Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

From the moment he knew of Enyo's capabilities, Vahn had sent a message to the girls back at Haven and had them gather near Yggy. He assumed that Yggdrasil's aura would be able to resist against any attempts by Enyo to seize control of the girls. At the same time, Vahn had formed a hypothesis that those recognized as his subordinates and retainers through the system would also be immune to such effects. There shouldn't be any force in any record that should be able to 'overwrite' the influence of Loyalty and Allegiance towards him. As powerful as Enyo may be, Vahn didn't believe for a moment she would have the ability to circumvent the system function of The Path.As a special exception, Finn was also within the 'inner sanctum' of Haven since he needed to be informed about what was going on. Vahn found him seated with an amiable smile on his face but, with the light layer of sweat and the chaotic fluctuations of the Pallum's aura, it was clear to see he was very nervous. Right now, Arnya, Chloe, Mikoto, Tione, Tina, and Shizune all had very serious expressions while Yggy sat in Ryuu's lap while the latter held her in a very protective manner. When they saw the arrival of Vahn's group, a lot of the tensions in the air had melted away as Vahn swept his eyes over every and confirmed they weren't affected by Enyo.Tiona was pulled to the side by Tione as Haruhime and Lili went to support and try to cheer her up. Ais and Lefiya made their way to where Ryuu and Yggy were while Vahn approached Finn and immediately got to the point, explaining what had happened. Though he had been nervous before, Finn had become slightly pale by the time Vahn was done recounting what they had discovered. If it was true that almost anyone within Haven could become an enemy, the moment a large scale attack occurred could spell the end of this ambitious project. Were this information to spread to the members of the expedition, everyone would begin to suspect everyone else of being a potential traitor...Vahn understood this even better than Finn and, though it would reveal one of their most powerful cards, he had been considering evacuating the entire Floor. If he allowed everyone to move through the teleportation ward, it was the safest way to ensure that Enyo wouldn't have any time to influence them. However, instead of using the primary ward within the Yggdrasil's trunk, Vahn was intended to use Terra as a 'proxy' while establishing a temporary ward within the primary fortress of the Alliance. They could make a big show of the ridiculous cost of using such a service while increasing the reputation of the Alliance at the same time.By showing how 'willing' he was to spend a veritable fortune just to guarantee everyone was safe, Vahn knew he would be able to increase his rapport while diminishing the inhibitions future expedition would have about proceeding this far. Though the Alliance would undoubtedly suffer a hit to its reputation after calling a full retreat, Vahn knew it would be possible to spin things in their favor once he had defeated Enyo. The more troublesome group to deal with would be the Merchants but Vahn had already come up with the idea of giving them each a token that allowed them to return to the 50th Floor in the future. Knowing they would be able to immediately reach the 50th Floor again, while also having the knowledge they may be able to return to the surface with goods contained within an interspatial ring, many of them would practically froth at the mouth for such an opportunity.Vahn discussed all of these things with Finn while the girls quietly conversed at the side, both listening to what Vahn was saying while also affirming their own resolve for what was to come. Some, such as Ais and Lefiya, were still fully committed to trying to support Vahn within the Dungeon. Vahn could hear them talking about trying to convince him to accept their help and, while snuggling up with Fenrir back at the Manor, he couldn't help but come up with 'solutions'. Lefiya may very well be 'immune' to Enyo's influence and, if he could help her awaken the [Child of Destiny] Innate, Ais would likely be immune to it as well. At the very least, Vahn suspected this awakening that particular Innate would make Ais' fate far more powerful and would allow her to resist such effects. After all, Bell undoubtedly would have had to deal with the influence of Enyo's abilities at some point and it was likely the influence of his [Child of Destiny] which allowed him to do so.By the time he was finished going over his plan with Finn, Vahn had a basic plan of action for how he would proceed forward. They would be evacuating the 50th Floor, leaving only those who had already become his subordinate and retainers to protect the five fortresses. As they would also be able to seek shelter with Yggy, this was one of the 'safer' options moving forward. Though there were no guarantees they would be outside the influence of Enyo's abilities, Sis had assured him that, at the very least, he would be able to know very quickly if something happened. She could monitor the Unit Management list and, if someone was under Enyo's influence, it would reflect as an abnormality within their State. If their Loyalty and Allegiance parameters were high enough, it was very likely they would simply 'shrug' off Enyo's influence after losing a few points...Though he never intended for things to happen particularly in this manner, Vahn felt like his intentions back when he decided to create Haven had influenced this outcome. Originally, he wanted this place to be a safe haven for the Elves who sought to escape the corruption of the Elven Kingdom. He also wanted it to be a place where the Xenos could roam freely without fear of persecution by the surface dwellers. Now, because his largest following were the Elves and the Xenos, those intentions seemed to