Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

While Vahn was busying himself with burrowing through the outer shell of the Moon Cell, the group of would-be Heroes had gathered around Archimedes in the room designated as Control Center 47, a deadpan expression on his face as he read the report issued by SE.RA.PH.Gathered behind Archimedes, a group of nineteen people had gathered, each with appearances that distinguished them amongst 'normal' people. Some wore outfits that represented specific periods in humans history while others, despite wearing 'normal' clothes, gave off monstrous, ethereal, or, even godly, vibes.Amongst the group, primarily comprised of females of various shapes and sizes, a handsome man wearing a suit of gaudy golden armor stood out. He had pupilless green eyes that refracted light in much the same way as emeralds, but, despite wearing an ornate crown atop his head, he gave off a slovenly and scornful aura as he droned, "Hooo...that man seems to be trying his best, no~? Tell me, Archimedes, why have you gathered us here~? Don't tell me you can't even handle a single intruder on your own~?"Without a single change in his expression, Archimedes continued to monitor the large display as he answered, "That 'man', as you call him, is capable of destroying Photonic Crystals with raw physical power. Even if you were to strike at it for a thousand years, you would not be able to leave so much as a single scratch upon the Moon Cell's surface. I would suggest you prepare yourself for the battle to come, as, amongst everyone here, you are the most at risk of being put to death as a result of the Emperor's nature..."Hearing Archimedes' retort, the man released a shrill laugh that carried undertones of incredulity and scorn before adopting a crooked leer and shouting, "Do you think I'm afraid of some overgrown lizard!? It's good that his scales are made of gold because I could use a new pair of greaves...!!"This time, instead of Archimedes responding, it was Musashi who stated, "Shut up, Jason. You are the most useless person in our entire group. I'm not in the mood to give you another beat down so keep your mouth shut."Jason's expression immediately darkened when he heard Musashi's words, but, as she had always made good on her promises, he could only grind his teeth in frustration. Fortunately, he wasn't left to suffer complete indignation, as, in response to Musashi's words, two women stepped out. The first had doll-like features, with porcelain-white skin, lilac hair, and a petite frame. As for the second, she had distinctly eastern features, including jade-like skin, silky black hair, pale-blue, almond-shaped eyes, and, most notably, a willowy figure clad in a silken, cheongsam, robe.Being the first to step out, the lilac-haired girl shouted, "Musashi! I won't allow you to insult Jason as you please!" while brandishing a staff that was longer than she was tall. As for the cheongsam-clad woman, appearing marginally older than her counterpart, she kept her calm and composed look on her face as she politely stated, "Forgive me, Lady Musashi, but, I believe your actions are uncalled for. Now is the time when we should be uniting our strength to repel our foes, not sewing conflict and discord amongst ourselves."Despite the woman's demure and polite countenance, Musashi's eyes briefly flicked to the bladed fan tightly clenched in her hands. She could also sense magical energy flowing through the silken scarf floating gracefully behind the woman, knowing it could move with lightning speed to bind her foes.Never one to shy away from 'most' battles, Musashi adopted a battle-hungry expression on her face, placing her palm against the hilt of her katana as she muttered, "Behold, a true hero. Witness how he cowers behind women with a snide smile on his face, even as his balls shrivel into his stomach~."Jason's face paled in response to Musashi's taunting, but, before he could shout out in his defense, a ripple passed through the entire room, encompassing them all. In the next moment, he, along with everyone else, found themselves in some kind of plaza. The most concerning part, however, wasn't the plaza itself, but, high in the 'sky', a nebula of swirling energy could be seen amidst a vast expanse of zeros and ones.Preceding any questions, Archimedes, now floating in the air before the group, stated, "If you are so eager to do battle, take it out on the Emperor and his forces. This is a digitalized Reality Marble that has been created by the Moon Cell itself. Originally, I had wanted to delay things until the end of this year, but, given the circumstances, we have no choice but to fight. If possible, try and convince that madman that we're taking his previous warning seriously. The more time you can buy, the better the chances of success."Without explaining further, Archimedes tapped on a small window that had appeared in thin air, his figure, along with several others, vanishing in an instant. This left a group of fifteen behind, including the vast majority of Heroic Spirits, Musashi, and Caenis. As a result, Jason immediately tried to take charge of the situation, but, before he could open