Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Vahn spent a fair amount of time helping Shizune regain her composure as the three of them sat near the vicinity of the statue and ate a light meal together. Surprisingly, Shizune hadn't asked him to head to the Far East any sooner than planned as, according to her, there was no need to worry about people she had never met when there were plenty of people suffering in the world. Even Ais didn't believe this excuse, however, as she gave Shizune a contemplative look throughout the meal that said, 'I won't let you go alone'. Vahn agreed with this sentiment, somewhat roughly stroking Shizune's head as he said, "I have the power of Space...if I can't use it during moments like this, what else is it good for...?"Shizune knew that Vahn was very busy in the present and didn't want to inconvenience him over her own personal matters. Still, hearing him console her and show genuine concern for people that were almost entirely unrelated to her made Shizune want to cry. She managed to keep the waterworks at bay but still nuzzled against Vahn's chest rather affectionately as she intoned a small 'Nn...' in response. In truth, Vahn didn't really need to change his plans to visit the Far East on schedule as, if he used his Qinglong form effectively, it wouldn't necessarily take more than a few hours to find the suffering girl and liberate her. As for the woman that should be her mother, she was someone they could deal with at any time so Vahn intended to 'brand' her with a tracking ward so that she wouldn't be able to escape.---After explaining the situation to the girls back at the 'daycare', Vahn managed to extricate himself from his children. He was thinking about the best course of action while Lili followed behind, completely silent as she seemed to be trying to read his mind. Though he didn't need any help in rescuing a single person, Vahn was intending to ask Fenrir to accompany him since it was often better to have more people in the event something unexpected happened. Lili didn't know exactly what Vahn was thinking but, as if to make her presence more obvious, she kept cycling through various forms in the periphery of his vision until Vahn released a small chuckle and asked, "Will you accompany me, Lili...?"Lili had just adopted one of her more 'adorable' forms, growing thin pink hair around her forearms and legs, matching the color atop her head and the cat-like tail poking out from the small fold that was present in most of her clothing. Since she had the habit of transforming quite a bit, while even her [Pactio] gave her a monkey-like tail, Lili's clothes were customized to allow for ease of movement in almost any form. This particular form was Lili's attempt to make a Cat Person that had some of the racial traits she had tried to copy from a Vanargandr, meaning she had an incredible sense of smell and excellent vision. As for why it was pink, that was just an aesthetic choice that Lili had made when she was trying to think of how to make herself more 'unique' to suit Vahn's preferences...Hearing Vahn's question, Lili beamed a mischevious and excited smile as she pumped her fist victoriously and said, "Of course I'll go~!" She had, less than secretly, been wanting to accompany Vahn on one of his 'missions', much like many of the girls. They would, at times, feel useless since he was constantly dealing with the more dangerous and troublesome affairs on his own. The matter with the One-Eyed Black Dragon had taken them by surprise, as they had expected Vahn to at least severely injuring it before giving Ais the chance to fight. He was overprotective, almost to an extreme, something that made the girls feel gratified but extremely self-conscious since they all worked hard to grow stronger to stand at his side...Vahn was slightly taken aback by how excited Lili was to simply accompany him for a short trip but, instead of thinking about it too deeply, he just habitually began stroking her silky hair in an affectionate manner until Fenrir showed up a few moments later. The latter gave Lili a glance, understanding she would also be accompanying them, before fixing her gaze upon her Master and saying, "I am ready, Master. Let's go save Shizune's family...!" She had already intuited the details through her connection with Vahn, unlike Lili who was still waiting for a deeper explanation into what they would be doing. When she heard Fenrir's words, Lili produced and imperceptible frown, feeling slightly envious of the fact that Fenrir's 'bond' with Vahn was strong enough that she could 'literally' read his mind at times...Noticing the momentary shift in Lili's aura, Vahn gave the small Pallum a questioning look with his eyes before she immediately reverted back to normal with a sheepish grin on her face. He knew the girls would, at times, feel small bouts of envy or jealousy towards each other so it wasn't that much of a surprise, especially considering that Lili