Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

The more time that passed, the greater the sense of incongruity in Vahn's heart grew. He knew this was his 'instinct' that was associated with karma and fate so his desire to seize the initiative in his own favor was growing by the day. Now that the basic defensive perimeter of Haven had been established, the only thing left to do was venture into the Dungeon and try to unlock its secrets. At the very least, they needed to interrupt the momentum that Enyo was trying to build with her forces and try to prevent her plans from coming to fruition...In preparation for this, Vahn was doing some finishing touches on the routine maintenance he would perform for the girls' equipment. Though they could rely on their [Pactio] in a fight, it didn't mean their other equipment could be neglected. There was always a chance that something could go wrong and, in the event the girls weren't able to use their [Pactio], having powerful equipment to fall back on was very important. With his maintenance also providing enhancements to the base stats of there equipment, it was worth the time it takes in order to protect the people he cares about.After giving Ais' [Gram] an oil rub, Vahn finished wiping the rather holy looking blade with a cloth before handing it over to the patiently waiting Ais. The girls had a habit of watching him whenever he was doing maintenance on their equipment so Vahn was used to her unwavering gaze at such times. Ais happily accepted her now 'extra shiny' sword, an appreciative smile on her face as she said, "Thank you, Vahn. I love it...ah...!" As if realizing something, Ais' smile changed subtly and she quickly put away her [Gram] in the runic golden ring on her finger before leaning down and giving him a quick peck on the cheek. Then, with a smile that reached all the way to her eyes, Ais whispered, "I love you more..."The moment these words left her lips, Tiona was already flying through the air and 'tackling' Ais as she said, "Ais, that's sneaky~" This little display got a small rise out of many of the surrounding girls while even Vahn gave a light chuckle as he rose to his feet. While using a quick 'cleaning magic' to remove some of the grime that had built up on his clothes, Vahn looked towards everyone and said, "Well, it's about time for us to head down. While we're away, I'll leave the defense of Haven to you all. Remember, if things get really bad, Yggy will protect you and, should you decided to go up to the surface, try not to draw too much attention to yourselves..." At this point, every girl had enough magic cores in their inventory to move to and from the surface around five times. Maemi and Emiru had already returned but Vahn expected that Tina may end up heading upwards at least once in the next few days...In response to his words, Tione actually snorted with her arms crossed but didn't say anything, a slightly conflicted look on her face. Though she knew her strength was quite a bit lower than her sister's, the fact that she was remaining back at Haven bothered her a fair amount. However, among the girls that Vahn was taking with him, the only one she had even a small amount of confidence beating was Lefiya. Even Lili had grown almost 'ridiculously' strong and, though she could fight on the defensive for a decent amount of time, Tione knew she wouldn't even be able to take one solid hit from the diminutive Pallum...Seeing Tione's behavior, Vahn unhesitantly walked over to her, causing the conflicted look on her face to waver a bit as he wrapped his arms around her like a bear hug. He held her tightly in his embrace and, with his mouth next to her ear, stated, "Remember, Tione, this is just supposed to be a scouting party...but, even if something happens, it isn't because you are weak that I'm not taking you along. Don't forget, I care more about the protection of Haven than anything related to Enyo...I need everyone to keep it safe while I'm not here to protect it...besides, once this is all over..." At this point, Vahn's voice had become a hushed whisper as he added, "We'll be one step closer to resolving the issues at Telskyura...I'll be taking you and your sister with me when the time comes, okay...?"By the time Vahn had finished his words, Tione's face had become slightly flushed as she nodded her head, an angry facade as she muttered, "You better remember it..." To this, Vahn chuckled very lightly, causing the slight blush on Tione's face to develop even more, especially when he said, "I've been looking forward to it for a while...I think you'd make a great mother, Tione. I can hardly wait..." Towards the end of his sentence, Vahn traced a small circle on Tione's back with his index finger, a rainbow-hue suffusing from the tip. She pushed him away rather abruptly and 'stormed' off, not angry, but to prevent herself from pushing Vahn down in the middle of the group...Vahn followed her with his eyes for a few moments before turning his attention to Arnya and Ryuu, saying, "The two of you will be in charge during any defensive operations. Make sure you familiarize yourselves with the terrain and, in an emergency, you can send a message to Terra through Yggy..." Seeing the two girls nods, Vahn then turned his attention to Chloe, Tina, and Shizune, his eyes resting on the maturing Kitsune as he said, "You've been very patient thus far, Shizune, thank you. If there are any large scale battles that occur while I'm away, don't hesitate to use your abilities to their fullest. Chloe, Tina, I'll trust you to keep Shizune safe, but don't forget that your own safety is just as important..."Hearing Vahn's 'permission', Shizune chest puffed up and she smiled radiantly, saying, "Finally, it's about time I had an opportunity to shine. I'm looking forward to it~." As for Chloe, she simply nodded her head and said, "Leave it to me, nyaa~." while Tina showed a serious expression, saying, "I'll protect everyone, Vahnya~!" Vahn habitually reached out to stroked Tina's head and, as she was standing right next to her, Shizune's as well. Both girls had matured quite a bit but, the moment Vahn began stroking their heads, they had happy and contented expressions that made