his mouth, Shirou preempted him by saying, "I will go and meet with the Emperor alongside Musashi. There is a chance we will be able to avoid a fight, but, in preparation for negotiations breaking down, each of you should make your own preparations. I'm certain Archimedes has constructed this Reality Marble in a way that is beneficial to our side so use this as an opportunity to familiarize yourself with it."Immediately following Shirou's words, Jason adopted an incredulous sneer as he droned, "Eeeeeh!? Does anyone else hear a dog barking~!?" Then, without waiting for a response, he began to laugh in a cackling manner before pulling along the doll-like girl and adding, "Come on, girls. We don't have to listen to his mongrel's prattlings. Let's find a nice and isolated place to cut loose and have some fun. Let that idiot go and die on the front lines like the dog he is, ahahahaha-grk...!"Just as Jason began to walk away, Musashi's figure vanished from view, reappearing behind him in an instant and whacking the back of his head with her sheath. This caused Jason to bite his tongue hard enough to draw blood before he collapsed onto the ground, his eyes rolled back as spittle and froth leaked from his mouth.The fall of Jason caused the two women who had previously defended him to each exclaim, but, by the time they turned to face Musashi, she, alongside many of the others, had already vanished. Thus, with bitter expressions on their faces, they helped each other shoulder the unconscious Jason before carrying him off to 'safety'...---Though he had expected some kind of response from the enemy side, Vahn hadn't anticipated that, after digging through nearly three kilometers worth of Photonic Crystals, he would suddenly be cast into a seemingly infinite expanse of space just as his claws found purchase. The strangest part wasn't that he had entered what appeared to be a Reality Marble, but, based on what he could tell, it gave off the same impression as the Virtual World. The primary difference between was, instead of being a virtual avatar, Vahn could feel that he was in his normal, draconic, body...Since there was nothing like gravity, nor any visible landmarks to guide him, Vahn just floated within this peculiar space for several minutes. It wasn't until flashes of light began to illuminate around him that he began to move again. This wasn't the result of his choice, however, but the 'restrictions' that had suddenly been placed on him. As a result, he found himself oriented towards the direction that now became the ground, while, numbering in the thousands, strange automatons comprised of red and black material began to manifest around him.Without any prompting, these vaguely humanoid automatons began charging at him, many using their pointed appendages to strike at the golden scales on his body while others, shaped like swords, shields, and even war hammers began to impact against his hide without causing any damage. While this was going on, Vahn silently observed them, his golden eyes blazing with understanding as he saw passed the vertices making up their form, peering directly at the complex network of code that governed their behavior.Vahn could even see through magical formations formed by higher-tiered beings so it took very little effort for him to interpret the runic coding that drove the automaton's logic. As a result, he was able to understand their function, and, after a few minutes, he expanded his domain, stating, "Stop." in a firm tone. In response, the seemingly mindless automatons all froze in place, transitioning from red to a gentle blue as he reverted back to his human form.Though it would take much longer to gain a complete understanding of the space he had entered, Vahn was about to ascertain that he was in a Virtual Reality Marble created by the Moon Cell. Each of the automatons surrounding him were known as Anti-Viral Attack Programs, designed with the sole purpose of expelling and deleting foreign entities. Unfortunately, while their attacks should even be effective against Gods, they were virtually powerless against him due to his past experiences within the Virtual World.If it were the same as Da Vinci's system, the Moon Cell should have been able to eject him whenever it pleased, but, from what he could tell, there was an underlying logic that prevented this from being the case. It was almost like the Moon Cell invited things into it, allowing them to run rampant within a simulated environment entirely under the governance of the system.What confused and intrigued Vahn was the fact that, despite clearly recognizing him as an invasive element, the Moon Cell seemed to 'obey' the influence of external forces. Its structure seemed to change in relation to the 'expectations' of those within, emulating an environment that allowed them to express their power with fewer restrictions. As a result, just by standing in one spot for a few short minutes, the floor, which had previously been a panel of solidified blue light, now became a series of marbled tiles while, around him, the Ivory Castle slowly manifested into existence...While he was curious about the true nature of the Moon