Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After spending the better part of twenty hours searching through the first five floors of Knossos, detailing all the areas where it connected to the main Dungeon, Vahn decided to take a break. He pulled out a single-person chair with super thick cushions and plopped down onto it before letting Fenrir curl up in his lap. Fafnir also popped out of his shadow and sat on the armrest so Vahn could pet the both of them while going over the map of Knossos within his mind. There were so many corridors and, much like how the Dungeon itself was structured, Knossos expanded greatly the deeper you went.He already knew his investigation would take several days but Vahn felt like he would rather be back at the Manor with his children, rather than sitting in these stagnant corridors with their low lighting. Still, he didn't let it weigh that heavily on his mind and only spent about an hour resting before ruffling Fafnir's onyx-black hair and saying, "It's time to continue. We don't want to keep the people that might be kept against their will waiting..." Since they had already liberated nearly three hundred people on just the first day, Vahn suspected there would be even more secrets as he went even deeper.Fafnir releasing a small yawn, as it currently had the appearance of a very young androgynous version of Vahn, before rolling off the armrest and 'plopping' into the shadows below. Its mastery over [Shadow Walk] had increased greatly and Fafnir could easily move through even a pinhole-sized shadow if it wanted to enter into the strange dimension that existed beneath reality. It was a terrifyingly useful ability as, with a few exceptions, Fafnir was able to move about without any real obstacles.With Fenrir hopping out of his lap, Vahn stowed away the comfortable chair and stretched his body a little before continuing onwards. He didn't actually require rest, especially with his other body able to recuperate mental energy for both of them, but Vahn wasn't beyond getting a little bored at times. Just like the girls needed to 'recharge' with him, Vahn felt like he needed to at least relax and recharge his own reserves on occasion. Still, he was starting to consider mapping Knossos from the bottom floor up at this point since it would potentially save him a lot of time and effort.Thinking this might be the best way to proceed, Vahn made his way towards a long shaft that connected to all five floors he had explored thus far. There were chains that were linked to a very complex mechanism at the top of the shaft and continued down into the 'abyss' below. Vahn also noticed there were a few ladders located all around the edges of the shaft but, after making up his mind, bypassed all of it by just jumping down. He didn't fall at a normal pace, however, and instead guided his fall with telekinesis as he inspected the structure of the 30m diameter cylindrical shaft.It didn't take a genius to realize the shaft was obviously a very complex elevator that should have been beyond the technological limitations of the record. However, if the person was a demigod with an Innate related to engineering and construction like Daedelus, it wasn't beyond expectations to see such a thing. After all, Babel Tower actually had far more complex mechanisms running through it, even though it hadn't been constructed by people and had instead been created in Heaven. Daedelus had likely drawn inspiration from the structure of Babel Tower itself when he was creating this elevator and, given how aged and ancient everything seemed, it was obvious that this elevator shaft had been a core component of Knossos since the very beginning. Even so, everything was still in working order and it didn't seem like it would break down any time soon, showcasing just how brilliant Daedelus had to be to construct such a timeless masterpiece.After descending nearly two kilometers, Vahn set foot on a massive disc-shaped platform that was filled with numerous crates of supplies, ores, and tools. He had already sensed several nearby auras and activated his [Eyes of Truth] to get a better look at the situation. Almost instantly, Vahn felt the tensions in his body increase slightly and he was compelled to release a small sigh through his nose. Fenrir's hackles had already been raised as well and, feeling a strange 'calm' seize his entire body, Vahn lifted his hand and brought the constituent particles of mana within the wall under his control. He then jerked his hand back, rending a gaping hole in the wall that revealed an area with several dozen people herding monsters into cages. This wouldn't have bothered Vahn that much but the fact that the 'monsters' were crying out and begging for mercy made their true identity very apparent...By the time the people in the room had reacted to the wall being completely removed, Fenrir had already darted forward like a midnight blue bolt of electricity and began cutting off the arms and legs of the cruel men and women that were present. Fafnir also pulled some of them partially into its shadow dimension and left them screaming for mercy as the shadows continued to encroach upon their bodies. Vahn knew how 'terrifying' the feeling of being swallowed by shadows could be but he didn't mind their cries since it was very obvious they hadn't cared about the 'people' they were harming.Vahn watched as a man came running out from a side corridor with another group of thugs in tow and began ordering them to try and get the situation under control. He had shaggy black hair and a pair of strange goggles covering his eyes while waving what looked like a shortsword around in a very haphazard manner. His voice was harsh and abrasive when he saw Fenrir, pointing his sword towards her and yelling, "Isn't this the little bitch Xenos that belongs