Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With Paracelsus' rather light-hearted self-promotion, Vahn felt like his momentum was quickly being sapped away. He knew of the name Paracelsus from History, belonging to a prodigious Physician who existed a little over four-hundred years ago. While most people relied on potions and Magic to heal sickness and injury, Paracelsus had made startling advancements in the now almost extinct field of practical medicine and natural healing.Many of the 'rural remedies' used in villages, combined with the texts on first aid and emergency treatment, were all developed by him in the past. However, as a result of his unorthodox methods, and the enemies he had made amongst the [Mixing] and [Alchemist] community, Paracelsus had fallen into obscurity. His greatest achievement was coming up with a cure for a plague that had wrought havoc through nearly half the Continent, claiming millions of lives before he had publicized a relatively simple mixture that would keep the plague at bay while encouraging proper hygiene and waste disposal practices. When people learned that his methods actually worked, he became relatively famous in a very short period of time though, after that feat, History made no other mention of the man that had saved millions.One of the things that caught Vahn off guard was the fact that Paracelsus was supposed to have been an old man at the time he had become famous. Though there were undoubtedly more than a few methods to reverse aging, as Vahn had several at his disposal, it was still a little surprising. The fact that Paracelsus 'acted' childish was the biggest factor behind the incongruity Vahn was feeling, causing him to be unable to relax as he said, "I've read about your accomplishments. How are you still alive after all this time?" Then, remembering his purpose, Vahn's expression turned slightly icy as he asked, "Where are Zeus and Hera?"Still unperturbed by Vahn, Paracelsus tapped his chin as if he were in deep thought before muttering, "Ah, you must have had a disagreement with Cú Chulainn...did you kill him~?" At the end of his question, Paracelsus' light-grey eye began flickering with light as a runic structure, similar to clockwork, was visible for a brief moment. Vahn's own perception of time caused the world around to became a dull monochrome as the only two sources of color remained Paracelsus and himself. The boy had a curious expression on his face for a moment before his eyes widened in surprise, time returning to normal as he said, "It's like the axis of time has become fixed...did you...? No, such a thing shouldn't be possible..."In the next instant, Paracelsus was already halfway down a long corridor as he turned back to look at Vahn, saying, "You should follow along. There are a few things I'm curious about and I believe you will find the answers you seek at the heart of the city. Ah, you should be wary of Heracles as well, lest you want to put your immortality to the test. If you are going to fight, though, please do it within the Coliseum. I don't want you destroying my Atelier and I'm certain the others would be bothered if you began rampaging without consideration for the damage you'll cause to the surroundings..."Vahn's eyes had become sharp when Paracelsus 'teleported', as none of the information pertaining to the Historic figure hinted that he had such capabilities. It was obvious that the boy had some kind of Innate related to time, though it seemed like he was unable to move backward through time after Vahn had entered into the record. Because The Path was an existence that could only exist in one axis of time, meaning Vahn was also a singularity, the only way to move backward in time was to reverse the entire records time. Individuals would be unable to make the transition as it could lead to parallel or divergent timelines where a second version of The Path would exist. This was something Vahn had been aware of ever since the Divination, as all the events that had taken place ceased to exist in their entirety after he returned to the 'present'.Understanding that this peculiar boy calling himself Paracelsus probably wasn't an easy person to deal with, as he seemed lost in his own thoughts, Vahn decided it was best to ignore him for the time being. The fact he hadn't answered his questions, even though he should have been able to give him some insight, was a red flag from Vahn's perspective. Instead of 'following along', Vahn made sure the Valkyrie would be out of commission for a while before ascending into the sky once again. His eyes were immediately drawn to a man wearing red robes that matched the style worn in one of the western provinces of the Far East. He was sitting atop a building with a lapis lazuli dome and a golden spire, shouldering a red and gold staff as he waved towards Vahn's direction.Seeing yet another 'peculiar' individual, Vahn wasn't sure if his purpose for coming to the City of Heroes matched his previous speculation. Other than the Valkyries attacking, which wasn't 'wrong', considering they were likely the security of the City, Vahn hadn't met anyone trying to bar his passage. Even though he was outputting an immense amount of energy and pressure, the only two individuals he had seen thus far didn't seem bothered by it at all. If not for the fact that Paracelsus had mentioned the man named Cú Chulainn, who Vahn knew was a spear-wielding Hero that had vanished around 581 years ago, Vahn would have believed his assumption was groundless from the start...By the time Vahn had 'blinked' over to the man wearing a red robe, he had jumped up to his feet, an amiable smile on his face as he held up one hand and said, "Whoa there, friend, I'm not looking for a fight. Your type is a bad matchup for me, hahahaha..." Though he showed no hostility, the man still tightened his grip on the masterpiece of a staff that currently rested on his shoulder. It seemed to be made of wood but was a glossy red that rival beryl in sheen. The golden caps on the end had several layers of intricate runes that had been painstakingly embedded in super-fine print. From a