Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Despite a relatively short two-hour nap, Vahn awoke feeling refreshed, reinvigorated, and ready to start a new day. Rather than immediately get out of bed, however, he created a second version of himself to prepare everyone's breakfast while his main body enjoyed the gentle chorus of nearly a dozen women peacefully slumbering.With the exception of Fenrir and Mikoto, both waking at nearly the exact same moment as him, the other girls were still asleep. This gave Vahn the urge to silently watch over them, so, with no one but himself to dictate how his time was spent, that is exactly what he did.The previous day, while strange in many ways, had reminded Vahn of the importance of living life to the fullest. It had also revealed a fundamental truth about creation, so, while he would undoubtedly remain a busybody, he was slowly starting to understand that the only thing that truly mattered was that he was doing 'something'. His presence within the Records was something the Records seemed to long for, as, without an outside force to influence change, everything, even the most rudimentary particles of the universe, had no choice but to fulfill the role they had been given.Simply put, it didn't really matter whether he was good or evil, only that he existed. He was basically the key liberating the Records from a fixed fate, and, though he might only interact with a relatively small subsection of each Record's inhabitants, that was more than enough to incite comprehensive change. After all, the beings he interacted with were often among the most powerful in the Record, and, depending on the decisions he made, his actions in the present had consequences that would ultimately spread throughout countless timelines.As egotistical as it might sound, Vahn was beginning to feel as though he was seeing the pieces of a complex yet paradoxically simple puzzle being brought together. At the center of everything was Source Energy, but, thanks to his [Universal Mind] and [Actualization] Innates, he was already at a level where he could influence entire realities. This was the reason he had felt smothered within the Tower, as, even if Jahad were to muster all of his power, it would ultimately amount to nothing. His fate had been decided from the moment he became Vahn's enemy, as, no matter how powerful the opponent, there was very little they could do against a being whose every action shaped the fate of the entire Record.Though there were times when his concern for others caused him to make questionable decisions, the one thing Vahn was absolutely certain of was that Source Energy eclipsed everything within the Records. As the sole conduit of said energy, anyone unfortunate enough to become his enemy, no matter how powerful, would ultimately find themselves on the receiving end of an often one-sided beating. This had always been the case, and, were it not for his fear and naivete, even Tiamat would have been forced to kneel once he finally gained the confidence to confront her.In essence, Vahn didn't really need to concern himself with the matters of the world around him. He could also skip training, as, much like Ureko had pointed out, there was nothing hindering him from stopping time and simply becoming stronger as needed. His growth had always been influenced by perceived threats, so, even if he trained every single day to increase his power, comprehension, and mastery, the end result was either becoming too powerful or 'power leveling' at the last moment to overcome whatever threat he was facing.Despite realizing these things long ago, Vahn was only now beginning to accept that his power had never really mattered. The most important thing, at least from the perspective of creation itself, was that he existed. The path he chose was entirely his to decide, and, even if he spent millions of years cuddling with Fenrir, there was nothing intrinsically wrong with that. This was the 'freedom' that had been granted to him by The Path, and, though he possessed an earnest desire to earn the power he wielded, the truth of the matter was that the proverbial deck had not only been stacked in his favor, he was allowed as many mulligans as he pleased...As that thought crossed his mind, Vahn skillfully flipped pancakes with both hands, a relaxed smile on his face. He had no intentions of giving up The Path, so, while he would undoubtedly continue his training, it was a relief knowing he didn't have to force himself. Instead, much like when he was just a kid, he could focus on whatever he wanted without having to worry about whether or not his power would stagnate.The only thing Vahn needed to worry about was what might happen to his family and friends, but, so long as their indestructible souls remained, there was a very real chance he could simply recall them using his Unit Management. Constructing a new physical vessel was child's play at this point, and, even if they were somehow transported to a different Realm, the simple fact of the matter was that Vahn's true body existed outside of the Record. This allowed his system to function outside of the Record's laws, and, as a result, even the most comprehensive restrictions could not prevent him from freely exploiting his Unit Management.Though he would do everything in his power to preserve the lives of his family, friends, and loved ones, Vahn was gradually beginning to accept that death was simply