Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

During his preparations to confront Enyo, Vahn had been splitting his time between the Manor and the Sub-Space orb. There were a few things he needed to address in order to keep promises he had made while, at the same time, Vahn was working to reduce the cooldown of his [Keeper of the Akashic Tome]. The last step to ensure Haven would be protected involved naming Yggy with his Innate and upgraded her abilities even further. His own naming ability might not be able to help her break into tier 4, as his own Soul Tier was a restriction, but it would still 'remove' her limiter and make it much easier for her to reach that point on her own.While he was in the orb, Vahn had been improving his relationship with Artemis and her 'Personal Maid Attendant', Lante. She actually had the highest loyalty towards him amongst all the Artemis Familia members, primarily as a result of how 'happy' she was to have been revived with her goddess' faux-avatar. Though Lante wasn't Tier 4, far from it, she had been promoted to Tier 3, presumably, and was able to use a small fraction of Artemis' power. Even with these capabilities, however, Lante was the most dedicated amongst all the girls to becoming a proficient Maid and didn't spend that much time training, even with Maemi and Emiru 'pestering' her.It was after several small conflicts that Vahn came up with the idea of making Lante serve as Artemis' personal Maid. This resulted in her practically following Artemis around everywhere and, as a result, Vahn ended up spending a decent amount of time with a third set of 'twins'. He did enjoy the fact that Lante had dog-like ears and a tail, even if Artemis had 'pouted' about it when he was petting the both of them. It was during that same incident that, after a bout of 'coaxing' that Vahn ended up sleeping with the two girls. He knew that Tina had been waiting for similar treatment and, after promising they would be together after returning to the surface, Vahn intended to make good on his promise. The combination of Artemis and Lante, however, had been too tantalizing to resist and, with Artemis' Divinity related to Love, Vahn was a little weak against her...As was the case with all goddesses, Artemis' body had been completely unblemished and, once naked, her figure looked like a divine sculpture. Having the exact same body, with only slight differences, Lante looked equally as impressive, though Vahn wouldn't be able to deny that the ears and tail had added to her charm. When they had finally united, Artemis had been in a great deal of pain and, very similar to Hestia, Vahn had been unable to move at first. Fortunately, he was already accustomed to dealing with such things and, after a bit of 'magic' with his hands, Artemis was able to enjoy herself...perhaps a little too much. As for Lante, Vahn got to experience a rather strange phenomenon because, though her appearance closely resembled Artemis', Lante's physique as that of a Chienthrope. They ended up in a situation where Vahn was locked together with Lante while she laid atop Artemis, both kissing each other rather passionately...Of course, he wasn't just focused on 'stress relief' and spending intimate moments with the girls as, true to his word, Vahn had started to help Ais and most of the other interested girls learn the basics of cultivation. Fenrir had helped out a lot and, having some experienced with meditation and guided focus, Tsubaki would give advice when she wasn't busy at the School. Her classes generally ended around 2 PM, allowing her to spend upwards of 18 hours within the Sub-Space orb before it was time for dinner. This wasn't the 'rule' though, as a large portion of her time was also dedicated to tending to Sakuya, who would generally be entrusted to Aki while playing with Anise and Meinya.Ais was 'very' determined to overcome her limits and, though it wasn't too surprising, ended up awakening the [Child of Destiny] Innate at the C-Rank almost immediately. During the time Vahn was helping to update their Status Boards, shortly after their 'evacuation', Ais already had the skill unlocked and was very determined to return to the Dungeon. However, when it was pointed out that Bell's own version of the Innate was at the SS-Rank, Ais calmed down and immersed herself in some pretty intense training. Terra had even helped to make a large waterfall on the third layer of 'pressure' within the Sub-Space orb where Ais could often be found meditating for hours at a time. She was using a meditation method called [Gale Heart Tempering Technique] that allowed her to increase her comprehension Wind Elemental Laws and absorption of Wind Elemental energy. Even after just twenty