Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Watching the Amazonian crew at work was almost like watching a skilled artisan create a masterpiece. Each coordinated their efforts according to the commands of the hawk-eyed Amazoness steering the ship, never once stopping to doubt or question the orders issued. Other than Kali, Vahn, Tione, and Tiona, there wasn't a single idle hand as even Bache took over one of the guidelines for the main masted sails. It would usually take a much larger crew to man a vessel of this size but, with the monstrous strength of the Amazonesses, they were able to easily perform the duties of several people with individual members.Tiona had been a little antsy ever since setting sail, eyeing the crew hard at work as she fidgetted about on the deck. Kali gave her an amused look, commenting, "See, Vahn, it is the instinct of a true Amazoness to take action. Life is a machine in perpetual motion, constantly threatening to consume those who sit in place, accepting a life of stagnation and complacency. The number of lives that have been lost because of such a foolish concept such as 'civilization' far outstrips the lives of those who live and die by the law of the jungle. As you continue to play at making a world where people can live 'free', you are really just creating a prison that perpetuates excess life and death. Those who live in such a society will turn passive, living amongst excess and going against the natural order as their numbers expand exponentially, leeching off the power and resources provided to them by the strong..."As a Goddess of Death, Kali was intimately familiar with Life as well, being that the two were the opposite sides of the same coin. There had been a time before Death, causing even the gods themselves to go mad as they sought an end to the endlessly perpetuating cycle. Without death, the world could never exist in balance while those who seek to preserve the lives of others indiscriminately only upset the natural order. She didn't fault Vahn for desiring a world with 'needless' suffering, but the world he envisioned also led to an increased reliance on resources, leading to greater consumption, waste, and inevitable decay. People propagated even faster during 'peaceful' times and, without the lingering threat of death, they would steadily grow complacent, dooming the very civilization that supports them out of the greed and expectation that always accompanies such development...Vahn had been standing near the center of the deck, making sure he wasn't in the way of any of the Amazonesses as they performed their duties. Hearing Kali's words, his expression hardened since most of the goddesses, especially Loki, had mentioned similar things. They had all seen Empires, Kingdomes, even entire civilizations, rise and fall over the course of the Mortal World's long History. Orario was only a City that had existed for a thousand years while there were several Ancient Kingdoms that had come to ruin well over ten-thousand years ago. Some of these had even persisted for far longer than Orario itself and, in almost every case, it was 'prosperity' itself that led to their ruin...Passing his gaze over the silent Tione and the giddy Tiona, Vahn then set his sights on Kali herself as he replied, "I won't deny that your words hold a great deal of truth, Kali...however, just because something has 'always' been one way, that doesn't mean it can't become something else. After all, more than a thousand years ago the concept of gods roaming amongst mortals didn't even exist. The world is constantly in flux, moving forward as other variables are introduced into the complex equation that is life. In my short time, I have seen and done many things that even gods older than you had deemed impossible...even if my vision of the future fails, I will pick up the pieces and try again, no matter how many times it takes. That is the persistence of humanity, the very thing that has intrigued gods since the birth of primordial man..."Vahn had accepted long ago that he was very likely to fail on his path, perhaps even several times in sequence. Over the course of an 'eternity' that even exceeded entire records, Vahn knew he may even experience events that led to the destruction of entire universes. Even so, he was determined to continue forward until he could create the world he envisioned, knowing full well that he may become the very lynchpin maintaining the balance between 'good' and 'evil' in the future. This was something even Kali, having existed more than five hundred million years, couldn't even conceptualize in a meaningful way...Kali was slightly surprised by Vahn's conviction and, knowing some of the feats he had performed, she couldn't help but agree with him, even if only a little. In fact, she was currently thinking about what it would be like to get pregnant and give birth, a thought that had never even crossed her mind previously. The existence of the Vanir, a completely new race that 'defied' nearly a billion years of 'common sense' was the truest testament to Vahn's words. Even his remark about the gods descending to the Mortal World was true, which was one of the reasons she herself had descended in the past.With a thoughtful expression on her face, Kali pulled up her leg to get comfortable, taking note of the fact that Vahn averted his eyes in the process. This caused her smile to turn mischevious as she made no effort to adjust the piece of fabric that was supposed to conceal her nudity. Though she would dig the eyes out of a normal man's skull for daring to peak at her, Kali treated Vahn an exception and found his reaction entertaining. She wondered how long he would fret over such a small and inconsequential matter and wanted to tease him since it was his decision not to 'play along' when she wore proper clothing.After averting his eyes from Kali's figure, Vahn looked to Tiona and said, "If you want to help out, I'm sure they could use the assistance. The same goes for you Tione, though you don't have to push yourself if you want to just enjoy the journey. I'll continue to observe for a while and try to pick up small duties after a few days pass..." Even though they were 'guests' on the ship, Vahn felt it would potentially become very boring for Tiona and Tione if they sat still the entire time. They were the type that needed to enter the Dungeon every few days to vent stress, even though they spent a lot of time training and