Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Since virtually everything in the Tower was new to them, the Hell Train included, Vahn gave the girls a detailed overview of the current situation while guiding them to where the God of Guardians was located. They had all basically 'reincarnated' into the current Record, and, unlike Fenrir, their origins had very little to do with The Path. He was hoping this would allow them to undergo the process of Revolution, and, if they were lucky, it might provide them a significant increase in power.Though their combat experiences and mastery over certain Laws would allow them to fight against much stronger foes, each of the girls, on average, had the equivalent strength of a B-Rank Regular. This was in spite of the fact they possessed the inordinately powerful physiques of a True Dragons, and, most importantly, functionally unlimited reserves of energy.Given enough time, the girls would invariably become some of the most powerful beings within the entire Record, but, for the time being, they were still adapting to the changes of their body and the instability of their Soul. The process of separating them from the Realm and transplanting them into the Record was an incredibly destructive process, and, if not for his recent breakthrough into Tier 5, effectively allowing him to manifest their Spirits within his domain, it would have been exceptionally difficult to prevent their Egos from fragmenting.Unfortunately, regardless of his skill level, it was impossible to prevent some amount of 'loss' during the transition. The boundless energy comprising their Egos was something altogether foreign to the current Record, so, even after the transfer, they needed to stay within the bounds of his domain for several months. During this time, they were required to cultivate numerous techniques that would, slowly but surely, replace the energy within their Ego. This was an exceptionally painful process, but, considering the alternate was the effective erasure of their Selves, everyone who had chosen to exit the Realm had been required to endure it.Now, after a month of rehabilitation and training, the girls were more determined than ever to stay at his side, and, just as they wished to support him, Vahn was more than willing to do the same. His journey might result in him standing alone at the pinnacle of all creation, but, until that penultimate moment, he was happy to journey alongside the people he loved. Just being around them filled him with a sense of purpose, and, though their presence reminded him of the family he had left behind, these same sentiments became the motivation propelling him further forward...---Giving voice to the words that had danced across everyone else's minds, Eva adopted a slightly incredulous expression as she looked up at the God of Guardians and remarked, "Someone's been eating their wheaties..."Cocking his head to the side, visible confusion could be seen in Donar's countenance as he said, "I did not expect you back so soon...have you brought these people here to undergo Revolution?"Nodding his head in affirmation, Vahn plopped his hand down on Mordred's head, ruffling her hair as he said, "These are my family and loved ones. Though they are far removed the concept of what you refer to as the 'outside', they should better fit the definition of what you call an Irregular. I want you to allow them to undergo Revolution, starting with this spunky young lady."Happy to both have her head pat and her name volunteered to be the first to receive strength, a toothy smile immediately developed across Mordred's face as she puffed out her modest chest and exclaimed, "Give me your best! I can overcome any challenge you throw at me, mountain man...!"Frowing in response to the woman's boastful words, Donar felt compelled to say something, but, with Vahn smiling up at him, he felt that doing so would be a mistake. Instead, he leaped up to the top of the Rice Pot, opening the lid as he explained, "I'm afraid only one person can experience the process of Revolution at a time. There are only five days until the train reaches the next destination. Are you sure you wish to start now?"Preempting any further discussion, Mordred skillfully leaped to the edge of the Rice Pot before hopping inside. This was her opportunity to surpass her mother, and, though it might only be for a short period of time, it was something she had dreamed of for hundreds of years. Just the thought of being the 'strongest' made her feel giddy and excited, so, regardless of the consequences, she charged forward without any hesitation...Understanding her daughter's thoughts, Artoria couldn't help but shake her head as she remarked, "That child still lacks discipline...I wonder which of us is most to blame...?"Though he knew this was her attempt at making a joke, a glimmer of guilt could be seen in Vahn's eyes as he adopted a wry smile and rubbed the back of his head. This earned him amused giggles from several of the girls, Artoria included.Fortunately, while they had each come to enjoy teasing him quite a bit, the girls generally held back their urges whenever 'outsiders' were present. This was especially true for Artoria, who, prior to her 'rebirth', asked if her status as a Knight could be reinstated. Becoming his