Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

It took a short while, but Vahn was able to slowly understand how his Karma had increased so much. Though it could simply be the result of using the [Fate Severing Knife], granting the Karma of the target unto himself, Vahn felt it was directly related to the fact that he had prevented Artemis' destruction. Not only was she a goddess with an incredibly long lifespan, but the fact that he prevented her Arcanum from 'literally' destroying the world likely factored in a great deal. If Antares hadn't been defeated, it would have quickly assimilated all other monsters, animals, and surface dwellers into itself. With an unrestrained Arcanum, it could very easily overwhelm the Mortal World, forcing the gods back to Heaven until they came up with a solution...In essence, Vahn had saved the entire world and, as a result, he knew things would only get more hectic in the future. Karma was already a heavy influence in his life before and now he had a level of Karma that should only be accessible by the gods themselves. Until he left the record, he had no reliable means of reducing his Karma, other than the absolutely horrid thought of allowing one of his children to die and failing an [Origin of Heroes] quest. If he managed to earn the 'Eternal Love' of a goddess near his own Karmic value, it wasn't impossible to 'reset' his Karma, though he would never, ever, in a million years, do such a terrible thing...Vahn just hoped his Karma itself didn't compel Fate to make things more difficult...Though he didn't externally sigh, Artemis' eyes practically snapped towards him, clear concern on her face as she stopped talking with her Familia and asked, "Is everything okay, Vahn? Is there anything I can do to help...?" Then, as if a dam holding back a mighty river had been breached, several members of the Artemis Familia also expressed their intentions to help him. Vahn found himself sandwiched between two rather buxom members of the Familia as Artemis herself came before him, grasping his hands out of concern. This brought a slightly wry smile to his face as he explained, "Well, I was just thinking about the future and how best to guarantee everyone can be happy. Though I already have some expectation...will your Familia return to Eden, or will you stay here and continue to help the people of the Dark Continent...?"This question was immediately answered, though not by Artemis, as Lante's body sat up with a start as she exclaimed, "There is no way we're not going to follow you! This is fate, I just know it!" Lante had been pretending to sleep for a while, enjoying the 'feel' of her new body while listening in on the conversations with her sharp ears. As a girl who had thought it to be 'fate' when her hand brushed against a man's, the fact that Vahn had not only revived them, but gave her the chance to become one with her goddess was a veritable mountain of 'fate' crashing down on her whimsical brain.Almost immediately following Lante's outburst, many of the other girls expressed that they wanted to follow him as well, appealing to Artemis in the process. This made Vahn feel a little helpless but, as he had already expected such a situation, his expression just softened slightly. As a result, several of the girls that were focusing on him blushed while Artemis, without showing any signs of due consideration, stated, "Of course we will follow Vahn. The Artemis Familia will become part of the Alliance so that we can make a better world for everyone...!" With these words, the entire Artemis Familia released a celebratory cheer before an impromptu group hug was initiated with Vahn at the center. He didn't mind this so much, if not for the 'curious' hands that found their way to his butt, stomach, and inner thighs...Artemis made an effort to get her Familia under control but, the moment Vahn was 'liberated', she made a point of plopping down into his lap with a serious expression on her face, saying, "I know everyone is heavily impacted by this event...but we must take into consideration Vahn's situation as well. Not only has he married goddesses, but Vahn is already involved with several women, many of whom have already had children. In the future, I will no longer prevent you from seeking out someone to love...I understand now that it is a very important and precious thing. However, as capable as Vahn might be, it would be unfair to him, and his family, if everyone here thought their only path towards happiness was through loving Vahn..."Though there were a few things he'd have liked to add, Vahn remained relatively silent while Artemis was speaking. His [Allure] and [Temptation] weren't things he needed to activate for them to have an effect, especially with the positive impression of almost every girl present. He knew, as 'scary' as it may seem, just a few tempting words would be all it took for things to develop in a very...intimate way. This was especially true for those who were staying closer to him, their auras gravitating towards his position with tinges of pink and red. The only exceptions to this were Rethusa and the rather unfortunate Amazoness, Shadie, who was watching the proceedings with a bit of confusion as two other Amazonesses, Vera and Kinoa, supported her.She didn't have all of the information about Vahn's lifestyle at the Manor, but Artemis went on to recount everything she had learned from Hestia and Hephaestus. Though some of the things she said bordered on the unbelievable, most of the girls didn't seem too surprised by these revelations. After all, those who hadn't been unconscious after their procedures had seen the state of their other Familia members. From their perspective, the friends and allies they had for several years had all died, themselves not being an exception. Vahn, however, had not only completely healed their bodies, but also brought them 'back to life'. He had even given Lante what appeared to be another body of their goddess, Artemis, though there were some very noticeable changes...with these facts being their first introduction to Vahn, none of the girls were genuinely surprised by anything Artemis revealed to them...By the time Artemis finished her explanation, Lante once again was the first to speak out, raising her hand as she exclaimed, "Question!" Artemis, seeing 'herself' raise her hand, returned a gentle smile as she