Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Though they had never progressed beyond the 66th Floor, Ais and Shizune weren't impeded by the new monsters they have never encountered. With the information Vahn had provided, added with the fact he was always actively assisting them, every enemy they came across was quickly dealt with. Shizune might have only been Level 5, but her [Pactio] and general combat capabilities made her a nightmare for most monsters while Ais, with her Spirit-based magic, was a 'literal' counter to any genuine monsters. Her [Avenger] gave her a massive boost to offensive power so, even after encountering the colossal turtles known as Adamantoise, Ais was able to pierce through their shell and subsequent hide as if she were tearing through wet paper.Vahn found that he didn't actually have that much to do since the girls were exerting themselves a bit more than normal, something he understood was the result of his presence. It made his heart feel warm, knowing they placed so much trust in him that they could continuously go all out, but it still left him feeling a little bored since he had been solo-diving as of late. The only times he really entered the Dungeon with others was when escorting Vana, though she had never ventured beyond the 24th Floor at this point. She was also able to deal with almost any enemy that tried to bar her passage, though Vahn never felt bored watching her since he was always on high-alert to avoid any accidents...Without any major incidents, Vahn, Ais, and Shizune managed to reach the 69th Floor, this time without encountering the large slime-like creature that served as the 'guardian' of the 70th Floor's secrets. Instead, the only enemies that appeared were monsters that Vahn had named Phantom Knights as, from appearances, they appeared to be comprised almost entirely of pieces of twisted and unnatural looking armor that contained no living flesh. They were able to work together well, to the point of establishing formations, with Spearman leading the charge while larger versions of the Phantom Knights wielded heavy weapons like battleaxes and flails. The most dangerous, of course, were the Phantom Knight Commanders, as they were nearly the equivalent of a decently powerful Level 6 Adventurer while often being capable of using powerful chantless magic.Upon encountering a small platoon of around thirty Phantom Knights, commanded by a single Commander, Ais took up her pristine white sword with a determined look in her eyes. Vahn gave a small nod in response to the glance she had sent his way, causing Ais to almost instantly 'vanish' before tempestuous winds seemed to spread through the surroundings like an explosion. Vahn had shield his eyes for a brief moment while Shizune used his body as a shield while the sounds of shattering armor and several powerful shockwaves began to spread through the corridors. Ais had torn into the monsters' formation without hesitation, cutting directly through both the weapons and armor of the Phantom Knights before bisecting the Phantom Knight Commander in a single blow. The difference between a monster that was only capable of fighting with the skill of a Level 6 and a prodigy at Level 7 who had nearly developed her sword intent was massive.In less than a minute, Ais brandished her sword, causing a pulse of wind to send away all the dust and debris away from her body, before turning back to Vahn and Shizune with a small smile on her face. Vahn returned a smile of his own, complimenting, "Very well done, as always..." in a gentle tone of voice. This caused Ais' smile to increase marginally as Shizune came out from behind his back, lifting her chin slightly as she added, "You may be stronger than me, but I'll show you that I won't be left behind so easily, Ais...!"Though she had never cared that much about strength in the past, the years of training and her constant increase in strength had been slowly changing Shizune's perspective. She had started to develop a small amount of pride in her skills and no longer shied away from competing with the other girls, though her main rivals were Tina and, to a lesser extent, Haruhime. The former was someone she treated with a fair amount of respect and kinship while the latter, hailing from the same homeland, was someone that Shizune had always gotten along with. They had similar personalities and comparable pasts while, most importantly, the two seemed to enjoy competing to see which one had the 'softest' tail. Though Haruhime had the advantage, having multiple tails, Shizune put a lot of care into her fur, giving it a glossy sheen and an immaculate feel like fine satin silk...Ais didn't shy away from Shizune's words but, instead of rebuffing her due to the difference in their power, she nodded her head with a competitive glint in her eyes. Though she could defeat Shizune 99 times out of 100, Ais never looked down on her opponents since she knew that, in real combat, anything could happen. She also knew how fearsome Shizune's [Pactio] was, as the latter often helped in the combat training of the other girls while refining her control and mastery over her Shadow Summons. There were even a few Shadows amongst Shizune's collection that could genuinely pose a threat if you let your guard down, especially with their traits of ignoring magical defense and piercing through physical defense with ease...As if they had come to an agreement, even without openly exchanging terms, Ais and Shizune proceeded to engage in a small competition of sorts as they progressed through the 69th Floor. Vahn had an amused smile on his face as he observed their antics, especially since Shizune was heavily relying on his assistance to replenish her quickly diminishing reserves. Her Shadows didn't have much upkeep after being summoned but the mana required to manifest them could be very taxing on Shizune's relatively small