Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After leaving the Clubhouse, Vahn looked into his Inventory to check what everyone else was up to, both within his own network and the girls'. Since it was the weekend, everyone was currently available and he had an opportunity to go on dates and stuff if he wanted. However, as she hadn't been around the Manor recently, Vahn decided to go visit Loki at the Twilight Manor. Even though she had a residence being built to the north of the Hearth Manor, Loki had yet to move into it and spent the majority of her time either at the Twilight Manor or meeting other gods. Though Hephaestus was still the official representative of the Alliance, Loki was the one managing the majority of the negotiations and agreements. She still conferred with the other senior goddesses, but they had more or less given her free reign at this point.Instead of calling Fafnir or Terra to give him a ride, Vahn decided to venture through the City on foot since he didn't walk through the City much after the girls moved into the Manor. Most of his time was spent either at the Manor itself or venturing into the Dungeon. He hadn't actually gone on too many dates recently, as most of the girls simply preferred to lounge about in the forest or areas in the East Wing. They enjoyed spending time with him in private over going out to see things within the City, so Vahn hadn't really felt the need to explore areas outside of the Alliance's territory.With his pace, Vahn crossed the 140km distance to the Twilight Manor in just under twenty minutes and greeted the gate guards before walking straight inside. At this point, as a result of his own actions and Loki's 'guidance', Vahn had the highest status within the Loki Familia excluding Loki herself. Even Finn couldn't really tell him what to do, even though Vahn didn't really have any authority over their members either. Many of the girls actually treated him pretty well since they had been 'teased' by Loki when she informed them he had access to their showers and baths if he wanted. Though he would never use it, this knowledge made some of the bolder girls act more openly around Vahn because it was very obvious to most people that he was actually very approachable as long as you didn't overstep your bounds.After exchanging greetings with several people, Vahn found his way into the relatively empty section of the Twilight Manor and eventually reached Loki's private residence. Since he could sense her inside, Vahn pushed against the door and entered without knocking, as she already knew he was there even before he arrived. Loki was currently 'sleeping' on the bed in a very convincing manner, if not for the fact that her somewhat fat belly was exposed. Vahn knew she would never go to sleep without properly covering her stomach and she probably just wanted to 'tempt' him a bit. Playing along with her scheme, Vahn removed his shoes before climbing into the bed and pulling out a cover to put over her stomach before rubbing it with his palm.Loki laughed in a mischevious manner before parting her eyes slightly before saying, "You're always so gentle~." and rolling over to face him. Vahn had positioned himself on her left side so she could be comfortable and pulled Loki's head to rest against his as he asked, "How have you been, Loki? Is everything going fine with your body...is there anything I can help with?" While he was speaking, Vahn was inspecting Loki's body with his [Eyes of Truth] to make sure there weren't any problems. Compared to the 21 weeks pregnant Hephaestus, Loki looked closer to 30 weeks and the baby had already matured a great deal. At this rate, her actual pregnancy looked like it would have only taken around 6-7 months instead of the 9 that Hephaestus was trending towards.As if she could read his mind, Loki placed her hand atop his and said, "Don't worry, she won't be coming out until I 'let' her...kukuku~." Vahn knew it wasn't really 'fair' for Loki to have to push herself so hard for someone else but he also felt like Hephaestus 'should' be the first person to give birth to his child. She was inarguably the woman he loved the most and Vahn wanted to be able to give her something special that was uniquely her own. Fortunately, he could help accelerate the process a bit so Hephaestus would most likely give birth around 8 months, making Loki's 'burden' a little bit lighter.Vahn continued to absentmindedly stroke Loki's stomach and asked, "Are you busy today...?" before looking towards her slightly parted red eyes. Loki's smile widened and she said, "Nope~." even though the truth of the matter was quite the opposite. Since she needed to take a break herself soon, there were various matters Loki was trying to resolve in preparation for some of the Alliance's future actions. She had been smoothing things over with some of the stronger Familias, even those outside of the Alliance, to get them to support and make use of the Supply Depot Vahn was going to make. There was also the matter of procuring land rights and negotiating with the various political groups to make sure they couldn't really interfere with the Alliance in the future. She was also