangely 'ahead' of that timeline with how her belly was protruding. She was nearly the same 'size' as Hephaestus, who was already well into her fourteenth week, with twins to boot. Vahn ignored the gaze of Riveria for the time being and inspected Loki's abdomen with his [Eyes of Truth] and didn't see any signs of complications at all. Their daughter simply seemed to be gestating slightly faster than normal, not that there was anything 'normal' about a goddess' pregnancy. Vahn speculated it was just a result of the mild differences in Divinities and potential even subtle variations in the construction of their bodies before they descended from Heaven. He would have to carefully document things in the future so there wouldn't be any 'surprises'.Since Vahn felt strangely guilty about having Loki walk all the way to him, he stepped forward with [Shundo] and startled the goddess slightly before a 'cheeky' grin appeared on her face and she mused, "My, how thoughtful~" and allowed Vahn to support her body. He wasn't sure why himself, but Vahn felt very 'alert' around the pregnant women and it made him worried just seeing them walk around. Though goddesses had a bit of an immunity to the weather, Vahn infused fire elements into his domain and warmed up the surrounding air to keep her warm as he greeted Riveria, Tiona, Ais, Tione, and Lefiya in turn.After 'pleasantries' were shared, Riveria looked over at Terra with interest and asked, "So this is the Green Dragon that you named previously...Terra Evergreen, was it?" As she had access to the network, Riveria was already aware of a lot of the information concerning Terra, including that she had a human form. However, Terra maintained her dragon form as she said in a soft tone that was somewhat unexpected from a 14m long dragon, "Good morning, everyone, my name is indeed Terra Evergreen. I had the honor of being saved from the darkness of the Dungeon by my Master, who also saw fit to bestow upon me greater power and various opportunities. As we may be associating with each other for a time, please treat me well as I will do my best to return your kindness."Riveria's cold expression softened up a bit as she waved her hand around in the air and enjoyed the fragrance coming from Terra's body. As a High Elf, she was even more 'fond' of Terra's presence than Ryuu and she could feel the natural energy radiating off of her. Even the ground below them, which was cobblestone tiles, had started to show signs of plants emerging through the cracks. Ryuu had told her about the 'wellspring' in the center of the Hearth Manor, so Riveria was quite interested in the rather beautiful looking dragon. However, this interest actually made her a little more annoyed with Vahn since she would have liked to see the 'evolution' process even more now...With a new dragon appearing, Loki's eyes had widened fully as she inspected the new 'beautiful' dragon with a great deal of interest. She had been thinking about asking Vahn to help her obtain a dragon of her own, so seeing him alongside a new one made her a little excited. Though she knew it would be next to impossible to get Terra for herself, Loki wanted to try and secure the next one for herself in the future. If possible, she'd like one that looks more like Fafnir though, as it had a more 'tyrannical' appearance instead of a 'gentle' and slender one such as Terra.Overall, Terra was quite popular with everyone and Tiona had even unhesitantly climbed onto her back and commented, "Wow, her back is super soft~!" as she lay down and reclined against the grass-like feathers. Terra couldn't alter her scales like Fafnir, but her back was still wide enough to support 2-3 people comfortably and it was also covered in grass-like feathers that covered the scales near her wings. Because of the vital energy from her body, she even produced actual plant life and there were flowers that had sprouted on her body. Vahn suspected that, if Terra laid down in one area for long enough, she might actually become part of the landscape after enough time passed.As Terra was getting more familiar with the girls, Loki asked, "So, what are you going to be doing from now on, Vahn? I already heard from Finn and Riveria and it looks like you have a few big plans in mind." Vahn nodded his head and explained, "Yes, I want to prepare things for creating a supply-station on the 39th Floor, which could eventually even become an actual settlement, before moving deeper into the Dungeon and finding a foothold in the 50th Floor. Other than that, I'll be focusing all of my efforts on my research since I want to ensure that everyone is properly protected..."Loki leaned her back into Vahn's chest, as he had been holding her shoulders from behind, and said, "Don't forget that you also need to think about our babies in the coming months...there are also a few things that you need to take care of to cement our position on the 'surface'. Though she has already had a few children over her own, Demeter would like our assistance conceiving a child and Eirene has also considered the matter seriously before joining the Alliance..." As he had already expected this to be the case, as both girls had shown up at the wedding to show their support, Vahn nodded his head and gently rocked Loki as he