to that arrogant asshole, Va-" Unable to finish his words, the man took evasive action to dodge the spear of ice that would have pinned him to the wall. His speed was actually quite fast but, before he was able to make a second movement, Fenrir was right underneath him with her scarlet eyes blazing.Though it was impossible to make out his eyes, the gaping mouth and the incredulity of the man's expression showed he hadn't expected things to turn out like this. He tried to swipe forward at a downward angle to cut into Fenrir's flesh but she was much faster than he was, twisting her body and cutting off both of his legs before catching his wrist and continuing her spin as she threw his body into the wall. Spiderweb cracks emerged outward from the central impact point and the man, who was now completely upside down as blood streaked from his mouth. This time Fenrir, very successfully, skewered him with a spear of ice before snorting through her nose and saying, "You aren't allowed to talk about Master..."Since he was in his Baihu form, Vahn had heard Fenrir's retort and it brought a small smile to his face even as he crushed the larynx of a man who tried to stab one of the Xenos with a spear. Then, tilted his head to the side slightly, Vahn evaded a black bolt fired from a crossbow and caught it out of the air before returning it back to the sender. There was a small Pallum woman with a scar extending from her nose to the left side of her face. She had a completely black aura and a fierce glint in her eyes, at least until she showed an expression of abject shock as she looked down at the hole that now ran completely through where her heart used to be.Vahn watched her slump to the ground before tossing the corpse in his hand to the side and using [Shundo] to capture a bald man with a beastial tattoo on his face. He had been part of the group that arrived with the goggles-wearing man and, after seeing the latter get devastated by Fenrir, this bald thug quickly tried to turn tail and flee. Vahn sensed that he was one of the stronger people within the group so he cut off the man's retreat, deflected the curved ax that drew a lethal arc towards his neck, and then pulled out a nondescript black spear and impaling the man through the pelvic bone.He released a guttural sound like a pig being slaughtered before spewing a great deal of saliva as he yelled, "You motherfucker! You bitch! You-" Vahn had moved outside of the range of his spittle and was preparing to incapacitate the next person when he saw the bald man get impaled by a series of ice spikes from behind. Fenrir was a few dozen meters away with deeply furrowed brows, causing Vahn to shake his head slightly and ignore the large bald man. He wasn't dead, but the cold temperature would likely rob him of his life relatively soon if they weren't removed. Though Ice might not appear to be as scary as Fire from the start, this was only because most people never saw how quickly frostbite could set in, turning skin necrotic and gangrenous in mere seconds...After a few short minutes of absolute chaos, most of the people that had been mistreating the Xenos captives were either horribly maimed or dead. Some had been smart enough to lay down their arms and curl up in a submissive gesture, but this only prevented greater suffering as Fafnir still skewered their legs to prevent them from trying to run during the chaos. Now, there were more than a dozen people with missing limbs that were laying about on the ground, begging for mercy or trying to crawl away to safety. Vahn even saw a rather buxom woman with purple hair hugging her severed leg with a pale expression of disbelief on her face.Vahn didn't consider himself a cruel person but seeing the state of some of the imprisoned Xenos made it very difficult to care about the wellbeing of the people that had wronged them. He stopped the bleeding of those that were on the brink of death but made no effort to help reattach their severed limbs, at least for the time being. They would be imprisoned back on the surface and, after being interrogated thoroughly, their fates would be decided by the laws of the Alliance. Many would likely end up as criminal slaves while the majority would undoubtedly be executed for their crimes...Though they had been shocked and scared during the raid, most of the Xenos had become quiet as the combat had started to come to an end. They were very aware of the energy that had coursed through their bodies and healed their wounds and realized that Vahn, Fenrir, and Fafnir weren't there to hurt them. By the time everything had come to an end, all of the Xenos had been completely healed while their captors were left sobbing, crippled, or dead on the ground. Though there were more than a dozen left alive, the number killed was more than triple that, all because of the efforts of the three people standing in the center of the chaos...Turning to get a proper look at all the captured Xenos, Vahn saw that the majority looked like normal monsters except that the color of their eyes was slightly different. Of the eight present, there was a Kobold, two Goblins, two Almiraj, a Silverback, and two War Shadows. Amongst them, only one had slightly more humanoid characteristics, even though it was somewhat hard to discern. Vahn was interested in all of them but this War Shadow, who had a muscular body and looked almost like a shadowy human, was easily the most eye-catching. He didn't know what determined if a Xenos obtained humanoid traits but figured their intelligence had a good chance of being tied to their appearance.Extending out his hand, Vahn noticed many of the smaller Xenos twitch in fear but he simply smiled and said, "My name is Vahn Mason...I'm not going to hurt you...please, stay calm and I will free you from your cages soon..." As he was