glance, Vahn felt like it was a weapon that was completely beyond his ability to craft, as there was almost a 'divine' quality to it...Having his staff eyed by Vahn, the man gave a wry smile as he said, "Hey now, I didn't think you were the type to covert another person's possessions...give me a break, will ya...?" As he spoke, the Far Eastern man, having slightly bronzed skin, dark brown hair that was parted at the center, a topknot tied with red cloth, and a handsome face, acted as if he was trying to hide the staff behind his body. Since it was around 220cm long, while he was only 175cm tall, he wasn't doing a good job of it, giving off the impression that he was 'foolish' in nature. At the same time, however, there was a serious look in his eyes that made Vahn feel slightly alerted, almost as if he were about to step on the tail of a sleeping dragon if he actually did want to take the staff...Releasing a breath that caused the void to ripple slightly, Vahn asked plainly, "Where are Zeus and Hera? Do you know why Cú Chulainn attacked me...? Ah, and who are you...?" Since everyone he had met here seemed to be a Hero, Vahn fully expected this man to also have a name recorded in History. As expected, the man introduced himself proudly, exclaiming, "My name is Zhou Yu, though I doubt you've ever heard of me, hahahaha..." Toward the end of his introduction, Zhou Yu released a sigh since very few people, even in the Far East, would remember his name. Though he had been one of the people to popularize the use of the staff, to the point that many people studied the style he had developed, few remembered the name of the style's founder...Vahn was beginning to feel a little annoyed that the only questions he had answers to thus far were the identities of the people he was talking to. It was almost as if they refused to answer, or were unable to answer...since there was a chance the latter was true, Vahn decided to verify his conjecture by asking, once again, "Where are Zeus and Hera...?" Zhou Yu's response was to rub the back of his head before saying, "You should try heading to the heart of the city. The answers you seek should be found there...?" As if it were some kind of conversational habit, Zhou Yu started off speaking in a casual tone before sounding 'uncertain' at the end of his statement. Given that he should be over six-hundred years old, Vahn wouldn't be surprised if it was a 'quirk' that he had developed with the passage of time.In order to test what kind of questions these Heroes would be able to answer, Vahn asked, "How many Heroes reside within the City? What are their names...? Who is the strongest...? What is your purpose here...?" Zhou Yu gave a wry smile in response while rubbing the back of his head once again, only answering two of Vahn's questions, explaining, "The strongest in the City is undoubtedly Heracles. If you choose to fight against him, you'll need to prepare yourself quite a bit...that form of yours seems pretty strong, but it probably won't help you much against him. As for our purpose...I guess you could say we're like insurance...? If something occurs in the Mortal World that the other forces are unable to oppose, we'll step in to save the day before disappearing again...hmmm..."Hearing yet another Hero warn him about Heracles, a man recorded in History as the 'strongest', to the point that the descriptive for inordinately powerful individuals described them as having herculean strength. There were even Innates related to the name while legends of Heracles were so prominent within Mythos that it was hard to imagine just how powerful a record's version of the Hero would be. Since Zhou Yu, who Vahn estimated had strength around the mid-tier Level 8, was giving him such a warning, Vahn was certain that Heracles would be Level 9. Even Siegfried had only been at the peak of Level 8 while neither Zhou Yu or Paracelsus had issued warnings relating to the mighty Dragon Knight.Feeling a headache coming along, Vahn turned away from Zhou Yu, leaving the man showing an awkward smile as he resumed his seated position and began to drink from a wine gourd. Vahn felt the 'tension' between the two of them vanish in an instant, even though he knew the man would react almost instantly if he were to show any hostility. Much more so than the Valkyrie, these Heroes seemed both eccentric and powerful, with a fair amount of mystery accompanying them as well. Along the way to the 'heart' of the City of Heroes, Vahn detected several other powerful presences, many of which only showed him a momentary interest before returning to their own affairs. Vahn even saw a man sleeping at the base of a Sakura Tree, a bamboo hat veiling his eyes as he chewed on a thin needle-like chopstick. The moment Vahn's eyes passed over the man, it felt like there were several sharp blades in close proximity to his vitals, even though the only change in the man was his bamboo hat shifting almost imperceptibly...Though he still felt a permeating sense of 'contempt' towards everything around him, Vahn's logical mind told him that this place wasn't simple. Previously, his transformation into the Azure Dragon form had given him the confidence to fight against any number of enemies without having to worry. Now that he saw some of the unique individuals present within the City of Heroes, however, Vahn knew his victory, though inevitable, would be hard-won. Cú Chulainn had only fallen as quickly as he did because he had been overconfident while completely underestimating Vahn. As the latter had never shown the ability to tear through the void previously, the proud spearman only knew what little information Siegfried had provided. He had become a victim of his own hubris, one of the most common causes of death for Heroes in all records...The very center of the City, from what Vahn could discern, was a Coliseum that had a diameter spanning more than five kilometers. It looked like it could hold more than five hundred thousand people with room to spare. At the very center of the Coliseum, whose structure gave off a subtle glow in Vahn's [Eyes of Truth], there were four people present, one