Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Unable to take the mirror artifact from the statue, Vahn made a few more inquiries from it to test the limits of its functionality before heading towards the 'heart' formation. As for what he asked the statue, it was to show him things like the location of Zeus, the appearance of Gilgamesh, and any powerful monsters he had to be aware of. Since it could show him things within the Dungeon, Vahn spent more than two hours cataloging every monster contained within using the mirror as a proxy. It was truly one of the most useful artifacts Vahn had ever come across since it seemed to possess a scary degree of omniscience. Vahn had even asked about the location of any secret treasures that had been lost to time and was shown the location where they rested, waiting for someone fated to stumble across them...At this point, it was already late in the afternoon but Vahn wanted to continue his exploration for a short while longer since he could always use his Qinglong form to exit the Dungeon. It took most of his reserves to do so but transitioning a few Floors to use the teleportation wards on the 60th Floor wasn't that difficult. So long as he didn't encounter some kind of spatial lock, Vahn wasn't worried that he wouldn't be able to return to the surface when he was ready to do so. Thus, without any further delay, Vahn arrived at the large illusory barrier that represented the 'heart' before taking a step inside. He found a large temple contained within while the surroundings changed, making it appear as if he were atop a mountain outside of the Dungeon.After marveling at the complexity of the magic formation, Vahn made his way into the interior of the temple and quickly found the stairs leading into the 71st Floor. The fact that there hadn't been any enemies since his encounter with the Guardian was somewhat worrisome but Vahn knew there were threats lurking deeper within. After all, he now knew exactly what monsters were located on each Floor, including any Monster Rexes and unique variants he would have to be wary of. The only thing he didn't know were their strengths, weakness, and general ecology. He would have to discover these on his own since the information from the system shop may not pertain to the version of Danmachi he resided in.Upon reaching the 71st Floor, the layout of the Dungeon had changed once again, this time into an ashen-grey stone that emanated a peculiar magical glow. The density of mana at this level was far more powerful than the upper Floors, to the point that there was a thin mist consolidating in stagnant areas. This was a physical manifestation of mana, something that rarely appeared outside of communities where Great Spirits resided. Constant exposure to such high potency mana could lead to the evolution of animals into monsters while also providing great benefits to anyone that was able to absorb external energies into their bodies. Vahn suspected that, once he popularized Cultivation techniques in the future, there would be some bold practitioners that may use Floors like this to further advance their strength.With that thought in mind, Vahn created a 'sucking' force with his domain and began to absorb the mana in the atmosphere to supplement his own reserves. The blessings from Yggy made such an action almost unnecessary, but Vahn was curious about the potency of the mana and if it contained any dangerous elements that could cause harm to the body. He quickly noticed something similar to a numbness spreading through his limbs before the malignant energy was naturally filtered from his body. Vahn wasn't surprised there were toxins contained within the mist as there were few instances where the Dungeon would outright reward its invaders without putting them through a trial...After traveling for a few minutes, Vahn came across a few vibrant blue lights that were fluttering around in the air, illuminating the cold grey walls with their magical light. It was a truly mesmerizing sight since there was a subtle hypnotic effect contained within the light, courtesy of the small pixie-like monsters at the center of the luminescence. They looked like tiny figures that were carved from wood, each possessing vaguely humanoid qualities while their eyes looked like tiny gemstones that glowed various shades of green and blue. Each had a pair of dragonfly-like wings that made high-pitched sounds as a result of how quickly they were moving about.Vahn spent a few moments staring at the rather beautiful sight before quickly extending his hand outward, catching one of the tiny pixies that attempted to ambush him. They had speed that could easily rival a Level 4 and, with their tiny and agile bodies, Vahn imagined it would be difficult to face large groups of the pointy-toothed creatures. The one he had caught was trying to gnaw on his hand with sharp teeth that easily tore through the S-Ranked gloves he had been wearing. This caused Vahn to frown as he put a bit of strength into his hand, marveling at how durable the tiny creature was before its defenses were eventually overcome. Vahn's hand came to a complete close before he opened it to reveal a tiny yet extremely high-quality magic core.As he marveled at the magic core that was barely bigger than a grain of rice, the other pixies in the surroundings began to make annoyingly high-pitched noises that sounded like a rudimentary language to Vahn's ears. This wasn't necessarily a sign of true intelligence, however, as even Goblins and Kobolds were able to communicate with each other. Since none of them had auras, and were proactively trying to attack him, Vahn didn't hold back as he sent a tidal wave of crimson-gold flames through the corridors, scorching most of the Pixies in an instant. None were killed by the attack but their fragile wings seemed exceptionally weak to high temperatures, forcing the 10cm tall monsters to rain down from the sky as they lost the ability to fly.Undaunted, and extremely angry, the Pixies began to leap at Vahn with their tiny legs, many targetting his face and throat. With Vahn having already erected a magical barrier, their attacks were ultimately futile. As a result, Vahn had ample time to observe them as he wondered how exactly such weak creatures were meant to pose a threat to Adventurers. He supposed that the toxins within the extremely dense mana were supposed to incapacitate intruders, leaving them helpless as the small Pixies tore their