them appear much younger. This caused Vahn's smile to soften a bit before he turned his attention to the stoic Mikoto who, without him even saying anything, gave a small nod and said, "Please, leave it to me, Vahn. This is why I've trained so hard...to protect the things I care about..."Vahn ruffled the two girls' hair one last time before walking over to Mikoto and placing his hand on her shoulder, saying, "I believe in you, Mikoto. You have already become incredibly strong..." Though there were a few bad matchups for her, Mikoto's offensive power in a melee was just under Ais'. Her speed had reached a point that most of the other girls couldn't even cope with and, so long as she was able to close the distance quickly enough, very few people would ever be able to defend against her attacks. Vahn had full confidence that she would even be able to deal with the large plant-like monsters on her own and wanted to leave her as a failsafe if there were any enemies that could resist ranged attacks.As it was growing closer to the time Vahn had wanted to set out, he lastly turned to Shakti and Rufina, the later of which immediately asked, "Can I not go with you...?" She knew she was far from the strength of the other girls but, imagining Vahn going to face against a terrifying enemy while she just 'waited' didn't sit well with her. In response, Vahn slowly shook his head and, before Rufina could lash out, smiled to her as he said, "Vana would never forgive me if something happened to you...also, this place, this Dungeon, it has already influenced your life enough...the fact you were able to return here shows that you are a very strong woman, Rufina. One day, if that is your wish, I'm certain you will become even stronger...but now, this is our stage and 'my' fight...("don't worry, if you feel lonely, I'll be waiting for you on the surface...") Vahn said the last few words telepathically, causing Rufina's face to flush a bit as she hugged her body and averted her eyes...Vahn couldn't help smiling slightly when he saw this, as Rufina's actions reminded him a lot of how Eva used to behave back when they first met. He didn't tell her this, of course, as it would have likely required him to dodge a few punches, and just turned to Shaki to say, "Shakti, take care of yourself and watch over Rufina for me. If things get dangerous, please retreat to the surface...remember, you can't just think about yourself anymore." Though she didn't seem to do it intentionally, Shakti's hand naturally gravitated towards her abdomen as a very serious expression appeared on her face. Even so, she managed to pull off a smile after a few seconds had passed, saying, "I won't take any risks, Vahn, I promise...Rufina and I will both be okay."Choosing to believe in her words, Vahn gave a curt nod before sharing a long embrace with the two girls. Rufina's ended up being a bit longer since she didn't seem willing to let him go but, after a few minutes had passed, she finally relented while saying, "Try and come back quickly...but, if you see that bitch, Enyo, make sure to give her a solid hit on my behalf..." This comment gave Vahn a slight urge to laugh but he managed to keep it in, instead, saying, "I'll make sure Enyo pays for everything she has done...don't worry, your share will be included, Rufina."After sharing a few more parting words and expressions of affection, Vahn ended up heading towards the outer perimeter of Haven with Fenrir, Ais, Tiona, Haruhime, Lefiya, and Lili in tow. He had already discussed things with Finn previously so, other than a few people that were patrolling around the perimeter, there was nobody to send them off. Even so, everyone was in his spirits as Tiona and Lili began making bets as to who would kill the most monsters between them while Haruhime, Lefiya, and Fenrir were, somewhat embarrassingly, talking about him. As for Ais, she simply walked at his side and remained relatively quiet as a resolute light shone within her eyes...Once they reached the entrance to the 51st Floor, Vahn brought everyone to a stop as he said, "We've already gone over the plan a few times but, now that we're about to put it into action, I'll give everyone a brief reminder. Our goal is to map the entirety of the 51st Floor and make sure Enyo's forces aren't trying to undermine the integrity of the 50th Floor. Once we're finished, we'll be heading into the 52nd Floor and use the Valgang Dragons' breath to cut a path down to the 58th Floor. Our goal will be to secure the 58th Floor and then make camp before proceeding to the 59th Floor, tying the record of the Zeus and Hera Familias from the past. There is no way of knowing what awaits us beyond that point so we will be systematically exploring and mapping everything as we proceed, especially when we reach the 60th Floor...understood?"Seeing that nobody had any questions, as they had probably discussed these plans nearly a dozen times at this point, Vahn nodded his head and said, "Lefiya will be our pace-setter. Ais, Fenrir, the two of you will be our Vanguard while Lili and Tiona will take up the Rearguard positions. Haruhime and I will protect Lefiya and act as the ranged support during the exploration. If there are any new enemies, act with caution but do not be afraid to make a decisive strike to keep the momentum in our favor. I will support you with my [Wounds Transfer] and my bow unless the enemy looks particularly dangerous. In that circumstance, remember to retreat into Haruhime's barrier so that Ais and I can try to deal with it. If that happens, I'll be relying on you, Lefiya, to chant a spell so I can absorb it with [Magia Erebea]..."Lefiya, a fiery glint in her eyes, nodded her head fervently and exclaimed, "Leave it to me, Master!" Even without any thought required, Vahn had reached out his hand to pat the adorable Spirit's head, causing her expression to melt. At the same time, he gave a confident nod to everyone, saying, "We can do this. The preparations we have made over the last few years give us a distinctive advantage in these engagements. So long as we maintain the momentum, there is nothing that can stand in our way. Remember, communication is the most important thing...now, let's go teach Enyo that she can't simply do whatever she wants...!" Following Vahn's words, everyone gave a loud hurrah in response, each equally excited to teach Enyo not to mess with their 'family'.With everyone's morale at its peak, Vahn smiled confidently before giving the signal to advance to Ais and Fenfir. He also drew out his new bow, [Khryselakatos], a powerful weapon that had cost him a total of 30,000,000OP to make full use of his [Archery Goddess' Blessing]. Though it didn't have the rather 'scary' effect of Naaza's [Yi], this bow carried a fragment of Artemis' record, as Vahn had specifically looked for equipment related to her mythos. Its form was that of a golden crescent and, in conjunction with his greatly increased critical hit rate, it was a truly monstrous weapon...