Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Seizing the opportunity to praise herself, Seraphina puffed out her chest, hand raised to her mouth as she performed her characteristic, "Oh-hohohohohoho~!" laugh before proceeding on to explain, "It's common knowledge that all Overlords possess the ability to examine their potential underlings' status. How else would we know if someone was useful or not~?"Rubbing his nonexistent chin, Vahn muttered, "I see..." with a thoughtful glimmer in his eyes. If what Seraphina said was true, it meant he would obtain a similar ability so long as he obtained the title of Overlord. He had already gained a number of skills since his arrival on Blood Parch so it made sense that the ability to view status could be obtained in a similar manner.As that thought crossed his mind, Vahn startled Seraphina by promptly asking, "How does one go about becoming an Overlord? I'm guessing the most common method is to steal the title from an existing Overlord, correct...?"Somehow misinterpreting his words, Seraphina used her hands to cover both her breasts and the front of her skirt as she averted her blushing face to the side and nervously asked, "W-W-What are you thinking about doing?"Deadpanning in response to Seraphina's words and behavior, Vahn shifted his attention to the Law of Identity. She had manifested out of thin air the moment he started thinking about her, and, after transforming into Seraphina, she gladly revealed, "She believes you won't kill her so the only way to take her Overlord title is to conquer her heart or force her to submit. She might not look like it, but her mother was a Succubus and her father was an Orc Lord. In other words, she is suuuuuper horny, like, all the time.""Well, that would explain why she behaves like she has a few screws loose..."Though she was currently having all kinds of lewd thoughts, Seraphina's pointed ears perked up the moment she heard Vahn's words. She wasn't quite sure what he said but her women's intuition told her it wasn't very polite. Thus, despite his previous warning, she brandished her dual pistols out of thin air before rapid-firing them as she shouted, "What did you say, you...you Prinny...!?"Since she didn't really know any insults more sophisticated than comparing a person to a Prinny, Seraphina ended up calling out Vahn's race. This left the latter with the same deadpan expression as he easily evaded more than twenty shots before getting clipped in the wing.Seeing a *43* appear above Vahn's head, Seraphina ended up freezing in place as a sudden and intense foreboding welled from within her chest. Despite this, a ruddy hue began to spread through her cheeks as she promptly put away her weapons and offered a cutesy, "Teehee~" before sending a tiny pink heart his way with a wink.Exhaling a sigh, Vahn resisted the urge to smack Seraphina's backside, explaining, "I have no intention of stealing your title as an Overlord. I was merely asking about the method to obtain one on my own. If you're not going to tell me, I'll figure it out on my own later on. Now, move aside. I'm going to enter the Dark Assembly."Hearing Vahn mention entering the Dark Assembly, Seraphina attempted to block his path a second time, stating, "Didn't you hear me the first time!? The Dark Assembly isn't a place you can just come and go as you please! If you offend the wrong person, there'll invade this place and kill us all...!"Though he could understand Seraphina's concerns, Vahn maintained a relaxed expression as he said, "You're attempting to oppose Void Dark, a demon with the power to topple countless Netherworlds. How can you be confident in your ability to defeat him when even the notion of visiting the Dark Assembly terrifies you? Does your Overload Ability not work on politicians or something...?"Puffing her cheeks in an admittedly adorable manner, Seraphina appeared as though she was on the verge of tears as she frustratedly explained, "This and that are two separate issues! The Dark Assembly is a place that has its own rules! Some of the Senators there have lived for tens of thousands of years while others have managed to surpass Level 1000! The only reason they don't wipe out the Netherworld is that it would hurt their bottom line! Do you seriously intend to face off against monsters like that when you're only a Level 4...!?"Seeing the fear and panic visible in Seraphina's eyes, an inaudible sigh escaped Vahn's beak as he looked towards the blue-haired Mascot girl staring at him with unblinking red eyes. His instincts told him that visiting the Dark Assembly was the fastest way to get stronger while also increasing the amount of Authority he had in the Netherworld. Seraphina's words all but confirmed this, but, at the same time, they helped to remind him that he had given up his power prior to reincarnating.Since there was nothing standing in the way of him gaining functionally unlimited power whenever he needed it, Vahn ultimately decided to abide by Seraphina's request, saying, "Very well, then. For the time being, I will just continue to observe. Still, I am curious. How do people in the Netherworld increase their Level? You claim to be more than seventeen-hundred-years-old but your power isn't all that dissimilar to a Prinny's."Though his words hadn't done any actual damage, a massive *Critical!