bodies to shreds. They also had high Endurance, making them somewhat difficult to kill, while their magical resistance also seemed rather high. Combined with the other monsters that should be present on the 71st Floor, Vahn was able to understand that they were more of an inconvenience that could overwhelm Mages than a genuine threat...After completing his analysis, Vahn transformed into his Baihu form before creating tempestuous blades of wind that cut through the surrounding Pixies with relative ease. He confirmed that they were remarkably resilient as some continued trying to attack even after losing arms and legs. It wasn't until their small magic cores were damaged that they finally dispersed into motes of dust, leaving vibrant bluish-green cores in their stead. Vahn quickly looted these cores, selling them for a substantial 800-1100 OP each before turning his attention toward a particularly dense cloud of mana that had been skulking around in the periphery.Understanding it had been spotted, what appeared to be a rainbow colored snake shot out from the mist with a speed that caused Vahn's eyes to widen, even in his Baihu form. It was practically like a bolt of lightning as it snaked through the air and tried to bury its long fangs into his neck. Though it was only around 110cm long, Vahn imagined it would even be able to take out a Monster Rex with the speed it had displayed. Unfortunately, he was a particularly bad matchup for fast moving enemies as the monster, which Vahn decided to call a Rainbow Viper, slammed into his magical barrier. He used the momentary gap before it was able to react to catch the snake by its neck, completely shattering its spine in the process.Though the Rainbow Viper had yet to die, it was no longer able to move on its own volition once Vahn had essentially severed the nerves between its brain and body. It twitched about like a whip, impacting Vahn a few times in the process, but each hit was absorbed by his secondary magical aura as he marveled at the surprising beauty of the snake. It's rainbow-colored scaled made a striking pattern that could put to shame most jewelry Vahn had laid eyes on. He imagined it would be an exceptional material for producing accessories for the girls, particularly Anubis, Nanu, Tiona, and Tione. Vahn knew the rainbow-colored scales would accent their healthy brown skin and was already thinking about how he could acquire a few more Rainbow Vipers to collect enough materials...-------------------------------------------------------------------//[Nameless] Wishes to become your subordinate. (Y/N?)//-------------------------------------------------------------------Vahn was snapped out of his momentary reverie by the system notification and, having accepted several tens of thousands of subordinates over the last year, actually accepted without even thinking about it. His eyes widened slightly as he stared down at the rather pitiful looking Rainbow Viper that was still twitching about in his grasp. A small feeling of guilt welled up in his heart when he saw it's golden pupils beginning to lose their light, causing Vahn to send a wave of healing energy into the Rainbow Vipers body to preserve its life. It quickly regained its vitality and, though Vahn was still holding its neck, the snake coiled around his arm with gentle pressure as it happily flicked its tongue.Seeing how affectionate the Rainbow Viper was acting just moments after it tried to kill him, Vahn couldn't help but issue a wry smile as he stated, "You're pretty clever, aren't you? Well, we'll chalk this up to fate...so long as you obey my orders, I will help you become even stronger in the future." As if it truly understood his words, the Rainbow Viper flicked its tongue a few times as its Loyalty increased from 53 to 57. If his [Keeper of the Akashic Tome] hadn't been on cooldown, Vahn would have named the clever little snake that had somehow weaseled its way into his life. For the time being, he simply let it coil around his neck like a scarf as it flicked its tongue near his ear and mirrored the movements of his head as he walked through the 71st Floor and continued to hunt more Pixies...With the evening deepening, Vahn was preparing to cut his adventure short after another hour of probing the 71st Floor. Most of the enemies he had encountered along the way were the rather annoying Pixies, which seemed to roam in groups of more than thirty at a time, while only a few Rainbow Vipers appeared. Whenever one showed up, the [Nameless] Rainbow Viper on his shoulders would immediately set into motion, coiling together with the opposing snake as they fought for dominance. Vahn wasn't sure if it was due to the influence of his Unit Management, but his Rainbow Viper always emerged victorious before slithering over with the paralyzed body of its prey, laying it at his feet before happily flickering its tongue. At times like this, Vahn would reach down and gently stroke [Nameless]'s head before allowing it to resume its place on his shoulders once again.During the moments when there weren't any enemies present, Vahn was explaining various things to the small snake since he could tell it was already growing attached to him. He couldn't easily walk around with it on his shoulders all the time and, knowing it would one day possess a humanoid form, Vahn didn't want it to develop any strange expectations like some of his earlier subordinates. Though it couldn't really understand his words, Vahn knew the Rainbow Viper could understand his intent as it bobbed its head as if nodding and stared back at him with its golden eyes that would often emanate a gentle light...While preparing for his return trip to the 60th Floor, Vahn had detected a much larger presence than a Pixie or Rainbow Viper so he decided to investigate since it wouldn't take too much time. He already knew what to expect from the unseen entity so Vahn wasn't surprised when an emerald-colored tree entered his vision. It had vibrant blue leaves that rustled gently, even in the absence of wind, as microscopic spores spread from its canopy. Vahn found the aroma coming from the spores rather pleasant but [Nameless] had snuck into his collar to avoid exposing itself since they were a lethal poison to most biological lifeforms.Vahn experienced his nerves seizing up painfully before his body filtered out the toxins, allowing him to confirm the potency of the spores before creating a barrier that prevented them from