asked, "Yes, what is it, Lante...?" This caused Lante to point towards Vahn, currently acting as a seat cushion for Artemis, asking, "What is your relationship with Vahn-sama? Also, won't you tell us how you feel about this situation? You know, I really believe it was fate that brought us all together and I reeeeeally feel like I would regret it for the rest of my life if I gave up on these feelings...!" Instead of being deterred by anything Artemis had explained earlier, Lante was even more convinced that Vahn was essentially her knight in shining armor...Being pulled into the conversation, Vahn put on a thoughtful expression while Artemis answered, "I love Vahn...more than I ever thought possible. It is just as you said in the past, Lante...love has the power to change people and, with the love he and I share...I..." As she spoke, Artemis' face became slightly flushed and she began to wriggle around in Vahn's laps, causing his brows to rise slightly as he hugged her waist, explaining to Lante and the other girls, "My intentions are more in line with Artemis' on this matter. You are all beautiful girls and, though I will not deny having an attraction towards you, my situation is only getting increasingly more complicated as time passes. I want all of you to be able to live happy lives and, though you may feel a lot of affection towards me at this moment, you should be more considerate of the future...it may be difficult to believe, but I am a person who has obtained immortality and, if you worked hard enough, I could help you become immortal as well...however, that kind of thing can be a curse if you can't even plan a few years ahead...just imagine living for a thousand years...or ten thousand years...will the feelings you have at this moment really last that long...?"These words by Vahn had caused a bit of discussion within the girls as even Lante didn't seem to know how to answer his questions. Most of them had only ever thought about the present, or how they would be able to gather enough food and supplies for the coming winter. They had never thought about things like planning decades ahead, much less how they would spend what could possibly be an eternity. However, there were some girls, such as the Amazonesses, who quickly answered, "Meh...if not for you, Vahn, we'd all already be dead. Much less planning for the future, we wouldn't have even been able to plan for lunch. Besides, even though we aren't part of the main tribe, we still have the instinct to crave a powerful mate. If our presence might become troublesome than you in the future, that is in the future...even if it is just for a short while, I'd like to at least experience love with the first man to win my affections..."The person speaking had been the Amazoness named Vera, a twenty-three-year-old woman with a very mature and athletic figure. Her breasts were on the larger side of a C-Cup and her long dark-brain hair was styled into a long ponytail with her bangs framing her face. She had a very serious look in her eyes and, much like how Tiona, Tione, and most Amazonesses in general, looked at him, there was an almost 'predatory' glint in her gaze. Vahn was very aware of the state she was in and it almost felt like Artemis was the only thing preventing him from being attacked, not just by Vera, but by several of the girls present...For a brief moment, Vahn felt tempted to just go with the flow of things but, strangely, the image of his children played through his mind at this point. By the time they had cycled through, settling on the lonely visage of Alexa, Vahn felt like his heart had hardened slightly as he opened his eyes and firmly stated, "I will explain my stance very clearly. I will not pretend to be principled, nor will I deny I've sometimes given into licentiousness and debauchery, but I 'cannot' keep living in this manner. Though I want to respect these feelings you all have towards me, can you imagine what it would be like for a single person to try and manage a relationship with nearly a hundred women at once...? There may very well be a time when I return your affections...after all, I do feel a great deal of responsibility towards you all...however, we cannot have a real and lasting relationship. I can't do that to my children...my family..."Vahn knew he had walked off the more 'normal' route a long time ago, giving in to his curiosity and suffering from an inability to refuse the affections of those who had placed their trust in him. These were all girls he would likely interact with for decades to come and, though he would be there for them at times, he simply couldn't be there for them in a more meaningful way. If it came to choosing any single one of his girls over the entire group gathered before him, Vahn would be conflicted after the fact, but he wouldn't hesitate at all. Artemis was the only real exception to this as their relationship would likely continue for a period of time that was almost incomprehensible to mortal minds...With Vahn's sudden transition into a more serious persona, the atmosphere became a little tense and some of the girls even lowered their heads slightly, ashamed of their behavior. Before these feelings could progress too far, however, the sound of someone's stomach rumbling broke through the atmosphere. Everyone's attention immediately turned towards the culprit, a Half-Elf girl with somewhat wild brown hair and blue eyes. Vahn knew her name was Lunalia, a twenty-eight-year-old Half-Elf who had been found by Artemis in a destroyed village as one of the only surviving children. She had been in the Familia for longer than almost any other member and was something of a 'Big Sis' within the group with her generally calm and caring disposition...Currently, Lunalia's face had turned beet red and her ears had drooped down slightly as she quietly muttered, "Sorry...I get hungry when stressed...it's been a long day..." This reaction caused the tension in the air to completely shatter as Artemis clapped her hands together, a happy smile on her face as she said, "Yes, we have all just overcome a great trial and should be celebrating, not talking about such serious matters~!" After extricating herself from his lap, Artemis turned to Vahn, her happy smile immediately softening a great deal when she looked directly at him. Vahn felt his heart throb powerfully once again, even though she simply asked, "Can