* appeared atop Seraphina's head as she stumbled back a few steps. At the same time, the group of Prinnies she had summoned began to snicker, ostensibly amused by the fact their Master, a proud Overlord, had been compared to the weakest class of demons.Unfortunately, even if she wanted to refute Vahn's words, Seraphina knew better than anyone just how weak she was. She actually used to take pride in it because she could solve all of her problems using her phenomenal wealth...With genuine tears building near the corners of her eyes, Seraphina shouted, "You jerk! Waaaaaah-" while bolting off as fast as her feet could carry her. This left Vahn feeling speechless, beak slightly ajar as the group of Prinnies gathered around him, one saying, "That was awesome, dood! From now on, you'll be our Boss! We'll follow you to the ends of Hell, dood...!"Furrowing his nonexistent brows, Vahn passed his gaze over the group of Prinnies before shaking his head and body, saying, "I'm afraid I must refuse. I'll lend you a hand if the situation calls for it, but I have no intention of gathering Prinnies and leading a rebellion. You ended up in this situation because of the mistakes you made in your previous lives. I won't stop you from attempting to seek vengeance against a system you disagree with, but I have no intention of empowering you to do so. Instead of thinking about how best to take advantage of the current situation, you should be doing what you can to repent and absolve yourself of sin. The decisions you make now will influence your next and future incarnations. Your current situation should have made that transparently clear..."While most deflated like balloons the moment they heard Vahn's words, one of the Prinnies actually attempted to shove him, an indignant expression on his face as he exclaimed, "What do you know!? I never did anything wrong, dood! Why should I have to suffer just because someone else decided I lived a meaningless life!? This isn't fair at all, dood...!"Swatting the Prinny's flipper aside, Vahn maintained a relaxed expression on his face as he calmly replied, "Your circumstances have nothing to do with myself or the current situation. You're free to blame the people who decided your fate, but you have no right to lash out at others because of it. In fact, that type of mentality shows why you ended up here. You most likely lived your life selfishly, never accepting responsibility for your own actions. Saying you've never hurt anyone doesn't make it true. If you're behaving this way just because I refused to make life easier for you, it isn't difficult to imagine you blaming others for not doing the same."Though he was a little curious to know the Prinny's circumstances, Vahn shook his head when the Law of Identity appeared as a Prinny. Then, as the Prinny from before attempted to tackle him, he gave the aggressive fellow a chop that was more a push downward than a strike. A Level 1 Prinny only had 20 HP when purchased at a discount and he didn't want to kill the fellow just because he got a little upset. He was most likely someone who had recently incarnated as a Prinny so it wasn't too surprising that he would be indignant...Unable to resist Vahn's power, the aggressive Prinny ended up crashing face-first into the ground. This caused a layer of moisture to build in his eyes, snot flowing from the nose holes in his beak as he whined, "This isn't fair...I got to reincarnate after death...I'm supposed to be the main character. I even had a bunch of cute demon girls as my Masters but I don't even have a dick, dood..."Hearing the Prinny's words, Vahn raised his non-existent brows before asking, "Why would you be the main character? Did you do something heroic in your past life or something...?"With even more rage and anguish than before, the Prinny pinned to the ground began to thrash about angrily as he shouted, "Everyone knows you're supposed to get some kind of overpowered cheat or a system when you reincarnate, dood! I was also an Otaku and a virgin in my