reserves. Though she was far from the girl with the smallest mana pool, the sheer number of Shadows she could summon was a heavy drain that required Shizune to generally rely on her equipment and accessories to supplement her mana capacity.Even with hundreds of indestructible monsters as her opponent, Ais' momentum wasn't easily deterred as she was able to move with a speed and intensity that Shizune couldn't even comprehend at her current Level. Vahn also struggled with keeping track of Ais in his base state so he couldn't blame Shizune for simply 'ignoring' Ais as she closed her eyes and focused on commanding her Shadows. She had completely entrusted her protection to him and, even if he pinched her ears or poked her cheeks, Shizune's focus wouldn't break as her tidal-wave of Shadows overwhelmed most enemies that they encountered.At a moment when Vahn was partially focused on fluffing up Shizune's soft tail, his instincts triggered warning signals as his body immediately set into motion without the need for complex thought. His left arm became covered in black scales that were adorned with small green runes as he intercepted an arrow that had moved silently through the air, tracing a direct path towards Shizune's head. Instead of shattering under the repulsive force of Vahn's Xuanwu transformation, the arrow had turned into a malleable goo that attempted to twine itself around his arm, causing Vahn's brows to rise slightly before he transitioned his left arm in his Zhuque form. The black goo immediately evaporated with the sound of liquid touching hot stone as Vahn's [Eyes of Truth] peered towards the location where their hidden enemy was located.Just as he had been ambushed before, unable to sense the enemy until it had already attacked, Vahn saw a black slime that had the appearance of a night sky filled with stars. It was much smaller than the 'guardian' he had encountered in the past but it wasn't difficult to deduce that the two were the same species, if not outright the same entity. The Dungeon could cycle the fragmentary souls of monsters, allowing them to eventually even reach Tier 1, so Vahn fully expected the encounter the strange creature in the future. He was even looking forward to his rematch against the Juggernaut as, compared to the past, Vahn wouldn't look down on its strength and speed in their next encounter...Since it was much smaller and weaker than the previous 'slime' Vahn had encountered, he managed to subdue it relatively quickly after sending a pillar of Zhuque flames into the small crevasse where it had been hiding. He knew it possessed a weakness, not necessarily to flames, but the Yang Elemental energy contained within his Zhuque fire. It began to scream and squeal while trying to extricate itself from the area of the flames effect, screaming, "Cuuuurse you...!" in a high-pitched voice. It was at the moment when the monster had managed to break free from his flames that Vahn 'blinked' next to it, now fully in his Qinglong form since Ais had arrived to protect the now fully conscious Shizune.Seemingly tearing through Space and Time, Vahn's claw grasped the 'neck' of the 'Slime', sending a powerful pulse of blue, lightning-like, Space Elemental energy into its body. This caused several parts of it to fracture, almost as if he had broken a glass statue, but it didn't completely break down as Vahn asked, "What are you, really? Who made you the 'guardian' of the 70th Floor...?" Though Vahn had asked the mirror artifact to show him who had created the strange slime during his last excursion, he was curious about the answer it would give. He wasn't foolish enough to completely believe the information provided to him by the mirror, especially since there was an 'intent' attached to it, so it never hurt to try and measure the veracity of its claims whenever possible...Feeling its body become 'solid', as its individual cells had been locked into place by Vahn's spatial energy, the vaguely humanoid slime creature turned its galaxy-like face towards its warden and begrudgingly replied, "No matter how many times you defeat me, I will always return. You are not allowed to trespass this area, even if you are-" Before the monster could complete its threat, a massive amount of mana began to flow through the Dungeon, condensing beneath Vahn in what felt like a single instant. His instincts sounded warning bells in his mind as he tore through space to evade the sudden phenomenon, growing even more shocked when he was unable to move the creature along with him, momentarily forgetting that he was the one that 'locked' the space around it to avoid having it run away...Where the monster had previously stood, there was now a pillar of what seemed like a higher tier of Light Elemental energy. It had a diameter of nearly twenty meters, causing Vahn's body to itch madly as he protected Shizune's trembling body. Since the pillar of light was the direct counter to her Darkness and Shadow Elemental energy, she was feeling as if her body was going to be torn apart and purified in the presence of the light. Ais was seemingly unaffected, however, causing Shizune to make a pouting expression while Vahn could only produce a wry smile as he observed the massive pillar of light with a thoughtful glint in his eyes. He could tell that the light was easily Tier 4, though he wasn't sure where on the spectrum of Tier 4 it would fall. Since it was formed by the Dungeon itself, Vahn couldn't help but wonder if it was due to the owner of the 'intent' behind the mirror or if it was the Dungeon, Tartarus itself, that wanted to protect certain information...Knowing he would find the answers by delving deeper into the Dungeon, Vahn mentally moved up his timeline for conquering the Dungeon and learning its secrets. He decided that, after being crowned Emperor, he would help stabilize things within the Continent before escorting Mikoto, Shizune, Haruhime, and