speaking, Vahn moved his hand left and right in a soothing motion that caused petting energy to mix with his calming energy from [Hands of Nirvana]. This 'invasive' energy spooked some of the Xenos but they quickly began to relax as the energy spread through their bodies. Vahn noticed it was especially effective on the Kobold and two Almiraj, something he made a mental note of for future reference.Though it could cause a small riot, Vahn had Fafnir destroy the locks on the cages and released all of the Xenos from their bindings, turning to the more masculine War Shadow and asking, "Do you have a name...?" This caused the War Shadow, who didn't really have a face and mouth to speak from, to respond back with a wispy voice that seemed to emanate from the glowing red orb in its head, "My name is...Xude...I have heard of you...Vahn Mason..." Though it was very strange to hear the whisper-like voice, Vahn still returned a smile and jokingly mused, "I hope it was good things..."This caused Xude, the other War Shadow, and the Silverback to laugh along with his 'joke' before Xude's core glowed and it said, "It is rumored amongst the Xenos that you are the Savior that will liberate us from the Dungeon...I never thought I would meet you in person..." Towards the end of 'his' statement, Xude bowed low and, apparently having influence in the group, most of the other Xenos bowed as well. Though he would have felt awkward in the past, the current Vahn was relatively calm as this happened and simply raised his hand, plainly stating, "I appreciate your gratitude, but please do not bow..."As if this was something 'unacceptable', the Silverback that towered over the rest of the group had a 'solemn' look on its face as, very surprisingly, the voice of a woman sounded out, "You have saved us from a fate worse than a second death...please, allow us to at least do this much." With the completion of 'her' words, the Silverback lowered her head even further, causing Vahn to shake his head and 'ignore' them. Instead, he turned his attention to the only Xenos that wasn't bowing, one of the Almiraj who just sat at the side with red eyes staring directly at him. Vahn felt it had a strange similarity to Bell and followed his urge to squat down and pat the small Xenos' head.Though the atmosphere became a little strange when the bowing Xenos saw Vahn 'ignore' them, he decided not to care since he had already told them not to mind it. How they expressed their gratitude was up to them and he would rather get the formalities out of the way than have them behave this way. This ended up leading to an interesting discovery as well, so Vahn couldn't help smiling as the small Almiraj released a childish giggle and seemed to become very happy...----------------------------------------------------------------------//(Nameless)'s Affection +19, Intrigue +25//[(Nameless)]: Affection: 69(Trust), Intrigue: 75(Curious)----------------------------------------------------------------------(A/N: For those confused, Vahn had never actually confirmed if he could get affection/intrigue from Xenos before now. Before this point, he had always subordinated the monster/xenos beforehand, making this a very important discovery which will be extrapolated upon next chapter (UwU)...)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Recharging Fluff Capacitors...','Fenrir doesn't tolerate insults to her Master...','Fine, keep bowing then...*proceeds to pet the bunny*')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Vahn knew for certain that normal monsters and animals wouldn't be listed in the 'View Affection' function of the system and, even though he couldn't see the 'aura' of the Xenos, this at least allowed him to confirm that they weren't monsters. Monsters were simply mana constructs that had been created by the Dungeon and served no greater purpose than mindlessly attacking anything, other monsters being the one exception. The Xenos, however, should at least have the foundation for a soul and Vahn was tempted to confirm this by trying to make one into his subordinate or retainer. Since the system interface showed the Soul Tier of his 'units', Vahn would be able to confirm conclusively if the Xenos were entities possessing a soul. If this was true, and they didn't have a name, it meant their potential was functionally limitless through The Path...While thinking of the possibilities, the small Almiraj began licking the hand Vahn was using to scratch its chin, bringing a smile to his face as he picked it up in his arms and turned to the other Xenos, explaining, "I'm not sure what you have planned, but I'd like to open dialogue with the Xenos directly and talk about incorporating them into the Alliance. We've already been establishing the framework to allow the Xenos to exist on the surface but, without a few brave individuals that are willing to set the precedent, there is only so much we can do. If you can take me to your leaders, if you have anything like that, I'd like to begin negotiations with them..."The Almiraj that had been snuggling up in his arm, which had yet to speak a word before now, suddenly spoke out in a childish voice, "Can we really leave the Dungeon...? I want to see the sky..." Vahn wasn't entirely sure if the small Almiraj was a boy or a girl, but he returned a smile and scratched under its chin as he said, "I can't promise it will be easy, but I will never stop trying to make the world a better place for all sentient races to coexist. I also have the power to help the Xenos evolve further, giving them more humanoid appearances that will let them blend into society more easily. This cute little Vanargandr, Fenrir, and that adorable True Dragon, Fafnir, they used to be a Kobold and Wyvern in the past...now, they are my important companions who I would risk my life to