days within the Sub-Space orb, Ais could create a wispy green aura that shrouded her body during meditation, diverting the water away from her in a seemingly 'natural' manner...she really was a genius with an insane degree of talent towards Wind Elemental Laws...Though she also used the waterfall for meditation, Tiona's method of building her foundation was fundamentally different from everyone else's. She was just as determined as Ais, if not more so, but Vahn had never truly understood how her Innates worked. Tiona, 'impossibly', had absolutely no affinity towards any element at all. In fact, from general observation, it should be impossible for her to use mana, qi, or any other form of energy...The truth of the matter, however, was that she could use them regardless of what logic would dictate. Her body was able to convert the energy within the void itself to supplement her use of skills, magic, and abilities, essentially making it so that she was 'always' cultivating. She also had a natural talent for comprehending Laws related to fighting, especially if it was physical in nature. As almost anything could be a Law, including something like 'petting', Vahn tried to come up with a few methods to help Tiona temper her mind while also tempering her soul.What he came up with was a bit of a 'cheat', as he gave Tiona access to a weaker Space-Time orb that Terra had helped to create. The time dilation was only 1:10, making it rather low for a Space-Time orb but, other than the basic Laws that would allow Tiona's spirit to keep its shape, the only two influential forces within the orb were Gravity and Darkness. Upon entering the orb, you would find yourself on a small stone platform with nothing but oppressive darkness surrounding you, stretching out until infinity. There were also rather large fluctuations in the amount of gravity that would act upon you but, unlike in the real world where such forces would tear you apart, the Spirit was something that could withstand such things with relative ease.Since even 'breathing' was unnecessary within a Space-Time orb, as your Spirit didn't require oxygen to survive, it was a very effective way to temper yourself, assuming you could bear the darkness and gravitational forces that could sometimes exceed 100G. The first time Tiona had used it, she had only been able to stay inside for around three minutes before exiting the orb and breaking out into a cold sweat while gasping for air. He had been there to make sure it wasn't too intense for her, helping to calm her mind so she could recover more quickly. When she had calmed down, Tiona almost immediately wanted to re-enter the orb but, this time, Vahn went in with her to help tide her through. As a result, she lasted the remainder of the 60 minutes the orb could be used for within a day, equating to a full 10 hours of strenuous 'meditation'...Vahn, seeing the girls work so hard to improve themselves, felt greatly at ease compared to how he had been feeling previously. It honestly wasn't their fault that Enyo had such a 'broken' ability and, had the circumstances been even slightly different, they would have been able to tear through the Dungeon with ease. Now, it was on him to deal with Enyo and try to find out the answers to the many questions they had. The only saving grace the errant goddess had at this point was the fact that Vahn still wanted to learn about Ais' past. Even though Ais herself had come to him, claiming that it was no longer important, Vahn still wanted to try and keep his promise from long ago. Depending on the circumstances, he may even try to capture Enyo but, with how dangerous she was, it was far better for everyone if he just killed her outright...After experiencing the incidents with Freya and Artemis, Vahn was confident he would be able to outright kill Enyo when they confronted each other. He was planning to pull her Arcanum, if it was even still in Heaven, into the Mortal World. Given what he knew thus far, Vahn already suspected that Enyo wasn't a 'normal' goddess anymore, but that would require him to see her to confirm this. Regardless, the moment her Divinity was bound to this realm, Vahn would bind her with [Enkidu] and drive one of its spears straight through her body. Though this wasn't guaranteed to end her permanently, as she could reform after a few thousand years passed, that would buy him more than enough time to complete his Quests and seal the record...when he returned in the future, the 'immortality' of the gods would be an almost inconsequential thing...With these things in mind, Vahn continued to watch over the girls' training, spending time with everyone, playing with his children, and, with only a few hours left before his focus