entering his body once again. The strange tree seemed to sense this as it began to tremble, causing the ground to quake as large roots began to break through the floor. They attempted to coil around Vahn but he was much faster, allowing him to easily evade as hundreds of Pixies began to pour out from the trees canopy as they attempted to overwhelm him. Vahn decided to name the tree-like monster as a Pixie Colony as he stretched out his right arm. He focused his mind to the extreme as cracks began to emerge along his skin before Vermillion feathers began to sprout like tiny flames escaping the gaps of a blast furnace...One of the things Vahn had been working on recently was partial transformations with his [Rakshasa Body] since he suspected it should be possible to make use of multiple transformations in the future. Currently, he could only transform a single arm with his Zhuque form, likely the result of his general affinity with Fire Elemental energy. As a result, Vahn was able to create a pillar of vermillion flames that washed over the flock of Pixies, this time burning them to ashes as the pillar collided with the Pixie Colony's emerald green trunk. A deep groan escaped from the monster, though Vahn wasn't quite sure where from, as it began to twist in a futile attempt to escape the flames.After a few minutes had passed, the only thing that remained of the Pixie Colony and its residents were a few Drop Items and enough rice-like magic cores to fill a five-ounce bag. Vahn sold the entire bag and was gobsmacked when he was awarded over 700,000 OP in a single go. He happily threw the other Drop Items into his Inventory as the Rainbow Viper poked its head out of his collar and licked the air a few times. Vahn was reminded of its existence, causing him to issue a wry smile as he said, "You better not develop the habit of trying to sneak into my clothes or I'll never allow you to have a human transformation..." He didn't know why, but Vahn felt like he had some kind of fate with this small snake, causing small warning signals to sound in his mind as a result of his extremely high karma...In response to his words, the small snake stared blankly with its golden eyes before flicking its purple tongue a few times. It then tried to sneak back into the depths of Vahn's tunic but he quickly snatched it before tossing it up into the air. The Rainbow Viper showed a momentary panic as it flipped through the air but ultimately landed without issue before quickly returning to Vahn's side and coiling around his leg with a sorry expression on its face. Seeing this, Vahn shook his head while releasing a sigh as he wondered what name to grant the small snake in the future. He didn't have to grant it a human form but Vahn knew the small snake would likely want one at some point. Since he knew how unfair it could be for his subordinates to make decisions on their behalf, Vahn needed to seriously consider what was best for his new [Nameless] companion before picking its name...With several suitable names crossing his mind, Vahn had [Nameless] momentarily return to its core as he transformed into his Qinglong form and tore through space to reach the 61st Floor. Though he could enter the 60th Floor proper, Vahn liked to play it safe by not messing with the spatial fabric near Enyo's seal. The last thing he needed was the errant goddess breaking free from her seal just because he wanted to save a few minutes of time. As a result, Vahn had to kill a few Slimes and Berserker subspecies before he finally reached the secret area that connected with his most secure base. Gros had already been waiting for his arrival, as there was a team constantly monitoring the surroundings, so Vahn spent a few minutes discussing various matters before finally using the teleportation ward to return to the surface.Since the teleportation ward connected to the Xenos Village, Vahn's eyes instinctually focused on the small residence where Helen and Marie resided together. It was only a brief moment, however, as the two Xenos who had been watching over the teleportation ward happened to be Naho and Arles. The former was wearing a black and white gothic style dress while the latter had a pristine blue dress with a white apron and frills that matched closely with Diana's outfit. Freya had called it an Alice-Style outfit, though even she didn't know the origin of the name. The only thing that really mattered was that both girls looked unbelievably cute, especially with Arles' small white rabbit ears, so Vahn was prevented from going to meet with Helen since it would have broken the two girls' hearts if he left just after arriving...(A/N: Alternate Titles: '*Squishing Intensifies*','Clever snek...!?','Arles wearing an Alice outfit with a large pocket watch nestled against her diminutive chest...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

By the time Vahn deposited the peacefully sleeping Arles and Naho at their homes, the sun had long descended over the horizon. It was already after 9 PM, most of his children were asleep, and Vahn was currently spending time nestled between Hestia, Artemis, and Lante back at the Manor. With his avatar, Vahn found himself on the outside of Naho's shared residence with Rayne after politely declining the invitation to stay the night. There were still several things he needed to take care of and, having detected that Marie already descended into her underground cove for the night, Vahn decided to pay Helen a visit. He could tell that she was still awake and, though his questions could wait until the following day, Vahn's instincts told him not to let the matter lay.After passing his hand through the wind-chime on the outside of the residence, Vahn sensed Helen stirring and was left waiting for a little over a minute before her soft voice reached his ears, giving him permission to enter. He had used the small delay to make adequate mental preparations so, even though he instinctually held his breath upon seeing Helen again, Vahn calmed down much faster than normal as he smiled casually and said, "Sorry for disturbing you so late, Helen. If it wasn't an important matter, I wouldn't have come to bother you like this..."Hearing Vahn's words, Helen's expression didn't change much but she allowed an imperceptible sigh to escape through her nose. She wanted to make a comment that he could come and bother her whenever he wanted but withheld it, instead asking, "What matter is so important? Do you