Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

In order to make sure the Xenos were able to safely live on the surface, there were several things that needed to be taken care of before the migration could begin. Though Vahn managed to pacify Terra, it didn't mean the other girls were open to the idea, chief amongst them being Hestia. He also needed to make sure the Xenos were able to replenish the mana within their bodies but, as Terra's 'territory' now extended party into the Dungeon, it wasn't that difficult for her to incorporate the Dungeon's structure with the underground of the Hearth Manor. In the future, the Hearth Manor would become a third entrance to the Dungeon, one which allowed it's residents, and the Xenos themselves, to freely move without drawing attention to themselves.Though this idea wasn't exactly 'safe' under normal circumstances, the fact that the area in question would be under Terra's dominion made it much safer than the Artificial Dungeon, Knossos. It would also allow Vahn to avoid drawing too much attention when his bodies were moving about, as he would be able to enter the Dungeon without even having to leave the Manor. The only 'real' danger was if any of his children wandered into the Dungeon but, given the fact that the girls, the Xenos, and Terra herself would be watching over them, this wasn't likely. Vahn even intended to create a powerful barrier at the actual entrance to the Dungeon that couldn't be passed through without a keystone, so the odds of anyone 'accidentally' passing through were functionally negligible...The most 'difficult' part of the Xenos' migration was Hestia, who was adamant about not allowing men into the Manor's territory, Xenos or not. At the same time, she argued that having an influx of hundreds of people would simply cause too much chaos while also unnecessarily exposing the children to danger. Though the Xenos weren't monsters, it didn't mean they were beyond following their instincts when angered or stressed out. If they were residing within the Illusory forest, even with Terra keeping tabs on them, there was always a chance they could injure one of the children that played there. Since Vana practically spent more than half her time within the forest, Hephaestus took Hestia's side on the matter and was afraid the influence of the Xenos would be largely negative on her eldest daughter.Since his children were inarguably the most important thing in the world, at least from Vahn's perspective, he had no grounds to stand on once this discussion had taken place. It was fortunate that Terra's territory extended far outside the bounds of the Manor these days or the first news he would have to bring the Xenos would have been 'bad'. Thus, after Loki brought up the solution, it was decided that the Xenos would instead reside in the confines of Loki's Manor to the north. Terra would fill the entire region with trees and plants, essentially turning the massive plot of land into a forest that would keep the Xenos concealed.With the underground tunnel system already connected with the Northern Manor, they could just extend it into an artificial construct that connected to the Dungeon from there instead. This also made it less likely that any of the children would 'wander' into the area, as there were numerous failsafes in place, so Vahn readily agreed to the changes. In a way, it was better for the Xenos as well since the Alliance could turn over the land to them in the future, allowing them to create a small settlement that could house a few thousand of their species. If they had been within the confine of the Hearth Manor, the Xenos would have been forced to migrate a second time once things had started to calm down and they were more accepted in society.Once all the preliminary details were worked out, which also included negotiations with the Ganesha Familia, Vahn enjoyed some leisure time with his children and the remaining girls within the Manor. Since Meinya had been left in the care of Aki, the latter had been somewhat fretful trying to keep up with the energetic kitten, who had also started to influence her own daughter, Anise, a bit. The two had been trying to sneak away and cause trouble every chance they could get, causing Vahn to have to snatch them up on Aki's behalf when it was time for bed. Fortunately, they turned into adorable little angels while sleeping and, though she was in a panic trying to keep up with them, it was easy to tell that Aki was actually very happy...When she was busy with her duties at the School, Tsubaki was spending a lot of time looking over Sakuya and helping girls like Vana, Lenneth, and Aisha in their basic training. Though the latter two weren't exactly ready to begin training in earnest, their rapid development meant that it wouldn't be long before they were. Tsubaki wanted them to have all the basic knowledge down before practical training and used Vana as both her student and assistant for demonstration purposes. Since Vana loved being a 'good big sis' for her siblings, she happily took to the task and was improving very quickly, even without fighting against any monsters just yet.Vahn had joined the girls for one of their training sessions and got to spar against his rather fiery daughter for the better part of an hour, showing that her stamina was already much higher than a novice Level 1. She was even able to use her [Genesis Flame] to create a few openings by producing small explosions meant to disorient her opponents. If not for Vahn's completely fire immunity, and ability to track her movements through his domain, she may have even been able to land a blow or two against him. Fortunately, his thousands of hours of spars against the girls had honed his senses to an extreme so, even after being blinded, Vahn easily parried all of his rambunctious daughter's sneak attacks. By the time she had tuckered herself out, Vana actually had a large grin on her face, commenting, "Of course, Papa is the strongest...haafuuu..."When he wasn't busy running around after his more energetic children, Vahn also spent a fair amount of time watching Ina in her workshop, marveling at the ingenuity behind her creations. Though she was also developing