being a god. Vahn was a little surprised as, instead of Zeus and Hera, the god before him had the same presence as the elderly god who had disguised himself before Vahn in the past. Currently, he had onyx-black hair that seemed to shimmer slightly while his right eye was covered in an eyepatch, even though a phenomenal amount of energy pulsed from within...Standing with the spiky-haired god, there was a Valkyrian woman that possessed strength near the peak of Level 7 while the other two were people Vahn had already met, Siegfried and Jeanne. The latter had a somewhat pale complexion while Siegfried's eyes seemed to glimmer with anticipation. With Vahn being in his Azure Dragon form, the famous Dragon Knight could feel his blood boiling as the only thing keeping him from challenging Vahn was the vow he had made during their last encounter. As for the Valkyrie, she had a stoic expression but Vahn felt like there was a glimmer of hatred in her eyes, amplified by the furious red aura she possessed. With her stark blue eyes, glossy onyx-grey hair, and dark-grey angelic wings, she struck a heroic figure, even though her strength was lacking compared to the actual Heroes present.The moment Vahn touched down in the Coliseum, the god amongst their group showed a slightly mournful expression as he said, "So, another Hero has fallen...Brynhildr, go wake your sisters and prepare for Cú Chulainn's burial rites. Even if he erred this time around, he was still a Hero deserving of an honorable sendoff...is that acceptable for you, Vahn Mason...?" Since Vahn's golden eyes had flashed at the mention of Cú Chulainn's name, Odin decided to err on the side of caution, confirming with Vahn if it was okay to honor the spearman's death. With his understanding of Vahn, Odin didn't think he would be against the idea, even if the two had confronted each other...Vahn felt his own body tense slightly when he heard that Cú Chulainn would be given the rites of an honorable burial, even though he had sneak attacked with the intent to kill both Haruhime and Ioke. The man's attack had also claimed the lives of the nine Amazoness but, considering he had originally intended to kill them as well, Vahn could let that part slide. Even so, Vahn didn't feel as though the man truly deserved such honors, regardless of the actions he had taken in the distant past. The only thing that prevented him from refusing was his own 'reason', telling him that he should not harbor hatred and resentment toward the dead. Cú Chulainn no longer existed in this world, his soul having moved on to Heaven to enter into the cycle of reincarnation. Going out of his way to prevent others from celebrating his life was a grave injustice that could breed unnecessary hatred in the future...Withholding another sigh, Vahn closed his eyes for several seconds before nodding his head slightly, choosing the high road of the victor instead of holding onto a petty vendetta against an already deceased man. This caused the auras of the god, Siegfried, and Jeanne to improve slightly while even the Valkyrie, Brynhildr, seemed to restrain her rage. After Vahn nodded in affirmation, she bowed towards the god, her paradoxically deep yet soft voice sounding, "As you will, Allfather. We shall inscribe his name in the halls of Valhalla and recount his tale for three days and nights...!" With a nod from Odin, Brynhildr spread her wings and took to the sky, carrying her silver spear, sparkling like starlight, along with her...(A/N: No fifth chapter today.)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Heroes are Weirdos','Vahn, "I am inevitable."','Those who harbor hatred for the dead give power to the memory, letting it consume them like an insidious poison that affects both the heart and mind')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

With the departure of Brynhildr, the atmosphere within the Coliseum became slightly tense, an awkward silence permeating through the arena. Eventually, Odin released a small sigh through his nose before turning solemn as he said, "I'm certain you have many questions but, unless you were willing to join our organization, there isn't too much I can tell you. What I can say is that we are not your enemies, at least for the time being. If Cú Chulainn attacked you, there must have been a reason behind his actions...can you explain what happened?" Even though he already had a basic idea of what had transpired, Odin was curious about how forthright Vahn was willing to be on the matter.Brynhildr had referred to the god as 'Allfather', allowing Vahn to identify him as Odin, one of the more influential gods from the Northwestern Pantheon. He knew a bit about the god's character and exploits after knowing his identity but, with circumstances as they were, Vahn didn't care too much about maintaining propriety. After hearing Odin's questions, Vahn simply stated, "From the very beginning, it has always been your organization causing trouble for me, all while maintaining your secrecy. Under other circumstances, I may have answered your questions...that is no longer the case. You do not have my trust, Odin, so do not expect me to take the steps towards cooperation. I already have a basic idea of why your group is gathering Heroes, even if your reasoning is asinine to the extreme..."Somewhat surprisingly, Odin nodded his head in agreement, saying, "Though our original intention was to keep order and guarantee there was a failsafe to protect the Mortal World, I can understand why you would call us foolish. As you can see from the size of the City, we had expected that Heroes would proliferate with the passage of time, allowing us to cultivate future generations of Heroes that would protect the world. The reality was quite different, however, as Heroes often possess 'unique' and 'individualized' personalities that make it difficult for them to interact with each other. Honestly, it really is a mess...haaaaa...."The City of Heroes could accommodate millions of people yet, even with nearly a thousand years passing since its establishment, there had only been twenty-three permanant residents. With Cú Chulainn now