another part of life. There was nothing wrong with wanting to protect them, but, just as he was allowed to venture out and make mistakes, he needed to be willing to let them experience setbacks of their own. Death was the best teacher in this regard, as, depending on the circumstances of your demise, it would drastically alter the way you viewed and interacted with the world.With his expertise, there was nothing preventing Vahn from creating an artifact that could store the memories contained within a person's Ego. This meant, even if their Ego was severely damaged and found themselves forced into the cycle of reincarnation, they would still able to retain their sense of self and identity. In other words, death would simply mean transmigrating to a different world, and, thanks to the experiences he had accumulated in the Toaruverse, he could even arrange a scenario where the artifact acted as a system to allow them to return of their own accord.The more he thought about it, the more Vahn believed this was the solution he had been searching for. He still had mixed feelings regarding the decision everyone would make once they reached the top of the Tower, so, rather than forcing the matter, the simpler solution seemed to be developing countermeasures to prevent a worst-case scenario from occurring. This would allow them to make their own decisions, and, by networking their systems with his own, he could always recall them to his side even if they ended up losing their lives. There was no need to wait until he had reached the Divine Realm, and, from the perspective of the Record, they would be performing a great service by simply interacting with the world around them.Smiling at this notion, Vahn reduced the heat of the stove as he mused, "I wonder if this is how the Gods responsible for reincarnation feel whenever they select people to isekai..."Imagining people like Artoria and Mordred being born into a cultivation world, the smile on Vahn's face became even more prominent. They would no doubt experience setbacks, but, knowing them, it wouldn't be long before they rose to the pinnacle of their verse. Artoria would most likely extend the Aldrnari Empire's influence into her world, and, due to her nature, Mordred was bound to 'slap' quite a number of young masters' faces before securing her position as the 'strongest'.Though this might not seem all that different from letting the girls reincarnate once they reach the top of the Tower, the end result was quite a bit different. After all, the relative nature of space and time meant that it flowed differently depending on the world you were in. In other words, the girls could effectively spend tens, hundreds, or even thousands of years in a new world without a single second passing in whichever world he ended up. This meant they would have as much time as they needed to increase their strength, and, so long as he included a stasis function, they could basically exit the world whenever they got bored or fed up with it.With a bit of effort, Vahn was relatively certain he could link the worlds the girls ended up in with the Little Garden. He could theoretically use World Tree Seeds to power the artifacts he produced, so, as long as Rose and her sisters existed, travel between various multi and metaverses should be possible. The only downside was that 'outsiders' might be able to force their way in, but, so long as the Little Garden remained a part of himself, Vahn was confident he could simply seal them away or erase them entirely. The Little Garden was basically an extension of his Realm, so, unless they were a higher tier, they would effectively be at his mercy the moment they trespassed within.Confident he had found the 'answer', Vahn waved his hand over the food, and, as a result, the total amount increased to a point that it could easily serve more than a hundred people. Then, while his main body was rousing the members of the Eurasia Family, he manipulated space within the dining room to drastically increase its size before recalling the majority of the explorer group. This caught a number of people by surprise, but, rather than complain, most promptly decided to take a seat as Artoria, Eva, Arika, Asuna, and Theo, the aptly named 'Council of Wives', came over to question why he had summoned them.Before answering their questions, Vahn proceeding to embrace each of them in turn before going on to outline everything that had transpired in the last twenty-four hours. This included his sudden urge to train, and, though he skipped the parts about Sis being responsible, he told them about the illusion he had been trapped in for the better part of three months. This allowed him to put a lot of things into perspective, and, though he was confident in the 'answer' he had found, he wanted their input before committing to any specific course of action.Needless to say, the girls were somewhat taken aback by the revelation he had spent three months trapped in an illusion, but, seeing how calm he was, they didn't pressure him to reveal the details. It was enough knowing he was okay, and, hearing the solution he had come up with, they actually felt relieved. It might not be an ideal solution, but, compared to what he had come up with during their previous meeting, there were significantly fewer flaws. The only thing they didn't agree with was his apparent lack of regard for what might happen in the worlds they visited. They knew this wasn't