require something of me...?" Since Vahn had a serious expression, even with his smiling face, Helen was steeling her heart for whatever he wanted to talk about. At this point, she knew Vahn was 'different' than the other men she had met in her life but Helen couldn't help but think the worst since he had waited until Marie had left. Strangely, instead of being bothered by the possibility of something happening, Helen felt slightly anxious and was experiencing shortness of breath...Vahn's brows raised at Helen's reaction as, even though it was extremely subtle, he could tell she was harboring some expectations about his visit. This caused his heart to flutter madly but he managed to keep his calm as he explained, "I managed to reach the 70th and 71st Floors of the Dungeon today. There was a complex magical formation present on the 70th Floor and, after deciphering the puzzle, I came across an unbelievably powerful artifact. It was a mirror that allowed the user to see almost anything their heart desired while also giving them the ability to interact with it, albeit with various restrictions..."Helen tilted her head to the side by a single degree as she experienced a momentary confusion, followed by the return of the 'empty' feeling she had been troubled by as of late. Understanding that Vahn came here simply to talk, Helen performed a slow blink while taking in a shallow breath before answering, "That sounds like a truly incredible artifact...I wonder what it would show me if I asked it to reveal my own heart's desire..." As the final few words escaped her lips, a few strands of Helen's silvery-white hair decided to misbehave, falling from Helen's ear and giving her a melancholic look that caused Vahn's heart to seize up for a brief moment.After taking a moment to calm down, Vahn said, "With your strength, it wouldn't be difficult for you to reach the 70th Floor and make use of the mirror..." For some reason, Vahn felt extremely awkward as he said this and, as if she was in the same boat, Helen's pink eyes gazed upon him with a slightly dull light emanating from the runes contained within. It almost felt like she was judging him but Vahn ignored the feeling as he quickly added, "Anyways, I used the mirror to obtain a great deal of information about the Dungeon and its inhabitants. I was able to learn that there were ninety-nine Floors and was able to catalog every monster within after a few hours of select questions. However, the most important thing I came to learn was about the nature and origin of the Dungeon itself..."At this point, Helen was giving him her rapt attention since there were few people that weren't interested in secrets that had eluded both mortals and gods since the foundation of the three realms. Though some may know the purpose of the Dungeon, such as Ouranos, Amenominakanushi, Ymir, and Brahma, they had never passed the secrets onto the generations that followed. As a result, Helen buried her melancholic feelings and was closely listening to each word Vahn said, even as he swallowed hard and asked, "Helen...are you a reincarnated individual...?" This had caused her to blink in confusion once again before tilting her head, this time an impressive three degrees. She had been expecting Vahn to tell her about the Dungeon's secret, not ask about her identity...As this thought crossed her mind, Helen quickly understood the implication behind Vahn's question, deciding to follow-up with a question of her own, even as her heart began to race for the first time in hundreds of years. She gazed into Vahn's aquamarine eyes, something she genuinely avoided out of habit, asking, "Are you saying I have some relation to the Dungeon's origin...?" Several thoughts were racing through Helen's mind at this point, similar to puzzle pieces that had been carefully organized in the past but had never been brought together. Her fate as the 'key' to godhood now made a lot more sense, causing Helen to feel a mixture of emotions that she didn't know how to put into words.Since Helen didn't answer his question, Vahn felt slightly awkward but still nodded his head as he answered, "I asked the mirror several different questions to confirm it but, assuming the mirror isn't trying to mislead those that use it, there is a high chance you have some relation to the Dungeon and the two Primordial Goddesses, Nuwa and Tiamat. If you aren't a reincarnated individual, there is a high chance you were created by the Goddess Nuwa herself..." Nuwa, even till this day, was the only god that could proactively create life that possessed a soul. Though it would have taken her a long time, she had hundreds of millions of years to create something like Helen, all for a purpose that was becoming increasingly clear with the passage of time...For several minutes after the revelation, Vahn stood awkwardly near the entrance while Helen tried to process this new information. He didn't know what she was thinking but there were a few strong fluctuations in her aura, a stark contrast to how peaceful and 'stagnant' it was in the past. Though they weren't nearly as active as a normal person, it was obvious to anyone that knew Helen well that she was experiencing tumultuous emotions. Vahn couldn't comfort her in the same way he would someone he was close to but he still reached out his hand and sent calming energy through his domain so she wouldn't overstress her heart and mind.Feeling the foreign energy enter her body, Helen was more surprised that worried, causing her to give Vahn a questioning look while her thoughts were still racing. She saw genuine concern in his expression and, combined with the calming effects of the energy, Helen quickly regained her composure as she said, "I have long thought about my purpose and wondered why I had been burdened with such a tragic power..." Though she had never met Nuwa, Helen was very aware of the prestige the Primordial Goddess held, as she was the true origin of sentient life within the three realms. Being created by such an entity gave her a small feeling of pride, even though it also cemented the 'purpose' she had been given...Vahn couldn't help but furrow his brows when he saw the 'acceptance' in Helen's eyes, almost as if she were given some inescapable fate. Though he had the benefit of 'knowing' that such concepts were completely asinine, at least when he was within a record, Vahn still felt troubled by the fact that someone he associated with felt as if they were limited