dead, their numbers had reduced once again. Originally, the purpose of Legend was to prevent Heroes from deviating from their path and becoming the very threats that Heroes were sworn to fight against. At the same time, it was meant to promote the growth of Heroes, allowing them to grow closer to godhood while polishing their strength against each other. This had the unfortunate consequence of several Heroes losing their lives unnecessarily while the independent nature of Heroes prevented them from truly growing close to each other...Even with Odin 'pandering' to him, Vahn wasn't really in the mood for a polite discussion as he was still contemplating if it was worth becoming enemies with Legend. Right now, there were numerous other matters on his plate and, even though he would win in the end, it didn't seem 'worth' it to fight against so many powerful individuals. In general, they didn't seem antagonistic towards him, if Paracelsus, Zhou Yu, Jeanne, and Siegfried were any indicator. Even those he had passed over on his way to the Coliseum didn't show him much interest while the majority had pure and stable auras, much like Fels. He understood that Cú Chulainn had likely attacked him for having violated the 'taboo' of killing a god or, at the very least, his comment to Haruhime about shouldering Heaven itself...After collecting his thoughts, Vahn opened his eyes and matched gazes with Odin, saying, "What I'm trying to accomplish is something that will benefit everyone, especially those in future generations. Even your organization will benefit, as the path towards godhood will be open using the innovations I am introducing. If you want to play at being some kind of 'failsafe' to protect the Mortal World, that is your own prerogative...stop interfering with my life, and those of my family. Your Cú Chulainn had sneak attacked us and, even if he had his reasons for doing so, his attack would have violated the same taboo...!"Hearing this, Odin squinted his eye slightly before saying, "Cú Chulainn was a little hotblooded, but he wasn't a fool that couldn't control his power. His attack would have killed precisely who it was supposed to, even if others would be injured in the process..." Odin had seen Cú Chulainn sever the wings of a fly from a kilometer away without killing the fly itself. If he attacked Vahn, anyone else caught in the attack was someone that had been marked as a 'threat' to the Mortal World, at least according to his perspective. The fact that he had 'sneak attacked', showed that Cú Chulainn didn't consider Vahn an 'honorable' opponent that he was willing to face head-on.Vahn could feel the rage and contempt brought upon by the Azure Dragon form bubble up after he heard Odin's words, even if the god had his reasons for saying them. His golden eyes blazed like suns as he coldly stated, "Even if gods are forced to act to appease their Divinity, there is nothing that requires mortals to have to tolerate slights against them. How many millions have died because of the whimsical nature of gods who act without any sense of propriety, sometimes displaying a complete lack of general sensibilities? This world isn't meant to be the playground for the gods, allowing them to act as they please without any repercussions. If you truly believe in the potential of mortals to rise up, you wouldn't treat them in such a contemptuous manner while making the same excuse over and over...!"Though there were goddesses like Loki and Ioke, who were forced to take certain actions to appease their Divinities, these same actions were often a heavy burden to them. Gods like Ares, Sobek, Apollo, and Zeus, they were obviously not burdened by their Divinity at all. Instead, they embraced the power they had been born with, using it to act however they please, often without any kind of repercussions at all. They even victimized their own kin, showing little to no remorse for the lives they ruined along the way. Vahn was growing tired of having to deal with gods like these, even if their existence was 'necessary' from the perspective of the world's balance.Once again, Odin nodded as if he were in agreement with Vahn, saying, "There are certainly some gods who treat the mortal world as a playground where they can act freely. However, it is because of our long lives that these types of behaviors present themselves. That doesn't mean we are all like that, nor does it justify your own actions, Vahn Mason. Amongst your Alliance, there are several gods who would have been able to deal with Ares and Sobek in your stead. The fact you publically killed them is the issue, as it shows a complete lack of disregard for what the gods represent. When you start picking and choosing which gods are allowed to live, as a mortal, you will invite chaos in both the Mortal World and Heaven..."Vahn squinted his eyes upon hearing Odin's words, trying to make sense of what the god was getting at, something Odin seemed to notice as he explained, "You should know that Heaven isn't exactly a peaceful place, even if most of the active conflicts had ceased. It is the existence of the Mortal World, and its draw to gods, that allows the carefully maintained balance between the eight Pantheons to continue. No matter what happens, there will always be gods that are prone to violence, be it the result of their Divinity, their nature, or their general desire for power. Many such gods have descended to the Mortal World, allowing the peace to continue in Heaven which, in turn, allows the Mortal World to remain stable..."For a brief moment, Odin fell silent, his eye wandering before turning to look toward the sky as he said, "If you only allow the gods you believe 'beneficial' to the world to remain in the Mortal World, you will bring about War in Heaven. Since you also claim that your methods will pave the way towards godhood for mortals then, in the future, there is likely to be a cataclysmic battle between both sides. By forcing all the violent and troublesome gods back to Heaven, you are only increasing the likelihood of everyone suffering as a result. You must accept that you cannot rid the world of things like