the case, but it was almost like he didn't care what they might do when the only people they could rely upon were themselves and the allies they made along the way.Though it wasn't particularly likely that any of them would become despots or tyrants, one of the most important factors preventing this was Vahn's view of the world. If he suddenly stopped caring and simply allowed them to do whatever they wanted, it was only a matter of time before someone experienced something that caused them to go off the deep end. Things would become even more troublesome if he empowered people that began earnestly seeking strength, as, when death was no longer a consequence, people gradually stopped caring about how they lived.Vahn's proposition would effectively convert the Little Garden into a 'Realm of the Gods', as, with the exception of select individuals, everyone within was a God. In other words, it would become a version of Heaven akin to what could be seen in Records such as Danmachi. Everyone within would effectively become immortal, and, thanks to the artifacts provided by Vahn, the mortal world would basically become their playground. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing if their desire was to punish injustice and help people, but, the moment they viewed reincarnation as little more than a means to have fun, it was only a matter of time before someone deviated down a dark path...after all, not all Gods were benevolent creatures...(A/N: No alternate titles this time around. Instead, I want to ask for everyone's opinion. Would you rather see Vahn venturing forward as a confident and self-assured deity that basically slow rolls the worlds he traverses or would you rather he encounter legitimate, albeit temporary, struggles? We're coming up on the end of the ToG arc, so, while it won't change much in the end game, the tone of the story will change drastically depending on Vahn's attitude towards the world around him. In the first instance, he would become supremely confident, rarely questioning whether or not he is doing the right thing. In the latter, he would effectively become a goofball/troll, who, rather than forcing his ideals onto people, simply goes with the flow while smacking down anyone unfortunate enough to earn his ire. For a baseline, you could compare the former's behavior to people such as Sephiroth and Wise King Gilgamesh. For the latter, imagine someone like Ace from One Piece of Spike Spiegel from Cowboy Bebop. He would become serious when he needs to, but, most of the time, he would basically just be messing around or trolling the people around him.)https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Using the feedback he received from the girls, Vahn ultimately decided to borrow inspiration from the Heavenly Realm of Danmachi and the Divine Realm of The Transcendental Path to Heaven. This meant, from the moment they were reincarnated, accidental or otherwise, the residents of the Little Garden would have all their powers sealed. They would still able to access them, but, similar to the Gods of Danmachi, doing so would force them back to the Little Garden.Expulsion from any particular world prevented reentry, and, depending on the circumstances, there was a chance you would be penalized in accordance with your behavior. Inversely, accepting Quests and performing exemplary acts would earn you points towards a number of coveted prizes. Most of these provided advantages towards future reincarnations, but, so long as you accumulated enough points, one of the grand prizes was reincarnating alongside Vahn.Since time within the Little Garden could be structured in such a way that a single day equated to ten years in the outer realms, it wasn't particularly difficult for Vahn to invest a few days of his time in order to pander to the hardest working girls in his harem. His existence seemed to be intrinsically related to the concept of eternity, so, while it might seem like a waste of time, at least from a purely objective point of view, he didn't particularly mind spending a few hundred years of his eternal life caring for the people that mattered most. He had already been experimenting with having multiple versions of himself existing at different points in time, so, if he worked hard, he might even be able to provide the reward while another version of himself simply meditated for a few days back in the Little Garden.Though this might sound like he was going to be exceptionally busy, purchasing the Grand Prize outright would require hundreds, if not thousands, of years. There were cheaper methods to obtain it, but, as a countermeasure against people stockpiling points, the girls made it so that most of the cheaper alternatives were related to a lottery. Thus, while it was possible to obtain the Grand Prize earlier, the chances of success were very-near 0.01%. The lots would also be drawn by a completely neutral party, unaffected by skills or Innates related to luck, so, while it was impossible to make sure everything was 'completely' fair, it was as balanced as it could be.Fortunately, while reincarnating alongside Vahn was among the most coveted prizes, it was not the only item in the Grand Prize category. There were also options along the lines of reincarnating into an Actualized World of your choosing, and, while it wasn't as enviable as spending an entire lifetime together, one of the Grand Prizes included teaming up with Vahn to 