would be shifted towards the Dungeon, Vahn ended up within the Sub-Space once again. There was certainly time to take care of such things in the future but, as nearly a month had already passed since their promise was due, Vahn felt compelled to mark his descent with a 'major' event. As a result, he found himself it a soundproof room that contained a large and comfortable bed, currently fitted with red blankets, a matter he had no part in. Seated upon the bed was not only Tina, looking rather heated and nervous, but her Mother, Milan, as well...Seeing the Mother-Daughter pair who, upon his first entry into the City, had helped to shape his outlook on life in general, Vahn couldn't help but smile in reminiscence as he said, "It feels like a lifetime ago since we first met...it's hard to believe things have reached this point..." Back then, Tina had barely come up to his diaphragm, even though he had been a rather short boy at the time. Now, however, she had the appearance of a young woman who, much like her Mother, was rather tall for a Cat Person at 159cm. She was already the same height as Chloe, even though her face and figure still had a touch of youthfulness to them...Milan, looking even more nervous than her daughter, laughed somewhat awkwardly before 'teasing', "Araa...if I had known the cute little boy from back then would grow up to be such a capable man, I may have claimed you for myself before others got the chance..." Though she had once 'backed out' in consideration of her daughter's feelings, that was a memory from years ago at this point. Milan hadn't used the orb that much, but it wasn't as if she hadn't been using it at all. By now, she had known Vahn for what felt like 6-7 years, the majority of which had been spent 'preparing' for this day.Hearing her Mother's words, Tina gave a small 'hmph' before saying, "If Mom had been more decisive back then...gnyuuu..." Tina was unable to finish her words because, in truth, she didn't know what to say at times like this at all. Her body felt like it was burning and, as Vahn wasn't doing anything to restrain his natural aroma, doing 'nothing' was becoming rather difficult for her. For a long time now, she had wanted to leave her own mark on Vahn and, seeing all the 'new' marks he had obtained over the passing months, the only thing that kept her from nightcrawling was the fact that so many things were constantly going on...Seeing Tina's reaction, Vahn's smile softened and, though he was tempted to ask if they were both okay with this, Vahn knew it would be a disservice to both girls, no, both women. Tina wanted her Mother to truly accept the relationship between the three of them and had been very insistent that Milan was present during her first time. Since this had been her intention for a very long time, Milan had already agreed to her Daughter's demands long ago. Now, Vahn found himself in a situation that was, in polite society, even rarer than laying with a god...even so, he loved both girls dearly and, true to his words back then, intended to make them both happy.In an effort to ease the tension, Vahn began to remove his clothes manually while commenting, "I hope that [Super Lucky] of yours doesn't act up even more after this...hahahaha..." As impossible a feat as it was supposed to be, Tina had been able to develop her [Luck] to S-Rank, unlocking the evolution of the Development Ability. Of course, the moment he mentioned this, Vahn got to experience something that truly should have been impossible. He had been removing his trousers and somehow got his foot caught in the leg, tripping forward in a manner that was only ever possible around Tina. He didn't even try to resist it this time, knowing full well that it was near impossible to do so without taking a hard stance...As a result of his tumble, Vahn ended up in a situation where he had Tina pinned down to the bed while her blouse had miraculously been lifted, revealing her two well-shaped and perky breasts. They weren't that large but they were nearly the same size as her Mother's at this point, giving Tina a rather charming appeal, especially with the heated blush present on her face. From the side, Milan released a sigh of exasperation before deftly removing her own blouse in one swift movement. With Vahn's compromised position, it was better to just ignore the 'slip' and move on to the next part of their tense tryst.Tina, after recovering her senses, practically 'kicked' Vahn away from her since Cat People, in general, didn't like to be on their backs. Vahn rolled to the side with the movement before moving to the headboard of the bed, which he knew would be necessary for such situations. Tina, with a face as red as a tomato, watched him with fully widened eyes while breathing rather heavily through her nose. When Vahn sat with his back to the headboard, her heart began to fluttery madly while Milan, finished with her own clothing, reached around and spooked Tina by giving her a hug, saying, "It is always scary during the first time...don't worry, I will be here with you the entire time..."As much comfort as her Mother's presence brought to her at this moment, Tina's 'excitement' far exceeded it, especially since Vahn was already bereft of clothing. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the almost impossibly large protrusion sticking out of his lower body, even though she had seen it many times in the past. Her gaze was so transfixed on the member that Tina hardly registered that her blouse had already been skillfully removed, leaving her wearing nothing but a pair of panties and a green ribbon around her tail. Then, when Vahn gestured towards her, Tina slowly crawled forward and, after tightly embracing each other, the two finally became one...with Vahn earning yet another bit mark on his shoulder...this one right next to Milan's.(A/N: Next set of chapters is Vahn entering into the Dungeon to bully Enyo-chan. There are also a few 'major' developments that will happen so get hyped~! Also, I know people want to see longer scenes between Vahn and the girls but, given the circumstances, there are far more people who would rather get to the action and suspense bits. I may do some 'side chapters' detailing some of the more intimate moments that may have felt 'skipped'. The people at the top of this list are Fenrir, Demeter, Artemis/Lante, and Rufina/Shakti. Though I'm sure there are some who would want a detail oyakodon scene, there would have to be a lot of support for the idea since it would certainly be a little difficult to make it not feel 'weird' for most people xD...)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Lante is VERY loyal to Vahn now...','Ais, Tiona, and Tione, fighto~!','Vahn finally learned how to cook an Oyakodon with red rice...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Back on the 50th Floor of the Dungeon, enough time had passed for Vahn to use his [Keeper of the Akashic Tome] once again. He had talked with Yggy about it beforehand and she was more than a little excited to have a 'true' name, especially since it was the same as her previous one. As a result, Vahn ended up ruffling the adorable Spirit's hair while a small crowd, consisting of Fenrir, Haruhime, Lefiya, Ryuu, Arnya, Mikoto, Lili, and Riveria. She had come down for a short visit to witness Yggy for herself and, with how 'important' a Tree of Life was for the Elven People, Riveria knew she needed to at least build some rapport with the adorable little Spirit. Thus, with everyone gathered, Vahn looked down on Yggy with a smile and said, "From this point onwards, you should be known as Yggdrasil Lion Mason..."Though they had witnessed Vahn's 'naming' several times, seeing a 10m tall tree suddenly become encapsulated in a vortex of magical energy was quite surprising. Eventually, it had formed into an emerald green sphere that became completely stagnant, emanating a powerful vitality that made everyone feel refreshed and full of life. Then, after fifteen minutes had passed, the light slowly began to retreat but, instead of losing its vibrancy, the emerald green glow became even brighter. By the time it had formed the outline of a tree, the light was so bright that it seemed to illuminate the entire Floor before slowly dimming into a natural and serene green, tinged with a golden hue. Yggy's bark now seemed to be covered in a layer of glowing moss while nine golden vines coiled around her trunk. Curiously, her height didn't increase much but now, amongst the gem-like leaves, there were a few pure green ones that had swirling gold patterns present on their surface...----------------------------------------------------------------------[Yggdrasil Lion Mason]Age: 0Race: Spirit of the World Tree, Yggdrasil(sealed)Level: (-)Loyalty: Eternal LoyaltySoul Strength: Tier 3 (Great Spirit)Karma: -State: [Active]Skills: [Spirit of the World Tree: Innate: SSS](new), [Yggdrasil's Heir: Innate: SSS](new), [Sacred Dew: Innate: SS], [Haven: Innate: SS](new), [Sacred Light of Purification: SS](new), [Rampant Growth: S], [Terraforming: S-&gt;SS], [Vital Soul:H](evolved from [Endless Vigor], [Healing Rain: A-&gt;S][Spirit of the World Tree]Rank: Innate(SSS) *Innate skills cannot be identified. Attempts to do so will result in a backlash.