previous life so I'm supposed to get to build a massive harem filled with busty onee-sans and cute lolis! I didn't even get to meet a cute Goddess when I died, dood! Instead, I had some old geezer lecturing me about living a meaningless life and contributing to the stagnation of human morals! What kind of bullshit is that, dood!?"Though the other Prinnies had been silent, several began tearing up when they heard their fellow Prinny's words. One even plopped to the ground and began bawling while another gazed off into the distance and muttered, "I remember, dood...I was once an Otaku as well...I even had a massive collection of figurines. My purchases helped to directly support the artists and creators, so how was it determined that I lived a meaningless life...?"Hearing the Prinny's remark, another Prinny turned to him and asked, "What kind of figurines did you purchase, dood?"Turning to his fellow Prinny, the former collector unhesitantly answered, "I purchased more than three-hundred figurines of my favorite waifus. I even spent hours a day undressing and cleaning them to make sure they were always in pristine condition. When I reincarnated, I thought I would get to build a massive harem from all the waifus I collected but now I'm lucky to get a demon girl to sit on my head once every few years...it's really unfair, dood..."With several other Prinnies going on to recount their own experiences, Vahn's expression gradually morphed into an emotionless deadpan as he internally mused, ("Don't tell me...are all these Prinnies former Otaku...?")(*So it would seem...*)......After running all the way back to her room, Seraphina's first instinct was to curl up in bed and hug her Prinny-shaped plushy. Instead, she grabbed said plushy and began shaking it violently before punching it a few times in its squishy face. She hadn't felt this frustrated since the time her father informed her of the arranged marriage with Void Dark.Back then, Seraphina had been so pissed off that she immediately set out to get 'revenge'. It never even occurred to her that there were people who could resist her Overload Ability. There had even been a time when she considered conquering the entire Universe by forcing every man in existence to obey her will. Now, however, she had encountered someone who was completely immune to her Balor Gaze. To make matters even worse, the person in question was a Prinny...largely considered to be the weakest demon in existence..."I'm weaker than a Prinny..."......(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The byproduct of an Orc and a Succubus...dear god...','Vahn breaking out the secret techniques o_o...','Bruh...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Without Seraphina to block his way, Vahn distanced himself from the group of lamenting Prinnies with the intent of conversing with the blue-haired Mascot who had been observing them with an impassive expression on her face. He no longer had any intention of entering the Dark Assembly, but that didn't mean he couldn't gain information.Approaching the girl, Vahn stopped just outside the range where he would have been able to look up her skirt before raising his flipper and saying, "Yo. Mind if I ask you a few questions...?"Tilting her head to the side, an action that caused the bunny-eared ribbon atop her head to bob, the blue-haired mascot girl appeared genuinely confused by Vahn's words. This caused the latter to feel a little awkward. Fortunately, he didn't have to ask if anything was wrong as the girl held up her doll, a peculiar white rabbit with blood-red eyes and stitching in place of a mouth, manipulating it like a ventriloquist to say, "You're strange..."Cocking his own head and body to the side, Vahn asked, "How so? Is it because I don't say dood at the end of every other sentence...?"Though she nodded her head as if to confirm his words, the blue-haired demoness went on to have her rabbit explain, "It's not just that. Prinnies are supposed to be irredeemable perverts. You should be trying to look up my skirt. Why don't you? Do you not want to see my panties...?"If Prinnies could actually smile, Vahn's expression would have appeared wry as he attempted to rub the back of his head, answering, "Well...let's just say I'm unique among Prinnies..."For reasons he could only guess at, the blue-haired girl visibly deflated, the ribbon atop her head drooping almost pathetically as she muttered, "I'm wearing my good panties and everything..." in a defeated tone. This left Vahn feeling speechless, but, after reminding himself that he was currently in the Netherworld, he quickly bounced back and asked, "Do you mind if I ask you a few questions regarding