trying to get a better foothold in their social circles since their daughter would be able to 'take control' more easily if there was a gap to exploit...Even though he knew Loki was probably lying to him, as her silence toward the end usually showed that she was either thinking about something or gauging another person's reaction. Pulling her head down a little, Vahn kissed Loki's forehead and said, "Then allow me to keep you company for a bit...", playing along with the 'act' since Loki was doing her best for 'them'. Loki began to laugh and brought her hand up to his face and said, "Kiss me, Vahn..." with a very loving look in her glimmering red eyes. Without delaying, Vahn did exactly as Loki had said, sealing the mischevious and loveable goddesses lips as they shared a very long and passionate embrace.---Vahn stayed with Loki until Finn had shown up outside her door, reminding her of a meeting she had previously scheduled. Loki sat up from the bed with Vahn's assistance and he gave her the new [Maternity Band], which was far more comfortable than the previous one. He then walked with her all the way to the gate, completely ignoring Finn's awkward smile when they first appeared from her room.Since Loki looked somewhat 'abnormal' being pregnant, as her body didn't show the secondary signs of pregnancy like 'normal' girls, Vahn felt like she was struggling a bit just getting around. Even with the support of the [Maternity Band], he couldn't help but feel a little guilty but his concerns were allayed a bit when a large carriage arrived for her. Vahn had almost expected her to be walking to her next destination and was thinking of accompanying her the whole way until she 'shooed' him away. Since he had a habit of 'forcing' a situation based on his own understanding of a situation, Loki knew Vahn wasn't really qualified for politics and didn't want him to even establish connections with some of the corrupt households that 'ruled' the City.Thinking that Loki simply wanted him to 'rest' properly on his days off, Vahn decided to head back to the Hearth Manor but still asked Fafnir to look after her from the shadows. Vahn often had Fafnir watch over Loki recently so it didn't mind at all, happily answer the call and skulking through her shadow to protect her from harm. Its personality hadn't changed much, but Fafnir was more jubilant than it had been in the past since it now had many things to do and got to spend time with Vahn when he groomed it periodically. It also talked with Terra a lot and had been getting along well with everyone after learning how to 'wade' through the shadows to avoid damaging the property. This also allowed it to protect its weak spot a bit, though its speed when doing so was much slower than when it was flying or moving through the shadows completely 'submerged'.---For the rest of the day, and the subsequent Sunday, Vahn decided to just spend time with the girls at the Manor and ended up having another large picnic while they discussed other possible renovations to the Manor. At this point, the underground structure around the Hearth Manor itself had completely finished and now they were just branching it out to the other Manors of the Alliance to make sure everyone could move about undetected if necessary. Since it seemed like an interesting idea, Vahn agreed when Hestia asked if they could install a large underground pool as it would be useful for rearing fish and some aquatic species of plants and herbs. Vahn was very fond of 'unique' things like that and asked that it still be useable by people since having a subterranean pool to swim in would be pretty cool, especially if there were even more secret passages to explore...During the weekend, Vahn also spent a bit more time with Riveria, Ryuu, Lefiya, Syr, and Eina, as they often visited Terra's Garden. He had first shown up just to check on Riveria's state but ended up staying around for a few hours to help groom Terra as an 'apology' for 'ignoring' her presence the previous few days. Ryuu and Lefiya had shown up to check up on Riveria as well, as they were very worried about her state as a result of Riveria being a High Elf they both respected. As for Syr and Eina, the former showed up since she enjoyed spending her idle time in the garden while Eina had conveyed the fact that her mother, Aina, would like to attend the wedding. Aina had followed Riveria all the way from the Elven Kingdom so there was no way Vahn would have refused, even extending the offer himself when they first discussed the matter.While all of this was happening, Riveria was somewhat distraught but maintained a cool expression most of the time. Even when she soaked in the wellspring wearing nothing but her swimsuit, she had a placid expression on her face and simply made small talk with Ryuu about what kind of future they'd like to see for their people. That seemed to be a big 'trend' these days, at least within the Hearth Manor, as everyone was often talking about the future and various other interesting topics. Vahn heard from Hestia that this was very 'normal' when there were children about to be born as it made people start thinking ahead more, especially if