be becoming a reality.Vahn was certain he could man the fortresses using those who were genuinely loyal and had pledged their allegiance to him, turning Haven into the truest expression of his ideals and intentions. This would undoubtedly draw some criticism by some groups who would want to spin it as him using the Alliance to make a seat of power for himself, but those who cried the loudest usually had the least amount of real power. Those with any sense could already see that he acted with impunity within the Alliance and, even if he 'locked down' the entire 50th Floor, there wasn't much anyone could do to stop him.Once he had made these decisions, Vahn looked to Finn and stated in a voice filled with authority, "Pass down my order, Finn. Everyone will gather in the plaza that had been opened up in front of the Alliance's main fortress. Do not worry about the defenses of the other areas for the time being as everything has already been compromised at this point. It will take a few hours to establish, but we will make an emergency teleportation ward to move everyone to the surface. I will entrust two spatial artifacts with you so that all of the supplies and materials can be secured before everyone sets out. There will be a lot of paperwork that you'll need to do but it is better than the alternative of having everyone wiped out because of Enyo's schemes..."Without arguing at all, Finn accepted the list that Vahn had compiled, detailing all of the people that could be 'trusted', at least for the time being. They would be the ones moving all of the supplies and performing the final checks to make sure there weren't any people trying to break away while everyone was gathering. Vahn would be confirming with his own eyes if anyone was under Enyo's influence but, for the time being, his focus was on securing the safety of everyone present.Once Finn had set out to carry out his orders, Vahn turned to the girls and, before they could say anything, firmly stated, "We were very fortunate that nothing worse happened...I'm sorry, Lili, you should have never had to go through that. Tiona, you as well, please try to cheer up; there isn't a single person here that blames you for what happened. We will find a solution to prevent things like this from occurring in the future so smile and keep moving forward, just like you always do..."Vahn always felt bothered when someone like Tiona wasn't smiling, as it almost felt 'wrong' to see her so sad and melancholic.In response to his supportive words, Tiona managed a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes as she said, "I will become even stronger in the future...but, I won't neglect to focus on my mental development any longer. I don't want the strength I worked so hard to cultivate, all so that I can protect the people I care about, to be used to cause them harm...!" By the time she finished her statement, a small fire had already started to burn in Tiona's eyes. This caused Vahn to also feel a bit of relief as, with Tiona slowly returning to her former self, everyone else would undoubtedly cheer up and continue working hard.Since it would undoubtedly come up, Vahn seized the initiative and explained, "There are several types of meditation technique and cultivation basics that we can all start to develop together in the future. For the time being, the important thing is making sure we're not exposed in a situation where Enyo can act to bring harm to those we care about. Right now, there are a lot of things going on within Orario and we should consolidate our forces there. Enyo will be dealt with by me and, though I know some of you will want to help, it is currently safer for me to take action on my own. Ais, I know you have the strongest drive to probe deeper into the Dungeon but, until you awaken your other Innates, I think it is best if you temper yourself and protect what is most important."In response to this, Ais showed a conflicted expression and hung her head a bit before tightly gripping her fists as she asked, "Will I be able to help you if I awaken those abilities...?" Without any hesitation, Vahn confidently nodded and, with an encouraging smile on his face, said, "It is as I've always said, Ais...so long as you believe wholeheartedly in yourself, and never give up, there are no limits to your growth whatsoever. If you truly believed in the path you were walking, it isn't impossible that everyone here could one day be stronger than even the gods in Heaven..." As if it were the most natural thing in the world, Vahn found himself trying to use this catastrophe caused by Enyo as a means to push the girls even further. Not only did he naturally begin thinking of ways to spin things in the Alliances favor but, knowing things had taken a very sudden turn, this event could be used as a catalyst for both his growth and the growth of the girls...Though they were accustomed to hearing Vahn say very similar things, everyone was fired up by his words this time around. They had already seen Vahn do the impossible several times and, though they never believed themselves to be weak, everyone present knew that their beliefs had been shaped considerably by Vahn's influence. Before, even if decades were to pass, the odds of them reaching Level 7 were nearly impossible. Now, even though they were still relatively young, the majority of their group was already above Level 5 while some of their members were slowly approaching intermediate Level 7. In time, they would undoubtedly reach Level 8 and, so long as they didn't give up, even breaking through the 'limit' was entirely possible...Vahn's words were especially effective on girls like Haruhime, Lefiya, and Lili, as they were already Vahn's disciples and truly believed almost everything he said. It had only been a few years but now, even though they couldn't even protect themselves in the past, Haruhime and Lili were both monstrously strong