Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With Enyo dealt with, at least for the time being, Vahn found himself within the underground area of the Guest Residence. Though he had talked with Fels a few times, the latter hadn't given out almost any beneficial information and usually just spent the entire day sitting in silence. The skeletal man didn't require sustenance at all, nor did he complain about being locked away, irrespective of the Hermes' request that he be freed. Because of this, Vahn wasn't entirely sure how to deal with Fels but, considering the man had attempted to kill him, letting him simply walk about freely wasn't an option...This time, Vahn had just come over after having a picnic with his younger daughters, Meinya, Sakuya, Anise, Lenneth, Aisha, and Autumn. They had all gathered together under Yggy's canopy with Diana acting as their 'Maid', even though this resulted in her just playing along with the other children after a while. Fortunately, Emiru and Maemi had been in attendance as well, even though Vahn could have easily cleaned up on his own. He noticed that, as time passed, the number of 'duties' he had for himself was steadily decreasing. Now, if he tried to take proactive action to plan, prepare, or clean up, one of the Maids would end up shooing him away so that he could spend time with one of the girls or, as was often the case, his children...Having left the picnic in a pleasant mood, Vahn took the elevator down to where Fels was contained, finding the aberrant Alchemist, once again, sitting silently on the edge of his bed. It was always a bit strange, seeing a skeleton adorned in black plating just 'sitting' on the edge of a bed, but Vahn had gotten used to it over the last two weeks. As for Fels, he just turned his head up to see who had entered the room, his ghostly voice echoing, "Vahn Mason...welcome..." While speaking, Fels rose to his feet, standing with a crooked and lazy posture before making his way over to the small table where they often talked with each other.In response to Fels' greeting, Vahn just gave a curt nod before sitting at the table himself, saying, "I'm actually not that fond of keeping people imprisoned, even though I'll do so if necessary...if you would only answer my questions, I don't mind freeing you from this place..." In response to this, Fels laughed in his characteristically eerie manner before shaking his head and saying, "Though I am able to speak, I am unable to answer most of the questions you have asked. If you do not wish to keep me held here, you are better off killing me, Vahn Mason..."As Fels had alluded to killing him more than once in their discussions, Vahn wasn't taken aback by his words in the least. Over the last few days, he had considered killing Fels more than once, as it seemed the immortal Alchemist genuinely desired his own death. However, Vahn was also very aware that Fels had likely made an Eternal Vow to Ouranos, meaning death wouldn't truly liberate him in most circumstances. If anything, he would have a reprieve of a few hundred years before once again being born into the world. Though this would give Vahn enough time to truly 'free' Fels, after linking the records, there were simply too many questions he wanted answering...While falling silent for several long seconds, Vahn mulled over his discussions with Loki and, after firming his resolve, looking into Fels' hollow eye sockets and said, "If you are willing to make a vow, swearing not to interfere with matters relating to the Alliance and its members for ten years, I will allow you to return to Ouranos. With Enyo having been dealt with, and Ein no longer a concern, you should be able to perform your duties without causing harm to others..." Other than a very slight fluctuation in Fels' aura, it was entirely impossible to read the skeletal visage before him. Even so, Vahn was able to glean enough from that small ripple to confidently state, "You have information that I want, Fels, and I'm certain that Ouranos will allow you to expose it in the future...however, I can promise you this, there will come a time when you will be freed from your curse..."Since there was no point in killing Fels just yet, combined with the fact it would be increasingly more troublesome to keep him imprisoned, Loki had convinced Vahn to at least try to get some benefits out of the situation. Ouranos wasn't a fool and, even if he just sat by and watched as Fels 'betrayed' the Guild, the elderly god allowed it to happen because of his nature. If they returned Fels to him, it would give them some leeway in future discussions with Ouranos. Since they had already dealt with Enyo and were intending to probe deeper into the Dungeon, it was possible that, even without revealing information himself, Ouranos may 'allow' Fels to speak freely.Fels understood Vahn's intentions and, even if it was just a bit, there was a visible sag to his shoulders. Even so, he knew that the latter half of Vahn's words held some truth and, having seen the latter kill something that should have been immortal, there was a small kindling of hope lit within his non-existent heart. Thus, without any argument, Fels nodded his head and swore a vow in accordance with the terms listed out by Vahn. With that out of the way, Vahn gave him a shroud to conceal his figure before returning the [Helm of Hades] to him. He and Asfi had already done the necessary research on the Magic Item and having Fels walk around in public as a skeleton would draw far too much attention...With one less problem to worry about, even though it had potentially created future problems, Vahn was in a rather light-hearted mood. He decided to spend the rest of the afternoon with Syr, as she was getting further along in her pregnancy, before spending another blissful night sleeping alongside his children. Though he was still using his avatar to manage things on the 50th and 60th Floors, there were no longer any attacks from Enyo's pawns, especially after the 'source' was dealt with. Without the pseudo-Spirit fetus parasites, there were no longer any mutated monsters to worry about, allowing the Alliance to prepare a second expedition while shoring up the defenses of Lil Geirr