said, "Yes, I'll take care of it properly...just tell me when it's necessary and I'll make time. Preferably, it should be during the weekdays since I plan to spend the weekends with everyone."Though she enjoyed Vahn's warmth, Loki still had to treat matters seriously so she explained in a firm manner that didn't really leave room for misunderstandings, "You may not have any feelings for them, Vahn, but you can also consider having them wait until a bit later if you're willing to help them bear children with your bloodline. Demeter has a few partners on-and-off, but she is the type that would be able to take care of children with love and care. As for Eirene, she has a strong sense of duty and nobility and would help firmly secure our position on the surface...you may not have feelings for them, but such things aren't nearly as important to gods as they are to mortals. If you decide to have them wait, you'd have to deal with Freya first though...she probably wouldn't take it well if she 'lost' her chance to other goddesses."Vahn had been caught off guard by Loki's words but he couldn't help but consider them seriously as he understood the reasons behind her words. After the Divination, Vahn had looked into a variety of texts relating to governing as an Emperor and a King. He knew the importance of marrying and having children to 'strengthen' Alliances and it would have to be a matter he treated seriously if he wanted to eventually seize control of the City. He wouldn't do anything to rob power from the Guild, he actually intended to help it grow, but Vahn knew he would one day need to 'interfere' with the governance of the City if he wanted to root out criminals and the like in the future.The Demeter Familia was in charge of the production of food for Orario and the Eirene Familia were the ones that guarded and policed the City. Having them as part of the Alliance was a big 'power move' already, but it would be firmly cemented if he helped them give birth to Vanir. There were few mortal women, much less goddesses, that wouldn't be proud to have powerful and capable children with endless potential. Since they would also 'inherit' the traits of their mother's, they would have an even stronger bond with each other, one that could even last for millennia given how long-lived the Vanir likely were.However, as Loki had pointed out, he would have to deal with the matters related to Freya in the future if he wanted to pursue that path. Though she had officially joined the Alliance, making them the strongest power within the City, she still stood 'alone' amongst all the other gods and goddesses. Her pride wouldn't allow her to take a 'lesser' position against goddesses less accomplished than she was. Though she made exceptions for Hestia, Hephaestus, and Loki, she wasn't the type that would be 'content' with being passed-over in lieu of different goddesses...As if she could read his mind, Loki reached up and stroked the side of Vahn's face as she said, "You don't have to worry about it too much, Vahn. Demeter and Eirene aren't 'desperate' girls, so they wouldn't mind waiting for several years as long as there was a 'promise'. They both think highly of your character, especially Eirene, so you don't have to stress over the matter that much. I know you're worried about 'Lenneth', but that isn't something that should be at the forefront of your attention. We just have to take certain actions to keep the current godly assembly happy and there is literally a line of goddesses that want children. Eirene and Demeter had just skipped the queue a bit when they joined the Alliance..."Vahn thought about it for a short while before nodding his head and saying, "I'll meet with Eirene and Demeter to discuss the matter personally...as for the other goddesses that seek children, I'll let the network deal with the selection." In response to Vahn's words, Loki began laughing in a somewhat mischevious manner as she patted his hand and said, "You're so well-behaved, Vahn~. However, you need to be a bit 'firmer' in the future so you aren't taken advantage of...never forget that you are the reason we're all gathered, so don't be afraid to take a firm stance on matters if you're worried about them. Just like when you showed up at the Vahnatus in the past...have a bit of confidence, as it makes our hearts more at ease knowing you aren't going to 'break' if things don't go well."Though she couldn't help but scheme a bit, as the matter regarding Eirene and Demeter wanting Vahn's children was something she 'machinated' after discussing it with the two goddesses, Loki was still very worried about Vahn. She was 'satisfied' having a child of her own, but Loki's perspective had expanded a great deal after the revelations from the Divination. She had always known Vahn had the potential to 'rule', which was even more evident after the Expedition, but he wasn't the greatest 'leader'.As long as there were other people working to make his intentions a reality, Vahn would likely take them all towards a greater future, even if there is a bit of conflict along the way. However, if he tried to take care of everything himself, or left the decisions to other people, Vahn could just as easily become a 'puppet' instead. Fortunately, there were girls like Hestia, Eina, and Syr looking after him on a daily basis, but Loki couldn't help but worry just a little bit...after all, though she felt like the child 'belonged' to her, Loki wanted Vahn's influence in the life of their daughter. She had seen many orphans, and children that had grown up with just one parent, and wanted to make sure her own child was given all the best that life had to offer...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Smells like the *insert nostalgic time period here*','Riveria does not find this turn of events amusing','Loki's maternal instincts?')https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

