Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

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

While on his sea voyage towards Telskyura, Vahn wasn't idle back at the Manor and, though he was supposed to be taking a 'break' from external affairs, it didn't mean he was completely unaware of what was going on. With the coming of winter and the drastic increase in the population of both Orario and the budding settlements near the former Dwarven Fortresses, there were a few food shortages expected as the large caravans that had previously traversed through various countries had yet to reform. Vahn had found himself in a meeting with Fortuna, Minerva, Demeter, and another Goddess of Agriculture, Annona.Annona was one of the key suppliers of cereals and grains to all regions, not just Orario, and had been a long-time associate of Demeter. She had a rather unique appearance with fluffy pink hair that curled naturally, framing her rather gentle facial features. As all gods were considered 'unblemished', the thing that stood out the most with Annona was the fact that she had speckled freckles that were a light pink and soft brown coloration. She also had greyish eyes that had a tone of yellow and blue mixed in, giving her one of the more unique appearances Vahn had ever seen amongst goddesses. This, combined with her rather shapely figure, motherly nature, and gentle disposition made her very easy to associate with, even though she seemed a bit airheaded at times...Vahn had been listening to them give an account of the supplies that were likely to run short, especially on the fringe territories. Just as Emiru and Maemi had experienced in the past, there were many territories that would experience short famines during the winter months if hunting, gathering, and trade hadn't been favorable to them. Though they weren't yet his responsibility, Vahn didn't feel comfortable with the knowledge that small villages and tribes would struggle through the coming winter months. This meant that the elderly would likely starve while the young, especially if they were female, may end up being sold by their villages as slaves, trading lives for a small amount of grain and supplies...The problem was, even if he wanted to do something about it, the only 'viable' option was to either pass through each village himself, or send out members of the HDF to deliver supplies. This could have other detrimental effects, however, as it could potentially create a series of misunderstandings that could cause these villages to expect 'free' goods every winter. The people on the fringe territories weren't well educated and most led very simple lives where it was relatively rare for even a handful of villagers to be able to read and write. Some tribes didn't even speak the native language of Orario, and most of the Continent, Koine.Fortuna had come up with a potential 'solution', which wasn't too different from what would normally happen during such circumstances. The HDF members that were sent out to the fringe territories could exchange supplies for the very same people that would have been traded away by their villages, allowing them to become temporary slaves under a two-year contract, serving as an additional labor force for the Alliance. At the same time, Vahn had the option of training and educating these people before allowing them to return to their homelands later, taking farming techniques and knowledge back with them. These people would also serve as the catalyst to encourage migration and proactive trade with the Alliance in the future, allowing the flow of goods in and out of the City to slowly increase with the passage of time...Since Vahn knew that, under the right circumstances, slavery wasn't exactly a bad thing, he ended up agreeing with Fortuna's suggestion. The contract the Alliance used was significantly different from a normal slave contract so they wouldn't be mistreated and exploited as 'property' by those who thought themselves above others. Those that were already adults would be given work, shelter, and a steady pay that would allow them to save enough to finance themselves if they decided to stay in Orario after their contract expired. As for those who had yet to become adults, they would either be accepted into the School or incorporated into some of the smaller Familia. They would not remain slaves and would instead be given a proper education or apprentice within a Familia to learn a trade that would allow them to make a living when they were older...With these decisions made, Vahn had filled 100 storage artifacts that were filled with grain and preserved meat that he had obtained through the system shop. These would be 'issued' to HDF members who had already reached the rank of Lieutenant, meaning they were already Level 3 and had earned enough contribution points to be trusted with important assignments. There were now around 14,000 members of the HDF so Vahn had plenty of suitable candidates to choose from, each leading small platoons of twenty that would easily be able to fend off attacks from monsters and bandits. During the months before winter, the number of bandits that roamed the countryside increased exponentially as some poor farmers would take up robbing small merchant groups instead of trying to obtain a higher yield from their overfarmed plots of land...Though he had arranged the artifacts and supplies, the task of choosing suitable candidates was left to Finn who, when Vahn and Haruhime weren't in Haven, acted as a Commander in the HDF. Gareth usually presided over Lil Geirr so, after working with Finn for a long time, Vahn had come to trust his judgment and leadership capabilities. Though Finn's 'wives' had migrated down into the Dungeon, bringing their children