and Haven...Presently, Vahn 'biggest' issue was dealing with the aftermath of Enyo's actions, more specifically those related to her victims. There were large-scale investigations being conducted to identify each person while the High Spirits, Demigoddesses, and Xenos were all moved to secure locations. The Xenos had been turned over to Spero, where they were starting to get their lives back on track, while the eleven recovered Demigoddesses were being kept with the High Spirits in the sectioned of West Wing of the Manor. Though the High Spirits had 'recovered' almost instantly, and would likely end up joining the Alliance Familia or residing in the Elven Kingdom, the Demigoddesses, and other victims, were struggling a great deal.One of the more extreme cases amongst Enyo's victims had been a Demigoddess of Elven lineage, having been trapped inside of the Dungeon for more than four hundred years. Since the contraption they were connected to did nothing to rob them of their consciousness, they would spend long hours of each day in great suffering. As a result, many of the victims were 'broken' beyond repair, with some outright trying to kill themselves or generally just refusing to eat. Over half of the victims had become completely catatonic, though they had been improving slowly with Preasia's assistance and Vahn's daily visits to give them treatment.Vahn really didn't know the best way to deal with this large number of victims, outside of erasing their memories or giving them the 'mercy' of death. He remembered his resolve upon saving them, fully intending to end their lives if they chose that path, but the reality of the situation had run contrary to his initial resolve. Seeing people suffering, but still alive, Vahn felt compelled to do what he could to help them recover and find happiness. He believed there was always 'hope', so long as there was life and, if they truly had surviving friends and family, Vahn thought it would be even more tragic if they gave up on life after having survived through that hell...Though he did erase the memories of the 'broken' individuals, who even Preasia couldn't help, Vahn often tried to encourage the others to look towards the future and seek a better life for themselves. Now that they had been liberated from Enyo, he emphasized that the best way to get their revenge was to do everything they could to be happy. He promised that, so long as they didn't walk down a dark path that victimized others, the Alliance would do everything in their power to help them reclaim the life that had been unjustly robbed from them.In the end, after preliminary investigations were conducted, a total of 93 people had ended up choosing death, a solemn matter that Vahn ensured was completely painless. Though it might have been unfair to the other victims, Vahn made it a relatively public affair within the group since he wanted them to feel a sense of unity while also seeing how painful and sad it was to send off a companion. This was a very draining experience for him but, by the end of things, Vahn could see a stronger desire to live in some of the more worrisome individuals in the group. As for those that had chosen death, it was because they had either lost most of their companions before becoming captives, or they had simply lived too long and had no hope for a better life, even with assistance...As a result of incidents like this, Vahn found himself cherishing the time he had at home with his own family a lot more. There was so much pain and anguish in the world but, here at the Hearth Manor, almost every day was filled with warmth and happiness. He could choose to spend his time showing affection to his many wives and lovers, watching over his children's training and education, or just playing around and lazing about. There was so much happiness within his home that, as long as he didn't let the matters of the outside world get in, Vahn felt like he could spend an eternity just enjoying the time spent with his rather large family...This was emphasized by moments like now, with Vahn opening his eyes halfway to see the adorable face of his children piled around him. It was already late in the morning but, with nothing concrete planned for the day, he could spend several additional hours just lazing about if he wanted to. If not for the fact he tried to set a good example for this large herd of angelic creatures, Vahn very well might spend the entire morning just cooped up in this warm and comfortable atmosphere. However, as he did try to be a good 'Papa', Vahn ended up extricating himself from the younglings before waking them up properly, helping the younger ones get dressed, making sure everyone washed their faces, and, though it took the longest amount of time, even brushed and styled their hair all before breakfast.Just making his way down the stairs was a bit of a chore, as Vahn had Meinya riding his shoulders while he held Sakuya and Anise in his arms. They were starting to get a little big to carry around, but Vahn didn't mind it at all, even as the girls' Guardians caused him a bit of trouble. Tsukyuu, Sakuya's Three-Tailed Fox, was playing with Meinya while her nails dug into his scalp. As for Chamo, the Tyrant Mountain Bear belonging to Meinya, Vahn was levitating its rapidly growing body behind them as it wriggled around uncomfortably. The only one not causing problems was Argo, Anise's Steel-Backed Wofl, who followed behind obediently as if Vahn was the pack Alpha...Vahn didn't mind the presence of any of the Guardians, so long as they didn't damage the Manor, so it wasn't uncommon for a veritable menagerie of unique and exotic creatures to be present within the dining room for meals. There were rather massive entities like Vana's True Fire Dragon, Vulcan, and Autumn's Heaven-Bearing Ox while, inversely, there were tiny creatures like Eiko's Gemcutter Squirrel and the triplets' Mountain Corgis running around. Though the younger children were still nursing, it wasn't uncommon for everyone to gather for meals ever since the number of Maids had greatly increased. As a result, there were often more than thirty people present for meals while the seventeen Guardians lingered about. With entities like Shirohime