the Dark Assembly?"With her ribbon perking up like an excited ahoge, Vahn half-expected the girl to eagerly explain the details regarding the Dark Assembly. Instead, she concealed her mouth behind the white rabbit doll before answering, "I don't talk to strangers..." in a flat monotone. Then, apparently finished with the conversation, she scampered off in the direction of the Pocket Netherworld's cafeteria, unhesitantly abandoning her post...Issuing a dry laugh, Vahn decided against following after the blue-haired Mascot and instead took to the skies, an action that earned him looks of envy from the Prinnies he had previously decided to ignore. They also had bat-like wings upon their backs, but, like every other Prinny in existence, the appendages were vestigial in nature, wholly incapable of sustaining flight.Pretending he hadn't heard one of the Prinny's call him something very offensive, Vahn flitted up to central plaza before landing next to a diorama vaguely resembling a solar system. This was the core of the Pocket Netherworld, and, despite its relatively small size, the power emanating from the blue star at the center of the diorama was directly comparable to CHALDEAS. This meant it could output nearly as much energy as Tier 5 entities such as Gaia and Alaya despite being an artificial construct without even a minute trace of an Ego..."The technology of the Netherworld is ridiculous...It's no wonder this is a Tier 6 Record. If the power within this core could be weaponized, it could completely dominate a lower-tiered world..."As that thought crossed his mind, Vahn directed his attention towards the Bridge, a landing located at the top of a wide flight of stairs. There, a demonic girl with blonde hair could be seen sleeping at the helm in a pirate outfit. Seraphina had introduced her as Meaver, and, as could be expected, she was the Captain of the Pocket Netherworld. A little to her left, dangling upside down on the railing that encircled the platform, was a petite girl wearing a feline cap, cat's eyes goggles, a long-sleeved vest, an inordinately small top, short-shorts, striped stockings, and paw-like boots.Though the duo resembled an Archer and a Thief, two of the demonic classes available within the Recruiter System, their actual Classes were Netherworld Captain and Item Worlder. The former was a pretty self-explanatory position but the second, according to Seraphina, made the goggled-girl one of the most important demons on the entire 'ship'. Her name was Makoto, and, if Seraphina's words were to be believed, she possessed the unique ability to allow people to delve into virtually any object, drastically increasing its parameters based on the completion of numerous objectives...As the thought of strengthening items crossed his mind, Vahn briefly shifted his attention to the rather sizeable quantity of upgrade stones he had accumulated ever since he first awakened the Upgrade Function. This was inarguably one of the most powerful functions he had ever unlocked, but, for that very reason, he had never really made use of it. Now, however, he had found himself in a world where merely equipping items could drastically increase a person's parameters based on the modifiers associated with their Class."This is probably what gives people the confidence to reincarnate multiple times. So long as they can prepare powerful equipment, Level doesn't really matter in a world like this..."Confident in this assertion, Vahn manifested [Enkidu] out of thin air, his eyes glistening for a brief moment as he analyzed its stats...----------------------------------------------------[Status]Name: EnkiduType: SpecialLevel: 0Rarity: UnknownPopulation: 0/???HP: 0SP: 0ATK: 10DEF: 0INT: 0RES: 0HIT: 0SPD: 0[Innocents]-Empty-Empty-Empty-Empty......----------------------------------------------------Like the normal inhabitants of the Netherworld, even something as simple as a stone or a can of soda had parameters that could be increased in accordance with their Level. As for why Enkidu was currently so weak, it was largely due to the fact that things like durability and special effects weren't accounted for in the statistics of a weapon. Instead, it only showed the parameters that the person wielding it would benefit from. In other words, by simply holding Enkidu in his hands, Vahn's Attack parameter had increased by 12 due to the 120% boost he received from his Class.Since Enkidu was an object he could equip and unequip whenever he wanted, Vahn was seriously considering upgrading it using the Upgrade Function. The only real alternative was upgrading his Zanpakuto, but, as their strength was already directly tied to his Soul Tier, he doubted