protect."Fenrir thumped her chest with pride while Fafnir gave a happy smile in response to it's Master's praise. As for the Xenos, some of them had heard the rumors of Vahn giving 'power' to their kind and it was a very big impact for them to see the very human-like Fenrir and Fafnir. For many Xenos, power is the one thing they craved even more than the surface as it was only by obtaining a great deal of power that they would be free to go where they please. Unfortunately, even this wasn't enough in normal circumstances as, from the moment they left the Dungeon, they would start to lose energy after their connection with the Dungeon was severed.It would require an incredible amount of resources for them to exist on the surface and, with the hatred most Adventurers showed them, most Xenos had long given up truly leaving the Dungeon. This was why it meant a great deal, seeing existences like Fenrir and Fafnir, two 'Xenos' that had managed to evolve to the point that they were able to at least appear humanoid. Many Xenos set this as their goal and it was only by spending years training, fighting other monsters, and consuming a large number of monster cores that they were able to evolve further. Xude was a good example of this, being a Xenos who had managed to survive for a total of 13 years, which was 'very' long considering how fervent the people hunting them were.Suddenly, the purple-haired woman who had been clinging to her severed leg shouted out in a shrill and deranged manner, "Go ahead, listen to that liar all you want! Become his slaves and do his bidding for the rest of your lives like the beasts you are! Yo-." This time, instead of Fenrir hurling the small spike of ice towards the woman, Fafnir, opened one of its wings and sent a volley of black scales careening towards the crazed woman. Her eyes widened as nine different sized scales pinned her to the wall, including two that had pierced through the leg she clung to her chest. Vahn just shook his head slightly when he saw this and waved his hand, using a pulse of psychic energy to rattle her mind and instantly kill her. Though most people would be able to defend against such attacks in an active state, she was in no position to do so after losing a leg and being impaled through the body nine times...Before things became more chaotic, Vahn caused calming energy to spread through his domain, forcing the people laying on the ground to slowly fall asleep while he looked towards the Xenos and explained, "I hope you won't simply believe the words of one of the women who brutalized you and tried to make you into slaves..." To this, Xude shook its head and said, "We may not have the same level of intelligence as some of the surface-dwellers, but we're not fools. Even if you truly ended up trying to use us for your benefit, we Xenos would still follow you. It is no secret, everything you have done on the surface, and we believe you are not blackhearted like these cruel people..."Vahn smiled when he heard this but still clarified, "Though it isn't in the manner she made it out to be, there is a small amount of truth to her words. You see, in order for my abilities to take effect on a person's body, they would have to sincerely become my subordinates or retainers. For the Xenos, I'm even able to use a skill that will allow you to evolve in an instant, even though the time it takes between using the skill can vary greatly. Thus, if you truly desired power over normal freedom, the route forward would be at my side..." As he spoke, Vahn gently stroked the Almiraj in his arms, who had long since fallen asleep with a contented expression on its rabbit-like face.The Goblin-Xenos, being the smallest and weakest of the group, raised its hand slightly and had a hesitant look on its somewhat ugly face as it said, "I no want die...but, if get stronger, me follow..." Though most of its speech sounded indecipherable, Vahn was even able to interpret normal monster speech, making it relatively easy to understand the Goblin's words. It had a lot of reason to be worried about 'living', as it was one of the weakest of all monsters, so Vahn could understand why it sought power over freedom. In the past, he would have simply ignored the offer of a 'Goblin' from trying to join him, much like he almost refused Fenrir in the past, but a lot had changed since then...Passing over the sleeping Almiraj to Fafnir, Vahn reached out his hand and rubbed the somewhat oily scalp of the Goblin and said, "Even without my help, the desire to grow strong and the willingness to make your dreams a reality are all you need...if you truly wish for my help, I will offer it in exchange for your fealty. However, we'll worry about that later, as there are more pressing matters to attend to...okay...?" Vahn didn't like the feeling of petting a Goblin but this distaste actually bothered him more than the simple contact. Fortunately, the calm in his mind made such thoughts melt away and he managed a casual smile, eliciting a somewhat crooked one from the Goblin.Turning to Xude, Vahn asked, "Do you know the way back? How did you come to be captured by these people?" Xude didn't have any expression whatsoever, but Vahn felt a strangely amicable vibe coming off the War Shadow cum Xenos as it said, "The Xenos avoid this place since many of our enemies reside here. We do not know the layout of this place but, if we can return to the Dungeon, we will be able to show you the way. All Xenos have an instinct that allows us to find the safe areas of the Dungeon that are rarely visited by Adventurers..."Vahn nodded his head but, as his instincts hadn't really calmed down just yet, he asked, "You said your enemies use this place...is it just the Hunters like this group, or are there other enemies I need to be aware of...?" As he asked this question, Vahn