in their choices. He believed that there were an infinite number of paths forward and, if she didn't want to become a victim of fate, the only thing Helen needed to do was ask for help. Instead, she acted as if she were a solitary existence in the world and, even though Vahn knew why she behaved that way, it still annoyed him since he had also lived with similar burdens in the past...Though he knew it wasn't really his place to say, as Helen had lived a very different life than him, Vahn still squinted his eyes slightly and said, "From the moment you came under my protection, any fate you think you were burdened by has been completely removed. I cam here because I was curious and wanted to understand the truth of the matter, not because I wanted to make use of you. Even if you proactively wanted to use your power, I would exhaust every other option before ever coming to rely on something so contrived. And you can trust me when I say I have 'literally' infinite options at my disposal..." Vahn didn't know why, but the emotion he hated the most when dealing with people, himself included, was 'acceptance' of fate they didn't orchestrate themselves...Helen had never seen Vahn 'angry' before so she was taken aback by his behavior, causing her mouth to part slightly as her mind blanked for a brief moment. She didn't know if she should apologize, as she didn't truly understand what had happened for Vahn to become so upset. As a result, Helen remained quiet and just mulled over his words while issuing a soft 'Nn...'. Though Vahn had never shown any indication of wanting to 'use' her, Helen still couldn't fully believe his words. She knew that, if he encountered a bottleneck that he was unable to overcome, the knowledge he had obtained would bring him back to her.Understanding that Helen didn't truly believe his words, Vahn furrowed his brows and asked rather pointedly, "What is your dream, Helen? Other than the purpose you seem to have accepted for yourself, what do you desire out of life...?" This time, Helen gave him a gentle smile and explained, "After I have served my purpose, I imagine it would be up to my partner to decide how I will live from that point onward. I will do my best to support them, even though I don't have the heart to increase my strength a second time..." These words caused Vahn's frown to deepen even further, causing him to shake his head while turning away from Helen's gaze. He actually regretted coming here to confirm his suspicions as they hadn't even talked about the Dungeon much since Helen seemed incapable of escaping the 'fate' she had accepted for herself...After reaching the doorknob, Vahn took a deep breath before saying in a stern tone, "If you think your fate it something inescapable, I may come to rob you of it one day. I would rather bear your hatred and resentment than see you accept a fate you have every opportunity to break free from." Since it wouldn't even take that much effort for him to 'seal' away her power, even if it was the result of an Innate, Vahn was sincere when he spoke. Though it sounded like a threat, it was more of a promise that he would completely destroy Helen's expectations if she was unable to grow beyond the restrictions she had placed on herself. He wanted her to be truly free and, if she wasn't able to do it herself, Vahn would destroy the prison she had created through her acceptance...Hearing Vahn's words, Helen's felt as if a hammer had smashed into her mind, causing all of the thoughts that had been present to shatter completely. She was unable to form any thoughts at all as Vahn exited through the door without even sparing her another glance. Now, even more than before, Helen's heart was thumping madly with emotions she didn't truly understand. Part of her denied the possibility that Vahn would be able to change her fate but, seeing how 'serious' he was, Helen couldn't help feel there was just the smallest chance that his words were true. Since he had already done many things that should have been impossible, Helen, for the briefest of moments, thought about asking Vahn for help. This thought didn't last too long, however, as Vahn was long gone from her residence, leaving Helen to deal with the encroaching loneliness once again as she stared at the spot where he had only recently stood...---After leaving Spero Village, Vahn felt as if his convictions about the future had become even more cemented than before as a powerful desire to 'shatter' fate itself rose up within his heart. He had also been a victim of Fate, to the point that even now he wasn't truly free from its influence, but that was something of his own creation. It wasn't a Fate he had been assigned, but one he had taken upon himself willingly in the pursuit of the future he wanted to create for himself. This realization had been extremely liberating for him in the past and Vahn wanted everyone to be able to undergo the same realization in the future. The reason why he wanted to create a world where everyone could smile, all while helping them achieve their true potential, was for that exact purpose.Vahn ended up taking to the sky, flying high above the City until he could see the entirety of Orario in a single gaze. It was steadily growing larger and, though the massive external walls hadn't changed, there were already talks about created a secondary wall after the city-wide barrier was completed. Orario would be the heart of his Empire and Vahn knew that the population of the City would boom over the next couple of years, especially after he united all of the regions of Eden. Those that migrated here would bring with them the hope of a better future and, so long as it was within his power to grant it to them, Vahn would do everything possible to ensure that they had every opportunity all sentient life should be afforded...While thinking such thoughts, Vahn detected spatial fluctuations and wasn't surprised when Terra and Alexa appeared from the void at his side. He knew Terra would have been paying attention during his conversation with Helen and, as a result of the powerful bond they shared, she was also sensitive to his mood. As a result, Vahn's momentary melancholy was completely shattered, replaced by a warmth in his heart as he smiled toward the two concerned True Dragons. It had been a while since the last time he stayed in Terra's Garden so Vahn extended out his hands to the two, a loving smile on his face as he said, "Tonight, I think I'll stay