Empress was one of the proudest moments in her entire life, but, first and foremost, she had the heart and soul of a Knight. She also had very little interest in politics after experiencing the idyllic structure of the Empire, so, at least for the time being, she wanted to walk a path separate from her status as the Phoenix Dragon Empress.As his official Knight Commander, helping to maintain his image was one of the duties Artoria took most seriously. Because of this, her expression immediately turned into a more serious countenance the moment Donar, the God of Guardians, leaped down from the Rice Pot. She even moved to step in between them, her hand naturally gravitating towards the handle of her Asauchi. She had lost the ability to wield both Excalibur and Rhongomyniad, for obvious reasons, so, while he fully expected her to awaken a Zanpakuto with a similar shape, the current Artoria wielded a sword reminiscent of the Caliburn at her hip.Understanding her expectations of him, Vahn performed a stopping gesture with his right hand as he stated, "Stand down." in a commanding voice. In response, Artoria promptly retracted her hand from her blade, and, though it was entirely unnecessary, she performed an irreproachable Knight's salute before taking her place at his side. This caused the God of Guardians no small measure of confusion, but, rather than comment on it, he asked, "Will you remain here until your companion emerges? In some cases, Revolution can take several months. When Jahad and the Great Warriors boarded this train in the ancient past, it took nearly six years for them to complete their training..."Having already formed Pactios with Mordred and most of the other girls, Vahn shook his head in response to the God of Guardians' words, saying, "She possesses the means to contact us once she has completed her Revolution. Though I'll have someone periodically check in on her, our principal objective is the elimination of the entity known as White. If Mordred emerges before then, you can just teach her that unique Shinsu Control Skill of yours. Just be careful. She can be a little 'spirited' at times."Though he felt like Vahn had just entrusted him with a short-fused explosive, Donar still nodded his head before saying, "Very well. Since each of your companions are qualified to undergo Revolution, they also possess the right to learn the same control technique bestowed upon Jahad and the Great Warriors, the Shinsu Black-Hole Sphere. You possess the same right, but, considering the power you already possess, I'm not sure how useful it would be for you..."Chuckling in response to the man's words, Vahn gestured towards Eva, Illya, and Fenrir catching the trio's attention as he stated, "There are five days remaining until our arrival at the next station. Until then, I'll have you teach your control technique to these three lovely ladies. Among the people here, they are the most talented when it comes to the external manipulation of energy. They may not be able to master it in such a brief span of time, but I have absolute confidence in their ability to grasp the technique before the week's end."Though they could appreciate Vahn's trust in them, the reactions of the trio were significantly less zealous than the fervor displayed by Mordred. Eva even adopted a frown, her brows creased ever so slightly as she asked, "Do you think I'll just let you run off while I spend the next five days training? I don't give a damn about some special control technique. Hell, I can probably create an actual Black Hole if I really wanted to. Why would I stay here and accept the teachings of someone else? Are you looking down on me?"Finding himself at a loss, Vahn simply adopted an awkward smile in response to Eva's rebuttal. He hadn't exactly forgotten how willful she could be, but, now that they were traveling together, it was apparent he would need to take this into consideration when he was making decisions. At the very least, he could have avoided the current situation by asking for her opinion rather than putting her name forward and deciding without her input. Now, she would be very resistant to the idea of them separating, as, more than anything else, her primary reason for venturing into this world was to stay at his side. The idea of separating, even for the purpose of training, was something she was bound to oppose, seemingly with extreme prejudice.Realizing she might have overreacted, Eva adopted a slightly apologetic expression, arms crossed as she added with a huff, "If you really want me to stay and learn-"Interrupting before she could finish, Vahn shook his head, his smile turning gentle and affectionate as he remarked, "No. It's fine. I should have taken your feelings into consideration. Though I want to track down White before FUG manages to unseal him, I shouldn't be prioritizing some random guy I've never met over the people I genuinely care about. For now, how about we all learn the Shinsu Black Hole Sphere together? Who knows, Mordred might even finsh her Revolution in the next five days. I imagine she would be a lot happier if we're all waiting here when she emerges..."Though she couldn't help feeling marginally guilty, a loving smile spread across Eva's face as she nodded in response to Vahn's words. She knew she had probably overreacted, but, after several months of painful preparations, the thought of separating so soon made her feel uncomfortable. She wanted to become stronger, sure, but, more so than anything else, she just wanted to spend more time with the person she loved. This was a sentiment shared by most of the women who had chosen to accompany him, the sole exception being Karin, who, despite coming to worship Vahn as her God, primarily emerged from the Realm in order to accompany Eva...