Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Though he wasn't sure if now was the best time, Vahn decided to simply proceed with his plans since it was a necessary step to take in order to make headway against Enyo. Construction of Haven had been steadily progressing and, though it would like take several months for the outer wall to be constructed through normal means, Vahn knew Terra would be able to create a makeshift wall in less than a day. He also had the opportunity of buying large stone slabs to serve as natural barriers so, in preparation for potential attacks, the main priority of the laborers was simply clearing trees and leveling the ground. Once he had decided this, Vahn called a meeting of all the Unit Commanders, the representatives of each Familia, and the few influential merchants who had faced their fears to descend into the Dungeon for profit.Now, Vahn sat at the 'head' of a ring-shaped table with twenty-three individuals, each waiting for the decision he would make as the Supreme Commander of the Alliance. He had Maemi and Emiru standing slightly behind, completely decked out in their [Pactio] raiments and holding their [Saint's Halberd]s to create a rather imposing figure. Haruhime was sitting on his left, tails flickering behind her in an almost hypnotic fashion, while Finn stat to his right, elbows on the table and an amiable smile on his face. He seemed in much higher spirits than before the expedition had started, honestly admitting in private that he was 'relieved' to be away from his women and children for a short while...Once everyone was properly seated, Vahn waved his hand, causing hot tea and pastries to occupy the empty area in front of everyone. He made sure there weren't any hard foods that would make chewing noises and, to ease everyone's tension, picked up a small cherry danish and ate it with a smile on his face. Though he didn't go out of his way to intimidate people, Vahn had noticed that the way people acted around him had changed drastically ever since he began operating in the Elven Kingdom. When he turned his sights on the Nobles within Orario, everyone suddenly became very fearful of offending him, even though he generally tried to be polite and easygoing towards all but his enemies.With tensions easing a bit, Vahn's on expression softened slightly as he said, "I know that my calling this meeting hasn't come as a surprise to anyone. As you'd expect, we need to come up with plans to deal with the impending danger of Enyo's forces. Our actions of focusing on the establishment of 'Haven' gave her a bit of breathing room and, now that she is starting to get restless, we need to prepare for an attack. I have gathered everyone here to ask for their opinion but, at the same time, I wanted to assuage your concerns so you can assure everyone else that things are going well. Please, wait for me to finish laying out my plan before you begin making suggestions."Not surprisingly, nobody spoke out to try and guide the conversation themselves, knowing full well that the final decision rested on Vahn from the outset. Though there were certainly those among them that had their own plans for Haven, Vahn already knew of their intentions and wasn't against them trying to find success on the 50th Floor. So long as they didn't try to outright exploit people in the future, he didn't mind if they sought a few benefits for themselves. Thus, without any objections, Vahn smiled and began explaining, "Because of the planned size of Haven, construction on the outer wall will not be completed by the time we're expecting an attack. For the time being, the main focus should be on clearing the surrounding terrain while maintaining the defensive line near the inner wall..."As he spoke, Vahn raised his finger and used Earth Elemental manipulation to make a diagram of Haven within the center of the ring-shaped table. There was a large empty space that he had reserved for this purpose and, with the reactions of surprise from those gathered, he was happy to have come up with the idea. Besides, it was much easier for people to understand what he had in mind through demonstration instead of simply talking it over. Though they had all seen the blueprints, the fact there would be a Tree of Life within the center was something that had yet to be revealed.Continuing where he left off, Vahn explained, "Though we will have patrols watching over the workers, the largest force will be concentrated near the five fortresses. We have five [Paling] barriers that will prevent most external attacks but they don't have the ability to block monsters from moving into the protective area. Since larger barrier magic won't work under a [Paling], we have several defensive wards in place that can be activated with magic cores. As you can see, our main focus will be solely on a defensive fight and we have it set up so that only a tenth of our personnel would be required to maintain the active defense..."Since there were genuine concerns about people overdrafting themselves, especially during a siege, a lot of the defensive weaponry was mechanical in nature and could be operated by almost anyone. Though the damage would be much lower without any skills to enhance their efficacy, cannons and arbalests were still very useful weapons against even large monsters. Their bolts were three-meter long projectiles that were affixed with carved Dragon Fangs on the tips. Since they had a base property of being able to penetrate almost anything, they were exceptionally useful against large monsters. As for smaller monsters, they would be dealt with by a combination of Asfi's [Burst Oil] and explosive ordinance that was designed to penetrate into a monster before exploding. Though this wouldn't deal much damage to stronger monsters, just weakening them slightly was very helpful in a defensive engagement...After detailing some of the defensive measures they would be employing, Vahn got to the heart of the discussion, saying, "Also, I'm sure many of you have been wondering why we left such a massive space within the center of Haven..." Since many of them had actually asked the question directly