you give us some ingredients and help set up camp? Knowing you, we could probably return to Eden very quickly...but, at least for tonight...let these girls celebrate life, okay...?"Though he had been planning on calling Terra over so they could teleport back to Eden, Vahn nodded his head in response to Artemis' plea. This caused her smile to blossom even further as she turned to her Familia and began assigning duties in high spirits. As this was very different from how she would normally act, most of the members of the Artemis Familia were more than a little surprised. They got caught up in their goddess' momentum very quickly and hastily began preparations for a feast, not even questioning how Vahn was able to produce ingredients, tents, blankets, and just about anything they asked for...As she was assigning duties, Artemis turned her attention to Rethusa, one of the few girls who had been lost in thought during the previous discussions. Artemis had a good idea about what was bothering her generally loyal and serious Captain. Even before they had entered into the sealed chamber, Artemis had tasked Rethusa with escaping if things went south so that she could warn the surrounding villages of Antares' awakening. She trusted that her proud and capable Captain would be able to flee, even if everyone else was unable to do so...instead, they had been trapped inside of the chamber and Rethusa ended up impaled into the door by Antares' tendrils. Not only had she been unable to help her Familia, but Rethusa had failed to perform the task that was assigned her, helpless as she watched her Familia slaughtered...Artemis didn't blame Rethusa for what had happened, not even a little bit, but the trauma her Captain had experienced as a 'spectator' was quite extreme. If she had been able to fight and die alongside everyone else, her perspective on the situation likely wouldn't have been so dire after the face. Now, instead of the proud and capable woman of the past, Rethusa seemed like a shadow of her former self, unable to even help out in the celebratory preparations because she was lost in her own thoughts. This was a very saddening thing from Artemis' perspective so she turned to Vahn with a slight smile before walking over to Rethusa's side and whispering into her ear...Though she had been somewhat absentminded at first, Rethusa's face flushed slightly and a bit of light was restored to her eyes after she heard Artemis' request. This didn't last for long, however, as Rethusa's head hung slightly, stating, "I do not think that would be appropriate...there are-" Instead of waiting for Rethusa to finish speaking, Artemis pulled her by the hand, surprising the red-haired beauty who quickly became redder whilst her goddess dragged her over to Vahn. Upon arrival, Artemis surprisingly pushed Rethusa towards him, causing Vahn to catch the startled girl as Artemis explained, "You have been working very hard these last few days, Vahn. Rethusa here will wash your back, so go take a bath in a nearby stream or something. I'm certain you can find one very quickly with your capabilities~!"From the moment she ended up in his arms, Rethusa hid her face but made no actual attempts to move away while Vahn and Artemis looked into each others' eyes. He understood that Artemis was very worried about Rethusa and, having shared her experiences, Vahn couldn't help but be a little worried himself. Since it was very possible for him to help her, Vahn withheld a sigh and just gave a small smile in response before saying, "Sure, but I think I'll just make a bath in one of the side rooms that everyone can use later. I'm sure everyone would enjoy a nice hot bath after everything that has happened..." This caused Artemis' smile to widen as she mused, "My, how thoughtful of you, Vahn. I'm certain everyone will be ecstatic when they hear about it. For now, the two of you should go enjoy yourselves... let's see, the food should be ready in about an hour, so there is no rush."The entire time their conversation had gone on, Rethusa kept her head lowered and didn't resist when Vahn gently pulled her hand along. Their departure drew a lot of attention but none of the girls called out to them as they too had been very worried about their Captain. Even Lante, who had heard what Artemis had whispered to Rethusa, kept her silence...at least until the two were out of sight. Once Vahn's and Rethusa's figures had disappeared, Lante practically jumped on Artemis, hugging her tightly as she complained, "Artemis-sama, that isn't fair at all, you know? I want to take a bath with Vahn too~." In response to this, Artemis surprised Lante by hugging her tightly and saying, "I'm certain, so long as you believe in love, that time will come...now, let's make a delicious meal to impress Vahn. If we all work together, we may one day be able to become a real family...!"(A/N: 2 hours between chapters today o3o~!)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Fate-sama pulling out a spiked club with the word 'life' on it...','Vahn is going to have Harem Trauma in the future xD','Artemis' family planning...!?')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

After leaving behind Artemis and her Familia, Vahn found a large room with hard stone floors that would be suitable for having a large bath. Though the walls and ceiling had cracks running through them, the foundation was strong and it wasn't in any danger of collapsing. Even so, Vahn set down a comfortable sofa for the confused Rethusa and set about using Earth Elemental manipulation to repair the structural damage. He was only doing some temporary fixes, as anything more comprehensive would take far more than the hour they had, but it still made the room look presentable.Once his impromptu repairs were done, Vahn inspected the floor to ensure it was thick enough before cutting a large 5x5m square hole in the ground that was around 55cm deep. He levitated the excess stone slab and began cutting it into tiles that would surround the perimeter of the bath before rounding off the edges. With his skills as a [Master Smith], combined with his ability to manipulate the earth with reasonable ease, the entire process took just over ten minutes. When he was finished, Vahn created a few wards to regulate the temperature of the water, before purchasing mineral rich onsen water directly from the system shop before