they wanted some of their own. Since one of Hestia's primary Divinities was 'Family', Vahn trusted that her words were the truth as he himself was constantly worrying about the future for similar reasons...One interesting 'change' that had occurred, at least around the girls within the garden, was the fact that Lefiya seemed a lot less shy than before. She was proactively sticking near Vahn and, when he had been grooming Terra on her roost, Lefiya had even worn a swimsuit and asked Terra if she could help out. Vahn found Lefiya's pink swimsuit very charming because, even though it was a bit childish, it suited her thin figure and created a bit of a contrast with Riveria's green bikini and Ryuu's white one-piece swimsuit that made it look like she was going to race someone. It seemed like it was going to become a common trend amongst the Elven girls to 'soak' within the wellspring, though Terra didn't seem to mind it much as their presence actually strengthened her dominion as having entities with nature affinities around was very beneficial.Another change in Lefiya, which had been the most noticeable, was the fact that she had seemingly become a bit of a chatterbox and was constantly asking Vahn questions about how he was feeling, what he was thinking, and anything she was confused about in her own research. Vahn found that the more personable Lefiya was very refreshing and answered all of her questions honestly, even though some of them were somewhat personal, especially when it got down to things like his favorite color, the type of food he liked to eat, and other seemingly innocuous questions. When he asked why she was suddenly so curious, Lefiya had sheepishly explained, "I just want to get to know you better...after all, we're going to be together for the rest of our lives, right...?" Unable to refute her words, Vahn simply pat Lefiya on the head and felt a great deal of warmth to see her lively and cheerful smile...During Sunday evening, before Vahn had retired to bed with Eina, he ended up having a small discussion with Preasia, who was preparing herself for the night to follow. She seemed to be thinking about the future as well and wanted to learn magic in the future alongside mixing. Instead of general magic, however, Preasia just wanted to learn how to heal people since her 'dream' was to become a doctor. Eventually, if he was willing to teach her, Preasia wanted to learn Vahn's techniques because she wanted to be able to help people, just like he had helped her. She didn't want to continue being someone that was simply cared for by other people and instead wanted to pursue a path where she could be the one taking care of others, specifically so Vahn wouldn't have to do everything on his own.Since Preasia already had a very docile and quiet demeanor, Vahn could easily imagine her as an adorable little Doctor and didn't mind her wanting to apprentice with him at all. She had already changed a great deal over the last few days and, though she hid it around other people, Vahn found that Preasia's current appearance simply made her cuter. There was now an incredibly soft layer of fur covering her shoulders, arms, back, and legs, leaving her face, chest, abdomen, palms, and feet, as the only exposed parts of her skin now. Though she seemed to be somewhat self-conscious about it, Vahn allayed her concerns a great deal by simply petting her without the use of his [Hands of Nirvana] until she had calmed down. Her entire body was no very 'pettable' and, though it wasn't the softness of her skin like Hestia, Preasia was now a strong contender for the 'softest' girl within the Manor.While he was petting her, Preasia was wearing nothing but a cream-colored bra and panties as she lay across his lap with a pillow supporting her upper body. This had originally started when Vahn wanted to check her Status Board, confirming that it still showed up and that her Innate hadn't yet awoken, but turned into a small session of [Petting] to help her relax. Since he had a bit of time before he was supposed to be going to bed, Vahn spent it allaying her concerns and promising that he would prove to her that he found her current appearance charming the following evening.Vahn really didn't want her to stop developing her Innate further since it actually made her look almost ridiculously adorable, even if it was a bit 'strange' at the same time. At this point, she was more fur-covered than Fenrir, so many people would likely misconstrue her as a Xenos if she walked around in the streets without clothing covering her body. She previously just wore a thick wool sweater and a pair of small shorts, but now Preasia almost always had on a pair of pajamas that were a little larger than suitable since she wanted to cover her hands and legs as well. He was hoping that she would actually learn to control it in the future, or at least opened up enough that she didn't mind being seen by the other girls. Right now, she actually took her baths in private and typically only had Fenrir accompany her since she was feeling a little self-conscious about it.Hearing Vahn's promises, Preasia had simply nodded her head while hugging the pillow supporting