in the past, Vahn wasn't surprised when almost everyone nodded in response. Seeing this, his smile broadened slightly as he raised his hand, causing a tree to begin sprouting in the middle of the diagram. As this was happening, Vahn explained, "In order to make sure Haven truly becomes a territory of the surface world, I will be planting a Tree of Life within the center of the City. The true purpose of our strong defenses is solely for protecting this tree and ensuring that it is able to grow without issue..."Since one of the participants of the meeting happened to be an Elven Mage, her eyes widened greatly upon hearing this, exclaiming, "Did you discuss this with the King and the High Priestess!?" Even as she spoke, Vahn noticed her Affection had jumped up from 80 to 88 in an instant, a look of reverence in her pale blue eyes. Vahn, however, shook his head lightly and said, "There are things going on behind the scenes that I am not able to disclose, even to those gathered here. Just know that this Tree of Life is different than the Sacred Trees back at the Elven Forest, though their function if fundamentally the same. Also, please be patient and allow me to complete my explanation before interjecting...if you have any questions that don't directly relate to the subject at hand, please confer with me in private later."Though there was no greater meaning behind his words, Vahn saw the system notification show that her Affection had jumped to 92 as a light blush appeared upon her cheeks. This caused his brows to raise almost imperceptively as he quickly got back to the discussion, saying, "In order to ensure the Tree of Life is properly protecting, I will be moving one of the Trump cards of the Alliance down to the 50th Floor to assist in the defense. Many of you know her as the True Dragon, Terra, one of my trusted companions...she is very likely the most powerful Mage in the entire world and it is her work that allows me to use the giant emerald barrier many of you have seen. Even if Enyo's forces tried to collapse the entire Floor, they would be unable to do so while Terra is present..."As she was 'very' famous these days, nobody doubted Vahn's words when he said Terra would be able to greatly increase their defensive strength. They had seen the barrier artifact that Vahn uses withstand the assault of tens of thousands of monsters for several hours, completely impervious to almost any attack so long as there was enough energy. With Vahn generally acting as the 'battery', seemingly without having to strain himself, they knew the defensive strength of Haven was almost guaranteed. That left the question, however, as to what they would be doing to deal with the issue, something everyone was very curious about...Understanding what everyone must be thinking, Vahn tapped his finger a few times before saying, "Once we have secured the perimeter around the Tree of Life, I will create a detached force to begin breaching into the Deep Floors. Just as we have always done in the past, we'll use a small group of elites to scout ahead and deal with any looming threats. For the preliminary scouting, it will just be Ais, Tiona, Haruhime, Lefiya, Fenrir, Lili, and myself. I don't want to leave Haven without any means of dealing with the strange plant-monsters that might show up in response to our probe into the Deep Floors. While I'm away, Finn will be the acting Supreme Commander...keep in mind, Finn, that Terra only really listens to my orders. When she is here, trust that she will do her duty and try not to make her angry..."Knowing that Vahn wouldn't give him such a warning without reason, Finn nodded his head with a serious expression on his face, saying, "Understood, Vahn. You can leave it to me when the time comes. Don't worry, I will make sure Haven is safe while you are away." Hearing this, Vahn gave a small nod to Finn before turning his attention back to the rest of the group and saying, "Also, though this is a provisional thing, expect there to be an influx of Elves and Xenos into Haven in the future. Though they may not be easily accepted on the surface world just yet, the Alliance is the official protectorate of the Xenos people. They will be helping to maintain the supply route using paths that normal Adventurers don't have access to. Though their services may not be cheap, I'm sure many of the merchants here would appreciate being able to move supplies to the surface safely...when the time comes, I won't accept a single instance of persecution towards the Xenos. Please start taking steps to ensure there won't be any problems when they do start showing up, understood...?"This time, Vahn let a bit of pressure leak out and influence those within the room, causing several people to turn pale as they all nodded in understanding. Vahn noticed that not everyone was in agreement with his words but, after he sent them a glance, they fell in line rather quickly. He didn't expect things to go entirely without issue but if he ever found out about an incident where a Xenos was murdered unjustly, Vahn knew he would have to make a harsh example out of the perpetrator. In a way, the Dungeon was the territory and home of the Xenos and, for nearly a thousand years, the people of the surface had been impeding into their domain, harvesting materials, and even killing the Xenos people. Though he wouldn't let anyone simply claim ownership of the Dungeon in such a way, the Xenos still had every right as any other surface dweller to roam safely within the settlements that had been established...For the better part of three hours, Vahn continued to discuss the defensive measures and any developmental plans that the leaders present had in mind. The merchants wanted to speed up construction of the Industrial and Business Districts of Haven, claiming that it would jumpstart the economic growth of the budding City and allow for future expansions to proceed more quickly. Vahn agreed with their opinion of establishing the Industrial District, as that was where the Alliance's 'Laborer's Guild' would be located, but he denied their claims that the Business District should be a primary focus. The reason