sparring. The three-month long journey wouldn't be easy for them as Tiona could already hardly contain herself...With Vahn's consent, Tiona released a happy 'Yosh~!' as she ran over and 'liberated' one of the main mast's guidelines from an unsuspecting Amazoness. This was the paired line to Bache and, outside of steering the rudder, it gave the most control over the direction and progress of the ship. Tiona had a happy smile on her face as she easily coordinated with the other Amazonesses, almost as if she had been part of the crew for years. As for the Amazoness who had lost her duty, she immediately moved to assist elsewhere, not even sparing Tiona a second glance since there was a 'vast' difference in both their status and strength.Tione watched her younger sister with a small amount of incredulity in her gaze before releasing a sigh and saying, "I'll rest for a while before joining the fishing team once we get out to sea..." She hadn't really expected to start working alongside the crew so early but, after thinking about how boring and troublesome it would be to just stand around, Tione accepted reality and thought about how she could best help out without getting in the way. Back when they were both sailing on Kali's ship, her duty had been the same as the small girl beating the large drum so her actual sailing experience was lacking compared to Tiona's. Since it would be very demeaning for her to beat the drum at her age, Tione decided she would catch the biggest fish during the competition that was bound to occur later...After their short exchange, Vahn and Tione just watched the crew guide the ship into open waters, entering into the Serpent Sea as the mainland quickly began to shrink on the horizon. Vahn had seen the sea several times from high above but it was his first time seeing such a vast expanse of water up close. It was somewhat surprising and strangely 'eerie' to see so much water, especially with the land shrinking in the distance. His curiosity about what lay in the depths increased the further they went out but, even though he would easily be able to catch back up with the ship, Vahn stayed at Tione's side and continued to support her for the time being...During this time, Kali had been watching him intently and, even though Vahn was aware of it, he refused to look in her direction ever since they had reached open seas. It was surprisingly windy out at sea and, with Kali's 'negligible' clothing, there were constant flashes of tender skin that he'd much rather avoid perusing. Part of him wanted to pull out another dress and 'force' her to wear it but, given the circumstances, it would be impossible to convince her without coming to some kind of compromise. He knew this is what she was waiting for as her smile had grown increasingly large while her posture became progressively more slovenly...Eventually, a change occurred on deck as the hawk-eyes helmswoman issued orders to go half-sail while adjusting the ship's course at an angle against the wind. This started them on a zig-zagging pattern that allowed them to progress forward, even against a headwind, as most of the oars were pulled back into the ship. A few minutes later, some of the crew appeared from below-decks, the majority of their clothing removed. Other than their waterproof tops, bottoms, and some stockings, most of these Amazonesses had completely discarded the majority of their already revealing outfits.At this point, Tione also began to store her excess equipment into her storage bracelet, causing Kali's brows to rise slightly but otherwise remain silent. As for Tione herself, she turned to Vahn and said, "I need to catch the biggest fish, so I'll probably be under for a while. You don't have to worry unless I send you a telepathic message..." With these words, Tione began to stretch her body for a short while before leaping overboard and diving into the water below. This started a chain reaction amongst the other scantily clad Amazonesses who almost immediately dove in after her, each disappearing into the sea's depths. Even the small Amazoness girl, no longer having to create the cadence for the rowing crew to follow, jumped down into the murky and cold water below...Kali had noticed Vahn's reaction when he watched the youngest of her crew jump overboard, commenting, "She would be very insulted if you tried to advise her against fishing with everyone else. You'll come to understand Amazonesses better in the future, Vahn...for now, you should just observe. If you want to step in during an emergency, however, feel free...assuming you are willing to take responsibility~." Just as an Amazoness would get excited watching a strong potential mate in battle, they could become equally excited if a strong potential mate saved their lives. One of the ways to 'fish' for an Amazoness that would dedicate themselves to you, at least for a short while, was to try and save them when they were in dire straits. After all, even if you were weaker than them, the fact you helped them overcome a situation where they would have otherwise perished left quite an impression on the Amazoness in question...Vahn withheld a sigh after hearing Kali's words before doing something she, and most of the other Amazonesses hadn't quite expected. Since it was a little awkward to just stand in the middle of the deck doing nothing, Vahn unequipped his top before changing into a pair of diving shorts. This left his own tanned skin exposed to the brisk sea breeze as more than twenty pairs of eyes 'locked' onto his body. Ignoring the heated gazes, Vahn leaped high into the air, lingering for a few seconds before diving down into the water with unexpected momentum. His rather dynamic entry caused a plume of water to erupt at the side of the ship as he barreled through the water faster than most of the Amazonesses themselves could manage...Though he didn't possess the [Diving] Development Ability, Vahn was able to move through the water with even greater ease than he could fly through the air. He sacrificed a lot of agility but, by moving the water ahead of him to the side, Vahn was able to move at supersonic speeds through the water. Since his domain allowed him to detect life in the depths, he made a beeline towards a large shark-like creature that was around 18m long. It should have more than enough meat to feed the entire crew so he quickly skewered the side of its neck, sending a blade-like pulse of energy that completely