Adventurers who had a great deal of fame. As for Lefiya, she had broken through the limits of 'normal' Mages long ago and, with Vahn's help, she was nowhere near the pinnacle she sought. There were no obstacles in her way, so long as she continued to follow Vahn's teachings and put her all into the research they conducted...Seeing how everyone was reacting positively to his words, Vahn's heart and mind were at ease, the calm brought upon by his [Will of the Emperor] finally returning. He had panicked a great deal after realizing what Enyo was capable of but, now that he was relaxing back home, and had seen the resolute lights in each of the girls' eyes, Vahn's confidence had returned. Now, he just needed to secure Haven and, once that was taken care of, his 'hunt' for Enyo would begin. Vahn knew her information network was powerful but, if he went all out, even she shouldn't be able to track him easily. Though he would try to never underestimate her again, Vahn knew he hadn't been going all out this entire time and, now that things had reached this point, there was no turning back...Back within the Manor, Vahn had detected the arrival of Anubis and, though he had been enjoying Fenrir's presence, he still wanted to make sure those close to him were outside of Enyo's influence. Fortunately, Anubis had very rarely left her area of Heaven and didn't have many connections with the social circles in the godly community. She hadn't been under the influence of Enyo, making Vahn feel a lot better about the future. If Enyo had been able to influence all eight regions of Heaven, things would have been infinitely more troublesome in the future. Now, he really just had to worry about those who were active in Heaven, those who originated in the Northern Pantheon, and those who had ventured deep into the Dungeon. Amongst these groups, the most troublesome to deal with were potentially Zeus and Hera but, with Enyo showing no signs of being able to actively control gods on the surface just yet, this was only an assumption...As the day continued, Vahn ended up entering into the Dungeon with his avatar while his main body returned to the surface through the primary teleportation ward. He also had Terra come to his side with Unit Management and help establish a secondary teleportation ward that would be connected to the monster stables within Babel Tower. Loki had already discussed things with Ganesha to clear out a large area that would serve as the evacuation point, at least for the time being. While this was going on, Vahn also met up with Freya at the Southern Manor, clearing up Enyo's influence within her mind and then pacifying her for a bit since she had been very upset by the revelation.Later that same day, Vahn confirmed that Demeter had also been under Enyo's influence so he freed her as well, seemingly without it bothering her too much. Since she was unaware of being affected by Enyo, Demeter didn't let it get to her much and just promised to assist Loki in the investigations into her own Familia. There was a chance that some of her core members had also been affected and, now that Enyo was losing some of her pawns, she may try to do something drastic that could result in gods being assassinated. As a Goddess of War, Enyo undoubtedly had a powerful understanding of war and tactics...this wasn't likely the last card she had to play...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'There is just something 'wrong' about seeing lively girls sad...','Vahn is slowly learning how to be a 'leader'. Manipulating negative situations to have a more positive outcome...oh my...','The best thing Enyo could do at this point is just buy time for herself...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Shortly after the 'evacuation' of the 50th Floor had been completed, the City was in an uproar as everyone wanted to know what kind of methods the Alliance had that allowed such a feat. Though teleportation existed in the record of Danmachi, it was 'impossible' to use that kind of Magic within the Dungeon. Even basic communication scrolls wouldn't work so the fact the Alliance could move nearly two-thousand people, even though the cost was near four billion Valis, was a big deal.Vahn, however, simply issued a statement to pertinent parties that he was under no obligation to use such a method on anyone's behalf. He explained that it wasn't a simple means and that the cost was extremely expensive, listing out all the required items and having the entire expedition validate his claims. Around the same time, he welcomed anyone else that had that capability to create a teleportation ward of their own as the one established within Haven was solely the property of the Alliance. It didn't matter if others tried to pressure the Alliance to gain access to the teleporter, as they simply lacked the power and authority to make such demands from the start.There were numerous rumors circulating around about how Vahn was essentially trying to claim the 50th Floor for his own personal use, especially once large groups of Elves and Beast Humans began moving into Haven. It was still a little too soon for the Xenos, as their numbers were simply too few, so Vahn relied on his influence with the Elven Kingdom and his popularity with the Beast Tribes. There were also quite a few Pallums who easily met the requirement to become his retainers and, though they were on the weaker side of the spectrum, Vahn still selected a very intelligent and reliable Pallum to help them create a foothold in Haven for the future. He was using this opportunity to establish a solid power base for himself, using people that he could 'trust' to lay the foundation.While this was going on, Vahn's main body had 'relaxing' back at the Manor, except for when he was dealing with various Gods and Merchants. He had been vetting many of the previously impregnated goddesses after Loki convinced them it was just