War, Death, Disease, Famine, Slaughter, and Chaos...these are necessary forces that allow races to change and evolve with the passage of time while preventing the world from being ruined by individuals who far outlive the general life expectancy..."Hearing Odin mention about conflict in Heaven, and the inevitable conflict between Heaven and the Mortal World, Vahn fell into deep thought of his own. Vahn knew that, once he increased the Tier limit of the record, the boundaries between the Mortal World, Heaven, and Hell would all become blurred. Unless he regulated things so that only certain tiers of individuals could reside in each plane, then there would certainly be a conflict between the realms in the future. Though he would be able to take a hard stance to prevent it, while changing the way Divinity itself worked, it was only a stop-gap measure. No matter what action he took, Vahn was unable to overcome the inherent nature of the records to maintain balance. Even if he killed every powerful entity within the record, a natural born entity that was stronger than all of them combined could be born...However, it was this same knowledge, knowing that there were certain Laws at play that even the gods of the record were unaware of, that gave Vahn the confidence to move forward. There may not be a solution in the interim, but he could definitely buy time before the conflict arrived. Even if there was a battle between Heaven and the Mortal World, the record would persist in the aftermath and, after a few millennia passed, a new balance would have been established. The moment Divinity no longer compelled the gods to act, there was bound to be chaos far greater than the war that Odin was able to foresee...after all, the 'limits' for the gods would also be removed at the time, allowing those with greater ambition to prosper, at least if they were left to their own devices...Reaching this conclusion, Vahn matched gazes with Odin as he confidently stated, "The gods are certainly a higher level of existence than mortals, but they are still bound by the same Laws. Even without us mortals doing anything, the gods have always been fighting amongst themselves since time immemorial. All I'm doing is leveling the playing field, allowing the gods to truly experience what it is like to live as the mortal they are so interested in. If anything, the gods have always had an inherent obligation to remain objective, watching over the Mortal World without direct interference. It was the actions of the godly community, descending into our world, that has necessitated this development...if you would paint me as a force that brings chaos and disorder, all because I want to create a world where people can be happy, then you need to seriously consider why gods should even be allowed in the mortal world!"Vahn had made his decision, choosing the path that would allow him to make the most people happy, even if it was only through a great turmoil that he was able to do so. The world could become a better place where people were able to grow without fear that they would be killed unjustly at the whims of others. It wouldn't be easy, but it was better than allowing the world to continue along a path where people lived tragic existences just because of their misfortune of being born into a terrible situation.If the standard of living for every country could be elevated to the point that education was freely accessible, food was readily available, and the only restriction on your growth was your willingness to put in the effort, the world 'would' be a better place. What Odin proposed, maintaining the status quo, would either lead to true stagnation or, once a god got 'bored', the world would be changed through true chaos. Enyo was the best example of this as, if she had been left unchecked, her power and influence could have destroyed all three realms...all while people like Odin sat and spat out platitudes as if it was true wisdom...Now, the atmosphere had become much tenser than it had been previously as Odin's Divine Power leaked out, contending against Vahn's domain without much success. Unless he activated his Arcanum, there was no way he could overpower the pressure Vahn could output which, from the perspective of the record, was always the 'highest' form of energy. A Tier 4 entity could easily overpower Vahn, but they had little chance of success while being restricted by the Laws and vows that kept their power in check. As a result, Odin's aura was being steadily overpowered as a black void shrouded Vahn's silhouette, the very fabric of Space and Time bending around him while azure lightning danced across his scales.Just as the tension had grown to the point where it felt like things were about to 'break', Odin began laughing out boisterously while even Seigfried and Jeanne showed 'relieved' expressions. Vahn was confused by their reactions until Odin stated, "You certainly have the right conviction, Vahn Mason, even if you lack the experience and proper foresight. Don't worry, as we have already made the decision to allow you to do as you please, so long as you do not begin arbitrarily suppressing others and actively begin fighting against the gods. Since your Alliance has the support of so many gods, while each action you've taken has shown a marked increase in the average potential of the surface races, our organization, Legend, had decided to simply observe. Cú Chulainn was there to see how the battle between the Alliance and the Rakia Kingdom played out. His attack against you was the result of his own prerogative, not something that had been directed by myself, Zeus, or Hera. We lack the authority to meaningfully direct any of the Heroes here, as it would restrict their growth and stall their advancement towards godhood. Those that take action do so because they choose to, not because they are representing the entire organization..."Unless it was a genuine 'threat' that had been identified and agreed upon, Legend would never take 'proactive' action against any force or individual. Though there were certainly some incidents that skirted the line, such as when Hera scouted Vahn