in the Garden...will the two of you join me...?" Though he knew the answer, Vahn felt compelled to ask as a simple courtesy that didn't cost him anything.Terra's eyes flashed with a somewhat greedy light for a brief moment but she quickly quelled her urges and showed a genuine smile as she urged Alexa forward and said, "That sounds pleasant..." As for Alexa, she had calmed down a lot with the constant 'treatment' from Vahn so she was able to stay relatively calm as she grabbed his outstretched hand and said, "Let's go, Papa. Tonight, I will take care of you, okay...?" Since he was always bringing her comfort, Alexa wanted to at least support her Papa whenever he was feeling conflicted. Though she could also sense the resolution in his heart, causing her own to flutter excitedly, Alexa knew her Papa well enough to know he wasn't really the type to be overbearing. It gave her a small amount of pride, knowing she could have him rely on her during the moments when he sought comfort, even if there were limits to what she could do for him...(A/N: Sorry guys, but my Dad wanted to go out to eat since I'll be leaving for another eight weeks when I fly out tomorrow. There isn't much I can do about matters of life, just know I appreciate the constant support from each of you during these rather unstable times. When the Summer season comes to an end, I plan to fully commit myself to EPIC until we are able to bring the story to a natural conclusion together. Hopefully, when I begin to work on my original, I'll be able to treat writing as my actual career and won't have work interfere with my releases anymore xD...)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Sometimes, even when there are a lot of people trying to help, people feel as if they are still alone...','Nuwa's true intentions...?','*Casually Cuddles True Dragons As If They Were Service Animals*')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Deciding it would be rude to continue gawking at the inordinately beautiful figure of the statue, Vahn began to inspect around the base until he found a few inscriptions carved into the surface. According to the immaculately chiseled text, the mirror held by the woman had the ability to show the user anything their heart desired. Vahn decided to test this by looking into the mirror once again and focusing his mind, only for the surface to remain unchanged. Suspecting that it may require voice commands, Vahn said, "Show me Hephaestus..." Though several other names crossed his mind, Vahn still decided to peek in on Hephaestus since he knew she was currently teaching Ina and Nanu a few tricks back in her workshop...For a brief moment, the surface of the mirror flashed with a magical light before the reflective surface showed the image of Hephaestus watching over Ina and Nanu with an appreciative smile on her face. Vahn couldn't help smiling himself when he saw the image, especially since the quality of the reflection was almost as if he were there personally observing things. As this thought crossed his mind, Vahn noticed that the image in the mirror actually changed according to his intentions and he was able to move around as if he was a disembodied phantom within the workshop. This was a very curious discovery and Vahn couldn't help but feel intrigued as he orbited Hephaestus' body before testing how far he could zoom in on objects by peering into her face.The image in the mirror became progressively closer until it almost seemed as though the surface was about to contact Hephaestus' cheek. Vahn made sure it wasn't going too fast, as he didn't want to surprise her if it ended up having a physical component, but something amazing happened just as the mirror nearly reached her skin. There had already been a mystical white light surrounding the periphery of the mirror but, after getting close enough to initiate contact, the light changed to a pink coloration as the surface of the mirror warped slightly. Vahn noticed the slight curvature as if it was part of Hephaestus' face so he reached out to touch it by instinct...Vahn could feel warmth at his fingertip as he pressed into Hephaestus' slightly squishy cheek and watched it deform. He could also feel her startle slightly so he pulled back the mirror to see if her reaction was based on his touch or something else. When Hephaestus brought her hand up to her cheek in confusion, Vahn's eyed widened since the mirror seemed far more valuable than the rather plain description below indicated. It seemed to act as a portal that connected two points and, though the radius of the mirror was quite small, Vahn could think of several potential uses for such a convenient artifact...After failing to communicate with Hephaestus with words, Vahn tried to stick his hand into the mirror, only to notice that he was unable to actually pass through. It was at this point that he noticed there wasn't any sound passing through the image as he couldn't hear what Hephaestus and Ina were talking about as he floated around their periphery. Vahn didn't give up because of these small setbacks and instead moved the mirror over towards the worktable where several pieces of paper could be found. He made the mirror 'zoom' in as close a possible until the border had lit up with a pink light once again. Pulling out a pen, Vahn made a few test strokes on the paper and was satisfied to see that the pen did indeed affect the paper on the other side. This showed that the artifact could influence objects through the surface, even though there were a few restrictions on its use.Once he had finished writing out his message, Vahn zoomed away from the piece of paper and tried to use telekinesis to manipulate it. This ultimately ended in failure and, with the pink light having faded away from the mirror's periphery, Vahn suspected it needed to be in direct contact with whatever he was looking at in order to influence it. His next test was to see if he could pull things through the mirror or, more importantly, send things through it to the other side. Since the ink managed to imprint onto the paper, Vahn knew it was theoretically possible to send things through. The problem was finding a method of doing so as the mirror seemed to require contact with something before the 'link' was established. Vahn had tried focusing the mirror onto a table and, after the pink border activated, he placed a magic core on the surface. After zooming out, the magic core simply fell from the surface