---Unaware of what was taking occurring outside, Mordred could be seen lazily blowing bubble as she continued to descend further into the seemingly endless abyss. She had never been known for her patience, so, despite only a few hours having passed, she was already beginning to lose interest in the Rice Pot. The only thing the kept her calm was the knowledge that, the longer it took for her to descend, the greater her potential. She knew it had taken three days for Fenrir to reach the bottom, so, at the very least, she was prepared for her descent to last around the same length of time...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'True Dragons are hax...','Revolution~!','Imagine Mordred's reaction when it takes less than a day for her to reach the bottom xD...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

As a Tier 5 who had reached the pinnacle of a far more complex magical system, it only took Eva two days to practically master the Shinsu Black Hole Sphere. This left the God of Guardians utterly speechless, but, seemingly dissatisfied with 'just' leaving the man at a loss, Eva then proceeded to give a far more detailed explanation of how the ability worked. To make matters even worse for the dutiful giant, she had even managed to deconstruct it into a magical formula, effectively producing an equation that would allow virtually anyone to use the unique control method.The saddest part, at least for the God of Guardians, was that Vahn would easily be able to inscribe said formula onto various equipment and armaments. This would effectively allow anyone wielding the items to make use of the coveted control technique, regardless of their comprehension of said ability. This would be extremely beneficial for people like Artoria and Mordred, who, in spite of their masterful control and functionally limitless reserves, struggled to grasp even the basics of magical formulae.Thanks to Eva's insights, Vahn, Fenrir, Illya, and Asuna were able to master the basics of the Shinsu Black Hole Sphere before the Conductor announced their imminent arrival at the 36th Floor's train station. Considering they were all Archmages, however, this wasn't particularly surprising. What did come as a surprise was the fact that even Ryun had made marginal breakthroughs in understanding the control technique; something that was deemed 'impossible' during the God of Guardian's initial explanation.In essence, the Shinsu Black Hole Sphere required the user to create an artificial singularity to serve as a 'core' within a Baang. Standard Baangs were formed by the willful manipulation of Shinsu in the surroundings, effectively requiring the ability to both sense and control the peculiar energy in order to shape it to their will. Shinsu Black Hole Spheres ignored these two requirements, and, so long as you understood the method to create an artificial singularity capable of drawing in the surrounding Shinsu, you could create Baangs with terrifying destructive capabilities. The only caveat was, without an advanced understanding of spatial laws, allowing you to manipulate and control the surrounding Space, controlling a fully materialized Shinsu Black Hole Sphere was 'exceptionally' difficult...---Though he had seen it countless times before, Vahn couldn't help but smile when he saw Artoria don her nostalgic battle raiment, complete with a fur-lined mantle. This was immediately noticed by the person in question, who, rather than fluster about, simply returned his smile as she asked, "How long has it been since we stood together like this...?"Unable to resist the urge, Vahn issued a subdued sigh in response, his expression softening as he muttered in a hushed tone, "Too long...far too long..."Agreeing with this sentiment, Artoria went on to nod her head before saying, "The only thing that matters is that we are together, here, at this moment. The past is in the past. Our aspirations lay in the future. From now on, let us do our best to shape it...all of us...together..."Feeling even more nostalgic than before, Vahn was tempted to reach out and caress Artoria's cheek, his expression morphing into an affectionate and slightly reverent gaze. Before he could, however, a slightly pouty voice could be heard at the side, shattering the rosy atmosphere completely as Asuna remarked, "Maybe I should leave the two of you alone..." in a flat monotone.Blushing in response to Asuna's words, Artoria was about to say something before Vahn beat her to the punch, musing, "It seems your draconic nature is acting up again...after this is taken care of, how about a quick visit to the Outer Rings, just the three of us? You know I'm more than willing to lend a hand when you're feeling frustrated, Asuna..."Similar to Artoria, Asuna couldn't prevent a blush from bleeding into her cheeks at the mention