decapitated the rather surprised creature.After grabbing the still-twitching tail, Vahn was preparing to make his way back to the surface before stopping for a moment and looking at his surroundings. He had gone down to around 300m in a very short period of time, causing there to be almost no visibility, at least under normal circumstances. With his [Eyes of Truth], Vahn could easily see through the murky water where even the sun's light could barely reach. He could see large schools of fish and even larger singular creatures swimming about in the distance. There was even a serpent that was more than 30m long, currently being tag-teamed by two incredibly agile Amazonesses who were quickly causing it to bleed out as it futilely struggled against them...Turning his attention away from the duo, Vahn's eyes passed over the area where the youngest Amazoness was rapidly swimming after a fish more than three times her size. It looked like a type of tuna and, even though it was darting through the water at more than 80km/h, the young Amazoness was keeping pace, matching every twist and turn with her tiny body as she steadily closed the distance between them. He noticed that, though Amazonesses weren't particularly known for treating their young well, there were a few nearby the younger Amazoness that were keeping an eye on her, both out of intrigue and just the smallest modicum of concern...After watching the chase for a few seconds, Vahn felt a shockwave pass through the water that was followed by a loud yet muffled thump. Though he had been keeping tabs on her, Vahn was a little surprised to see Tione dragging a massive crab that was over 10m across up towards the surface. It wasn't really the 'biggest' catch, but the strength and difficulty of capturing such a creature were much higher than even fighting against the serpent. Unlike the latter, the crab in Tione's grasp was known as a Titan Stone Crab, a type of monster that was the equivalent of a Level 3 monster. The serpent was just a large sea-dwelling creature that had grown large from exposure to the mana leaking out from some of the connecting points to the Dungeon below. If it were to come across the Titan Stone Crab, it would be killed almost instantly, making the latter far more 'impressive' of a catch...Vahn suddenly felt like his 18m long shark was significantly less impressive than his initial impression. However, not wanting to show up Tione, Vahn threw it into his Inventory before moving on to catch something 'slightly' smaller than her Titan Stone Crab. He found a relatively rare Emerald Tortoise that was also around Level 3 but was much easier to deal with since they were relatively slow. Using his Xuanwu form, Vahn easily broke through the monster's notoriously high defense before dragging it towards the surface. Though he could store it in his Inventory, everyone else was dragging their prey back so Vahn felt compelled to do the same...After Vahn had dived down below, Kali had risen from her seat before making her way to the side of the ship, her crimson eyes glimmering with interest as she looked at the surface of the water below. She didn't have the ability to see through the depths, but she could feel several lives being extinguished and was curious about what kind of prey Vahn would bring back. Even she hadn't expected him to suddenly strip down and jump into the water, causing her to stare slightly wide-eyed with the other Amazoness when he revealed his body. Though it wasn't the most impressive figure she had ever seen, Vahn was significantly more 'developed' than she had expected. As a result, slowly but surely, Kali's intrigue in the anomalous boy continued to grow...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Death is part of life. Those who cannot die, seek it. Those who can die, run from it. The truly wise seek a worthy death, the culmination of all their life's achievements, never fearing the future they had a hand in shaping','Clinging to the past denies the future; failing to learn from the past perpetuates the cycle anew...','Go, tiny Amazoness, catch the fishy...!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

After nearly five days at sea, Vahn found himself standing at the edge of the bowsprit, the protruding beam that jutted from the front of the ship. It was currently late in the evening and Vahn was enjoying the cold night air while staring up at the vast ocean of stars above. Tiona and Tione had already integrated with the crew rather quickly and, being the strongest Amazonesses on board, the crew showed them a great deal of respect and reverence. The same could be said about their treatment towards him, especially with Tiona constantly talking about how strong he was, but there was far more 'intent' behind how they looked towards him as compared to the two girls.Over the last few days, Vahn's role on the ship had essentially become that of the lookout since his domain allowed him to even detect what was deep beneath the water's surface. Even though he could probably do any number of other roles, it felt a little awkward for him to step into the place of someone else, especially since none of the crew seemed to need help. Because of this, Vahn decided to stay out of the way, absentminded focusing on his domain while spending time with his children back at the Manor. The only time Vahn was fully focused on what was happening on the ship was when it was time to go diving, which he generally enjoyed, and when it was time to prep food.Unless it was a type of fish known to be poisonous, most of the prey hunted by the crew was eaten completely raw, without even a basic level of preparation. Though the basic flavor of creatures that had an ample amount of mana was already good, Vahn wasn't too fond of eating bland foods after learning to prepare meals properly. As a result, he became the de facto chef within the crew and would prepare a hearty and delicious meal during the morning and just before sunset. For the rest of the day, the Amazonesses would generally focus on making as much progress on the open sea as possible since the ship was forced to travel much slower at night. The majority of the crew would be sleeping in the evening so there was typically only a skeleton crew manning the ship while Vahn kept watch over the surrounding sea...While enjoying the evening breeze flowing through his hair, Vahn was also paying attention to the figure that was observing him from behind. Throughout