also present, though she would often just cuddle up with Tsukyuu, every meal was incredibly lively...It was moments like this that Vahn wanted to protect at all cost so, even though he would rather just stay home all day, he knew there were a number of things he needed to tend to. Though he would be busy in the Dungeon for a few months longer, Vahn was very aware that his power wasn't truly at the point that he could oppose all threats. With Artemis and Enyo both being examples, Vahn knew it wasn't impossible for other monsters to have potentially fused with the Arcanum of a god. At the same time, it was very possible that there were entities that were infinitely close to Tier 4, just like Yggy was...he knew he needed to increase his power further while putting pressure on his enemies at the same time.After his confrontation with Enyo, Vahn understood the supreme significance of information, as even just a few minor details relating to your enemy provided an extreme advantage. It would take a few months, at the very least, but Chloe and Ryuu were training a secondary division of Scouts that would be completely focused on gathering information in other countries. To make their tasks even easier, Vahn had managed to convince Fortuna and Minerva to allow these same individuals to 'apprentice' within their Familia to learn skills like Trade, Bartering, Terrain Mapping, etc. By the time their training had completed, these select individuals would become Vahn's personal network of spies.With his Quest, Vahn was determined to unify the Continent and improve the standard of living for everyone within the seven different regions. He also had plans for both the Dark Continent and the Far East, all while having the intrinsic need to venture deeper into the Dungeon, Tartarus. Since external powers would limit his time to delve into the Deeper Floors, Vahn needed to deal with the Iron Hills, Rakia, and Telskyura in the near future. As for the other Kingdoms and regions, it would depend on the findings of his spies and the Scouting parties sent out by the Haven Defense Force...There was still much to do before his time in this record was through...Vahn just hoped that his Karma wasn't able to keep up with the rate of change he was introducing, as it would become even more troublesome if unexpected events happened. Even then, so long as it didn't affect his family, Vahn was confident he would be able to deal with it...regardless of how difficult things got...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Fels, in a way, is rather tragic...','Never stop believing in the future','Maybe Vahn will realize that, as someone with authority, he needs to let his subordinates act if he wants to have real quality time with his family in the future (OwO)~!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

While managing things, and generally enjoying his time back at the Manor, Vahn spent much of his focus on what was going on inside the Dungeon. Though the tensions in Haven were a bit strange between the HDF and those who had returned to continue the construction efforts, Vahn had the assistance of several Captains within the Alliance to manage the administrative and logistical duties on his behalf. In exchange for allowing them to build branches for their Familia within Haven, Vahn was able to borrow their expertise while his primary focus was on the 60th Floor and, very soon, beyond.Presently, Vahn was helping to clear away the artificial constructs within the 60th Floor while Ais, Tiona, and Tione, wanting to test their skills, fought off any monsters that spawned. Thus far, other than the standard Berserkers, there were the occasional Berserker Chieftan and, even rarer, a miniature Berserker with blue fur that Tiona had named Cobalt Terror after being the first to encounter it. Though only around 130-150cm in height, these minotaur-like creatures were exceptionally fast compared to their larger counterparts. Also, instead of wearing the heavier armor of their kin, the Cobalt Terrors would wear a cloak to conceal their figure while assaulting with a pair of pitch black shortswords, comprised almost entirely of Mithril.One of the largest boons thus far was the fact that, other than standard Drop Items like horns and hide, the Berserkers, more specifically their variants, had a high chance of dropping natural Mithril weapons and armor. Mithril was a relatively rare resource on the surface so, having monsters drop it at a somewhat reliable rate, was an extremely important discovery. The 60th Floor would likely become a place that is heavily farmed by skilled Adventurers in the future, as obtaining even a single mace or armor drop could earn you upwards of a billion Valis with the current market. This was also a godsend for blacksmiths as well, being that the prices would inevitably begin to lower while the availability of the rare resource would continue to increase...Currently, Vahn was tearing away a piece of the artificial construct and stowing it into his inventory as he casually remarked, "Five more are about to spawn while a Cobalt Terror is sneaking up from the corridor to the south..." Upon hearing this, Tione flexed her left arm while placing her hand against her bicep, shouting, "Yosh! Leave this batch to me!" Tiona, having already prepared for battle, made a pouting expression as she remarked, "Come on, Tione, you just fought the last group five minutes ago...!" As for Ais, she was using her [Gram] to break parts of the artificial dungeon so that Vahn could stow them away, only fighting if there was a monster party or an interesting enemy.Hearing Tiona's words, Tione snorted before asking, "And how many enemies, exactly, have you killed so far...? Besides, I need the chance to improve myself against enemies like this..." Presently, Tiona was far stronger than she was so Tione wanted to fight against tough monsters in order to close the distance, even a little. Though they weren't particularly strong, at least compared to how strong she had become, the Berserkers were surprisingly skilled. They worked well together and, even though their strength was only around Level 4-5, their 'berserk' state could even endanger a Level 6 when they were