Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

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

Though the matter with Yggy had set back his departure for a short while, Vahn was even more confident about dealing with Enyo now. Instead of her aura being restricted to 40x her height, Yggy now affected an area that was always the cube of her height. This meant Yggy already affected an area of 1,000m but, unlike before, she could no longer spread her aura to be thin. Even so, the fact that her aura had 100% of its effect within a much larger region than previously already made her evolution incredible. Vahn had even been able to pluck one of her new leaves, simply called [Yggdrasil Leaf], a Unique item that had a similar effect to an [Effigy of the Hero].The difference was that, while the [Yggdrasil Leaf] had no boost to a person's parameters, it also had no detriments to speak of. So long as you had one on your person, you could stand up after suffering a fatal wound based on the number of leaves in your possession. If not for the fact it took Yggy a hundred years just to sprout a single leaf, they would have had access to one of the most beneficial utility items Vahn had ever seen. Presently, Yggy had eight leaves on her main body, after giving one to Vahn, while her body back in the Hearth Manor had sprouted with nine. This meant, at the very least, they would have access to up to 81 leaves for emergency situations. However, as these leaves also served to enhance the effects of Yggy's aura, Vahn decided it was best they were left unplucked for the time being, as the benefits provided to everyone within her area of effect weren't something to look down upon...With Haven's defenses shored up as much as they could be, Vahn spent a relatively long period of time parting ways with the girls before dawning his equipment, transforming into his Baihu form, and then absorbing Shizune's [Lanceae Umbrae] with his [Magia Erebea]. This was one of the few Magic Spells she had been able to learn over the last few years, allowing her to create spears out of Shadows that had the ability to penetrate through even Haruhime's magic barrier. Vahn had only used this form a few times before, and it was one of his 'secrets' that he had kept close to his chest for a long time. When combined with his Baihu form, Vahn called this particular raiment, 'Shadow Emperor: Nether Tiger' form.Without making it known to the normal members of the Haven Defense Force, including even Finn, Vahn skulked through the shadows without any discernable presence whatsoever. Not only was he blending into the environment naturally, but Vahn was pushing his [Stealth] to the extreme. Though his appearance was rather striking, with the normal coat of fur having inverted to be black with white stripes. Vahn was able to move through the Dungeon's corridors without disturbing the mana in the surroundings even a little. He wanted to discern if Enyo's ability to track people was directly tied to the Dungeon's own detection systems or if their forces were entirely reliant on a separate system.Thus, like a living shadow, Vahn made his way through the Dungeon with his [Khryselakatos] drawn as he silently moved outside the perception of most creatures. He had even managed to walk right by a Deformis Spide, passing within just a few meters of its hiding spot, without triggering its aggro at all. From their perspective, Vahn imagined he was like an 'illusion' or a 'daydream', something they were able to see but paid no real attention to, almost like a figment of the imagination. He had been able to conceal his presence even against very sensitive animals in the woods, walking right up to them, and it seemed to work just as well against monsters.From these observations, Vahn wondered if the reason why monsters didn't attack each other was because of how they 'sensed' the presence of other monsters. They fundamentally lacked an ego so there had to be something governing their reactions and behaviors. Now that his presence matched the Dungeon itself, Vahn was able to pass without drawing any of their attention. He had even, in an effort to verify his hypothesis, walked right up to a Deformis Spider before placing his hand against its head. Though it twitched and began to move its mandibles, the rather large spider didn't make any attempts to attack Vahn at all, causing a small smile to spread across his face...With this discovery, Vahn began to move like an actual shadow through the Dungeon, no longer concerned that he would draw the attention of monsters. Though he wasn't using [Shundo] to maneuver, as it would be a waste of energy in this instance, Vahn's natural speed in his Shadow Emperor: Nether Tiger form was rather extreme. It wasn't nearly as fast as his Lightning Emperor form, but the stealth capabilities and adaptability were far higher while the cost to sustain the form were significantly lower. This, added with the fact that the Dungeon itself was relatively dark, made Vahn's progress through the Floor unmatchable, at least while moving undetected...After having mapped a large section of the 51st Floor previously, Vahn quickly reached