of a foray into the Outer Rings. At the same time, a robust heat began to spread through her body, and, though she did her best to restrain it, she could prevent her tail from twitching in anticipation. This caused her to feel even more embarrassed, her cheeks gaining a scarlet hue as she averted her eyes and muttered, "Bully..." in a perceptively impassioned tone.Though he was tempted to tease her further, Vahn was silenced by a slightly pointed look, courtesy of a blushing Artoria. They were about to reach their destination, and, though she wouldn't overtly tell him to stop, her actions were a reminder to be mindful of the situation. Since he didn't want to embarrass them in front of others, this put an immediate stop to his antics, his expression turning slightly more serious as he responded with a curt nod of understanding. This ended up being the correct decision, as, moments later, the three of them came across John's group standing near an exit.Noticing the presence of others, John and his companions immediately became tense until they noticed who, exactly, was standing at the front of the group. After that, visible relief could be seen on their faces as John, adopting a friendly smile, raised his hand in a gesture of greeting as he said, "It's good to see you. We were really worried when you didn't appear in the residential district even after several days. What have you been up to these last couple of weeks...?"With John's eyes briefly wandering to Artoria and Asuna, it was pretty obvious he also wanted to ask about them, but, fearing he might inadvertently cause offense, he didn't directly broach the subject. He could be pretty tactful at times, and, though he couldn't completely prevent himself from gawking at the two inordinate beauties, he was able to collect himself relatively quickly.Smiling in response to the man's greeting, Vahn resisted the temptation to wrap his arms around his two wives. Instead, he gestured towards each of them in turn, revealing, "These two lovely ladies are Artoria Aldrnari Pendragon and Asuna Vesperina Theotanasia Entheofushia Mason. I am blessed beyond compare to have both as my wives."Bowing slightly in response to her own introduction, Artoria followed up Vahn's words by saying, "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.". As for Asuna, she just adopted a friendly smile, gesturing in a manner similar to John as she said, "Nice to meetcha!" in a comparably casual manner.Surprised by the revelation, John, along with the rest of his team members, found themselves at a complete loss for words. They each had a number of questions dancing about their minds, the most notable pertaining to the girls' origins, and how they were able to board the Hell Train. Rather than risk offending their benefactor, however, the majority just adopted awkward smiles as John went on to say, "It's nice to meet you, Artoria, Asuna..." before returning his gaze to Vahn and asking, "What are you going to do from now on? My team has decided to disembark here and return to the 35th Floor. We had more trouble than anticipated during the trial so we intended to spend the next ten months training before trying again next year."Approving of John's decision, Vahn nodded his head before patting the average-looking youth on the shoulder and remarking, "Wolhaiksong wasn't mistaken when they scouted you as a prospective member. A lot of people would have continued pressing forward in spite of the dangers, blinded by the prospect of rewards. Rather than risk your lives over nothing, it would be better for you to clear the Floors through your own efforts and then double back to board the Hell Express. Just make sure you aren't going out of your way to suppress those weaker than yourselves. As for me, I'm going to continue forward. My goals can only be achieved by moving further up the Tower. Since this might be our last time meeting, I want you to accept these gifts. I specifically prepared them for each of you so don't even think about refusing."Without affording the quintet the opportunity to refuse, Vahn began pulling out numerous items from his Inventory, shoving it into their hands. This included upgraded weapons, defensive artifacts, and, most importantly, a number of useful cooking tools and a surplus of special ingredients. These would help the group drastically increase their capabilities over the next year; and, while it wouldn't let them become powerhouses on part with descendants of the Ten Great Families, it would provide them a significant advantage against other competing Regulars.Vahn had basically become 'fed up' with the structure of the Tower, so, at the very least, he wanted to help those who hadn't been irreversibly corrupted by its influence. In truth, he would like to help everyone, but, understanding the impracticality of such a pursuit, his primary focus was those right in front of him. As for his Templates, they had recently started venturing into various fictional worlds in order to complete Quests. Soon enough, they would be loosed into the Tower, and, though their actions were wholly their own, he could still take partial credit for the people they helped along the way...With several brand new Needles and a number of other useful items forced upon him, John found himself at a complete