----------------------------------------------------------------------[Khryselakatos]Rank: S (Magic)Slots: 5P.Atk: 700+70M.Atk: 1500Ability: Artemis' Blessing(S), Curse of the Huntress(S), Impeccable Aim(A), Crippling Blow(A), Moon's Grace(A)A legendary bow that was enshrined at the Temple of Artemis, rumored to have obtained her Blessing. Those that wield this bow, so long as they have the Goddess of the Hunt's favor, are fated to never miss their targets. During the night of the Full Moon, this bow is said to reach its full potential...----------------------------------------------------------------------So long as he had this bow, Vahn was confident he could even take out one of the large plant-like monsters in a single shot. Not only was he almost guaranteed a critical hit, but every time he landed a critical it would stun the monster for a minimum of one second. Though that didn't sound like much, every successive critical would increase the duration of the stun and, with how fast and powerful their attacks were, this was a death sentence to anything without borderline Innate levels of resistance. Since he also had skills like [Call of the Reaper] to back him up, Vahn felt like he had literally become Artemis' Champion with a bow...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Poor Tione xD...','Best laid plans...','Vahn is Archer, confirmed...?')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

As was the case during the last time Vahn had visited the 51st Floor, the majority of the enemies were simply Black Rhinos while, very rarely, there would be a Deformis Spider trying to ambush them. These enemies weren't even a threat back when the girls were much weaker so, without any difficulty whatsoever, Ais and Fenrir had slaughtered every monster that appeared almost instantly. Every time one was about to spawn, Fenrir had already impaled the wall with a spear of ice while Ais, even without her [Ariel], cut through the thick-skinned Black Rhinos as if they were less dense than fog. With Vahn dealing with the stealthy Deformis Spiders using a single well-placed arrow, their progress through the 51st Floor had been going very smoothly.With that in mind, Vahn watched as a large flow of mana began to condense in the surrounding walls and simply stated, "Monster Party." in a calm tone. Haruhime gave a small nod, uttering 'Adeat' as her raiment immediately came into existence. It still had the same palatial appearance as before, making Haruhime look like an Empress as she caused an opaque white membrane to spread around. Though it looked thin, the only way to break through Haruhime's barrier was to completely eat through her mana and, with Vahn serving as a 'battery' of sorts, this was nearly impossible.Everyone had already moved inside of the barrier as Fenrir, forming two pure blue magic circles in her paws, began to reduce the temperature outside of the barrier extremely quickly. As the monsters began breaking free from the walls, floor, and ceiling, they were almost immediately coated in a layer of frost. Some of the Black Rhinos charged toward the barrier with great momentum but the only thing they got for their troubles was a crink in the neck as their momentum was immediately halted. Before they even had any time to regain their senses, Fenrir held out her paws in both directions, causing larger magical wards to appear outside of the barrier as she shouted, "Master, give me strength! Flash Freeze~!"Following Fenrir's outburst, a vibrant white light flared outside of Haruhime's barrier and, by the time it had faded away, there were hundreds of icy statues no loitering in the surrounding corridors. Every surface had became covered in a layer of frost as Fenrir took a few deep breaths while Vahn patted her head. She had been trying to get better at using 'unnamed spells' and, after witnessing him freeze an entire Floor, Fenrir had been inspired to make her own version of the spell. Though it ate up nearly 60% of her reserves, she could freeze almost everything within a 300m radius, so long as it didn't have a natural resistance to Ice Elemental magic.Tiona, seeing the frozen world, walked out of the barrier and immediately jumped away from the Floor as her bare feet nearly got stuck to the ice. By the time she landed back down, however, there was a thin layer of energy covering her feet as she playfully exclaimed, "Ehehe, Fenrir's ice is very cold~." At the same time, she had walked up to one of the 'statues' and knocked on it with her knuckles, causing the Variant Black Rhinos to immediately fracture and fall apart. This made Tiona's eyes widen slightly as she mused, "Wow, super cold~! Maybe I should try to learn Ice Magic~?"Though Tiona didn't really expect a response, Fenrir said, "Ice Magic is dangerous for those who don't have an affinity with it. Tiona is already very strong with Enhancement Magic...you should improve upon your strengths and cover your weaknesses, not pursue random things..." Upon hearing this, Tiona made a pouting expression, saying, "Muuuu, Fenrir is a bully..." Then, eyeing Vahn, Tiona's eyes glimmered as she said, "Vahn, if I collect a bunch of materials, can you make me a Magic Weapon that can use Ice Magic~?"Vahn laughed lightly in response while patting Fenrir's head to keep her from saying anything 'mean' while he answered, "Sure, but only if you train diligently. Fenrir's words are from Eva, a very wise and