crushing a large number of magic cores into fine dust and letting it spread through the liquid medium. He wanted the girls to not only feel relaxed in the bath but refreshed and revitalized as well...they had been through a lot and small comforts went a long way towards promoting happiness...When he was finished, Vahn turned to the quietly observing Rethusa, smiling as he said, "The bath is ready...let me know if I need to adjust the temperature any." These words startled the somewhat absentminded woman but she was more surprised by the fact that Vahn set up a partition and pulled out a large basin for his own bath. He began filling it with water, fully aware of the fact that she was watching him as he removed his clothing and submerged himself into the very hot water. A contented sigh escaped from his laps before he quietly remarked, "Worrying about the past serves no purpose, Rethusa...none of your Familia lays blame on you, including Artemis herself. They'll all be happier when you set this aside and, once again, become the reliable Captain they all know and love...when you finally want to start moving forward, they'll all be there waiting for you..."Though he knew his words were a bit underhanded, given the circumstances, Vahn would rather she become the 'confident' and decisive person she had been in the past. He could easily have pressured her into become dependent on him but, similar to what he had told the girls outside, the direction their lives took lay on their own decisions. This world was already very chaotic and, by the time he linked the records, Vahn knew things would be even more problematic to deal with. Though he would never abandon those who followed him in earnest, he couldn't invest his time and energy towards taking care of people who were unable to function without him.There was no way of knowing what the future would hold and, without being independent and strong, any girl that held affections towards him would be forced aside by the sheer complexity of his life. After all, everyone had limitless potential and, as strange a thought as it may be, Vahn knew he could essentially pick up any random orphan off the street and raise them to be incredibly powerful. If they desired it, he could change their appearance, race, gender, and even alter their very preferences. The only thing that stopped him from doing so was the happy life he already enjoyed, the family he loved dearly, and the simple awareness that people needed to be free to make decisions about their own lives. He couldn't live their lives for them...just as he sincerely dreaded the thought of anyone trying to live 'for' him...A few minutes passed in silence with nothing but the subtle sound of system notifications within Vahn's mind. He was aware of the fact that Rethusa's Affection had slowly been increasing as time passed and, even without him doing much of anything, it had just crested over 90(Trust). Around the same time, he could hear steps on the cold stone, followed by clothes falling to the ground as Rethusa crossed the partition with a flushed face. She had removed her tunic and was now using it as a makeshift towel to cover the front of her body as she muttered, "I want to wash your back...I failed the last task Artemis-sama gave me...I won't fail a second time...!"Hearing this, Vahn lightly nodded his head before leaning forward in the basin that was easily large enough for two people. He kept his eyes closed and slouched slightly as Rethusa slowly climbed into the bath behind him. When she tried to adjust her position to sit down, her foot came into contact with his back, causing her to splash a bit of water in surprise. Seeing that he didn't react, Rethusa began to calm down as she picked up the nearby soap and sponge. For a brief moment, she was surprised by the quality of the soap and its texture but quickly set other thoughts aside as she began scrubbing his back in earnest.Vahn was rather accustomed to having his back washed by others but he enjoyed the fresh sensation and awkwardness of a girl's first time doing so. It was obvious Rethusa had helped to wash others before but, having almost no association with men at all, every action she took had a great deal of hesitation and delicacy. Even so, she managed to get through the process in just a few minutes before cupping hands of hot water to help remove the suds. The entire time, there was very little direct contact between them, even though Rethusa's feet had inched forward slightly while she was scrubbing.Once she had removed all the suds, Vahn nodded his head slightly and said, "Thank you, Rethusa, it was a very refreshing experience..." Even until the end, Vahn had kept his calm demeanor and remained seated with his eyes closed. Rethusa had peeked around to look at his face a few times and he was aware that, while there had been very little, most of the time she had touched him was intentional. By the end of the backwashing session, her Affection had increased to 92(Love?) and Vahn felt things might become troublesome if he kept silent.Before Rethusa could say something along the lines of wanting to wash his front, Vahn startled her by saying, "You know it as well, don't you...Artemis had suffered a lot from this incident...?" In response to this question, Rethusa remained silent but Vahn could feel that she had nodded her head. Even so, he allowed the silence to persist for a short while before saying, "If we rounded up, Artemis has lived for nearly 450 million years...it's an incomprehensibly long period of time...in all those years, however, it was the loss of her children in the mortal world...something that should have been inconsequential to a goddess in the flow of time...that made the biggest impact on her heart. Even the love she feels for me, though I will likely never understand the sheer magnitude of her feelings...I'm certain she would have traded it away if it would have been able to protect all of you..."Artemis, even though she had quirks of her own, was a very sensible and responsible woman who genuinely desired family, even if she hadn't been fully aware of it. Unlike the first time she had descended, where she observed her Familia from a distance, Artemis had genuinely lived with her 'children' this time around. It was because of this close association that she even started to comprehend things like love, meaning she had experienced