a measure to make sure there were no side-effects that had gone unnoticed. Through these 'examinations', Vahn discovered that quite a few goddesses had Enyo's influence inside of them and quickly got rid of it. This had been taking place over the course of five days and, thus far, there hadn't been any major issues. It was seeming more likely that Enyo either didn't have the means to influence those on the surface or was taking action in a way they weren't able to trace just yet.All the while this vetting process was taking place, Vahn remained ever-vigilant within the Dungeon while Haruhime, Chloe, Ryuu, Lili, Mikoto became the 'leaders' of each Fortress. Their main purpose at the moment was simply training the relatively low-Level defenders how to activate formations, respond to orders, and operate the basic defensive mechanisms of the fortresses. Vahn had made some pretty excessive purchases, equipping the majority of the Elves with Magic-grade bows that were each B-Rank or higher. For the Pallums, as they surprisingly had a decent affinity with Earth and Water magic, Vahn had given C-Rank [Green Mage Staff]s to the majority while the few with Darkness and Light elemental affinities received [Void Staff] and [Noah Staff] respectively.Though they may not become powerful Mages in the future, using the new system, they would still become respectable assets that would also serve as the inspiration for other Pallum in the future. With pendants and accessories to increase their mana regen, supplement their mental energy, and increase the amount of experience they acquired, it wasn't impossible for them to become relatively strong in a short period of time. As for those that didn't have a suitable constitution for Magic, they still had very good eyesight that made them suitable with crossbows and, with their small sizes, they were able to maneuver quickly and unseen for laying traps. Lili and Chloe had started giving a group of seventy Pallum a crash course in Scouting and omnidirectional fighting maneuvers. Though it would likely take them several months to become proficient, just having the basic skills was enough for helping maintain the defenses of Haven...By the end of the fifth day, Vahn had migrated approximately 800 Elves, 500 Beast Humans, 300 Pallums, and nearly 400 assorted races, primarily consisting of Demi-Humans, the colloquial name for any Half-Breeds between Humans and other races. Because of the rumors associated with Eina, Tsubaki, and the Elves in general, Vahn was very popular with most Demi-Human communities. As they had always been plagued by the issues of their low birth, Vahn represented the hope for a better future and, with that very future promised to them for their service, there had been more than a few willing to pledge their allegiance earnestly. The only thing that stopped even more from joining, as there had been no specific Level requirement for the task, was the fact that Vahn had limited the number of people to 2,000. Even having this number of 'followers' was already mind-boggling as seeing the massive list of names, statuses, affections, and other values were rather intimidating...One rather unexpected addition to his forces had been Finn who, upon learning of the situation, had kneeled down in front of Vahn and pledged his allegiance as well. Since Vahn had been relying on Finn's leadership and management abilities for quite some time, he happily brought Finn into his fold and even bestowed a flame seed into the now much younger Pallum. Though his appearance hadn't changed much, it was a fact that Finn was starting to age and had been feeling its effects for a while. Being an Adventurer for a long period of time slowly wore down the body so Vahn had reduced Finn's physical age to 28 years old, even though it had cost a little more than 400,000OP to do so.With Finn serving as the Supreme Commander of Haven's defense, Vahn's confidence about heading into the Dungeon to deal with Enyo had been steadily increasing. He didn't know how many days it would take but, so long as he was putting pressure on her, Vahn knew he was also buying time for Haven's defenses to become even stronger. After all, though it did stunt the growth of their parameters a bit, the amount of experience that could be gained from killing monsters around these Floors was immense. Even if their Endurance and Power might stagnate a bit, just being able to grow their Dexterity, Agility, and Magic were great boons that many of those selected as defenders would have struggled with for their entire lives.Now, with the equipment that had been provided to them, it wasn't impossible for even Level 1 'Defenders' to kill the Level 3-4 monsters that roamed in from the 49th and 51st Floors. As for the name 'Defenders', it was the simple term used to represent what Finn had named the Haven Defense Force. Since the majority of those who had come to protect Haven weren't actually Adventurers, it was good for their morale and sense of unity to give them a unique designation. Now, with their military-style garbs, the patches designating their 'rank' and 'Level', and the high-quality equipment everyone carried with them, there was a strong feeling of 'purpose' within this hodge-podge of people...Though it was never his intention, seeing the group of rather 'zealous' people walking around in orderly formations and interacting with each other in a rather serious manner, Vahn felt like he was building an army. The first thing that was being 'beaten' into them by the girls, which everyone strangely seemed to accept, was 'discipline'. Since everyone within Haven had pledged their loyalty or allegiance to him, Vahn had given them some simple orders that had been taken very seriously. His words were for them to work hard to create a future for themselves as he would help to promote their strength without limit, so long as that was their desire.Vahn also