the habit of letting her body sweat out freely, wearing nothing but a simple band around her chest and tying her coveralls around her waist, Vahn couldn't exactly tell her it was 'wrong' to do so. Seeing her hard at work, making huge strides in her progress almost every single day, the only thing he could really do was encourage her to keep pushing her 'art' to the next level. Besides, since many of his children still had the habit of wanting to take a bath with him, he couldn't exactly start fretting over some exposed skin when they were in deep focus...One thing Vahn found very refreshing was how Erika had started to help out in the education of the other children, following the principle that you only truly understood something if you could convey and teach it to others. She and Alexa spent a lot of time together helping to educate their siblings, with Masonia now following his big sisters around like a puppy. Vahn felt a little strange seeing his eldest son listening so adherently to his sisters because, even though he was a polite and intelligent boy, it was a bad habit to fall into if he let others walk all over him. This was especially the case as Sherry seemed to be taking after the older girls and it almost felt like the young Masonia was getting 'bullied' by his own Guardian...When Vahn confronted his son about the matter, Masonia simply stated, "Since Father is such a capable man, even while listening to others, I believe I can be the same. Don't worry, even if it is difficult to deal with at times, I never allow anyone to tell me to do something I am unwilling, or unable, to rationalize. My sisters are kind and intelligent girls, worthy of my respect and trust, so I do not mind it, even if they want to tease me a little." Thus, unable to really refute his son's logic, Vahn could only shake his head when he stumbled into the study one day and saw his son dressed up in a gothic style dress while his sisters styled his hair and put makeup on his face... (A/N: Like father, like son...xD...)As much as he would like to remain within the Hearth Manor indefinitely, Vahn knew he needed to return to Lil Geirr to prepare for the continued expedition to the 50th Floor. He had already been away for more than two days and, though this was 'necessary' with the preparations he had been making for the Xenos, it was closing in on the time he 'needed' to return. Right now, the motivation of the expedition members was relatively high and that would be a very important factor that determines how quickly the construction is able to proceed. Since it was likely that Enyo's forces would attack again, they would need to work almost tirelessly to establish the foundation for Haven in the shortest period of time. Working conditions like those would be heavily dependent on the amount of motivation owed by the construction crews and Vahn knew it was important to act while their motivation was highest.Before he returned to the Dungeon, however, Vahn spent the final evening with Hestia, Hephaestus, Loki, Anubis, and Eirene. Demeter was often away, managing the affairs of her own Familia, so she was unfortunately absent from the 'godly sendoff' that Vahn had received. At the same time or, more specifically, after things had calmed down, Vahn also had a discussion with the goddesses about the 'enemies in their midst'. Though it was likely to be an unfounded claim meant to cause internal tension within the Alliance, it wasn't something that could be ignored either.It was relatively easy to eliminate almost everyone that resided in the Manor, regardless of if they were mortal or god, as there was simply no feasible means to keep such a matter secret. Not only were the girls themselves very perceptive, but Vahn had witnessed the [Hearts Desire] of almost everyone within. The only exceptions to this were Mona, the girls that worked at the Guild Branch, and Vahn's children. Mona was simply an 'impossible' candidate, given her background and the vows she was placed under, and the girls at the Guild Branch had no actual power or influence within the Manor. This meant the 'enemy' was outside of the Manor and, with the being the case, it wasn't actually that big of an issue at all. Since the majority of the Alliance's power was consolidated within this centralized location, it didn't really matter what was going on outside...To be safe, Loki said she would start investigating the internal affairs of every Familia with any meaningful influence within the Alliance. The most 'obvious' person that would betray them would be Ouranos himself but, considering the vows he had taken, combined with nearly a billion cumulative years of acting as a bystander, it wasn't likely. Though the people beneath him were still suspect, the Guild didn't actually have that much influence in the Alliance and they were actively supportive of each other. It wouldn't make much sense for Ouranos to allow for the establishment of Orario, supporting its growth and regulating its affairs, only to want to destroy it after nearly a thousand years.The biggest thing Loki would be investigating was how 'Enyo', a goddess that must have resided in Heaven at some point, was able to avoid detecting by 'literally' every other god. Though there were certainly some gods that didn't know the names of every other god, it wouldn't make sense for the pantheon Enyo was created into to be unaware of her. In total, the number of gods only numbered in the thousands, with the creation, death, ascension, and descent of every god a relatively major event that was documented and noted immediately as it occurred.It was simply impossible for a goddess to have been created in Heaven and gone unnoticed unless, at the time of their creation, they were already being concealed. This was especially true if she descended to the mortal world, as there were only a few means of doing so. The only 'path' was by using the bridge created by Babel Tower and, unless you could somehow piggyback a god like Hermes, there were simply no other means to reach the mortal plane. This simple fact made Hermes seem like the most likely candidate but, as many of the goddesses knew him for a 'very' long period of time, it wouldn't have made any sense for him to do such a thing...even so, he fell into the crosshairs of Loki and she intended to cross-examine every member of his Familia to find out what they had been up to over the last few decades...The one thing that made it hard to deny Hermes' involvement was the fact that he had 'disappeared' around the time the expedition was set to occur. Though he had the excuse of Vahn purchasing his entire Familia, the fact he hadn't appeared since then was a minor flag. However, given how 'clever' Hermes was supposed to be, the fact that most of the signs pointed towards him actually made it less likely. It wouldn't have made any sense for him to spend hundreds of years plotting in secret only to now draw so much attention to himself. He was likely involved with whoever was working with Enyo and, for one reason or another, drawing attention to himself at their behest...