Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

As part of his ninth challenge, Vahn had to dodge a series of needle-like projectiles, each around the size of a chopstick. While this alone wasn't that difficult, he had to do so for an entire hour, all while his arms were bound. To make things even more complicated, his feet were forcibly separated by a bar, forcing him to rely almost exclusively on [Shundo] and his footwork to evade the ever-increasing number of projectiles. If he was hit by a single one, his time would not only be reset but, as a result of their speed, he was all but guaranteed to be turned into a porcupine if he lost his balance even for a moment...Thus far, Vahn had been able to last upwards of forty minutes but, with the speed and number of projectiles gradually increasing, those final twenty minutes seemed insurmountable. Despite this, he could be found with his wrists tied behind his back, his feet shifting in complex patterns as his body bent and bowed like a willow in the wind, at least to those who could actually trace his movements.From the perspective of a 'normal' person, Vahn's upper body seemed to blur unnaturally, almost as if he were a graphical glitch in the real world. Since Scáthach was basically trying to have him break through quantifiable limits, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that his Agility would be reality-defying if he managed to complete her challenge.With the exception of his curiously low Luck Parameter, Vahn's Agility was the Parameter he stood to gain the most benefits from improving. Though he could easily achieve EX-Rank speed using [Magia Erebea]'s Emperor of Light form, that was an extremely costly transformation that, for the time being, couldn't be controlled. After all, he had to literally aim away from the planet in order to move at his maximum speed as, if he aimed elsewhere, the devastation caused by his movement could level an entire Country, on the low end.In his transformed state, Vahn's movement generated a force of 2.7 Terajoules of energy which, when modified by his Source Energy, equated to an explosive yield of 6.5 megatons of TNT, 27 Petajoules of energy. This gave his movements alone nearly half the force of the most powerful warhead that had ever been detonated by mankind, all condensed within a point the size of an average man. If he wasn't careful, puncturing a hole straight through the mantle of the planet wasn't an impossibility.Since his Emperor of Light wasn't a form to play around with, Vahn wanted to increase his base state to the point where, unless he was backed into a corner, he wouldn't need to transform at all. While he actually thought the transformations were pretty cool, there was a certain 'impact' that went with the image of a normal person doing the impossible. He wanted to reach the point where, even if he wanted to pluck the stars from the sky, it would only take extending his hand slightly. This may seem like an exaggeration but, with how strong those at Peak Tier 5 seemed, it was all but guaranteed he would eventually reach a point even beyond his imagination...For now, however, Vahn could only grunt in annoyance as a scarlet-red needle pierced his right calf. In the next moment, several dozen needles pierced various points of his body and, if not for the fact he used [Shundo] to completely escape the encirclement, thousands more would have followed suit.With one needle stabbing into his right eye socket, dislodging the glimmering orb within, Vahn had to turn his head away due to his mild embarrassment. Fortunately, he was able to dislodge it pretty quickly and, after a few seconds, the rest of the needles had been removed. At the same time, one of the three Scáthachs tormenting him appeared next to him, expression frostier than a tundra as she coldly stated, "You only lasted thirty-eight-minutes-and-twenty-two-seconds. This is your worst time in the last fifty-three attempts..."Understanding there was no point in making excuses, Vahn just answered with a small nod before saying, "I'll do better this time. Come, let's not waste time. I want to make our enemies regret giving me time to grow stronger..."Though she nodded in response, a neutral expression on her face, Scáthach sent chills through his body when she said, "If you don't surpass your personal best on the next attempt, I'll increase the size of the spreader-bar by three centimeters. If you don't want to be doing the splits by the end of this challenge, you'll focus your mind instead of wasting your breath..."