Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Understanding that Ver&eth;andi wasn't entirely at fault, Vahn slowly reined in his anger as he turned to face the group of Doppelgangers. Their ranks included Sis, Fenrir, Mikoto, Usalia, Seraphina, Sarina, Nono, Leticia, and Shiroyukihime, pretty much everyone that had assisted in the formation of the Sage Dragon's Hearth.
If it were just the founding members of his Community, Vahn wouldn't have been that upset. He knew what kind of games the Central Network played, so it wasn't too surprising to encounter replicas of the people he cared about. He had even forewarned Yo, Asuka, and the rest of the No Names of this very possibility.
What annoyed Vahn was that the Central Network had included Xysteria among the ranks of Doppelgangers. When he was first transferring people from his Little Garden into the Divine Realm, there was a period where she would accompany him pretty much 24/7. He had been especially cautious around that time, evidently leading to the Central Network flagging her as a potential weakness.
It wasn't entirely wrong.
Combing his fingers through his hair, Vahn forced himself to calm down as he flatly inquired, "What are the clear conditions of the Trial?"
Sensing that the surrounding space had been sealed, prohibiting spatial movements such as teleportation, Ver&eth;andi swallowed nervously before answering, "It's similar to the previous Trial...you need to get past them if you want to advance further. However, you need not resort to violence. It is but one of many paths towards the future..."
Turning to stare back at the lavender-haired giantess, Vahn squinted his eyes and growled, "Lucky for you..."
With Ver&eth;andi making it clear he didn't 'need' to fight, Vahn returned his gaze to the group of Doppelgangers as potent, rainbow-hued light began to exude from his palms. The moment he stepped forward, Mikoto led the charge against him, her body becoming shrouded in Tribulation Lightning as she attempted to stab through his neck with her fingers.
Ignoring the non-existent threat to his life, Vahn allowed Mikoto's hand to slip through him, subsequently catching her waist with his left arm. Then, before she could even attempt to wriggle free, he ran his right palm from her shoulders to the small of her back in a swift yet extremely practiced manner.
"Hwaaaaaah~!?"
Grasping the structure of the faux-Mikoto's body in an instant, Vahn gave her bottom a firm smack as he said, "Bad girl." in a chiding tone. When he did, her body burst into a cloud of yellow smoke before reappearing as a very defeated-looking Pikachu.
Nodding his head in approval, Vahn was about to set the Pikachu aside when a flurry of bright pink lasers impacted his position. He was able to sweep them away with a wave of his hand, but that ultimately created an opening for the feral-looking bunny girl charging toward him with razor-sharp teeth.
As a furrow marred Vahn's face, a series of golden chains erupted from the void in an attempt to bind him. When he looked towards the culprit, he found the faux-Sis smiling at him with a mischievous smile on her face.
Adopting a stone-faced expression, Vahn remained unmoving as the chains entangled his body and the faux-Usalia opened her mouth wide enough to try and bite off his head. From his perspective, everything had suddenly slowed to an imperceptibly slow crawl as his eyes glistened with a fierce golden glow.
Instead of shrugging off the chains, Vahn allowed them to sink into his body, instantaneously absorbing them as he reached up to poke the area just below the faux-Usalia's navel. Then, while everyone else appeared to be frozen in time, he slipped past the faux-Usalia's charging figure to pat the similarly fake Sis on the head, muttering, "You're lucky I'm keeping the actual Sis at bay..."
As if stimulated by Vahn's words, the world around him appeared to move again as the faux-Usalia tore through his previous position before curling up in the fetal position. At the same time, the faux-Sis's legs gave out, a low and sonorous mewl escaping from her throat as she fell onto her side with an enraptured look on her face...
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Seeing how Vahn had elected to deal with the Doppelgangers, a stupefied expression developed across Ver&eth;andi's face. She had heard some of the rumors regarding his 'prowess' but never anticipated that he could bring women to their knees with a simple touch.
Looking towards the downed Usalia, a shiver ran through Ver&eth;andi's body as she sensed the ambient pleasure exuding from the former.
"Did he trap them in some kind of illusion...?"
Suppressing the urge to glimpse into the Doppelganger's mind, Ver&eth;andi returned her attention to Vahn, her golden eyes reflecting the scene of him making short work of Seraphina, Leticia, Shiroyukihime, Sarina, and Nono. It was one of the most one-sided Trials she had ever witnessed as none of the Doppelgangers' attacks appeared to have even a minor effect while Vahn simply needed to touch them.
"Wait a moment...what's this...?"
Noticing that two of the Doppelgangers weren't even attempting to fight, Ver&eth;andi's eyes locked on the faux-Fenrir and the 'creature' she assumed to be the cause of his previous fury. While the other Doppelgangers were doing everything in their power to fight back, the peculiar duo was simply watching from the sidelines...
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After laying Nono next to Sarina in a bed he had manifested, Vahn shifted his attention to the final two Doppelgangers: Fenrir and Xysteria. When he did, the former stood a little straighter while the latter just stared blankly with her amber eyes.
"Hmmm..."
Extending his right hand, Vahn said, "Come." in a commanding tone. The moment he did, the faux-Fenrir rushed over and placed her paw into his hand, her thick and bushy tail swishing excitedly behind her.
"I guess even the Central Network couldn't turn my most loyal companion against me, huh? Good girl."