grouped up.Instead of arguing, Tiona just plopped down onto the Dungeon's floor, finding a cushion beneath her before her rump had impacted the hard bedrock. This caused her pouting expression to turn into a smile as she kicked her feet out and said, "Thank you, Vahn~!" in a sing-song voice. Though he had continued to almost mechanically dispose of the artificial parts of the Dungeon, Vahn was still paying attention to everything happening around them. He gave a small nod towards Tiona before turning his eyes to Tione and saying, "You can do it, Tione..." in a calm tone of voice.Tione brandished the large bladed ring she often used to fight, a confident smile on her face as she said, "Obviously~!" In the next moment, Tione arched her back while spinning around, creating a large momentum as she threw her artifact toward where the Dungeon wall had cracked. The ring immediately began heating up along its edges, cutting through two of the spawned Berserkers in an instant. This caused the other three to release loud howls, their bodies inflating as their fur began shimmering with a vibrant red hue. From the side corridor, the hidden Cobalt Terror launched itself towards Tione's back with enough momentum to cause the Dungeon to tremble when it kicked against the floor.Tione's body was shrouded in a yellow aura from her use of [Cantus Bellax], allowing her to almost completely ignore the two swift blades cutting towards her. She had leaned forward at a low angle, palms against the ground, as she kicked into the chest of the Cobalt Terror before launching herself towards the other three enemies. Her strike had left a dent in the monster's chest but, after a bluish mist escaped the wound, it had already completely healed. However, even in this small span of time, Tione had already closed the distance with one of the Berserkers. She had jumped directly towards its face, planting her feet against its collar bones, before yanking the two fierce horns protruding from the sides of its head. As a result, the monster's head and spine were pulled free from its body as Tione jumped away, extending her hand to catch her artifact that had just bisected another one of the Berserkers on its return vector.As she caught the circular blade out of the air, Tione used the momentum of its return to twist her body around, intercepting a lunge from the Cobalt Terror in the process. This attack had enough momentum to launch her back but this had been intentional on Tione's part as she extended her hand and shouted, "Magic Arrow, Penetrating Stone~!" Though her skill with Magic was much higher than her sister's, Tione's foundation in the arts was still shallow, At most, she could only use [Sagitta Magicka] up to three arrows, with her go-to spell being a single enhanced shot that relied on her own physical strength for increased momentum.Appearing as though it was shot from her hand, a 20cm long bolt of stone, comprised of Earth Elemental energy, impacted into the chest of the Cobalt Terror. Like most monsters, it had no real resistance to magical attacks and had been defenseless against the sudden attack that tore a gaping hole in its chest. She hadn't hit its magic core, but the damage was severe enough to make the monster drop to the ground before turning to dust a few moments later. In that time, Tione had sent out her artifact once again, cutting off the head of the surviving Berserker who hadn't even had enough time to finish its full transformation. After all, from the very start of the fight, only eleven seconds had passed...Even so, Tione released a heavy sigh before retrieving her artifact and rolling her shoulders, feeling slightly fatigued from the short fight. Though there weren't many enemies that spawned on this Floor, their strength wasn't anything to scoff at. If they didn't go all-out from the start, it wasn't impossible for them to sustain heavy injuries in a very short period of time. This was because, on average, the instantaneous acceleration of a berserker could easily reach between 800-900 meters per second. If you were caught unprepared, it wasn't impossible that you would end up as meat paste that was plastered against the hard walls of the Dungeon. This wasn't a Floor most people could safely navigate and, without the 'standard' strength of a Level 7, most people would be killed by a group of Berserkers in their first engagement.From the moment an Adventurer descended past the 59th Floor, the danger level increased exponentially. Vahn had probed down into the 61st Floor after failing to find the One-Eyed Black Dragon's avatar anywhere on the 60th. It was here that he encountered something wholly unexpected...though the 61st Floor shared the crystalline structure of the 60th, the type of monsters that emerged there were far more dangerous than the Berserkers. Though they would only appear in groups of 1-3, every enemy on the 61st Floor that Vahn had encountered was a type of Slime...The 60th Floor was a test of physical strength, speed, and awareness, but the 61st Floor was a place where these things were almost useless. Unless you had Magic Items or a means to counter the specific type of Slime you encountered, it was impossible for most Adventurers to proceed any further. This was because Slimes were almost completely immune to physical attacks unless you had indestructible weapons and could destroy their 'invisible' core in a single blow. The reason for this was simple, as the basic makeup of a Slime's body consisted of an acidic substance that could melt down almost any material in a very short period of time...Vahn speculated that it was research into Slimes that had been the catalyst for the acidic blood possessed by the plant-like creatures in the past. However, even that paled in comparison to the original and, unless you were fully prepared to deal with them, becoming a victim to a Slime was a terrifying ordeal. Though they melted equipment almost instantly, the process of destroying organic material was completely different for a slime. For metals, they broke them down as waste while the purpose of breaking down organics was for consumption. This process was 'much' slower than the former, meaning a person would have to suffer