---Deep within a ruined city, long forgotten in the flow of time, a blonde haired god wearing a feathered hat sneezed loudly before wiping away his nose and staring into the distance with his slightly parted orange eyes. With a perpetual smile upon his face, he murmured, "I wonder if a beautiful girl is talking about me~?" At his left, a beautiful woman with blue hair tilted her head to the side slightly, muttering, "Hermes...you should show a greater sense of propriety as a God. Your bad habit of playing with the hearts of maidens...haaaa..."In response to his companion's complaint, Hermes released a light-hearted laugh before musing, "Love is one of the most powerful and influential forces in the entire world, my darling Artemis. If you ever fell in love, I believe you would agree with my sentiments~." Hearing this, Artemis furrowed her brows slightly and said, "I am a Goddess of Chastity, Hermes...I will not lower myself to partake of the wanton desires of the flesh. You would do well to hold your tongue and not say something so blatantly offensive..." To this, Hermes maintained a casual smile and continued walking down the dark corridor with Artemis in silence. There was little he could say to change her mind on the matter and, though he had an idea as to whom might be able to break down the walls of her heart, that was a story for another time...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Hestia ain't having Vahn's shit xD...','RIP Masonia...','Flags, flags everywhere...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

While Vahn was making his preparations to descend into the Dungeon, he was doing quite the opposite within the Xenos' Hidden Village. He was just entering into his fifth day amongst the Xenos people and, compared to his interactions with people on the surface world, Vahn found their companionship very refreshing. Spending time lounging about and drinking with Lyd and Gros was a great way to pass the time and, though it caused a fair number of 'incidents', Vahn enjoyed how they did everything as a community.Though it could be a result of simply never having clothes to wear, many of the Xenos didn't mind their appearance much and it wasn't uncommon for groups of their tribe to partake in communal bathing, or even just napping together. There was no sense of shame, nor were things like social propriety and facades present within their community. Everyone just lived freely amongst each other, helping out when things were difficult, and supporting their shared dreams. Though there were sometimes disagreements, there was never any true infighting and, if there were ever any real disputes, they were almost always settled through mediation and discussion, not violence...Vahn found himself growing fonder of the Xenos as the days passed, to the point that their sense of 'boundaries', or the lack thereof, no longer bothered him. Currently, he found himself relaxing in the hot springs with Lyd sitting at his side as they both drank sake from a wooden platform floating within the water. At the same time, the somewhat mischevious Marie was touching the tips of his toes with her tailfin, her heart-shaped pupils glimmering with amusement. There were several other Xenos present as well, including Gros, Xude, and his current 'stalker', Naho. Though they knew better than to 'cling' to him now, it didn't stop the girls from trying to 'play' around and push the boundaries a bit...Throwing back another cup of sake, Lyd released a small burp that caused a wisp of flame to escape his reptilian maw before he smiled and said, "You know, I wouldn't mind if things just stayed like this, Vahn. Now that we can move up to the surface whenever we want, it almost feels like there isn't really a need to. Having you here has been great for all of us and, with everything you've revealed about the surface...well, some of it doesn't really sound all the pleasant..." As if she had been waiting for the conversation to start, Marie nodded her head and swam up next to Vahn, resting against his chest as if it were completely natural as she said, "Vahn stay with us...everyone happy...Vahn make everyone happy...Marie make Vahn happy~"Marie was a strikingly beautiful Mermaid-Xenos with gradient, emerald-blue, hair that loosely hung around her shoulders. She had jade-colored eyes with heart-shaped pupils that reflected pink whenever the light struck them perfectly. This was her natural [Charm] and, much like how Syr had been negatively affected by her's, Marie was one of the Xenos that was constantly in danger of being hunted. There was no end to the number of deviants who sought her out for her beauty and, much like Unicorn Blood, the blood of a mermaid was used as an ingredient to make things like the false [Elixir of Immortality].A Mermaid's blood could 'literally' heal any non-fatal wound and also allowed things like detached limbs to be reconnected with relative ease. If she got captured, the only thing awaiting her was a life of perpetual **** and, much like his former self, having her blood constantly harvested until she eventually died. This was one of the reasons behind why, even though he was trying to deny the advances of other Xenos, it was very difficult for Vahn to shun Marie...the number of parallels he shared with the rather innocent and child-like Xenos