for this was relatively simple, as most of the 'specialized' goods would be flowing out of the Alliance's fortresses early on.As almost every merchant would be buying specialty goods from the Alliance directly, it was essentially pointless for businesses to be the main focus early on. Though some argued against this, Vahn said he would discuss it with Fortuna and Minerva to get their take on things, effectively silencing the group of Merchants who knew benefits wouldn't be that easy to obtain. Even so, Vahn promised that, so long as they didn't partake in any shady practices that drew the attention of the Alliance, he would ensure they were able to draw a profit. To assuage their concerns, he gave them a catalog of some of the items they would be able to procure in the future and nearly laughed out loud when one of the larger merchants nearly fell down upon witnessing some of the items listed.With the Merchants pacified, for the moment, Vahn argued that the secondary focus should be on the establishment of the Residential District. This would leave a gap in their defenses, as the Entertainment District would be located between the Residential and Industrial Districts, but Vahn wanted to have the infrastructure for accepting Adventurers and migrants as soon as possible. They couldn't simply allow everyone that showed up to stay within the fortresses that protected the Tree of Life, as that would unnecessarily increase the chances of someone trying to interfere with his future plans. Though the chances of anyone breaking through the defensive measures around the tree would be small, there was no way of knowing what kind of Innates people had. All it took was one person with a stealth-based Innate that allowed them to move through barriers and they would be able to discover the teleportation ward and potentially damage the Tree of Life...There was also the simple fact that, but creating places where people could begin living, people would 'naturally' begin to reside within Haven. If there were only things like Inns and temporary housing, then Haven would never feel like a real City. Thus, to encourage migration, Vahn emphasized building residences and, though they would be very expensive, he knew people would pay hefty sums to obtain such property. In the future, owning a residence within Haven would become a status symbol that showed off your wealth, strength, wisdom, or prestige in general. The materials used to construct each residence, the security that would be provided, and the general living conditions of almost everyone that would reside here in the future...Vahn wanted to elevate it all to an extreme. One day, he believed that Haven would become a true beacon of hope for everyone on the surface world...a fantastical place that everyone aspired to at least visit once...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn wonders why people fear him...then casually intimidates them xD...','Terra is very scary (o,...,o)~!','Vahn is essentially trying to create a Utopia...delusions are dangerous~.')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

With his plan of action decided upon, Vahn released his impromptu council to go about their business while heading towards the clearing with Haruhime, Emiru, and Maemi in tow. Most of the girls had fallen into their own schedule, which typically involved helping clear debris and scouting the 200km wide Floor. It was generally only in the afternoons and evenings that Vahn got to spend time with everyone though, if he wanted to spend time with them, none of the girls would really be against it. Still, with the amount of time he had spent helping Artemis, Vahn knew he needed to show his proactivity or people might start to spread rumors that he was lazy and unreliable...Once they had reached the center of the clearing, which actually looked a little strange within the ashen-stone of the Dungeon, Vahn sent the signal to Terra before moving her to his location with Unit Management. He would be looking after Alexa on the surface while she was down inside of the Dungeon, though she had been relatively well behaved even without supervision.Terra immediately appeared at his side, the same smile as usual on her face as she bowed politely and said, "Good morning, Master~." Though they had already met each other this morning, as Vahn had slept with Terra the previous night and explained what she would be doing today, Vahn still nodded his head and said, "Good morning, Terra. Thanks for coming down into the Dungeon for me; I couldn't really do this without you..." In response to this, Terra just giggled before adding, "Master, there is a limit to humility, you know~? I believe everyone understands that, if you really needed to perform this ritual without me, you would undoubtedly find a way...ufufufufu~."Vahn didn't really have a way to refute this as, though it would take much longer, it wasn't impossible for him to create the ward himself. He already knew the structure and had all the materials necessary to complete the project. Terra would simply be able to do it much faster than him, saving potentially weeks worth of time which he could be used to confront Enyo. Thus, instead of refuting her words, Vahn simply smiled in response while Maemi, Emiru, and Haruhime all giggled behind him. Terra also rustled her wings, clearly amused by the developments as she stepped off to the side, gesturing towards the center as she said, "Master, I am ready when you are. Please, plant the seed~."Though part of him expected something to happen, Vahn still pulled out the beautiful walnut-like seed with a green spiral pattern. He knew a Tree of Life was perfectly adapted to any environment, purportedly even plantable on the surface of a star. It would gain the properties of its surroundings while purifying them at an incredible rate. Its energy would intermingle with the Dungeon but, by being bound to him, whatever forces could control the Dungeon wouldn't have any influence over the Tree of Life. Even collapsing the ceiling would ultimately be futile, unless someone tried to accomplish it with pure physical force. Still, even if that were to