*Passive: Allows the user to adapt to any and all environments, purifying them and strengthening the life essence contained within. So long as one of the nine 'Sacred Hearts of Life' remains, those possessing this skill will live eternally.Active: Allows the user to self-propagate eight times by planting their 'Sacred Heart of Life' in any medium. In total, the user will be able to exist as nine bodies, each linked together irrespective of distance.[Yggdrasil's Heir]Rank: Innate(SSS) *Innate skills cannot be identified. Attempts to do so will result in a backlash.*Passive: Grants the user limitless vital energy and allows them to infuse it into other sources.Active: Bestow [Yggrasil's Champion] unto a single target via a kiss. This skill can only be used once for each main body the user has created.[Yggdrasil's Champion]Rank: (-)Use: Allows the user to draw upon the energy of [Yggdrasil's Heir], giving them nigh-inexhaustibleenergy and endless vitality. So long as this skill persists, the user will possess eternal life and theability to purify all negative energies.[Sacred Dew]Rank: Innate(SS) *Innate skills cannot be identified. Attempts to do so will result in a backlash.*Passive: Produce a single drop of Sacred Dew each month. Those that consume this Sacred Dew will have all their wounds healed, all sicknesses recovered, all curses removed, and, for the period of 1 year, be immune to any ailments. Consuming ten Sacred Dew can increase the longevity of the recipient by around 10% of their basic lifespan while also giving them a constitution that is immune to sickness.[Haven](A/N: This is a Unique Innate, even though the effect is similar to Sanctuary (UwU)...)Rank: Innate(A) *Innate skills cannot be identified. Attempts to do so will result in a backlash.*Passive: Create a domain of purification that increases the growth rate, natural recovery, and spiritual development of everything within. Has the effect of negating negative energy, purifying poisons, preventing the spread of miasma, and damaging entities recognized as a threat by the user.[Sacred Light of Purification]Rank: SSUse: Causes a radiant light to emanate, dealing persistent damage to enemies based on the purity of their soul. Against familiars and mana constructs, this ability can completely destroy any entities beneath the Level of the user.[Rampant Growth]Rank: SUse: Convert vital energy into the natural energy to stimulate explosive plant growth.[Terraforming]Rank: SSUse: The user is able to passively change the environment to be more hospitable for recognized lifeforms. Able to create 'ecospheres' with isolated habitats that can last indefinitely, so long as the user is still alive.[Vital Soul]Rank: HUse: Massively increases the replenishment of stamina, mental energy, and spiritual energy. Increases the natural recovery of all friendly entities near the user.[Healing Rain]Rank: SUse: Convert vital energy into clouds that will rain down indiscriminately, healing all within this abilities range.----------------------------------------------------------------------Seeing how much Yggy had changed, Vahn was truly awed but, unfortunately, as naming her had consumed almost the entirety of his energy, he wasn't able to take in all of the changes just yet. Unable to remain standing, Vahn fell forward and landed softly in a bed of thick grass and flowers that had practically bloomed in an instant to catch him. A bright light flashed from his side before condensing into the figure of Yggy, unchanged except for the fact she now seemed to 'glow' with a golden hue. Then, unexpectedly, the little Spirit leaned down and gave him a kiss on the forehead, causing a flood of energy to flow into Vahn's body as his own reserves began to steadily replenish.Watching her Papa slowly regain his strength, Yggy smiled so radiantly that it wouldn't be difficult to imagine all evil creatures in the world flinching at that moment. Just as he often did to her, she began to pat his head while softly uttering, "Papa is really amazing...even though I feel so much stronger than before, my energy is only like a small stream compared to yours..." As Yggy had just given her Papa the [Yggdrasil's Champion] Skill, it should have been able to revitalize him in an instant. If he were a 'normal' person, it would be almost impossible for him to ever use up more energy than she was feeding into him through their bond. How Papa completely defied this logic, however, as she was feeding what felt like an ocean of energy into his body only for it to 'slowly' replenish...Vahn sat up and traded roles with Yggy, now stroking her hair with a proud smile on his face as he said, "You're amazing yourself, Yggy...I can't wait to see what you'll grow up into. Make sure you study hard and get along with everyone, okay~?" Right now, though it was incredibly gentle by comparison, Yggy's presence actually exceeded Terra's by quite