After promising to meet with Loki in the coming days, as she was busy managing matters with her Familia after the expedition, Vahn mounted Fafnir along with Riveria, Ais, Tiona, Tione, Lefiya, and Fenrir. Tiona had wanted to ride Terra, but the elegant green dragon actually refused her, saying, "I would want my Master to be the first person to ride on my back. Please forgive me, Tiona." This was one of the 'troublesome' things about having a dragon that could take human form from the beginning, as Vahn found it somewhat difficult to rationalize riding on Terra's back since he had Fafnir with him. Since it spent the majority of its time stuck in the shadows, Vahn also felt 'obligated' to use it as a mount because Fafnir seemed to enjoy it greatly. He could always make it up to Terra by spending time with her in the Manor, after all, which was something that Fafnir couldn't easily do since it's size was currently fixed.On the flight back to the Manor, Vahn found himself flanked by Tiona and Tione and it was very obvious they were more 'excited' than normal. With his increase in parameters, Vahn was relatively close to the two in strength and, until he 'tamed' their eager hearts, they likely wouldn't be able to calm down any time soon. As he had already planned to spend the evening with the girls from the Hostess of Fertility, Vahn was currently considering if he should tend to the two beautiful brown-skinned girls sooner, rather than later. Being able to 'defeat' them in the bedroom should help them calm down a great deal since it would pacify their instincts and allow them to act calmly around him in the future, except of course when he 'triggered' them by doing something showy.Once they reached the Manor, Tiona made the comment, "Wow, it feels like we're just now returning home~!" in a cheerful voice as she leaped down from Fafnir's back. The other girls seemed to share her sentiments and everyone appeared more lively as they happily made their way into the interior of the Manor to explore. Vahn had stayed back with Tione a bit and grabbed her arm as he 'whispered', "Tione, if you're struggling so much..." Contrary to his expectations, Tione simply embraced him all of a sudden and said, "I'm fine, Vahn, just call on me when you're ready. I know you must be busy after just returning to the surface, so just make time in the future for me and I'll be happy. We can invite Tiona and Ais along and make it into a celebration about returning to the surface~."Vahn felt a bit of warmth spread through his chest with how thoughtful Tione was being as he embraced her in return and sealed her lips with an 'unexpected' kiss. He kept things brief since he wasn't trying to make things even more difficult, but it still caused her to breathe a little heavier before she made her way toward the Manor. The only 'people' remaining outside were Vahn, Riveria, Lefiya, Fenrir, Terra, and Fafnir, so Vahn felt like it was time to face his fate as he turned to Riveria and bowed his head low, saying, "Riveria, please forgive me for forgetting my promise to allow you to observe the naming ceremony. I had been so eager to complete it that I hadn't been thinking properly and have let you down...I will do better in the future."Seeing Vahn's somewhat 'eager' apology, Riveria released a sigh and cast a glance at the 'grimacing' Lefiya before saying, "Raise your head, Vahn. It is expected that people make mistakes, and you have a lot on your plate compared to most. The naming was just a matter I was curious about, and it isn't as though it will be the last time you perform such a feat. However, I would like to be part of the next one so please keep that in mind." Though she felt a small amount of resentment at having missed the opportunity, Riveria couldn't imagine holding an actual grudge against Vahn for very long anymore. He worked very hard and had already started laying a foundation for the future, not just for herself and Lefiya, but for the entire Elven people. She had already decided to be with Vahn in the future, so it was difficult to rationalize staying angry at him when she knew it would actually 'hurt' him more than most people.Hearing Riveria's words, Vahn raised his head and smiled gratefully after seeing how stable and calm her aura was compared to the mild fluctuations that were present earlier. Since he suddenly found himself with more free time, as the matter with Tione had been pushed back temporarily, Vahn gestured to Terra and said, "Terra, please return to your humanoid form, and remember to wear your robe properly." Vahn's words caused Riveria to squint slightly as she turned her gaze to Terra and watched