as a result of the latter having offended Zeus, that was an exception. She still had to provide adequate benefits to the Heroes that would assist her, as having any of them take action for her own personal reasons was nearly impossible. Siegfried had only gone along as a result of his eternal vendetta against Dragons while Jeanne's only purpose had been to serve as a bodyguard, fighting only to protect Hera if Vahn had lashed out in retaliation.As much as he was annoyed by the situation, Vahn knew that an entire organization, especially if it was structured as more of an 'alliance', couldn't be held accountable for the actions of every member. It would be the same as the Alliance being held responsible for a Familia going rogue and causing conflict. Though they would certainly try to mediate the conflict, accountability would still fall to the offending Familia, not the organization as a whole. Depending on the nature of the offense, the Familia in question would be kicked out of the Alliance, assuming it hadn't been wiped out during the conflict...Resisting the urge to rub his temples, which had been throbbing from his lack of mental energy, Vahn released a sigh through his nose and said, "Regardless of the reasons, you should try and limit the members of Legend from trying to interfere with the Alliance. If anything, you all should have taken action in regards to Rakia and the Iron Hills long ago, instead of letting such broken systems continue to exist. Since you neglected to do anything against them, you have lost the right to take action against me for correcting the societal imbalances in the Continent. From now on, I will work to unify all nine regions of Eden, bringing them under the governance of a single organization to allow for the greater prosperity of every Nation, Country, and Kingdom. Unless you intend to become the very type of organization you purport to fight against, willing to indiscriminately slaughter innocents in order to prevent my rise, then you will stay out of my way. Someone has to care about the lives of those who cannot fight for themselves...if you stand in my way, then all of Legend will become my enemy...!"(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Poor Odin, having to watch Legend fail because of Zeus and Hera xD...','The Mortal World belongs to the Mortals...!','Some people 'play' Hero, while others choose to act when they see atrocities occurring. The Emperor's Decree...!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

With a reformed height of 190cm, azure blue scales intermixed with a pattern of gold, glowing runic tattoos covering his body, and majestic golden antlers protruding through his azure hair, Vahn stood within the quaking void as he overlooked the devastation below. His eyes were a vibrant golden color that radiated like the sun while his pupils had become like thin reptilian slits. Other than the peculiar golden wheel behind his back, the most striking feature he possessed currently was the azure lightning that coiled around his scales and danced between his body and the wheel. Wherever the arcs of 'lightning' spread, a black emptiness would be left within the void before space tried to repair itself.Vahn found himself in a strange state where he was suffused with intense rage while also feeling extremely calm, contemptuous thoughts welling up inside him as he looked down upon the world. He didn't know who the man was but, based on the variables available, Vahn had a strong suspicion about where he had come from. His golden eyes turned towards the North-West region of the continent, almost as if his gaze could pierce through time and space. In the next moment, Vahn found himself in an area with an oppressive aura suffused through the atmosphere as an expansive City stretched out below him. The buildings looked extremely ancient but, as if unaffected by the passage of time, had an 'immaculate' quality to them. There wasn't even a single sign of fauna, including a distinct lack of insect life that would typically be present in most environments...Upon blinking his eyes, Vahn found himself standing in the air above the battlefield once again, causing him to squint as a result of the mild confusion he felt. It was almost as if his 'intent' had been able to travel to where he wanted to view and, testing this theory, Vahn found himself looking down at the Elsos Ruins in the Dark Continent a moment later. This time, he 'moved' his body and found himself tearing through the void as, instead of just his intent being present above the Ruins, his body had formed as if there had been no distance separating him and Orario from the start. His energy reserves had taken a massive hit but were quickly replenishing as Vahn once again found his 'intent' above the battleground before tearing through space as if it were just a slightly resistive membrane...With most of his reserves sunk in the two spatial transfers, Vahn felt the 'contempt' that had invaded his mind slowly begin to fade away. He saw that Haruhime had recovered Ioke while Lefiya treated the unconscious goddess' injuries. Ais, along with most of the girls that had been observing the battle take place, had formed a defensive line to protect the City. Most of the citizens that had been content to simply watch had started evacuating very quickly with the assistance of the Alliance and the various Adventurers who had gathered. The festive atmosphere from before had completely vanished the moment the golden spear had descended, leaving a deep cross-shaped scar in the terrain while the surroundings had sunken inward after the massive explosion...Vahn estimated the strength of the person that had attacked him to be around the peak of Level 8 while the attack they had used was likely related to an Innate. It had been completely indefensible as, from the moment the spearman had locked onto his target, they would be weighed down by an incredible pressure that made even dodging impossible. Vahn wasn't even sure if he would be able to evade it in his Lightning Emperor form, as the attack had torn through him faster than his already ridiculous perception