powerful Mage who uses Ice Elemental magic. If you don't have a talent for it, the chances of you injuring yourself would be very high...though, I suppose that wouldn't matter to you that much...?" With her [Magic Devouring King], Tiona would probably just get stronger if her Magic backfired against her. Since it seemed she understood this as well, Tiona laughed boisterously while smashing a few of the nearby statues to collect the monster cores.Other than Ais, most of the girls had awakened most, if not all, of their Innates after spending a few years inside of the Sub-Space orb proactively trying to awaken them. Ais had only managed to awaken her [Progenitor of the Wind], allowing her to manipulate Air Elemental energy even without the use of her [Ariel]. As for Tiona, her [Magic Devouring King] as already C-Rank while her [Titan Virga] was at H-Rank. Even then, the amount of power she could gain from siphoning off the mana of other people was rather terrifying, especially since Titan Virga also increased her Magic Resistance and Regeneration based on the amount of damage she had taken from magical attacks. She was slowly but surely becoming an 'unstoppable' existence that, if you were unable to kill her instantly, it was almost guaranteed she would eventually overwhelm you...As if to emphasize this fact, one of the statues Tiona was about to break ended up fracturing before she was able to smash it. This had belonged to a Variant Black Rhinos who, instead of having thick black hide, possessed a white hide with shiny blue eyes. Vahn had already known it was still alive and he knew that Tiona was fully aware of this as well, given the fact that her smile had become larger and more playful as she drew near. When the 'White Rhinos' tried to launch itself at her, Tiona simply spun her body in a natural arc with her foot following behind like a whip. When her seemingly delicate brown toes came into contact with the side of the White Rhinos' head, the durable hide immediately contorted as a shockwave passed through. All of its forward momentum had been completely overpowered as the monster's head 'popped' like a balloon, followed closely by its body also turning to dust.With even a weaker Black Rhinos being a Level 3 monster, most of the Variants would be Level 4 or higher. Even so, Tiona had defeated it with a simple kick before putting her hands behind her head and lackadaisically walking to break the next statue. At this point, everyone else had started to break statues of their own in passing until the formation slowly rebuilt itself. There was almost no danger of other monsters showing up after a Monster Party had been cleared so things became a little lax for a few minutes. Vahn collected all the Drop Items into his Inventory, selling the majority for a few 'drops' of OP into the massive reserves he was building...While the exploration of the 51st Floor was going on, Vahn was also back in the Manor talking with Hestia, Hephaestus, Loki, and Artemis. Ever since the changes to Freya, which had caused a major stir during the previous Denastus, rumors had been spreading in regards to Vahn seemingly finding a method to remove the restrictions placed on gods in the Mortal World. As this wasn't exactly false, many gods, including those that were already within the Alliance, had been pressuring for details.Things had only been made worse when rumors regarding Artemis began to spread, which Loki credited to Hermes, as some gods had actually gone to her Temple in Heaven. There, they found that her statue had been broken into small fragments, which would have led to the conclusion that she was dead, but it was already well-known that she was alive in the Mortal World. Some gods even speculated that Artemis had fully manifested and they were currently discussing the matter and possible solutions.Loki, releasing a frustrated sigh, complained, "Man, I swear I'll wring that bastards neck the next time I see him..." She had thought, at least for a short while, Hermes would try to lay low after their last meeting together. Since he still spread these rumors within the godly community, it was likely at the behest of Ouranos or, even more frustratingly, he may have his own reasons for doing so. It was impossible to pin him down and, now that Vahn was the 'owner' of the Hermes Familia, the number of people that the wandering god associated with had decreased exponentially.Artemis, upon hearing Loki's words, showed an apologetic expression but, before she could say anything, Hestia interjected, saying, "Artemis, you have no reason to feel bad about anything that happened! You and your children are the victims here!" This brought a smile to Artemis' face as she reached out her hand to stroke Hestia's hair, saying, "Thank you, Hestia, you are always so kind..." To this, Hestia smiled radiantly and said, "Of course! We're family now, so I'll always be here to support you, Artemis~!"As pleasant as the mood was, Loki, always the realist, chimed in, saying, "Still, the question remains about exactly what kind of existence Artemis and Freya are at this point. Tell me, Vahn, what do you make of everything that is going on? Do you think you can really allow a god to fully manifest in the Mortal World? And you, Artemis, can you even use your Arcanum...?" Before the latter could answer, Vahn raised his hand and said, "That may not be the best idea. Though I can say with certainty that it is possible to manifest a god's Arcanum, it requires a very powerful seal to prevent their body from breaking apart. In fact, it may be necessary for us to commission Hermes to escort Artemis back to Heaven so she can descend again safely. As it stands, overusing her Arcanum may cause her body to break down and, though this may not kill her, the time it takes to reform her body would likely stretch into the thousands of years..."Hearing this, Loki hunched over in deep thought, hand supporting her chin with a moderately annoyed expression on her face. Almost everyone's attention was focused on her, including Artemis who eventually stated, "I do not mind returning to Heaven for a short while but, before I go, I...I want to..." Towards the end of her sentence, Artemis' eyes