happen, Vahn wasn't even sure if the Tree of Life was something that could be damaged so easily from the outset...Without dallying too long, Vahn moved to the very center of the region and placed the [Seed of the Tree of Life] on the ground. Then, following Sis' instructions, Vahn made an incision across his palm and dripped his blood directly onto it. The moment the first drop of blood contacted the seed, it spun until it was standing straight up and then started sinking into the ground. It didn't actually push any of the stone out of the way as it did so, almost as if the seed had become intangible. Vahn then backed away a fair distance while everyone followed along, silently waiting for the Tree of Life to sprout. During this time, most of the girls ended up arriving to witness this historical event for themselves, forming a small gathering with Lefiya and Ryuu hardly able to restrain themselves.During this period of silence, Terra's eyes were focused on the Floor of the Dungeon, much like Vahn's. Her brows perked up slightly upon witnessing the massive amount of energy that had started to expand outward like a deeply entrenched root system. It was significantly more energy than even her own Dominion was able to produce, causing Terra's interest in the Tree of Life to increase a great deal. Vahn also marveled at this phenomenon and was able to discern a great deal more than even Terra herself. He could even sense 'intent' contained within the roots and, as if to directly respond to his intrigue, a small voice sounded in his mind, ("Are you my Father...?")Vahn's eyes widened upon hearing this childish voice in his mind but he quickly responded, saying, ("In a way, I suppose that is true...as for these girls, they will be your family from this point onward, though, if we're getting into the specifics, the very excited blond Elf is your Mother...if not for the love we shared, it would not have been possible for me to plant you in this place...") As he said this, Ryuu startled slightly before looking back, saying, "There is a voice in my head that just called me Mother...?" This time, Vahn laughed a little while nodding his head to Ryuu, saying, "Indeed. Since the Tree of Life is the product of our love, it isn't incorrect to say they are our child. It looks like Alise will have a little sister in the future...?"Ryuu flushed slightly upon hearing this while Lefiya, who had been standing to her left, clapped her hands together, saying, "Congratulations, Ryuu~! I don't think there has been a Sacred Tree with sentience since the Ancient Times...I think this makes you Royalty?" Following Lefiya's remark, the other girls began to congratulate the progressively more flustered Ryuu. She didn't know what to say at the moment, only that it would be very cruel to tell the voice in her head that they weren't actually related to each other. In truth, she was very happy, even if the news was very sudden and somewhat difficult to accept outright...While Ryuu was flustering about with the other girls, Vahn listened to the voice in his mind ask, ("Father...what is my name? Where is this place...?") To these questions, Vahn came up with both answers relatively quickly, smiling as he 'said',("Your name will be Yggdrasil, though I think I will call you Yggy for short...as for this place, it is the Dungeon, Tartarus, located on the Continent of Eden. I planted you hear in the place called Haven, praying you might become a beacon of hope that protects this City against the darkness contained deeper within...") This time, the voice within his head sounded very chipper and excited as it said, ("That is a wonderful name, Father~! Thank you, I love it a lot!")Almost as soon as these words sounded within Vahn's mind, the massive amount of energy contained in the Floor began to converge towards the center of the empty region. Then, as if watching the event sped up several times, a small sapling emerged from the center without breaking through the stone. Vahn noticed that Yggdrasil's energy seemed to 'overlap' with other forms of energy, instead of overwriting and breaking through it like normal matter. His [Eyes of Truth] were active the entire time, watching as the Tree of Life grew and expanded very quickly, stopping once it had reached precisely ten meters. At the same time, the trunk of the tree was a very stout 5m while the canopy overhead spread out to, once again, 10m. The most startling aspects of this tree were that the bark had a very dark green coloration with emerald green swirls creating a beautiful pattern on the surface. As for the leaves, they looked like gemstones that possessed a variety of different colors and patterns, while still retaining the flexible and natural quality of actual leaves...As everyone was marveling at the awe-inspiringly beautiful tree, a figure began to emerge from the bark, drawing the attention of everyone present. Then, what appeared to be a very young version of Ryuu, stepped out from the tree trunk. She had the appearance of a very young girl around 4-5 years old and, somewhat surprisingly, at least compared to past experiences, she was clothed in very cute clothing that was comprised of leaves and vines. The main difference between her and Ryuu, other than the drastically different age, was that her skin had a light brown color while her blond hair frayed outward a little with green tips. Like Terra, she also had strange runes on her bare arms and legs but, though her power was much lower, the amount of energy contained in the figure before them was phenomenal...it actually felt borderline 'infinite', as Vahn was simply unable to grasp the magnitude of Yggdrasil's energy...Without saying anything, Yggy smiled radiantly and leaped towards the surprised Ryuu, hugging her tightly as she said, "Thank you for making me! I love you, Mother~!" Since Vahn had told her that she wouldn't have existed without Ryuu, Yggy was very fond of her Mother. She didn't know exactly what an Elf was supposed to be but, based on the pure energy contained within Ryuu, Yggy knew she had to be a good person. Even so, she didn't hold onto Ryuu for that long and immediately set