Tsubaki over to the Far East. Though Kali had yet to make a vow to him, Vahn believed she would do so if he put a bit more effort into their relationship in the future. He still required a few other gods and goddesses to make Eternal Vows with him, however, meaning he would need to meet with Amaterasu at some point while helping Kaguya get her revenge. Once that was taken care of, hopefully within the next six months, Vahn fully intended to delve into the Dungeon to learn whatever secrets it was keeping. Though he would be able to discover them in the future, regardless of how he went about things, Vahn was too interested in the 'truth' of the world to ignore the matter for much longer...While he was momentarily lost in his own thoughts, Vahn noticed that the pillar of light had started to fade away rather quickly. In its wake, a perfect circle had been cut through the Dungeon's floor and ceiling, seemingly stretching for several kilometers upward while pure darkness could be seen below. The pillar of light had obviously penetrated several Floors of the Dungeon, leaving behind an almost mirror-like surface in the incredibly durable bedrock. Vahn coudn't help but admire the power required to perform such a feat as, even in his Lightning Emperor form, he knew it would be impossible for him to repeat without a great deal of time and effort. He could easily cut through several Floors of the Dungeon on his own efforts, but the area of effect would be much smaller than the 20m diameter hole that was left in the wake of the pillar of light...After a moment of contemplation, Vahn turned back to Ais and Shizune, casually asking, "Shall we continue downward...?" He wasn't worried that another pillar of light would appear since he had started to truly understand the nature of the Dungeon after the discovery of the mirror. Though it would 'test' intruders, often to the point of breaking them, that wasn't the 'purpose' behind the Dungeon's existence. It was, in a way, a method in which mortals were able to ascend to higher soul tiers, even becoming gods if they were able to overcome the various challenges that awaited them. As for why the Dungeon barred gods from descending too far into its depths, that was still up for debate but Vahn assumed it was simply to prevent gods from returning to the 'origin'. He didn't know why Nuwa wanted to prevent this, but it didn't seem like she was too fond of the idea of having gods invade 'Hell', perhaps due to the preferential treatment she wanted to give her own creations...?This thought caused Vahn to smile somewhat amusedly since he wondered how Nuwa would react if she learned that he wasn't the product of something she had created. It would be rather ironic if she had gone through all of these efforts to help her 'children' grow to the point they could break free from mortal constraints, only for an interloper from another world to seize the legacy she had left behind. Fortunately, she would have no way of knowing this and, even if she were somehow able to deduce the truth, it was far too late to take any proactive action about it. Unless she outright tried to kill him, something that seemed extremely out of character for the Primordial Goddess who had created sentient life, she would have to descend/ascend to the Mortal World to do so. The moment she came under the influence of the World's Laws, Vahn was confident he would be able to seal her away, even if for only the few years it would take him to leave the world and return as an unfathomable existence that she could never overcome...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'This isn't even fair...!','*Petting intensifies*','Just imagine Nuwa being like, "My child, I'm so proud of you..." while Vahn does his best to luffypokerface.jpg xD...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

With the 'convenient' hole that had been created for them, Vahn descended into the 70th Floor with Ais and Shizune at his side. They were both taken aback with the seemingly infinite darkness that existed below, causing Shizune to hold onto Vahn's sleeve as Ais spread out a small tempest of air to 'feel' her surroundings. Even Shizune's Shadows weren't able to see within the darkness without a light to guide their way, making it very difficult for her to spread her network outward without issue. She had tried to send out a few dozen small animals like rabbits and snakes to scout the area but, after entering into the various illusory barriers in the surroundings, she had to give up due to the mental strain and extreme nausea that began to rise up from her stomach.Vahn lightly stroked Shizune's head and ears to help her stay calm while infusing [Enkidu] into his domain to illuminate their surroundings. It was still unbelievably dark, as the floor and ceiling above absorbed all light, but Vahn's domain caused a golden aura to spread through the area like a bubble. It was a strange sight to behold but it still allowed the girls to get their bearings, giving Shizune the leeway to murmur, "This place...I don't like it..." Though she had affinities related to Darkness and Shadow, Shizune had never experienced such 'absolute' darkness before. It was incredibly unnerving and, without the presence of Vahn, she felt as if she could have gotten lost in the darkness for an eternity without ever being afforded the opportunity to escape...Ais was calmer than Shizune but there was a noticeable hint of fear in her eyes as she nodded her head in response to the former's words. Even with the ability to sense her surroundings through her strong connection with WInd Elemental energy, not being able to see even a few centimeters in front of her was more than a little terrifying. It was almost as if she had gone blind for a brief moment, causing Ais to feel an incredible feeling of relief when Vahn illuminated the area. She was now holding hands with him as the