'complete a story'. Many of the girls had anime, manga, and video games they had become fond of, so, while it might only be for a few years, they wouldn't mind altering the story or even roleplaying as specific characters so long as Vahn was there to accompany them.While he had been against entering a Record under an assumed identity, Vahn had opened up to the idea after spending time with Mikoto and sending numerous Templates into Actualized Worlds based on their origins. There were a functionally infinite number of Records where the protagonist was someone who had assumed the role of an existing character, so, while it still made him a little uncomfortable, he wouldn't particularly mind so long as he didn't have parents or siblings to worry about or deceive. After all, even after all these years, there were still times when he imagined what it would be like to live the lives of his favorite characters...---With everything tentatively decided, Vahn tasked the girls with expanding his territory on the 199th Floor while he invested the vast majority of his time and effort into converting the Little Garden into a Heavenly Realm. He also began working on a prototype of the artifact that would link the internal space of the Little Garden to the outside world. This would ultimately require him to keep it open at all times, but, just as he had done with the Quest Boards in the past, Vahn was mentally prepared to adopt the form of a World Tree himself if it meant completing his objective.Fortunately, after a number of failed experiments, Vahn, or, more specifically, Rose had figured out a remarkably simple solution to the problem of preserving the girls' Egos and transporting them back to the Little Garden. She was surprisingly against the idea of him transforming into a World Tree, so, after discussing the matter with her sister trees, they proposed the idea of using [Universal Mind] to create 'System Templates' capable of interfacing with the 'Yggdrasil Network'.Though the notion of creating Templates based on various weapons and artifacts had occurred to him, Vahn had never once considered the idea of creating sapient systems to watch over and guide the people in his charge. This was somewhat ironic considering he was the beneficiary of The Path, and, though she had not always possessed an Ego, Sis was one of the most intrinsic factors behind his success. She not only served as the intermediary between him and The Path, but, even when he was completely focused on other things, she was constantly processing and analyzing any and all information that might be of use to him. In many ways, she was his better half, and, without her, he would have died countless times before finding his footing in one of the safer Records.Understanding the benefits of having someone like Sis on his side, Vahn conferred with the former to develop System Templates based on his personality and a combination of her abilities. The idea was that they would have all his thoughts and memories, so, even if the girls felt lost or lonely, they would always be able to hear his voice guiding them back.To prevent any potential 'complications' from arising, Vahn followed Sis' advice by prohibiting the System Templates from developing an Ego of their own. Instead, they would piggyback the Ego of their charge, and, depending on the wants and needs of the person they were looking after, change to accommodate them. This might sound 'unfair' to the Templates in question, but, according to Sis, possessing a True Ego early on would actually be a liability due to the sheer volume of information they would need to process. She even suggested that he generate them without his personality and memories, as, depending on the circumstances, there was a possibility of an overlap occurring if the original Ego sustained catastrophic damage.Since the entire point of the system was to protect the girls' original ego, not overwrite it with a Template of his own, Vahn ended up following Sis's advice to the letter. This caused the Templates to behave similarly to Memory Fragments, but, after linking his senses with the original, Vahn very quickly understood the reason for Sis' warning. The Template lacked the filter known as Sis, so, the moment he linked their senses, Vahn was momentarily overwhelmed by the amount of information transmitted through the connection. At the same time, time around him had slowed to a crawl, as, for the sake of fulfilling their duties, the Templates in charge of supervising the systems needed to process information far faster than the average quantum computer.After that little experiment had come to an end, Vahn's appreciation of Sis increased to an all-time high. He knew she worked tirelessly on his behalf, but, experiencing even a few moments of what it was like to be her, his own efforts felt half-baked. After all, from her perspective, his relatively short journey through the Records would equate to more than 400 sextillion years...an incomprehensible number that would break the vast majority of sapient creatures, himself included.When he first learned this, Vahn actually felt a little mortified, but, before he could even express his guilt, Sis assured him that receiving a True Ego was the greatest blessing she had ever received. She even came out to give him a hug, so, while he couldn't help feeling more than a little apologetic, he did his best to avoid thinking about alternatives to the predicament he had forced upon her. Even if she were only saying it to appease his anxieties, he wanted to believe she was happy, so, at least for the time being, he intended to avoid broaching the subject a second time. This ended up being the correct decision, as, had he pressed any further, Sis was fully prepared to introduce him to all of her 'sisters'...