noticed a 'shudder' run through the body of nearly every Xenos before Xude answered, "There have been many Xenos who have been kidnapped within the last two years...instead of being taken to the surface, they have been pulled deeper into the Dungeon. On occasion, those that were taken would come back...changed...far different than they were before they were taken away. Some of them have even tried to slander you, Vahn Mason, and our community has slowly been divided as a result of their efforts..."The Silverback-Xenos nodded 'her' head and added, "Xude speaks the truth. Many of our kin have been 'changed' into something horrible...some even becoming worse than the actual monsters within the Dungeon. When we refuse to go with them, they would often slaughter the weaker Xenos and it has taken a lot of effort for us to protect ourselves against them. The worst part is...those bastards have even brought the Hunters directly to our homes...!" By the time 'she' was done speaking, the Silverback-Xenos was trembling with indignation as many of 'her' fellow Xenos showed very similar reactions.Standing next to Xude, the second War Shadow Xenos placed its shadowy claw on the Silverback's shoulder in a comforting manner as it spoke in an eerily similar voice to Xude, "Jude, it is okay...let us believe in the Savior...perhaps the future of the Xenos will no longer be within the darkness any longer..." It was hard to imagine that a deathly whisper could be comforting, but Jude seemed to calm down, nodding towards the second War Shadow as she said, "Thank you, Mest...I am calm now..."Seeing the camaraderie between the Xenos, Vahn felt like they were actually more civil than some of the people on the surface. Even though they were drastically different in appearance, the Xenos seemed to genuinely care about each other in a way that most people only cared for their direct kin. Vahn felt like it was incredibly unfair that they were forced to live in the darkness of the Dungeon while greedy fools exploited and took advantage of each other on the surface. In the world that he envisioned, the Xenos would be able to take their rightful place alongside the other surface-dwellers, setting an example that Vahn wished others would be able to follow...With a confident expression and an expectant smile, Vahn looked around at the injured members of the criminal Familia and wondered if their god was nearby. He couldn't sense the powerful aura of a god within his domain but, with how massive this floor of Knossos was, this wasn't too surprising. There were so many overlapping corridors within his perception, many belonging to the Dungeon itself, and it would likely take him several days to even map a Floor this size. For the time being, he sent a mental command to Terra to see if her teleportation could penetrate through Knossos. He quickly got his answer as, only six seconds later, a vibrant spatial distortion appeared as Terra 'broke' through the void and emerged before them.She rolled her shoulders and flexed her wings, appearing as though the teleportation had been rather taxing on her body, before smiling radiantly and asking, "You called for me, Master~?" The Xenos were terrified by Terra's presence as, even though she wasn't trying to pressure them, her existence as a True Dragon that had exceeded the limitations of the Falna was enough to trigger the instincts of normal people, much less, the somewhat animalistic Xenos. If not for Vahn diverting the majority of her natural pressure, it wouldn't have been surprising if the Xenos fell to the ground and bowed before the monstrous existence that was Terra.As if it was the most natural thing in the world, Vahn extended his hand, causing Terra to giggle as she trotted over and enjoyed his petting. Unlike Alexa, Vahn didn't shy away from Terra's horns, stroking them casually before tracing his palm along the side of Terra's face as he said, "I'm afraid I will have to trouble you with taking these people to the surface. Have the Freya Familia hand them over to the Eirene Familia for processing. I'll entrust the matter to Eirene but let her know I want a full report if there is anything important her investigation uncovers. I may be away for a few days longer, so let the girls know for me...will you?"Terra's wings were fluttering happily but she still put on a 'pouting' expression as she teased, "Ara, I made so much effort to come down here and you're sending me away so quickly~? Muuuu, Master is a big bully tonight...I got all excited for nothing~." To this, Vahn laughed in a lighthearted manner before shocking the gathered Xenos by tightly embracing Terra and giving her a very long and passionate kiss. At the same time, Vahn stroked her body with his hands, sending a large amount of source energy into her since she had surprisingly used up nearly half of her reserves for the teleportation. With this being the case, it took him more than fifteen minutes to top her off completely, during which time she had completely surrounded him with her wings...Vahn knew that Terra was trying to give them a small amount of 'privacy', but she also seemed to be enjoying the spectators or, more specifically, the reaction from Fenrir. When they finally parted, she released a sensual laugh and sent a wink towards the frowning Vanargandr before waving her hand and pulling the unconscious criminals over. She let them land pretty heavily near her feet before an emerald green formation began to spread from her feet until it had extended a full ten meters. After licking her lips one last time, Terra lightly pushed against her Master's chest and moved him outside of her teleportation ward as Vahn maintained a casual smile on his face. Before she left, Terra giggled once again and said, "Please hurry back, Master...I'm not the only one who will be