Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

While Vahn and the One-Eyed Black Dragon were idling around in the 74th Floor, the rest of his party had quickly passed through the 73rd and were well on their way to reaching his location. Though it would have been possible to pass through the hole Vahn had created with the One-Eyed Black Dragon's body, they didn't know how things would progress and, considering that Vahn might fight all out, it had been much safer to move to another area of the Dungeon first. When they finally arrived, however, Jeanne released an exasperated sigh upon witnessing Vahn and the One-Eyed Black Dragon just talking casually while Terra and Fenrir both glared towards their collective enemy. The One-Eyed Black Dragon had already noticed their presence, long before they actually reached the chamber, but she turned her head to match the gazes of the two girls upon realizing they were showing hostility towards her.Before the One-Eyed Black Dragon was able to say or do anything, Vahn's domain had already spread throughout the chamber as he plainly stated, "No more fighting. We have more important things to do than waste time on pointless conflict. The next time you want to battle against one of my companions, I'll be at their side without hesitation..." Though Terra still had a fair chance at winning against the One-Eyed Black Dragon, Vahn knew she wasn't even at half of her full power while outside of her domain. The One-Eyed Black Dragon was also restrained by the fact that she was a far more inefficient avatar than the one he had produced, but that wasn't of particular concern to Vahn. He knew he was biased towards the people he cared about and, seeing the One-Eyed Black Dragon nearly cut off Terra's arm had done away with any patience he had toward allowing them to settle things.Terra, hearing her Master's words, gave the One-Eyed Black Dragon one last glance before turning her head away and adopting a disinterested expression on her face. At the same time, however, she made her way to Vahn's side before casually nuzzling against him in a display that was obviously intended to 'mock' the One-Eyed Black Dragon. The latter deeply furrowed her brows but, having already passed over her 'hated' treasure to Vahn, she no longer felt like squabbling with Terra. Instead, she spent a few moments looking between Vahn's various companions before she had seemingly determined something. With everyone's attention focused on the One-Eyed Black Dragon, they couldn't help wondering what she was up to until, after coming to her conclusion, the One-Eyed Black Dragon became shrouded in a magical light that illuminated the low-light of the 74th Floor.Recognizing the 'structure' of the light, Vahn felt a strong urge to sigh but withheld it as he threw the sword he had received into his inventory. He already had some expectations about its origin but, seeing the name and description contained within the artifact-grade piece of equipment still came as a great shock to him. The fact that the One-Eyed Black Dragon had given him such a powerful piece of equipment had annoyed him, as it showed she had absolute confidence he wouldn't kill her, but seeing the stats pacified this frustration almost completely. After all, he was about to conquer the Dungeon and, much like the One-Eyed Black Dragon had alluded to, there were quite a few powerful enemies that would bar his passage. Though his current power had reached limits he had yet to truly comprehend, it was never a bad thing to have a powerful and reliable weapon at his side...--------------------------------------------------------------------[Sword of Evil's Bane]Rank: SS (Artifact)P.Atk: 2000(+200)M.Atk: 3100Abilities: Sword of Evil's Bane(-), Indestructible(SS), Impeccable Edge(S), Magical Amplification{S), Last Breath(A)A sword bestowed upon a chosen Hero by a Primordial God who rules over the sky. Grants the weilder the ability to strike down all malevolent creatures that originated from the Dungeon, Tartarus. So long as the weilder is pure of heart, this sword grants them the ability to withstand otherwise lethal blows and, for a brief moment, greatly increase their potential. It is also rumored that any wound dealt by this weapon will never fully heal, regardless of the passage of time.Restrictions: Albert Waldstein--------------------------------------------------------------------Upon reading the full details of the blade he had just thrown into his Inventory, Vahn's mood became somewhat conflicted as he realized he may not actually be able to use the sword, at least to its full potential. The moment this thought crossed his mind, however, Sis cleared up any doubt by stating, (*Unless it is Soulbound, you can theoretically use any kind of equipment, regardless of restriction and requirement. You have no inherent genetic structure and, regardless of the craftsmanship of the sword, it has no way of disproving you are not Albert Waldstein. If it were sapient, there could be some issues, but it is currently nothing more than an inert sword that is restricted by the Tier of the record.*)Hearing Sis' words, Vahn allowed a small smile to emerge on his face but it didn't last long as the magical light surrounding the One-Eyed Black Dragon had just dissipated. Though her height hadn't changed that much, her black hair now had a glossy sheen to it while the rest of her body had become somewhat streamlined. Instead of the rather plain appearance she had possessed previously, it was obvious that the One-Eyed Black Dragon had put a great deal of care into her new appearance as her features had improved greatly. Vahn, however, didn't waste time gawking as he exhaled an imaginary sigh before saying, "We should be going now. I'll make sure to pay a visit in the future so don't cause any trouble while I'm away..."Seeing Vahn give her new appearance a casual and dismissive glance, the One-Eyed Black Dragon felt moderately annoyed but, considering she didn't really understand the aesthetic of the surface races, she decided not to mind it too much. Instead, without minding the presence of Terra at Vahn's side, she made her way over to Vahn before staring up into his face and saying, "You aren't allowed to die without my permission. If you end up losing your life in the Dungeon, I will eventually seek you out in Heaven before dragging you back..." Being an entity that was infinitely close to becoming a god herself, the One-Eyed Black Dragon reasoned that the loss of her 'mate' might just be enough of a stimulus to allow her to breakthrough. If that was the case, even if it took several thousand years, she would guide Vahn's soul back into the mortal world before raising him under her own protection and guidance...Though he was tempted to remark that he would never die, Vahn was more than a little tired of dealing with the One-Eyed Black Dragon so he simply shook his head and said, "You don't need to worry about me. As I said before, your understanding of the world is extremely limited...as long as you are stuck in the mentality that you are the only thing that matters in the world, you will never be able to reach the heights you aspire towards." Even knowing his