---For the sake of stability, Vahn ended up shrinking the Little Garden from ten layers to a mere three. The first was obviously the layer containing Rose, his sisters, and their many children, but, instead of a planar world, it was now a full-fledged planet roughly the size of a Red Giant. This meant it had a diameter of approximately one-billion-kilometers, but, considering it would serve as the central hub of countless worlds, this was actually rather modest.For the foreseeable future, the First Layer would effectively serve as the 'Heavenly Realm' inhabited by the godly pantheon Vahn had inadvertently created. As for the other two layers, the second was basically their version of the mortal world, as, with the exception of a few unique individuals, it was the place where people provided refuge by the Empire would reside. As for its size, it actually had a larger surface area than the First Layer, but, much like the Textures of Gaia, it was able to exist inside the latter without any overlap whatsoever. In fact, you could bore from one side of the First Layer to the other, and, no matter how long you looked, you would never find the Second.Though he was planning to kick most of the current residents out, Vahn knew it was only a matter of time before he invited others to reside within the Little Garden. Unlike the past, however, he was intending to see how much the residents could grow if he created a situation where they were able to develop without too much interference. With this in mind, he was intending to create a structure very similar to the Tower of Babel, but, unlike its counterpart in Danmachi, his version would punish those who attempted to commit heinous acts within its depths.Simply put, Vahn wanted to see what kind of society would develop when most of its residents were people who had experienced trauma and adversity. This might seem selfish, but, as someone fated to govern numerous Records and countless worlds, it was better he began accumulating experience sooner, rather than later. The experience he accumulated within his Realm was too biased, so, while some might accuse him of negligence, he wanted to see whether or not Heroes could arise on their own if given adequate stimulus. He also needed a method to deal with the tremendous number of spirits inhabiting the Third Layer, the result of countless monsters brutally slaughtering each other, so, much like the tower back in Danmachi, his own was designed to absorb and purify the negative energy of the deceased so that they might be reborn anew.The irony that the Little Garden was effectively becoming the same Heaven/Earth/Hell template he observed in countless Records was not wasted on Vahn. Unfortunately, he had underestimated just how much negative energy would accumulate when various creatures were competing for natural resources and trying to survive. This problem had been significantly worsened thanks to the Law of Progress, as, not only did it promote the growth of living creatures, it also supported the evolution of monsters, evil spirits, and, every now and then, beings that greatly resembled demons.While it was certainly possible for him to kill, purify, expel, or even absorb the energy that had been accumulating within the Little Garden, xenocide wasn't exactly at the top of Vahn's favorite things. If other Gods attempted to erase their creations in an effort to cover up a mistake, he would assuredly disdain and oppose them. Thus, much like the Second Layer, Vahn intended to continue monitoring the Third whilst Urahara and the members of the R&D Division researched methods to control and regulate the flow of negative energy between the two layers. In other words, he was basically doing the job he had initially been assigned in Bleach, but, unlike the members of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, the members of the R&D Division cared more about the methods used than the results...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'What a covetous prize...!','Heph is bae, but Sis is, inarguably, 'best girl'...','TFW the systems you abhorred ended up being adopted for a reason...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

After returning to the cottage, Vahn apologized for being late before spending the rest of the day as usual. As for Beryl, he decided to gift it to Jaina, as, from the perspective of everyone else, it was simply regarded as a Pokemon. They had already grown used to such creatures, so, while a part of him was tempted to keep the adorable creature for himself, Vahn ultimately allowed the Princess to look after it.Fortunately, none of the girls, sans Fenrir, Mikoto, and, to a lesser extent, Blossom seemed to suspect there was anything wrong with him. It wasn't unusual for him to return calm and relaxed after long periods of meditation. Rather, by virtue of the fact he had spent several hours meditating, it would have been stranger for him to come back tense and unfocused. This allowed Vahn to pass the rest of the day without anyone questioning whether or not anything was wrong, a question he wasn't quite sure how to answer...