waiting for your return~."With those parting words, the ward beneath Terra's feet glowed vibrantly before everyone within its boundaries vanished from sight. The gathered Xenos was still shocked to the core after everything they had witnessed, causing Vahn to chuckle lightly. This drew their attention to him, just in time to watch Vahn raise his hand and witness him consolidating an incredible amount of Flame Elemental energy. However, even as it shifted from red and became a bluish white, the ball of flames didn't emit any heat at all, kept at bay by the thin membrane of pure source energy that gave it a slight rainbow hue. This was similar to Alexa's technique and he wasn't afraid to admit he had been inspired by her in its creation. When it was finished, Vahn sent the sphere of flames forward at speeds much faster than most eyes could follow, causing it to crash into a far wall...The moment the sphere touched the wall, instead of exploding into a massive ball of fire, it instead shrunk down until it had nearly become a point. At the same time, the protective membrane expanded outward for around twenty meters and, very similar to Alexa's technique, everything within this protective membrane was completely incinerated. It wasn't simply turned into hot slag and broken down but literally turned to ash in an instant as the small 'point' of flame continued to radiate a phenomenal heat. By the time it had burned out, there was absolutely nothing remaining within the sphere of source energy as it 'popped' like a bubble.With the dispersion of the bubble, the temperature in the room skyrocketed several tens of degrees, even heating up the iron cages closest to the attack until they had turned red hot. As for Vahn, Fenrir, Fafnir, and the Xenos, they were completely unaffected. Vahn had created a small barrier using his domain and kept the heat at bay as he turned towards the slack-jawed group of Xenos, smiling as he asked, "Shall we go~?"(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Power for Allegiance!','Vahn is an equal-opportunity petting fiend','Look at this Chuuni, showing off...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

After gathering with Finn, Gareth, Haruhime, and Shakti, Vahn laid out his plans to delve deeper into the Dungeon while also ensuring their path of 'retreat' wouldn't be cut off. Since Enyo's forces seemed to rely on chemical and biological attacks, Vahn did a few rolls using the gacha system to try and find a suitable item to defend against that type of warfare. From this, he received a [Purification Stone], which had the appearance of a blue crystal the size of an infant. When planted into the ground, or powered by a formation, it emitted a hemispherical aura that could completely repel the majority of poisons, toxins, and miasma.They had variable prices, ranging between six-hundred and ten-million Origin Points, but Vahn only purchased a few of the 100,000OP stones to protect Lil Geirr. He also gave an interspatial ring to Gareth and entrusted him with sending someone to station themselves at Rivira on the 18th Floor. Though Vahn had been tempted to send Fafnir there to watch over the settlement, it was far more beneficial to have it lurking around in the shadows of the Artificial Dungeon. Since sealing off the main Dungeon would also cut off Enyo's means to attach to the surface, the only other route would be through the Artificial Dungeon. Since Fafnir could inform him of the moment such an attack occurred, it was better for it to remain near the Freya Familia for the time being...Other than the [Purification Stone]s, Vahn spent a bit of time performing maintenance on the various wards that had been set up around Lil Geirr while also taking the opportunity to investigate if anyone had been trying to use the settlement for their advantage. He wasn't even remotely surprised by the fact that there had been a hidden pathway carved through the plateau that was serving as a throughway for smuggled goods. Those associated were tried in accordance with the laws that had been established, resulting in a group of twenty-three people being blacklisted from Lil Geirr.This left them kicked out of the encampment with only enough supplies to reach the surface of the Dungeon, even though many of them lacked the strength to do so. If they wanted to make it up safely, they would need to survive in the surrounding woods for a few months before one of the return expeditions was held. Since their supplies wouldn't last nearly long enough, these people that wanted to exploit a system that was fundamentally designed to help people would have to hunt monsters and bide their time. There was also a system that would allow them to trade magic cores and drop items for additional supplies, but the conversion wasn't very favorable to them since they had earned the ire of the entire encampment.At the same time, in preparation for the expedition down to the 50th Floor, Vahn continued his investigation into the bodies, equipment, and intentions of every attending member. By the time he was finished, he had removed more than a hundred people off of the expedition and exchanged them with volunteers residing within Lil Geirr. It was also during this investigation that Vahn was able to confirm that, unless they had a means of hiding that were beyond his perception, the 'feeling' he had been having wasn't related to anyone within the expedition. This meant it was the fact the expedition was taking place at all which was the source of his instincts triggering...Since they had been inconvenienced over a three day period, Vahn gave the expedition leave for forty-eight hours so that they could experience some of the interesting aspects of Lil Geirr. As long as they showed up for their patrol duties, everyone had been allowed to use their time as