words weren't entirely true, Vahn felt that they weren't wrong either. Though it was certainly possible to become the strongest by abandoning everything else, he couldn't see the purpose of pursuing strength if you didn't have anything you cared about. You would only become a progressively lonelier existence and, with the passage of time, the odds of you being surpassed became increasingly higher as your own disinterest in the world caused you to stagnate and regress.Hearing Vahn's words, the One-Eyed Black Dragon scrunched up her nose in dissatisfaction but, instead of arguing, flicked her tail backward to create a tear in the fabric of Space. The chaotic forces within pulled her back and, as she hadn't made any effort to resist, it was only a singular moment before the One-Eyed Black Dragon's presence had faded away. Vahn was slightly taken aback by the sudden departure but, as there were far more important matters to attend, he turned to the others only to pause when Terra sneakily snaked her hand under his tunic. She had been using her wing to conceal the act while her facial expression had one of the most perfect examples of a poker face that Vahn had ever seen.Now that the One-Eyed Black Dragon had departed, Vahn was made 'very' aware of the current state of Terra's body and, remembering the fact that he had transformed into his Qinglong form previously, his scalp began to tingle as her rather smooth and cool palm traced his abdomen. Turning his head, Vahn saw the hunger contained within Terra's eyes and, knowing what she wanted, Vahn couldn't help but release a sigh that immediately caused Terra to quickly remove her hand and behave. Knowing she had misunderstood his response, Vahn prevented Terra from stepping away from him as he pulled her into his embrace and kissed her forehead. To allay her confusion, he smiled gently and whispered, "I was worried about you...try not to do anything so reckless in the future, okay...?'Terra's body already felt like it was melting from the inside so, hearing her Master's words, combined with his warm embrace, quickly sent her over the edge. She was doing her best to control herself but it was simply impossible to remove the image of his Qinglong form from her memory. The momentary instant during which he had appeared to protect her was ruthlessly carved into the most sensitive and tender part of her heart and it was almost painful to resist the temptation to push him down, others be damned. Since Vahn was aware of this as well, he traced his fingers through her emerald green hair before whispering, "Return to the Manor. I can call you back to my side at a moment's notice so you don't have to worry about our safety..."As if she had just heard a set of magical words, Terra's wings flickered excitedly before, moments later, she vanished so quickly that it was almost as if she had never existed in the first place. Vahn had called her to his side with Unit Management so the transfer had been instantaneous as, from the perspective of The Path, Space, Time, and distance, were entirely inconsequential. It didn't matter if he were a billion lightyears away from his other half and, regardless of what obstacles were in his way, transferring his allies with Unit Management didn't seem to have a limit outside of the marginal Source Energy cost. It was one of the simplest but, irrefutably, most powerful functions that he could currently make use of with The Path's grace...While tending to Terra's 'instincts' back at the Manor, Vahn turned his attention to the other girls present, only to find Jeanne's face fully flushed while Fenrir had a small pout visible on her otherwise expressionless face. As for Helen, she showed absolutely no physical reaction at all and, if not for the fact her aura had flickered slightly, it would have been impossible to discern if she were affected. Even that wasn't entirely reliable, however, as Vahn's perception of the auras around him had been diminishing rapidly ever since his 'proclamation' about not needing to rely on such things. Since then, he could only see the auras of people if he were paying very close attention and, much to the surprise of the girls around him, his various 'charm' related abilities no longer existed at all. The only exception to this was the benefits he had received from Freya's blessing as he simply couldn't part ways with something he had received from a woman he cared about.Feeling the tension in the atmosphere, Vahn attempted to smoothen things over with a small cough before saying, "We should progress forward and see if we can't reach the 77th Floor before the day ends. We'll make camp in one of the safer areas there before probing into the 78th Floor and facing its Guardian. Fenrir, you'll take the lead for now while Jeanne will support you in the mid-line. I'll protect Helen in the rear and provide support with my archery and [Wound Transfer]. Helen...well, you can just continue watching until you feel your support is necessary..." Though he didn't want to rely on her at all, Vahn wasn't going to tell Helen not to help out if it meant her powers could be useful in helping Fenrir and Jeanne overcome danger. He wasn't even remotely worried about the latter, as even the [Sword of Evil's Bane] probably couldn't injure her, but he wouldn't risk Fenrir's life by being obstinate.As she hadn't expected Vahn's words, at least this early on, Helen was slightly taken aback but still nodded her head in response. Her mind then began to race about the 'meaning' contained within Vahn's words but, having long grown accustomed to Helen's airheadedness, Vahn ignored her absentminded expression as he gave the order to head out. Helen obediently followed behind him as the group, once again, began their excursion into the Dungeon's depths. There weren't many enemies on the 73rd and 74th Floors, likely due to the One-Eyed Black Dragon's presence, so it didn't take them that long to reach the stairs that led down to the 75th. The only enemies they encountered along the way were various types of Drakes and Wyverns, many residing alone in their own territory, so there was practically no danger along the way.Upon reaching the 75th Floor, Vahn reminded Jeanne and Fenrir of the enemies they would face and, after discussing potential weakness and countermeasures, the group proceeded forward without hesitation. Fenrir had been riled up ever since the encounter with the One-Eyed Black Dragon so, as soon as a peculiar Griffon-like creature made its appearance, she immediately sent out pillar-sized spears of ice to impact its body before using [Shundo] to close the distance. It was a creature that was nearly 3m tall while possessing the fierce head of an eagle, the front claws of a dragon, and the back paws of a lion-like monster. As for why Vahn couldn't exactly call it as Griffin, it was due to the fact that the monster had scales covering most of its body and, though it wasn't wrong to call its head eagle-like, the predominant features of this particular monster made it appear almost completely reptilian. Even the back half, which was reminiscent of the musculature of a large cat, was covered in fine brown scales while its wings were segmented