a staircase leading down to the 52nd Floor without having to fire a single arrow. He wondered if things would continue in this manner as, from the 52nd Floor to the 58th Floor, Vahn would have entered into the Dragon's Vase. Under normal circumstances, the Valgang Dragon's on the 58th Floor would begin to bombard him with their pillar-like flame breath. Had that been the case, Vahn would have gone straight down to the 58th Floor, bypassing the six preceding Floors entirely. Now, however, Vahn had already stepped into the 52nd Floor for a few minutes without a single sign that the Valgang Dragon's had detected him...This confirmed his speculation in the past, that the Dragon's were likely linked to the detection system of the Dungeon itself. He had trouble believing that their natural detection range would have broken through several kilometers of Dungeon and, with no attacks coming his way, Vahn was able to confirm they were indeed reliant on the Dungeon. This opened up the possibility that other monsters were also tied to the Dungeon more intrinsically than was currently understood. Though entities like the Juggernaut were already evidencing that this was the case, the fact that the Valgang Dragons were currently ignoring him was a much larger credit to this fact...Vahn realized that, by moving along through the Dungeon, his curiosity about many things had been piqued once again, much like when he first entered. When he started traveling with the girls, his focus had always been on protecting them and efficiently killing the enemy. He couldn't even remember the last time he had simply 'enjoyed' traveling through the Dungeon, outside of the time he spent with the girls. There were actually so many things that he was interested in and wanted to learn about, just like when he had first entered this record...yet, it was only at a time like this, when he was in deep meditation back at home and fully focused on the Dungeon that Vahn was reminded of this simple fact...Feeling strangely melancholic being 'alone', Vahn released a small sigh before musing, ("Ever since I made my avatar, I don't think I've ever been alone...it feels rather strange...") In response to this, Sis giggled lightly before asking, (*Do you not consider my presence adequate company~?*). Hearing this, Vahn felt a slight bit of guilt before Sis added, (*I'm just teasing you, Vahn...besides, this is a good opportunity for you to experience being 'alone' once again. It is a feeling you will have to get used to at some point...after all, even if you take some of your subordinates with you to another world, it won't be easy summoning them to your side. Until your own power reaches the point where you can sustain them, it would cost a great deal of OP just to maintain their presence for short periods of time. Depending on the world, it may not even be prudent to summon them at all, even if your 'modify' will fix many of those problems.I'm just saying, if you truly wish to become strong enough to return to this world one day, much of your journey will be a very solitary path...*)Though he had already had similar thoughts in the past, hearing Sis lay things out in such a manner caused Vahn to lightly nod his head in response. He had actually thought about it long and hard for what was very likely several hundred hours at this point. Since he didn't know how long it would take him to move through other records, Vahn had often thought that it would be 'better' for those like Fenrir if he simply left them behind. They wouldn't be aware of the separation at all whereas, if he took them with him, the chances of them spending long periods of time in their cores were very likely. Even summoning them wasn't necessarily a good thing, as it would put them in real danger and drastically increase the chances of something terrible happening...Vahn knew that, as he moved to progressively higher tiered worlds, the amount of danger they would face increases exponentially. Since there were very likely to be entities that have some degree of omniscience, calling them into the world would draw a great deal of attention to Vahn while he is in a weakened state. Though they would undoubtedly try to protect him, there were some enemies that his subordinates simply wouldn't be able to face until Vahn himself grew stronger. In some worlds, it may take him hundreds of years to reach a point where they could safely be introduced into the world and, without a means to 'seal' away their perception, it would be a very lonely existence for any subordinates that traveled through the records with him...Thus far, the only person Vahn had considered always taking with him was Fenrir, as he had promised not to leave her behind long ago. Though she would accept his decision, Vahn didn't want to be gone for several thousand years, only to return and have 'betrayed' the trust of one of his most faithful companions. It was also a simple truth that, even if he tried to deny it, Vahn had become very reliant on Fenrir, even when she had first transformed. She had also done so much for him over the past few years that Vahn simply couldn't see himself traveling through other records without her. It was a bit selfish of him but, for both of their sakes, Vahn didn't think he would be able to truly move into future records alone...In response to his concerns, Sis chimed in with a rather pleasant tone, saying (*You know, you don't have to put Fenrir into your Inventory when you move between records. Remember, you can always put her into an [Inactive] state through the Unit Management Function and store her away there. Her perception would be completely sealed in that case while the only requirement to call her back out would be 50% of her Loyalty. Though that sounds like a lot, Fenrir's Loyalty is always increasing at a rather extreme rate...I'm certain she wouldn't mind, either.