they pleased while Vahn and the girls did much the same. He was spending his recreational time trying to learn how to use the other functions within his system efficiently while also spending time making preparations back on the surface for whatever Enyo would throw at them. At the same time, Vahn was a lot more open about his own wants and desires during the evening hours, even though he spent a fair amount of time just spending time with his children...Terra, flying over the City at his behest, very quickly found several areas where there were strange creatures laying dormant within the massive and complex sewer system of Orario. She even found that there were several tunnels that seemed to connect into the Dungeon itself, showing that the Artificial Dungeon and Babel weren't the only ways into and out of the Dungeon. This information had caused Vahn to release a heavy sigh before shifting the focus of the Alliance to the purging and sealing of the tunnels beneath Orario. Terra had already dealt with all the strange plant-like monsters, many similar to the Viscum he had encountered near the 24th Floor, so the rest was just busy work to prevent monsters from rising up and attacking at random spots throughout the City.Upon this relatively major discovery, Vahn had gone with a large group of gods that were associated with the Alliance and directly met with Ouranos. It was very surprising to see the massive seal that the elder god kept maintained but, other than memorizing its structure, Vahn ignored that and got to the point. Since the Guild was supposed to be regulating the various Familia, managing the flow of magic cores within the market, and keeping order within the City, it was a major fiasco that tunnels had been constructed that connected to the Dungeon. Just the fact that the Artificial Dungeon even existed, without any effort on the Guild's part to shut it down was a major red flag that Vahn wanted to be addressed.Ouranos admitted that the Artificial Dungeon, which was known through the Guild's network as Knossos, had been the ambition of a demigod by the name of Daedelus. Not only was he one of the principal founders of Orario itself, but he had constructed Daedelus Street and Knossos after becoming infatuated with the structure of the Dungeon. Since he made major contributions to the City, and hadn't actually done anything wrong, the Guild had no reason to prevent his ambitious project from coming to fruition.It wasn't until organizations like Evilus stepped in and claimed Knossos for themselves that it had become an issue that required the focus of the Guild. By that point, though they had the means of confronting the organization themselves, the amount of chaos that would have ensued would have greatly weakened the Guild and potentially brought ruin to the entire City. Other than entrusting the task to other people, the Guild had been 'powerless' to take any meaningful action. As for why Knossos was allowed to continue existing after the fact, it was due to the sheer number of people residing in its structure and the fact that they simply had no reason to destroy something that had been developed by one of the most prolific craftsmen in history...Though there were 'a lot' of things that Vahn didn't agree with, he was content with the fact that Ouranos officially recognized the Alliance's claim to Knossos since they had already purchased the land containing Daedelus Street. Since Vahn had already brought large reforms to the area, drastically reducing the number of people living underground, Knossos would now become the Alliance's personal back entrance into the Dungeon.Now, with some additional concessions that Ouranos had agreed to, Vahn had a perfect excuse to begin cleaning out the Artifical Dungeon and purging any criminal organizations residing within. He even humored the idea of turning Knossos into a 'practice dungeon' for the School in the future but, for the time being, just used the map that had been offered up by Ouranos to let Hephaestus and Hestia come up with a design to 'cap' off the Artifical Dungeon. They obviously couldn't build a second Babel Tower but, after negotiating with Penia, the 'ruler' of Daedelus Street, it would be converted into a massive trading center that would act as the central power base of the Alliance in the future...Before that was possible, however, Knossos needed to be swept clean so Vahn was currently standing in a large clearing where all of the buildings had been leveled. There was a massive set of stairs leading into the earth that served as the primary entrance to Knossos while all of the smaller entrances were being cleared out and sealed off. Freya stood next to him, causing the members of her Familia to give him cold glances that Vahn simply ignored.Vahn also had Fenrir at his side and the two of them were about to probe into Knossos so he could begin compiling a detailed map of its structure while simultaneously eliminating any threats contained within. They had already found thousands of traps that were built into the Artificial Dungeon's structure, so he had decided to just deal with it directly instead of waiting for results. After all, it didn't matter how many traps he triggered himself and, other than a mild inconvenience, he would be able to circumvent their effects entirely.With an eager glimmer in her eye, Freya asked in a seductive and 'sad' tone, "Are you really going in...?" Vahn nodded his head, turning to Freya and performing an action that would stun almost anyone that witnessed it. Reaching out with his hand, Vahn began to stroke her silvery hair as he smiled comfortingly and said, "Be a good girl and make sure nothing escapes while I'm inside. Your Familia has the strongest war potential of the Alliance and I trust that your children will be perfectly capable of