the entire journey thus far, Kali had spent most of her time simply watching him from her elevated platform. As a goddess, she could also completely forgo sleep if she chose, allowing her to constantly train her focus on him even in the dead of the night. Vahn had already grown accustomed to this behavior of her's but still found it somewhat troublesome as it made it difficult to interact with her normally. At this point, it almost felt like a 'game' between the two of them, one where Kali would wear 'proper' clothing to get closer to him, or Vahn would 'give up' and broach a subject in order to shorten the distance between them. Thus far, other than at meals, they rarely talked to each other, even though this journey was supposed to be one where he could familiarize himself with Kali and her Familia...Since there was still well over ten weeks left on the journey, Vahn didn't feel too constrained on time and decided to just leave matters as they were for the time being. The more important thing to worry about, at least at the present, was the subtle changes occurring in the weather. Vahn could feel a bit of warm wind mixed into the cold air tickling his skin, combined with a subtle shift in the smell of the surrounding sea. He could also tell that the water below was beginning to grow tumultuous and, even though it hadn't hit yet, the chance of a storm forming seemed very high. One of the most dangerous things any crew would face during their journey across the vast sea was the potential of facing a storm during the dead of night. The chance of an accident occurring increased exponentially and some of the waves could grow so large they would easily capsize the ship of an inexperienced crew.There was still more than enough time for the crew to react to the forming storm and, even without him taking action, Vahn knew things wouldn't end badly. Though there was a chance something could happen, the crew aboard the ship was far from inexperienced and, from what he had heard, they had never once lost a vessel out at sea. Even having people fall overboard wasn't that big of an issue as most of the Amazonesses could build up enough speed in the water to literally 'leap' out of the sea and back onto the deck above. They didn't even both to use a rope to tie themselves down to avoid mishaps, fully trusting in their experience and capabilities to whether the storm...Vahn was interested to see what many of the Amazonesses referred to as an 'exciting' evening but, knowing that most of the crew had gone to sleep only two hours prior, Vahn didn't really want to bother them. A storm could persist anywhere from several hours, to even several days, setting the ship back just as long since it was almost impossible to navigate when you couldn't even see the sky and get your bearings. Because of this, Vahn released a hot breath that sent up a plume of condensation before rising to his feet. He felt seven pairs of eyes immediately train on him, mostly out of general curiosity mixed with a hint of excitement and anticipation.Though it wasn't really his intention, Vahn felt like he was about to show off and it made him feel a little anxious as the 'habit' had never really left him. Even with hundreds of years of memories and experience, Vahn still felt a little childish at times, especially when he was being watched intently by women. Even so, he did his best to ignore them as his aquamarine eyes shifted into a stark blue that slowly transitioned towards an icy white. Holding out his hand, Vahn began to create a sphere of pure Ice Elemental energy with his 'Oblivion' skill, much like the [True Fire Sphere]s he had created in the past...Vahn could feel his reserves draining rapidly but he still managed to make a sphere that was 8cm across with relative ease. Though its temperature easily reached absolute zero, the pure white sphere Vahn had created had no effect over its surroundings at all. For the time being, it was completely contained within itself, just like how the [True Fire Sphere] wouldn't output any heat until it became unstable. This didn't mean that the sphere wasn't 'extremely' dangerous as even the briefest of contact with it would likely freeze a person so thoroughly that the very molecules in their body would break down, scattering away with the wind...Without delaying too much, Vahn created three magic circles, layered with a small amount of distance between them, each with only a single property: acceleration. Vahn sent what he generally called a [True Ice Sphere] into the first ward, instantly causing it to accelerate exponentially before the same occurred as it passed through the other two wards. The icy energy contained within actually shattered the magic circles themselves and caused the surrounding air temperature to drop a few degrees instantaneously as the orb itself seemingly 'vanished'. It had easily moved outside of Vahn's own detection range but, less than a minute later, it was 'very' obvious where the sphere had gone...In the distance, more than 50km away, a blue 'star' could be seen forming through the dense clouds that had started to obscure the night sky. It's radiance continued to increase until it seemed to illuminate the entire world below, casting a bluish white light down on the sea and the blood-red ship belonging to the Kali Familia. As for the crew of said vessel, they were staring wide-eyed towards the sky as even Kali herself rose from her raised platform to get a better look at the blue star that had continued to expand until it was like a small moon. Even at this distance, they could all feel the temperature dropping even further as the sea below slowly began to settle, becoming less tumultuous than it had been before...Unable to restrain her curiosity, Kali eventually tore her eyes away from the persistent blue star and made her way over to the bowsprit, asking, "What did you do, Vahn...?" She had never seen a mortal exercise as much power as Vahn had just demonstrated, seemingly without placing any discernable burden on himself. That kind of attack seemed like it could completely devastate entire Cities and, other than a few of the strongest individuals, most people would die under that single attack. Even as a god, Kali felt 'danger' from the icy energy tickling her skin, causing small goosebumps to dot her exposed arms and legs...Though it made him feel a little giddy, Vahn did his best to act casually as he explained, "Most storms are caused