three of them slowly navigated through the pitch black terrain, their destination the mirror artifact at the 'core' of the complex formation.With Vahn leading the way, it didn't take that long for them to reach their destination, causing Ais and Shizune to both visibly relax after entering the well-lit area. He had Shizune leave a path of pheromones with a few snake and insectoid Shadows along the way, the primary reason for their delayed progress. Though the Dungeon would probably remove their existence after a few days, Vahn wanted to determine if it was a viable method to traverse through the darkness as others would likely need assistance in doing so. Since many Demi-Humans had extremely sensitive noses, especially when it came to certain types of pheromones, Vahn believed it would be the most reliable method available to most Adventurers that would pass through the darkness in the future.After collecting themselves, Shizune and Ais began to look around the area, both spotting the statue located at the very center of the formation. Ais' eyes widened slightly while Shizune's mouth hung agape as she exclaimed intermixed with incredulity and awe, "How beautiful..." Vahn couldn't really blame him for their reaction as, without his [Will of the Emperor], he wasn't sure if he would be able to resist the nagging temptation to stay in this area, never leaving the statue's side. It was very possible that, when other people found this place in the future, some would become completely enamored with the statue and refuse to leave the area, at least without trying everything in their power to remove the statue and claim it for themselves...As they made their way over to the statue, both Ais and Shizune kept their gazes affixed to it, the light of admiration reflecting across their irises. Upon nearing the statue, Shizune couldn't help but comment, "I've never seen such a realistic statue...it's almost like she is going to come to life at any moment..." Adding to this, Ais nodded her head before saying, "It feels like there is someone inside the statue..." These words had caused Vahn's brows to raise as even he could barely feel the 'intent' contained within the statue. He credited to the fact that Ais was one of the original heroines of the world and probably had some kind of connection with Nuwa.It was nearly impossible to deduce how far the version of Danmachi he was in would have progressed as even purchasing a manga that accounted for events in the far future, linking present and future events together served almost no purpose whatsoever. Outside of discovering the existence of a few key figures, there were no great benefits to such research as there wasn't a single version of the manga that accounted for his presence within the record. Vahn had even found several versions of the story that took events in a completely different direction, sometimes with other transmigrators living their own lives, often with even less restraint than he showed. With a 'literal' infinite number of iterations of the same story, Vahn was better served to enjoy tea with girls like Sylphia or Cassandra. Both had relatively powerful clairvoyance and he knew that they would appreciate his company...Vahn was broken from his momentary reverie when Shizune did something rather shocking, causing him to pale slightly as she reached up and rubbed her palm across the chest of the statue. During his last visit, Vahn's instincts gave him the impression that it was extremely 'dangerous' to touch the statue, especially knowing there was an intent contained within. Though he had been tempted on several occasions, Vahn had managed to avoid giving in to his curiosity since it simply felt 'wrong' to touch the statue, especially in such a 'bold' manner. What surprised him even more, however, was when Shizune's eyes widened fully as she exclaimed, "It's warm...!" while wiggling her dexterous fingers along the delicate and unblemished stone surface...Feeling a peculiar sensation pass through his body, causing alarm bells to ring in his mind, Vahn moved forward and snatched Shizune's hand as he exasperatedly stated, "Shizune, please don't touch this statue...it isn't a normal work of art and there is very likely a powerful entity linked to it. Besides, couldn't you have touched someone else...?" For the first time in a long while, Vahn felt his brain buzz with slight anxiety as his instincts were still sounding warning bells, even though they had slowly started to die down. Shizune also seemed to have finally sensed something, showing an apologetic expression on her face as she murmured, "I'm sorry..." in a sheepish voice. She wasn't used to Vahn nearly shouting at her and felt her heart racing when he snatched her wrist with a little more force than was necessary...Vahn noticed the small bruise around Shizune's wrist and felt a bit of panic in his heart as he sent a wave of healing energy through his palm while bringing her into his embrace, repeating, "I'm sorry..." in a similarly apologetic tone. At this time, the alarms going off in his mind died down in an instant, replaced by a strangely calm atmosphere as Vahn continued to console Shizune, even though it was her own actions that had nearly caused a catastrophe. He didn't know what would have happened but, for a brief moment, Vahn experienced an extreme amount of regret and nearly followed his instincts to try and escape with the two girls before whatever danger lurking made itself known.After things had settled down a bit, Vahn gave Shizune one last affectionate stroke through her silky hair before he began explaining the use of the small oval hand mirror. Though he had tried several experiments himself, Vahn knew there were still secrets he had yet to uncover and wanted to have other people experience the uniqueness of the mirror artifact in order to verify his hypothesis. Since Shizune may have offended the entity