were many, causing Vahn to take a silent oath to protect her from harm...The only problem with this was that Marie seemed to understand his intentions and had grown very attached to him ever since their first meeting. Though she was limited to areas where there was water, it didn't stop her from behaving much like Naho, with marginally greater success as she also knew 'when' to get close to him. Since he had been unable to convince her to wear even a single strip of clothing at this point, Marie's presence had caused Vahn a few troubles...not that he could genuinely stay mad at her...Contemplating Lyd's and Marie's words, which had come up several times in the last day or two, Vahn lightly shook his head before patting Marie's, saying, "Though I have enjoyed my time here in the Xenos' Hidden Village, my home is on the surface...I'm sure, once you meet my family, you will understand why I cannot bear to part with them for long periods of time. I actually have to manage two bodies at once just to divide my time and, even then, it really isn't enough..." When he said this, Marie just had a complacent smile on her face, showing no signs that she had even processed a single word he had said. As for Lyd, he released a laugh before striking Vahn's shoulder a little heavily as he said, "That's one of the things I like about you, Vahn. You always treat us Xenos as equals, even when we can barely understand half the things you say...! Gyahahahahahaha~!"Acting on Lyd's cue, Marie also started to laugh as she hugged Vahn's arm, musing, "Vahn funny, stay always...ehehehehe~." Unable to really get his message through to her, at least for the time being, Vahn joined the two in their laughter as, from a short distance away, Gros mumbled, "Things really have become much more pleasant ever since Master showed up..." To his left, the Harpy-Xenos, Fear, nodded her head and said, "Vahn is already like family. We should do our best to make sure he can be happy..." This was a sentiment shared by many of the nearby Xenos, all hearing the rather quietly spoken words with their enhanced senses...Vahn had also heard the quiet conversation occurring a short distance from him but gave no indication that he was listening in as he gently tried to remove Marie from his arm. He honestly didn't mind having his arm sandwiched between her rather plump bosom but, with the looks some of the other Xenos were giving them, Vahn wanted to avoid triggering 'another' incident. Fortunately, Marie let go of his arm rather easily and just dove into the hot spring pool, swimming around in a quick circle before she popped back up and giggled playfully. Vahn returned a smile to her and took the opportunity to 'escape' the hot springs before things got out of hand.Lyd and Gros also followed behind, both wearing clothes Vahn had given them as they moved through the tunnels leading towards the village. Fenrir was waiting for him at the entrance, surrounded by a posse of Kobolds, Goblins, Horned Rabbits, and Almiraj. She had become something of a de facto leader for their group over the last few days and, not wanting her naked body to be seen by other people, refrained from partaking of the hot springs bath. This was probably for the best, considering that she was prone to jealousy when watching her Master interact with other girls, especially those outside of the Manor...Considering it might be better for her to accompany him on his excursion back to the 39th Floor, Vahn pet her fluffy ears as he asked, "Do you want to come with me back to Lil Geirr? I'll be entering into the Dungeon in a few hours and it'll be just the two of us for a little while." These words caused Fenrir's ears to perk up like an alerted rabbit, an eager smile spreading across her face as she exclaimed, "Yes, I want to go hunting with Master~!" Though she didn't mind the peaceful life within the Xenos Hidden Village, Fenrir had been pretty bored over the last few days. Since her Master was always focused on 'other' things, she found herself just 'educating' the weaker Xenos on how to be 'good' for the future.Vahn nodded his head and, in the blink of an eye, Fenrir was already gone from the spot, now standing at his side back at the Manor. Lyd showed a face of confusion when he saw this, much like the other surrounding Xenos, causing Vahn to explain, "For those that have been named by my [Keeper of the Akashic Tome], I'm able to transport them between my two bodies in an instant. I really wasn't lying when I said there are literally two of me...things get really busy for me at times..." Lyd nodded his head in understanding and showed a thoughtful expression while Gros' brows perked up slightly as he asked, "Does that mean you can bring me to the surface right now, Master?"Nodding his head in affirmation, Vahn said, "Yes, but there would be a few problems with that for the time being. Though you would probably be an exception, the presence of males within my home isn't really accepted. Also, calling you to my side right now wouldn't really be the best time to do so, as I'll be heading into the Dungeon with Fenrir shortly. She probably wouldn't react well if I brought you along right after saying it would be just the two of us..." Since it was a good segue, Vahn also went on to explain the 'decision' that was made by the goddesses, alerting them to the fact that they would be given their own territory to manage. The Alliance would still be protecting them, and they would still fall under the influence of Terra's dominion, but the majority of the Xenos wouldn't be allowed within the confines of the Hearth Manor.This revelation was received surprisingly well, another credit to how reasonable and understanding the Xenos could be at times. Gros even brought up the idea of changing his sex into a female in order to prevent problems, something that had caused Vahn's brain to dull for a short while before shaking his head and saying not to mind it. If one of their leaders spontaneously changed gender to gain access to the Manor, Vahn wouldn't be surprised if 'most' of the male Xenos did the same. He explained that the main issue was simply the number of people, the potential dangers of having children running around, and