by temperature differentials, primarily when there is a difference between the temperature of the sea and the atmosphere above. By reducing the temperature within the atmosphere, I can either delay the formation of storm clouds, or completely prevent them if the conditions are ideal..." Since it was already nearing winter, it didn't take too much effort to further decrease the temperature, preventing the forming storm from taking shape. Though there was a chance his actions could cause a small blizzard to occur, it wasn't that likely since the cold air would fall towards the sea and dissipate rather quickly, cooling the surface water below and pushing the storm away from them.As Vahn was explaining things, Kali gave him a slightly incredulous look before inclining her head to view the blue star once again. It was only now beginning to slowly dissipate but she could tell that it would get 'much' colder before the surrounding temperature began to normalize again. She was almost tempted to 'complain', tasking Vahn with warming up her body as compensation for his actions. Reason cautioned her against this, however, and, seeing an example of what Vahn was capable of, Kali felt the need to reflect on a few things. She released a hot sigh that kicked up an even larger cloud of condensation than Vahn, feeling a cold chill run through her body in the process.Almost as soon as this shudder passed through her body, Kali suddenly felt very warm as calm and comfortable energy enveloped her body, completely dissipating the chill. This caused her to blink in confusion before she turned her blood-red eyes toward Vahn, seeing him avert his eyes once again before resuming his place on the bowsprit. Upon seeing this, Kali's face developed a mischevious smile as she made her way back to her own seat, noticing that the warmth that had enveloped her body also covered the majority of the ship. Her Amazonesses, as resistant to the cold as they were, would have been adversely affected if the temperature dropped too much. Now, instead of freezing temperatures and biting winds, there was a very comfortable warmth permeating throughout the ship that made the small buildup of ice in the sea seem like an illusion...Vahn had been tempted comment that, if Kali was cold, then she should wear some 'proper' clothing instead of the negligible amount of cloth that her raiment was comprised of. This sentence got stuck in his mind, however, as Vahn realized the full context of what he would have said. He had been 'ignoring' it for some time but Vahn now felt a small amount of confusion since he 'realized' that clothes that Kali was wearing weren't her own design. All gods had a raiment and, just as in the case of Loki and Hephaestus, not all were particularly fond of what they had been given. They didn't get to choose the form their raiment would take and, since the skimpy outfit Kali was wearing was much the same, Vahn couldn't really 'blame' her for wearing what the record, and fate itself, had assigned her...With thoughts like these on his mind, Vahn realized that he had been somewhat biased against Kali, wanting her to change to suit his standards, even though she had lived more than million times longer than he had. She was just living as 'naturally' as possible, matching the Amazonesses that worshipped her since long before she had descended into the Mortal World. Though he had every right to be uncomfortable with the situation, Vahn knew that he was just being obstinate as, regardless of how long he put it off, there wasn't anything even Kali could do about her physical appearance. Eventually, the time would come where he would either have to accept the reality of the situation, setting aside his personal bias, or he would have to live by that bias and accept the inevitable fallout that would occur...While thinking of things like this, Vahn had sent warm energy through his domain, constrained to the ship itself. He pretended to ignore the looks he was receiving and decided to focus on his thought, mulling over a variety of things as he tried to reason his way to a conclusion he could accept. Even after just five days, Vahn could tell that the Amzonesses in Kali's Familia genuinely enjoyed their lifestyle, including the younger Amazoness in the crew. They worked hard, played hard, and had a very strong camaraderie, even though they were also extremely competitive. Without exception, everyone did their duty and followed through on any task they were assigned, never questioning orders and always contributing their full effort for the benefit of everyone...If not for the fact he had seen the [Hearts Desire]s of Tiona, Tione, and even Aisha, Vahn would have felt that there was nothing wrong with a society that produced such a cohesive group of individuals. However, the 'crucible', which pitted Amazonesses as young as four years old against each other, was undoubtedly something that existed back in Telskyura. For girls like Tiona, Tione, and Aisha, the 'unique' Amazonesses, it was a living nightmare that they had only been able to escape through extreme effort and circumstance. However, this was just one side of the equation and it was only now that Vahn realized he hadn't really seen the event from the perspective of a 'normal' Amazoness...After seeing the influence of 'instinct' on other races, especially the True Dragons and Beast Humans, Vahn knew it was almost impossible to inhibit natural urges without several 'severe' consequences. He knew that Amazonesses, even young ones, had a propensity towards expressing themselves physically while having extremely competitive and borderline prideful natures. If more than 95% of a population's children had that same disposition, it wasn't hard to imagine how their culture would have developed over time. Without a strength-based hierarchy to keep order, or having an outlet to express themselves, it was possible that young Amazoness children would suffer severe psychological strain and a variety of other health issues...Realizing this, Vahn released a long and exasperated sigh, muttering, "Why does this world feel like it places limits on everything...?" Even the very gods in Heaven were severely limited because of the compulsion of their Divinity. Now, Vahn realized that almost everything that made up the existing structure of Danmachi was much the same, a series of biological, mental, or even spiritual limitations. Even he, having bonded with a 'limitless' existence