as the 14m long dragon became enshrouded in a vibrant green light that rapidly shrunk. By the time it reached 3m in diameter, the light 'burst' apart into wispy strands and there was suddenly a woman standing in a high-quality robe.Seeing Terra's appearance, Riveria understood what Ryuu meant when she compared her to a spirit as the 'feeling' she gave off was very similar. If she didn't have wings on her back, something Riveria found fascinating, she would have been indiscernible from the majority of spirits that took on human form. There was vibrant energy radiating from her body that was filled with life and warmth and, under her bare feet, flowers bloomed as grass coiled about in an almost 'playful' manner. Riveria felt that, with her ability to create a 'wellspring' of life, Terra could have become an idol for the Elven people. It seemed that Vahn had a natural inclination to do things that would eventually unify the Elves with other cultures in the future, as he not only had Terra's support, but also possessed a [Seed of the Tree of Life], could transform into a High Elf, and had already gained some insight into finding a solution to the issues concerning Elven infertility...Lefiya had also noticed the peculiarities with Terra, but the thing she most took note of at the present was the fact that Terra was also one of Vahn's 'subordinates'. They had already introduced themselves earlier, but Lefiya still took the opportunity to bow politely and say, "We'll be working together from now on, Terra. Lets both do our best for Master~!" Since she wouldn't have been able to keep it from Riveria, Lefiya had already explained the change in 'status' between her and Vahn, though she didn't go into too many details. What Lefiya had discussed was the fact that she had taken Vahn as her Master to learn magic, which was something Riveria had even encouraged her to do, so it wasn't incorrect to address him as such.Terra, however, understood the true context of Lefiya's words because she could subtly feel a connection with the small Elven girl. Emulating the polite bow displayed by Lefiya, Terra returned the courtesy and said, "I look forward to working alongside you, Lefiya. I'm certain we can accomplish more working together rather than dividing our efforts." Though the two girls smiled at each other, Riveria had a look of suspicion on her face as she looked between their unique interaction. She assumed there was likely more to things that weren't currently made apparent, but decided to probe into them later as there was another matter that concerned her at the moment.Asking a question that Vahn was also curious about, Riveria turned to Terra and asked, "Terra, how is it that you are able to speak so fluently and behave similarly to the surface races? I understand you were an intelligent monster within the Dungeon, but that doesn't explain how you're able to carry yourself in such a 'proper' manner..." Even now, Terra stood tall and had an almost noble disposition in the way that she carried herself. It was possible that it was simply 'instinctual' for her, but Riveria wanted to learn more about the matter.Terra tilted her head slightly as a reminiscent look appeared in her eyes and she said, "I'm not sure exactly how long I lived, but I had once roamed about on the surface. One day, I had been seriously injured by another monster and a small child had discovered my body. Though she wasn't very skilled, she happened to be the apprentice of her village's physician and she helped treat my wounds. I never recovered completely, but I was able to survive with her assistance over the course of several long months. Though I couldn't understand speech at the time, I felt indebted to the girl and she was always talking to me as she treated my wounds..."Though it seemed like Terra didn't mind going on even further, Rivera raised her hand and said, "I understand now, you learned how to interact with surface dwellers through your relationship with that girl. Since you aren't certain of your own age, you likely tracked it by the age of the girl over the course of her life until you eventually separated. As I do not want to pry into your past, I will drop this matter here for the time being...thank you for sharing with me." Riveria was very interested in Terr's life, but she didn't want to hear her narrate the entire thing while they were standing out in the courtyard. She would leave it to Vahn to 'discover' the elements about her past as Riveria was truly more interested in the 'future' right now.Terra smiled and bowed slightly to Riveria without continuing further, as it was something she struggled narrating as well. She didn't remember everything from her previous life, though her memories had slowly started to come back to her, but she did remember the little girl that slowly became a woman and eventually even had a family of her own. However, the most prominent memory in her mind was going to the aide of the girl's family in her time of need before she was eventually killed by a horde of monsters.Because there were so many enemies, the girl and her family died long before she fell and it was their deaths that eventually caused her to give up her own struggle. She might have been able to fly away if she was in her peak condition, but