---several hours prior---Though he wasn't quite sure what had changed, Vahn could tell that 'something' had happened. His senses seemed sharper than ever before, and, though it wasn't to the extent he had achieved within the illusion, his domain was several times larger than before. He could also feel something he could only describe as the 'will of the land', a vague awareness that could be likened to his ability to sense emotions, just from 'everything'.As strange as it might sound, Vahn felt as though he could now determine the 'purpose' of even the most minute particles of Shinsu. He could sense whether or not something was out of place, and, if he focused his senses, it was like a faint, nearly inaudible, voice recounting the 'history' of whatever he was looking at. This applied to the moss beneath him, and, though it was difficult to imagine, he could even focus his intent on individual particles and recount their journey from the moment they departed their parent stars, eager to experience something more...Feeling a soft yet slightly dry sensation against his cheek, Vahn returned to his senses to find that a rainbow-hued mist had gathered around his outstretched hand. Even stranger was the fact that this mist was comprised of countless individual particles, a massive congregation of constituent matter that, against all rhyme and reason, coexisted alongside other elementary particles without blending together or interfering with each other in the slightest. Instead, it was almost like they were waiting for him to decide what their purpose would be...As a God of Creation, Vahn actually had a fair amount of experience with pulling energy from the void to create things that simply didn't exist before. His [Eyes of Truth] also allowed him to tap into the Law of Oblivion, one of the fundamental concepts that, presumably, gave form and function to everything within the Records.Despite these two things, Vahn had never experienced anything quite like the phenomenon he was currently observing. It was like everything in existence possessed a form of consciousness, but, like every other being within the Records, they were bound to a specific fate that had been determined from the very moment of their creation. Every single particle was exactly where it was supposed to be at the exact moment it was supposed to be there, and, thanks to the existence of Laws touched upon by Quantum Theory, even particles that had been displaced vast distances would simply snap back to their intended position, fulfilling the purpose they had been assigned.Under normal circumstances, it was impossible to change the 'purpose' that had been assigned to individuals particles, as, much like everything else in the Records, their past, present, and future had already been determined. It was only when an 'outside force' acted upon them that their fate could be changed, and, as a result, even elementary particles could eventually grow to become something 'more'...something without limits...As that thought crossed his mind, Vahn realized that the nearly indiscernible voice within his mind was none other than the Mantra of Eternity. It turned out that the sounds he had been hearing all this time were, quite literally, the voice of all things. It was as if the world was telling him its story, and, as a result of their desire to be heard, innumerable voices had been overlapping in such a way that it was impossible to make out what was being said. This was why he always felt at one with the world while he was meditating, and, as he got better at listening, the world around him shifted, not in response to his will, but because it was seeking 'greater purpose' by interacting with the energy emanating from his body...Now that he could hear its voice, the world, like an insatiably curious child, was waiting for him, not to tell it what to do, but to give it permission to act. In this manner, it wasn't all that dissimilar from his past self, as, much like the naive young boy he had been at the start of his journey, it didn't care where it ended up, only that it could choose what to do from there...While it might seem nonsensical to attribute such human sentiments to particles without any Ego of their own, Vahn had literally sired children with conceptual beings, so, while he couldn't help feeling a little perturbed, that didn't stop him from saying, "Go...be free..." in recognition of the yearning he could sense from the world around him. In response, the rainbow-hued mist immediately vanished, and, perhaps as a result of his statement's ambiguity, so too did a large portion of the environment.With the exception of some organic matter, most of the rocks, minerals, and metals within earshot of Vahn's statement had simply vanished into thin air. This produced a vacuum in his surroundings, but, thanks to his domain, Vahn was able to prevent an implosion by willfully manipulating the flow of Shinsu until the atmospheric pressure had returned to normal. Then, with Beryl perched upon his shoulder, tail wrapped around his neck for stability, Vahn corrected his posture and asked, "Is there something you want to tell me...?" towards no one in particular.Understanding he was addressing her, Sis, sounding uncharacteristically tired, meekly replied, (*You know I would never harm you...please don't ask me to explain...I...I...