treated Fenrir as something akin to a 'rival'. The two had grown much closer after Lili allowed Fenrir to learn her [Cinder*Ella], but that only served to increase their competitiveness since both would attempt to make the cutest, fluffiest, or most adorable form in an attempt to appeal to him. Because Fenrir had inherited Lili's 'experience' with the skill, she had quickly caught up with the latter's use of the skill and the competition had been somewhat fierce, especially when the two were together...Without dallying too much, Vahn explained the situation while in his Qinglong transformation, his intent quickly moving across the vast and seemingly endless sea as he continued speaking to the two girls from the Manor's courtyard. It hadn't taken long for him to discover that, instead of simply 'teleporting' his intent to a specific point, Vahn was able to move it around at startling speeds without the need to move his actual body. Though this kind of 'clairvoyance' was rather taxing on the mind and his reserves, it would allow Vahn to 'map' areas without actually visiting them while also giving him one of the most versatile methods to spy on any potential enemies.After a little under an hour, Vahn's intent had traversed the Poseidon Sea and he quickly found himself passing over various mountain ranges and scenic landscapes, all while using clues provided by the mirror and Shizune to locate the approximate location of her family members. They had already concluded that, other than one other person, a middle-aged Kitsune woman who seemed to work at a small store in the Far East, the affluent woman and her horribly mistreated daughter were Shizune's only family. How they were related was still a mystery, as families often grew estranged with each other and could even branch out to create new families, but that wasn't really a reason to ignore the younger Kitsune's plight.While he was searching around for the larger residence that was used by Shizune's vicious relative, Vahn was still back in the Dungeon helping to pacify Shizune. He couldn't teleport her out of the Dungeon quickly and then take her across the Sea with him in a timely manner so he had decided to keep her in the area for the time being as he dealt with things personally. When they finally returned to the surface, after scouting the location of the One-Eyed Black Dragon, Vahn promised that things would have already been dealt with and, if Shizune chose to, she could become the guardian of her young family member. This had come as a surprise to her as, even in her indignant rage, Shizune hadn't actually thought she might have to be the caretaker of the young girl as even thoughts of having children of her own were a distant issue in the future...Ultimately, it didn't matter where the young girl would end up as simply removing her from such a toxic situation would be infinitely better than what she was currently going through. If Shizune was unable to care for the girl, which was completely reasonable given everything going on around the Manor, they could easily find someone willing to do so. Vahn was already considering having the young Kitsune attend the School as, not only would it increase her knowledge and power, it would provide her with a safe environment where she could make friends. He had no doubt she had experienced great trauma and it would only be through experiencing the kindness of others, in an environment where she could prosper, that she would be able to move on and overcome the past...With such thoughts in mind, Vahn found himself above a two-tiered building of Far Eastern design, having a gently sloping roof that came to a point that was extremely ornate. It was almost entirely comprised of wood, each component of the building meticulously carved to increase the aesthetic appeal of the large manor below. There were several posts and lintels supporting the overall structure while many of the walls, as was common in many Far Eastern concepts, were relatively thin and could easily be rearranged for various purposes. They weren't designed to be load-bearing at all, making the true support for the large building the various reinforced pillars that held everything together. The only exception to this was the 'inner sanctum', the part of the building that was reserved as general living quarters and often housed various treasures and shrines.From the very moment Vahn's intent arrived in the air above the Manor, ripples began to appear on Space itself before small fractures could be seen. An appendage with azure scales and golden claws broke through the void, causing Space to madly withdraw from the area as Vahn pulled Fenrir and Lili along with him. It wasn't that difficult to move through Space on his own, as his Qinglong form seemed almost immune to any detrimental effects, but Vahn had to take extra precautions when moving others. The unstable 'nothingness' between Space could tear apart virtually anything, meaning he