---Though his training was 'extreme' compared to everyone else's, that didn't mean Vahn was the only person working hard to become stronger. Rather, even before the Temporal Anomaly a month prior, nearly every resident of the Ivory Castle spent several hours, every day, improving. With things like the Quest Board to keep them motivated, you could almost always find a handful of people within the Knight's Training Field, the Primary Training Orb, or traveling around Avalon to complete various Quest Objectives.Among the people training hardest, Fenrir was at the head of the pack with more than four-hundred Quests completed and seventeen million Variable Experience saved up. She had actually earned a lot more than this but most of it had been invested in her various Skills, Magic, and Magecraft. Her main reason for saving up now was to unlock the [Full-Body Transformation] Skill, something she had seen used by Hati to great effect.With [Full-Body Transformation], Fenrir would be able to tap into her heritage as a Vanargandr and, at least for a time, transform into an actual wolf. While this may not seem that impressive at first, the fact she could freely alter her size, increasing her offensive, defensive, and magical capabilities, was the main selling point.When going all out, Hati was able to exceed fifty-meters in height, her fur becoming nigh-imperious to both physical and magical attacks. Though she had to sacrifice some of her mobility, the ability to cause absolute devastation to her surroundings, overwhelming entire armies, more than made up for this.Truthfully, the main reason Fenrir wanted to unlock the Skill was due to the fact she had once seen her Master riding atop the giant Hati's head. Another time, she had shrunken down to the size of a wolf pup, happily dozing away in their Master's lap with a contented expression on her face. Though Fenrir could do the latter whenever she pleased, her pride as the Alpha Vanargandr didn't allow her to be less capable than her subordinate. This mentality caused the Skill to appear within her Skill Tree for a whopping 20,000,000VE so, in order to obtain it, Fenrir had been Questing in overdrive.Today, in order to complete one of her Quest Objectives, Fenrir was walking across the bottom of the sea, her lungs straining painfully as she hefted a heavy limestone block over her head, using a membrane of magical energy around her bottom paws to prevent them from sinking into several meters of muck. Around her, several Undine watched curiously, their presence both an annoyance and a small comfort as, even if an accident occurred, they would undoubtedly step in to assist.Fortunately, even if it made her feel like she would blackout at any moment, Fenrir couldn't actually drown. Even if she relented to the pressure and tried to take a breath, filling her lungs with briny seawater, she would only experience excruciating pain and frustration, never death. Her regeneration and energy reserves meant she could even survive in a vacuum without too much trouble so, even if the pressure reached upwards of a thousand times normal atmospheric levels, she could persist.Still, this didn't mean it was a pleasant experience in the slightest, but, in order to obtain the final three-million Variable Experience, she was determined to complete her Quest. She only needed to cover 1,000km with the stone before moving on to her final Objective: defeating a Sea Serpent or a Giant Squid in a contest of strength without using magic. This might prove difficult for others but, with her teeth and claws, Fenrir was completely confident in her ability to secure victory...---While Fenrir was making headway on her Quest, Mordred, who generally accompanied her when she wasn't at school, dangled her legs off the edge of the pier, fishing rod in hand. Since it was a humid and balmy Summer day, she elected to wear nothing but a black bikini top with flames, a matching set of bottoms, and a pair of denim shorts just so her Chichiue and Hahaue wouldn't complain too much. If not for the fact she didn't bother to button the front, giving her a somewhat slovenly look, she wouldn't have looked all that different from the models in the magazines she used to peruse.Next to Mordred, her Guardian, the massive white lioness, King, lazily lay at her side while, laying against her, a boy with tanned skin, raven-black hair, and ruby-red eyes, stared aimlessly toward the horizon. This was none other than Kamiya, Nobunaga's son and, by his own volition, Mordred's usual tag-along follower. He ever referred to her as Aneue so, at least until he became a proper man, she obliged by calling him Otouto and, at times, brat.Kamiya had never been the most patient boy but, knowing he would get knocked upside the head if he complained, he opted to remain quiet while periodically sneaking glances at his Aneue. Originally, he had tried to fish alongside her but, while much stronger than the average three-year-old, it only took getting pulled off the pier once, courtesy of a large tuna, for him to abstain from trying again.There was no way Kamiya could get away with stealing glances without her notice but, rather than stop him, Mordred just made a mental note of how many times he shifted around, pretending not to gawk. She didn't particularly mind his mild precociousness but, when he did something to annoy her later, she would let him have it for each glance he stole. It would be bad if he became too cheeky in the future but, if it could motivate him to secure more wins against Daiki, she didn't mind giving him a bit of sisterly love and encouragement.Mordred didn't think much of Kamiya's developing crush. Rather, because of how often Isanna and Naavi doted on Daiki, she would feel a little guilty if she didn't do the same, in moderation. Kamiya was a very hard-working boy and, due to having Nobunaga as a mother, he was often