having their bodies slowly dissolved if they were unfortunately captured by a Slime...The most troubling part was that, barring the ability to kill them instantly, the only reliable means to deal with Slimes was by using Magic. Even that wasn't entirely reliable, however, as some Slimes would be completely immune to specific Magic. Since most Mages were limited to only three spell slots, their versatility was severely lacking. At the same time, Magic using the pre-existing system was horribly inefficient, making it very difficult to continue fighting for long periods of time. Though the spawn rate of Slimes seemed very slow, making them relatively easy to deal with, this was only the case in 'normal' circumstances...Like all monsters, Slimes also had Variant and Rare species, excluding the basic Elemental Slimes that would appear. During his limited exploration, Vahn had encountered what he named as a 'Mimic Slime' and a 'Slime Colony', two terrifying enemies that would be the bane of any unprepared party. The Mimic Slime was a 'trap' monster that would take on an appearance that matched the crystalline floor and ceiling of the Dungeon. If you tried to pass over this type of Slime, you would immediately become entrapped in its body while, passing under it, would result in a similar outcome. As for the Slime Colony, they were much easier to locate but significantly more dangerous than even the Mimic Slime. This was because a Slime Colony consisted of dozens of Slimes that had fused together, making them several times larger than normal. Not only did this make them more resistant to magic attacks but any physical attack against them would cause the Slime Colony to 'explode', separating the Slimes into their individual parts as they swarmed you...Because of the dangers of the 61st Floor, Vahn had prevented the girls from venturing any lower than the 60th, at least for the time being. Though he intended to venture deeper for his training, during which time they would likely accompany him, Vahn didn't want them to become the victim of some unexpected horror. It was obvious that the type and nature of monsters would vary greatly as they descended further and, with how dangerous just these two Floors were, Vahn knew they would need to exercise caution before probing too deep. After all, even in the Divination, the Frontier Party led by Bell had only made it down to the 73rd Floor.Considering that a 'god-tier' monster like Typhon had been present on the 60th Floor, it was highly likely that there would even be monsters that could rival the gods in the depths of the Dungeon. Without training in a higher-tiered system of Magic, or breaking through the limits of the Falna, it was almost impossible to conquer the Dungeon. Vahn, however, was confident that they would be able to do so by working together. In the future, it was even likely that people would venture into the Floors beyond the 60th with similar confidence, finding monsters like Beserkers and Slimes as small annoyances instead of dangerous enemies. This would heavily depend on the success of the School, the Academy, and the propagation of Magic Items and Equipment as Haven continued to flourish...In a few decades, the average strength of Adventurers would likely reach Level 5-6, instead of being around Level 2-3. Instead of one man being crowned 'King', even though he was only Level 7, there would be numerous individuals that were able to breach that 'peak' in their twenties. On the other end of the spectrum, it was possible that Mages and Scholars may have just as much power and influence as 'Leveled' individuals. After all, the blessing of a god wasn't required to become strong, it just helped promote the potential of the recipient. Even without joining a Familia, it was possible that the world would one day have several powerful individuals that were beyond the system of Levels entirely...While thinking such thoughts, Vahn felt a large amalgamation of mana converging on their location, causing him to plainly state, "Monster Party." This time, he turned his attention away from his work and pulled out his bow, feeling a little bored with the monotonous task. As he nocked an arrow and fired it towards the first enemy, Vahn knew the future didn't solely belong to Mages. He intended to make the 'Knight' and 'Magic Knight' classification popular in the future as well, similar to those that existed in Eva's record. From observing the school children, Vahn knew that people had different natures and personalities that dictated whether or not they were suited to specific types of magic. There may even be some, like himself, who had a natural disposition towards the bow.With a stoic expression on his face, Vahn was loosing groups of five arrows between 5-7 times a second. His attacks liked like rain that was tearing sideways through the air, accurately piercing the magic core of any enemy unfortunate enough to fall under his gaze. It hadn't been his intention, but Vahn's proficiency with the bow had always been leaps and bounds above his other weapons. Now, he was beginning to fully embrace this fact and, instead of trying to force his skill with the bow and spear to develop further, he accepted that his talents lay in hand-to-hand combat and the mastery of the bow. He simply lacked the dedication and focus required to truly master other weapons while, ever since he had arrived in this world, his skill with the bow had always increased very naturally...Because it had helped him survive, Vahn's appreciation and mastery of the bow had, in a way, become his means for securing his life. This held true when he first entered the Dungeon, still lacking the strength to fight head-on, and during emergencies like his first encounter with the Juggernaut. If not for the effort he had put into mastering the bow in the past, Vahn knew he wouldn't have even been able to leave the forest. Even his first major quest would have ended in failure, as there were no practical means for him to deal with the Goblin Chief and his horde. Now, with the benefits of both Artemis' and Freya's blessings, Vahn was determined to push his mastery with this most faithful weapon of his to the extreme...