the veritable horde of lolis needed a power increase.With a non-existent smile spreading across his face, largely due to the fact he currently had a beak, Vahn temporarily returned Enkidu to his soul. He had already made up his mind to upgrade it, but, before that, he wanted to see if he could increase its parameters in the Item World. He didn't know if the upgrades would affect parameters retroactively, so, with Enkidu possessing a mere 10 ATK, he would potentially need to upgrade it ten times just to increase its ATK to 11.Unfortunately, now wasn't exactly the best time to enter the Item World. Killia had just awoken, and, despite her attempts to get him to remain in bed, the edgy-looking demon pushed aside the busty blonde Healer as his golden eyes scanned the unfamiliar surroundings. It didn't take long for him to spot Vahn, who, despite resembling a normal Prinny, possessed parameters that surpassed even the strongest Overlords at the same Level.Raising his flipper in a nonchalant manner, Vahn intoned a simple, "Yo." before producing a number of afterimages in response to the man's sudden attack. This caused the demons in the surroundings to instantly enter into a panicked state as Meaver, Captain of the Pocket Netherworld, hit a massive red button near the helm. Immediately thereafter, sirens began to blare as every demon capable of combat began to gather in the plaza surrounding the Pocket Netherworld's core.Though he appeared troubled by the scene he was causing, Killia didn't let up on his attack even for a moment. He was convinced that Vahn was an agent of Void Dark as it simply wasn't possible for a Prinny to be this powerful on its own. Void Dark possessed a unique ability that allowed him to steal and transfer the power of other demons to his underlings. Thus, having never encountered a Prinny even remotely as strong as Vahn, even after more than 2075 years of existence, the only reasonable explanation was that Void Dark had sent him to either assassinate and humiliate him. After all, there was no greater shame in the entire Netherworld than suffering defeat at the hands of a Prinny...Believing this was the case, Killia performed an ax kick with the intent of splitting Vahn's head open as he shouted, "Tell me where Void Dark is and I'll at least spare your life...!"Evading the attack with relative ease, Vahn's expression became the closest thing he could manage to a deadpan as he remarked, "There is such a thing as being too hot-blooded, you know? If you're really that interested in talking, how about you stop trying to stab me with those claws of yours...?"Ignoring Vahn's suggestion, Killia attempted to grab the former's head with said claws. This time, however, Vahn didn't try to evade. Instead, he kicked up with the wooden peg that was his right leg, accurately impacting Killia's wrist before following it with a second kick to the man's chin. These two attacks only did around 90 damage each, but, due to his weakened state, the man was sent reeling backward as if he had just been smacked in the face by an indestructible bat.Breathing a little heavily, Killia wiped away a trace of blood from his mouth using his thumb before remarking, "You're powerful. I'll give you that. However, don't think I'll be defeated so-"Before Killia could finish his shonen-like statement, a series of heart-shaped projectiles peppered his surroundings as Seraphina, alerted by the blaring alarms, emerged from her room with running mascara and an incredibly incensed expression on her face as she screamed, "What's the big idea!? Can't a girl contemplate her woes in peace...!?"With all of Seraphina's attacks missing, Killia tentatively lowered his guard as he remarked, "It's you, that crazy girl who was confronting the Lost. Is this Prinny one of yours...?""Hey! Do you have any idea who you're calling crazy...!?"Furrowing his perpetually furrowed brows even further, Killia answered, "No." in a curt manner. This caused Seraphina to react as if she had received a substantial blow before quickly recovering as she shouted, "I'm Seraphina, the Overlord of Gorgeous! I'm the wealthiest, most attractive, and elegant Overlord in all the Three Realms! Now! Kneel before me! Balor Gaze~!"Understanding she wasn't the match of someone who could take on the Lost Army using nothing but their bare fists, Seraphina decided to lead with her Overload Ability, Balor Gaze. She wanted to prove that her ability wasn't completely useless and that Vahn was merely an exception, an oddity that defied common sense. Unfortunately, even after sending not one, but three waves of vibrant pink energy through Killia's body, he just looked at her in confusion before