had trained on Vahn and her cheeks had started to become slightly flushed. She now had a Love Divinity but, unlike normal Goddesses of Love, Artemis' was kept in check by the fact she also had a Divinity related to Family. Her affections were almost wholly reserved for the people she treated as her kin while Vahn was undoubtedly the focus of her love...Without any sign of perturbance, Vahn smiled in response, saying, "I understand it may take a few years for your to form an avatar and descend a second time...if you're willing, we can protect you here at the Manor and build a family together before you return..." Since she was fully manifested, it was actually possible for Artemis to enter into the Sub-Space orb as well. If she truly wanted to live in the Mortal World safely for a few years, it was possible for her to reside there and experience living amongst her family and friends for a while before returning. Vahn was even willing to make a slight exception and allow her to raise a Vanir within the orb, as he would rather she have the opportunity to raise their child to maturity before being separated for a short while...This time, Artemis' face had become a rosy pink color as a vibrant smile spread across her face as she said, "I'd like that, Vahn...!" There was even a slight moisture buildup in her eyes that made Vahn's heart tremble with a powerful desire to protect her. Still, there were a few other options and, given how much Karma he had accumulated, Vahn had prepared himself to broach a major subject he had been sitting on for a while. He couldn't exactly tell them he would be going to another world but, depending on how he worded things, it was possible to convincingly come up with an excuse that would explain the record suddenly being linked one day...Before he had even started speaking, all of the goddesses in the room had become quiet and serious, their bond with Vahn telling them he had something very important to discuss. This was something that made Vahn really appreciate the power of 'bonds', as having their understanding during such times was very beneficial. Thus, as serious as the topic was, Vahn smiled casually as he stated, "I'm sure you've all seen it, and I know we've discussed several related matters before...but the world is beginning to rapidly change. With the existence of the Vanir, and the possibility of not only myself, but several of the girls in the Manor obtaining godhood, the balance of the world is slowly being distorted. In time, the average strength of Mortals will continue to increase and, in the not so distant future, the boundaries between the realms will slowly blend together..."Vahn was already immortal and, after discussing the purpose of Innates and the future development of everyone in the Manor, it wasn't even a 'question' if others would be able to obtain immortality. In fact, just by using his 'modify', Vahn could grant everyone in the Manor a form of immortality just by changing them into Xenos with predominately human features. As Xenos didn't age, this meant they would have biological immortality and, so long as the girls weren't outright killed, they would go on to live forever. With the existence of the Sub-Space and Space-Time orbs, it was only a matter of time before someone amongst their group was able to obtain unrestrained godhood in the Mortal World.After gauging their reactions thus far, Vahn continued, adding, "I'm certain these incidents with Freya and Artemis are some of the most notable signs of the changes to come. Since it will be necessary for these developments to transpire in order to remove the restrictions and inherent compulsion found within Divinity, I will continue to push the world towards these changes. The tragic existence of the gods has gone on for too long and I want to not only liberate you from the influence of your Divinities but also open the way forward for even gods to grow much stronger..."When he said this, Loki almost immediately asked, eyes slightly widened, "Vahn...is that really what you're trying to do...? As impossible as it seems, I...I believe you would actually be able to pull it off. However, is such a world truly a safe place...ah, I see..." As she was speaking, Loki began to deduce some of the underlying factors behind what Vahn was saying. Her eyes squinted into lines but her sharp red irises were still slightly visible as she stated, "You're going to do something very dangerous in order to make sure everyone is protected...even if the balance of the world is destroyed..."Hestia and Artemis immediately adopted concerned expressions as the smaller of the two, Hestia, stated, "Vahn, please don't do anything too dangerous. I know you want to protect our family, but that is a burden we all share together...please, rely on us a little more...!" Even Hephaestus had a very concerned expression on her face but, unlike Hestia, asked, "It's something only you can do, isn't it...? You must have a power that you either can't explain, or don't understand yourself..." Loki, without missing a beat, piggybacked off of Hephaestus' words, saying, "It's always like this, one way or another...Vahn...haaaa...just answer me this, is there a chance of failure...?"Vahn had felt a great deal of inner turmoil seeing how they were reacting but, upon hearing Loki's question, he immediately regained his confidence and said, "No, even if it is very difficult to achieve, the chance of success would be one-hundred percent by the time I initiate the technique. I just wanted to let everyone know that, at some point, the world may begin to change very quickly...in fact, just like in the History books, the very nature of the world may experience a sudden shift. Not only do I plan to remove the restriction of gods, but I plan to pave a way forward for all people...it will be necessary for me to become much stronger but, by the time the changes occur, I will possess a degree of power far greater than any god..."As he spoke, the subtle light in Vahn's eyes actually became visible to the goddesses in the room, causing all except Hestia to take in a sudden sharp breath of surprise. Vahn gave an apologetic smile in return, explaining, "You all remember Eva...the method