loss for words. The same could be said for the rest of his team members, but, as the primary recipient of Vahn's interest, he had received the greatest number of boons. This was intended to help him strengthen his position as leader, as, after observing the youth, Vahn was fully confident that John would share with the rest of his team.Finding their bewilderment to be rather amusing, a light chuckle escaped Vahn's throat as he ruffled John's hair and said, "You should put those items away before we arrive. People, especially Regulars, can be very greedy. If they discover you have a surplus of useful equipment, there would be no end to the number of people coveting your supplies. I can make sure nobody antagonizes you once we reach the station, but you'll be on your own after that."Having experienced the greed of other Regulars first hand, Team John immediately complied with Vahn's words. There were no limits to the depravity of some Regulars, and, so long as it meant they could have their wishes granted, no manner of crime was beyond their capacity to commit. This was one of the reasons for the continued survival of FUG. They accepted virtually any applicant, and, no matter how grievous your crimes, you would always find a place for yourselves among the criminals and despots comprising the rebellious organization...---After descending into the watery abyss for more than two days, Modred's expression turned sour as she noticed her surroundings gradually lighting up. She interpreted this as her nearing the bottom, and, for a brief moment, she genuinely considering trying to swim upwards in an attempt to extend the amount of time taken. Fortunately, she realized the folly of such action, so, rather than resist the descent, she began to gradually increase her speed, a crimson aura surrounding her body...Like a meteor descending from the heavens, Mordred crashed into the floor of the Rice Pot with the intention of 'breaking' through the foundation of her own potential. After all, a person's potential was constantly changing, and, so long as they continually pushed themselves, there were absolutely no limits to a person's growth. Mortals could become Gods, and, through an inordinate amount of effort, Gods could even become something 'more'. Thus, rather than accept that this was her limit, Mordred was determined to break through, and, if necessary, continue digging until the very nails on her hands gave way.Under normal circumstances, it would be impossible for a person to break through the foundation of their potential. As someone who had ascended to godhood through her own efforts, however, Mordred was far from what anyone would classify as 'normal'. Thus, rather than stop upon hitting the ground, she smashed through the endless plane of cogs with meteoric force, shattering tens of thousands in the resultant explosion. Immediately thereafter, a massive red dragon appeared from within the smoke, tearing away at the mechanical foundation with the fervor of a mole tunneling into loose soil...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Eva is a bully xD...','Vahn is so excessive...','You think this is my limit!? Witness the power of the Sage Dragon Emperor's Pampered Princess...!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Ignoring the molten stone gradually hardening around him, Vahn continued to stare up at the sky with an absentminded smile on his face. He seemed oblivious to the fact that he was in the center of a massive crater, his eyes glistening with a cyan reflection as he gazed at the massive spell circle spreading across the sky.For a moment, it seemed like the inordinately complex series of magic circles would spread to cover the entire Heavens, but, after spreading three kilometers, the edges became wispy before ultimately disappearing entirely. This caused the entire spell circle to temporarily become unstable, but, under the nearly unrivaled control of the caster, it was quickly modified to fit within the confines of Vahn's domain. Then, seemingly without even a hint of mercy, the mature beauty floating near the center of the formation adopted a cruel smile as she softly uttered, "Kosmike Katastrofe..."Immediately following the utterance, the temperature around Vahn, extending for several hundred meters, instantaneously dropped to absolute zero as jagged pillars of ice erupted from the ground. At the same time, the entirety of Vahn's domain was filled with a hazy white glow, the result of the interior temperature dropping to around -270°C. This gave the battlefield an appearance similar to a snow globe, and, for a brief moment, even time seemed to have been frozen by the catastrophic attack.Seemingly unaffected by the surrounding temperatures, Vahn slowly rose to a seated position, his movements shattering the icy pillars that had encapsulated him. This subsequently resulted in him being buried by the icy debris, but, as if it had absolutely no mass, he was able to extricate himself from it by simply floating upwards like a balloon through empty air.Coming to a stop right in front of the mature beauty who had attempted to imprison him, a wry smile spread across Vahn's face as he remarked, "I'll need to conduct additional experiments, but it seems like I've become completely immune to damage within my