the injury she had sustained in the past had been to her wing and she was no longer capable of flight at the time. The only thing she remembered after that was waking up within the Dungeon and longing for the blue sky once again. Strangely, it had been one of the things she couldn't recall directly and it was almost 'heartbreaking' not being able to remember it...As a result of her struggles in her previous life, Terra had grown 'tired' of combat and she lamented her new life where she was constantly attacked by Adventurers that sought her treasure. Even when she tried to reason with them, they often just came back with a larger group and there would almost always be a fight. If not for her desire to return to the surface, and her instinctual desire to protect the Treasure Tree, Terra would have given up on life because she truly disliked fighting. When Vahn offered to make both of her desires a reality, Terra didn't truly believe him because it was difficult to trust humans. However, she could see the honesty contained within his eyes and it reminded her of past memories long forgotten. This was the reason why she decided to place her trust in him at the time and it seemed now that her fortunes had been favorable.After the brief conversation took place, the four went into the Manor as Fafnir plopped down in the same spot as the previous day and laid down on the ground to sunbathe once again. It opened his massive maw to 'yawn' as a rumbling growl escaped its throat and a sleepy look appeared in its eyes.It was happy to be able to stay on the surface now, but things seemed somewhat boring except when it was flying around with Vahn and having fun. Even flying in sky around the territory of the Alliance wasn't really that interesting so it spent the majority of its time sleeping as it released an intimidating aura at anyone, or anything, that might come near the Manor. There were several people that passed by the outer walls that would find themselves spook as the stopped and looked over the top of the walls with thoughtful expressions. They didn't actually plan to break in, they were simply curious what kind of place the 'famous' Hearth Manor really was. Unfortunately, they curiosity earned them a lingering feeling of dread if they stayed too long because Fafnir would bear its aura down on anyone that overstayed their welcome without going through the front gate.Since it was nice and sunny outside, Terra went into the illusory forest and made her way to the secret garden to continue nourishing the plants in the area while expanding her territory even further. It would require constant effort on her behalf to expand her dominion and Terra knew it was her 'duty' to make sure she did her best in guarding to Manor in exchange for a relatively peaceful lifestyle. It was very similar to her duty guarding the Treasure Tree, but Terra didn't mind at all since there was a beautiful sky overhead and she had a lot of freedom to move about as long as she informed people what she was doing. She also had a kind Master and there were many girls that treated her nicely, especially Ryuu, Haruhime, Maemi, and Emiru. It was much better to be surrounded by friendly people that it was to be 'trapped' in the lonely Dungeon where she would periodically be forced to fight for her life.As for Vahn, Riveria, and Lefiya, they made their way towards the Library while Fenrir ran off to explore the Manor with the other girls. Now that they were back at the Manor, there were a few things they needed to properly catalog and discuss regarding their future research and Vahn also wanted to pander to Riveria as an apology for forgetting his promise. She seemed to realize this as well and took the opportunity to question Vahn about some of the things she had been curious about, including the evolution of his magical abilities and the 'specifics' of his sensory capabilities. Though he couldn't explain everything to her, Vahn did he best to convey it in a manner that Riveria would understand and even broke down the existence of 'magic particles' and the structure of molecules for her, 'revolutionary' ideas that were somewhat hard to grasp.One of the things that was rather difficult to believe was Vahn's explanation that mana itself had no elemental properties at all, at least in its basic structure. It wasn't until mana was given a 'purpose', as a result of the influence of laws within the world, that it finally gained an 'elemental charge'. This meant it was possible to transition one elemental energy into a completely different one, which was easily seen through the process of converting water elemental energy into ice. Though they were similar, they were actually fundamentally different when it came to the aspect of the energies contained within them. Fortunately, their affinities were very close to each other so it was much easier to transition water into ice, and vice versa, than it was to change water into fire.This didn't mean it was impossible, however, which Vahn painstakingly demonstrated at the cost of using nearly 70% of his entire energy to turn a marble-sized ball of water into a ball of flame. With his newfound mastery of water elemental energies, Vahn could use his perfect affinity with fire to perform such feats, effectively shocking