her upper body. Vahn's [Petting] was very effective, even more so when he was actively trying to comfort people, so Preasia simply didn't have it in her to refute his words. She felt progressively more worried as the fur on her body increased in volume but, at moments like this, she found herself not caring at all because it seemed that Vahn 'liked' her soft fur. Even she knew that it was very soft, often tracing her hands across her own arms and legs, so Preasia was happy Vahn was fond of the fur even if it made her feel worried...When they finally parted, Vahn went off to his own room to meet up with Eina while Preasia returned to the somewhat small room she shared with Fenrir. Even though they weren't officially roommates, they often slept together and she had actually become Fenrir's defacto 'hug pillow' lately. When she first came to the Manor, Fenrir had often hugged her body and comforted her so Preasia actually didn't mind it much at all since Fenrir's fur was very warm. Though she was sometimes worried about Fenrir's claws, especially after learning about their properties, there had never been any issues till now since Fenrir alway slinked her paws together when she hugged her body from behind.Fenrir sat up the moment Preasia entered the room and patted her paws on the soft bed, saying, "Preasia, come sleep. Tomorrow will come faster if you sleep early~!" Though she was a bit envious of the fact that Preasia was going to be with her Master tomorrow, Fenrir wanted to cheer on her 'friend' since they were actually very close. There was also another reason why she wanted Preasia to hurry, though she would never tell her directly, which was the fact that her Master's scent was currently covering the Sheep Girl's body and she was very very soft. Without questioning Fenrir's 'motives' at all, Preasia nodded her head and crawled into the bed with Fenrir, quickly being snuggled by the Wolf Girl as she nuzzled into her back. Preasia felt very comfortable being held like this and curled up her legs slightly with Fenrir's sticking close.When Preasia finally fell asleep, Fenrir's eyes parted slightly and her silent breaths became marginally louder as she nuzzled into the thin fur on Preasia's neck and enjoyed the scent of her Master that had settled into the fur. For several hours, as she didn't actually require sleep, Fenrir's breathing could be heard spreading through the low light of the small room...where a Wolf Girl could be seen hugging a Sheep Girl with a pleasant smile on her face...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Loki's Schemes','So fluffy (UwU)~!','*Breathing Intensifies*...Smells like mutton or Master?')https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

As was often the case, Vahn awoke just before 5 AM feeling refreshed and comfortable, hugging the beautiful Eina's waist gingerly so as not to wake her up. After enjoying her warmth for a while, Vahn pulled out Eva's orb to check its status but, unlike the past few months, Vahn noticed a slight abnormality within the orb that made his heart shudder. It didn't seem to be completely active, but Vahn could sense the stirring of an incredibly powerful energy within the orb while small blue arcs coiled within its interior. Without any hesitation, Vahn tried to sink his consciousness into the orb and felt the darkness creeping in his vision before a voice sounded in his mind, this one decidedly different from Sis', "Stay out you idiot, the space isn't stable yet!"Vahn stopped trying to enter the orb, but he kept his intent probing around since he wanted to hear Eva's voice a little more. Though he wasn't sure she could hear him, Vahn spoke out within his mind in a soft tone, "Eva...I miss you..." Silence persisted for several seconds until a very quiet, almost sobbing tone sounded out within his mind at the same time as his intent was 'forced' away, "I miss you too, you idiot..." When he was forced away, Vahn saw the most complex magical formation he had ever seen covering the outer shell of the orb. Even activating his [Eyes of Truth] didn't allow him to see through its entire sequence, but he was able to glean a great deal of information that should prove useful in the future, even though his heart ached a little.Eina seemed to have sensed his abnormal state as she began to move around in his embrace before turning her body towards him. Seeing those same gentle, emerald-green eyes, Vahn felt his melancholy ease a bit as he bent forward and kissed her forehead, saying, "Don't worry, I just heard from Eva and felt a little sad that we can't meet just yet. I'll feel better after moving my body a bit..." Though she was a little surprised that Vahn mentioned Eva, Eina decided not to ask about it since it obviously made him a little sad thinking about her. Instead, she just hugged his body and pressed her ear to his chest, listening to his heart while saying a few encouraging words...After leaving Eina, so that she could rest a little more before her own shift started, Vahn went down to the training grounds and began warming up his body while calming his mind. It was very obvious that Eva was making some kind of preparations for