*) Even now, Fenrir's Loyalty was generally increasing around 100 points every second, having long crossed over the boundary of one hundred million.Hearing Sis's words, Vahn's pace slowly decreased until he was stationary within the 54th Floor. He then asked, ("Is it possible to use the Unit Management function to call my subordinates to other records...?") This time, even though he couldn't see her, Vahn felt like Sis shook her head as she explained, (*It should be possible to summon them to your side in between two records but, once you move into a second record, everyone on your Unit Management would grey out until you were between records once again.*) Just as there had been before he entered the record of Danmachi, there was a 'hub' that Vahn would return to, the place in his memory he referred to as the stone dais.Though he felt a great deal of excitement at these new revelations, Vahn also felt a strange sense of incongruity and awkwardness as he muttered, ("I need to put more effort into learning the potential of my system functions. There are some I haven't even used a single time since unlocking them...") Because his focus was generally on other things, Vahn rarely spent much time wholly focused on trying to learn the ins and outs of his system functions, even though they were his most powerful asset. In fact, he was constantly learning new things about them, almost like each function was an Innate that he could master to great effect. Every time he 'realized' something new about them yet, until this day, things like the Upgrade function had gone untouched for what now amounted to years...Once again, Sis gave sagely council, advising, (*This is why loneliness isn't always a bad thing, even if it is sometimes difficult to bear. Though you should never become accustomed to such feelings, it is during these moments when you have the most time to reflect. If you are able to maintain your focus, your self-mastery, the mastery of your Innates, and the mastery of your system functions...all of these will show a marked increase. After all, is it not when you are alone and trying your best to return to the people that you care about that your growth is the fastest...?*) Because Vahn's growth was highly dependent on his intentions and desires, he inarguably grew much faster with the proper motivation. When you were accustomed to being surrounded by the people you cared about, the desire to break away from loneliness could be a very powerful motivator...Knowing that Sis' words were the truth, as she was inarguably more observant of his own life than even he was, Vahn found himself looking down at the floor. He wasn't thinking about anything in particular and just focused on 'experiencing' and trying to comprehend this one moment. Then, as if finding the answer to a complex question that had eluded him for a very long time, Vahn's face adopted a natural smile as the shadowy shroud clinging to his body slowly began to expand. As if it were a dense black liquid trying to fill up every available space, the shadows around Vahn continued to spread until they had filled every empty section of the 54th Floor in a 1.7km radius.Those monsters unfortunate to get caught within this shroud of darkness found their bodies dissolving rapidly, just like the ceiling, walls, and floor itself. Vahn knew that this wasn't where he was meant to be and this entire fiasco with Enyo had gone on for too long...it was time to end this once and for all. Now, no longer concealing himself from the Dungeon, Vahn could sense several massive pillars of Fire Elemental Energy converging upon him. Though this wouldn't have been a threat to him, even under normal circumstances, this time the flames ate through the Floors below Vahn until they came into contact with his shadow. The moment these seemingly unstoppable pillars of fire made contact with the endless darkness, it was as if they had disappeared into nothingness. By the time they had faded away, this darker than black 'cloud' began to descend down the tunnels that had been created by the Valgang Dragon's breath, carrying the promise of death along with it...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Yggy-chan, banzai~!','Vahn is bad at exploiting the system~','Just imagine a 3.4km wide cloud of pure darkness falling towards you...spooky...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

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

Chapter 875: Yggdrasil's Heir