with a thin membrane of skin covering them, much like a bat...Though it had managed to withstand the impact of Fenrir's barrage with its tough body, the Griffin-like creature, which Vahn had decided to name a Drakin, was taken by complete surprise when Fenrir's claws tore through its neck like paper mache. Even with its powerful regeneration and vitality, it was powerless to resist the frustrated Vanargandr's assault as Fenrir quickly followed up her initial attack with a series of vicious strikes that tore its body asunder. Her [Severing Claws] allowed her to produce blades that were longer than the Drakin was tall while her speed and agility made it impossible for the rather unfortunate monster to even follow her movements. As a result, the fight ended almost as soon as it had begun so Fenrir quickly looted the magical core before tossing it into her mouth with a loud crunch. She had been given leniency to eat any magic core she had obtained, as it was essential to her growth, so Fenrir didn't hesitate at all since her desire for strength had been stimulated after seeing the skirmish between Terra and the One-Eyed Black Dragon.Seeing Fenrir make short work of what should have been a Level 5 monster, Vahn gave a small nod of approval that seemed to transmit directly to his voracious companion as her ears perked up in response. Vahn found this rather humorous but, before he was able to comment on it, a loud explosion sounded through the area as a humanoid monster slammed a hammer-shaped natural weapon into Jeanne's kite shield. It was only around 230cm tall but, compared to Jeanne, it seemed monstrously tall with its lanky yet muscular figure. As for its other characteristics, it had hoofed feet, much like a goat, while its head was vaguely humanoid, albeit covered completely in fur. The most prominent feature of the creature that Vahn had named as Silenos, were the two curved horns on its head and the peculiar braided beard that protruded out from its angular chin...While Fenrir had quickly dealt with the Drakin, Jeanne had unhesitantly moved to deal with the other three enemies that had been present within the room. They all had slightly unique features but it was easy to see that each of the monsters were Silenos based on their physique and other racial characteristics. As for their composition, there was the one attacking Jeanne, wielding a black stone hammer that was even larger than its body, while the other two had produced spears from the Dungeon's walls as they attempted to pierce Jeanne's sides. The moment they initiated their attack, however, Jeanne slightly shifted the angle of her immovable kite shield, causing the straining Silenos to fall off balance as she deftly cut through its waist. In the exact same strike, Jeanne traced her blade through the impromptu guard of the second Silenos before twisting her body around like a ballet dancer and sending a blade of light to bisect the body of the third. From start to finish, the battle had only taken eight seconds as Jeanne brandished her blade to dispose of the nonexistent gore before sheathing it into a slot located within her kite shield.Even without being asked, Jeanne gave a small salute to acknowledge that Vahn was watching her before she reported, "The enemies here are quite strong but I do not foresee them being an issue in small groups." Vahn gave a nod in return before complimenting, "Good work, both of you. The only other monster we have to worry about on this Floor would be the Dungeon Maggots, but that shouldn't be an issue as long as we avoid the areas where the humidity increases drastically." Though he didn't know how strong they were, Vahn had seen in the mirror how the large larvae-like creatures congregated in overwhelming numbers. They were very similar to the strange caterpillars that had been used by Enyo's forces and, after cross-checking the research of Ein, Vahn knew the errant mage had used cells harvested from one of the Dungeon Maggots as the template to create the acid-spewing monstrosities that had caused the Alliance so many issues in the past.Hearing Vahn's words, Jeanne gave an affirmative nod while Fenrir chimed in, adding, "Even without encountering one of them, I'll be able to tell if we are near one of the colonies. With Master's guidance and my nose, we will not have to worry about getting caught off guard...!" Following her words, Fenrir gave an admittedly adorable pump of her paws in an obvious attempt to earn Vahn's praise so he readily smiled before commenting, "That's right; with Fenrir leading the way, we don't have to worry about anything. How reliable~." At the same time, as she had already walked over to his side, Vahn roughly stroked Fenrir's ears as, deep in the back of his mind, small alarm bells began ringing in response to his own words...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn just got his first Orange drop (UwU)...!','Terra emerges victorious against the One-Eyed Black Dragon!?','Ringa-ding-ding, Vahn-boi~!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Having learned to trust his instincts, Vahn entered into a state of passive alertness that, over time, spread to everyone else within the party. Fenrir had sensed the small 'shift' early on so she had been paying even more attention to her surroundings than normal while Jeanne changed her tactic from fighting at close range to eliminating enemies in the mid-range with her light-based sword strikes. Though it used up a considerable amount of energy compared to normal attacks, almost every monster within the Dungeon was weak to Light Elemental attacks, making each of Jeanne's sword attacks highly effective against every enemy that crossed her path. She was only able to fight this way because of Vahn's assistance, though he avoided direct contact with her body, resulting in their pace increasing nearly twice what it had been previously.In their heightened state of awareness, it didn't take long for the group to reach an area of the Dungeon where a massive set of stairs led even deeper into its depths. The problem was, instead of being an unoccupied set of stairs, the massive spiral chamber ended up being converted into a veritable colony of the same Dungeon Maggots the group wanted to avoid. Vahn had been inspecting the area with his ability to 'move' his intent around, managing to probe deep into the colony without drawing attention, so he was able to confirm that their presence even extended partially into the 76th Floor. It seemed that the Queen of this specific colony was making use of the increased mana density of the lower Floor in order to further strengthen her evolution.After pulling back his intent, Vahn shook his head in mild exasperation before saying, "The way forward is blocked by an incalculable amount of Dungeon Maggots. They have rooted themselves deeply into the surrounding walls and even have a presence as far as the 76th Floor. We'll need to break through by force or find an alternative way through..." Though it actually wasn't that difficult for them to reach the 76th Floor, regardless of how many Dungeon Maggots there were, it could still a troublesome affair in the event anything went wrong. As weak as