could process. From the moment he had sensed the attack, several kilometers away, to the time he had been run through, it was almost as if no time had passed at all...Because of this, and the fact that such individuals simply couldn't exist in secret, Vahn supposed that the man had belonged to the faction of Zeus and Hera. Other than Siegfried and Jeanne, Vahn had yet to meet anyone who was remotely close to the spearman in strength. He had to be some Hero from History who had fallen out of the limelight after events Vahn could only begin to speculate over. All he knew for certain, even though he was unaware of the reasons, it seemed like this group of people had become antagonistic towards him. This realization, combined with the wrath he had felt previously, caused Vahn to enter into his Azure Dragon form for the first time as thoughts of what might happen if he wasn't careful played themselves through his mind.The weakest person he had seen from the group had been Jeanne, even though Vahn also 'felt' that he wouldn't actually be able to beat her. Even she had been Level 8, meaning there was a very high probability that others in their organization were also around a similar degree of strength. If anyone in their group had Innates that would allow them to breach the Manor, it meant none of his family was safe if they were truly at odds with each other. Though Terra should be able to keep everyone safe, there was no way of knowing how an Innate could manifest. Understanding this, Vahn once again turned his eyes towards the North-West as rage and contempt began to permeate through every fiber of his being...As he was thinking of wreaking havoc at the ancient-looking city atop the mountain, Haruhime's voice entered Vahn's mind, asking, ("Vahn, what happened? What do you want us to do...?"). Vahn could hear the concern in her voice as it echoed within his mind, causing a bit of the rage he felt to diminish as he looked toward where the girls were gathered and sent a broad telepathic response, ("This is a group of enemies that you all aren't prepared to face. Not only are their Innates polished over hundreds of years, but the weakest in their group is over Level 8. Return to the Manor and protect our family. I don't think they will attack within the City, but there is a chance one of them may try to infiltrate the Manor...please, keep everyone safe.")Since they may try to insist on helping, Vahn averted his eyes when he was finished speaking, sending his intent thousands of kilometers in an instant before tearing through the void. The oppressive energy in the air made it feel like he was trying to swim through liquid metal that had been compressed under intense pressure. Vahn felt like, as he was tearing through the void, his body was also being torn apart in the process. However, with the immortality he possessed through his [Magia Erebea], Vahn was able to complete the transfer as the golden blood in his body defied gravity to return to him, sealing up his wounds almost instantly.Almost as soon as he broke through into this condensed space, Vahn knew he had been detected and, a few seconds after his arrival, several hundred armored warriors had ascended into the sky. Though he didn't feel much of anything at the moment, Vahn was mildly surprised to see that, of the nearly three-hundred warriors, each of them looked like ethereal beauties that practically 'screamed' the word Valkyrie in the back of his mind. Each wore ornate blue and black armor that was adorned with gold, the only exception being their white battledresses and the feathers in their visored helmets. They had dark-grey metallic wings and either wielded halberds or paired swords and kite shields, each glimmering with the resplendence of A and S-Rank items...Even though the entire group consisted of Level 5 warriors, with a few Level 6s and 7s mixed in, the only thing Vahn felt after his momentary surprise was absolute contempt. The closer they charged to him, the dimmer the world became until one of the Level 7s, a woman with pristine white hair and blue-grey eyes, was merely ten meters away from him. With this occurrence, Vahn felt like time had actually stopped completely, even though he could still see the lightning moving in slow motion across his azure-blue scales. It seemed that his Azure Dragon transformation not only gave him the ability to manipulate space, but it was heavily affecting his perception of time as well.From the perspective of reality, unobserved, both Time and Space, while being fundamental Laws that governed almost every record, didn't actually exist. There was no 'distance' between two points unless you had the means to measure it through the lens of your perception, given by the ego and interpreted by whatever instrument you used to view reality. If you were able to exist outside of records, where even Laws themselves didn't exist, you could view the inside and choose any point in Time and Space, regardless of the location or if it was in the past, present, or future. It was only when you were inside of the record, bound by its Laws, that the two concepts had any influence over you in a meaningful way...With the ability to move through and manipulate Space, which could not exist without Time, Vahn was secondarily able to have some degree of control over the later. Though he could not tear through time, as he could Space, just having the ability to change his perception of Time, and its relation to the Space around him, gave Vahn a degree of power that his own mind was having trouble keeping up with. If not for the strange state he found himself in, Vahn wasn't sure if he would be able to make sense of any of the phenomenon happening around him, even with all the Time in the world to do so...Though he would normally have to strain his muscles to move in this state, as his body simply couldn't keep up with his mind, Vahn was able to 'shrink' and 'tear' through space without Time seeming the affect him. Instead of straining himself, it felt like he was moving through a dense and fiery liquid as a black trail existed where his body had been previous. Vahn could even see 