asking, "What are you trying to do...?"As if her entire life had been a lie up until this exact moment, Seraphina plopped onto the ground and began bawling with such intensity that visible arcs of tears were produced from her eyes. This left Killia awkwardly scratching his cheek, a troubled look on his face as he shifted his gaze towards Vahn and asked, "Does she always act this way...?"Since he had only recently met the peculiar Succubi, Vahn just shrugged his non-existent shoulders before asking, "Are you done trying to attack me for no reason? I'm not a part of Void Dark's forces and this place isn't really suited for battle. If your attacks had damaged that sphere over there, there is a good chance you and everyone else within this Pocket Netherworld would have died."Shifting his attention towards the core located at the center of the plaza, Killia's frown deepened as he sensed the phenomenal energies contained within. He was pretty confident in his durability, but, in his weakened state, it wasn't difficult to imagine himself being completely obliterated if the core went critical. Thus, while he intended to settle things between them after ascertaining the truth, he ultimately just nodded his head before surprising Vahn with a curt, "Sorry...I'll be more careful in the future..."......(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Stranger danger...!','Enkidu deserves some love...','RIP Seraphina xD...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

After entrusting Killia to a saintly-looking beauty with long blonde hair, a phenomenal figure, and a pitch-black dress that bloomed out near her feet, Vahn explored the Pocket Netherworld alongside Seraphina, who, after walking for a short while, found another group of Prinnies to carry her around.From the outside, the Pocket Netherworld resembled a series of purplish platforms linked together to form a vaguely palatial structure. Purple and pink were apparently Seraphina's favorite colors so the floor was comprised of dark and light purple stone that tiled in a checkered pattern while most of the other decorations, including lavish carpets and stone pillars, were various shades of pink.If he was being honest, Seraphina's aptitude for interior decorator was comparable to a child, so, when he learned that the 165cm woman was somehow 1724 years old, Vahn had been genuinely surprised. Even more surprising, however, were some of the facilities available within the Pocket Netherworld, several of which defied common sense..."And this here is the Recruiter. So long as you have enough HL, you can basically recruit any type of demon, monster, or other Netherworld inhabitants you can think of. They say money is the root of all evil but it also makes the world go round. In the Netherworld, everything has its price, even the Senators of the Dark Assembly. Thus, so long as you have enough HL, you can even influence the Laws that govern the entire Netherworld. Of course, without the power to protect yourself, those tyrants are bound to just rob you blind before devouring you down to the bone."Though he was still actively listening to Seraphina's explanation, Vahn was far more focused on the remarkably complex magic circle generated by the Recruiter, a demon resembling an excessively thin cowboy garbed in a blue hat, chaps, and a poncho.Despite being much smaller than the ritual magic circles designed to alter the structure of the multiverse back in Toaru, the magic circle casually manifested by the Recruiter was among the most advanced Vahn had ever seen. It possessed the ability to convert HL, the currency of the Netherworld, into the vessel of any living creature. To make matters even more convenient for the user, there were a series of small spell circles encircling the larger spell formation. Each of these produced a three-dimensional hologram of the entity you would be summoning, and, so long as you had the HL to support the transaction, you could freely modify their attributes and growth rates to make them as powerful or as weak as you pleased...Waving his flipper, Vahn navigated to the hologram depicting his fellow Prinnies only to find that they required a measly 10HL to summon. It was possible to spend even more, drastically increasing their power, but, inversely, it was also possible to reduce the cost down to a single HL. This resulted in a Prinny that was completely useless, yet, despite purporting herself as the wealthiest Overlord in all the Three Realms, discount Prinnies made up the bulk of Seraphina's forces...Looking over at the demoness sitting upon a 'throne' formed of Prinnies, Vahn maintained the impassive expression emblematic of his race as