own domain...how troublesome..."Rolling her eyes in response to Vahn's complaint, the woman casually closed the remaining distance between them, her arms wrapping around his naked body as she replied, "What meaning is there in taking damage when you can never truly die? The end result remains unchanged, so why would you be upset? Did you become a masochist when I wasn't looking...?"Chuckling in response to the woman's words, Vahn returned her embrace with his own, cradling her in his arms as he mused, "Only in your dreams..." before planting a kiss on her forehead.Seemingly interpreting Vahn's words as a challenge, a predatory smile spread across the woman's face as she attempted to grab his exposed member. Before she could, however, Vahn gave her butt a light pinch before phasing through her body and remarking, "There will be plenty of time for that later. Besides, if we're going to play around, I'd much rather keep the real you company. It feels like it's been a while since I last heard you crying out my name..."With a crimson hue spreading across her face, the woman, Eva, gathered a phenomenal amount of mana into her hand before punching the back of Vahn's head. This caused a massive shockwave to ripple through the atmosphere, shattering the icy particles that continued to permeate the entirety of Vahn's domain. Unfortunately, other than flattening part of his hair with her fist, Eva was unable to deal even a minimal amount of damage with her full-force blow.Turning to face his assailant, Vahn a similarly wry smile as before, rubbing the back of his head as he said, "I was just joking...besides, you know I like it when you call out my name. There is nothing to be ashamed of..."With her face turning gradually redder, Eva looked like she was on the verge of exploding due to a combination of rage and embarrassment. This caused Vahn's expression to soften into a somewhat apologetic smile, but, before he could say anything, she just sighed huffily, crossing her arms as she remarked, "I'm not going to argue with you. Just know that I'll have my revenge once we return to the Realm..."Choosing not to comment on Eva's still-present blush, Vahn nodded his head in response to Eva's words before equipping a new set of clothes. His previous set had been completely obliterated, a surprisingly common occurrence whenever he was involved. He had tried to prevent this numerous times, but, no matter how robust his personal armaments were, they invariably turned to dust the moment he faced off against a powerful foe.Shaking his head in response to the wayward train of thought, Vahn surprised Eva by spontaneously lifting her into a princess carry. Then, before she could protest, he teleported to the location of an ongoing banquet that was attended by his primary vessel, more than thirty residents of Avalon, and virtually every inhabitant of the Emerald Grove. This included most of his wives, and, though it was a little risky, even Xysteria had been allowed to visit. She wasn't allowed to wander very far, but, at the very least, she was able to interact with others in a way that couldn't be achieved within the Realm...---After a 'very' long celebration, Vahn had most of the central figures within the Realm gather within the facility that had been constructed by the Little Garden's R&D Department. There was still a lot they needed to discuss, and, thanks to Da Vinci, Vahn now had a much better understanding of the current situation. To that end, he gathered everyone's attention by gesturing for silence, a serious expression replacing his usually relaxed smile as he said, "Now that things have developed to this point, everyone here has an important decision to make..."Picking up where Vahn trailed off, Da Vinci went on to explain, "As it stands, our powers, nay, our very existences, are akin to realistic illusions. The moment we attempt to leave the boundaries of Vahn's domain, we will, quite literally, cease to exist within this world. Though it is safe to assume that Vahn can simply manifest us anew, this places a heavy strain on his power. The more of us he summons, the smaller his domain becomes. In order to stay in this world for any reasonable length of time, the best option seems to be transplanting our souls into physical vessels that are bound by the Laws of this world. This will require us to grow our power from scratch, but, so long as we make use of the Little Garden, it should only take a few years for us to regain our respective powers."Without even a moment's hesitation, Mordred slammed the table with enough force to splinter it as she shouted, "I want to fight alongside Chichiue! Even if I have to be reborn and remade a thousand times, my decision won't change...!"Though he felt a sense of vindication hearing Mordred's exclamation, Vahn still gestured for her to calm down as a wry yet prideful smile developed across his face. This caused the fiery tomboy's face to turn slightly red, but, even after plopping back onto her seat, an excited light continued to burn within her eyes. She was happy to be the first to speak out, and, seeing the appreciation contained within Vahn's gaze, it was difficult to prevent a toothy grin from spreading across her face...Following Mordred's outburst, virtually everyone present expressed their desire