provided very large monetary rewards, insurance for their families and, with the defeat of Enyo, everyone who had volunteered would be able to keep all of their equipment, even if they left the Haven Defense Force afterward. With girls like Lili and Haruhime giving them pep talks after the fact, Vahn noticed that the Loyalty and Allegiance values of the Defenders were increasing rather quickly. He had even gotten a [Leadership] Development Ability when he had 'recruited' his 100th follower and, even without doing much, it was already at D-Rank with Finn and the girls doing most of the work...With these things taken care of, Vahn was sitting in Yggy's branches with the tiny Spirit dozing away in his lap. Fenrir was snuggled up in Yggy's arms using her Wolfbunny form while Fafnir, unable to stay within the area of Yggdrasil's influence without feeling a burning sensation, dozed off in the shadow of the surrounding wall. Though it was comprised of Source Energy, Fafnir's Innate served as something of a 'curse' that made it difficult for Fafnir to tolerate Yggy's domain. Vahn had even tried to modify Fafnir's Affinity but, trying to give it anything 'positive' affinities costs several hundred million OP. The one he had in mind was giving Fafnir 'Light Elemental Affinity', but that actually cost a total of 1,000,000,000OP, which was more than a little outside Vahn's spending range...From over the wall, Vahn saw Lefiya flying towards him so he poked Yggy's cheek to wake her up, even though she didn't actually sleep. This didn't mean she was unaware of the concept of sleep, however, and, after watching Fenrir snooze in his lap a few times, she had to try it herself. Now, Yggy stretched somewhat theatrically while releasing a loud yawn as she said, "Good morning, Papa~." As was the case with all of his children, Masonia being the only exception, Yggy ended up calling him Papa after talking with her 'Mama', Ryuu for a bit. He had promised to let her meet Alise once things had settled down, to which Yggy had more than happily claimed she didn't mind waiting for a 'few hundred' if necessary...Ruffling her golden hair, Vahn smiled as he said, "Good morning, Yggy...and Fenrir...did you two enjoy your nap?" Fenrir had been stretching like a cat in Yggy's lap and Vahn couldn't help but pull up the sides of his mouth a little more upon witnessing this. Neither girl answered by the time Lefiya arrived, however, as they were focused on the latter's fairy-like figure. Lefiya waved towards Yggy, a natural smile on her face, before turning to Vahn with a slightly more serious expression as she said, "Master, there were a few issues with the defensive wards that had been created in some of the key areas of the fortresses. I believe Enyo's victims had been manipulated to try and undermine their integrity before she attacked later..."During the investigation, there were a number of people who were under Enyo's influence, even though they hadn't tried anything when he cleared the 'mark' from their minds. From this, Vahn had concluded that Enyo could only 'actively' control a single person at a time and, having already experienced how difficult it was just to control two bodies, Vahn understood the reason. This was likely why she relied on 'corrupting' monsters and using layered brainwashing to control the Xenos and her Creatures. By using the corrupted magic cores as a catalyst, she was able to manipulate people without having to take direct control, making her power considerably less scary than before...Vahn nodded his head in response to Lefiya but there was a small smile on his face as he said, "If you ever want my affection, you just have to let me know, Lefiya..." Because she could have simply informed him through telepathy, Vahn felt that Lefiya had wanted him to praise her so she had come to inform him directly. Surprisingly, Lefiya became very flustered as she waved her hands back and forth, saying, "Waaah, Master, I just remembered you mentioning that Enyo might be able to intercept our communications. I wanted to let you know in person so she wouldn't have any way to know that the wards had been fixed...!"Hearing Lefiya's words, Vahn realized she was right and, perhaps because of how 'easy' things had been going, he realized his habit of becoming complacent had gotten to him once again. It wasn't even a week ago that he committed to never underestimating his enemy again but here Lefiya was, 'reminding' him about a very simple fact. He had even been the one to tell the girls to only rely on using the telepathy in an emergency and to try and communicate important issues within Yggy's domain to avoid detection...Currently, Vahn had been taking a nap back at the Manor with Aki, Meinya, and Anise while he had also been relaxing with Fenrir and Yggy. Though he was paying attention to his surroundings, it was now rather obvious that he had lost focus somewhat. Even so, his expression didn't show the slight perturbance he felt as he laughed lightheartedly at Lefiya's outburst before saying, "You were right to do so, Lefiya, thank you for covering for my oversight. I am constantly reminded by how capable everyone is that my own training can never cease...hahaha~." Vahn had been told by the goddesses that he 'needed' to relax as much as possible before confronting Enyo, or else he would be prone to making even more oversights. Right now, he was slated to be venturing into the Dungeon in two days and, while that was going on, his main body would likely be in deep meditation within the Sub-Space orb. If he didn't relax now, there might not be any time to relax later...Though she already had a red face, Lefiya showed a bashful blush as she brought her fingertips together and said, "Thank you for saying such kind words, Master...but...umm..." This time, Vahn laughed for real as he gestured toward Lefiya and invited the bashful Spirit to sit in his lap. Then, for a good twenty minutes, Vahn enjoyed the flowery aroma of Lefiya's hair while embracing her from behind. Though she could get him very 'excited' in many circumstances, Lefiya's aroma had the same calming effect as girls like Terra, Riveria, and Ryuu. This was a natural quality of Elves and, though Lefiya was now a Spirit, this ability had only been amplified, not reduced...