such as The Path was still bound by the Laws of the record, unable to grow unless he made a concerted effort and worked tirelessly to comprehend the very Laws themselves. Though this made each accomplishment feel 'worth' it, Vahn was starting to realize that his perspective towards how he treated others, and even the world itself, had been through a very heavy and personal bias...Ever since he had started gaining power, Vahn had been on a path where he was forcibly changing the world to suit his perspective. Even though the world had existed long before his intrusion, he was forcing it to change over a very short period of time, imposing his will onto others. Since he was doing this for the 'right' reasons, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but the way he had gone about things had, at times, been both foolish and childish. Without the tireless support of goddesses infinitely more experienced than he was, Vahn would have failed from the outset, likely losing his life as the result of making a foolish decision that he hadn't properly thought out...With this thought lingering in his mind, Vahn looked toward the area where the [True Ice Sphere] had detonated and wondered how much he would change the records he visited in the future, all for his own selfish reasons. After all, if he chose to avoid a record, it's entire History would have played out without his influence, including the lives of several trillion individuals, both good and bad. The part of History that represented the events he knew from the manga were nothing but a momentary blip in a vast expanse of time that could stretch for billions of years, if not longer...yet, even knowing this, Vahn still forcibly changed things, knowing full well that he would likely make several mistakes along the way...After reaching this conclusion, a small smile spread across Vahn's face as he closed his eyes and enjoyed the brisk evening air once again. As he had told Kali previously, he would indeed make mistakes along the way and, no matter how many times it took, Vahn would pick up the pieces and try again. His actions may be selfish but, so long as 'life' persisted, seeking changes both positive and negative, everyone possessing an ego was just as selfish. Even the people lauded as Heroes were just individuals that possessed enough power to bring about the changes they had selfishly sought after becoming dissatisfied with the world they had been born into. This was yet another 'natural' part of life and, instead of fretting over things he was unable to influence, at least for now, Vahn wondered if it wouldn't be better to simply enjoy the life he had already created for himself...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Life is motion','Some things never change...','Some things shouldn't be changed...?')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

After taking care of the port officials, Vahn and Tiona had joined up with the ready to depart Amazonesses, Tione silently sitting at his side. Her aura was weak but stable as she leaned against Vahn's shoulder, ignoring the looks of her kinsmen that would periodically glance toward her or, more specifically, Vahn. They were all interested in the man that their goddess was escorting back to their homeland, a place where men were not allowed to trespass. Vahn joined Tione in completely ignoring them, all while Kali made casual conversation with Tiona for the short trip between the shore and the blood-red Brig Sloop anchored in the port's center.By the time the Amazonesses onboard had thrown ropes down to those waiting in the landing ship, Tione had taken a deep breath before hardening her expression and sitting straight. Now, instead of ignoring the looks she was receiving, Tione stared down the curious Amazonesses. There would be plenty of time to think later and it was more important, for the time being, that she remembered her 'purpose' on this trip. She needed to keep others in line and, if necessary, set an example to prevent any 'random' Amazoness from trying to approach Vahn.Vahn put a little bit of pressure into the hand he had on Tione's waist before kissing the side of her head and saying, "You don't have to force yourself. Take as much time as you need...Tiona and I can manage the rest, at least for the time being..." Knowing the 'emptiness' that followed successful vengeance, Vahn knew that Tione would take a while to accept the reality of the situation. If she recovered instantly after dealing with the source of her trauma, it would have been even more problematic. Emotions weren't something to be repressed in such circumstances as it could lead to other problems in the future whereas, not caring about the situation at all, would be the first steps towards developing psychosis and apathy towards life and death...Tione turned her eyes up at Vahn, her brown eyes shimmering for a moment before a smile spread across her face. Without saying anything, she began ignoring the surrounding Amazonesses once again and instead hugged Vahn's arm as she continued resting her head against his shoulder. As for the Amazonesses themselves, they were slightly surprised that someone as strong as Tione acted so 'docilely' around Vahn. Though they knew of his identity as 'the strongest' in Orario, they had never actually seen him perform any feats. Even seeing his battle against Ottar on the projection sphere didn't really have the same 'impact' as watching the fight in person. There was a lot that wasn't conveyed properly through an image, especially when it came to the overwhelming aura that usually emanated from Vahn when he was fighting seriously.Tiona had also been eyeing the interaction between her sister and Vahn, forcibly restraining her urge to snuggle up with the latter since she didn't want to butt after such a 'serious' development. She let her mind wander to what they could do later as, unlike Tione, she hadn't been affected by the death of Argana that much. Because she hadn't been particularly close to Tione in the past, she had never really interacted that much with Argana and only knew second-hand what kind of things Tione had to go through. She had resented her sister's tormentor quite a bit so the death of Argana was more of a 'happy' event for Tiona, not something to mourn and lament...Sensing the peculiar atmosphere on the small landing craft, Kali displayed an innocent smile, completely playing the part of her Chandi persona. Even