that controlled the statue, Vahn had Ais peer into the mirror, causing the latter to surprisingly say, "Show me my mother, Aria..." He had expected her to ask about the One-Eyed Black Dragon, as it was pretty much guaranteed that Aria had already died, but Vahn could also understand if Ais wanted to make sure of the matter personally...Surprisingly, the surface of the mirror began to emanate a vibrant white light before it faded away, revealing a rather confusing scene to the three curious onlookers. Ais looked up into the air towards a place that was seemingly devoid of any presence while Vahn continued to observe the mirror, moving his hand around to see the image of himself in its reflection. The mirror was currently showing the three of them standing next to the statue, with the main focal point being Ais herself. This caused her to feel an incredible amount of confusion as she turned back to the mirror, a small frown on her face as she asked, "What are you trying to tell me...?"Unlike Ais, Vahn had a few guesses at what the mirror was showing Ais and, knowing exactly how she had been created, it wasn't that much of a stretch to believe his postulation was correct. Though Ais certainly had her own soul, it was very likely that her several incarnations had left a few imprints on her ego, especially with the experiments that had been conducted during her creation. Vahn reached out his hand, placing it on Ais' shoulder in a supporting gesture as he quietly explained, "Perhaps, because of her existence as a Great Spirit, your mother has been protecting you ever since you were separated in the past...it would make sense, considering the power of your Innates and the fate you had inherited as a result of your parents' desire to protect you..."Though it wasn't the full truth, as Vahn didn't fully understand the nature of Great Spirits, he knew that Ais' abilities weren't entirely her own. They had been 'given' to her when she was created and, with mana and Spirits almost being one and the same, there was a certain amount of truth behind his words. Though Aria had lost her ego, at least until she truly reincarnated in the future, part of it had left an impression on Ais' soul, protecting it through the generations in the hopes of liberating her daughter from the dark fate that others had decided for her. The fact that Ais had managed to escape, being 'spawned' in an unexpected area where the Loki Familia could protect her, could very well have been the result of Aria's lingering 'will'...Unable to make sense of what the mirror had shown her, Ais decided to believe in Vahn's words, adorning a small smile on her face as she said, "Thank you, Vahn...I'm certain your words are the truth..." Ais brought her hand over her heart as she spoke, feeling a small warmth flow through her chest as the perpetual wind that flowed around her body suddenly seemed more gentle than before. Neither of them was aware of it but, with the small change in her perspective, Ais' [Child of Wind] Innate had upgraded, jumping from A-Rank to SS-Rank in an instant. The only thing she knew was that the wind surrounding her body suddenly seemed extremely comfortable, almost as if it had truly become a part of her body.Vahn had felt the slight change but put it to the back of his mind as he wrapped his arms around Ais and comforted her for a short while, only separating when a flash of light caught their attention. With Vahn and Ais in their own little world, Shizune had decided to test her own luck, peering into the mirror's surface as she whispered, "Show me my surviving family members..." Since she had been orphaned after her village was attacked long ago, Shizune had always been curious about any family she might have back in the Far East. She hadn't been as focused on revenge in the last few years, confident she could take it whenever she pleased, so Shizune was more curious about if she still had a family. Since she would be accompanying Vahn to the Far East, Shizune wanted a reason other than revenge to visit her homeland...What appeared in the mirror had, once again, surprised all three people that had taken a peek at its contents. Shizune's surprise quickly transitioned into a cold and threatening look, however, as the person reflected in the mirror seemed to be a small girl of only 6-7 years old that was being kept in what looked like a small prison cell. She was wearing nothing but a tattered hempen kimono that had several stains and holes while curling up in a small ball as she resisted the lingering cold that sapped away the vitality of her fragile and malnourished body. Though it wasn't guaranteed that the girl in the mirror was truly one of Shizune's relatives, the fact they both had amethyst eyes and were members of the Kitsune race increased the odds quite a bit.Vahn withheld a sigh as he saw the fury that had seized Shizune, something he couldn't fault her for as his own blood was beginning to boil after seeing the rather sorry state of the girl in the mirror. He didn't know why she had been imprisoned but, considering how young she was, Vahn knew whoever threw her in the cold stone cell was a cruel and vicious person. Though Shizune wasn't controlling the mirror to look around, Vahn could see the tell-tale signs of other prisoners in the surroundings, some even younger than the young Kitsune in the focal point of the mirror. He didn't get that much time to observe the scene though as Shizune's icy voice sounded out, saying, "Show me another member of my family...show me that girl's parents...!"Shizune felt a cold fury overwhelm her but, remembering her original purpose, she decided to see if she had any other family that was, hopefully, in a better situation. She didn't know why but Shizune felt like, regardless of the situation she found her other family members in, part of her would blame them for the state of the young girl. When the mirror's