they were individually, the Dungeon Maggots still posed a threat to even Level 7 and 8 Adventurers in great numbers. Unless you had an Innate that allowed you to resist the noxious fumes and the extremely potent acidic blood contained within their bodies, you would undoubtedly be overwhelmed if you tried to break through an entire colony.Undaunted by the enemies that barred their passage, Fenrir showed a decisive expression on her face as her ears pointed backward in an aggressive manner. With a small wisp of Ice Elemental energy coagulating within her paws, she confidently stated, "I can freeze them all...!" She was still a bit fired up after the encounter with the One-Eyed Black Dragon, causing Vahn to produce a wry smile as he gave a small nod and turned to Jeanne for her opinion. Much like Fenrir, she had a resolute look on her face that showed absolutely no inhibitions about proceeding forward, irrespective of potential dangers. When he looked over at her, Jeanne gave a confident nod before hefting her sword and shield as she said, "If you will it, I will cut a path through the entire colony. I only ask that you protect Helen while I am away..."Though others might have to show caution when facing a colony of Dungeon Maggots, Jeanne was one of the few who actually possessed the capabilities to do so without concern. Even if she had to bathe in the acidic blood of her enemies until she was completely submerged, she would inevitably emerge unscathed. The same couldn't be said for her armor but, now that she had the 'quick storage' system that had become popular amongst the girls within the Manor, Jeanne could strip down to nothing more than her Aegis undergarments before cutting a path forward without having to worry about damaging her other equipment. Though the complex fabric couldn't without nearly as much abuse as actual armor, it provided more than enough protection against acid to guarantee that Jeanne's dignity wouldn't be compromised.Just as Vahn was about to inform Jeanne that it would be unnecessary for her to break through on her own, Helen chose this moment to give her friend a slightly questionable look before simply stating, "Can Vahn not simply bore through the Dungeon's Floor with his own power? Why do we need to use the stairs at all...?" Until now, Helen hadn't placed any real interest in the Dungeon and had simply been following along to observe what action Vahn would take. Since he had easily broken through the Dungeon with his Qinglong form, she knew he was more than capable of breaking through once again. Instead of fighting tens of thousands of troublesome enemies, she believed it was far more efficient to avoid conflict and simply take the most 'direct' route.Since his intentions aligned with what Helen had in mind, Vahn's open mouth came to a close as he sent a slightly annoyed look in the immaculate beauty's direction. Her own brows furrowed slightly in response to his look but she quickly returned to her default expression before averting her eyes, seemingly in disinterest. Vahn shook his head lightly upon seeing this before matching his gaze with Fenrir and Jeanne as he said, "Though I was going to suggest much the same, Helen is right in her analysis of the situation. I believe it is better to proceed through the Dungeon using the established paths but, as we have the power to avoid direct conflict, there shouldn't be anything wrong with breaking through troublesome situations like this without wasting our time&gt;"Without any argument, though Fenrir seemed slightly downtrodden after having lost the chance to fight against a large number of enemies, both girls quickly agreed to Vahn's decision. As a result, Vahn performed a partial transformation by converting his right arm into his Zhuque form and directing pure Yang Elemental flames towards the ground. Even though the bedrock was far more durable at these depths, it wasn't able to hold up against the purity of Vahn's flames as they were the natural counter to the Dungeon's composition. The ground quickly turned into a white puddle of molten stone that became progressively brighter until, two minutes after his initiating his 'attack', the puddle began to sink inwards. Vahn had forcibly heated the bedrock in a cylindrical shape that reached all the way to the 76th Floor. As a result, once it had completely liquidized, the bedrock began to drain away into the Floor below before slowly cooling down and regaining its slightly crystalline look.After boring a hole through to the next Floor, Vahn focused his mind and began to manipulate the ambient Fire Elemental energy to return to his body, causing the surrounding temperature to rapidly drop as a result. Though it wouldn't have any significant effects on anyone present, Vahn had noticed that Fenrir had grown uncomfortable with the increased presence of Fire Elemental energy, her primary affinity's natural counter. Jeanne and Helen also seemed to relax a great deal as the surrounding temperature reached a cool 10 degrees Celsius. There was even a breeze flowing through the normally stagnant Dungeon as the rather large hole he had formed caused a backdraft of sorts that continued to persist for several minutes after he had successfully penetrated through the dense membrane of bedrock.Once it was 'safe' to proceed, Vahn gave a small nod before unhesitantly jumping down the 740m deep hole he had created. Even before he had descended ten meters, Fenrir had leaped after him, hugging her paws around his neck as the two fell together into the Dungeon's depths. As for Helen and Jeanne, the latter looked towards her long-time friend before shifting her kite shield to her back and holding out both arms. Helen gave a rare, albeit light, smile before allowing Jeanne to carry her in a princess hold before the two followed quickly in Vahn's wake...After free-falling into the 76th Floor, Vahn quickly decelerated before coming to a stop a few centimeters above the ground. Fenrir didn't immediately let go of him as the two waited for Jeanne and Helen to finish their own descent. When Vahn saw the rather chivalrous Jeanne carrying Helen in her arms, his brows naturally arced in surprise but he ultimately chose to remain silent since there were no real benefits from commenting on the rather peculiar scene. Once Helen was back on her own two feet, Vahn gave a light smile towards Jeanne before saying, "This Floor shouldn't be as difficult to pass through as the previous one. Let's see if we can't find a passage leading downwards in the next few hours. If it starts to get too late, I'll bore another hole to the 77th Floor so we can take a proper rest before moving on."In response to Vahn's words, Jeanne unsheathed her sword and shield before confidently saying, "You can leave it to Fenrir and myself, Vahn. We won't let a single enemy through our vanguard!" For seemingly no reason, Jeanne was now even more fired up than before, causing Vahn to give Helen a questioning look that resulted in the latter immediately averting her eyes. On instinct, Vahn activated his [Eyes of Truth] to see if he could discern anything and, though it was only a very minuscule amount, he could see a small wisp of pale blue