---(A/N: The standard outfit of the Defenders is essentially a false-aegis coat, their choice of trousers, shorts, or skirt, and a mantle that gives them naturally enhanced stealth abilities and provides protection from magic attacks. They each have badges, pendants, and two accessories of their choosing that have very similar effects. The badges are a simple soulbound item that can only be carried by the person it was issued to and work similarly to 'Guild Cards' in other fantasy settings. The pendant boosts their experience gain and increases the replenishment of mana and mental energies while the other two accessories work as 'batteries' to power the various defensive formations while giving them an emergency means to use their Magic items. As for the color palette, you can essentially imagine everyone wearing grey/black outfits, similar to Vahn himself, while their mantles would be an off-white that matches the surrounding Floors and helps them blend into the background (UwU)~!)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'You can shove your rumors up your bum (UwU)~!','And so, the HDF fought...','The Calm Before the Storm...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

When she saw the look in Vahn's eyes, Loki's face became fierce and, for one of the few times, her eyes were open naturally, albeit with a serious expression. Then, without the need to verify what Vahn had seen, Loki stated, "Get rid of it...!" Vahn returned a nod, placing his palm against her head and sending a 'wave' of source energy through her mind. It wasn't nearly as intense as the 'emergency' treatment Tiona received, but Loki still gritted her teeth as it passed through. Vahn followed up his banishment of the malicious energy by sending calming energy into Loki's mind while explaining, "Other than Hestia, everyone here has been affected by Enyo's ability..."Though Syr and Tsubaki were also exceptions to this, Vahn had been primarily focused on dealing with the influence of Enyo in the goddesses. Of course, when Hephaestus, Artemis, and Eirene heard Vahn's words, their faces had become slightly pale. This was especially true for Artemis, who had nearly had her body destroyed only recently. The fact that she was still under the effect of Enyo's ability was a very worrying thought. As for Hestia, nobody was actually that surprised that she hadn't been affected by Enyo as, other than a few gatherings, most of Hestia's time had been spent in isolation near the Divine Hearth. Though some gods might ridicule her, it was only because they knew Hestia wouldn't truly lash out and harm them. This wouldn't necessarily be the case if you went into her home, however, and it seemed that even Enyo wasn't foolish enough to try her luck against Hestia.While going around and purging Enyo's 'tendril' from the goddesses' minds, Vahn's own was racing as he said, "The fact that Enyo was able to influence so many gods, yet hadn't been using her power for all these years, gives partial credit to the idea that there are requirements for her ability to be activated. There must be several unknown variables but, for the time being, we can assume that her influence cannot reach out of the Dungeon too easily..." At this point, Vahn squinted his own eyes as Loki, having a very similar thought, stated, "This must be why the Guild made it so that gods aren't able to enter the Dungeon...Ouranos must know something...that old bastard...!"Given Ouranos' nature, it wasn't outside the realm of possibility that he simply 'allowed' Enyo to act as she pleased, as this had always been how he behaved since time immemorial. Ouranos was always an 'observer' and, if he had revealed the information he knew about Enyo openly, it would have been the same as siding against her. From his perspective, regardless of what happened to the world, it was 'meant' to happen. This was the reason why he allowed the Alliance, and Vahn in particular, to operate as they had. Ouranos had even been one of the few to believe the Xenos could one day coexist with the surface dwellers, even though he took no actions to facilitate this transition...Understanding this, though he was likely overlooking several factors, Vahn explained, "We should treat Ouranos as a non-factor in the coming struggles...though there are likely those beneath him that are under Enyo's influence, it is almost impossible that he would have been affected. Given his nature, Ouranos will probably be a bystander that observes from the side, standing witness without direct interference..." Though he said this, Vahn couldn't help but wonder why Ouranos was serving the role of 'sealing' the Dungeon with his own Divinity. Since Ouranos didn't really do 'anything', the fact that he was proactively sealing the Dungeon was a red flag that couldn't be overlooked...Loki, at least from her own perspective, was angrier in this one moment than she had been throughout her entire long existence. She already hated the fact that she had essentially been a prisoner to her own Divinity so, knowing that another god had affected her mind, Loki's rage had completely broken through previous thresholds. Though she would respect Vahn's decision, for the time being, Loki still said, "Vahn, until we know more about her abilities-" Before Loki could even finish, Vahn's squinted his own eyes and said, "I will kill Enyo. She tried to use Tiona's hand to kill Lili and, once I secure Haven, I will go seek her out on the 60th Floor and annihilate her. If she isn't on the 60th Floor, I will keep destroying