her sky blue eyes on her Father, Vahn. Her smile became even more radiant as, from her perspective, Vahn actually was 'more infinite' and pure than she was. The purity and composition of energy coming off of him made her own feel minuscule in comparison, causing Yggy to feel truly blessed to have such amazing parents...As the super small Yggy ran towards him, Vahn naturally scooped her up into his arms, pinching her button-like nose and causing her to giggle happily. Calling him 'Father' had immediately elevated Yggy's status in his heart so Vahn's impression of her was already rather extreme. He actually started to feel a little guilty, knowing that she would be down here watching over Haven while he was away at times. Though he had already planned to spend a fair amount of time on the 50th Floor in the future, Vahn made a mental note to spend time with Yggy herself whenever possible. Fortunately, once the teleportation ward was established, it wouldn't be that difficult for him to stop by, even if the costs were a bit expensive...Though she had a 'physical' body, the Elven version of Yggy was just the form she had decided upon for her 'avatar'. Her actual body was the Tree of Life itself, and she had just wanted to create a form to interact with everyone that had gathered around. From Vahn's perspective, she was essentially an entity of pure energy and, even if her 'body' was destroyed, Yggdrasil would be perfectly fine, so long as her 'real' body remained. Since the Tree of Life was borderline indestructible, and actually produced its own energy, the chances of this happening were slim at best. The only way Yggy could die was if someone managed to gain access to her 'heart', which was the very same seed he had planted previously. Since the only person that could even remotely gain access to it was Vahn himself, she immediately became the best protector for Haven they could have asked for...From the moment Yggy had sprouted, a very clear and refreshing aura had expanded to cover a 400m radius around her canopy. It was so vibrant and pristine that, from the perspective of his [Eyes of Truth], there was now a green sphere surrounding Yggy, purifying everything within. Even the surrounding ashen stones in the surrounding area has slowly changed into an entirely different state of matter, becoming rich and fertile soil that was already covered in a layer of emerald green grass. There was so much energy in close proximity to Yggy's trunk that Lefiya and Ryuu actually had to move to the outskirts since their faces had become extremely flushed from the excess energy entering into their bodies.The most amazing thing about this was the fact that this was Yggy's 'passive' state. If she wanted to, though the energy would become thinner, the region under her influence could be increased greatly. Her base ratio, for 100% purity, allowed her to influence an area that was precisely 40x larger than the height of her main body. Since she was 10m tall, this meant Yggy's influence extended omnidirectional, including into the ground, 400m. If she wanted to, it was possible to reduce the purity of her aura to around 10%, allowing her to influence a region with a radius of 800m. Since this was actually more than enough to bolster plant life, Vahn asked if she could expand her aura to its maximum, assuming there wasn't an emergency.Since her aura had a natural purification effect, that even worked on the negative energy in people's hearts and minds, Vahn felt it would be helpful to keep order. At the same time, her aura also warded off 'evil' creatures, such as monsters, causing them to take persistent damage so long as they were within her range. If they approached near her trunk, almost any monster that wasn't 'allowed' to be there would end up disintegrating entirely. The only 'downside' to Yggy's aura was that it would make all poisons, toxins, and miasma almost completely inert. Even this wasn't a true downside, however, as the medicinal herbs that would have been most affected by her aura would actually become purified versions of themselves, or outright 'evolve' into a new type of plant. Making a poison was next to impossible, but it was exceptionally easy to make powerful healing and mana potions just by allowing herbs to soak in Yggy's aura for a few days...Though Vahn had always expected the Tree of Life to be amazing, it was far more incredible than he had expected it to be. Not only did he get a cute little daughter, but her existence itself was already infinitely close to Tier 4 from 'birth'. He was able to discover this very quickly as, after handing over the two [Yggdrasil's Branch]s in his possession, and explaining his intentions, Yggy very happily became his subordinate. Though her Status listed her as [Nameless], meaning he would be able to use his [Keeper of the Akashic Tome] in a few days, he was still able to confirm she was a verified Tier 3 existence with a whopping four Innates...----------------------------------------------------------------------[Nameless]Age: 0Race: Spirit of the Tree of LifeLevel: (-)Loyalty: 1,019Soul Strength: Tier 3 (Great Spirit)Karma: -State: [Active]Skills: [Spirit of the Tree of Life: Innate: SS], [Yggdrasil's Blessing: Innate: SS], [Fountain of Youth: Innate: S], [Sanctuary: Innate: A], [Purifying Light: SS], [Rampant Growth: S], [Terraforming: S], [Endless Vigor: A], [Healing Rain: A][Spirit of the Tree of Life]Rank: Innate(SS) *Innate skills cannot be identified. Attempts to do so will result in a backlash.*Passive: Allows the user to adapt to any and all environments, purifying them and strengthening the life essence contained within. So long as the 'Sacred Heart of Life' remains, those possessing this skill will live eternally.[Yggdrasil's Blessing]Rank: Innate(SS) *Innate skills cannot be identified. Attempts to do so will result in a backlash.*Passive: Grants the user limitless vital energy and allows them to infuse it into other sources.Active: Bestow [Yggrasil's Favor] unto a target via a kiss. Warning: Weakens the passive strength of [Yggdrasil's Blessing] for a year after bestowal.