----------------------------------------------------------------------[[Stats]]Name: [Vahn Mason]Age: 16Race: Progenitus, *sealed*Parameter: [Danmachi: 1-4]-Level: 6(+)-Power: 4001+(D564)-&gt;(C606)-Endurance: 5713+(C629)-&gt;(A889)-Dexterity: 5156+(C699)-&gt;(SSS1292)-Agility: 4492+(D545)-&gt;(SSS1108-Magic: 11611+(SSS1208)-&gt;(SSS2411)Total: 30,973+(3645)-&gt;(6306)Soul Tier: 3 (Lord Soul)[Karma]: 439,202,192-&gt;439,293,231[OP]: 239,633,417-&gt;251,941,664[Valis]: 7,998,400,002-&gt;9,494,405,480Skills: [Will of the Emperor:SSS], [Rakshasa Body:C], [Keeper of the Akashic Tome:B], [Eyes of Truth: B], [Archery Goddess' Blessing:SSS], [Stealth:S-&gt;SS], [Chainbreaker:S], [Heart of the Eternal Flame:SS], [Prometheus:A], [Call of the Reaper:A], [Yggdrasil's Champion:SSS], [Yggdrasil's Favor:S], [Veil of the Traveler: S], [Featherfoot:S], [Hands of Nirvana:SSS], [Metallurgy:B], [Fist Strike:S], [Friend of Spirits:A], [Void Ward:A], [Temptation:I]Magic: [Thria*Mimos:S], [Shundo:SS], [Koku Shundo:B], [Cantus Bellax:S], [Mellodia Bellax:B], [Vis Maxima:B], [Sagitta Magica:S], [Pactio:S], [Magia Erebea:SS], [Dios Tukos:C]Development Skills: [Blessing of Freya:SS](new), [Wound Transfer:S], [Well of Spirit:A], [Swordsman:A], [Master Smith:H-&gt;G], [Mixing:C], [Mentor:A], [Lapidary:B], [Grooming:A], [Arch Mage:F], [Allure:D], [Leadership:D][Blessing of Freya]Rank: SSUse:(Passive): Greatly increases the learning speed of all combat arts, including skills, magic, and abilities. Enhances the efficacy of all charm related skills and improves the users appeal to the opposite sex. Moderate boost to sexual stamina.[Yggdrasil's Champion]Rank: (SSS)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 the ability to purify all negative energies.[Leadership]Rank: DUse: Allows the user's voice to carry over great distances, making it easily discernable by allies. Increase the impact and believability of the user's words, allowing them to motivate and inspire others. Provides a small increase to the mental resistance and natural recovery of allies.----------------------------------------------------------------------(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Hard Work, Boring Work','Slimes imba, please nerf...','*pew pewing intensifies*')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Deep within the 60th Floor of the Dungeon, Vahn was standing before an icy pillar more than 9m tall, casting out a thick chill that brought down the surrounding temperature to nearly -100 degrees Celsius. Even with their combined efforts, Vahn and Terra had been unable to replicate Eva's [Eternal Ice Coffin], as their understanding of Laws relating to Time, Space, Ice, and Darkness were simply below the necessary standard of Tier 5. Even so, their efforts hadn't been entirely in vain and, with Vahn using his own Source Energy to power the ritual magic ward they had created, the final result should end up holding her in place for several hundred years.Though it wasn't impossible to move Enyo out of the Dungeon, the chances of something going wrong exponentially increased. Since it was, ironically, safer to seal Enyo within the Dungeon, Vahn had decided to seal her away in one of the natural safe regions of the 60th Floor, close to the Observation Rooms location. Here, there would always be a guard rotation of Xenos watching over Enyo, a duty they took very seriously after learning how she had been exploiting and experimenting on their people...Even if the Xenos did slack off, it wouldn't make too much of a difference as, in order to decrease the chances of something going wrong, Vahn and Terra had designed the room as a self-contained system. All of the mana that flowed away from the imperfect [Eternal Ice Coffin] went into the intricate ritual magic ward that covered every single surface. This formation worked as a space-time lock of sorts, slowing the flow of time within the room to a crawl depending on the amount of energy fed into the system. Even in the final stages of her awakening, they would have upwards of several years to make preparations, during which time Vahn could always use [Enkidu] once again...This being the case, Vahn didn't actually like the idea of imprisoning anyone, even someone as errant and dangerous as Enyo. However, when he considered that the passage of time she would experience would only be a 'blink' within her long life, it was easier to accept. Even so, Vahn had put Enyo into a deep slumber before they cast the [Eternal Ice Coffin] on her, making it so that she wouldn't even 'experience' the passage of time from her own perspective. For Enyo, it would feel like she had simply 'blinked', allowing hundreds of years to pass on the outside. During that time, any threat she posed would have been largely mitigated, especially since Vahn would have already returned after linking the records...The sole purpose of the patrols keeping watch over Enyo's chamber was to prevent external influences, though the chances of this happening were relatively slim. Only those that had very high Loyalty and Allegiance towards Vahn were allowed to operate on the 60th Floor. This region had now become one of the closely guarded secrets of the Alliance and its importance was arguably greater than even Haven. Other than the Observation Room, there was a large network of 'safe' areas to make use of and, with the research notes of Ein, their understanding of the Dungeon itself had increased greatly.On Ein's person, there had been several unique Magic Items, including an artifact that had been identified by The Path as a [Dungeon Controller]. This was an incredible discovery as it allowed the user to trigger the 'transportation' function of the Dungeon. So long as you had the spatial coordinates of your location, it was possible to use the [Dungeon Controller] to traverse through the Dungeon and emerge out at the specified location. The 'downside' was that its functions only worked within the safe areas of the Dungeon and the only viable targets for transfer were the Xenos...Just knowing it was possible to ride the mana streams of the Dungeon was an important discovery, as it should be possible to reverse-engineer the process with time. Until then, Vahn knew it was possible to 