his return and it seemed that the day he would be able to enter the orb was approaching quickly. He didn't know what changes she was making, nor the costs that would be involved, but he believed she was doing her best for 'them'. Though he wanted to learn many things from her in the future, Vahn also knew he needed to treat the damaged little vampire well since she really did deserve it.Without something like [Will of the Emperor], Vahn knew that immortality was a very 'dangerous' thing for mortals, especially if it was 'forced' upon them like in Eva's case. Since he also had the potential to help others become immortal in the future, Vahn had been thinking about it quite a bit and knew some of the negatives associated with it, planning for how he would deal with them when the time came. He couldn't truly make someone 'unkillable', but giving them eternal life shouldn't be too difficult with a bit of effort. However, this was an important matter he kept close to his chest for the time being, as he didn't want to change how the girls 'lived' by giving them false-promises of eternal life. There was also the matter regarding his children, and their future progeny, as he couldn't simply make everyone born from his lineage immortal.One 'solution' Vahn had been thinking about what coming up with a way for people to pursue the path of immortality on their own, something that should be possible in any world with variable Tiers. Though there may be Laws governing the existence of Tier 4 entities within the world, Vahn knew that several factors could change the fundamental structure of the world, just like during the battle between the Primordial Gods and the Elder Gods of Destruction and Chaos. With his children, the Vanir, being born into the world it would effectively remove the cap on the world's Tier, allowing greater control over the Laws for anyone that comprehended them. If a system existed to promote the growth of people through physical, mental, and spiritual development, Vahn knew 'anyone' would be able to reach immortality through their own efforts. At the very least, people could live for hundreds, even thousands, of years...While he was lost in his own thoughts, performing something similar to Tai Chi, the other girls started to show up for their morning training as well. Tiona and Tione made a beeline towards him but, seeing that he was lost in his thoughts, decided to leave Vahn alone as they watched Ais and Haruhime spar. Vahn was aware of their presence and smiled gently in response to their thoughtful actions before continuing his routine at a slow and fluid pace. The reason he had taken up Tai Chi was that it helped him attune himself with the world itself, giving him greater control over the elements even without using his [Rakshasa Body] or [Will of the Emperor]. Thus, as the routine progressed further, wisps of watery mist began to follow his movements as a gentle breeze flowed around his torso and coiled around his arms. Vahn knew his control while using his Innates would undoubtedly always be higher, but he wanted to get to the point where his basic understanding of elemental control was good enough to teach to others...Everyone had a variety of different elemental affinities within their body, many working in conjunction with each other while there were a few, such as in the case of Eina, that clashed. If they had a proper understanding of the elements that flowed within their body, Vahn was confident anyone would be able to achieve elemental manipulation. The only true requirements were an external sense that was attuned to the elemental energies within the environment and the balance between a person's mental and emotional state. If you could 'empathize' with the element you were trying to control, it was much easier to make use of the energy and push it further.Fire elements were 'fueled' by passionate emotions, such as love, compassion, fervor, and even anger. Though it was capable of causing devastating damage, you had to make sure you didn't allow yourself to be swallowed up by it as one of the basic 'laws of fire' was that it could use anything as fuel, even the person trying to wield it. For those that pursued the path of flames, they needed to have a strong conviction and an understanding that flames were not simply meant to cause harm, but also provided warmth, light, and hope. Though it could be used to take lives, it was also one of the fundamental elements of creation itself and it was inarguably more worthwhile to create than it was to destroy.Water elements used more muted emotions, such as reverie, relaxation, melancholy, and sadness...it was an element that could nourish life, but also sink it to the depth of a bottomless abyss, crushing its user just the same as its enemies with the pressures involved. To make proper use of water, you had to be fluid in both mind and body, allowing negative energies to flow through you without letting them linger. Practitioners that mastered the water element would typically be infallible by nature, with calm minds like placid lakes, allowing ripples to pass over its surface but preventing anything from causing any significant turbulence.Earth