[Fountain of Youth]Rank: Innate(S) *Innate skills cannot be identified. Attempts to do so will result in a backlash.*Passive: Produce one ounce of pristine water every month. Those that consume this water will have their vitality replenished, enabling them to reverse the effects of aging by a single year.[Sanctuary]Rank: Innate(A) *Innate skills cannot be identified. Attempts to do so will result in a backlash.*Passive: Create a domain of purification that increases the growth rate, natural recovery, and spiritual development of everything within. Has the effect of negating negative energy, purifying poisons, preventing the spread of miasma, and damaging entities recognized as a threat by the user.[Purifying Light]Rank: SSUse: Causes a radiant light to emanate, dealing persistent damage to enemies based on the purity of their soul. Against familiars and mana constructs, this ability can completely destroy any entities beneath the Level of the user.[Rampant Growth]Rank: SUse: Convert vital energy into the natural energy to stimulate explosive plant growth.[Terraforming]Rank: SUse: The user is able to passively change the environment to be more hospitable for recognized lifeforms. Able to create 'ecospheres' with isolated habitats that can last indefinitely, so long as the user is still alive.[Endless Vigor]Rank: AUse: Massively increases the replenishment of stamina, mental energy, and spiritual energy.[Healing Rain]Rank: AUse: Convert vital energy into clouds that will rain down indiscriminately, healing all within this abilities range.----------------------------------------------------------------------(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Securing the future by planting a seed...','Spontaneous Tree-Daughter-no-Jutsu~! RIP Ryuu...','Man, Vahn needs to start using his Unique items more proactively...Yggy is OP as all heck~')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Though there were several unexpected developments, Vahn finally returned to the Hearth Manor after calling Terra to his side with Unit Management. They spent a few hours setting up a waypoint that she would be able to teleport back to, as he was still very interested in the Elsos Ruins, before making a few trips to move everyone over. The mana requirement for [Void Movement] heavily depended on the distance and weight that she was carrying, forcing her to move over three people at a time while having to recharge in between trips. Even so, the entire process only took two hours for all twenty members of the Artemis Familia, Artemis, and Vahn himself to make the transfer.Hestia, as usual, had been there to greet him upon his return but this time she also welcomed Artemis as well. Vahn was then forced to sit down and explain everything that happened while the members of the Artemis Familia were essentially having a picnic in the inner courtyard. When he finally finished the very lengthy explanation, including his thoughts about what exactly had happened to Artemis, Vahn was met with several surprises in sequence.Instead of being in the inner courtyard, Syr had gathered Diana, Eliza, Melissa, Katsuya, and Momo before fitting all of the members of the Artemis Familia into Maid outfits. It hadn't exactly been his intention, but Syr had intuited what had happened between him and the Artemis Familia and managed to convince them to become 'Battle Maids' like Maemi and Emiru. Since none of the girls wanted to part with Artemis, who had now become a permanant residence of the Hearth Manor, this wasn't exactly the worst development that could have happened. They fell under the same vows as every other resident but also signed service contracts to officially work as Maids in the future. The current Maids would be training them in their duties while Lunoire, at least until Chloe and Ryuu returned to the surface, would be training them in how to investigate, infiltrate, and provide security...When Vahn had seen a 'flock' of Maids gathered together, his mind had blanked for a moment, something many of the girls found very interesting. Fortunately, they took their goddess' words to heart and showed a proper sense of propriety, especially since Diana was present. Their feelings towards Vahn were a little complicated, but their trust and loyalty toward him had already reached a surprising extent. Vahn didn't know if it was because of the combination of his skills, or how they reinforced the idea in each other, but the lowest Loyalty rating amongst the girls was at 319, belonging to the young Lana. She also wanted to become a Maid and looked especially adorable alongside Diana as they quickly became good friends...The second surprise Vahn received happened soon after everyone had sat down for a small celebration to welcome all of the new residents and 'staff'. Vahn had sensed several friendly presences moving underground and, less than a minute later, Naho, Mlem, and Arles had burst into the dining room. Without any hesitation at all, even though he had Diana sitting in his lap, Naho jumped toward him, shouting, "Welcome back, Vaaaahn~!" Vahn caught her out of the air with his telekinesis, causing her to laugh as she wriggled around before finally settling down a bit. Even so, she came over to his back and gave him a hug, rubbing her cheek against the side of his face as she giggled happily...His longer than expected absence had caused Gros and Lyd to investigate if there were any issues and, after a series of small events, the exposure between the Xenos and the Manor's residents started to increase. Vahn had taken his children over for a few visits but now, with permission from Hestia, some of the Xenos were entering into the Manor's grounds. Though this was mainly just to play, and was specifically limited to female Xenos, it was still 'some' form of progress. Since his children seemed to really get along with the Xenos, something Vahn had expected after they had been 'cooped' up for so long, he didn't have any problems with this development at all...What had been the most surprising thing for Vahn, at least on the surface world, was that there were now a series of tunnels and small ponds located around the Manor. There was even a room that