'modify' those that would reside within the 60th Floor into humanoid Xenos, though that wasn't something he would do without serious consideration. For the time being, he had entrusted the artifact to Gros, the first to volunteer to observe Enyo and make sure she was unable to escape. He had never required sleep as a Gargoyle Xenos and, even after becoming a 'Titan', this nature of his hadn't changed. If it meant he could protect, not just the Xenos, but everyone that lived on the surface, Gros was the type that would stand vigilant for thousands of years without leaving his post...Back on the surface, Ray had become the 'Village Chief' of Spero and was helping the seventy-one new Xenos adapt to life within Spero. As he had expected, the Xenos were very adaptive and, even after experiencing Enyo's influence, they were able to bounce back quickly amongst their kin. They would be under 'observation' for a few months, training with the more powerful humanoid Xenos within the village, before some of their members joined Lyd's Search and Rescue Expedition...Of the three former Leaders of the Xenos, Lyd had become responsible for leading the team that explored the depths of the Dungeon to scout for any emergent Xenos. His focus of operations was now on the 60th Floor, waiting for the 'Observation Team' to investigate the areas around the Xenos' Hidden Villages for their kin. Upon discovering any traces of their people, Gros would use the [Dungeon Controller] to send the group to the closest transfer point, allowing them to recover the emergent Xenos and escort them to safety. As a result, the population of Spero was steadily increasing and they would likely be nearing five hundred residents by the year's end. With the Observation Room and the [Dungeon Controller], they were finding an average of one Xenos every thirty hours...Overall, things were going very well, to the point that Vahn couldn't quite believe something hadn't gone wrong to disrupt his relatively peaceful life back at the Manor. Though he had certainly been busy within the Dungeon, things had calmed down quite a bit in regards to his personal life. He now had a lot of time to spend with his children and, after checking his 'Main Quest], Vahn noticed that 'killing' Enyo had never been a requirement. Currently, he just needed to unify the other seven major regions of Eden, descend into the depths of Tartarus, and finish establishing the Divine Council. Thus far, he had (11/30] members picked out and it wouldn't be that difficult to get the other nineteen after dealing with external issues...One curious thing Vahn noticed was that his 'Optional Objectives' had also progressed a great deal, especially in regards to acquiring followers, subordinates, and retainers. Originally, this number was a measly nine while, after all of these events had transpired, Vahn now had (2,937/10,000). The curious thing was that his 'Sire 100 Children' had increased from (18/100) to (21/100) before he had noticed. Upon discovering this, Vahn had used his [Eyes of Truth] to 'investigate', finding that, other than Syr and Shakti, Lunoire had also become pregnant. This caused a bit of a stir, as she hadn't really been trying to get pregnant, but Vahn was just glad it hadn't been Tina. He hadn't confirmed if she had taken the pill after their first night together and, being a Cat Person, it was almost guaranteed she would have been pregnant if she chose not to...Vahn didn't have any issues with Tina wanting to become a mother but, with how things had been developing within the Manor, it wasn't exactly an ideal time. He didn't want to cause any kind of strange tension with Milan and, with Tina herself also wanting to become much stronger, becoming pregnant would have thrown a wrench into her plan. Not everyone was like Lili, training twice as hard after giving birth just to catch up on the training time she had lost during her pregnancy. If possible, Vahn wanted everyone to start relaxing and enjoying life a bit more, especially now that one of the largest threats was already dealt with...Even with that being the case, Vahn still found himself thinking about his future actions and contemplating the best method to move forward. He still had several promises to keep and would have to deal with the Amazoness country, Telskyura in the near future. Before that, however, Vahn had a bone to pick with the Iron Hills, as their actions have been grating his nerves for quite a while. This would likely tie into his confrontation with the Rakia Kingdom and, based on how things develop, Vahn knew he would have to make personal efforts within the other regions of the Continent as well...The closest region, which Vahn had a bit of genuine interest in, was the 'Land of no Sun', located a little over a thousand kilometers to the north of Orario. He found himself curious about the status of Shiva, the Dark Elf he had saved in the past, and wondered how well her revenge had been going. Since others didn't have The Path serving as an incredible boon to their potential and resources, it could take several years for a personal campaign or revenge for most people. Shiva had been strong, but she was only around the strength of a Level 4, which couldn't be the strongest within a region. It had been nearly two years since she had set out on her journey and, with things as they were, Vahn wondered if he might be able to help her unify the 'Land of no Sun' if he showed up to assist...Though he believed this could be a good idea, Vahn knew he needed to take care of other things before he decided to assist Shiva. For the time being, he had posted a commission within the Headquarter of the Haven Defense Forces. It was prompted accept by a four-person squad, which was the standard in their organizational structure, consisting of two Pallum Scouts, a Chienthrope, and an Elf. Such squads were highly mobile and, with their racial composition, they had advantages in almost any type of terrain and situation. The Chienthrope in the group acted as the nose and ears while the Pallum had keen eyesight and could easily scout dangerous areas. As for the Elf in their squad, they served the purpose of monitoring the natural energy in the environment while