*)Shaking his head, a relaxed smile developed across Vahn's face as he sincerely stated, "I trust you. If it were something I needed to know, I have no doubt you would inform me. Your unwillingness tells me this is something related to The Path...something I'm either unprepared to learn or incapable of comprehending at my current level..."Though he had his suspicions, Vahn didn't directly ask Sis to confirm any of them. Instead, he let his words trail off for a moment before proceeding to add, "I will become stronger...strong enough that you won't have to worry about me...strong enough to reclaim what's mine..."As those final few words left his lips, Vahn couldn't help but adopt an even bigger smile, right hand slowly clenching into a fist as he punctuated his previous declaration with a heartfelt, "Thanks...even if it was only for a short while...seeing everyone, even as illusions, has lifted a heavy weight from my shoulders...I know you can feel it, but, even so, I want you to know how grateful I am. Thus, from the bottom of my heart...thanks for always looking out for me, Sis...I love you..."---back to the present---While it had been quite some time since he required sleep, Vahn found himself in a state where he couldn't rest even if he wanted to. He had always been a curious fellow, so, now that he could hear the voice of all things, it was difficult to simply ignore.When he wasn't focusing on anything, Vahn could now hear a chorus of countless whispers in the back of his mind. These weren't coming from the world around him, however, but from within his own body. After all, while he was comprised of Source Energy, his body still emulated the form and function of the creatures he presented himself as. He still had blood flowing through his veins, and, though they would dissipate the moment they were cast from his body, there were trillions of cells making up his physical vessel.Compared to the voices he heard from his surroundings, the chorus of voices emanating from his own cells were nigh-impossible to drone out. After all, they had been given purpose by him, so, like children eager to please their father, they worked excitedly to fulfill the duty that had been assigned to them. It was like his body had become a macrocosm, and, should he so desire, Vahn imagined he could actually grant his cells sapience, much like the anthropomorphic microorganisms found in the anime 'Cells at Work'.Since there were literal metaverses existing within his Internalized Realm, it wasn't all that difficult to imagine converting his body into a Realm of its own. This would undoubtedly make the voices even louder, but, more importantly, there was a chance he could create Template cells to greatly increase his understanding of Source Energy. After all, every cell in his body was comprised of the enigmatic energy, so, by virtue of simply doing their job, his understanding would increase exponentially. They would also be Tier 5 entities, so, if push came to shove, they could provide support in combat using the various Innates he assigned them.Imagining a literal army of trillions emerging from within him, a wry smile developed across Vahn's face as he realized the way he viewed himself was beginning to change. In essence, he was closer to something like Azathoth than a simple True Dragon. If he hadn't become accustomed to his human form, he could even give Gluttony a run for his money in regards to eldritch appearances. Inversely, he could exist without form entirely, wandering the cosmos as little more than a mass of intent that, depending on the circumstances, could inhabit the vessel of another.Though he would like to say he would never do such a thing, Vahn knew well the kind of monster he could become if he didn't care about his methods. Possession, encroachment, and absorption were surprisingly common themes in fiction, and, thanks to the experiences he had received from Rimuru, he had a substantial amount of experience with absorbing the traits of other creatures. He had also willfully subsumed Gaia prior to his departure from the Nasuverse, so, while he had never acted with malicious intent, he couldn't deny that he had already skirted the boundary separating him and his more monstrous aspects.Fortunately, while many would attempt to deny him his humanity, Vahn was confident he had not deviated too far from the path of his kin. He had simply expanded upon the definition, and, thanks to his ability to emulate the traits of other organisms, he had become something 'more' than what most humans could aspire to. That didn't mean others couldn't reach the same point, however, so, at least for the time being, Vahn came to the conclusion there was no meaning in worrying about such things. The only things that truly mattered were that he was exactly who he wanted to be, and, more importantly, he was well on his way to reaching the place he 'needed' to be...As that thought crossed his mind, so too did the memories he had accumulated within the illusion created by Sis. There was a fair chance she had something to do with this, but, rather than fretting over the particulars, a smile spread across Vahn's face as his consciousness began to gradually fade away. Then, after lying awake for the better part of six hours, he was finally able to get some sleep...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Awash in an endless sea of voices...','Some things are important to say out loud...','Slumbering God...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 2019: Solution