a bit. This was because Terra, as powerful as she was, had only reached the very early stages of Tier 3. Yggy, however, was so close to Tier 4 that the only thing limiting her, other than her age, was a proper comprehension of how to use her skills. Once she matured and broadened her horizons a bit, Vahn knew Yggy would break into the Tier 4 very naturally, like a flower blossoming in the sunlight...After Yggy 'evolution', Vahn sat around in the verdant meadow that now existed, talking with the girls about his plans. He would be venturing into the Dungeon very soon but, now that these new changes had occurred, there were other things they needed to discuss. Though it would have been easy to talk about them back at the Manor, Vahn wanted Yggy to be present during the discussion that directly related to her. She now had nine total [Sacred Heart of Life], one of which served as the core of her current main body. The other eight were inactive and Vahn was discussing where they should be planted in the future, both for Yggy's benefit, and their own.The Hearth Manor seemed like the most obvious place to plant Yggy's second heart as it would allow her to play with everyone back on the surface. Though it would certainly cause quite the stir, as her body no longer had a 'limit' to the size it could grow, Vahn didn't want Yggy to be stuck in the Dungeon all the time. If necessary, they could even expand the Hearth Manor until it encompassed a much larger region of the Alliance's territory. However, when he brought up this idea, it was rather quickly shot down because, after a few thousand years passed, Yggy would 'outgrow' the City itself. Anywhere she was planted would essentially become a central gathering point for Civilization in the future and it was actually a 'problem' that one of her bodies was now constrained to the Dungeon...Yggy's diameter was always half of her height, meaning that she would eventually grow to a point where her canopy reached the ceiling, more than 2000m above, while her trunk would have grown larger than the region they had cleared for her. Though it would take as long as 400,000 years, Yggy would have actually grown wider than the 50th Floro itself, having a diameter of more than 200km with a height that was over 400km...meaning she would have a canopy that had already grown to the surface and spread across the entirety of Orario by then. This was actually a rather terrifying thought but, as Vahn knew he would realistically live forever, and there were already entities several hundred million years old, it would eventually come to that point...Fortunately, when the discussion got to this point, Yggy chimed in, saying, "Don't worry Papa, if I start to get too big I can just move a part of myself into the void. I can grow there as much as I want while keeping only a piece of myself in the Dungeon~." Hearing this, Vahn was more than a little surprised, asking, "How will you do that...?" Yggy, with an absolutely innocent expression, just giggled as she said, "It is easy~!" before hopping up and pointing to her main body and shouting, 'Eiii~!'. When she did so, the rather awe-inspiring tree actually started to shrink until it was barely the size of a sapling, even though the massive aura that now covered a large part of Haven, persisted.Vahn was immediately reminded of Terra's Space Magic, shrinking down objects so they could be carried around in his Inventory with greater ease. Yggy, however, was able to emulate that ability Innately, without having to use a complex magic circle at all. Seeing this, Vahn remembered Eva's lessons about how Magi would study the 'rare magic' and 'superpowers' of others to create new Magics of their own. He wondered if the first person to make spatial compression magic had seen someone use an ability similar to Yggy's, as he himself now felt inspired to look into it a bit. There was a lot he could learn just through observing the effects of Innates, even though he admittedly slacked on his own at times...With Yggy's rather fantastical display, the problem of her size wasn't really a problem at all, meaning she could easily be planted within the Illusory forest of the Hearth Manor without issue. Terra would need to give her permission but, considering she would greatly benefit from the nigh-infinite amount of natural energy that would be present, the odds of her refusing were astronomically small. He could already see the two of them getting along splendidly while Alexa may even become similar to a 'big sister' to Yggy in the future...Yggy herself didn't seem to mind where her other hearts were planted but, knowing she would be able to stay on the surface and interact with everyone whenever she wanted, the Hearth Manor