needed to protect the girls by having them as close to his body as possible when making the transfer. Even then, the cost for moving anyone other than himself was immense so Vahn found himself gasping for air as he quickly downed a [Turbo Ether] to replenish his reserves.Though few people could sense spatial fluctuations, Space being torn apart wasn't a very subtle act, causing extremely loud noises like glass shattering to echo throughout the area. The barriers surrounding the Manor also fractured as a result of Space trying to repair itself while areas of the ground below had been pulled up, distorting the land and disturbing the previously immaculate landscaping that decorated the manor's surroundings. These were all significant events that drew a lot of attention, causing several guards that wielded Sasumata, a type of weapon used to capture criminals, began to appear. There were also several men that wielded katanas, spears, and naginata that came from the interior of the residence, turning their eyes skyward with tense looks adorning their otherwise fearless expressions.Vahn didn't consider himself too prideful in the past but, knowing he was already an Emperor, he was determined to play the part as he looked down on the men below with scorn and contempt. It helped that he was in his Qinglong form as, even with his [Will of the Emperor], Vahn noticed that it was very easy to feel such emotions in this particular transformation. As a result, some guards were unable to remain steady on their feet, even before Vahn actually allowed his aura to descend upon them like the Heavens themselves collapsing. He even suspected that the SSS-Ranked magic ability he had possessed in the Divination, [Heaven's Fall], was inspired by a similar concept, giving Vahn a bit of inspiration...---Sano Tomonori was, by his own admission, a true prodigy with the sword. Even when he was growing up in an impoverished environment where others would have broken under the pressure and strain of their own hunger, he had been able to temper his body and mind, cultivating an unshakeable discipline and desire for strength. As a result, even as young as seven years old, he had managed to best a Ronin, a wandering or disgraced Samurai, taking his victim's prided weapons as his own. Though the man had been drunk at the time, Tomonori was still proud to have defeated an enemy much larger and more skilled than himself...From that moment onward, Tomonori became slightly famous in his small village and quickly rose to power amongst the other downtrodden youths in the area. As weapons were very hard to come by, especially well-crafted katana, he was able to garner a great deal of respect and admiration just carrying them at his hip. Since people knew he had taken them from a Ronin, someone they couldn't see themselves defeating, nobody challenged his rise to greater power. This gave Tomonori enough time to cultivate his budding skills even further, to the point that he was actually able to defeat minor bandits and troublemaking Ronin, many much older than himself, with relative ease.Remembering the respect his fellow villagers had shown him in the past, Tomonori felt a bit regretful that he had left them behind after becoming an adult, all in the pursuit of honor and supposed glory. He had once desired to become the greatest swordsman in the land, not because he truly cared for the title, but because it would have made the people in his village feel prideful that they had produced such a prodigy. However, with the passage of time, Tomonori had abandoned such thoughts and, after coming to serve his current mistress, his skills with the sword had been stagnating while his personal pride, especially in the bedroom, had been growing...Realizing how far he had deviated from his original path, to the point that he had even stopped sending money back to help support his village, Tomonori felt an overwhelming sense of shame. Unfortunately, such thoughts were entirely too late as, from the moment the 'god of death' had appeared above his mistress' manor, his journey had come to an end. Any pride he had in his own skill was crushed before the fight even began as, the moment Tomonori made eye contact with Vahn, it felt as if every bone in his body had turned to soft pudding. The sword that almost never left his side was instinctually dropped by his right hand, almost as if doing so might afford him some small hope that tragedy could be avoided...As if to refute this kindling hope, an oppressive aura descended upon, not just Tomonori's body, but everyone present within the Manor's courtyard. It felt as if the weight of a mountain was pressing down on him as his knees buckled. Tomonori found himself forced into a deep bow with his forehead pressed to the ground, as if he was being forced to repent for all of his past actions. He even found himself lamenting the fact he had the audacity to look the god-like being before him in the eyes as tears began to build in his own. Then, a strange feeling of relief suddenly swallowed Tomonori, causing him to feel both confused and excited at the same time. He attempted to lift his head to express his gratitude to the divine being that had spared him, only to find the action impossible as darkness quickly overtook his vision. After that, the only thought that passed through his mind was simply, 'I miss the ramen that Kana used to make for me...'