the future complications that would be present when trying to transition the Xenos into general society. It was simply better for them to have a territory of their own instead of living within a much smaller region where the number of complications would drastically increase...Gros didn't really argue on the matter, accepting it at face value, while the other Xenos didn't show any signs of being troubled by the changes at all. For the majority of the Xenos, they had never actually thought about what it truly meant to live on the surface and were just happy to have the opportunity. Since they had expected to be confined within the Dungeon for their entire lives, just having a place to call 'home' on the surface was more than enough for them. At this point, the trust they had towards Vahn had almost reached an extreme level and, even though it had only been five days, the lowest Affection he had with a Xenos was 93.For better or worse, the Xenos was very trusting, especially to those that could empathize with their dream and proactively tried to help them. Vahn was glad he had been the one to earn their trust as, given their nature, it wouldn't have been difficult for someone to fool and manipulate them. Just imagining these good 'people' dying because of the machinations of another person made Vahn feel solemn indignation inside of his heart. It wasn't right for anyone to have to suffer unjustly and, with what he had observed of the Xenos thus far, Vahn felt they were something that should be protected. Those on the surface could learn a lot about life from watching the Xenos, assuming they could see beyond surface appearance and their personal bias...For the rest of the day, Vahn discussed the migration of the Xenos to the surface, spent some time fostering positive rapport with their members, cut a swath of destruction through the Dungeon with Fenrir, and then spent the night surrounded by the warmth of the girls at Lil Geirr and the fluffiness of the Almiraj-Xenos within the hidden village. Naho also managed to get their permission to intrude into the small and homely den but, fortunately, she was also on the fluffy side of life. Thus, with a contented smile on both of his faces, Vahn drifted to sleep, ruminating over the hopes and dreams of those that had placed their trust in him...---After more than ten days of hard training, Bell had managed to duck under the sheath of Alicia, twisting his body in a manner that even people far more skilled than him couldn't manage. He traced the dagger in his right hand along a smooth arc, aimed towards Alicia's flank, and nearly clipped her before she twisted away from the dagger's trajectory and kicked Bell's backside. Because of the awkward angle he had been at, Bell's feet slipped out from under him and he slid along the ground after smacking his head against the hard floor of the training arena. Alicia winced slightly when she heard the loud 'cracking' sound but, given Bell's Endurance, it was unlikely he had suffered any serious injuries.As expected, Bell rolled into a sitting position and nursed the bump on the back of his head, sighing as he said, "Miss Alicia, you don't have to be so rough...ataaa..." To this, Alicia just laughed lightly, moving a few strands of her now jade-green hair behind her ear as she said, "You are improving very quickly, Bell. The fact that you can almost land a hit on me, someone near the peak of Level 4, even while you're merely a fresh Level 2...well, it's rather unbelievable. Once your probation is finished, I'm certain you will be able to increase your strength very quickly...just remember, strength is useless if you can't even protect the things you care about..."While speaking, Alicia turned her attention to Line and Plum, both sitting against the wall and leaning against each other, fast asleep. Much like Bell, they had also been training hard to master their [Pactio]s, increasing their own strength to avoid a negative outcome during their next stint within the Dungeon. It was currently late in the evening but Bell had been insistent on continuing their spar, causing Alicia to forget the time. Now, seeing the two girls snuggled up next to each other, Alicia smiled affectionately and said, "Those girls have been doing their best, Bell...if you let them down, well, I'm not the only person you'd have to worry about...fufufufu~."Bell had adopted a resolute look when Alicia mentioned protecting the people he cares about but, hearing her follow-up words, a shiver ran up his spine. Just imagining the expression of Loki if he got Line or Plum killed caused Bell to swallow hard with nervousness. However, it was the image of Vahn's disappointed face that weighed most heavily on his mind. Vahn had not only saved his life, but the amount of support he had given Bell made the latter feel a great deal of pressure. Since it was his dream to be a hero, much like Vahn, Bell didn't want to become the type of person that got his comrades injured, especially after they had trained so hard together...he would never be able to hold his head up high if he erred so grievously...Seeing Bell treat her words seriously, Alicia nodded her head and said, "I'll talk to Loki-sama about redacting your probation soon. I believe you may be able to reach Level 3 in a relatively short period of time, potentially even soon enough to attend the rotation of personnel down to Lil Geirr. It would be a good experience for you, diving deeper into the Dungeon and experiencing the many mysteries that await those willing to probe its depths..." These words got Bell hyped up and, without due consideration for the two sleeping girls, he loudly exclaimed, "Alright! Thank you so much, Miss Alicia~!"As he spoke, Bell moved forward very quickly and tried to grab Alicia's hands in his excitement only to have her sheath smack him dead center in his forehead. At the same time, Line and Plum had been startled awake by Bell's loud cry, seeing him 'jumping' towards Alicia with his arms spread, face filled with a heavy sheath. They immediately assumed it was his 'bad habit' acting up and, without bothering to question Bell on the matter, began lecturing him in earnest...