the Dungeon until something gives...!"Vahn felt like he had given Enyo too much leeway while he had been focusing on other things and, now that she had shown one of her cards, he decided to flip the table. Though he had used basic hypnosis to gain information from people in the past, the fact that Enyo was able to use what essentially amounted to mind control had completely shattered his own inhibitions. Not only that, but she was able to 'corrupt' the energy in monster cores and slowly exercise her control over them as well, something that seemed to be increasing as the days passed. She could no longer be left to act freely and, even if he had to send a thousand avatars into the Dungeon to break through her schemes, that is what he would do...!As he was leaking out a great deal of pressure subconsciously, it was very difficult not to get caught up in Vahn's momentum. Even Loki, with her rage at the highest point in her existence, simply furrowed her brows and began considering the best plan of action. Since Vahn had a form of immunity against Enyo's influence, and he could send avatars into the Dungeon without any 'real' danger, his plan of action was one of the best available to them. There was a chance that Vahn could get 'sealed' but, when she had talked with him about his avatar in the past, Vahn assured her such things were impossible. She had detected no lie in what he said back then and, now that it had come to this, the faster they dealt with Enyo, the better...there was no way of knowing just how far her influence reached...Hestia, having been silent for a while, asked in a voice filled with concern, "Is there anything we can do to help...?" Hearing her almost heartbroken tone, Vahn's tensions eased slightly as he smiled and said, "I will still be here in the Manor to help with Loki's investigations and vet any of the gods we have concerns about. The best way you can help, Hestia, is to simply...keep being yourself...be the same kind and gentle goddess who brings peace to my mind and heals my heart. Other than that, the only thing I hope for, more than anything else, is that everyone can be safe and happy together...I'm growing weary of all these conflicts and burdens...hahahaha..."Vahn knew he still needed to deal with the Iron Hills, Rakia, Telksyura, and, depending on the circumstances, the Far East. Enyo was undoubtedly the most immediate issue that needed to be dealt with but, considering how much Karma he had now accumulated, the chances of something going wrong had increased greatly. He wouldn't be surprised if the Iron Hills and Rakia ended up trying to start an invasion or, even worse, if there was some kind of 'ancient weapon' that had been slumbering and was now going to awaken because of his own positive Karma. Since there were already Heroes that were several hundred years old, each having 'died' in History, Vahn knew there were things going on behind the scenes that hadn't even been revealed yet...Thinking about Zeus, Hera, Siegfried, and Jeanne, Vahn felt a powerful urge to just sit down and take a nap. Zeus and Hera were from the Northern Pantheon and, with the memories he had from Artemis' [Hearts Desire], it wouldn't be surprising if he discovered they had also been under Enyo's influence. After all, nobody knew what happened on the 59th Floor when they fought against the One-Eyed Black Dragon and were wiped out. Their Familias had been arguably the most powerful in history yet, upon reaching that point in their expedition, they were suddenly bested and, afterward, the Dungeon became 'off limits' to gods...Vahn felt like Enyo had done something to turn the two Familia against each other and, with how things appeared, Zeus and Hera didn't even seem to be aware of it...While he was thinking about all of these troubling things, Vahn suddenly found a weight against his back as a pair of arms wrapped around him in a comforting embrace. He had been so lost in his thoughts while running back to Haven with his main body, that the approach had completely skipped his mind. When he came to his senses, Vahn noticed everyone giving him a concerned look while Tsubaki, who had 'snuck' up on him muttered in a comforting voice, "Vahn, you should rest..." Following her words, Hephaestus added in a calm tone, "Yes, let us deal with retrieving Demeter, Freya, and Eirene...with how things appear, the odds of Enyo being able to directly influence a god on the surface seem extremely slim. Though we can't make you relax much while you're in the Dungeon, you should still relax here so you don't overtax your mind..."Most of the girls knew a bit about how Vahn's avatar worked and, though they could share energy between each other, they also shared the mental strain during tense moments. If he didn't relax, the strain he would experience compared to a normal person was more than just 'double' the amount. Stressing from two different perspectives essentially compounded the mental strain and, if he didn't calm down soon, it wasn't impossible that he would have a mental breakdown. He was already doing everything he could at the moment and, as there were things they could do to help him, nobody wanted to see Vahn suffering so much...With practically everyone present encouraging him to rest, Vahn's tensions eased a little more and, knowing there was only so much he could do right now, he agreed with their consensus. It was currently still early in the morning and, as it would help him replenish his energy more quickly, Vahn said, "I will go into the Sub-Space orb and rest..." Though this would actually put an increased mental strain on him, Vahn could always meditate to mitigate this almost completely. It would also allow him to increase the replenishment of his reserves a great deal, giving him an almost inexhaustible supply of energy to deal with matters in the Dungeon.Instead of agreeing with him, Hestia shook her head while Tsubaki actually