Cell, Vahn momentarily discarded wayward thoughts, turning his attention to the peculiar arrangement of ones and zeroes above as he stated, "I invoke my authority as Type: Omega. Whoever is in charge of the Moon Cell, appear before me. Also, block any and all forms of observation involving secondary and tertiary sources. Nothing I say or do is to be disclosed to anyone but the primary Administrator without my direct permission."Though he didn't know how the Moon Cell was structured, Vahn knew that everything within had to be monitored by the governing system. Thus, even without establishing direct contact with the entity in charge, it should still be able to hear and understand his orders.Immediately following his command, Vahn felt a ripple pass through the surrounding virtual space, much like a Bounded Field being activated. At the same time, the feeling of being watched, which had been present from the moment he was pulled inside the virtual space, faded away. Then, after a few seconds had passed, one of the nearby automatons transitioned from blue to amethyst, its form changing rapidly into something vaguely humanoid, albeit with wing-like protrusions and a large metallic disc hovering above its head.Unlike the previous automatons, Vahn was unable to see through the structure of the entity before him, so, while not necessarily the case, it gave off the impression of a Tier 5 being. Then, in response to his previous words, it stated in a synthetic voice, "Input accepted. Elevating entity, Vahn Aldrnari Mason to the position of Chief Administrator. Do you wish to be transferred to the Primary Terminal or the Main Core?"(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The golden cuck appears','Furiously hits for 0 damage...','Top 3 anime betrayal moment')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Shortly after inheriting the position of Chief Administrator, Vahn found himself in yet another vast, seemingly infinite, space. Unlike before, the sky in his new location devoid of everything but a hazy mist that radiated pale white light. Below, what appeared to be an emerald green sea stretched out far beyond the horizon, yet, in spite of its apparent liquid state, Vahn was able to walk on its surface without as if it were solid ground.Dotting the 'landscape', countless pillars floated at various depths, while, at the center of everything, a massive cube, comprised of several digitized cubes, could be seen suspended in space. In a way, it looked like a three-dimensional object that hadn't completely rendered, many of the vertices giving way to reveal a golden sphere, surrounded by 'source code', within.Though it felt like he was only a few hundred meters away from the golden sphere, Vahn had the impression he was actually an infinite distance from its location. The various layers of code on the inside made his brain feel fuzzy just looking at them, and, though several orders of magnitude less advanced, he felt as if the cuboid structure before him was similar to the Root System itself.Since he had begun to bleed from both nostrils after observing the data stream for several seconds, Vahn manipulated his blood to form a tiny bead before turning to the silent automaton and asking, "What authority do I have as Chief Administrator? Explain your assigned purpose and the functions of the Moon Cell."Without any delay in its response, the purple automaton replied in its characteristic synthetic voice, stating, "Command Acknowledged. Answering the first query. As Chief Administrator, you have the authority to: assign secondary objectives, initiate root protocols, suspend non-vital systems, and alter the permissions of other designates. Answering the secondary query. The existence you know as the Moon Cell has three primary objectives, seventeen-thousand-four-hundred-and-ninety secondary objectives, two primary functions, and seven secondary functions, and nineteen tertiary functions."Fearing the automaton would begin listing all of its functions, Vahn interrupted its explanation, a wry smile on his face as he said, "Just tell me your primary objective and the primary functions available to me as the Chief Administrator."Following Vahn's interruption, the automaton briefly paused before answering, "Amendment to the previous inquiries has been acknowledged. Updating response to amendment. Answering amended inquiry. Primary objectives include the observation of SS-C3PB: GAIA, monitoring the development of life upon its surface, and creating a backup of all information accumulated prior to its destruction. Answering the second amended inquiry. As Chief Administrator, you are allowed direct access to all non-vital systems for the purpose of observation and data collection. Primary functions include the ability to move freely within the Photonic Abyss and initiate procedures to establish contact with the Root System."Hearing the automaton's response, Vahn fell into silent contemplation, as, going by its explanation, he didn't actually have the authority to expel Archimedes and his entourage. Thus, after sorting his thoughts, he asked, "Can I assign or transfer authority to other people?", followed by the