energy now circulating through Jeanne's body. This was undoubtedly the same energy that permeated through Helen's entire body, causing Vahn's eyes to flicker as his mind quickly made sense of the newly acquired information...Instead of pursuing the matter, Vahn gave a curt nod in response to Helen's excitement before allowing her to take the lead this time while Fenrir continued to ride on his back for a short while. There weren't any particularly dangerous enemies on this Floor so she was behaving a little more spoiled than normal, likely as a result of Vahn's current physical state. Since he had been 'tending' to Terra back at the Manor, Vahn's avatar was also in a slightly more 'active' state than normal. Though he wasn't producing any pheromones that could be picked up by a normal Demi-Human, Fenrir was always an exception to this. Her bond with him allowed her to be influenced by his mental and emotional state, even if it was only an 'echo' of what his main body was experiencing.Without incident, it only took a little more than two hours before Vahn's party managed to reach a large circular pond that became exponentially deeper just three meters away from the shore. Unlike the Floors above, which were either connected by relatively safe stairs or pathways, the Dungeon didn't seem to be willing to make things easy for its 'invaders' in the deeper Floors. This was the thought that crossed Vahn's mind as he observed the pristine blue water that extended nearly a kilometer downward before looping backward and connecting into a larger chamber. The most peculiar feature of this 'corridor' was the fact that the water would deposit them around the roof while the water itself seemed to defy the laws of physics as it clung to the roof, mirroring the massive pond they were about to enter...Turning his eyes away fro the pond for a short while, Vahn observed the surroundings for a bit before eventually gathering up enough resolve to, quite literally, test the waters. He already knew there was something 'off' with the crystal-clear liquid but, even after using his [Eyes of Truth], Vahn wasn't able to discern exactly what was wrong with it. When his palm touched the surface, however, Vahn quickly got his answer as, instead of giving away like normal water, the surface tension seemed several times higher than normal while the temperature was well below what should have been considered the freezing point of actual water. Much like the small 'stars' he would make, the 'water' before him didn't actually give off any energy so it was impossible to discern just how cold it was without directly coming into contact with it.This momentary contact provided Vahn with a great deal of insight into what the future of the Dungeon would hold for him as, even though he couldn't make complete sense of the phenomenon, he understood that he was witnessing the pure manifestation of Water Elemental Laws. There was a large amount of what should have been Yin Elemental energy contained within, making it very difficult for his natural constitution to tolerate, but that wouldn't matter now that he understood what exactly was before him. As for the others, Jeanne showed a slightly concerned expression on her face as she said, "Please, my Lord, allow me to go first and test the water with my own body. I am confident I will be able to tolerate whatever awaits me on the other side...!"After having seen Vahn's hand practically freeze over after contacting the water, Jeanne felt it was only right that she be the one to proceed forward so that it wouldn't trouble him further. She wasn't the only one with such a train of thought, however, as Fenrir didn't even bother to ask for permission as she quickly dove into the water. With her natural affinities for Yin, Ice, and Water Elemental energies, she was the most aware of the dangers contained within the water but, instead of fearing its effects, her blood practically boiled with excitement. Vahn, knowing it wouldn't have any detrimental effects on Fenrir's body, made no effort to stop her as he instead activated his [Eyes of Truth] to see what changes might occur now that a person had fully submerged in the large and pristine pond.Immediately after Fenrir had broken through the water's surface tension, the previously crystal clear pond seemed to rapidly ice over as a small amount of the Yin Elemental energy contained without spread through the surroundings. Jeanne and Helen both felt extremely comfortable, even though the temperature immediately descended to negative 5 degrees Celsius, while Vahn's body felt like it had become suffused with lead. In response to this, the 'eternal flame' in his chest began to rage as it flickered about and caused the energy contained within his blood to increase several-fold in a short period of time. Vahn, however, placed his hand over his heart to calm the flame down as he began to regulate his breathing and absorb the Yin Elemental energy directly, his eyes never leaving the figure of Fenrir beneath the surface...Contrary to Vahn, Helen paid no attention to Fenrir as her runic eyes instead reflected the changes occurring to Vahn's body. Most of her attention in the Dungeon, even when she was 'ignoring' him, had been directed towards Vahn. When he began to absorb the Yin Elemental energy, not that she knew what it was, Helen had noticed that his complexion immediately shifted from a healthy tan into a pristine and unblemished white. His hair gained a light sheen, almost as if he had treated it with a small amount of rejuvenating oils, while even his eyelashes seemed to extend slightly. Though he had always been rather handsome, Helen felt as if Vahn was beginning to become 'beautiful' as the profile of his body seemed to shrink within his clothes...Though he hadn't directed the change, Vahn noticed how his body was reacting to the excessive Yin energy and was slightly taken aback by the fact that he couldn't maintain a proper balance without 'dominating' the energy with his own. Since it was the energy of Law, combined with the fact he hadn't 'resisted' it, Vahn found that his body was adapting far too quickly to the invasive force and there wasn't too much he could do about it. Fortunately, just as he gained a few inhibitions about the changes happening, Vahn felt the Yin energy mellow out slightly before seemingly turning as calm as the pond before him. He noticed that his body had become decidedly more feminine in appearance but, fortunately, the effects hadn't completely taken hold so he was able to keep his 'dignity' intact.Noticing Helen's gaze, Vahn gave a wry smile in response that caught Jeanne's attention. She had been watching Fenrir with a look of regret on her face but, after seeing what had happened to her 'Lord', Jeanne no longer cared about her companion's relative safety as she quickly came to his side and, exclaiming, "My Lord, what happened to you...!?" Though she would normally never touch him, Jeanne, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, concernedly placed her hand on Vahn's shoulder before concernedly patting around his body. Vahn quickly grabbed her errant hand, holding Jeanne by the wrist as he coughed embarrassedly and