put a bit more strength into her embrace. It was Loki, however, who said in a very stern voice, "No, you should call back Fenrir and go take a nap in her room. Either that or you should spend some time in the maternity ward until Anubis arrives...you need to relax for real, Vahn, not in an 'efficient' manner. When the younger children wake up and begin to play around, you should spend time with them without worrying about what is going on in the outside world..." This time, Hestia nodded her head, adding, "This is your home, Vahn, the place where you should be able to relax and ease your mind. If you stress out so much during the times when you are supposed to be happy, then you will begin to feel stressed every time you are happy...you have to separate the two emotions..."With how things were progressing, especially with Vahn having two bodies, it was hard for him to separate matters of the home from external matters. It wasn't impossible for him to be spending time with his children while, at the same time, be embroiled in combat in the Dungeon. This wasn't good for his mentality at all, especially since his mind constantly seemed to be leaning 'outside' of the home, instead of what was inside of it. He was trying so desperately to protect the things he cared about, all while 'neglecting' to care for them in a truly meaningful way. When both of his bodies were in the Manor, Vahn seemed genuinely happy all the time...now, he was always distracted and 'worrying' about how to keep everyone safe...Vahn knew the girls were worried about him and, though he wanted to run over and check on Demeter, Freya, and Anubis himself, there was a lot of truth in what they had said. In fact, Demeters Status showed that she was already on her way back while Freya and Anubis had long been inbound for the Manor. During the earlier discussing, Syr had been relaying all of the information through the network and there were no obvious signs that Enyo was trying to outright manipulate any of them. Though Demeter was still a possibility, the worst thing that Enyo could do at this point is trying to return her to Heaven in order to 'protect' her pawn. That would, however, be Enyo showing her hand once again, this time without any conceivable benefit outside of simply trying to annoy him...Just as Vahn was about to agree to call back Fenrir and just relax for a bit, he had just finished ascending the stairs to the 50th Floor. This was one of the reasons he had been stalling and, upon witnessing the 'normalcy' of the situation, he couldn't help but release a sigh of relief. He looked towards Fenrir and said, "I'm going to call you back to my side, Fenrir...is that okay?" As she had been very aware of the duress her Master was experiencing, Fenrir nodded her head and was gone in the next moment. The girls were somewhat confused by what was happening but Vahn just smiled and explained, "We should check on the others and make sure they aren't being affected by Enyo. This is an emergency situation and I may have the majority of you return to the surface until we have a better understanding of what is going on..."At this point, Tiona had long since awoken and learned of what she had done, showing a face full of remorse as she said, "I think Vahn is right...this isn't an enemy we can fight easily...not like this..." Though she liked fighting, Tiona didn't consider herself a violent person, especially when it came to friends and family. She had been in low spirits ever since waking up and had apologized to Lili several times, even though the latter said not to mind it and forgave her. Since Tiona was usually so vibrant and full of life, seeing her in such a sorry state was affecting everyone quite a bit. Lili had even tried to cheer her up a few times on their way back, disregarding how serious the current situation was...Without much discussion, they quickly arrived at Haven and, while making their way towards where everyone had been asked to gather, Vahn was inspecting every person they passed. There were no obvious signs that Enyo had affected any of them but, based on how quickly she had tried to gain control of him and Tiona, Vahn knew it only took a moment for her to do so. The moment a serious battle began, any of the people guarding the ramparts could become an enemy and, though she shouldn't be able to comprehend them easily, it was even possible Enyo had long since started studying the magical wards he had placed down. Her information network was more expansive than he had anticipated and it wasn't impossible that she had been growing stronger and more capable just by observing them...Vahn now understood fully why so many of the texts he read would have a phrase that equated to 'knowledge is power' when it came to warfare. However, it wasn't just Enyo who was constantly learning and adapting and, now that she had revealed her hand 'early', they had already moved into the endgame. If this were a game of chess, Enyo essentially just sacrificed her Queen to try and put him into check but had ultimately failed to do so. Now, though she could 'cheat' and take over the pieces on his side of the board, Vahn also had a unique indestructible King that she could never truly overcome. Even if he had to wipe out all of her pieces himself, this was now a war of attrition where he would inevitably come out ahead...(A/N: Two-hour chapter delay will be the standard, just like it used to be. Trying to make sure they are released an hour after each other usually requires me to write almost non-stop for upwards of ten hours. I'd rather have a 14 hour work day with plenty of breaks than write non-stop xD...)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Flipping the Table','Vahn needs to embrace the 'calm' once again...an Emperor should be more dignified and stoic~!','EPIC: Dungeon War: Endgame')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Chapter 872: Catalyst