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'A Species Worth Protecting...','Just...just pile them on me...','RIP Bell-kun...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Gros' 'evolution' had caused waves within the small Xenos community as, even though Vahn was already quite popular within the close-knit community, having the 'leader' of the faction that believed Xenos couldn't live amicably amongst surface dwellers was a great boon. Though there were a few skeptics, their minds were changed rather quickly after a private discussion with Gros. Since they were able to determine that he was in full control of his actions and still possessed all of his memories, all while possessing much greater strength, it was hard not to 'believe' in the future that Vahn had promised.As a result of these developments, Vahn ended up at the center of a communal gathering as he tried to lay out his plan for allowing the Xenos to live on the surface. He had Lyd, Ray, Gros, Rayne, Naho, Terror, Xude, Marie, and Gryuu behind him as he looked out at the hopeful Xenos and said, "I do not want to mislead anyone here...know that, even amongst different communities of surface dwellers, there are ongoing conflicts that are slowly being resolved. The integration of Xenos into society would be an endeavor that we would have to spend several years working on. However, I can promise you wholeheartedly that the Alliance, the organization I represent, will continue to make efforts to ensure the Xenos are able to live with the same liberties afforded all surface dwellers..."Vahn noticed that, though the gathered Xenos had intelligence, many weren't really following what he was trying to say. There was a lot of confusion on their faces so he adopted a kindly smile as he explained, "For the time being, the Xenos will be given land within the territory of the Alliance to build their homes. You will have my personal support and the support of those that follow me...even though it may take several years for the public opinion of people to change, I promise you will still be able to live on the surface. I will never force you to do anything you don't want to do and, as long as you don't endanger the lives of others, you will be protected under the banner of the Alliance. To that end, you will have to receive an education so you know how to interact with other surface dwellers, but that is something that can be managed by your current leadership. I will work with Ray, Lyd, and Gros to help them understand how you can incorporate yourselves into society, so you will just have to listen to them. As long as you do not break any laws, commit heinous crimes, or bring harm unto others, the Alliance will never turn its back on you...!"Though Vahn could sense the excitement building, his words didn't seem as impactful as he expected, causing Lyd to step forward and point his scimitar towards the ceiling as he shouted, "Vahn is another part of our family! He deserves our trust and will take us out of this prison so that we can live on the surface! It won't be easy, but we can work together to make it easier! Now give Vahn a loud hurrah to show him that the Xenos can't be underestimated!" With the rise of Lyd's scimitar, the gathered Xenos all began to shout and cheer, many calling out Vahn's name while others began to happily talk about living on the surface...Vahn had a humbled smile on his face as Lyd gently elbowed him and said, "Big words are nice 'n all, but you gotta be direct. Just like you were staying to Gros earlier, show the Xenos with your actions, not your words. Don't worry, we know how to keep each other in line to avoid trouble. Ray's group might cause a few problems, but it shouldn't be that difficult to keep them distracted...hahahaha~!" In response to this, Ray produced a wry smile, knowing that she actually didn't have much ground to stand on if she wanted to argue against it. Though they would 'get better' as they became more human, it was an established fact that Bird-Type Xenos didn't have the same intellectual growth as some of the other species...From amongst the crowd of Xenos, one of the Goblin-Xenos, wearing a red-brimmed hat, raised their hand and stepped forward, drawing attention to itself as a 'she' asked, "Mister Vahn, is it possible for all of us to become powerful like Mister Gros? I know that many Adventurers would mock and look down upon us Goblin-Xenos and, if possible, would like to become stronger in order to protect myself..." This was a very important question on the minds of many Xenos, especially since the majority were only Level 1, being comprised of Goblins, Kobolds, Imps, and Almiraj. They had been fodder in their previous lives and, even though they had comparable intelligence to some surface dwellers, their weakness was still a predominant issue...Hearing the apparently female Goblin's question, though she looked like any normal Goblin, Vahn smiled and asked, "Tell me, little one, what is your name...?" With a courteous bow, catching Vahn off guard, the Goblin-Xenos introduced herself, stating in a polite tone, "My name is Laura, a Goblin-Xenos. Thank you for asking for this little one's name, Mister Vahn..." With 'her' words finished, Laura raised her head, patiently awaiting an answer to her earlier inquiry. Vahn was a little taken aback by her behavior and lightly reprimanded himself for making 'assumptions' about any Xenos as a result of their 'heritage'...After collecting his thoughts, Vahn gestured Fenrir to his side and began patting her head as he smiled and explained, "As long as you have the desire to grow stronger, there is no limit to how far your strength can develop. This here is Fenrir, my most adorable and trusted companion...though it may be difficult to believe, she actually used to be a normal Kobold. Now, after working harder than most people, she has become one of the most powerful existences in the entire world...I am very proud of her..." As he praised her, Fenrir puffed out her chest and should a prideful expression on her face, following up his words by adding, "As long as you desire power for the right reasons, anyone can become strong. Though my Master can help you become strong much faster, this is only possible if you