automaton replying, "Answering inquiry. Only if they are on the list of authorized personnel compiled within the Primary Terminal. Administrative rights cannot be given to entities classified as a threat to primary objectives."Since his own authority seemed rather limited, even as Chief Administrator, Vahn wasn't surprised by the automaton's response. Just like Alaya, it was compelled to fulfill its primary function, and, though he had some liberty to influence it, arbitrarily introducing change was difficult. Thus, he shelved the idea of immediately transferring authority to Da Vinci, instead, saying, "Transfer me to the Primary Terminal, or, any area where I can monitor everything else within the Moon Cell. Also, if such a thing exists, make an exception for Artoria Aldrnari Pendragon. I want her transferred to the same location as me."Though Vahn could use his Unit Management to summon Artoria to his side, he wanted to see if the Moon Cell could transfer others. He had asked her to be patient and wait for him outside, but, with the passage of time, she would undoubtedly become increasingly stressed out. After all, they were supposed to be invading the Moon Cell together, not waiting for him to figure things out and make sure it was 'safe' for her to venture inside.Unfortunately, in response to Vahn's command, the automaton immediately stated, "It is impossible to transfer anyone without the requisite permissions. Access to vital systems can only be achieved in the event that contact with the Root System has been established. An existing request for access to the Root System already exists. Would you like to supersede the existing request and forcibly initiate the procedure to establish contact?"Feeling the Flow of Fate around him suddenly surge, Vahn peered into the near-future to find that an even similar to the Holy Grail War would be initiated if he replied in the affirmative. Instead, he didn't hesitate to shake his head, stating, "No, do not initiate proceedings. Also, cancel the existing request and restrict further access to any external functions that have no been directly approved by me."Vahn didn't have to inquire in order to understand that Archimedes had been the one to initiate the previous request. He likely intended to use the Moon Cell in a manner similar to the Greater Grail, using its connection to the Root System in order to have his 'wish' granted. As such an event would bring far too much trouble, he decided to nip it in the bud. After all, while the Flow of Fate showed that he would undoubtedly win the event, there were many troublesome scenes depicted within the same current.In response to Vahn's order, the automaton flashed its light a few times before saying, "Command has been executed. Do you wish to continue transfer to the Primary Terminal?"With the visage of Archimedes flashing across his mind, Vahn smiled knowingly in response to the automaton's question, answering, "Proceed." in a curt tone. In the next moment, he found himself in an extremely clean room that reminded him of the control room for CHALDEAS. There, on the verge of pulling his hair out in frustration, Archimedes could be seen hunched over, his fingers typing away with such intensity their movement was hard to follow.Unfortunately for Archimedes, every inquiry and command he typed into the terminal was answered with a massive 'Access Denied' notification. Though he seemed to be trying to circumvent this block, typing a series of runic coding into what appeared to be a command prompt, he hadn't been able to make much progress. After all, the Moon Cell was one of, if not the, most advanced pieces of tech in the entire Sol System. If it could be so easily hacked, at least in any meaningful way, that would be a farce in and of itself.Since Archimedes apparently hadn't noticed him, Vahn walked up behind the man, placing his palm on the former's shoulder rather roughly. In response, Archimedes turned statuesque, his rampant typing coming to an instantaneous halt as his heavy breathing sounded throughout the otherwise empty chamber. Then, after swallowing hard, he slowly turned his head, finding Vahn standing there with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes...Before Archimedes could say anything, Vahn interrupted him, stating in a tone that left no room for argument, "Sit down and remain silent. You will speak when I have given you permission. Do not test my patience, Archimedes. The moment you try anything, anything at all, expect to die..."Without waiting for a response, Vahn forced Archimedes to take a seat before navigating through his Unit Management and transferring Artoria. If he kept her waiting much longer, things would become increasingly complicated.The moment Artoria appeared within the Primary Terminal, the lighting within shifted to red, but, as he had already 'seen' this, Vahn plainly stated, "She has my permission to be here. Worry not, as she has no intention of damaging the Moon Cell and its systems. If she tries, I will personally intervene to protect the station."Though it gave off the impression that it wanted to argue, the purple automaton ultimately issued a