had been cleared out near the dining room, next door to where Maemi and Emiru slept, serving as the current domicile of Marie. She and Terra had become surprisingly good friends and, being a very innocent and pure Mermaid, everyone's impression of Marie was quite high. Though they hadn't officially scheduled anything, everyone had been on a rotation to spend time with the childish Xenos, telling her stories while soaking their feet in the massive pool that was her room. As for how Vahn came to learn about Marie's presence in the Manor, as nobody had told him about it just yet, it was when she popped up in the bath, surprising him and many of the others present...With these developments, Vahn's return was marked by a very festive atmosphere within the Manor and he greatly enjoyed spending time with his children once again. Though there were a few things going on with the City and School that he needed to deal with, none of that mattered as much as the time he spent with family. Now, their family had grown a little...well, a lot, but that just made it feel like new life had been breathed into the Manor. Though Terra did whisk him away after dinner, as he still needed to keep his 'promise' with her, that was also quite an enjoyable experience. She had managed to convince Alexa to help Risna with her magic training, so they had a few intimate hours together without any interruptions...---Deep within the Dungeon, things weren't going particularly as well, unfortunately. Though his time with Rufina and Shakti had been a very fulfilling experience, ignoring the fact that Rufina tried to punch him occasionally, the following day hadn't been kind to any of them. It could be related to the fact that his Karma had exploded, or the fact that he 'really' wanted to just relax at home, but the strange caterpillar monsters had started to show up on surroundings Floors. Their scouting parties had encountered them, observing as they devoured other monsters and consumed magic cores en masse. One report even mentioned the Dungeon triggering a Monster Party in response to a horde of the caterpillar monsters, causing a massive feeding frenzy that required the scouting party to beat a hasty retreat.It was obvious that Enyo was beginning to move and, with her timing, Vahn felt like she had flipped a switch inside of him that was trying his patience. Since he had been planning to have Terra come down and establish the teleportation ward, this news was more than a little annoying. He had also been preparing to return to the Manor with some of the girls as there were things like birthday celebrations and other important events going on. Maemi and Emiru also needed to return relatively soon, as the number of Maids in the Manor had increased explosively. As they were supposed to be in charge of the group, having them gone for a long period of time was detrimental. If the girls already established a hierarchy of their own, it would be difficult for the two to wrangle them...well, 'more' difficult...Vahn was certain they would manage...Even so, Enyo's timing was very 'inconvenient' for him and Vahn felt like it had to be a result of his Karma that things were developing. Though he also sent a small prayer of gratitude, thanking it for not interfering with his return from the Dark Continent and his reunion, Vahn was still troubled. It was a bit of a lonely thought, as part of him wanted to stay here indefinitely, but Vahn was starting to 'want' to move on to the next world, just to reset his Karmic Value. As it stood, the next few years would become progressively more difficult since he was now stuck with the rather heavy 'virtue' he had earned for himself. Fortunately, there was a bit of a surprise when he was thinking about potential solutions and, for a brief moment, Vahn was filled with hope and expectation...The three [Unique Gacha Coupons] he had obtained weren't simply for three individual pulls, no, Sis had informed him they could be used 'during' a pull and still take effect. This meant Vahn had a chance of obtaining 33 Unique grade items, some of which could have 'record-breaking' effects like the [Fate Severing Knife]. Though he couldn't use such a thing on himself, as he still had the eternal flame, Eva's memory fragment, and other things to consider, it wasn't impossible for a 'similar' item to exist. Since he genuinely desired a means to enjoy his life in relative peace, at least for a little while, Vahn was intending to go all in...With that thought in mind, Vahn opened his Gacha function and left the parameters completely blank, as there was no means of knowing what kind of Unique item would benefit him most. Then, without any hesitation, Vahn did a 10+1 pull and watched as the giant wheel that resided in the back of his mind spun around. It slowly spat out a series of orbs and Vahn, surprising Vahn greatly since the 'worst' pull was actually yellow. Since the system used the color spectrum to grade items, the value increased from Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet, and Rainbow. He knew Unique items were very useful, but for the weakest to be Yellow...this was an important discovery.Unfortunately, though there were some pretty good items in the mix, Vahn didn't obtain anything close to what he was looking for. The best item ended up being the only Green pull, a strange item known as [Ginsin Gum Root]. It had the effect of being absolutely irresistible to Dragon-Type monsters under Tier 4, allowing them to quickly be tamed so long as you had the requisite skills. Since he had no need for such an item, Vahn gave it to Rufina so she would be able to tame one of her own subordinates in the future. Those that had been tamed and named through his Innate were intrinsically connected to him so Vahn wanted her to have a unique companion wholly her own. This would give her another parallel with Vana, while even Vulcan would undoubtedly like having a new 'junior' around to bully...Vahn's second 10+1 pull ended up being marginally better than the first batch, as there was two Green pulls this time around. One was a [Warhorn of the Beast King], an item that could double the