I'd be using is very similar to her orb, but on a level that will affect the entire world. Though it will seem as if no time had passed, it is very possible I may experience thousands of years before I am able to succeed in my plan...however, no matter how long it takes, I will succeed...this place is my home and I will not leave the safety of my family, my children, and all those who believe in me to chance...!"Since Vahn had already spent 'hundreds' of years in Space-Time orbs, none of the goddesses were too affected by the admission he could be away for thousands of years. Still, they knew that Eva was apparently a being that was even stronger than gods like Ouranos yet, according to the stories they had heard, even she wasn't the strongest. For Vahn to get involved with forces that could exercise greater power than even the gods, they couldn't help but feel very worried for him, even if he was seemingly unkillable. The amount of suffering he may have to experience, all while they were blissfully unaware of it, was almost heartbreaking to each of them, even Loki...Understanding what they were thinking, Vahn's expression softened as the aura he had been passively letting out turned mellow and calm. Though it may be a little unfair to them, Vahn asked in a quiet tone, "Tell me...what would you do to protect our children...? Is there anything you wouldn't suffer through if it meant they would be safe...?" These were the only questions Vahn needed to ask in order to completely convince the goddesses before them. He already knew that, even if they needed to go to war against Heaven itself, not a single one of them would shy away. Loki would probably destroy Heaven in its entirety if it meant she could protect Erika while Hestia, even though she had already started to tear up, had a very resolute light contained within her beautiful blue gem-like eyes...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Copywolf, Fenrir, "Master, give me strength~!','Hermes is on everyone's shit list xD...','Vahn is feeling the weight of Karma...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

After giving Lenneth a quick wash down with a sphere of water and changing her into more suitable clothing, this time an adorable black dress with white frills, the two set out towards Freya's temporary residence near Daedelus Street. Her Familia had nearly seized full control of the first ten Floors of Knossos and also secured the sole elevator to control anyone that was trying to move in and out secretly. Though the number of emergency tunnels leading into various parts of the City would likely take months to explore, it was safe to say that Knossos was currently under the control of the Alliance. Vahn just needed to finish mapping out the lower floors and making sure there were no other illegal activities going on before construction to convert it into a 'practice dungeon' would begin.Lenneth enjoyed the relatively short flight, happily riding on her Papa's back without any fear of heights whatsoever. She had her hair styled up in a short ponytail that was fixed by a black ribbon, contrasting her silver hair and silvery-blue eyes splendidly. Much like Freya and Syr, she had fringe bangs that curved around her face but, after starting her training with the sword, Lenneth had picked up the habit of pinning her bangs up so they didn't get in her eyes. Overall, she was ridiculously adorable and Vahn found himself flying a little higher than normal so that he wouldn't have to deal with anyone eyeing her with malicious intentions...he ignored it in a lot of circumstances but, if anyone so much as looked at his daughters in a 'devious' manner, Vahn didn't think he'd be able to allow them to roam freely...By the time they had reached Freya's residence, she was already waiting outside on the balcony to receive them, something most people couldn't imagine her doing for anyone. Even before they had landed, Lenneth was already beaming as she cried out, "Mom~!" Freya, with a smile of her own, waved gingerly as a peal of bell-like laughter escaped her lips. Upon seeing her eyes wandering, however, Vahn realized he should have brought Diana along with them. After landing, he handed Lenneth over to her, even though she was a little big to be held, saying, "Sorry, I didn't think about things properly this time around...I just wanted to bring you a gift..."Without showing any signs of actually being upset, Freya began carrying Lenneth into the interior, softly stating, "Come along, I've already had a fresh tea set out. It is nice to be able to spend time with just the three of us, ufufufu~." With that said, Vahn quickly followed along, watching with a small smile on his face as Lenneth went into great details about what she had been up to since their last meeting. Freya showed genuine interest in everything her daughter said, even asking some questions of her own and paying Lenneth a few choice compliments that got the girl to giggle happily.Once they reached one of the interior rooms, very different from the location of his 'throne', the three sat around a rounded tabled that was formed from what appeared to be pure silver and quartz. There was a very fragrant pot of tea that had been set out while a tall thermal pitcher that Vahn knew contained a very expensive coffee was next to it. Since there weren't any snacks, Vahn quickly produced some of his own, earning a playful smile from Freya as she lightly mused, "I must admit, Vahn, I'm rather curious about what kind of gift would lead you to seek me out on such short notice. For you to bring out daughter along...well, I can't say any thoughts come to mind when it comes to presents you know I'll enjoy~."Vahn knew Freya was subtly teasing him about a very different kind of 'present' that he could have given her but, without losing his composure, he quickly pulled out the [Brísingamen] and gauged her reaction. More so than he had ever seen before, Vahn observed as Freya's eyes widened until they were nearly rounded. Even Lenneth's eyes showed genuine shock and awe as she mused, "So pretty..." in a voice less than a whisper. Then, realizing her own reaction, Freya blushed slightly without taking her eyes away from