more change in the last sixty years than almost the entire preceding years combined...watching these precious children of her's die, by her own power no less, had been a very tragic happening...In the silence following his words, Rethusa ended up resting her forehead against his back, trembling as the sound of tears rolled down her cheeks and fell into the water below. Vahn knew that she had also experienced great suffering from this outcome but knew she was strong enough to overcome it with a little guidance. A small smile spread across his lips as he stated in a sincere tone, "What you have experienced...it is something that would break most people. However, so long as you remember why you fought so hard in the first place...why it hurt so much to fail...you will recover...you will grow even stronger...and, so long as you continue fighting for those you care about, you will never have truly failed them..."At this point, though she wasn't hugging him, Rethusa had both of her fists resting on his back as she used him to support her shaking body. Vahn felt a very strong urge to turn around and embrace her tightly in his arms, bringing comfort to help drive away the pain and the fear...but he didn't. Instead, confident that Rethusa would be able to forge a path forward for all of the girls, Vahn stated, "We will all return to Eden together...Artemis, everyone...the world is full of pain and sadness, Rethusa, and I want to make it a better place for everyone, regardless of race and status. In order to do that, to right the wrongs in the world, I need people that understand the suffering of others...will you help me? Can you use the strength I know you possess to prevent tragedies like this from ever happening again...?"Vahn remained calm within the bath but, deep within the 50th Floor of the Dungeon, he squeezed his fists together with enough force to draw beads of blood. It simply felt wrong to be leading someone that was experiencing emotional turmoil onto a path he had decided. Since he had the power to help her, it was very difficult to continue with this 'charade' he had created...but, even though this was the case, Vahn pressed forward. He knew that he had always been trying to live in a way to help others but, in order to create true happiness for a larger number of people, Vahn knew he needed to teach people to help themselves more. If the only way people could become strong in this world was by being closely associated with him, then he would become the linchpin of reality...the moment he 'broke', everything would be lost...For several minutes, Rethusa continued to cry, each of her tears weighing heavily on Vahn's heart and disturbing the ocean within his mind. He hated seeing girls cry and, knowing he could have stopped them, Vahn felt like he had wronged Rethusa for his own selfish reasons. It wasn't until she finally sniffled, asking, "Can I...become stronger...?" that the tensions in his body released. Then, without any hesitation whatsoever, Vahn firmly stated, "You may not believe me now, but I can promise you...so long as you desire strength and continue forward with a firm conviction...it is even possible to exceed the level of the gods themselves. There are no limits to the growth of those who have the convictions to face against limits themselves...and shatter them completely..."These words caused Rethusa to remain silent for a short while, her aura undergoing a somewhat worrying change before she said, "I'll do it, Vahn...I will follow you...I will become strong enough to protect everything I care about...!" As sincere and determined as these words sounded, Vahn remained silent and solemn, waiting for what Rethusa would say next. She had already moved her head away from his body and he could hear her moving around in the water as she said, "But...if the path you talk about is truly possible...I know I wouldn't be able to walk it if I have regrets. I swear, no matter what it takes, I will become even stronger than the gods someday...but, for just this one moment...can I just be a woman that you love...just a little...?"Vahn turned his head, finding Rethusa propping herself against the basin with her back arched slightly, a visible plea present in her gaze. There were still visible signs of the tears that had stained her face, causing Vahn's heart to twist in his chest. He reached his hand out, caressing the small of her back before bringing his palm to rest on her rather plump butt, saying sincerely, "If you are determined to walk this path, I will give you more than just a little of my love, Rethusa...I may not be able to give you everything you undoubtedly deserve, but I won't back down when it comes to making you feel wanted...never doubt yourself..."As he had been speaking, Vahn used his now SSS-Rank [Hands of Nirvana] to send threads of energy into Rethusa's body, causing her to tremble as she tightly held the side of the basin. When she heard his words, Rethusa looked over her shoulder while biting her lower lip, tears building in her eyes once again as she said, "I want it...I'm sorry for Artemis-sama and the other girls, but I can't help it...I've never felt this way before...please, Vahn..." In a display that caused Vahn's brain to buzz like a gong that had been rung, Rethusa reached between the gap of her thighs and spread herself open for Vahn to see...Vahn didn't know how much of her actions were the result of his [Allure] and [Temptation] but, as there were no signs of external influence like he would see in the charm of a god, Vahn didn't hesitate any longer. His body was already more than prepared and Rethusa's entrance looked hot, filled with a slightly murky liquid that was most certainly not from the bath. He continued to massage her butt with his hand, targetting all of the nerve clusters and muscle groups that would make things much easier on Rethusa, before placing his glans near her entrance. Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind and, thinking it would improve things from her perspective, Vahn admitted, "You know...I've always had a thing for red-haired women...especially when they are strong and independent..."Though he hadn't entered into her yet, Vahn felt the entrance of Rethusa clamp up slightly before she moved her own hips back, just a little. She had turned to face him, almost as if trying to discern the truth from his expression before a small smile appeared on her face, followed by a very subtle chortle. In time, this turned into a restrained giggle before, a few seconds later, Rethusa had started laughing in a lighthearted manner. This was a bit unexpected but Vahn didn't lose his patience, even though he did send a little jolt into one of her sensitive spots. Rethusa's laughter was replaced but a rather throaty moan before she nearly slipped while trying to cover her mouth. Fortunately, she was able to catch herself rather quickly, a very visible blush on her face as she looked back once again and said, "I want it..."This time, Vahn returned an appreciative smile toward Rethusa before moving his hips forward in a steady advance. Her legs locked up a little and she tried to raise her hips but Vahn kept her firmly rooted in place as his dragon once again wandered into unclaimed lands. A barrier tried to stop its progress but, as if ascending to the heavens from the mortal world, the dragon continued forward until it found the sacred temple of life located within. Here, so long as special care was taken, it was possible to forge a new life and, very familiar with these procedures, the dragon began knocking at the gates in a steady rhythm with powerful energy emanating from its proud form. Then, very subtly, the dragon began to gain a slightly pink hue that caused the sacred temple to tremble as if affected by a world-devouring earthquake...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'I blame Loki and Freya...','Rethusa takes the lead...Rufina will not be pleased','Heavenly Dragon of Love...?')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Though there were several things Vahn wanted to investigate regarding Lante's situation, he decided it would be best to leave her be for the time being. The other Artemis Familia members had been in a state where their breathing and hearts had stopped for longer than was medically 'ideal'. He had used his Source Energy to revitalize their bodies and repair the damage to their brains but there was no way of knowing exactly what they had lost in the process. Entities with lower tier souls couldn't 'imprint' their memories that easily onto their ego, meaning most of the girls would have suffered severe damage to their synapses, affecting their functionality and memory.Artemis also had many questions but, understanding Vahn would likely answer them for her later, she followed Vahn as he picked up Rethusa's body and exiting the sealed chamber. Vahn was intending to use the temporal distortion present within the room to buy time for himself. If he had performed 'Nirvana Rebirth' on each girl within the chamber, several days would have passed by the time he was finished. This would make it impossible to save some of them while also causing a much longer period of time to pass in the outside world. The few hours he had spent inside the seal had resulted in eleven days coming to pass outside...Feeling his perception catch up with itself, Vahn heaved a sigh of relief that caused Artemis to ask, "Is there something the matter, Vahn...?" To this, he nodded his head and explained what had been happening in the 'outside' while preparing his operation room for the procedure. Artemis was surprised to find out how much time had passed while they were inside but, given the state of her children, she accepted the reasoning rather quickly. At the same time, Vahn was having to answer the questions of the girls within the Dungeon, who had actually moved his body to a secure place while he was in deep meditation.Fortunately, other than a few stray monsters migrating in from other floors, there were no major issues with Haven's construction. If anything, the fact Vahn hadn't been watching over everyone actually made people feel more complacent. Without his presence in the sky, their own alertness had gone down a bit and the morale within the encampment had strangely improved. Vahn made a mental note of this and, though he had wanted to spend some quality time with the rather concerned girls, he explained the emergency situation and earned himself a momentary reprieve. They once again started protecting his body as Vahn entered into a deep meditative state, wholly focused on replenishing his reserves to make the 'Nirvana Rebirth' go smoothly.Once the preparations were completed, Vahn had Rethusa's naked body on an operating table he had produced from his Inventory and began the long procedure. Fortunately, now that his [Hands of Nirvana] was SSS-Rank, the time it took for him to 'tune' his energy was negligible. It still took the better part of an hour to infuse the energy into Rethusa's body, but this was still much faster than in the past. Since he was only trying to 'revive' her, instead of repairing small defects and the like, Vahn inserted his hand into her heart and began the delicate procedure. This mainly involved repairing her mana circuits and revitalizing her spirit body, making it a stable container for her ego before jumpstarting her heart once again...The moment Rethusa's heart began to beat again, her body jerked slightly and she inhaled deeply before settling down once again. She shouldn't have been able to move in her current state but having Source Energy coursing through her body to jumpstart her heart went against expectations a bit. Vahn could spend a million years researching this energy of his and never fully understand it so he wasn't too surprised when unexpected events occurred. The only important thing was the intent he put into the energy and, so long as he does not wish to do harm, it was entirely incapable of having negative effects on a person's body...The process for awakening Rethusa's body took significantly longer than the procedure itself and Vahn felt a little guilty as he flipped her body over. As usual, the final step was to use the 'Convergence of Heaven and Earth' to bring her back to reality and Vahn knew it would be a very 'intense' experience for all of the girls. Even if they never truly loved him, this would be a memory that would never fade from their memories and, considering the circumstances, it might be one of the most powerful memories they have left. Even so, Vahn didn't hesitate at all as he placed his fingers at the base of Rethusa's neck and spine. She had a beautiful and mature line to her back and, with that thought in mind, Vahn brought his fingers