rounding up anyone that tries to flee..."Freya had a very lovelorn expression on her face but still moved her head around adorably, seeking out his touch while saying, "I understand..." in a sad tone. Seeing this, Vahn chuckled lightly and said, "Don't worry, you'll be the first to know what I'm finished up here. When I return, let's have a small celebration..." These words cause Freya's eyes to shift into a hazy purple as an expectant smile spread across her face, seemingly brightening up the entire world around her. Vahn felt her charm break powerlessly against the defenses of his mind as Freya nodded her head and said, "I'll prepare an interesting surprise for you when you return, Vahn...ufufufufu~."Since he already had a good idea of what she intended, Vahn just returned a smile to Freya and said, "I'll look forward to it..." before turning away and stepping into Knossos' entrance. He had already discussed the same details that he had gone over with the other girls so Freya had started selecting members from her own Familia to turn into his retainers. Vahn wouldn't even be surprised if, by the time he returns to the surface, Freya had gathered an elite group of men and women who were waiting to pledge their allegiance towards him. Though the majority would likely be female, Vahn had already discussed it with the girls that he needed male subordinates and retainers as well, being that he couldn't always confide in women if he wanted to be a stable existence. To this, Loki had surprisingly mentioned turning some of the girls into men, and vice-versa, a thought that had sent shivers up Vahn's spine since he immediately recalled his 'experiment' with Tiona from the past...Shaking that thought from his mind, Vahn transformed into his Baihu form so he could easily see in the dark while Fenrir skulked behind him on high alert. Within his shadow, Fafnir was also present and ready for any sign of an enemy attack while extending his own unique senses to detect hidden threats. Though Vahn's domain had already increased to 1,008m, it didn't mean the would easily be able to process everything that was happening all at once. He had long noticed that, as his domain increased in size, it was much more difficult to focus his perception on any given object contained within.Though he was 'aware' of everything present, it was like being aware of a candle on the very edge of your periphery vision. Unless you looked at it directly, it would be difficult to describe the fine details of the object. Vahn current domain worked very similarly to this principle and, as it could also be interfered with by physical boundaries, it made his senses somewhat unreliable while in closed corridors. This is why he focused on his other senses to act as a supplement to the perception offered by his domain and, as his Baihu form also enhanced his 'instincts', it was the best possible form for this task.As a result, Vahn walked forward confidently and used very minimal movements to dodge a series of spears that had shot out from the walls. The entire corridor had been filled with holes to distract from the actual mechanism but Vahn was able to very clearly see which ones held the true dangers. At the same time, he would sometimes bypass the traps entirely just by manipulating Earth Elemental energy to disable them or having Fenrir simply freeze them completely. His main purpose was to compile a map of the maze-like structure of Knossos and he didn't actually want to destroy all the traps since they served the dual purpose of keeping people out while also keeping monsters in...There weren't many, but Vahn and Fenrir would sense the presence of monsters wandering around Knossos and, after confirming they weren't Xenos, quickly dispatch them. They would also periodically come across sealed rooms where people would be holed up, sometimes totaling more than a hundred laborers that were forced to produce things like drugs and black market goods. The first time Vahn saw such a sight, he had to take a deep breath to maintain his calm before manipulating the walls to create an opening into the sweatshop.After dealing with the thugs that were watching over the group comprised almost entirely of Pallums, Vahn had Fafnir escort them back to the surface while sending a telepathic message to Preasia requesting her to come and help deal with any psychological trauma the workers may have experienced. She had become especially capable of dealing with troubled minds and, using her Dreamscape as a medium, had managed to help many people recover from their trauma. Though some people were a little bothered by her rather peculiar appearance, as Preasia now had a very dense coat of platinum blond fur covering her body, they quickly opened up to her after she gave them counseling. As a result, Preasia's own fame had been steadily increasing and she was even called a Saintess by those that had received her care and guidance...Once Fafnir had returned to his side, Vahn had continued deeper into Knossos and wondered what other discoveries he would make by the time he reached the end. Thus far, he had only gone down around three levels and he knew that the complex maze-like structure would extend all the way to the Middle Floors of the Dungeon. As he went deeper and deeper, Vahn had no doubt 'something' would happen to bar his passage...(A/N: I know the 'punishment' seems rather light, but it wasn't as if they were murdering and raping people within Lil Geirr. Being exiled from the settlement and blacklisted by the most powerful organization in the world are pretty serious consequences to live with xD...)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Get the fuck out...!','Ouranos, master of doing nothing','Pallum sweatshops (T^T)...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Chapter 817: Raid