was more or less confirmed as her next home. The third seed would very likely be planted within the Elven Forest, allowing the Sacred Trees there to grow without requiring sacrifices and the like. Vahn may have already provided a solution to the Elven infertility issue but there was no harm in making sure other problems didn't pop up in the future. Though the Elves would probably become a very friendly and 'outgoing' people in the future, as an overabundance of natural energy was a mild stimulant for them, their bodies would adapt with time. Future Elves would likely be far more powerful than their ancestral king, bathing in Yggdrasil's energy since birth and increasing their potential to greater heights...The location of the other six seeds would have to be debated in the future, as there were currently no 'ideal' places to allow Yggy to grow. Vahn definitely wanted to plant one on the Dark Continent, allowing it to slowly turn into a more hospitable environment, but that would have to wait until later. Other than there, he had the idea of planting one near the bottom of the ocean, as there were no limits to where Yggy could be planted, while another could potentially be planted in the Southern Sands. The climate there was very harsh and the lives of its inhabitants had struggled to survive for thousands of years...Vahn remembered this his Emperor self had somehow turned the Southern Sands into fertile plains and there was a fair chance Yggy had been involved. It was either that or, by having Yggy help with his research, Vahn had learned [Terraforming] for himself...?As for the final locations he had in mind, at least for the moment, Vahn was tempted to plant one of Yggy's hearts within the chaotic energy of space. She didn't require a physical medium to grow into and, even if he planted her in the 'air', Yggy would be able to sprout a main body without any issues. This allowed her to be planted in some rather exotic places and, though there wasn't a physical sun and moon within the record of Danmachi, Vahn felt it shouldn't be impossible for him to affect the celestial artifacts that represented them.Artemis would likely be able to help him reach what was known as the 'Moon Palace' and, though Apollo would probably hate him for a few thousand years, Vahn knew he would meet Amaterasu in the future. She was one of the principle Goddesses of the Sun and would probably help him plant one of Yggy's hearts on the Celestial Sun Palace in the future. Other than that, Vahn had thoughts of trying to plant Yggy's hearts within Hades and Heaven one day, linking the three Realms and potentially allowing him to move between them once she reached Tier 4. The only problem with that was, if Yggy did end up in a realm where the gods weren't restricted, her 'indestructible' nature may be brought into contention very quickly...Ultimately, for the time being, Yggy 'offered' up her eight hearts to Vahn and allowed him to place them into his Inventory. Then, back in the Manor, Vahn went to discuss the matter with Terra and quickly got her permission to plant Yggy within the clearing of the illusory forest. Once the seed was planted, an exact replica of Yggdrasil's body in the Dungeon was created on the surface. Each of her bodies were linked together, meaning they shared the same age and rate of growth as all the others. By the time she had reached her full size, another radiant light emerged from Yggy's trunk before a duplicate Spirit body was produced. Then, rather unexpectedly, Vahn found himself getting another forehead kiss, feeling the amount of energy flowing into his body doubling as Yggy laughed happily, face full of childish innocence and the desire to receive praise...(A/N: The last paragraph is to show that, even if an ability reached SSS(the peak of the record), that doesn't mean it can't grow even further. Though SSS is the highest rating something can have, the difference between SSS can vary greatly. Remember, Vahn's [Will of the Emperor] has been SSS from the start, yet its power and efficacy have grown alongside Vahn. However, if he were to enter into a higher record, the skill may no longer be SSS at all. The rank is entirely based on the record itself, and this applies to items as well. If he took [Enkidu] into a Tier 9 record, it probably wouldn't even be a C-Rank item. Btw, anyone else like how Yggy essentially became Vahn's most powerful ally in the course of a week xD...?)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'One day, having the name 'Mason' will give a person great power...','That is one OP Tree Spirit (O______O)...','Yggy be like, "Papa, take my hearts, *mwah*~!"')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

Chapter 874: Promises