both Riveria and Lefiya to the core. The biggest impact to them hadn't been in that 'small' display though, as Vahn took things to an entirely different extent when he demonstrated that it was possible to create something from 'nothing' right before their eyes. Unlike the energy he used to 'create' things within his body, which made use of external energy, Vahn used his 'Oblivion' to created a sphere of iron roughly the size of a crystal ball that 'grew' right before the girls' eyes.Riveria had several difficult questions to ask after that, since she was interested in the 'differences' between Vahn 'creation' divinity and his ability to 'create' things from nothing. He could already materialize weapons, armor, clothing, and even food from thin air, so she wondered about why he stressed the significance of being able to make an orb of iron. It took a bit of effort, but Vahn essentially explained it at using a template, image, and desire to 'form' and item from his understanding and using his soul as a medium to essentially perform an 'exchange' with the world itself to produce items. The fundamental difference between creating an orb in the real world, and creating one through his 'divinity' was that one created something from 'nothing'. If they had enough understanding of the process, both Riveria and Lefiya would be able to create things in the future, even without a 'divinity' of their own.Though she suspected there was more to it than Vahn explained, Riveria felt like he was trying to be truthful to her so it was likely just his own difficulties in explaining the matter in a way she could understand. It made her feel slightly awkward so she didn't press him too much after he drew out various diagrams for her in order to describe the process. She suddenly felt like a child being educated by her tutor again, which was both refreshing and strangely disconcerting at the same time. One of the reasons she had left her home was because she craved knowledge and wanted to experience the outside world for herself, so being able to learn so much from Vahn was a very fulfilling thing for her. However, his age made her a little self-conscious because it almost felt like she was being treated like a child by someone that was 83 years younger than she was...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Good to be home','Terra's Past','Kouhai-Riveria and Vahn-Senpai~!')(A/N: Once again, I'd like to thank everyone that has been making pledges on ******* to show their support for the novel. We went from $631 to $821 pledged over the course of a single day so, if everything clears at the end of the month, I should be in a much better position to continue doing this even further into the future~! As for the lovely people that have made Paypal donations, I would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to each of you as receiving direct payments always makes me very happy xD, which I'm certain most people can empathize with &lt;3.)https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

From the status scroll, Vahn could tell that the girls from the Loki Familia were already awake and waiting for him to pick them up so Vahn didn't spend too much time in the bath. Since he was the only one present, however, Vahn transformed into his Xuánwǔ form once again before tracing his hands through the air and making similar 'ripples' to Mikoto's katana. The host onsen water within his vicinity swirled around him with the motion of his hands as he raised them and caused a section of it to rise above his head. Vahn enjoyed the somewhat turbulent water and felt his control over it had increased greatly, arguably even greater than the control he exercised over fire.He wasn't sure what had changed, but the shift in his Xuánwǔ form was a welcome change because Vahn knew he would eventually be able to emulate its influence in his 'base' form in the future. These changes had also reminded him of the runes he had seen on Báihǔ the last time he was in the endless void, but Vahn hadn't been able to discern anything from them previously. He knew there were changes to the form, but Vahn hadn't relied on it much for combat after the fact and had never discovered its increased potential. Now, with the changes in Xuánwǔ being so prevalent, Vahn was more inclined to research his Báihǔ form in the future to uncover its mystery. For now, however, he needed to make his way over to the Twilight Manor so he climbed out of the tub and got dressed before going to look for Terra and Fenrir.Just thinking about Fenrir was enough to make the girl come running, so Vahn went to seek the location of Terra. Though he had yet to visit it, Vahn knew her room was located on the first floor a short ways away from the twins. It was ultimately decided that, as she was going to be staying at the Manor the majority of her time, Terra would be looked after by Maemi and Emiru and help with the basic upkeep up the Manor. She would spend the rest of her time in the 'secret' garden and enjoying activities like sunbathing, so she was actually very happy about the opportunity. As one of his familiars, she didn't suffer the same 'gifting' restrictions as the other girls so Vahn had purchased her a custom Maid outfit that ended up being surprisingly suitable for