together and sent the rather unfortunate woman into a veritable seizure of pleasure...Fortunately, unlike in the past, Vahn could make use of his [Grooming] to help calm people down so, while Rethusa's body was trembling atop the table, he stroked her hair gently and muttered, "It's going to be okay..." Artemis had been standing at his side during the procedure, watching with a hopeful look that slowly transformed into intrigue before settling on mild amusement. She no longer doubted Vahn would be able to save the other members of her Familia but, seeing the process with her own eyes, Artemis knew it was going to cause some 'problems' for Vahn in the future. Thinking about what the future might hold, Artemis giggled a bit and, when Vahn looked toward her with a questioning gaze, she simply stuck her tongue out and skipped off toward the sealed chamber...This put Vahn in a rather awkward situation because it would have been better for Artemis to be present when Rethusa calmed down completely. Right now, she was still in a dazed state so Vahn pulled out a warm blanket and covered her exposed back as a general courtesy. He then stepped away from the operation table and began using his domain as an intermediary for his petting as, if she really had lost her memories, Vahn didn't want her to become too dependent on him through a misunderstanding. These girls were all victims of a terrible tragedy and he wanted to help them move forward and seek out their own happiness...even if he suspected they would all become his retainers and subordinates...Under Vahn's constant care, Rethusa calmed down after a few minutes had passed but kept laying on the table for a short while, simply staring at him with her reddish-brown eyes. She had medium length hair of the same color and an incredibly fit body that had been honed over years as a Huntress within the Artemis Familia. Vahn felt like she would even be able to contend against some of the Amazonesses he had met, though the closest comparison his mind drew was to that of Rufina. Her somewhat sharp and angular eyes, combined with her rather serious look, matched well with the version of Rethusa he knew from Artemis' [Hearts Desire].Since it didn't seem like she was going to speak, Vahn broke the long silence, saying, "I'm sure you have a lot of questions, Rethusa, but most of them will have to wait. There may be gaps in your memory but know that I'm an ally of the Artemis Familia and that I'm currently in the process of saving all of your injured members. If you have the strength, let's get you dressed and I will escort you to your goddess, Artemis...okay?" Vahn didn't know the level of clarity that Rethusa currently had so he tried to give her tidbits of information in his general explanation to gauge her reaction.Though she was silent for a few seconds, Rethusa eventually asked in a moderately deep and mature woman's voice, "So...you saved me...?" Vahn nodded his head and, seeing that she didn't seem to be as confused as expected, asked, "Do you remember what happened?" This question caused Rethusa's expression to break as a look of terror emerged in her eyes, followed by her curling up and tightly clinging to the blanket. She obviously had some memories related to the event and, though it would leave her with a trauma, Vahn saw this as a positive sign that indicated there was more going on within the sealed chamber than he currently understood. There seemed to be a preservation effect overlayed with the temporal isolation and distortion formation that was present. This indicated that Antares wasn't simply sealed away, but someone had wanted to preserve it completely...Understanding she would probably need time to cope with what had happened, Vahn held out his hand and sent threads of calming energy through his domain. A few seconds later, Rethusa slowly lapsed into unconsciousness and, though he could have carried her with telekinesis, Vahn picked up her body and carried her along. Direct contact was surprisingly important in situations like this and Vahn knew she would feel more comfortable with the warmth of another person. Since he could also send calming energy directly into her body, Rethusa's right hand moved to clutch his tunic instinctually as the expression on her face slowly relaxed.Upon entering into the sealed chamber, Artemis' brows raised slightly as she said, "It's like you were right behind me...the flow of time in this place...how peculiar..." As she spoke, Artemis moved her fingers through the air as if she could feel the flow of time present. Vahn knew she shouldn't have that capability though, had she truly awakened a Divinity related to Time, that would be a rather major development. He still had a few inhibitions about how to deal with Kali in the future and it would have saved him from having to deal with at least one of the problems he would have to face...After setting Rethusa down on one of the futons he had laid out, Vahn put some clothes next to where she was sleeping and said, "If you want to wait here and watch over them, that would-" Artemis had already started shaking her head before he had finished speaking, smiling as she said, "I want to be there...watching you bestow the miracle of life to those that even we gods wouldn't be able to save...I want to see it with my own eyes, the rebirth of each of my children." Vahn felt a strange compulsion from her words that caused the mental image of Hestia to overlap with Artemis' within his mind. It was a rather amusing development, but Vahn figured he had stumbled on to at least one of Artemis' new Divinities...It took the better part of three days, but Vahn slowly worked his way through the entire Artemis Familia and performed 'Nirvana Rebirth' on each member. Other than an Amazoness named Shadie, who had suffered severe head trauma, the other girls were a bit shaken but showed no indication that their memories had been adversely affected. As for Shadie, she had experienced a moderate Anoxia and would have semi-permanant memory loss, even though she didn't have fully developed amnesia. There was a chance she would recover what was lost but, considering the type of injury she had suffered, the odds were rather unlikely...Even so, after performing 'Nirvana Rebirth' on a Cat Person named Kaeko, Vahn received the system notification that he had completed the SSS-Rank Quest, [Salvation of the Moon Goddess] and had received a plethora of rewards. Though he was already ecstatic to have completed the quest, Vahn's brain had completely blanked when he saw the Grade Rewards section. He was so distracted that, while he was petting the previously dazed Kaeko, she had started to purr under his touch. It wasn't until she actually nabbed his hand and began to play-bite his fingers that Vahn came to his senses and asked her the same series of quick questions as the other girls...