teased, albeit lovingly. This had turned him into a rather prideful boy who didn't speak all that much so, instead of being yet another person to pressure him, Mordred liked to think of herself as the ever-reliable big sister.With this in mind, Mordred remained relatively silent until she felt something take hold of her line. Then, with a smile on her face, she looked back at Kamiya, startling the boy and sending him into a small panic until she said, "Hey, come over here. There is something biting. Here, I'll help you reel it in this time, okay~?"Having followed Mordred for much of his life, Kamiya didn't really have the will to disobey the words of his Aneue, especially when she had that smile on her face. Thus, with a reddened face, he moved with a bit of trepidation in his steps before sitting in her lap. This caused his ears to turn red, made worse by the fact that Mordred forced the rod into his hands, her voice tickling his ear as she walked him through the process of reeling in the fish. Though it was a real trial, in various ways, Kamiya had learned to enjoy fishing by the time he managed to reel in the palm-size carp...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Scáthach is getting tired of hearing excuses xD...','Fenrir is always working hard...!','Irredeemable...!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

After failing to complete Scáthach's challenge, even after nine hours had passed, Vahn, covered from head to toe in scarlet needles, released a tired sigh. After his training in the Well of Destruction, even direct damage to his Spiritual Body did little to phase him so, while it felt like he was being scorched from head to toe, he didn't so much as flinch while looking up at his Shishou. She was standing just above his head so he was able to see a rather tantalizing sight, made all the more enticing by how much effort he had put into trying to claim it...With the exception of girls like Fenrir, Scáthach could always tell what Vahn was thinking so, knowing he was having idle thoughts immediately after his training, she released a rare sigh before squatting down, her finger tracing a line across his cheek as she muttered, "At this rate, you'll complete all of my challenges well before ten years pass. How is it you're able to constantly surprise me yet, at times like this, I can't help but feel frustrated with your progress...?"Though Scáthach knew the answer to her own question, she was curious about Vahn's response. He had a penchant for saying different variations of the same words over and over again but, despite it annoying her quite a bit, she never truly got tired of hearing them.Vahn couldn't claim to truly understand his Shishou but, after more than three years, he chose to believe he had a decent understanding of her character. Thus, in response to her question, he gave a confident smile, grabbing her wrist with his hand as he answered, "I told you before, many times, in fact...no matter how impossible it might seem, I would make you fall in love with me~."Hearing Vahn's words, Scáthach made a show of rolling her eyes and, after pulling her hand free, she retorted by remarking, "Yet, here I stay, one of the few women who have yet to fall to your insatiable appetite...I wonder...just how long will you keep me waiting...?"Since this wasn't the first time they had a conversation like this, Vahn wasn't too taken aback by his Shishou's words. Instead, he forced the needles out of his body, moving to a seated position so that it was easier to talk before saying, "Even if I could claim you now, your heart would never be mine if I reneged on my vows. I'd rather have a lifetime at your side than squander everything for a few hours of passion."Find Vahn's words to her liking, Scáthach nodded her head in approval before adopting her usual cold and distant tone as she warned, "I'll force you to summon me as a Berserker or Avenger Class if you break your promise...keep that in mind, Master..."With seven Shishou's already pushing him far beyond his limits, Vahn paled slightly when he heard Scáthach's words. He could only hope she wasn't being serious but, knowing her as long as he had, Vahn knew better than to doubt her words. He could imagine her forcibly summoning a version of herself using the Greater Grail so, with a defeated look on his face, Vahn fell backward against the hard white stone and just stared at the endless abyss above for a few minutes...