surface began to shine again, her pupils turned into small dots as she focused intently on whatever would appear before her. Nothing could have prepared her for the scene that would be reflected and, if not for Vahn's presence, Shizune felt like she would have gone on a rampage as she 'needed' to destroy something, anything, just to deal with the overwhelming anger and anxiety she was feeling...Vahn held Shizune's trembling body as he stared coldly at the image reflected in the mirror, feelings of rage welling up in his own heart as he watched a woman who seemed vaguely related to the young Kitsune lounging in a chair as servants waited on her hand and foot. She was adorned in a high-quality kimono while golden ornaments held her silky black hair in a complex hairstyle that accented her two pointed fox-like ears. It was very obvious that she was extremely well off, causing several questions to come to mind since what should have been her daughter was, at this very moment, suffering. As if she was completely unaware of this fact, the woman had a rather cold and sadistic smile on her face as she used her sharp fingernails to draw a thin line of blood along the bare chest of one of her male attendants...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Into the Darkest Dungeon...','Shameless...!','Hate...haaaaaate...!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Even before the Denatus had come to an end, some of the more impatient gods had already left the assembly, spreading gossip about with an atmosphere of excitement about them. The fact that the Divine Council had been established was major news but it still paled in comparison to the news that Vahn would become an actual Emperor. Some were unable to believe it, even though it had been a popular topic over the last few months, while others were completely taken aback by feelings of incredulity. Many of the foreign dignitaries that had arrived within the City, some of which had expected things to turn out like this, were now feeling an even greater pressure than before. They had already prepared themselves for several different outcomes, including a situation where they would be forced to yield to Vahn's demands, but now things had been elevated to another level completely...Vahn also heard the rumors being spread around the City as he had kept up with his habit of making public appearances even during the Denatus. The first time he heard the rumor was in one of Orario's larger market districts as he and Lili were enjoying a short date. They had just come out of a Cafe when a member of one of the smaller Familia within the Alliance was completely awestruck after seeing Vahn come out through the front door. The young man fell into a panic of sorts, seemingly unsure if he should bow or salute as he awkwardly gesticulated before eventually apologizing, all while Vahn looked on with a slightly bemused look. It wasn't until the man had calmed down, explain that his god had already left the Denatus to spread the information, that Vahn understood the man's peculiar behavior.After 'allowing' the man to leave, Vahn lightly shook his head while a small smile adorned his face, even as people looked towards him with mixed expressions of fear and reverence. As for Lili, she seemed rather proud that things had gone well, puffing out her more than modest chest with a happy smile on her face before grabbing Vahn's arm affectionately. The top of her head barely reached his diaphragm so she had to crane her head quite a bit, hear hazel-brown eyes shimmering excitedly as she asked, "Does this mean I get to be an Empress if we get married~?"Vahn released a light-hearted chuckle in response before picking Lili up and ascending into the sky, much to the surprise of the gathering crowd. Lili herself wasn't surprised, however, and just casually nuzzled into Vahn's chest while he carried her, bridal style, through the air. To answer her previous question, Vahn had a thoughtful look in his eyes as he said, "I think things will be a little complicated if I have everyone become an Empress so it may be necessary to come up with a different title...if you want to get married, I'd be more than happy to, Lili..." Realizing he was unnecessarily complicating things, Vahn changed his tone as a gentle smile spread across his face. Lili hadn't particularly minded his words, as she was already fully aware of Vahn's disposition, but she was still much happier when he said they could get married...While already imagining herself in a pristine white dress, Lili had her eyes closed for several seconds before releasing a small sigh. She might not be the smartest woman around Vahn, but Lili was rather prideful of her intelligence. Though Vahn had changed the topic a bit, she tried to imagine what it would be like if he had nearly thirty Empresses around him, something that didn't seem reasonable, no matter how she looked at it. If she truly wanted the title, Lili knew she would have to change the way she acted and, depending on the circumstances, she could even be wrapped up in the Empire's politics. Since she would much rather just be someone close to Vahn, without having to worry about such troublesome things, Lili gave up on becoming an Empress and began to wonder how she could make her own wedding more memorable...Holding Lili's small figure a little tighter, Vahn sent warm energy coursing through her body as they quickly zoomed through the sky, arriving at the Manor in just a few short minutes. They touched down in the Manor's central courtyard but, instead of setting Lili on the ground, Vahn continued to carry her for a while as she was lost in thought. Since it was a good opportunity, he made his way to the western side of the Manor, following a few passages before arriving at a large room where two auras, and several life signs, were present. Vahn couldn't see the aura of his children and, for the time