he asked, "If you're serious about confronting the Lost Army and defeating Void Dark, why not use some of your vast wealth to fill your army with more powerful allies? Sure, they're a little expensive, but there are even a few Overlords listed among the options..."Though there was an awkward pause before she answered, Seraphina quickly recovered her haughty visage as she cheekily replied, "Oh my! You really don't know anything about the way things work here in the Netherworld! To think you would make such a foolish proposition with such a straight face~! Oh-hohohohohoho~!"Deadpanning in response to Seraphina's remark, Vahn held up his left flipper in a threatening manner. This brought her laughter to an immediate end, her cheeks turning noticeably red as she cleared her throat and went on to explain, "You don't become the richest person in all the Three Realms by spending money. Also, even a baby imp knows that the demons summoned using Recruiters have their growth limited by the summoner. I'm not one to brag, but I've very little combat experience."Resisting the urge to ask how that was considered bragging, Vahn continued to cycle through the options listed around the inordinately complex magic circle. There were even listings such as Hero, an unsurprisingly heroic-looking youth, and Future Final Boss, a surprisingly cute girl that looked like something Azathoth might produce if he ever decided to have children.Though he was somewhat tempted to try and summon some of the more interesting-looking options, Vahn didn't have a single HL on his person. He could always purchase some from the system shop, but, despite his current appearance, he wasn't actually a demon. He didn't want to arbitrarily generate negative karma, and, more importantly, he didn't think it was fair to the creatures summoned to be bound to their Master. After all, unlike the Hero Summoning back in the Nasuverse, the beings summoned within the Netherworld were bound to subservience unless they could somehow surpass their summoner...Since he seriously doubted Seraphina would lend him any HL, Vahn stepped out of the spell circle that designated him as a potential Master and allowed him to navigate the Recruitment System. Then, before she could introduce him to even more ludicrous systems, Vahn decided to get straight to the point, asking, "How are you planning to defeat Void Dark? If not for mine and Killia's arrivals, you would have been defeated in the previous battle."With an unabashed look of pride and haughtiness, Seraphina raised her chin, arms crossed in a manner that overtly emphasized her ample bosom as she explained, "Why, it's simple, really. You see, be they man, beast, or even Overlord, it is the fate of all men to kneel before me. All I need to do is get in range and my Balor Gaze will have Void Dark eating out of the palm of my hand. Besides, now that I have you and Sir Killia on my side, those jerks in the Lost Army don't stand a chance.""Right..."Though he wasn't too surprised by Seraphina's behavior, this was the Netherworld, after all, Vahn couldn't help shaking his and body in mild exasperation. This was simply the way things were in the Netherworld, and, even if he did want to make changes, the only way to 'convince' people was to become an existence similar to Void Dark. He could also wipe out everything in the Netherworld, purifying the spirits of everything he encountered, but, from the perspective of the people he was attempting to 'save', this would make him the most terrifying monster in existence...Shaking both his head and body, Vahn decided not to worry about things that didn't truly concern him. He had resolved himself, quite a number of times, to only intervene in matters that were taking place right in front of him. After all, his participation wasn't 'required' in the resolution of events, and, even if he just sat on the sidelines, things would either work out or they wouldn't. Either way, life would go on, and, no matter how powerful someone like Void Dark became, there would invariably be someone who came along to depose or defeat him.Having made up his mind, Vahn nodded his head, an action that resembled a bow from the perspective of others, before looking towards Seraphina and saying, "I'll follow along, but not because I'm agreeing to become your subordinate. Rather, I've decided to either educate you or convert you into a good girl, whichever comes first. Either way, I'm not going to just sit idly by as you behave like a spoiled Princess and freely exploit others. Now, stop sitting atop those Prinnies. You'll never get anywhere relying on others to carry you."Though she was prepared to gloat when she heard Vahn