---Around the same time that Vahn was lamenting his Shishou's ever-increasing expectations for his growth, a little girl with ashen-white hair, expressionless blue eyes, and a perpetual smile on her doll-like leisurely strolled through the streets of what many would describe as a post-apocalyptic wasteland. With her frilly white dress and pure white stockings, she was like a singular ray of light in an otherwise dreary world.Unfortunately, with the collapse of 'polite' society, the world wasn't a safe place for a young girl to wander on her own. Though the majority of people gave the unnaturally pristine girl a wide berth, her delicate and frail appearance still caught the interest of various dark-hearted individuals. Some harbored licentious and deviant thoughts while others, having lost themselves to the darkness of the current world, merely wanted to capture her, locking the girl away like a dove in a cage.After Vahn's wish, crimes against children had become all but impossible and, with most 'innocents' being whisked away by 'God's Light', there were very few people that still attempted to target young children. This didn't mean there were none, however, as the distinct lack of a police force resulted in the vast majority of people giving in to their instincts and desires. Thus, despite knowing there was little hope in success, two brutish-looking men with haggard appearances followed closely behind the fair-skinned girl as she turned into an alleyway.What surprised the men was the fact that, rather than continue on her way or try to run, the girl had turned to wait for them, the smile on her face growing to almost unnatural proportions. This caused one of the men to place his hand on the shoulder of the other, muttering, "This doesn't feel right at all..."Though he had been about to suggest they retreat, both men couldn't help but gawk as the young girl they had intended to victimize lifted up the hem of her skirt. This caused the more deviant of the duo to adopt a vile grin as he shrugged off his friend's hand and said, "It's no wonder there is still a brat like this running around. The little bitch probably gets off on this type of shit...!"In response to the man's words, the little girl began to giggle playfully, inciting both men to throw what little inhibitions they had away. There was a 'loophole' to the strange phenomenon that had plagued their kind over the last few months as, if the other party was 'willing', they were able to do whatever they wanted, so long as it didn't turn to violence. Unfortunately for the duo, the moment the girl revealed the contents of her skirt, their fates had been sealed.Rather than childish or delicate undergarments, what came into view was an endless black abyss as, faster than either man could scream, black tendrils erupted from beneath the girl's skirt, enveloping their bodies and covering their mouths. Then, to their horror, the flesh touched by the tendrils began to slough away, turning to a fleshy liquid goop. To make matters even worse, the only thing either of them felt was a seeping chill pass through their bodies. There was no pain, no anguish, just a 'finite' chill that terrified them beyond madness.By the time a minute had passed, all that remained of the men were blackened bones and rotten flesh. Despite this, both men were still alive, their skeletal visages fixed in horror as their eyes, left untouched by the corruption, stared at the little girl with an imploring gaze. Instead of offering them a reprieve, however, she merely giggled, her lifeless blue eyes momentarily showing a sadistic glee as she explained, "You enjoy making others feel helpless to sate your own desires. This is because you are unable to empathize with their suffering. Now, I have given you the opportunity to reflect upon your past decisions. Enjoy an eternity feeling the helplessness you forced onto others~."Seemingly satisfied with her own words, the little girl gave an approving nod before turning away from the duo. Then, as if remembering something she had forgotten, the girl showed a surprised expression before remarking, "Ah! I forgot to ask what your names were! Don't worry, I promise to never forget you. You'll just have to be Mr. 43 and Mr. 44 from now on, ehehehe~."Hearing the girl's words, the two skeletal men fell into even greater despair, their bodies shivering due to their mental anguish and the perpetual cold that had gripped them...---Less than three minutes after the white-haired girl had disappeared, a gentlemanly man with ink-black hair and a mature beauty with long, raven-black hair, appeared in the alleyway. When they saw the now-familiar sight, the man issued a light hum as he walked from one end of the alleyway to the other, his cane making a rhythmic tapping sound the entire way. The two men on the ground didn't know what to make of the strange man who had appeared but, seeing the emblem of the Empire embroidered into his suit, they screamed within their minds, begging for death.Understanding the men's intentions, the ink-haired man, Sherlock, gave an apologetic smile before explaining, "My apologies, gentlemen, but I cannot offer you that which you seek. You needn't worry, however, as my companion here will ease your suffering."Hearing Sherlock's remark, the beautiful woman issued a sensual laugh that caused even the skeletal figures on the ground to feel a heat rising in their bodies. This was similar to stepping inside a warm building during a snowstorm so, for a brief moment, hope was ignited in the duo.Unfortunately, what the woman offered was not absolution or release. Instead, like a glutton who had found a delicious meal, she seductively licked her lips before making a biting motion. In the next moment, the light faded from both men's eyes as every memory from the moment of their birth had been devoured in an instant. This did nothing to liberate them from the chill piercing through their bodies but, without knowledge of anything else, they became