explained, "Relax, Jeanne. My body absorbed a bit too much of the energy contained within the pond and went through some small changes. Don't worry, I will return to normal after we pass through the pond..."Realizing how uncouth her actions had been, Jeanne's face became beet red as she quickly pulled her hand free from Vahn's grasp, flusteredly stating, "My apologies...I...I..." Before she could get her excuse in order, Jeanne was disrupted when the ice covering of the pond broke, revealing a practically glowing Fenrir as the latter smiled and explained, "I found the way forward! This pond is really great! Master, can we take some back to the Manor with us!?" Fenrir had noticed that spending even a few moments in the water was like staying in the chamber her Master had made for her for several hours. Though her body felt like it was filled to the brim, she noticed that her capacity was never quite at the 'maximum', causing Fenrir to feel far more excited than normal as her breathing steadily increased in intensity.Vahn noticed Fenrir's abnormal state so he used his telekinesis to extricate her from the 'water' as he explained, "We can take back a sample but I don't believe it will hold the same effect if it is removed from this spot. It would be better if we found the source behind this water, but I haven't been able to detect anything no matter how much I look around. For now, focus on refining the energy that has already spread through your body while we eat a light dinner. When everyone is ready, we'll pass into the 77nd Floor together."Though she was slightly upset at having been separated from the frigid and comfortable water, Fenrir quickly got over her momentary melancholy when Vahn brought her to rest in his embrace. As if the water was no longer a concern, she nuzzled into his chest as Vahn marveled at the excessive Yin energy radiating off her body. His skin became covered in fine ice particles and, if not for the fact that his body had already 'attuned' to the intrusion of Yin Elemental energy, it wouldn't have been a surprise if even his bones froze after contacting Fenrir in her current state. Though this wouldn't have had a lasting effect, as his body was perfectly capable of adapting to such conditions, Vahn knew others wouldn't fare the same. If they were unprepared for what the 'water' held, most male Adventurers would likely lose their lives if they attempted to reach the 77nd Floor through this particular entrance...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn activates no-clip~','Jeanne is so chivalrous (UwU)...','Could Dungeon-chan actually be sexist...!?')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Vahn had underestimated the battle prowess of the One-Eyed Black Dragon and, even though Terra should have had a distinct advantage, the fact she was fighting outside of her dominion meant her power was significantly reduced. Instead of drawing from an almost unlimited source of mana, with the support of Yggy, Terra was completely dependent on her own reserves to contend against an entity who had far more powerful Innates. Though their battle experience shouldn't have been that different, as Terra's training with Eva should have more than prepared her for a battle of this magnitude, it was a simple truth that Terra spent most of her days in peaceful observation, proactively avoiding battle...The moment Terra's spell had hit the One-Eyed Black Dragon, Vahn had been quite surprised since there was a very real chance the fight could have ended then and there. Since the One-Eyed Black Dragon had been caught off guard, he watched as the luster from her scales quickly faded away but, just as he was about to stop Terra from taking things too far, the former was able to escape with her magnified speed. After that, Vahn could sense the tension in the air begin to build rapidly as, with his [Eyes of Truth], the surrounding mana was rapidly drained from the Dungeon's mana circuits. When the One-Eyed Black Dragon crawled out of the rubble, he could see a peculiar grey aura mingling with her other energies, causing alarm bells to sound within his mind since it was undoubtedly 'Time' itself coiling around her body...Just as Vahn had started to analyze the peculiar nature of the Time Elemental energy, the One-Eyed Black Dragon had moved so quickly that he wasn't even able to perceive the transition in his base state. Fortunately, it seemed her movement was closer in nature to a [Shundo], meaning she wasn't able to execute complex movements during the motion itself. In order to attack Terra, she needed to 'stop' and perform the attack, allowing Vahn to react quickly as his own perception of time was distorted to the point that everything around him, the One-Eyed Black Dragon included, seemed to stop in its tracks. In that same instant, Vahn willed himself to change into his Qinglong form as the full force of his empowered domain was brought down upon the One-Eyed Black Dragon like a hammer, smashing her through more than a kilometer of reinforced bedrock in an instant...With his own rage beginning to boil over, Vahn tore through the void with his claws as his body emerged from the spatial fabric above the One-Eyed Black Dragon's impact point. She hadn't been injured by his domain but, as Vahn bore it down on her once again, it was obvious that the difference between their respective strengths was an order of magnitude beyond both their expectations. Vahn knew he needed to test the limits of his new powers and, finding the One-Eyed Black Dragon practically offering herself up on a silver platter, his draconic eyes flashed with a cold light as he stated, "I do not wish to kill you...though you have caused harm to others, my people included, I understand you are not wholly to blame for your actions. However, even if I can't place the blame squarely on your shoulders, that does not mean I will stand at the side and allow you to act as you please. If you intend to harm those close to me...I will destroy you..."To punctuate his words, Vahn gripped the claw of his right hand tightly, causing the azure lightning dancing across his scales to increase in size as they tore through the surrounding void. While this was going on, he held eye contact with the stationary One-Eyed Black Dragon who, after being repressed by his domain, simply stared back at him with her one good eye. Her lack of response was beginning to annoy him but, before he could act on the bubbling emotions, Vahn nearly fell from the sky when the One-Eyed Black Dragon just plopped to the ground and snorted with her arms closed. She twined her long tail around her waist, bringing it to rest in her lap, as she began to systematically remove some of the greying scales that weren't regaining their luster.After collecting himself, Vahn furrowed his brow as he asked, "What are you doing...?" in a rumbling voice that caused the surrounding void to tremble. In response to this, the One-Eyed Black Dragon raised her head up in a somewhat mocking manner as she complained, "That whelp isn't bad. If she trains seriously, she might even be able to threaten me in the future. Just look at this, even now some of her energy is lingering in my body like