the necklace, saying, "That necklace...Vahn, do you know what that is? How...? I..." Freya couldn't actually believe the 'present' Vahn had brought her, as there shouldn't have been any way for him to even know about it, much less obtain it...Based on her reaction, Vahn knew that Freya was aware of the origin of the necklace and, as he had done a bit of research of his own, he knew the story might not be the most pleasant. Though the record of Danmachi certainly wouldn't match the lore and mythos of another world, almost every story regarding [Brísingamen] showed that Freya had paid to obtain it using her own body as compensation. Some stories even depicted her laying with several hideous Dwarven men who, so smitten with her beauty, refused to sell it to her unless she lay with each of them for a night. Vahn didn't understand how a Goddess of War could be manipulated by a bunch of Dwarves but that was simply how events were depicted in some texts...So she didn't misunderstand, Vahn maintained a casual smile as he said, "This is a unique item that my ability had produced while I was in the Dungeon. Since it seemed to share a fate with you, I wanted to return the item to its rightful owner...what you do with it is ultimately your decision, Freya. However, I believe it does suit you a great deal..." The [Brísingamen] was actually one of the more beautiful pieces of jewelry Vahn had ever seen and, based on its grade from the gacha, Vahn suspected it was actually bordering on the Divine in quality. His [Eyes of Truth] couldn't see through the secrets of any Unique items thus far, the [Brísingamen] included, so there was no way to be absolutely sure. Even so, the fact that it had a resplendent gold base that was affixed with seven inextricably pure amber gemstones drew a lot of attention...Freya gingerly reached out her hands, taking the [Brísingamen] from Vahn and once again showing a face full of surprise as she asked, "Your power made this...?" From what she could tell, this was exactly the necklace she often wore back in Heaven, meaning it should be on her Divine Statue, not here in the Mortal World. In truth, it was one of the only things that made her hesitate before descending, as it had been her most prized possession for several hundred million years. Unlike the stories Vahn had read, however, Freya had received her [Brísingamen] after taking an interest in Hephaestus' craft and trying to befriend the previously 'cursed' goddess...Though Freya was a Goddess of Beauty, she had never actually cared about the appearance of others so, while they weren't exactly friends, the two had an amicable relationship for a time. Since this had been shortly after Hephaestus came into existence, the then young goddess had put quite a bit of effort into creating a masterpiece solely for Freya's use. Vahn wasn't aware of it, but in Freya's hands, the [Brísingamen] greatly enhanced the effect of her own Divinity and was one of the reasons many gods feared her back in Heaven. If Vahn had given it to her in the past, Freya would have granted him almost anything he could wish for, even if it was her own body...Now, though Freya felt a powerful longing for the necklace in her hands, it almost seemed meaningless while she was sitting with her lover and their child. She would have used this necklace to conquer the entire City in the past but, now that Vahn had already conquered it, Freya was perfectly content at his side. Thus, without much hesitation at all, Freya smiled before placing the [Brísingamen] around Lenneth's neck, saying, "This necklace is a very precious 'heirloom' that I never thought I would be able to pass down...Lenneth, I want you to take care of this necklace and, when you one day find someone you love and have a daughter of your own...bestow it upon her as well, okay~?"Lenneth's eyes brightened like stars as she marveled at the beautiful necklace her Mother had just given her. Seeing this, Vahn was more than a little surprised and he couldn't help but adopt a smile of his own after witnessing such an event. He had still gotten the [Blessing of Freya] and the Unique item [Freya's Favor], so he didn't mind at all that she had regifted it to Lenneth. Though it was currently a little big for her, the necklace was still inordinately beautiful and seemed to give Lenneth's skin a subtle glow. Vahn was surprised to see this as Lenneth was actually able to make him feel a slight amount of pressure while wearing the necklace...As if to explain away any questions he might have, Freya softly stated, "The [Brísingamen] is one of the greatest masterpieces that Hephaestus had forged back in Heaven. It is one of the only artifacts with the effect to strengthen the Divinity of we gods, making it one of the most sought-after items in all eight regions of Heaven. From now on, it will help Lenneth grow even stronger, all while protecting her from any harm that may befall her...make sure you cherish it well, Lenneth, as it will one day protect your most cherished treasure as well..." As these words left her lips, Freya felt like a weight had been lifted on her heart as she internally mused, ("Yes, I have no need for such trinkets anymore...there are far more precious things in the world...")Seeing Freya look towards Lenneth with an expression full of love, Vahn felt like his own heart had melted, a great deal of warmth spreading through his body. Freya, susceptible to these kinds of feelings, turned her eyes towards him, a very similar look to the one she viewed Lenneth with...but with very different emotions contained within. Vahn's eyes squinted slightly and their moods began to overlap with each other until Lenneth suddenly asked, "Mom, whats an heirloom?" This innocent question had caused Vahn and Freya to startle slightly before the latter happily began explaining in great detail about heirlooms, love, and precious people...