empty husks without a single thought astray from the cold permeating their entire being.Seeing the increasingly-common sight, Sherlock took a longer than average drag of his ornate pipe before breathing out a pale mist and asking, "You ate everything, correct?"In response to Sherlock's question, the raven-haired woman answered with a seductive smile as she closed the distance between them, her waist swaying like a snake as she mused, "How could I ever defy my beloved Master~?"Without minding the woman pressing herself against his body, Sherlock continued to stare off into the distance with a ruminating gaze. At the same time, however, his right hand, now bereft of his usual cane, snaked around her thin waist. Even when she licked the nape of his neck and bared her teeth, he acted as if it was perfectly natural as, for the past month, this had become his norm.Following a mild prick, Sherlock was able to witness the final moments of the two men, finding the same white-haired girl that had been present during the previous incidents. This mildly frustrated him as, even with his brilliance, CHALDEAS, and several pseudo-omniscient beings, they had been unable to trace this peculiar white-haired girl. She didn't leave behind a single trace at all, almost as if she didn't exist outside the minds of her victims...Understanding this was a very real possibility, Sherlock absentmindedly smoked his pipe, wondering how he would catch a culprit that didn't actually exist. At the same time, his companion, Lilith, kept herself busy by lapping up his blood, her tongue dutifully cleaning even the smallest droplets of blood. If she got his collard dirty, Sherlock would 'punish' her by closing off his mind, a delicacy she had become particularly fond of ever since contracting with him.By the time Sherlock's neck had been cleaned, his would nowhere to be seen, two small horns had started to protrude from Lilith's scalp. She had trouble maintaining her disguise while excited so, at times like this, her Daemonic nature revealed itself. Fortunately, Sherlock had an aura that naturally deterred anyone from interfering with his investigations so, even if they would normally pass by the alleyway on their way to whatever it was they were doing, pedestrians would give the location a very wide berth.With Lilith finished with her meal, Sherlock released another cloud of smoke before saying, "We will return. At this point, I fear the best course of action is to request the assistance of the Emperor. Take these two and store them away with the rest. Once we discover a way to destroy their bodies, we will give them the death they sought in life."Hearing Sherlock's orders, Lilith waved her hand, lifting both men's bodies using her own form of Telekinesis. Then, like she had the previous victims, Lilith threw their bodies into Imaginary Number Space. There, they could be safely stored for thousands of years without a single second passing so, once a countermeasure against the 'immortal curse' had been found, they could either return to the alley, freeing the men trapped inside, or just leave them there for all eternity.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'RIP Vahn','(O_____O)...','Lilith has been tamed!? What an elementary question (o 3 o)...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

After nearly a month of searching, without a single sign of their enemy, the tensions around the Empire had gradually decreased. Nobody was foolish to believe it had been an isolated incident but, with more than half a year passing within the Projection, Vahn had other things to worry about than some unknown enemy. Circe had given birth to a second daughter, named Petra, and, in anticipation of an enemy attack, two groups of Heroic Spirits had been summoned.While Vahn had used the summoning system to bolster the Empire's forces, one of the summonings was a test to see if the Greater Grail, completed by Illya, Iris, and Da Vinci, was functioning properly. Though it would take some time to make a wish using the tower-like golden chalice, summoning a group of Heroic Spirits wasn't that difficult. As a result, Sakura, Mash, Zoë, and Astrid had been given a chance to make a contract with a Heroic Spirit, Servants that would protect them from harm at all times.Since the Heaven's Feel summoning system had a fair number of restrictions compared to his own, it was only capable of summoning one of each Servant Class. Fortunately, this didn't really matter in the grand scheme of things so, after a rather tense ceremony, Sakura ended up summoning a Rider Class Heroic Spirit known as Medusa. She was a rather buxom woman with a mature figure, long legs, a visored face, and silky purple hair that reached all the way to her ankles.The summoning of Medusa came as a small shock to Rin and Artoria but, since Sakura seemed to have a high affinity with the visored woman, the former only expressed her concerns in private. As for why they had been worried, it was due to the fact that Medusa was the same Heroic Spirit that Sakura had summoned during the Fifth Holy Grail War. Rin was slightly worried that Sakura would somehow recover her past memories but, with no memories to recover, Vahn