.---Following his instincts, Vahn extended his hand outward and allowed his domain to spread through the area, forcing an irresistible pressure to descend upon the gathered guards below. Even the strongest amongst them was merely Level 3, meaning they couldn't even offer a small amount of resistance against the pressure of his domain. Then, not content with this show of power, Vahn increased the pressure even more as he pushed forward with his palm. Space began to compress within the area, much like the phenomenon he had created with the Sub-Space orb back at the Manor. This time, however, Vahn was condensing Space to an extreme and in a very short period of time, causing the ground below to begin to 'bend' downward as he muttered, "Heaven's Fall..." in a deep and resonating voice.Though the effect of the 'spell' had already started to manifest themselves, a very different phenomenon occurred when the words left Vahn's mouth. He had already created a basic structure for the spell within his mind and, though it was only 'nameless magic' at present, any Space Elemental offensive spell was truly monstrous. It wasn't one of the foundational elements for no reason, taking Vahn, Lili, and Fenrir by surprise as a second wave of 'pressure' descended upon the designated area. In an instant, Space condensed to the point that it felt as if time itself had stopped, followed by what could only be described as a 'collapse'. The fabric of the void seemed to break down, causing chaotic fluctuations that began to rapidly devour everything within the targetted area, leaving behind 'literally' nothing after Space had stabilized. The only indicator of the attack was the gaping hole that seemed to extend more than 100m into the earth without a single sign of debris where there had once been several layers of subsurface soil and rock...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The Fluffiest of all Rivalries','Vahn, Godhand, Sage-Emperor, and Ero-Sannin...? The ultimate peeking skill has been obtained...!','O________________O')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Seeing the devastation his attack had wrought, Vahn felt his temples buzzing and couldn't withdraw his hand, even after several seconds had passed. He knew that Space Elemental magic would be very powerful but had drastically underestimated both the cost and output of the impromptu ability that he had forced upon the group of soldiers and guards below. Though many had dark auras, there were some who had muted greys, meaning they weren't people he should have killed outright. Yes, he had wanted to set an example that would be able to become a rumor throughout the Far East, but he hadn't intended to push it to such an extreme. If not for the fact he had made sure the younger Kitsune wasn't within the area of his attack, there was even a chance he would have accidentally killed the unfortunate young girl...With his mind racing, Vahn had become almost catatonic until he felt a soft and gentle touch against his hand, courtesy of a very worried looking Fenrir. She didn't particularly care about the loss of life below but, seeing her Master 'freeze' in such a way made her feel extremely anxious for his well-being. This only made Vahn feel even more guilty, however, as he knew he had gone too far without actually confirming the situation. The more prudent action would have been to send Fenrir to retrieve the girl and liberate the other captives while he went to mark the older Kitsune woman with his ward. With the amount of power he had, and the vast disparity between him and the guards that had gathered, Vahn could have disabled the entire group without shedding a single drop of blood...Knowing there was nothing he could do about it at this point, Vahn took the only true course of action left to him and brought his palms together in prayer. He knew that they would return to the cycle of reincarnation and, hopefully, live a better life in their future incarnations. This didn't justify his actions but, at the very least, Vahn felt some small amount of relief as he also promised to make the world a safer and happier place for when they inevitably returned. There wasn't anything he could do for them now but, by making the world into how he envisioned it, Vahn was certain they would not resent him, at least not for long...After releasing a long sigh, Vahn descended to the edge of the abyss he had created before slowly ambling towards the interior of the Manor. There were several servants cowering within rooms along