along with them, Finn seemed in relatively high spirits after Vahn gave him a pendant that doubled his stamina regeneration. With some of the other 'benefits' Vahn had given Finn, even some of his wives had come to express their gratitude whenever he would stop by to discuss various matters...After arranging everything, Vahn entrusted the supplies to Yggy who was easily able to move inorganic objects between her other selves. It still consumed a lot of energy, but it was nothing compared to teleporting a person, allowing Yggy to easily complete the task and inform Finn about Vahn's arrangements. As for Vahn himself, he had spent a few minutes pampering Yggy before returning to where Fortuna, Demeter, and Annona were still waiting for him. During their earlier discussion, they had asked if he would accompany them for tea after he had finished his arrangements. Since Fortuna was also a goddess he was steadily growing closer to, Vahn didn't refuse the offer while Minerva, having her own matters to attend to, ended up parting ways with the group while Vahn was taking care of things.With nothing else planned for the day, Vahn spent around forty minutes enjoying the company of the three goddesses and, after she ambled into the room, his adorable little Autumn. She already had the physical appearance of a young girl of around eight years old, but her disposition made her seem far more mature. Autumn always seemed to have a gentle smile on her face and, much like her mother, she had eyes that drooped at the ends while even her movements seemed slow and elegant. She never seemed to be in a rush and would often spend well over an hour just staring out windows or quietly listening to the sounds of nature along the periphery of the illusory forest...When Autumn slowly made her way into the room, her natural smile blossomed even more when she saw who was inside, stating in a soft and quiet voice that was difficult to hear unless you were listening closely, "Father...Mother...it is good to see you. May I join you...?" Just after these words left her mouth, Autumn also gave a polite smile and a slight bow towards Fortuna and Annona, lifting the edges of her vanilla-colored dress in the process. Vahn, rarely able to refuse when his daughter's asked something of him, returned a smile of his own as he said, "I don't see any problem with having you join us, Autumn..." This was followed by Fortuna and Annona nodding while Demeter simply laughed softly before making space on the sofa so that Autumn would be able to sit between her and Vahn.Unlike his other children, Autumn was significantly less 'attached' to him, often sitting on her own and keeping a bit of distance between herself and others. During conversations, however, this would change a bit as she was also quick to make gentle and supportive contact with people, even though it was hard to tell if she was actually listening at times. Vahn didn't really know what to make of this kind of behavior but, as Autumn seemed to be happy, he allowed her to do as she pleased. Thus, after smiling radiantly towards Demeter, Autumn slowly ambled over to the sofa before fixing her dress and sitting in the spot that had been emptied for her. She folded her hands in her lap as her eyes seemed to peer off into the distance, seemingly content with just being present without even attempting to take any tea or snacks for herself...This was something Vahn was used to so he took the initiative to fill a ceramic teacup with a fragrant tea that was filled with honey. Autumn, though never really stating her likes and dislikes, always seemed happier when she had something sweet to eat or drink. Vahn placed two teaspoons of refined honey into her cup and swirled it around with a fine silver spoon before handing her both the teacup and the saucer. Autumn's eyes gained a momentary focus as her smile grew slightly, happily accepting the teacup as she said, "Thank you, Father..." before sampling the contents with an even happier smile.Like this, Vahn enjoyed a quiet and peaceful teatime with the company of three goddesses and his inexplicably quiet and elegant daughter. She only spoke a few short sentences when directly addressed, spending the rest of the time simply listening in on other conversations while staring into the contents of her teacup. If not for the fact that her Love parameter was at 8,017, even Vahn wouldn't really know what was going through Autumn's mind. He had tried asking her before but her only response was a somewhat amused smile as she answered, "This place is very warm..." without explaining the meaning behind her words. Since many of her answers were similarly as vague, Vahn had grown accustomed to just lightly pampering this peculiar daughter of his, doing his best not to 'disturb' the peace she seemed to have found...---Back on the Kali Familia ship, Vahn had a gentle smile on his face as his mind was focused on the tea party in the Manor. He was vaguely aware of the looks the surrounding Amazonesses would give him but it didn't do anything to particularly spoil his mood. Since his previous rumination, Vahn had decided to just go with the flow of things instead of fretting over them unnecessarily. Though this was a somewhat 'cyclic' habit he had developed, Vahn wasn't bothered by this fact as it was just another part of what defined the person he had become. He was happy with the life he created for himself in this world and didn't see any need to change. As a result, Vahn was sitting with nothing but a pair of waterproof bottoms and a few tribal accessories, blending in well with the surrounding Amazonesses, so long as you ignored the fact he was a man.Vahn enjoyed the feeling of the cool air against his skin while the warm and revitalizing