being, the large room served as a daycare for some of the younger children that were too old to stay in the maternity ward.Within the room, Vahn found Eina, Syr, Mona, and Lunoire all looking after several young children and a veritable menagerie of guardians. Amongst the group, there were three nearly identical young children that were wearing small smock-like dresses with large embroidered flowers on the chest region. Each had a unique design, showing a rose, iris, and daisy, matching the names of the inordinately small Pallum children. Though they were very tiny, the girls were already very perceptive and were developing rather quickly, making them easily able to discern the presence of their Mama and Papa as eager and excited smiles adorned the girls' faces.Vahn set Lili down on the ground before sitting down himself, fully aware of the fate he had invited upon himself as his sons and daughters began to congregate around him. Rose ended up falling prey to Lili's embrace while Vahn was practically piled on by Iris, Daisy, Eiko, Macht, and, though she was barely able to hobble about, his doll-like daughter, Natalie. The only child that didn't migrate over to him was the perpetually sleeping Lucas who now had a healthy coat of thin golden fur covering his body as he happily dozed in Mona's embrace. As for Mona, she looked increasingly more vibrant with the passage of time, even though Vahn knew it had to be stressful looking after so many children all day...With Iris, Daisy, and Eiko sitting in his lap, Macht climbing on his shoulders, and Natalie clutching the fringe of his tunic, almost as if she was saying, 'don't go', Vahn accepted his fate and decided to commit his afternoon to his children while talking with Eina, Syr, and Lili about the future. Mona and Lunoire weren't left out of the conversation but, having never really interfered much in the matters and affairs of the Manor, they only offered small tidbits while listening in most of the time. It was Syr would gave Vahn the wisest counsel while Eina, though having one of the more influential positions in the Manor, simply expressed her concerns about Vahn's, and the children's', well being. As for Lili, she was a little preoccupied with her three rather clingy children who, for reasons unknown, had developed a 'climbing' habit, much like Macht...Even with his hair being pulled on by Iris, Vahn kept a casual smile on his face without minding it too much as he would periodically rub the heads of his children or pinch their cheeks. He knew that his time with them would be cut down in the future so, at least for now, Vahn wanted to spend time with them so they didn't feel lonely. Though everyone in the Manor helped to look after the children, Vahn knew he was like the 'lynchpin' of everything, as his children all seemed exceptionally fond of his presence. This wasn't just because of his [Hands of Nirvana] and [Grooming], which he rarely proactively used against them, but because of the strange 'link' between him and all entities that had Source Energy contained within...Vahn had noticed this even before the birth of his first children, as he had seen the signs in his subordinates like Fafnir and Fenrir. Since The Path was the source of 'Source Energy' itself, it wasn't incorrect to say that any entity with Source Energy flowing through them was almost like an extension of himself, the one who had fused together with The Path. This was an unbreakable bond as even Tier 9 energy systems would never be able to destroy Source Energy. As a result, Vahn had a close connection to every entity that had Source Energy flowing through its body and, in turn, they also seemed inextricably drawn to him with an impulse that even exceeded the bonds between close kin.Eventually, all of Vahn's children, with the exception of Natalie, ended up falling asleep after lingering around him for a while. Vahn found the weight and presence of his children extremely comforting, a feeling they shared if their happy smiles were any indicator. Even Natalie, who almost seemed lacking in expression, would allow a small smile to adorn her doll-like facial features as she gently stroked her Silvervine Python while Vahn tied up her silvery hair into two small pigtails. This was already the fourth hairstyle he had done for her, each causing Natalie to giggle happily whenever Syr would hold up a mirror for her use. Natalie didn't speak much, at least during normal circumstances, but it was obvious she was very aware of her surroundings since there was a glimmer of intelligence perpetually present in her silvery-blue eyes.Seeing her daughter's hair done up by Vahn, Syr held up an ornate hand mirror for Natalie while commenting, "This daughter of our's is going to be a heartbreaker in the future...fufufu~." Since Natalie was 'purified' as a result of the union between Vahn and Syr, she was actually a 'true' Demigoddess, a similar existence to other Demigods but inordinately more refined. Instead of having a mixture between the two different races, which often caused a variety of issues, Natalie's genes were 'flawless' as a result of the existence of Source Energy in her body and the perfect fusion of the two halves of her heritage. In a way, she was the first 'real' Demigoddess that had ever existed, much like how Eina was the first true Half-Elf and Tsubaki was the first true Half-Dwarf. Vahn had even thought about coming up with completely new names for the races they had become, though such discussions had never gone very far since it ultimately didn't matter...Natalie showed a thoughtful yet confused expression on her face while adorably tilting her head to the side after hearing her Mother's words. As for Vahn, he could only produce a wry smile since he was very aware that Natalie could certainly be a little 'dangerous' depending on how she developed. Though they couldn't be sure as of yet, it was highly