mention following along, Seraphina literally transformed into a stone statue when she heard the rest. This wasn't an exaggeration either. Everything from her hair down to the tips of her toes had turned stone grey, and, for a brief moment, there had even been a visible crack near her head before she spontaneously returned to normal and shouted, "You can't just decide that on your own...!"Adopting the haughtiest expression he could manage as a Prinny, Vahn intoned an amused, "Oh?" before failing to cross his arms and stating, "This is the Netherworld. Power and wealth are the only things that matter. If you live your life forcing others to obey, you have no right to complain when others do the same. Now, I've already told you once. Are you ready to find out what happens if I'm forced to repeat myself...?"Though she had one of the most indignant looks Vahn had ever seen, Seraphina promptly hopped to her feet the moment he finished speaking. This earned him a hateful glower from the Prinny she had been sitting on but the rest looked at him as if he were a God. One even went as far as the mutter, "So cool. I never knew us Prinnies could be so badass, dood..."Ignoring the Prinny's reverent remarks, Vahn nodded his head and body in acknowledgment of Seraphina's obedience before levitating up to her head and giving her expectedly smooth and surprisingly springy hair a few light pats. This caused her to grit her teeth from shame and embarrassment, but, feeling the relaxing energies transmitted from his flipper, her vexed look quickly morphed into one of confusion as she inquired, "Eh? What's this? Were the flippers of Prinnies always this soft...?"Retracting said flipper from her head, Vahn answered, "I am no mere Prinny. I'm not entirely sure how I ended up in this form, but my true identity is Vahn Aldrnari Mason, the man once and soon to be known as the Sage Dragon Emperor. Right now, I am trapped in the form of a Larval Prinny God, but, once my power increases, I will reveal my true form."Though he could forcibly remove it if he wanted to, Vahn decided to hold on to the [Anomaly] skill that had been imposed upon him. The idea of starting off as one of the weakest creatures in a verse was rather novel, and, while his very existence broke all the rules, most of his harem could attest to the fact he was into role play. He was also rather fond of the idea of stepping in at the final moments of a climactic battle, stunning both allies and enemies alike as he casually deflected an enemy's ultimate attack with a single flipper...Unaware of what Vahn was thinking, Seraphina touched the spot where he had previously pat her before asking, "You didn't put anything strange in my hair, did you? It took me hundreds of years to come up with this particular hairstyle. If you messed it up, I'm going to be pissed."Rolling his eyes, Vahn decided to shift the topic back to the tour, asking, "So? Where are we off to next? You've already introduced me to the hospital and the various merchants. Are you going to show me the Dark Assembly next...?"Crossing her arms in a 'no' gesture, Seraphina unhesitantly replied, "No way, no how. Only an Overlord is allowed to access the Dark Assembly and I have no desire to associate with those smelly old farts. Only fools and ambitious idiots attempt to involve themselves with that group of devils. Besides, without any HL, what could you possibly hope to accomplish by visiting the Dark Assembly?"Since he had only mentioned it because Seraphina brought it up numerous times, Vahn rolled his eyes a second time before directing his attention to the inordinately thin yet adorable girl who had been watching them for quite some time. She had spiky blue hair that extended to her shoulders, blood-red eyes, and an apathetic expression despite resembling a young girl in a white sundress. He remembered seeing a variation of her listed as a Mascot among the potential creatures that could be recruited, but, more importantly, she was standing in front of a massive vault door with the words 'Dark Assembly' flashing overhead.Noticing Vahn's gaze, Seraphina's expression paled slightly as she forced herself to stand in front of him, arms spread wide as she said, "I'm telling you it's not a good idea! At least level up before you do something that puts all our lives in danger...!"Blinking in surprise, Vahn tilted his head and body to the side, asking, "Can you actually see my level...?"......(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Money is power...!','The origin of Saintess Seraphina...','Could it be...? Seraphina isn't completely useless...!?')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 2042: Bitter Reality