elements were almost all about stability and patience, somewhat rigid in their structure but allowing for powerful offensive and defensive feats. To manipulate the earth, you needed an earnest personality that emphasized patience, control, and steadfastness. Though the earth allowed all creatures to tread across it, the power contained beneath their feet could topple entire civilizations when urged to actions. Earthquakes were a terrifying natural disaster while mudslides and landfalls could devastate entire armies, making them entirely incapable of resistance. To make proper use of the earth, you needed both determination and endless compassion, understanding the significance of each action you took and the consequences therein.The last of the basic elements, Wind, was simultaneously the easiest and most difficult to control of them all. Like fire, you could use passionate emotions to generate gales, but the lack of control meant you were also subject to your own attacks. When used with a calm and placid mentality, such as when using water, the air would flow freely and you could use to gentle currents to destabilize and support others, letting the wind 'crash' against objects by using their own momentum against them. Lastly, it was also capable of great devastation and synergized well with the earth, allowing typhoons and tornadoes to devastate anything within its area of influence, but only if you had the stability of mind and perseverance to make such a phenomenon a reality...Vahn found himself having a preference for wind over all the other elements, even though fire was typically his most used in combat as a result of his perfect affinity with it. The only emotional fuel needed to control the wind was having a sense for 'freedom' or 'eagerness', meaning that any free spirited person with an affinity for the wind would be able to use it. However, this had some major downside since, if you allowed yourself to be completely like the wind, you would lose yourself and any focus introduced into your life could consume you...Ais was a good example of this, as she had a 'perfect' wind elemental affinity and was able to use the Spirit Magic [Ariel] to great effect. However, because she had been using the skill in the pursuit of power, Ais had given up developing her mental state to maintain a proper balance, resulting in her personality being somewhat 'lopsided', though she was improving in leaps and bounds. Instead of just focusing on destroying everything with her wind, Ais needed to understand the other, more gentle and 'free' aspects of her elemental control...if she accomplished this, even without [Ariel], Ais would be able to use her wind freely.As if she had sensed he was thinking about her, Ais broke away from Haruhime's attack and looked towards Vahn, tilting her head to the side in confusion as the other girls present turned to see what she was looking at. Vahn simply smiled in return before twisting his body in a fluid motion and allowing his arms to trace a gentle arc before thrusting them forward as wind elemental energy tailed the motion and sent a breeze at the girls. Ais' hair blew along with the gentle breeze he had created, causing her to bring up her hand and remove a few lingering strands as a small smile appeared on her face. Even Vahn didn't know what he was trying to convey to her, but he felt like she 'understood' what he was trying to say as her smile seemed to convey understanding and gratitude.Though he was interested to know what she had gleaned from his relatively random action, Vahn wasn't finished with his own routine so he quickly transitioned from using wind into shifting his weight and stepping into the ground firmly. The area beneath his feet solidified allowing his next step to segment a piece of the earth and launch it up into the air at the same time as he struck forward with his palm, sending the piece careening towards one of the nearby target dummies. It wasn't that powerful of an attack, smashing almost harmlessly against the target, but it was a step in the right direction.Without tarrying on the results, Vahn twisted his body around, as he had learned spirals, twisting, and arcs were all 'laws' that could be used to generate more power in movements. With his hands trailing in a smooth arc, Vahn inverted his palms before 'whipping' them across the air as if he was igniting a match. His fingers trailed sparks across the void as flames combusted in the space beneath his palm before he shot it up in a pillar of condensed flames. Just like he did with the earth, Vahn struck the bottom of the compressed flames with his second hand, causing the flame pillar to become several times larger in an explosion of flame elemental energy. His ability to manipulate fire was simply much stronger than his other elements right now, though this didn't discourage Vahn at all. Since he could achieve such feats even in his normal state, Vahn knew his control over the other three basic elements could reach the same level with practice...To wrap up his routine, Vahn began tracing his feet forward in a curving pattern of footwork, almost like a river coiling through the mountains. His hands also