the way but he completely ignored them as he passed through several sliding doors until reaching a more secured structure near the building's central area. Upon coming across a barrier formation, Vahn simply raised his hand and pressed against the barrier, causing a loud crashing sound to echo about before he walked casually into the now unsecured room. Even the large locks keeping the door closed were unable to slow his progress as Vahn simply ripped the door free, reinforced metallic bolts and all.Even though the manor had been relatively large, it was much smaller than the Hearth Manor so it hadn't taken long for Vahn, Fenrir, and Lili to make their way towards the most centralized region. Then, without even having to look around, Vahn pulled a hidden lever that caused a panel in the door to shift, revealing a small room on the other side where a panicked woman and two bare-chested male servants could be seen. They both had incredible physiques and were each around 180cm tall, a little shorter than Vahn but still commendable compared to the average height of most people. Each had a stern and determined look on their faces as they shielded the rather petite woman behind them who, compared to the image he had seen reflected in the mirror, had become several shades lighter due to her face paling in an extreme manner.After having taken so many lives unintentionally, Vahn wasn't really in the mood to kill without it being absolutely necessary so he used [Shundo] to close the distance in an instant before firmly pressing into acupoints near the men's necks and shoulders. They didn't even have time to process what had happened before they were already falling limply to the ground, once again reminding Vahn of how unnecessary his earlier actions were. Since the entire purpose had been to leave a strong impression on the guards, the fact he had killed them all made the act extremely foolish. The only thing he could do about it now was promise to do better in the future as, from an objective viewpoint, Vahn could tell he had deviated a little too closely towards his apathetic Emperor self while transformed into his Qinglong form. He would need to practice controlling the form better in the future and had already come up with a training regimen that involved a lot of meditation and internal reflection...With such thoughts on his mind, Vahn turned his somewhat dull and tired eyes towards the cowering Kitsune woman and asked, "Do you know a Kitsune woman named Shizune...?" In response to this, the woman showed nothing but confusion as she tremblingly shook her head and said, "This esteemed Sir...I know not of the woman you are searching for...please..." Though he hadn't done anything to her, the woman had already started to plead for her life as a mask of fear had firmly overtaken her earlier expression of contempt and amusement. Vahn could see that she was the type that put self-preservation above almost everything and, even though she had a fretful and traumatized appearance, her aura told the truth of the matter...Vahn squinted his eyes, causing a genuine shudder to run through the woman's body as she realized he wasn't so easily fooled by her act. The only thing she could do was bow low and hope he showed her some leniency as, even if she tried to appeal to him in other ways, her instincts told her such actions would be futile. Even without knowing the relationship between the three people before her, she could easily smell that their scents were interlinked, meaning they had a very intimate relationship. If she tried the 'normal' means to appeal to the man that now held her life in his hands, reason told her that the only thing that awaited her was an even harsher end.Seeing that she had started to actually fear for her life, Vahn nearly gave a small nod in approval but kept it restrained as he said, "I have come to liberate the people you have imprisoned beneath this Manor and warn you that, should you continue to live in such a way, you will one day find yourself facing a nightmare you may never escape..." Though Vahn didn't know exactly how the woman had lived up until this point, the fact that her aura had thick strands of black and sickly pink gave him some insight into the type of person she was. He unhesitantly held out his hand, sending forth a small golden ward that passed into the body of the woman with such speed that only Fenrir had been able to discern exactly what had happened.Holding her hands over her modestly endowed chest, the woman could feel her heart racing as she was unsure of what had just happened. Nothing felt different but, remembering the man's words, she knew that she had now been 'marked' for a truly terrible end if she didn't try and change the way she lived, at least on the surface. She didn't know how much he knew about her, nor how he had come to know of those that had been isolated in the prison below, but felt it wouldn't be wise to try and inquire. It currently felt