parameters of all Beast Humans for 10 minutes. Though the duration was short, the range was 5,000km and it could truly turn the tide of battle if you had enough powerful Beast Humans on your side. As for the second item, it was an emerald color pill named [Dryad's Virgin Sap], with the effect of completely curing all ailments. It would also make the bodily fluids of the target possess a similar property, so long as they remained a virgin...As useful as some of the Unique items were, Vahn felt somewhat disheartened but refused to give up as he made his final pull. This time, all ten spheres were Yellow, which wasn't exactly a bad thing, but still caused Vahn to want to crush the Dungeon Floor. When he saw the +1, however, Vahn nearly jumped through the ceiling since it ended up being Violet, the second highest possible color. Before opening up the other spheres, Vahn immediately cracked open the violet one to obtain his prize. Part of him hoped it was related to karma but, even if it wasn't, just obtaining a violet grade Unique was truly a blessing...----------------------------------------------------------------------[Brísingamen]Use: Bestowing this sacred Pendant unto the Goddess [Freya] will grant you her Blessing and Favor. As a Goddess of War, Beauty, Wealth, Sex, and Love, you will be forever fruitful in all such endeavors.Restriction: [Freya][Blessing of Freya]Rank: SUse:(Passive): Greatly increases the learning speed of all combat arts, including skills, magic, and abilities. Enhances the efficacy of all charm related skills and improves the users appeal to the opposite sex. Slight boost to sexual stamina.Use:(Active): Doubles the success rate of the next charm attempt. Failure still improves the opinion of the target slightly. Cooldown(12H)[Freya's Favor]Rank: UniqueUse: Allows the user to make any single request of [Freya] and guarantees she will accept.----------------------------------------------------------------------As Vahn stared at the beautiful pendant floating around within his mind, his eyes in the real world glazed over slightly and he entered a truly Sage-like state. An aged smile spread upon his face as he outwardly spoke, "Sis, it seems as though I need to reflect upon my actions and live a better life..." Vahn felt that The Path had been somewhat corrupted by the decisions he had been making, as many of the things happening lately had affected his 'charm', and other abilities. From the moment he had decided to stop 'restraining' himself, it was like his life his social sphere had exploded, now with almost twice the number of 'active' relationships as before. At the same time, he managed to meld with Freya and get a 'boost' to his prowess while also developing several abilities that increase his chances of wooing the opposite sex. Now, he even got an item that was specifically suited to that purpose...Though she knew he didn't expect a response, Sis still chimed in, saying in a comforting tone, (*Well, it's because you have a soft spot for girls with a tragedy...though, I'll admit, you have gotten a little carried away lately.*) Sis had, obviously, been watching over Vahn since the beginning of his changes and had been diligently documenting them all. She knew he was a little stressed out by everything happening but, at the same time, all of the incidents were his own making. The Path had a way of giving Vahn what he wanted and, though he certainly wanted to be rid of his mountain of Karma, his desire to 'make others happy', specifically the girls around him, was much stronger...Vahn, still in his Sagely state, nodded his head in response to Sis and began stroking a non-existent beard. He knew it was ultimately futile to resist the genuine affections of other people and, in truth, he would probably have thousands of partners if he truly showed no restraint. Almost any girl within the City, including some that were already happily married, would want to spend at least one night with him. After all, it wasn't just his heroic feats and reforms that had become legendary, rumors had long circulated about his [Hands of Nirvana] and his 'sexual prowess'. Freya had even openly admitted the fact that he had 'completely conquered' her in the bedroom, to an extent that she claimed to be unable to live without him...The number of goddesses desiring his children, not simply his assistance with conceiving a child, had long since broken the one-hundred mark. Luckily, the core goddesses of the Alliance had put a stop to such antics very quickly, though it didn't stop the occasional goddess from trying to solicit him. Being that they were almost all 'unblemished' and 'flawless' beauties, Vahn had to admit he was very tempted each time. The only thing that stopped him was the fact he was generally busy during such times, as they would only cross paths when he was moving through specific areas of the City...Though he already knew this, Vahn's popularity had exponentially exploded over the last few months and it wasn't likely going to slow down in the near future. Knowing this, even though he had made the same promise to himself several times, Vahn was 'adamant' about not having many relationships in other worlds. He knew he would 'undoubtedly' fall for some girls, perhaps to the point of even linking the records together, but he had decided to place a hard limit on permanant relationships. After all, the more records he had to link in the future, the more difficult it would be to manage...well, everything...fortunately, by the time he truly reached Tier 7, Sis assured him such things wouldn't actually be issues at all...(A/N: An example of Tier 7 is someone on the same level as Xeno from DBS, meaning Vahn could theoretically have enough power to not only link records, but create and destroy Universes. Look forward to how the story develops when the power scales 'literally' through the Heavens xD...)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The Battle Meido Squadron Is Formed...','Everyone Loves Marie...','That Unique Item though xD...Freya is going to be one happy goddess (UwU)~!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Chapter 863: Planning