a maggot gnawing at a bone. So troublesome...!" Though she was able to remove the majority of Terra's magical power from her body, there were traces of Source Energy contained within that, no matter how hard the One-Eyed Black Dragon tried, continued to persistently try and fulfill their purpose.Vahn's mind was abuzz with conflicting emotions as, though he understood the One-Eyed Black Dragon's answer, it didn't explain why she would suddenly sit down and start pruning herself when he was very obviously angry at her. Though she was being suppressed by his domain, something that couldn't have been comfortable, she just tolerated the pressure with a slight grimace as she seemingly 'ignored' the lingering threat he posed. Realizing what must be going through her mind, Vahn inhaled through his nose before asking, "Do you think I will not-" Before he could finish his question, the One-Eyed Black Dragon looked up at him once again with a questioning gaze. Silence persisted for what felt like several seconds before she simply snorted through her nose and said, "You're a weird one, pup..." in an admonishing tone.Hearing the One-Eyed Black Dragon's words, Vahn didn't know what to say as anything that came to mind would make him sound like a child that was lashing out. He had wanted to use the One-Eyed Black Dragon's avatar to test the limits of his power but, as she had likely sensed his intent, it didn't seem as if she was willing to play along. Though Vahn had been full of rage when she had tried to cut off Terra's arm, he would have sounded like an indignant despot if he faulted her for wanting revenge after Terra had caused her own to break apart. Since Vahn had the bad habit of trying to 'understand' everyone, his enemies included, his rage had quickly subsided when he knew the situation was under his control. Now that the One-Eyed Black Dragon showed no intention to fight back, Vahn felt like he had unfurled his sails with great vigor, only for the seas to profer forth absolutely no winds in response...Just as his confusion reached a 'dangerous' level, causing Vahn to feel incredibly anxious, large cracks began to emerge in a 90m tall wall nearby. The One-Eyed Black Dragon only spared the location a momentary glance before giving Vahn another questioning look that asked, 'What are you going to do?'. Since he needed 'something' to release his stored power against, the lightning around Vahn's body began to dance madly as a very familiar visage appeared from within a vortex of rainbow-hued light. With how much damage the Dungeon had sustained, Vahn wasn't really surprised by the fact that a Juggernaut would be spawned to 'clean' out the area. The moment he saw the familiar creature, however, Vahn's rage seemed to boil over in an instant as he extended his palm forward and loudly intoned, "Heaven's Fall...!"Recognizing Vahn, the Juggernaut had immediately entered into an enraged state but, just as it was preparing to liberate itself from the confines of the wall, an irresistible force collided against it. Its body, which was supposed to be completely immune to magic, began to flake away like grains of sand that were being propelled by the wind. It didn't even have time to release its characteristic earth-shattering roar as darkness claimed its vision, leaving the Juggernaut to wonder what exactly happened as its consciousness slowly faded away into nothingness. The only thing marking its existence was the sixty-meter wide hole that had cut through more than three kilometers of the Dungeon's walls...Breathing heavily from the exertion, Vahn withdrew his hand and allowed his Qinglong form to naturally dissipate as he lowered himself to the ground. He had used far more than the necessary amount of energy required to dispatch the Juggernaut but, remembering his last encounter with the beast, Vahn didn't take any chances. Seeing the devastation his attack had caused, Vahn knew that his power had indeed reached a point beyond his expectations as even the One-Eyed Black Dragon had a slightly shocked expression after witnessing the almost 'instant' destruction wrought by the attack. She knew her own resilience better than most and, seeing the Juggernaut literally break apart into 'dust' wasn't something that could be ignored.Realizing that Vahn may very well have used that attack against her, the One-Eyed Black Dragon felt its skin tingle with beads of cold sweat as she gazed toward Vahn out of the corner of her eye. Though she didn't believe he would be able to defeat her main body, as she simply couldn't accept such a thing, there was nothing she would be able to do against him in her current state. At the same time, the heat in her body had reached a dangerous point and, knowing she couldn't claim Vahn for herself, the One-Eyed Black Dragon felt both anxious and frustrated as her mind raced with potential solutions. There was already an agonizingly painful pressure beginning to build within her body and, even though she had never produced an egg before, her instincts made her fully aware of the process her body was undergoing...After waiting for more than a minute, Vahn realized that the One-Eyed Black Dragon wasn't going to try and take advantage of his momentary weakness so, after releasing a small sigh, he downed the [Turbo Ether] in his hand, completely replenishing his reserves. Looking back, he saw the One-Eyed Black Dragon still plucking away a few scales here and there before her natural regeneration quickly produced a new one in response. The only thing that hadn't healed was her left arm as, even with the dense mist-like energy around it, it was regrowing at a very slow rate. Based on what he could discern, it would take at least two days for the limb to fully regenerate, meaning the One-Eyed Black Dragon was considerably weakened in her current state...As if she could read his mind, the One-Eyed Black Dragon glanced over at Vahn with her singular pupil glimmering as she stated, "If you plan to do something, get on with it. This one won't even resist..." Though she was quickly learning a great deal about Vahn, including the fact that he didn't seem to know how to deal with her, the One-Eyed Black Dragon couldn't help but try and rile him up. She was hoping that, if he could become incensed enough, Vahn's 'instincts' would force him to try and dominate her. Though the idea of being submissive wasn't something she had ever even considered in the past, the One-Eyed Black Dragon had already 'determined' that Vahn was her only suitable mate. Since he had been the only one to activate her own instincts in such a manner, she didn't mind playing the part if it meant she could fulfill her biological need...Understanding the intent behind the One-Eyed Black Dragon's words, Vahn simply shook his head before whisking out a black dress and tossing it at her. As if to prove that she was willing to let him do whatever he wanted, the One-Eyed Black Dragon didn't even make an attempt to grab the dress out of the air, allowing it to, instead, hit her square in the face without even flinching. When the fabric fell into her lap, she picked it up with a curious expression on her face until Vahn explained, "If you're going to