managed to allay her concerns without issue.Fortunately, the summons of Mash, Zoë, and Astrid didn't raise nearly as many concerns. Mash had 'won' the lottery by summoning the Saber Class, often considered the strongest of the Seven main Servant Classes. Better yet, the Heroic Spirit she summoned was Richard the First, a fanatic who had ceaselessly pursued relics related to Arthurian Legends. He also bore the title of Lionheart and, while he was a little quirky, his skill with the sword even allowed him to pressure Artoria. Though this was primarily due to his Agility, which could reach EX-Rank while using his [Godspeed] Skill, it was still a commendable feat.After Mash, the next to summon their Servant had been Zoë, obtaining the Lancer Class Heroic Spirit, Vlad III, as her Servant. Though his legacy was cause for some concern, as he wasn't known as Vlad the Impaler without cause, the rather domineering man had a True Neutral affinity and, with Merlin attesting to his virtues, his summoning didn't cause any problems. Rather, in exchange for his service, the only thing he wanted was the abolishment of the Dracula legacy as it had painted him out to be a monster for no better reason than to sell books and slander his name.Though it seemed like a moderately wasteful wish, Vahn didn't mind agreeing to Vlad's request as it wasn't that difficult to achieve. He couldn't use their first wish to grant the request but, once things had settled down, using the Holy Grail to erase the legacy of Dracula was a simple feat. At the very least, they could expose the truth of the matter so that, in the future, people didn't associate Vlad with the atrocities committed by a wayward Dead Apostle Ancestor...Following Mash's and Zoë's examples of summoning rather famous individuals, Astrid ended up surprising nearly everyone by summoning the Archer Class Servant, Atalanta. This was surprising for a number of reasons but, considering Astrid's affinity for animals, and her general disinterest in men, it wasn't hard to see the parallels between her and the famous Huntress.What had surprised Vahn was the fact that, despite having human parents, no Divinity, and no Skills related to transformation, Atalanta had feline ears and a tail. Vahn felt like she was a Cat Person that had somehow made the transition between Records as, in conjunction with her feline attributes, she even had an exceptionally lithe body filled with flexible bones. This, combined with her wild unruly hair, which transitioned from leafy-green at her bangs, lime green starting from her scalp, and pale yellow, almost white, near the small of her back, gave her a distinctly 'inhuman' appearance...When she had first been summoned, Atalanta hadn't bee all that enthused about her situation but, after experiencing the Memory Link with Astrid, she immediately became resolved to protect, not just her, but all the children. She was also familiar with Circe, Medea, Heracles, and even Medusa so, after mellowing out a bit, she became relatively docile, at least around Vahn. This was due to the fact that her wish was to protect all the world's children so, after learning Vahn had used his wish to the same effect, she no longer harbored any hatred towards him.Fortunately, though she allowed him to pet her regularly, Atalanta took her vows towards Artemis and Apollo very seriously so, even though she was rather weak to petting, she hadn't developed any tender feelings toward him. Though she had 'jokingly' told him that she would marry him if he could beat her in a foot race, Vahn knew she would only do so out of obligation, not love. While he did, in fact, accept her challenge, this was mainly to prevent her from falling victim to her vow as it would cause a few issues if she was forced to marry someone she didn't love.While Atalanta had been fast, almost ridiculously so, she wasn't even in the top five when it came to maximum potential speed within the Empire. Though Vahn's natural speed also didn't make the cut, he more than made up for it with [Shundo] and [Vis Maxima], allowing him to maintain a steady lead throughout their entire race. This had come as a shock to Atalanta but, as they had already agreed to allow him to make a singular request from her, Vahn surprised her a second time by having her vow never to marry someone she didn't love. Since he had already defeated her in a footrace, she had a complicated expression on her face but, after a moment of deliberation, ultimately relented...