rays of the sun kissed his healthy brown skin. During his previous rumination session, Vahn had decided to try and experience a similar way of life as the Amazonesses themselves, even though he was still just an 'observer'. He wanted to truly understand their perspective before making decisions that could impact their entire culture and way of life. Just as he had done with the Xenos, Vahn wanted to respect the unique society they had created and, though he would undoubtedly change some things, he wouldn't continue to force his perspective and bias.With these kinds of thoughts on his mind, Vahn stared out over the deep blue sea before shouting, "Sea monster, twenty degrees starboard side! Distance, 700m, depth 90m!" His alarm was followed by a series of orders from Khodiva, each setting groups of Amazonesses into motion as they quickly prepared for the coming battle. Now, other than a skeleton crew that kept the ship moving, most of the Amazonesses on deck had gathered near the starboard side, quickly gearing up with spears before releasing war cries and jumping into the water. Even though the monster had yet to appear, none of them questioned whether or not Vahn was telling the truth, instantly following through on the information he had provided, even as an 'outsider'.Shortly after the first batch of Amazonesses jumped into the water, there were a series of thumps that caused plumes of water to shoot up. Almost immediately thereafter, a large black squid-like monster that was covered with white speckles broke the surface of the water, flailing its tentacles as it thrashed about and tried to attack the 'swarm' of Amazonesses agilely cutting through the water and surrounding it. Seeing them easily evade the tentacles that could weigh several tons, all while acrobatically vaulting out of the water to throw their spears, was truly a sight to behold. They all worked together, coordinating their efforts to systematically overwhelm the squid-like monster without exposing any individual member of their group to danger...Vahn continued to watch the battle from atop the ship's deck, Tiona, Tione, Bache, and even Kali joining him. The stronger members would only interfere if the weaker members were unable to deal with the threat, allowing those with less experience to grow and mature. If Tiona, Tione, and Bache were to step in, the fight would have been over after a very short period of time. As for Kali, she rarely took action directly and was simply using the opportunity to linger around Vahn, saying, "This is how we Amazonesses live and die, fighting for supremacy against the natural world instead of trying to escape it..." Even now, Kali would say such words, almost as if she were trying to convince Vahn that their way of life was 'correct'.Hearing her, Vahn just gave a small nod without answering her directly, knowing that Kali didn't actually expect one from him. This caused Kali to lick her fang-like tooth with an amused smile on her face before she leaned against the ship's railing and shouted, "You brats, Vahn said he would personally feed the person who gets the killing blow~!" This time, Vahn's brows furrowed slightly as he gave Kali a sidelong glance, earning a mischevious 'shishishi' from her as the previously coordinated Amazonesses became like a school of piranhas. Amongst them, there were even two Amazonesses who leaped out of the water and mounted the squid-like monster, digging their hands into its slimy exoskeleton and forcibly trying to tear apart the plating with brute strength.Kali had turned to match Vahn's gaze, asking, "What, are you going to refuse after seeing them work so hard? I didn't think you were-" Before Kali could finish her words, Tiona had vaulted off the deck, flipping through the air with a playful smile on her face. This time it was Kali's turn to frown slightly as she watched the Level 7 Tiona performed an ax kick into the massive squid's head, causing a massive concave indentation that caused the surrounding water to 'drop' slightly before sending out a shockwave. The squid was smashed into the water while the surrounding Amazonesses were pushed away by the shockwaves wake, some flipping and tumbling through the water a few times as they tried to orient themselves again...When the squid's emerged once again, it was long dead as Tiona stood on the surface of its corpse, giving a sheepish laugh as she waved her arms and said, "You'll have to try harder than that if you think I'll let you have Vahn, ehehehehe~!" This caused Kali to click her tongue while Bache laughed from the side, covering her already veiled mouth with her hand with an amused light in her eyes. As for Tione, she had a stupefied expression on her face, realizing that Tiona had 'stolen' the limelight before she could even act. Even so, she didn't say anything and instead cross her arms with a 'hmph' that caused Vahn to produce a wry smile in response. He knew he would have to feed her too, causing a competition between the two sisters that would require him to pamper both until they were satisfied...(A/N: Reminder, Vahn's children have the bracket parameter (Familial Love), nothing more 'sinister'. Also, if there is a third chapter today, it will be later in the afternoon. Tomorrow will probably have four regardless though since it is the reset. Also, how is everyone liking the mini-arc with the Amazonesses? I'm not sure if it is interesting, even though I like the idea of sailing quite a bit...?)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Winter is coming...','The peculiar, yet adorable, Autumn...','Tiona is a very honest girl xD...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

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

Chapter 935: Late Night Rumination