her.It didn't take long for Vahn to find her room and she was already awake and moving about before he had arrived. As for Fenrir, he could sense her presence making its way toward him from Preasia's room with hasty, but practiced, footsteps. She had scuffed up the floor a bit in the past with her feet-paws, so she moved in a peculiar manner at times when she was inside.Vahn knocked on the door to Terra's room and heard her voice say, "Please enter, Master." so Vahn opened the door without hesitation before a wry smile appeared on his face. Terra was up and about, but she seemed to be having some difficulty wearing her clothes since she wasn't accustomed to them at all and it was difficult to get the fabrics around her wings properly. Realizing this Vahn began looking through his system to get her some soulbound equipment through the shop so she wouldn't have such problems in the future. After all, Vahn wanted to 'show her off' this morning, so she would transition into her dragon form soon before returning back to her human form.After averting his eyes, Vahn said, "Give me a moment and I'll find you some suitable clothes that you can wear..." Terra smiled in response and gave up trying to wear her other clothes as she hastily stripped them free of her body. She laughed slightly and said, "Clothing is strange and fascinating, Master, though I won't deny it is also a bit uncomfortable. I'll do my best to get used to them soon, so please let me wear lots of nice clothing from now on~." One of the things that Terra had learned about being a woman was that wearing stylish clothes was 'essential' because it allowed you to enhance your own appearance while also appealing to others. She recalled seeing many villagers and Adventurers wearing different outfits and could distinctly recall that the women always wore 'nicer' outfits than the guys and presumed this information to be true.Vahn nodded his head before confirming the parameters 'robe', 'form-fitting', and 'comfortable' through the gacha system since he couldn't select 'soulbound' as an option. Since a majority of functional equipment with 'soulbound' were things that cost in excess over 100,000OP, it made sense that he couldn't select it as a search parameter through the 10,000OP standard gacha. The only thing he could do was hope to get lucky like he had with the Nazha top or he would have to come up with a solution like setting up a changing station for Terra in the clearing in the forest out back. She would be able to land there in her dragon form before returning to her human form and wearing clothes...but Vahn felt that this would be a little unfair to her.Of the eleven orbs that popped out, the majority of them were white with the inclusion of two 'hits' in the form of a vibrant orange and a pale yellow orb. The robe from the orange orb was something called a [Singer's Robe] and it was an off-black color with golden accents that was actually quite nice to look at. As for the second 'robe', Vahn was a little confused by its structure because it looked more like a purple backless-dress than a robe and was called [Robe of the Purple Order]. Neither had the soulbound option and didn't seem to have the function of the Nezha outfit so Vahn was a little disappointed before deciding not to mind it and doing another 10+1 pull.Vahn tried not to mind the naked Terra standing in front of him as Fenrir trotted up behind him before coming to a pause as she tilted her head and watched Vahn. He was standing there with his eyes closed momentarily and neither girl disturbed him just yet. On the second pull, Vahn got another yellow orb before opening it up to reveal a small white 'robe' that didn't even look like it reached halfway down the thighs. Since it also didn't have what he was looking for, Vahn mustered up his resolve and tried to 'will' the gacha system to give him when he needed. He removed the 'comfortable' option from the parameters and replaced it with 'noble' since it seemed more suitable for a dragon-girl.This time, the first orb that was spat out by the massive wooden wheel was a deep blue color and Vahn nearly pumped his fist in reality, especially after the second orb shot out was green. Unfortunately, all the others were 'misses', including the bonus pull, but Vahn had high hopes as he cracked open the green orb. What popped out was an elegant green robe that looked like it was also blue at the same time as a trick of the light. It was embroidered with golden runes and there were a few well-placed gemstones that accented its look. The best thing about it was that it looked like a three-piece outfit even though it was just a single 'robe'. The outer layer was the peculiar 'turquoise' robe that was completely open at the front and hugged the waist before drapping down from the hips. The second layer was a soft purple bodice that also followed the flow of the robe itself while the third layer was similar to the first in that it was the same turquoise color but also flared slightly like flames with golden patterns sewn into it. Vahn thought it was strangely suitable for Terra and noticed the name as [Anabel's Robe] within the display.