synthetic, "Acknowledged." before the lights immediately shifted back to a neutral blue.Seeing how easily Vahn 'convinced' the Moon Cell of his intentions, Archimedes tried to give voice to his incredulity, but, the moment his mouth began to open, he found a startling hot blade tip resting against his tongue, followed by Vahn stating in a venomous tone, "I did not give you permission to speak..."Archimedes felt more indignant in the last few minutes than he had over the last fifty years, causing his expression to turn exceptionally dour. He didn't really care that his tongue was being scaled by the ambient heat of Vahn's [Lævateinn]. What really bothered him was the fact that he was being looked down on by a man who, at least in his mind, lacked the qualifications to do so. Vahn was the embodiment of everything he hated in humans: petulant, emotional, and overbearing when it came to anything that contradicted their beliefs.Unaware of the hypocritical thoughts swirling through Archimedes' mind, Vahn returned [Lævateinn] to his Inventory while making a mental note to clean it properly later on. Then, after pulling out two more chairs, one for himself and the other for Artoria, he sat down in front of the glowering man, his smile gradually fading away as he stated, "Though I can understand your reasoning behind trying to lay low, the methods you've been incorporating over the past few months seem specifically designed to annoy me. Had I not spent a fair amount of time thinking things through, the start of the meeting would have marked the end of your life..."Though he was doing his best to control his emotions, images of Scáthach briefly flashed through Vahn's mind. At the same time, his skin gradually shifted from a healthy tan to a progressive fairer complexion, followed by golden scales slowly growing from the enlarged 'pores' on his arms, legs, and face. More noticeable, however, was the ever-increasing pressure within the room, so potent it even caused Artoria to grimace slightly...If not for Artoria's presence, Vahn imagined he would have just crushed Archimedes, bringing an end to everything then and there. It would take very little effort, as, despite believing Archimedes had the means to protect himself, the reality of the situation proved otherwise. It was all but guaranteed such countermeasures existed, but, having never expected the spontaneous seizure of the Moon Cell, all of his plans had been undermined before they could be implemented.Taking solace in the fact he had near-absolute control over the current situation, Vahn took several deep breaths to calm himself before pulling out a vial of murky white liquid, saying, "This is a high-quality recovery potion. Apply it to your tongue...we have much to discuss."Having few options other than acquiescence, Archimedes stared at the vial in Vahn's hand before ultimately removing the cork and downing its contents. This caused the blisters on his tongue to quickly heal, restoring his taste buds and allowing him to taste the mellow, honey-like, fluid as it coated his throat and spread warmth through his body.Without waiting for Archimedes to completely recover, Vahn's eyes gradually shifted from gold to a ghostly blue as he said, "I will give you one opportunity to explain your actual reasons for coming to the past. Feel free to twist your story and embellish it as much as you'd like...just know I am able to see through falsehoods to peer at the truth. The greater your lie, the harsher your punishment...know this, not as a promise, but an incontestable truth..."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Rotton potatoes are OP','Vahn be like, "Hello there..."','One final chance for transparency...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

After boring a hole several hundred meters across and a few kilometers deep, Vahn released a sigh into the surrounding vacuum. He had expected an almost instantaneous response, so, after twenty minutes had passed, he began to feel a little awkward. Though the Moon was 'technically' dead, as Crimson Moon had been killed by Zelretch, he still felt a little guilty about arbitrarily laying waste to its surface.Since he didn't know how deep the Moon Cell actually was, Vahn decided to save his Elemental Stars for the time being. Then, after having Artoria back away, made possible by her [Mana Burst] Skill, he extended his hand toward the surface of the Moon, his arm transforming into a muscular appendage covered in golden scales as he muttered, "Zhūquè, lend me your aid..." in a voice audible despite the fact they were in a vacuum.In response to his request, Vahn's arm swelled, vermillion flames breaking through the gaps between his scales as a massive octagonal magic circle expanded from his palm. It grew to more than 50m in diameter, appearing much like an eight trigrams formation with a massive void in the center. It was from this void that a fiery gateway opened, allowing a massive pheasant-like bird to, quite literally, erupt into existence amidst plumes of vermillion flames.Though the gateway was only 50m across, the bird that had emerged from within spread its wings to cover more than 300m, waves of flame