the members of her own Familia, while being deferential towards her, were treating her differently than normal as they were already accustomed to Kali's 'shifts' in personality. While she was in her Chandi persona, they would treat her as if she were a young girl while doing their best to avoid directly antagonizing her. After all, though she appeared innocent, Kali was actually more dangerous as Chandi than her real form.Usually, Kali would laze about and just observe from the side unless the situation called for her to act directly. In her Chandi persona, however, Kali would proactively engage people and, if you did manage to offend her, it was almost the same as signing your death warrant. She would instantly transform from her relatively innocent self into a brutal and merciless killer, often in less time than it would take her victims to even process what happened...Kali usually adopted her Chandi form when dealing with outsiders who were completely unaware of her true nature. All they saw was an 'abnormal' Amazoness child that stood out from her kin, especially with her innocent appearance. There was no end to the number of people who would try to exploit such a young girl, giving Kali more than enough justification to beat them into 'literal' meat paste. She did, however, make sure to always introduce herself as Chandi which, to those who knew her native tongue, was a very big 'warning sign' as it meant 'slay evil without mercy'.With the landing craft being pulled up onto the deck of the Brig Sloop, Chandi hopped up to her feet and trotted over to an elevated platform with a thick cushion. The surrounding Amazonesses gave her a wide berth while those closest to the landing craft observed its occupants with interest. Many had respectful glints in their eyes as they looked upon Tione while the vast majority looked toward Vahn was a slightly predatory glimmer reflecting across their irises. Vahn's gaze also passed over them, albeit very briefly, as he committed their appearances and strength to memory.Most Amazonesses had similarly brown skin while, with the exception of a veiled woman, each had brown or reddish-brown hair. Like Tiona and Tione, nearly the entire crew had various shades of brown eyes, making Kali, Bache, and the Amazoness at the helm the only exceptions. Kali's eyes, even in her Chandi persona, were still blood red. As for Bache, she had the same pale-gold eyes as her sister while the helmswoman had sharp hazel-orange eyes like a hawk. For the brief moment when Vahn made eye contact with her, he noticed her eyes retract to points and it felt like her gaze had pierced him before she instinctually looked away, now slightly pale.While Vahn was standing on the deck with Tione, Tiona had walked over the Bache with an amiable smile on her face as she mused, "I'm even stronger than you now, Bache~." This caused Bache to nod her head slightly before a soft yet womanly voice sounded out behind her veil, saying, "That seems to be the case. Even though I was a terrible Master, I'm glad to see how much you've grown, Tiona. You truly are the pride of the Amazonesses..." As she finished saying this, Bache turned her eyes towards Tione, her eyes squinting slightly as if she were smiling, adding, "Your sister has also grown a great deal. I am happy the two of you were able to live a fulfilling life outside of Telskyura..."Even though she was Argana's twin sister, it had been nearly two decades since the two were genuinely close with each other. Ever since she received the scar on her face at only eight years old, Bache had never treated Argana as her sister. She had genuinely been afraid that the day would come when Argana would try and kill her, all in the pursuit of greater strength. Now that Argana was dead, she felt more relief than anything else since, more than any other Amazoness, Argana had killed the greatest number of their kin. Though she also reveled in battle, Bache had never been able to understand why Argana had been so 'bloodthirsty' since their youth...Tiona rubbed the back of her head with a sheepish smile on her face as she laughed, happy and embarrassed after being complimented. Unlike Tione and Argana, she had never really resented Bache and, after the latter began giving her books to read, the two had actually grown relatively close. The one thing Tiona had resented Bache for was the fact that her breasts were much larger but, after meeting Vahn, such things had become inconsequential. Now that she knew Bache would probably be her 'sister' in the future, as it was almost guaranteed she would bear Vahn's child, Tiona felt a little happy about how things had turned out...Unaware of the 'arrangements' that had been made for her, as she was unable to speak any language other than her native tongue, Bache looked toward Vahn and Tione with mild interest as she asked, "Is that boy really as strong as the rumors say...?" Since she was speaking in the Amazonian language, Bache was surprised when it was Vahn who smiled and answered, "I still have a long way to go before I can confidently call myself the strongest. However, if it is for the people I care about, there isn't anything in the world that can hold me back..."Vahn's words had caused most of the Amazonesses on deck to show genuine surprise as even Kali gave him a curious look, asking, "You can speak our language...?" Her question had been in their native tongue, causing Vahn to turn his attention back to her as he answered, "I can read, write, and speak in any language, including the language of the gods themselves..." Though it was a boon granted to him by The Path, Vahn was inextricably linked with it for the rest of eternity. Each function and ability it provided was a part of himself, something he had grown to accept with the passage of time.Kali's curiosity was piqued even further as this was something that hadn't been mentioned in the file provided by Loki. She didn't believe that the latter was unaware of this fact and, curious about the veracity of Vahn's claim, asked, "What am I saying right now...?" This time, she had spoken in a voice that caused everyone except Vahn to wince slightly as the language of the gods was something that 'should' be incomprehensible to mortals. They were words of power that were rarely used in the Mortal World as it would also cause the god in question to feel extreme fatigue for a short while.Since Vahn's 'translation' worked automatically, everything Kali