---With his enemies still laying low, Vahn had focused on increasing his strength far beyond his past capabilities. He was determined to reach the point where he would be able to defeat Scáthach in a direct battle as, after she lost an arm to an unseen enemy, it became clear that his current strength was lacking. Though he would undoubtedly win in a prolonged battle, especially with [Magia Erebea] and the support of various Tier 5 entities, Vahn wanted to reach the point where his individual power was all he needed to win.Fortunately, or perhaps not, he had been convinced by Scáthach to summon even more versions of her, so, now, instead of two Shishous, there were a total of seven. As a result, the Empire was safer than it had ever been but, in exchange, Vahn's training had truly become hellish. After all, even one Scáthach was a 'monster' so, now that there were seven unique versions of her, combined with the fact she could make clones of herself; Vahn started experiencing auditory and visual hallucinations of his Shishou whenever he was 'slacking' off...Since Scáthach qualified for virtually every Servant Class, with the exceptions of Saver, Foreigner, and Moon Cancer, Vahn ended up summoning the Ruler, Assassin, Saber, Archer, and, in order better to protect the children, the Lily version. Fortunately, as she had a proper understanding of where his limits lay, Scáthach had the wherewithal to avoid 'teasing' him in her fourteen-year-old form. This meant he only had to deal with her other six forms during training as, more often than not, the Lily version of Scáthach was proactively watching over the children, putting his mind at ease.The upside to Vahn's current situation was that the longer his enemies delayed appearing, the more powerful he, and the Empire as a whole, would become. It had only taken him four weeks inside the Projection to reach the bottom of the 'Well of Destruction' so, with an additional twenty-four weeks to focus on other challenges, he had managed to clear all the way to the ninth. As a result, most of his Parameters had reached the quantifiable limit and, given a few more months, Projection-time, he was confident in being able to obtain his second Divinity. All he needed was to continue focusing on breaking through his limits as, at his current rate of growth, even S-Rank Heroic Spirits wouldn't be able to last more than a few minutes against him...-----------------------------------------------------------------[Status]Name: [Vahn Mason]Age: 158 (Ageless)Race: Progenitor God, *sealed*Parameter: [Nasuverse: 1-5]Strength: 50A++Endurance: ★Agility: 48BMagical Power: EXGood Luck: 26DCircuit Quality: EXSoul Tier: 4 (Divine Soul)[Karma]: 7,314,989,223[OP]: 8,048,703,448Noble Phantasm: [Enkidu:SSS], [Gate of Babylon(False):S], [Lævateinn(Alpha):S], [Lævateinn(Beta):S], [Lævateinn(Gamma):S], [Lævateinn(Delta):S], [Lævateinn(Epsilon):S], [Lævateinn(Zeta):S]Origin: [?]Skills: [Will of the Emperor:SSS], [Rakshasa Body:A], [Keeper of the Akashic Tome:B], [Eyes of Truth:A], [Chainbreaker:SS], [Veil of the Traveler:SS], [Hands of Nirvana:SS], [Type Omega:SSS], [Executor of Akasha's Will:SS], [Laplace's Key:SSS], [Blacksmithing:S], [Alien God: EX], [Charm: EX], [Martial Soul:B]Magic: [Magia Erebea:SS], [Administrative Function: Space Lock:SSS], [Soul Imprint: EX], [Soul Transference: EX], [Great Sage:EX], [Magic Cancel:B], [Charisma:D]Magecraft: [Magical Trigger:SSS], [Primordial Rune:S], [Trace:SS], [Reinforce:S], [Gradiation Air:S], [Enchant:S], [Alchemy:S], [Shundo:SS], [Reflexio:S], [Cantus Bellax:SS], [Melodia Bellax:SS], [Vis Maxima:S], [Sagitta Magicka:B], [Od Conversion:EX], [Mass Telelportation:C][Alien God]Rank: EXPassive: Recognition from the World as a God from another world. Those bearing this Skill are able to violate the Common Sense of the world, affecting various Textures and manipulating reality to suit their needs. (A/N: This is basically how the Root System interprets Vahn's Domain.)[Charm]Rank: EXPassive: The ability to influence others, increasing their infatuation. Twice as effective on members of the opposite sex. At this rank, even inert stone and emotionless automata are susceptible to the user's Charm.Active: Overwhelm a target's mind, compelling them to fall madly in love with the user. Even with a strong will, this conclusion cannot be completely mitigated.[Martial Soul]Rank: BPassive: Denotes the user's comprehensive understanding of their own body, allowing them to emulate any martial art, skill, or combat style at the same Rank or lower.[Soul Imprint]Rank: EXPassive: The user has the ability to infuse their soul into other objects.Active: Allows the user to fragment their soul, splitting their form or infusing it into various objects. Even if these objects are destroyed, the fragment will invariably return to the user.[Soul Transference]Rank: EXActive: Allows the user to transplant the souls of other people into vessels of their own creation. This Skill grants the target with D-Rank [Regeneration], B-Rank [Od Conversion], and EX-Rank [Foreign Body Immunity].[Great Sage]Rank: EXPassive: Greatly increases the efficacy of unique Magecraft against all modern and ancient forms of Magecraft. Against Magecraft of the same Rank, this Skill artificially increases the user's Magecraft by one full Rank. (A/N: This is a Skill unique to Vahn and Da Vinci. It is basically the result of them using Eva's Magic System to develop a completely new school of Thaumaturgy.)[Magic Cancel]Rank: BActive: Forcibly nullify all Magecraft of the same Rank and lower. (A/N: Vahn's ability to essentially prevent other people from using Magic within his domain.)-----------------------------------------------------------------(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'You get a summon, you get a summon, everyone gets a summon~!','Atalanta met her match','Seven circles of Hell')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1382: Growth...?