following its every move as it's five-colored plumage danced gracefully despite the lack of gravity. Then, with a piercing cry that resonated with the surrounding space, it dove towards the surface of the moon, shifting into a meteoric form that blended together vermillion and emerald flames in an indescribably beautiful manner...Despite its movements appearing slow and graceful, Zhūquè impacted the surface of the Moon in an instant. This caused a large portion of the lunar surface, forming a perfect circle precisely 9km across, to sink inwards as the surrounding space was converted into a pure Yang Elemental Energy. This was, in many ways, similar to a Reality Marble, but, instead of creating an isolated space, it imprinted itself onto reality, much like Nero's Noble Phantasm or ORT's [Crystal Cavern of the Slaughter God].While it may seem to contradict his intention of avoiding further destruction, Vahn had unwavering trust in Zhūquè's control over flames. It only burned what it chose to burn, so, even if it burrowed all the way through the Moon, any structures would be left entirely untouched. The only downside was, it cost him a ridiculous amount of energy to manifest the Four Divine Beasts, leaving him nursing an arm that had turned into an appendage resembling a still-burning piece of charcoal...As she never liked seeing Vahn injured, Artoria gracefully floated over to his side, placing her hand against his blackened flesh to transfer some of her Magical Energy into his body. This did very little to ease the pain he was feeling, but, knowing she just wanted to help, Vahn managed a smile as they began to descend into the perfectly cylindrical tunnel Zhūquè had left in its wake.By the time they reached Zhūquè's actual position, it had come to a stop around 235km beneath the surface, floating soundlessly above a rainbow-hued membrane that, at a glance, appeared to be a massive crystal. What surprised them, even more, was the fact that this crystal was indiscernible to the 'Photonic Crystal Pillars' used to seal the Welsh Dragon, a material that had been instrumental to the development of all Spiritron related technologies...With its Master appearing, Zhūquè bowed its head low and, in a feminine voice that inspired a calm state of mind, stated, "I humbly request your forgiveness, Sovereign One. My power is not enough to influence this mysterious substance..."Vahn hadn't even thought to blame Zhūquè so he was actually a little surprised to hear 'her' demure plea. As a result, he adopting a calming countenance as he extended his hand to stroke the center of her fiery crest. This caused her to release the peculiar cooing sound only birds could manage, and, if not for the massive difference in their size, Vahn could easily imagine the massive bird affectionately nuzzling against the palm of his hand.After calming Zhūquè, Vahn allowed her to return to his body, filling him with an incredible amount of power and mending his wounds in an instant. His total reserves decreased while the Divine Beasts were summoned, so, while he liked to spend time with them, doing so in the 'real' world was still a little too taxing at his current level. Still, the fact his evolution allowed him to call upon them, at the expense of losing the ability to borrow their transformations, was something that always brought a smile to his face. He could still remember the time when Mordred's 'Guardian', King, first met Báihǔ, as, despite the fact one was a lion while the other was a lioness, she ended up submitting to him in an instant...With Zhūquè having cleared out a large area for them to explore, Vahn was able to conclude that the majority of the Moon, at least in their location, was one massive crystalline geode. His domain could probe upwards of thirteen kilometers in his base form, so, from what he could ascertain, this meant the true form of the Moon was hollowed geode that was approximately 3,000km in diameter. What most people believed to be the Moon was just a 235km layer of space residue that had built up over the course of 4.6 billion years, concealing a perfect sphere formed from Photonic Crystals. Since even a thumb-sized piece of the substance was enough to create an Artificial Intelligence on the level of Ark, it was a truly awe-inspiring discovery that, under different circumstances, would have left a deep impact on civilization...After marveling at the beautiful structure for several minutes, Vahn placed his palm against the warm surface, muttering, "Now, how are we supposed to get inside...?" to nobody in particular. His domain wasn't able to penetrate the crystal membrane, and, due to the nature of Photonic Crystals, even the most powerful Noble Phantasms would be hard-pressed to leave a single scratch on the surface. Any damage they did would be 'ignored' as a result of the quantum state of the material, which, in all but a few circumstances, would return to its 'default' state in an instant.Vahn was one of the few people that could actually damage Photonic Crystals, a benefit provided by his Source Energy, but, at least for the time being, he was unwilling to do so. He knew the Moon Cell was older than the