said sounded completely normal to his ears. When he tried to respond, however, Vahn felt his energy reserves drain rapidly as he said, "You asked me what you're saying..." By the time the words had left his lips, Vahn had a small trickle of blood coming out of his left nostril that caused him to furrow his brows and activate his [Magia Erebea] constitution. He quickly healed while his reserves were rapidly replenishing, all while Kali looked at him with wide eyes and a large grin on her face. She suddenly felt like the next three months were going to be 'infinitely' more interesting than she had expected...Vahn felt like he had erred slightly but quickly recovered a stoic disposition as his mind raced with possibilities. He had felt the power contained within the words and wondered what kind of effect they would have if he used them in a spell's incantation. As Eva had emphasized 'a lot', there was a lot of power in words and, the older the language, the more powerful the effect. In the record of Danmachi, the language of the gods was the oldest language, existing far longer than the Mortal World and the concept of Magic itself. Because of this, Vahn decided to look into it using one of the Space-Time orbs, as his intuition warned him that things could easily go awry if he used it in the real world...Unaware that she had just made Vahn inordinately more powerful, Kali was also thinking about the future as she leaned to the side, resting her elbow against a small raised platform. For a moment, she had forgotten she was in her Chandi persona and had fallen into her rather uncouth habits, invalidating the purpose of her blue smock as she sat in a rather slovenly manner. This caused Vahn to snap out of his own thoughts, furrowing his brows slightly as he asked, "Where will we be staying during the voyage...?"Kali had noticed Vahn's reaction, the smile on her face vanishing as she adjusted her seated posture and explained, "My ship isn't exactly suited for the transport of passengers. Your choices are to sleep in my private quarters or below decks with my children. We don't have a lot of the luxuries you may be used to so you'll have to bunk up with me if you want to sleep on an actual bed. Keep in mind that I'm a 'rough' sleeper, however, kukukuku~." Kali had defaulted to the native tongue of the Amazonesses, allowing her children to understand clearly what she was saying. Now, the looks they gave Vahn contained a great deal of fervor as their goddess had never really shown any interest in men previously...As he had already scanned his intent across the ship, Vahn knew that Kali's words were actually the truth. Other than a few barrels full of preserved fruit and a few other essential supplies, they didn't even carry any food reserves. The large area below decks just had a few tightly bundled hammocks where the crew would sleep while all of their food was harvested from the sea. Even their fresh water was produced by boiling saltwater and processing the condensation and runoff into potable water that could be consumed sparingly. There weren't even any onboard weapons for dealing with pirates and sea monsters. Only the small private quarters at the back of the ship was properly furnished, though that itself was a bit of an exaggeration. Kali's 'bed' was just a wooden platform with a matted cushion nailed to it while the rest of the cabin was filled with strange ornamental furniture that served no practical purpose...Vahn was admittedly impressed with how seriously the Amazonesses were devoted to their lifestyle, even if he couldn't personally agree with some of their traditions. The fact they could sail out into the sea, seemingly without making any preparations, showed that they were completely dedicated to surviving through their own capabilities. If not for the fact they were transporting a few goods and required sleep, Vahn suspected they might even forgo the use of ships entirely. Since he had seen how agile Tiona and Tione could be in the water, Vahn knew that the Amazonesses could actually travel through the water much faster than the ship itself...In response to Kali's obvious 'taunt', Vahn's expression didn't change at all as he said, "It is only three months, so I'll stay on deck and observe throughout the journey. I'm pretty interested in sailing so it would be a good opportunity to see how professionals operate..." Since almost everyone had been paying attention to Vahn at this point, there were varying degrees of incredulity on the faces of several Amazonesses as they processed what he had just said. As for Kali, she gave a small frown, saying, "You really are no fun at times, Vahn...well, I can't say I'm not interested to see exactly how long you can last without sleep. If you get tired and pass out, I can't promise you'll wake up in the same condition that you fell asleep in though, shishishishi~."After laughing to her heart's content, Kali hopped up off her elevated platform and shimmied out of her smock before tossing her black-haired wig to the side. An Amazoness quickly scooped it up as Kali manifested a spiked bone mask, placing it over the upper half of her face. For a brief moment, she had actually been completely naked, wearing nothing but golden wristlets and anklets before her divine raiment took shape around her. Once her extremely revealing outfit had completely formed, Kali gave Vahn a mischevious smile before licking her lips and shouting, "Looks like we'll have an observer for the next three months, girls! Make sure you do your jobs properly so our guest is properly entertained! Khodiva, set sail for home~!"Following Kali's words, the Amazonesses on deck released a loud war cry as they set into motion, furling the sails and manually pulling up the two anchors before tying them down to the deck. It took less than a minute and a half before the ship was in motion, propelled against the wind by a series of long red oars that protruded from the side of the ship. One of the younger Amazonesses on the ship, even smaller than Kali, began beating a large drum in a rhythmic fashion, setting the tempo for the rowers below as the large Brig Sloop began to steadily accelerate through the water...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Moving Forward...','Language of the God's','Wise Sailors fear the sea during a storm while Amazonesses sail into it with smiles on their faces...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Chapter 934: Idle