'light', or the Space around where his hand had been, slowly collapsing in on itself as the mana and light in the air flowed in to fill the 'nothingness' that had been left behind.During Vahn's 'simple' movement, where he had lifted his hand up in a seemingly casual manner, the leading Valkyrie hadn't even moved a single millimeter through the air as even her pupils were contracting at a ridiculously slow rate. It wasn't uncommon for powerful warriors to have a perception and mental acuity that far outstripped their physical capabilities so, even though the Valkyrie was seemingly frozen in time, her mind was slowly processing what was happening...Vahn felt like he had all the time in the world to contemplate his next choice of action thus, after what felt like several minutes of thinking, he had made his choice. None of these Valkyries had dark auras so Vahn didn't want to kill them, especially since there was a chance he had misunderstood the situation. If the forces under Hera and Zeus weren't already antagonistic towards him, slaying these two-hundred-seventy-one Valkyries would most-certainly ensure that they would be in the future. The ideal situation would be one where they were able to compromise and avoid a direct engagement as even Siegfried and the spearman he had killed previously didn't actually have black auras.Willing the energy coiling around his body to become contained within, Vahn watched as the lightning slowly embedded itself into his scales. When the energy was gone, he moved through Space without actually moving his body, pressing his hand 'gently' against the leading Valkyrie's head. For a brief moment, Vahn felt something similar to static arc between his hand and her helmet as it 'blinked' away a few meters behind her. The Valkyrie's hair was still in the same position, as if her helmet was still in place, as Vahn pressed his palm against her bare forehead this time. As if it was liquid slowly spreading through a cloth, Vahn watched as his own condensed Source Energy slowly turned his palm into a rainbow hue that spread into the Valkyrie's forehead, illuminating her fair skin as he gave her head a light caress.In the next instant, Vahn felt his percept shift before his body had torn through Space once again, placing him in front of the next Valkyrie, a Level 6 with deep-blue hair that was almost black. This process repeated two-hundred-and-seventy-one times, all in the time it took for the entire 'flock' of Valkyrie to move forward just a few centimeters. By the time Vahn had finished, allowing color to return to the world, the entire group of winged-warriors was falling limply through the sky, their consciousness robbed by his caress. Vahn supported their falling bodies by anchoring them using telekinesis through his domain. Though they would be fine, regardless of how far they fell, Vahn would feel guilty later if he let nearly three hundred women crash to the ground, especially when he could easily prevent it...With his 'stunt' complete, Vahn felt like every nerve in his body was on fire while his mind felt incredibly sluggish, even with his reserves steadily replenishing. His Mental Energy had drained a great deal and, if not for the fact he was meditating back at the Manor, having two bodies would probably cause him to break down like when he first used his avatar in the Sub-Space orb while his body returned to reality. When Vahn's perception of time had caused the world to slow to a crawl, this wasn't the same thing that his body was experiencing back at the Manor. This caused him to feel an intense mental strain and it was likely he wouldn't be able to perform such feats in sequence without his avatar breaking down entirely.Ignoring the feeling of his brain 'splitting' down the center, Vahn descended into the Ancient City, his target one of the few auras present within his domain, excluding the Valkyrie. The owner of the aura was a small boy, seemingly no older than ten years old, with white hair and heterochromatic eyes. One was light-grey in coloration, glowing with a subtle light, while the other was a pale-purple, a peculiar color, though not nearly as peculiar as its glowing counterpart. He was wearing a long-sleeved dress shirt, fasted together by ornate silver buttons, with a pair of brown shorts that were held by suspenders. The boy also had a beige flat cap, white socks, and a pair of brown loafers that gave him an appearance that contrasted with anyone Vahn had ever met previously.Without showing any fear whatsoever, the boy had an innocent looking smile on his face as his big eyes were locked on to Vahn. When they were within a comfortable speaking distance, the boy's smile grew marginally wider as he said, "That ability of yours is amazing, Vahn Mason. Quantum Tunneling and Inter-Temporal Acceleration are exceedingly rare, even amongst the monsters here in the City of Heroes~!" The boy seemed more excited by Vahn's display of taking down the Valkyrie than worried about his own safety. Even his aura was a sunny yellow with strands of blue and subtle greens that showed amicability and curiosity.Vahn felt like his momentum was heavily affected by the boy's nature but, understanding it could be an Innate, he didn't drop his guard as he asked, "Who are you? Where are Zeus and Hera...?" He also wanted to ask about the 'City of Heroes' but, considering existences like Siegfried and Jeanne likely resided here, it wasn't really that surprising. In response to his inquiries, the boy seemed to get even more excited as he raised his head proudly while placing his hand over his heart as he said, "My name is Paracelsus, the Medicine King! I'm also a [Philospher] tier Alchemist so if you need to treat an incurable disease, or want high-grade Elixirs, feel free to ask me and I'll give you a good deal~!"(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'If you are moving through Space, you are always moving through Time, even if you are displacing both (UwU)~!','Ougi, Serious Series, Serious Head Patting~!','There goes the momentum :infiniteKeks:')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Chapter 912: Exasperation