stay in a humanoid form, you need to wear clothing. Even children know better than to run around naked..." Feeling as though he had 'lost' something as a result of his interactions with the One-Eyed Black Dragon, Vahn couldn't help but shake his head in admonishment of his own actions. At the same time, however, Vahn was thinking about taking Fafnir and Khaos into a Space-Time orb in order to help them increase their power...Though she didn't see the point in wearing clothing, the One-Eyed Black Dragon still pulled the dress over her head since her own admission of not resisting whatever Vahn wanted was still fresh in her ears. Once she had, rather sloppily, managed to get the dress on her body, the One-Eyed Black Dragon realized the fabric was both soft yet highly durable as, instead of ripping against her claws, small white cuts were left instead. Upon closer inspection, she could see that even those small cuts were rapidly mending themselves at a visible rate. As for Vahn, he had watched her struggle to wear the dress with her one arm and, barely resisting the urge to help, managed to restrain himself as he explained, "My purpose here is to conquer the Dungeon, not to play around with you. If you swear to behave, I will allow you to accompany me-"Before Vahn was able to finish, the One-Eyed Black Dragon had already started to shake her head as she plainly stated, "It is impossible to conquer this place. Besides, even if I wanted to follow you, I can't go beyond the 80th Floor. This place has restrictions on the creatures born within, especially its Guardians. If I try to leave, the density of the mana wouldn't be able to sustain my form without causing me extreme pain. Going deeper would be even worse as, without adapting to the change in mana density, even creatures as powerful as I am would lose their minds..."Hearing the One-Eyed Black Dragon 'confidently' state she was incapable of going deeper into the Dungeon had caught Vahn by surprise. He never expected such a prideful entity to openly admit that she was incapable of something but, considering she had spent nearly a thousand years just to reach the 73rd Floor, he quickly recovered and began to analyze the rest of the information she had revealed. Though her existence as a Guardian was known to him, the fact that the mentality of monsters was influenced by the mana density was new, even if it should have been apparent from the start. Several of the texts he had collected from Ein's research into Enyo's abilities were directly related to controlling monsters using specific types of mana, after all...Seeing Vahn fall into a silent and contemplative state, the One-Eyed Black Dragon thought he was trying to think of a method to bring her along and, not wanting to be left behind, she too began thinking of possible solutions. Unfortunately, other than reverting back to her core state, nothing came to mind so she instead turned her attention back to the black dress Vahn had given her, finding it increasingly charming as time passed. It wasn't until she caught Vahn shaking his head out of the corner of her eye that she began to pay attention to her surroundings again, asking, "Did you think of something...?"Having decided that it was a waste of time to think about such things in the present, Vahn made a few notes and put the matter to the back of his mind for the time being. If he were being honest, it was actually better for everyone if the One-Eyed Black Dragon wasn't able to follow along with them as she would undoubtedly cause problems along the way. Quite a large part of him actually wanted to set aside the matter of the One-Eyed Black Dragon indefinitely, pretending she didn't even exist. Thus, when Vahn saw the strangely hopeful expression in her eye, he was momentarily confused before absentmindedly responding, "I can't come up with anything right now. Since I'm in a hurry, I'll be going ahead with the others before looking into the matter when I return..."Though she wasn't surprised that Vahn couldn't come up with a way to 'help' her out, hearing him say he would continue into the depths of the Dungeon annoyed the One-Eyed Black Dragon a great deal. She had just told him it was impossible and, though she didn't doubt he had a few tricks up his sleeves, knowing he was ignoring her advice caused her to scowl as she reminded, "It is impossible for you to conquer the Dungeon. You shouldn't waste your life trying to do something that serves no purpose. Besides, that whelp and those brats would end up dying as well if you end up taking them along. You should stay here with me and train instead of throwing your life away over something pointless...!"Hearing the One-Eyed Black Dragon's words, Vahn simply shook his head in response before saying, "I will conquer the Dungeon, regardless of whether or not you have determined it to be impossible. There are many things in this world you haven't even made an effort to understand so don't preach to me about what is and isn't possible. Did you ever stop to consider that it is because of your lack of insight that you've been unable to break through for all of these years...?" Though he knew it was a 'dangerous' topic to reveal that he knew about her main body, Vahn felt that it was necessary in order to avoid the One-Eyed Black Dragon getting in his way in the future.Without even considering that he was talking about her main body, the One-Eyed Black Dragon snorted through her nose while internally rebuking Vahn for his own lack of insight. At the same time, deciding it was a wasted effort in trying to convince him to stay back, she reached her remaining arm into the void before pulling out a pristine white sword that radiated a mystical light. Vahn had immediately become alert when she pulled out the sword but, instead of showing any hostility at all, the One-Eyed Black Dragon clenched her teeth tightly before holding it out as she said, "Take this with you. This is the same sword that managed to wound my eye. I don't know what it is made of but there shouldn't be anything it can't cut through. If you do manage to conquer the Dungeon..."Realizing what she was about to say, the One-Eyed Black Dragon allowed her words to trail as, no matter how strong Vahn was, he would still be unable to conquer the Dungeon. He would eventually reach a point where, even if he could continue forward, his other companions would become a liability. Two of his companions were entities that should have originated from the Dungeon, meaning they would inevitably become obstacles, while the other two females didn't seem particularly special from her perspective. As the mana density continued to increase, not only would they find far more powerful monsters, but their own minds would become influenced by the pervasive energies. Eventually, they would reach a point where they would be forced to turn back or, far more likely, they would all lose their lives in the attempt...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'This feels like a Joker vs. Batman situation...','RIP Juggernaut-chan','So many people telling Vahn what he can and can't do...#ThePathHasNoLimits')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Chapter 992: Idle