of the mirror without any success...Vahn's next experiment was to pull out a glowstone to see if, at the very least, the girls were able to notice the items he placed in contact with the surface on the other side. After waiting for several minutes, however, there were no changes to the glowstone and, even though it illuminated the table from his perspective, Vahn wasn't sure if the girls could see it. He had even moved the mirror back over the Hephaestus and tried to light up her face with the glowstone while she and Ina were talking but there was no reaction from either of them. After this, Vahn decided it would be more productive to focus on himself so he said, "Show me my main body back at the Hearth Manor..."The image in the mirror quickly changed to show Vahn standing out in the hallway outside of the Library. He had been helping Erika with her studies and decided to excuse himself for a moment to conduct a few tests. Though she had given him a calculating look, Erika hadn't asked any questions as she watched his departure while playing with a loose strand of hair. She now looked like a woman in her late teens and had matured greatly in 'most' aspect. Unfortunately, though she didn't seem to mind it, Erika took after her mother quite a bit. Other than their hairstyles and eye color, the two were almost a carbon copy of each other while Erika was slightly shorter and had a more intelligent look...Now that he had access to himself, Vahn extended his palm back at the Manor while his avatar changed the focus of the mirror until the pink hue appeared. Vahn traced his finger around the surface of his own palm, noticing that he did indeed feel the touch with full clarity. He then pulled out a small knife and tried cutting along his palm but the pink hue along the edges immediately vanished. It seemed to have a failsafe that prevented the user from causing harm to the other side so Vahn stowed away the knife and tried to change the focus once again. This time, it took several minutes before the pink hue returned, indicating that the mirror had some other use conditions that he would need to investigate in the future.With the connection re-established, Vahn pulled out a glowstone and placed it against his own palm through the mirror. On the other side, he noticed that there was indeed no light showing through, even though he could clearly see the illumination from the perspective of his avatar. There was, however, a slight warmth and, though it was almost imperceptible, Vahn could feel a bit of weight in his palm. This indicated there was indeed a connection between his two bodies, even though he was unable to see the glowstone and its influence from the perspective of his main body. As a final test, Vahn pulled out a pen and began writing on his palm this time, noticing that it did indeed update from both of his perspectives...Vahn was able to conclude that he could indeed influence objects on the other side of the mirror but there were several restrictions that prevented him from doing harm and sending large physical objects through. He was, however, able to send energy through direct contact with others, meaning he could potentially use the mirror to watch over the girls and heal their bodies if they were injured. That was, of course, assuming he was able to move the mirror from the 70th Floor and take it into his possession. This proved to be extremely problematic as the statue didn't seem to be made of any normal material and Vahn felt like he would be 'stealing' the mirror if he seized it by force. After all, without breaking the fingers or cutting off the hands that were holding the small mirror, Vahn wouldn't be able to remove it. Since the statue almost felt real, and was breathtakingly beautiful, Vahn couldn't find it in himself to do something so cruel...After releasing a sigh, Vahn stared up into the beautiful face of the statue and almost felt like it was smiling back at him, even though the expression remained unchanged. He was positive there was 'something' watching him through the statue or, at the very least, it had some form of intent attached to it. Much like how he was unable to sense Ouranos, Vahn suspected this statue was likely related to one of the primordial gods and was probably indestructible by normal methods. It was far beyond the means of a mortal to create such a realistic statue and Vahn couldn't even see through the materials composition, even with his [Eyes of Truth] and [Metalurgy]. There was even a chance that the statue was part of the mirror itself and, based on how it prevented him from cutting his own palm, the intent of the statue seemed to determine how the mirror was used...Recalling the inscriptions carved into the base, Vahn's expression turned into a casual smile as he said, "Show me the person who created this mirror and this beautiful statue..." Since it professed to show him whatever his heart desired, Vahn wanted to test the limits of the mirror and see exactly what it was capable of. When the surface flashed white, Vahn's eyes widened greatly since he had never expected what was on the other side of the image. There, laying absentmindedly on an ornate lounge, Vahn could see the image of Helen staring up at the roof of her small residence. Her pink eyes were unfocused as her silvery-white hair fanned outward from her body like a masterwork painting.Vahn was more than a little confused by this revelation since it seemed to imply that Helen was the one who created this statue, even though it seemed extremely unlikely. The only way Vahn could rationalize it was if Helen was someone who had reincarnated, meaning she would have made the statue and the mirror in the distant past. This didn't seem that likely, however, as Helen had never shown any indication that she had memories of a past life. There was also no way that the gods who had been watching over mortals since the Progenitors still walked the surface would have been unaware of her existence. Vahn had no doubts that, with Helen's beauty, many gods would have been paying 'very' close attention to her every movement...As that thought crossed his mind, Vahn blinked in realization as he looked at the small oval mirror in the statue's hand and began to ruminate. He knew from the [Hearts Desire]s of various goddesses that they were able to peer into the mortal world through various means, mainly through the use of artifacts like this small mirror. They had also been able to influence