like an irresistible chill was settling into her body while a heavy pressure was weighing her down, courtesy of Fenrir and Lili since Vahn was restraining his domain after the earlier incident.With no other options available, the woman simply bowed her head low and demurely murmured, "I swear, I will become a better person. Thank you for your mercy and guidance...!" Though she didn't genuinely mean the words, the woman felt like it was best to at least speak them, almost as if saying things like 'mercy' openly would guarantee her safety. In response to this, Vahn sighed through his nose while Lili outright snorted, a disgusted look on her face. As someone who had deceived several people in the past, she could easily see through the woman's act, tempting her to give the Kitsune a few slaps when Vahn wasn't looking...Since he didn't actually care about the relationship between the woman and the girl below, Vahn decided it would be more prudent to ask the victims themselves instead of listening to the lies of such a deceitful woman. He didn't even bother to learn her name before stepping forward and pressing into a point below the center of her collarbone. This caused her body to seize up painfully before she crashed to the floor, curling up into the fetal position as she gasped for air.Though he had decided not to kill her, as it should be left to Shizune and the younger Kitsune to decide her fate, that didn't mean he was going to let her walk away without some form of punishment. Thus, while she was gasping for air with lungs that never felt full, Vahn pressed his palm against the woman's lower back and began planting 'seeds' of Source Energy that would feed into a small runic formation that he had come up with on the spot. Since she seemed to enjoy engaging in the pleasure of the flesh, Vahn decided the harshest punishment for such a person would be making such acts either impossible or outright painful. He constructed a formation so that, any time her body released a large amount of oxytocin and endorphins, specifically related to sexual pleasure, it would instead cause her extreme pain for a short period of time...Once he had finished the task, Vahn pulled his hand free from her back before leaving the room, never sparing a second glance towards the Kitsune woman. Then, when they had left the area, Lili suddenly asked, "Vahn, what did you do to her at the end...?" Though Lili suspected she didn't truly wish to know, it was the hope that she could share the 'burden' with him that caused her to inquire. She knew that there was a chance that Vahn would feel guilty about any harsh actions he might have taken once things had calmed down and wanted to be able to alleviate some of the potential backlash by having him open up to her. This was a technique she had learned from Syr so Lili had high expectations for its efficacy and wanted Vahn to be comfortable with sharing such things with her.Without thinking too much about why Lili would inquire about such things, Vahn released a small sigh before explaining, "I made it so that sex would be painful for her, at least for the time being. Since she is the type that derives pleasure from hurting others, I felt it was a just punishment that she would also experience suffering whenever she tried to pacify her urges. It won't trigger from general arousal, however, as the 'activator' for the formation would require her to actively have sex with someone before it would take effect..." Since feelings like love and excitement released similar chemical responses in the brain, Vahn thought it would be taking things too far if he made her suffer even when she felt 'happy'...Lili was a little surprised that Vahn had punished the woman by making her unable to have sex, causing her own lower body to tense up slightly since, by her own admission, she had grown rather fond of the act. She suddenly felt a little bad for the woman but, rationalizing things from Vahn's perspective, Lili agreed that it was a rather suitable punishment. When Vahn gave her a questioning look, Lili mustered a sheepish laugh and explained, "It serves her right...I just thought about what it would be like if I had to experience the same thing...haaaa..." Lili was reminded of the time when she had to 'wait' before Vahn would finally have sex with her, a period in her life that she would still have nightmares about on occasion...Not really understanding the complexity of Lili's aura, Vahn decided to play it safe by extending his hand and rubbing her pink hair and adorable cat-like ears. Since he didn't want Fenrir to feel jealous, he did the same with her while a gentle smile spread across his previously stern and melancholic expression. In the softest tone he could manage, Vahn stated, "I would never go out of my way to punish those close to me, not unless they did something truly horrible. Even then, I'm certain it is something we would be able to overcome together so please rely on me when the time