Moon itself, so, even with the death of Crimson Moon, the system governing the massive supercomputer was still alive. It undoubtedly had an Ego of its own, and, due to his status as Type: Omega, Vahn knew it would obey his orders so long as he didn't direct it to violate its primary objective.Since he didn't want to leave a bad impression on the governing system of the Moon Cell, Vahn had to find something like an entrance. Fortunately, he knew such an entrance existed, as, in many of the materials he had obtained to further Da Vinci's research, such an entrance was generally found in the early 2030s to the late 2100s. The only problem with this was, no matter how much he had searched for details on the entrance, it was a 'very' closely guarded secret. Though the coordinates had to be stored somewhere, it was impossible to find them in any historical documentation, as, preceding the discovery of the Moon Cell, humanity is usually on the brink of extinction due to war.Without exception, the Moon Cell had always been discovered after mana had started to fade, and, in the hopes of securing their future, humanity began expanding into space. Prior to this, the Moon Cell remained in an idle state, observing the development of Gaia and closely record the actions of every entity that had ever existed on her surface. This meant there was a slight chance the entrance didn't exist, but, considering Archimedes and his team were able to get inside, Vahn knew there had to be an entrance 'somewhere'.After organizing his thoughts, Vahn turned to Artoria, mentally activating his comms as he said, "I don't want to damage the Photonic Crystals just yet. The Moon Cell will likely become one of the pillars that supports the Empire so we should avoid damaging it as much as possible. Even if it is able to repair itself, I imagine the system governing its maintenance wouldn't be too happy with us."Though she could understand Vahn's concerns, Artoria frowned inside of her helmet, asking, "Is this truly the wisest decision? The enemy may misinterpret your unwillingness to damage the Moon Cell as a sign they can freely hole themselves within. If they have a way to completely seal the entrance, leaving no traces, what will we do?"Knowing there was a considerable amount of truth behind Artoria's concerns, Vahn mulled over his options for a few minutes before nodding his head and saying, "You're right. There is a chance the entrance isn't in a fixed location so searching for it could ultimately prove futile. I guess Da Vinci is going to have a lot of Photonic Crystals to study in the near future..."Following his words, Vahn gestured for Artoria to give him a bit of space. Then, after taking a few deep 'breaths', despite the fact he was in a vacuum, he calmed his mind to the best of his ability. He had become increasingly proficient at clearing his thoughts in recent days, and, by paying attention to the Flow of Fate around him, he was able to strengthen the current that led to his desired mental state in the shortest period of time.After around twenty seconds of oppressive silence, Vahn's eyes opened to reveal golden irises that blazed like stars within the shadowy valley carved by Zhūquè. His body then began to swell up, his height rapidly exceeding eight meters before he began to take on a distinctly inhuman appearance. Large wings sprouted from his back, radiating an intense golden light from their leather membrane as resplendent golden scales sprouted across his entire body. By the time their light began to fade, he had grown to a height exceeding twelve meters and a length exceeding twenty. His wings were even larger, covering nearly thirty-five meters in length while, along his back, blade-like ridges ran down the length of his body, extending into a thick, glaive-like tail.With a draconic visage that inspired awe and reverence in any who bore witness to its glory, Vahn inspected his complete dragon transformation, basking in the indescribable feeling of power that radiated from the center of his chest. Each breath the drew caused the gaps between his abdominal plating to radiate intense golden light, and, if he inhaled deeply, Vahn felt like he would be able to release a powerful breath that could destroy anything in its wake.Since using his Dragon's Breath actually took a considerable amount of his reserves, Vahn ignored the urge to devastate his surroundings. Instead, he used his powerful front claws, set with four large talons and a thumb-like appendage, to begin tearing away at the Photonic Crystals below. They were extremely resistant, but, with a palpable amount of Source Energy radiating from his body, his intent to tear it apart overwrote their ability to instantaneously repair. Thus, with speed that could humble even the most advanced excavators, he tore away large chunks of the beautiful crystal, stowing them away in his Inventory as he quickly burrowed into the crystalline structure below...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Zhūquè, I choose you...!',That's a big ass crystal...','The descent of the Dragon God xD...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Chapter 1433: Photonic Abyss