----------------------------------------------------------------------//Optional Quest Completed!//[Quest: Salvation of the Moon Goddess]Rank: SSSCompletion Grade: SSSObjective: Liberate [Artemis] from Antares(1/1), Restore the Bodies of Artemis Familia Members To A Complete State(19/19), Perform 'Nirvana Rebirth' on Artemis Familia Members(19/19)Optional Objectives: Save Lante(1/1)Rewards: 10,000,000OP, 3x[Unique Gacha Coupon]Grade Rewards: 3,000,000OP, 1x[Skill Advancement Scroll:SSS][Unique Gacha Coupon]Rank: UniqueUse: Guarantees that the next 'Standard Gacha' pulls from the Unique Items Pool.Restriction: Items pulled are restricted to Unique items within the current record.[Skill Advancement Scroll][A/N: Price: 100,000,000,000OP, the same as a Dimensional Anchor!]Rank: SSSUse: Advances any non-Innate ability to the SSS-Rank, independent of the record of origin. //*Warning*// [This item is exceedingly rare and should be used with extreme caution and consideration!]----------------------------------------------------------------------Though he was more than a little distracted by the existence of the [Skill Advancement Scroll], Vahn decided to put it off until later since it even included a warning to exercise extreme caution. This situation still hadn't fully resolved and, now that he had an affectionate Kaeko clinging to him, Vahn knew he needed to wrap things up. He, fortunately, got her to at least wear proper clothing, though this was only because Artemis had intervened and lightly reprimanded her. Though there was a considerable lack of sternness in her tone, Kaeko still listened obediently, even if she teared up a bit when left alone to get dressed. Like the other girls, the memory of her own 'death' was still very vivid in her mind and she had just gotten a little carried as a result of how comfortable Vahn was to be around...Once Kaeko had finished getting changed, the three made their way into the sealed chamber where the majority of the girls were still sleeping. As for those who were awake, it only felt like a few minutes had passed for them and they hadn't fully recovered yet. They had been talking about what had happened, while some were even bold enough to venture outside of the barrier and inspect the seal where Antares had been located. Now that Vahn and Artemis had arrived, however, everyone gathered together once again, this time to hear a proper explanation from their goddess.Though a lot of their attention was focused on Vahn, as a result of Artemis advocating for him as if she were his biggest fan, he didn't mind their attention and just returned a natural smile in response. He had been thinking about the best method to use the [Skill Advancement Scroll] and was taking a peek at his own Status while conferring with Sis. The moment he did so, however, Vahn felt like his mind had sunk into the infinitely expansive ocean contained within and he had started to sink to the bottom, absolutely overwhelmed by what he had seen...----------------------------------------------------------------------[[Stats]]Name: [Vahn Mason]Age: 16Race: Progenitus, *sealed*Parameter: [Danmachi: 1-4]-Level: 6(+)-Power: 4001+(E408)-&gt;(D564)-Endurance: 5713+(D577)-&gt;(C629)-Dexterity: 5156+(C623)-&gt;(C699)-Agility: 4492+(D501)-&gt;(D545)-Magic: 11611+(S924)-&gt;(SSS1208)Total: 30,973+(3,033)-&gt;(3645)Soul Tier: 3 (Lord Soul)[Karma]: 93,413-&gt;439,202,192[OP]: 103,408,882-&gt;239,633,417[Valis]: 11,007,912,050-&gt;7,998,400,002Skills: [Will of the Emperor:SSS], [Rakshasa Body:C], [Keeper of the Akashic Tome:B], [Eyes of Truth: B],[Archery Goddess' Blessing:B-&gt;SSS](new), [Stealth:S], [Chainbreaker:S], [Heart of the Eternal Flame:SS], [Prometheus:A], [Call of the Reaper:A],[Yggdrasil's Favor:S], [Veil of the Traveler: S], [Featherfoot:S], [Hands of Nirvana:SS-&gt;SSS], [Metallurgy:B], [Fist Strike:S], [Friend of Spirits:A], [Void Ward:A], [Temptation:I](new)Magic: [Thria*Mimos:S], [Shundo:SS], [Koku Shundo:B], [Cantus Bellax:S], [Mellodia Bellax:B], [Vis Maxima:B], [Sagitta Magica:S], [Pactio:S], [Magia Erebea:SS], [Dios Tukos:C]Development Skills: [Wound Transfer:S], [Well of Spirit:A], [Swordsman:A], [Master Smith:H], [Mixing:C], [Mentor:A], [Lapidary:B], [Grooming:B-&gt;A], [Arch Mage:G-&gt;F], [Allure:I-&gt;D][Archery Goddess' Blessing]Rank: B-&gt;SSSUse: So long as the bond between the user and the Goddess of Archery remains, it is said possessors of this skill cannot miss their target when using any form of marksmanship. Greatly enhances critical strike potential of attacks made with a bow.Active: When activated, the user's next attack had 100% accuracy and 100% critical hit chance.[Temptation]Rank: IUse: Your power, authority, and natural allure allow your words to sound more convincing in the ears of others.[Allure]Rank:DUse: So long as there is even a mild attraction towards you from another party, allows every action you take to be seen in a positive light. Increases perception and awareness of the opposite sex in regards to the user. Greatly increases the odds of successfully charming a target and makes all skills, magic, and abilities related to mental manipulation more effective.----------------------------------------------------------------------(A/N: Something of note; I've moved my 'rest' day to officially be on Monday out of consideration for the Sunday reset. Also, until around June 10th, the schedule will generally be M1, T4, W5, T5, F6, S5, S5. I've been busy and a little stressed out lately so the word count for EPIC will be around 85-90k words as I'll also be doing daily releases for FJ. Ah, and if anyone can figure out what I have in mind for the [Advancement Scroll], I'll give you a virtual cookie on Discord~!)(A/N: Alternate Titles: '11 Days o__o...','Thats one way to revive someone...','Dat Karma (O o O)...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Chapter 859: The Dawn of Endless Troubles...?