comes instead of letting negative emotions guide your actions..." Since he didn't really know what Lili was experiencing right now, Vahn decided to speak broadly in the hopes that he would hit the mark somehow.Lili felt slight incredulity as she heard Vahn's words but, understanding his character, she couldn't help but giggle after the fact. Even if he was saying something rather nonsensical, she knew he was just doing it out of concern for her, causing Lili to forgive his strangeness as she wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled into his chest for a short while. They would have stayed together far longer in most circumstances, while there was a non-negligible chance something 'more' would have happened, but Lili knew now was neither the time nor the place. Thus, after a bit of skinship between the three, they all headed into the rather hot and muggy prison below...Vahn had previously assumed that the underground area would be cold, as the mirror showed the young Kitsune girl trembling as if she were freezing, but the reality was the complete opposite. Because of the poor air circulation, the air within the prison smelled of rot and refuse while the temperature easily exceeded 35 degrees Celsius. There was a high concentration of carbon dioxide in the air while the humidity felt as if it were in the upper eighties as Vahn could feel palpable moisture against his skin, comparable to his time in the Amazoness country of Telskyura.Fenrir showed a frown on her face, as her nose was especially sensitive, while Lili would have gagged if not for the fact that she was intimately familiar with such smells. As for Vahn, he decided that everyone would benefit from some fresh air so he began to manipulate the surrounding mana with his domain, causing cool and fresh air to stream into the dank prison while forcing the stagnant and humid air outside. This caused the manor above to begin smelling like sewage but Vahn' didn't particularly care as he made his way towards the cells and began to inspect the people imprisoned within...As he had expected, most of the people within the cells were young children but, much to Vahn's surprise, they were almost predominately Kitsune. As both Kitsune and Renard were rather rare, even in their homeland of the Far East, Vahn couldn't understand why seven young children had come to reside within this small prison. The only thing he knew, at least for the time being, was that the 'punishment' he had bestowed upon the Kitsune woman above was rather light in comparison to what these children had gone through. They were all extremely emaciated and, if not for the small store of spoiled rice and bread, each infested with small insects, Vahn would have assumed they were simply forced to starve...Since all of the children were unconscious, and far too young to provide any significant information, Vahn began healing everyone within the prison while having Fenrir and Lili collect the seven young girls and feed them a nutrient cocktail made from ingredients harvested from Yggy and the honey-like sap that was produced by Terra. Though it might make some people feel nauseous to learn where the sap came from, it was extremely good for the body and Vahn knew there would also be some people that would get excited at the prospect of having a taste. This wasn't really relevant to the situation at hand but Vahn couldn't help allowing his thoughts to wander to such things at times...While Fenrir and Lili were taking care of the young Kitsune girls, Vahn found a middle-aged man in a nearby cell who, compared to the other prisoners, seemed in good health but poor shape. His body was covered in bruises and one of his eyes no longer had any light in it, even as the other iris showed a glimmer of resolve as he stared back at Vahn with an unwavering gaze. Though the man was only Level 2, Vahn could feel the smallest amount of 'pressure' coming off of his body, showing he had very strong willpower, making him suitable to, at the very least, answer a few questions.Pulling out a golden apple, Vahn tossed it to the man as he walked over and said, "I have a few questions that I would like you to answer. When we're done here, I will guarantee your freedom and, if you are worried about being unable to escape the area, I can even escort you to a nearby town or village as compensation for the information..." Since few things were free in life, Vahn had decided to give the man a bit of an incentive from the outset in order to loosen his lips. Though there was still a chance the man may refuse to answer his questions, the corners of Vahn's mouth raised slightly as he watched the man bite into the apple, his eyes widening into circles after experiencing the extremely nutritious and delicious fruit...(A/N: Alternate Titles: "Vahn's surprised Pikachu face...','I wonder if she'll become a masochist now...?','Golden Apples OP')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

Chapter 973: Fall