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------[Anabel's Robe]Rank: A (Magic)Slots: 1P.Def: 280M.Def: 900Abilities: Nature's Concealment(A), Magical Amplification(C), Weatherproof(B), Insulated(B)A comfortable robe which was worn by an elegant mage in a foreign record embroiled in turmoil and strife. This robe had been a gift from her star-crossed lover who suffered a terrible hand at the whims of fate. The one thing the man desired before his death was that his lover would be protected from harm so he prayed to the land itself to offer her protection.Soulbound:(unbound)-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------As the other robe, from the green orb, looked more like a palatial gown than a robe worn by 'normal' people, Vahn decided to keep it in his inventory for the time being because he felt the [Anabel's Robe] was very suitable for Terra. When he removed it from his inventory, a smile appeared on his face because what appeared was a golden necklace with a diamond-shaped golden pendant on it and a blood-red ruby encrusted in its center. There were a variety of runes carved into its surface and Vahn felt a burst of inspiration strike him as he recalled that the Hephaestus in the Divination had a necklace similar to this one. Just like the Nezha top, Vahn realized that the people that created the outfits in other records used pendants as the medium to create their magical outfits.Though he would want to study it later, Vahn reached out and said, "Here, take this and wear it around your neck. Afterward, infuse your intent into the pendant and you should hear a whisper in your mind that binds it to your soul. From now on, you should be able to call this robe whenever you like and it will serve as your general attire when you're transitioning between your dragon and humanoid forms." Hearing Vahn's words, Terra stepped forward and received the pendant from Vahn's hand as a glimmer passed through her eyes. As a True Dragon, she had an instinctual love for treasure and shiny things, so Vahn's pendant was very welcome by her as she placed it around her neck.Vahn instantly noticed that Terra was having a bit of difficulty attaching the necklace so he stepped forward and helped her do so. With her Dexterity, he wasn't sure why she had any trouble but likened it to the fact that she didn't even have fingers before yesterday. With his assistance, Terra was able to wear the pendant before smiling to Vahn and closing her eyes to follow his instructions. A few seconds later, a robe appeared on Terra's body and completely clothed her from head to toe in an instant. Other than her arms and legs, which were still bare since Terra liked to be able to touch and feel the ground, she was now fully attired in what could only be described in a Noble Mage's attire.Curiously, the back of the outer layer was now in three parts so that it could make room for Terra's wings and there was now an opening in the back that left space for her tail. Terra seemed to be very pleased by the outfit as she fluttered her wings slightly and traced her hands around her body and said, "It is more comfortable than I had expected. Thank you, Master, for giving me such a beautiful dress." From Terra's perspective, the outfit was much closer to a dress than a robe but Vahn corrected her and listed out all the benefits the robe offered. After he was done, Terra smiled vibrantly and said, "I wonder where the name Anabel came from~? How interesting to have a kindred spirit loved by nature~."Vahn somewhat wanted to remark that Anabel likely didn't have a pleasant end if she needed such a robe but kept it to himself as he turned to Fenrir, who was still in her nightgown, and helped her change her bottoms quickly before leading the way out of the Manor. Though Fafnir had sunbathed for several hours the previous day, and even flew around the area for a bit 'teasing' people, it eventually returned to the 'comfort' of the shadows by the time night had fallen. As a creature with an affinity for darkness, it preferred the comfort of the shadows more than the surface world since it was like being 'wrapped in a blanket' according to Fafnir. The shadows were a chaotic dimension which was filled with almost pure darkness elemental energy, so it was good nourishment for Fafnir as well since its predominant element was also darkness.Fafnir peaked its head up out of the ground and said, ("Good morning, Vahn, Big Sis, Little Sis~!") Vahn reached out his hand and stroked Fafnir's snout as Fenrir leaped up to its back and pat the hard scales with her paws and said, "Fafnir is a good Dragon, very good~!" As for Terra, she simply chuckled without minding that Fenrir was subtly reminding her how she should 'behave'. Terra then smiled at Fafnir and said, "Good morning, Big Brother, it is good to see you in high spirits." Fafnir released a burst of growling laughter with its actual mouth, seemingly very pleased by Terra's response. As for Vahn, he couldn't help but wonder how Terra's manners and etiquette were already so refined and his interest in her previous life was stirred a great deal...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Waterbending OP~!','Vahn's gacha-luck is too high','30+ years of life, unknown')(A/N: There will be a few more chapters tonight, at the very least 1-2.)https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 500: Twilight Manor Courtyard