are a 'good' person. Don't expect Master to help you become strong just so you can use your power to harm others...strength is meant to protect the things you care about..."Since Kobolds weren't that different than Goblins, Laura produced a crooked smile and was satisfied with the answer she had received. However, seeing how physically appealing Fenrir was, Laura couldn't help but ask, "Is it possible for even a Goblin like myself to become an 'adorable' existence like Miss Fenrir...?" To this question, Vahn couldn't help but chuckle lightly as he said, "I plan to work with Ray to help pave a way forward for all Xenos to become more human. But, the easy answer to your question is, yes, it is possible. I can help you evolve like Gros or, if your allegiance towards me is high enough, I can help you change your race completely. If you wanted, I could even help you become a real and true human..."This revelation caused a bit of a stir amongst the gathered Xenos with Ray taking the initiative to ask, "You can really change Xenos into humans...? Is that really true, Vahn...?" Understanding where this conversation was headed, Vahn nodded his head and explained, "Not just human, but almost any conceivable race so long as your desire and allegiance are high enough. I could even make a Goblin-Xenos like Laura into a True Dragon like Fafnir, though it would take a very long period of time. For some relatively simple like a Human, it would only take a few weeks of time...?" Since he couldn't just spend all of his OP without consideration, Vahn knew he would have to request resources from those he helped transform. Though some exceptions could be made, as demonstrations would serve as a powerful motivator for others, that was an 'investment' towards the future that would likely pay dividends with time...Since he expected it might be another question that popped up, Vahn decided to elaborate, saying, "It isn't just race, either, as I can help you change your size, shape, appearance, and even gender. However, there is something I need to clarify from the start so that there are fewer 'complications' in the future. You will all be able to see this in greater detail when we return to the surface, but I already have a very large family and several lovers that I care for deeply. I know there are some amongst you who have started to harbor hopes and expectations about how I may interact with you in the future...though it isn't beyond the realm of possibility, I would rather you focus your affections towards others. This has nothing to do with the fact that I may prefer any particular species of Xenos over any others, so don't jump to conclusions, please..."Though he was more than a little interested in the exotic nature of some of the Xenos, Vahn had experienced another 'shift' in his mentality as of late. The moment he had stopped worrying about his relationships with women outside of the Manor, Vahn noticed that the number of women approaching him in a meaningful way had drastically increased. It was almost as if they were 'aware' that he was more receptive to their approach and, as it was never his intention to greatly increase the number of women around him, Vahn needed to begin directly shutting down the advances of some. If things continued as they were, Vahn had a sinking suspicion that almost every female Xenos would take up residence around the Manor in the future...The moment his words had fallen upon their various different types of ears, several of the Xenos began stirring, talking amongst themselves while some cast glances at him. Vahn noticed this was primarily the group of Bird-Type Xenos, those that had experienced his [Grooming] for extended periods of times, and those like Marie, Naho, and even Rayne. Though he hadn't interacted with Marie much, as she couldn't easily move around as a Mermaid-Xenos, she had a very positive impression of him from the very beginning. As for Naho and Rayne, Vahn noticed that they were somewhat isolated from many of the other Xenos and it was likely he was one of the closest people to them, even after a very short period of time...As if she were the representative of the female Xenos, Ray stepped forward and clapped her hands together to make everyone quiet down. When she had their attention, Ray smiled radiantly before saying, "Girls, everyone has the choice to love who they want to love. However, note that Vahn didn't say there wasn't a chance...work hard, ufufufu~." Since she had already been behind Vahn, Ray was now right next to him so, when she finished her words, Vahn found himself being hugged by a pair of golden wings was a pair of soft mounds pressed into his back. Ray began to giggle and it was apparent her words had resonated with the other Xenos as many of the girls who harbored 'expectations' towards Vahn began to cheer and celebrate...---The gathering had quickly turned into another celebration as everyone began talking about what it would be like to live on the surface after thinking about it for such a long period of time. Some also discussed what race and gender would be the best to live as while others, never knowing anything other than their original race, simply wanted to evolve further. Vahn answered a lot of questions about his powers and even pointed out some of those among the Xenos that were the closest to being able to activate his powers. Since many of these were girls like Naho, Mlem, Rayne, Ray, Marie, Terror, Fear, and even Jude, it got some of the other female Xenos riled up, causing Lyd and Gros to designate an area around Vahn as a no-entry zone...Fortunately, though the topic was never truly dropped, Vahn managed to have a more guided conversation with Lyd, Gros, and Ray. Though the latter seemed to be 'targetting' him, she was a lot easier to deal with than the other Xenos who had no understanding of personal space whatsoever. Fenrir also acted as a 'barrier' to keep others away while they talked about the necessary steps to facilitate the transition of Xenos from the Dungeon onto the surface. Vahn was currently back at the Manor trying to get things prepared, mainly by having Terra agree to allow the Xenos to reside in the Illusory Forest. Though she showed a bit