---It had taken nearly sixteen straight hours but, with their combined efforts, Vahn and Terra managed to finish setting up the teleportation ward. The longest part of the process ensuring that the large ritual ward couldn't be interfered with, requiring them to install several layers of protection. Though Yggy would be able to initiate a transfer without the larger ritual ward, during an emergency, it was necessary to power the formation with rather expensive materials during other instances. Vahn was able to circumvent some of the cost by using his [Lapidary] to make [Source Energy Crystal]s that could power a few transfers before being destroyed. These were also for emergency use, however, making it necessary to use twenty high-quality magic cores, generally obtained by monsters over Level 5, just to transfer a single person.With the girls' strength, and the power of the Alliance in general, it wasn't that difficult to acquire a number of such cores. However, this meant it would cost nearly 1.6MV just to transfer a person one-way, meaning it took 3.2M for a round trip. With the average party of Veteran Adventurers only earning around 600KV per day, generally split between five people, this meant the cost for transfers was exorbitantly expensive. Just moving everyone within their private group to the surface would cost, on average, around 180-200MV.Though Vahn could easily support these expenditures with his constantly increasing savings, it would even bankrupt him if they overused it. Fortunately, he expected that it would be relatively easy for them to acquire their own high-quality magic cores once they began venturing into the Deeper Floors. In the future, once things had stabilized, it might actually become relatively common for people to move between the 50th Floor and the surface with secondary transfer gates the Alliance might set up. Vahn expected the average strength of Adventurers to increase over the next few decades and, though it was currently rather impressive to even solo to the middle Floors, that bar could very well be raised to the Deep Floors one day...Once the teleportation ward was functional, causing the interior of Yggy's trunk to become even more fantastical in appearance, things weren't quite finished. Though he could take a break, Vahn was determined to bolster the defenses of Haven before he began venturing inward to confront Enyo. Terra also didn't tire out and, after promising to spend some time with her in the Sub-Space orb for a few hours, she happily agreed to help reinforce the perimeter wall. As a result, there was now a 50m tall bedrock wall that was more than 15m thick creating a giant ring around Haven that was nearly 10km in diameter. When the construction crews saw this 'miracle', the way people had started looking at Terra now had an extra layer of fear and reverence contained within their gazes.As powerful as she was, Terra wasn't quite strong enough to used such a large-scale unnamed spell, at least outside of her Dominion. Instead, she relied heavily on her Master's support for the task and, with [Yggdrasil's Blessing] and [Hands of Nirvana] not quite providing nearly enough energy, this resulted in Vahn getting yet another bite mark on his shoulder. Though she had brought up the idea of obtaining a very different fluid from him, Vahn had been back on the surface dealing with some issues at the School and didn't want any 'distractions'. As Terra had no aversion to sucking his blood at all, as it was often reputed to be quite sweet, they ended up embracing in the sky above Haven as she manipulated enough mana to even make a god sweat...Once the spell's structure was complete, there were no other steps required and, other than one of the largest magic circles anyone had ever seen forming above the City, the wall itself had come into existence without incident. After that, Vahn had gone around to set up several defensive wards while Terra, finished with her own duties, returned to the surface to patiently await her 'reward'. Though she could have helped to establish the defensive wards, Vahn's were inherently more powerful as, even though Terra was comprised of Source Energy, she actually couldn't sense this at all. She had no way of using it directly but, unlike Vahn, had nearly no trouble converting it into the natural energy she used in her spells...it was quite enviable. Even so, as his wards were several times stronger than normal, Vahn willingly placed a total of 1,000 wards before he was finally satisfied...As they had been patiently observing him, Fenrir, Maemi, and Emiru had all come to his side immediately after Vahn had sat down to rest. He wasn't physically tired but, if his avatar hadn't been resting for the both of them, Vahn's mental energy would have failed a long time ago. Emiru and Maemi brought over a warm towel, placing it around the back of his neck as Fenrir turned into her Bunnywolf form, except even fluffier than in the past, and curled up in his lap. Vahn couldn't resist smiling as he began stroking her fur, feeling immediately more relaxed as Maemi even went about massaging his shoulders. Emiru, seemingly having nothing else to do, came around to the front of Vahn, kneeling down as if she were going to perform a seiza before bringing her hands up to create 'paws' before saying, "Master, good work, nyaa~" Though she was a Leopard Person, Emiru still had a similar appearance to a Cat Person and could definitely pull off the adorable appeal their species were known for. Thus, with a very contented smile on his face, Vahn found himself petting two adorable creatures while a very determined Maid massaged his shoulders. At the same time, in the back of his mind, Vahn muttered, ("I'm coming for you, Enyo...")(A/N: Though I was supposed to do 5 chapters today, the next chapter is the start of the new volume and I wanted to start the day off strong. I'll see if I can't pump out six tomorrow, though it will probably still just be five. Please keep in mind that it can take upwards of 10-12 hours to write and edit five chapters so don't think I'm trying to short change you any xD. Even so, I'll make tomorrow's releases on separated by one hour, as there should be some action that everyone has been looking forward to (UwU)~!)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Freya has changed a lot...','That is an expensive form of transport!','RIP Enyo...messing with Vahn's happy times (&gt;,...,&lt;)~!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Chapter 867: Before the Descent