people in the mortal world, sometimes giving them powerful blessings that would allow them to overcome adversity. Vahn wondered if this mirror was actually a similar grade to Hephaestus' Eternal Flame or Freya's [Brísingamen]...With his thoughts racing, Vahn decided to try another experiment to confirm something that 'should' have been impossible. Temporarily setting aside the matter of Helen's existence, Vahn gazed into the mirror and said, "Show me what lays within the depths of the Dungeon...I want to see its creator...!" Once again, the surface of the mirror showed a vibrant white light that caused Vahn's heart to begin racing. When the image clarified, Vahn's eyes became completely rounded as the surface, for the second time, showed Helen's lounging figure in the reflection. This caused Vahn's mind to completely blank as he absentmindedly said, "Show me the final Floor of the Dungeon..." Even though he wasn't thinking clearly, Vahn realized that his first question might have been confusing for the mirror so it might have shown him Helen after failing to show him the two things he had asked for...This time, the mystical light of the mirror faded to show a small room where nothing but a small stone table could be seen. Atop the table, there was an ornate crystal cup while much of the table was covered with various books and journals. There were absolutely no other features in the room other than a dark red candle that had a ghostly blue flame illuminating the 5m wide space. It was hovering around the front of the desk but Vahn could tell it was slowly orbiting the area while its ghostly flame seemed to pierce through the surrounding darkness. Using the illumination from the flame, Vahn moved the mirror's perspective to try and read the surface and the spines of the books but found each of them unmarked. He ultimately gave up on trying to gain any new information from this small room and once again said, "Show me the owner of that room..."The surface of the mirror flashed with a mystical light and, as it began to clear away, Vahn wasn't even surprised to see the image reflect Helen's figure once again. He released a long sigh and knew he needed to have a talk with Helen in the near future, even though the chances she knew anything were extremely slim. There was a good chance she was a reincarnated entity or, more likely, an artificial entity that had been created for the sole purpose of helping others conquer the Dungeon. Vahn knew a bit about Helen's 'power' so it wasn't difficult to imagine that she was something like the Dungeon's avatar, meaning there was a fair chance she was created by Tartarus or, as reason would lead him to believe, the Primordial Goddess, Nuwa...Vahn suspected that the origin mentioned in the previous formation was referring to the realm where the Primordial Gods once reigned, the place now referred to as Hell. Nuwa and Tiamat had remained behind in the old realm, even though all of the other gods migrated to Heaven after balance was restored to the three realms. Vahn didn't know why she had made such a decision but, knowing that Nuwa was the goddess who had first created sentient life that possessed a soul, she was undoubtedly a unique existence within the record. It was likely that she wanted to create a method by which her creations would be able to rise to her own standing, becoming gods that were able to once again populate the 'Origin' realm. This, however, was pure speculation on Vahn's part but, with an enigmatic existence like Helen at the center of everything, Vahn felt he was close to the truth...After calming his chaotic thoughts, Vahn looked into the face of the statue once again before saying, "Show me the Primordial Goddess, Nuwa..." He wanted to, at the very least, confirm that Helen wasn't the incarnation of Nuwa herself. Contrary to expectations, however, the image in the mirror simply faded without showing anything in the reflective surface. Vahn was confused but, upon returning his gaze to the statue's eyes, his confusion was quickly cleared up when he saw that there was indeed a smile on its face now. It wasn't a smile of condescension but had a more playful and teasing vibe to it that made Vahn's heart palpitate a few times in response. From this, he could confirm that the statue did indeed possess intent and his soul simply wasn't strong enough to allow him to see through its true nature.With the statue giving him a teasing smile, Vahn felt slightly indignant and wondered if he should tease her in return. It had first reacted when he took a glance at the statue's butt so Vahn suspected it was, at the very least, conscious of its appearance and could feel slightly flustered. He was certain that he could get an advantage against the statue but, at the same time, feared that he would be unable to make use of the mirror if he upset whatever was linked with it. Thus, Vahn decided not to be too petty and simply reached out his hand to stroke the statue's head as he said, "Thank you for your assistance. When I meet the real you, I'll make sure to express my gratitude in earnest..."Vahn spoke with a teasing undertone in his voice as he practically bombarded the statue with a mixture of petting energy and a veritable tidal wave of stimulating energy. It didn't have any muscles and nerves, from what he could see, but Vahn believed his understanding of petting laws and [Hands of Nirvana] would allow him to even influence someone through a mental link. As a result, though he wasn't certain when it happened, the expression on the statue's face appeared slightly flustered as her brows were furrowed almost imperceptibly. If she had a normal complexion, Vahn imagined it would be beet red as a result of his 'gentle' teasing. Fortunately, it didn't seem like the person guiding the intent behind the statue was too upset with him since, after asking where the entrance to the 71st Floor was located, the mirror reflected a staircase within one of the illusory barriers where the heart would have been on a human's body...(A/N: There will be one more chapter today, but it won't be until later in the afternoon. There will be three tomorrow as well, though I may do four if my focus doesn't break down.)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'That is a dangerous mirror...','Helen really is the 'key' to reaching godhood','Even statues are powerless against the Godhand...!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Chapter 962: 71st Floor