to be reborn within the Transcendental Path to Heaven. They wanted to be of use to him, and, though they enjoyed life within the Realm, possessing 'absolute power' in a world that didn't require such extremes made it difficult to focus on things like training and research. The flow of time within the Realm could also be stopped at Vahn's leisure, so, even if they spent thousands of years helping him pursue his goal, no harm would befall the Empire in their absence.In the end, the only person adamant about remaining in the Realm was Da Vinci. She, like any other Tier 5, could easily continue her research so long as Vahn allowed her to exist outside the Principle Axis of Time. There were a number of projects she wanted to complete, and, more importantly, she still wanted to help reconcile the Laws within the Realm with those of the Outside world. She knew it was only a matter of time before travel between the two became possible, so, rather than give up her power and abandon all her projects, she was determined to continue making headway until the inevitable moment when the Transcendental Path to Heaven became just another part of Vahn...---After what felt like months within the Little Garden, Vahn emerged to find himself within his room aboard the Hell Train. This caused him to pause for several minutes, his mind momentarily drawing a blank as memories of the events preceding his most recent awakening gradually resurfaced. Now, however, his rage had dulled considerably, and, after conducting a number of experiments with his [Actualization] Innate, the affairs of the Tower suddenly seemed distant and mundane...Giving himself a few light pats on the cheeks, similar to someone trying to psyche themselves up in front of a mirror, Vahn extricated himself from the bed before summoning, not just Fenrir and Ryun, but Illya, Artoria, Gray, Mordred, Eva, Asuna, and Karin to his side. He had agreed to let them travel alongside him whenever he was inside of a Regular area, so, for the last five months, they had been training themselves tirelessly to master their chosen Positions.As could be expected, Illya and Eva had both chosen to become Wave Controllers while Artoria and Asuna had dutifully selected Fisherman as their primary Positions. Far more surprising was the fact that Mordred, Karin, and Gray had all chosen to become Scouts, but, considering they could just as easily fill every other Position, it didn't really matter. Mordred just wanted the opportunity to charge ahead of everyone else, and, thanks to her experience leading shock troops, she was 'very' skilled at catching enemies by surprise...Unable to contain himself, a natural smile spread across Vahn's face the moment he summoned the girls from within the Little Garden. He always felt happier whenever they were around, but, more so than that, it was the appearance of the girls that brought a smile to his face. With the exception of Karin, who currently sported a pair of perky cat ears and a tail, each of the other girls had adopted marginally more youthful, slightly draconic, features.Though they had always greatly resembled each other, Artoria, Mordred, and Gray could now be mistaken as triplets. The only differences between them were their individual styles, and, as could be expected, their hair, eye, horn, and tail colors. Artoria and Mordred still possessed their golden locks, but, out of consideration for their original selves, the former's draconic features were white while the latter's were red. As for Gray, she was the most unique amongst the three due to her left horn being black while her right horn was white. This feature also appeared in her tail, but, rather than being split down the center, the exterior was covered in pitch-black scales while the underside was covered in a contrasting white.Since Artoria and Mordred had already been dragons prior to their 'rebirth', they had a much easier time adapting to their new forms. Gray had a marginally more difficult time, but, after some 'careful' guidance from her senior dragons, she was eventually able to get her emotions and instincts under control. As for Asuna and Eva, neither had any particular issues due to their inordinate mastery over their own emotions. Asuna had even remastered the State of Nothingness in a very short period of time, and, though she had momentarily become a lot more 'fierce' during their lovemaking, it only took a few weeks for Eva to mellow out.Understanding that the girls simply wanted to feel closer to him, Vahn had no problems recreating them as True Dragons. He had always been weak against such sentiments, and, though it resulted in him suffering quite a number of bites and bruises, he didn't particularly mind. Rather, he had always been rather fond of girls with tails, and, more than any other, dragon girls had thick, muscular, and pleasantly squishy tails. The only sensation he enjoyed more was fluffing up and snuggling Fenrir's ears and tail, traits that were now possessed by both Ryun and Illya...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Now he is almost indistinguishable from an Axis User...','It is difficult being a warrior in a Realm of perpetual peace...','RIP Tower-chan...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1860: Moving Forward by Taking a Few Steps Back