likely that Natalie had pseudo-divinities related to Beauty and Love, as her appearance was simply too abnormal otherwise. Fortunately, she didn't seem to have an inherent charm, at least for the time being, though Vahn knew it was bound to pop up when she had matured a bit...Knowing that the only thing he could really do was try and guide Natalie down a path where she could find happiness, much like Syr, Vahn lightly poked his daughter's soft cheeks as he said, "So long as it is someone she chose, I'll at least give them a chance...if anyone thinks they can pursue any of my daughters, they'll have to go through me first..." Though it wasn't really a threat, a small amount of pressure emanated from Vahn's body as even the momentary thought of someone harboring intentions towards his children caused an intimidating light to flash across his eyes. This went completely unnoticed by his children, as most were sleeping, but Eina, Syr, Lili, Lunoire, and even Mona, all giggled in response.---While Vahn was spending time with his children, he was also back on the 60th Floor of the Dungeon making sure Enyo's seal was still secure. This time, he had Ais and Shizune at his side since he was going to escort the two down to the 70th Floor to help them familiarize themselves with the impossibly dark terrain's layout. Both had extremely high perception and could easily sense their surroundings without relying on sight, but Vahn wanted to make sure they were able to navigate the complex terrain without incident since he wouldn't always be accompanying them on their path to greater strength. The more he protected them, the harder it would be for them to overcome their mental restrictions and further develop their soul, something that would be necessary if they truly seek to become immortals in the future...Shizune had been watching with intrigue as Vahn checked over the strength of Enyo's seal and, unable to resist the urge, asked, "Is it okay if I try and send one of my Shadows into the seal...?" Since Shadow Elemental magic had the property of ignoring magical resistance, barriers, and even complex wards, Shizune was a little curious about if she could send one of her familiars into Enyo's seal. This caused Vahn's brows to raise slightly, as he was also a little curious since he believed the seal used on Enyo was very likely near the peak of Tier 4 at this point. Shizune was, at best, around the middle of Tier 2 so he couldn't help but feel slightly curious by the prospect of her being able to simply 'ignore' something far beyond her capabilities.Knowing that Shizune wouldn't be able to break the seal, even if she could probe into it, Vahn gave a small nod as he said, "Sure, but don't try to break it. Though I could probably reseal Enyo before she breaks free, it would be far more trouble than its worth..." Shizune hadn't actually expected Vahn to give her permission so she was a little taken aback before issuing an awkward laugh as she said, "I'm not so foolish as to jeopardize everything over simple curiosity, Vahn...ufufu~." Since Vahn had given her permission to do something that most 'sensible' people would have outright prevented, Shizune felt more than a little happy since she interpreted it as him being slightly deferential towards her out of respect and mutual love...To avoid any accidents, Shizune summoned a tiny black whisp at the tip of her finger that took on the shape of a simple housefly. It began to silently beat its wings as it careened through the air before disappearing into the complex seal surrounding Enyo's enclosure. This wasn't too much of a surprise to anyone present, as Shadow magic simply had such properties, so Vahn continued to watch with intrigue until Shizune frowned deeply. Her connection with her familiar had been severed but she could still 'feel' it, now stuck within the seal and unable to escape. It was a very annoying feeling as, even after trying to dismiss it several times, she found herself unable to exercise any influence over the small part of herself that was now stuck inside of Enyo's seal.Vahn, understanding Shizune's discomfort, reached out his hand and began to lightly stroke her head as his eyes transitioned from aquamarine to a stark blue. He peered into the seal and saw Shizune's fly practically frozen in time, its wings beating so slowly it would likely take days before they completed a cycle. With his [Eyes of Truth], he could tell that the mana contained within had actually started to disperse but would take several days before it managed to escape the seal's influence, something that was fully expected since that was the purpose of the seal from the start. Still, in order to alleviate Shizune's discomfort, Vahn used 'Oblivion' to create a small sphere that completely destroyed the fly and the contained mana. Though this would be a permanant loss to Shizune's base mana pool, it wouldn't even take her a day to replenish what was lost...Feeling relief, both from Vahn's hand and the fact that her mana was no longer stuck in Enyo's seal, Shizune released a sigh while leaning against Vahn's shoulder. Ais had been watching at the side with a bit of intrigue of her own this entire time but, seeing Shizune snuggling up with Vahn, her brows raised slightly before she also made her way over to his other side. This brought a small smile to Vahn's face as, for a few minutes thereafter, he simply stood with the two girls at his side as they enjoyed each other's company. It was only after Gros showed up to pass a message that their small reverie was broken, causing the two girls to give the slightly pale titan an aggrieved look before they finally started their descent towards the 70th Floor...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Gossiping Gods','Pile on the Papa~! *sleeping intensifies*','Some things never change...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Chapter 971: Light