of hesitation at first, especially knowing that there would be many 'competing' females within the group of Xenos, Vahn managed to 'convince' her after a few hours of 'coaxing'...Vahn's current plan was to have the majority of the Xenos begin migrating to the surface and slowly introduce them to the general populous through various events that would be coordinated with the Ganesha Familia. Before that, they would be kept safe within the small illusory forest at the center of the Hearth Manor. At the same time, Terra was going to be creating caverns underground if space started to become an issue that needed to be addressed. Though it would be a relatively simple solution to let the Xenos stay within a Sub-Space orb that had been catered to their needs, this wasn't exactly conducive to their desire to live on the surface. They would just be trading one scenic prison for another, never truly incorporating themselves into society. Though they would certainly have a Sub-Space orb to make use of, if not using the 'main' one directly, that was a secondary focus for the time being, not a priority...At the same time that the Xenos would be moving to the surface, they would also be organized into teams that would patrol and investigate the Dungeon. They were able to locate and navigate the secret areas of the Dungeon with relative ease and would be moving between the various Hidden Villages to recruit any new kin that came into existence. The Xenos had always proactively searched for more of their kind and offered protection and companionship to their newly formed kin. It was this spirit of cooperation that had allowed them to survive for hundreds of years and, even though they lost their some of their companions in the process, they never gave up on their own people...it was truly an admirable trait that Vahn felt all sentient species could learn from.Though there would be several teams formed, the members would be comprised of the stronger Xenos in the group, specifically those that had become his subordinates and retainers. They not only had the highest chance of survival but could also train to overcome their limits with greater ease than those bound by the pseudo-restrictions of their base species. For the time being, Gros would become the leader of the search team and, once Vahn's cooldown was up, Lyd would become the second team leader. They would operate with impunity, under the guidance of supervision of other Xenos, reporting only to Vahn himself. Vahn wanted to strengthen their community so that, even if it took decades for the general populace to accept the Xenos, they would still be able to get a foothold for themselves within the Alliance...The final phase of the Xenos' migration, even though it would be an ongoing process from the very start that would likely continue indefinitely, was the 'research' component of things. Vahn knew there was a lot to be learned through observing the Xenos, as their existence itself touched upon the secrets of the soul itself. Since monsters were simple mana constructs, the fact they could obtain souls was a phenomenon that deserved the highest priority of attention. After all, even the gods had spent hundreds of millions of years proactively trying to create souls, only for the first batch of 'truly sentient' beings to come into existence at random. The fact that the Xenos existed at all, even though the Dungeon wasn't that old, was one of the most significant discoveries that deserved proper study and research. It was even possible that one day in the distant future, any monster could be groomed into a Xenos, fundamentally changing the very nature of the record...Since it wasn't exactly 'proper' for him to conduct the research on the Xenos without any oversight, Vahn decided it was best to simply focus on educating the Xenos to coexist with society. As their intelligence continued to develop, Xenos like Ray could become the frontrunners in Xenos research, working tirelessly to understand and promote her species so that true understanding could be reached. Since this research had the chance of exponentially increasing their numbers, Ray was very excited to get started, though she emphasized that Vahn had to be involved directly. She wasn't entirely in agreement with the fact that Vahn wanted to let the Xenos head the research as it seemed 'unnecessary' from her perspective.Ray argued that many Xenos would willingly allow someone like Vahn, who they had placed their trust in, to conduct research on them. She pointed out that, as he had no intention to exploit and use them for his own selfishness, it would be better for their entire species if he took charge of things. Since he was already helping them evolve and change, it wouldn't make sense for him to take a backseat on the research that would better the lives of every Xenos in the future. As there wasn't any real argument he could come up with to refute Ray's words, which was surprising in itself, Vahn ended up agreeing with her. Though he knew Ray had more than a few 'intentions' of her own, Vahn agreed that he was inarguably the most capable in conducting research into almost any field...(A/N: Just a reminder that Sunday is supposed to be my 'rest' day. The number of chapters could vary greatly and you shouldn't expect them to release at a 'normal' time xD. There will probably be another chapter of EPIC today, but it is more likely that I'll release a few FJ and just spend some time playing games or reading other novels for inspiration. I'm going to start trying to release between 4-6 chapters a day (based on length) since the pacing of the novel has been accelerating a great deal. I'm trying to bring the events of Danmachi to a head around chapter 1000 and, though it won't be the end of Vahn's time in Danmachi (as he will return later), it will be time for him to enter the next record around that time. Stay beautiful, all of you EPIC readers :P...)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Intelligence is relative xD...','Ray's Conspiracy...!?','It is weird how Vahn essentially became a researcher himself, even though he hated them in the past o3o...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Chapter 831: Preparations