also having the natural ability to see mana.Vahn entrusted them with the task of investigating the Land of no Sun and, if possible, learn of the location of Shiva and any of her allies. Since it was only an investigation commission, they didn't have to engage in combat unless they were targetted first. Given the culture and traditions of the Dark Elves, it wasn't difficult to imagine they would be attacked by some of the clans that made a living off looting merchant groups. So long as they used their squad composition to their advantage, most of these threats were easily avoidable, however, so Vahn told them to exercise caution above all else...It wasn't just this squad who ended up having a mission as, even with Enyo's 'defeat', there hadn't been a single person who wanted to leave the Haven Defense Force. Instead, the organizational structure of the group was becoming increasingly more stable with each passing day. Though Finn ended up stepping down from his position after the successful defense, relinquishing it to Haruhime, the momentum and morale of the HDF members was through the roof. Not only was their strength increasing very quickly, but their sense of unity was stronger than most armies that had worked alongside each other for years. Since this would only stabilize the foundation of Haven even further, Vahn hadn't opposed converting them into a permanant fixture of the emergent City...In an effort to ensure things were running smoothly, the HDF became an organization that emulated the Guild while having aspects of a standing army. There were ranks that could be obtained through merit or by increasing your individual strength to a certain point and applying for promotion. Much like the Guild, the HDF issued quests and commissions that only its members could take, acquiring contribution points much like the system used by the girls within the Hearth Manor. Your rank and contribution points determined your weekly salary while also giving you access to a larger pool of valuable items and equipment. It was even possible to obtain S-Rank equipment through the contribution system, turning the HDF into something of a meritocracy, even though you could be assigned to a squad and given missions at the behest of the organization itself.One thing that Vahn truly believed in was that, if people are making an effort to improve themselves, they should be rewarded for their efforts. He liked systems that promoted this ideology and, so long as people weren't trying to gain benefits at the expense of their companions, he didn't mind a bit of competition between the HDF members. It helped that they were all his Subordinates and Retainers, meaning they had a natural ability to work with each other for the greater good of the organization. Even if someone wanted to use the HDF as a means to promote themselves for selfish gain, it would be very simple to identify them since their values within the system interface would likely be very low...To ensure that such individuals never rose to a rank of power, the HDF regulations specifically stated that Vahn had to approve of anyone that wanted to rise to a command position, making them a Captain within the organization. In order to gain this position, Vahn would conduct an interview with the applicant and, so long as their Loyalty or Allegiance was high enough, it was very likely they would get the position. If they didn't meet these requirements, Vahn would use the interview as an opportunity to set them on a better path, even if it meant 'ordering' them to do so.Since his orders didn't actually affect the free will of his Subordinate or Retainer, they would either correct their actions and become a Captain after an evaluation period, or they would be 'retired' from the organization. This would be necessary as, if they weren't even following his orders as Supreme Commander when he tried to correct their errant path, they would become a seed of corruption within the HDF. Though it was a little 'unfair' to opportunists, Vahn's Unit Management made it impossible for anyone to truly rise up and use the organization for their own means. The moment they began taking selfish actions, their Loyalty and Allegiance would begin to drain away, raising a red flag that made them easily removed after an investigation...This type of system was necessary as, without any doubt whatsoever, Vahn was sure there would be individuals who seek to join the HDF for personal gain. Even with him recruiting all the members himself, people could change a lot under the right circumstances. All it took was a single instance of someone feeling they had greater power and authority than they had earned to set them down the path of a corrupt tyrant. With powerful Magic Items and Equipment at their disposal, there was even a chance they would try and profit off selling the equipment to the black market, depending on the circumstances. This wasn't necessarily because they were tempted by the money, but it wasn't impossible for things like blackmail, hostage taking, and other factors to come into play...Knowing that, regardless of the actions he took, fate and karma would allow evil to propagate under his influence, Vahn could only do his best to weed out the corruption from the start. He would try and ensure that any organization he established was free from people using it for their own benefits, especially things like the HDF, the Sage Aldrnari School, and the Haven Academy. Since these three organizations would produce some of the most powerful individuals in the world, Vahn wanted to make it exceedingly difficult for cruel and malicious people to rise up. Even though he knew it would inevitably happen, Vahn believed it was his duty and obligation to hold back the tide of fate, even for a short while...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Imperfect Sealing...? No worries, we'll just use that imperfection to power a second seal~!','The HDF seems like an ideal organization...until you get that 'loyal' person who is also tyrannical xD...','It is very frustrating, knowing that every positive action you take just increases the power of future evils...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Chapter 888: Limbo