snaked forward as he traced them in gentle arcs that constantly converged together, building up a greater volume of water around his body that was pulled directly from the atmosphere without using any of his own energy. Once he had built up enough, Vahn shot the water forward in an arc before snapping his wrist back and causing the water to perform a similar action, allowing a loud 'snap' like a whip to sound out. Vahn smiled and, in the same pulling motion that was initiated by his whip-like movement, converged the water elemental energy by compressing it rapidly. By the time it coiled back towards him, Vahn had a spear of ice nearly three meters long that he caught with his left hand. Unfortunately, it quickly broke when he tried to throw it since his mastery of higher tier elements was severely lacking at this point.Instead of getting flustered, as he had in the past, Vahn stepped forward in a pushing motion with both palms out before pulling them back towards him, almost like he had created a wave in a small basin before allowing it to crash against the side and return. With this motion, the piece of the ice spear immediately melted back down before pooling back in Vahn's hands as he created a small vortex before hardening it into a beautiful sphere of ice once again. As before, his control slipped away instantly and the orb came to rest on his palm instead of defying gravity like when he manipulated the other elements. Vahn just smiled in response before closing his eyes and concentrating his intent on the sphere in his hands. Though it was still ice, the inside of the sphere began to slowly shift around like a vortex as Vahn tried to manipulate the solid-form of ice in a controlled environment instead of trying to move it outside...This wasn't the first time he did this and it wasn't any easier than the last time he had tried, making Vahn both happy and exasperated at the same time. It was actually a lot like water, on a fundamental level, but the ice elemental energies were several orders of magnitude more difficult to control. He couldn't even shape it at 1% the same speed as when he controlled water, so Vahn knew his understanding of the ice element was severely lacking, even though he didn't understand 'how' it was lacking.Unlike most people, Vahn could see the structure of mana itself and this should, theoretically, give him an even greater understanding of it. Reality seemed to differ, however, and, though he could exert some small influence over the ice, it wasn't of practical use just yet. He was better suited to simply freezing things than he was to manipulating the ice directly...though that wouldn't be enough to make him give up. Eva had a perfect affinity with darkness and ice, so Vahn believed he could learn a few things from her in the future. After all, though he never really called her it, Eva was indeed his 'Master' when it came to learning how to use 'real' Magic...With his 'routine' coming to an end, Vahn smiled, took a very deep breath, and then let it out as he tried to relax his mind completely. The sphere in his hands was around 15cm across and Vahn wanted to wrap things up by trying out one of his more difficult to use skills. With his [Eyes of Truth] activating, Vahn manipulated the ice to create a focal point in the center before activating his rarely used 'Oblivion' skill. This time, he wanted to see if he could use the skill to create pure elemental energy without interfering with the basic structure of the ice elemental energy in his hands. Under his intense focus, a small black sphere expanded from the center of the ball of ice before the entire thing exploded at the same instant that he 'replaced' the core with fire elemental energy.Though the resultant explosion was very loud, the ice crashed harmlessly against his body in small fragments before a molten ball of pure fire elemental energy, around 4cm across, crashed into the ground and began sinking into it. Generally speaking, elemental energy wasn't really that concentrated and there was a great amount of 'distance' between the individual particulates of mana. The orb he had created, however, was completely filled with fire elemental energy and there was 'zero' distance between the mana as it continued to bore into the ground seemingly without any intent to burn out.Vahn tried to manipulate the small ball of fire elemental energy but found that, without having any space between the mana particles, he couldn't actually exercise any control over it at all. It wasn't until he activated his [Will of the Emperor] that he managed to pull it out of the ground, but not before it had sunk almost twelve meters into the soil. Fortunately, though they looked over after the explosion, everyone just assumed Vahn had created it intentionally as his expression had solidified as a result of his intense focus. This allowed him to avoid embarrassment even though he could 'sense' that Terra was a little upset since the flame sphere had destroyed part of her dominion...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Baka! Baka! Baka!','Avatar Vahn','Hot Potato')https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 595: Stirrings