Exhibiting rows of razor-sharp teeth, the faux-Fenrir adopted an uncannily wide grin as Vahn caressed her head and fluffed up her oversized, almost rabbit-like ears.
While continuing to fluff up his loyal pup, Vahn shifted his attention to the faux-Xysteria before activating his Eyes of Truth.
"Ah...so that's how it is..."
Since Xysteria had never participated in a Gift Game and Vahn had taken extra precautions to keep her safe, the Central Network hadn't been able to emulate her skills and abilities. All it knew about her was that she could transform and that she was very timid around other people. It had no way of knowing just how 'terrifying' she could be.
Taking a seat on the ground, Vahn allowed the faux-Fenrir to snuggle up to him as he extended his hand towards the faux-Xysteria and whispered, "Come to Papa..."
Rather than listening to Vahn's words, the Xysteria Doppelganger hissed before turning into a wispy white phantom and darting to the roof. There, she metamorphosed into a veritable ball of fluff that stared back at him with caution.
"..."
Though it wasn't 'his' Xysteria, Vahn couldn't help feeling a little hurt by the Doppelganger's response. Even after all this time, he never had the experience of being shunned by any of his children. There were instances where he had been at odds with his sons, particularly Kamiya, but he had never tried to avoid him.
Suppressing the frustration he felt towards the Central Network, Vahn exuded an aura of calming energy as he manifested a series of gem-like beetles and bugs. If the Central Network had 'faithfully' reproduced some of Xysteria's behavior, she wouldn't be able to resist her favorite food.
With Vahn's presence suddenly disappearing, the faux-Xysteria spun her head around like an owl, seemingly oblivious to the fact he hadn't moved from his seated position. This was a trick Vahn had picked up a very long time ago, the ability to blend his aura into his environment so that animals and people alike would feel at ease. From the faux-Xysteria's perspective, he may as well be a tree right now.
After a prolonged period of hesitation, Xysteria began scuttling across the ceiling like a spider. Upon lining up with one of the gem-like beetles, she adhered one of her tails to the roof before pouncing down, snatching the beetle with her teeth, and returning to the ceiling like a yoyo rebounding to a hand.
Though a wry smile had developed across his face, Vahn couldn't help commenting, "Clever girl..." as he watched the faux-Xysteria scarf down her prey. She was unable to resist the allure of her favorite food, but she was smart or, at the very least, cautious enough not to simply trust in the fact she could no longer sense him...
Upon finishing with the first beetle, faux-Xysteria took a moment to take in her surroundings before lining up with her second target. Like before, she repelled down from the roof with incredible speed. However, before she could snatch up the beetle in question, it promptly moved out of the way in a zig-zagging pattern.
Though she allowed herself to be bungeed back to the roof, a very discontent look developed across faux-Xysteria's face as she eyed her missed quarry. The pupils of her eyes became like a cat's as she arched her body in the precursor to a pounce before launching herself with even greater velocity towards her target.
Instantly angering the bronze-skinned huntress, the beetle once again dodged her attack. When it did, she immediately broke her tether to the roof in order to pounce after it, much like a cat pursuing a laser pointer.
Despite possessing supernatural speed and agility, faux-Xysteria found herself unable to catch the emerald-hued beetle. Adding insult to injury, each successive beetle she attempted to catch seemed to move even faster than the last.
Feeling increasingly frustrated, faux-Xysteria's body became increasingly more animalistic as she began snarling through razor-sharp teeth. It was drastically different than the actual Xysteria, but the Central Network had no way of knowing what she looked like when angry.
Seeing several beetles gathering in the same spot, faux-Xysteria's pupils became thin slits as she sprang toward them with all four arms stretched outward. What she never expected was to collide with something invisible halfway through her leap.
"Gotcha~"
Before faux-Xysteria could make sense of the situation, warmth filled her body as a pair of arms wrapped around her. Her first instinct was to break away, but it was quickly suppressed by a feeling of contentment as Vahn scratched under her chin and said, "Behave." in a calm yet resonant tone.
Though he would never use his Authority against his actual children, Vahn made an exception for the discordant Doppelganger. Fortunately, it didn't take long for the faux-Xysteria to calm down as she lay across his lap and stared up at him with a curious expression on her face.
"There you go. Good girl."
Knowing how much the actual Xysteria enjoyed it, Vahn gently caressed the fake's smooth and pliable stomach. She immediately grasped his hand with two of her three-clawed hands but made no actual attempts to stop his actions.
Evidently recognizing Vahn's success in the Trial, the gate on the far side of the room promptly opened. However, instead of getting up and passing through it, Vahn continued petting the faux-Fenrir with his left hand while creating beetles to feed the faux-Xysteria with his right. At the same time, another version of himself manifested behind Ver&eth;andi, startling her as he said, "Sorry, but you deserve a bit of punishment."
Without giving the lavender-haired giantess the chance to protest, Vahn ran his index finger along the line of her back. As he did, her pitch-black wings promptly extended to their full width as a very loud yelp emanated from the giantess' throat...
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Woosah...','Fenrir is the goodest of girls (U w U)...','Vahn is an expert when it comes to luring young girls...')

After meting out Ver&eth;andi's punishment, Vahn made his way through the stone gate leading to his next Trial. He found Skuld waiting for him there, but, unlike before, she kept her distance and her back toward the wall.
Shrugging his shoulders, Vahn attempted to justify his actions, explaining, "It's no secret that my children are my soft spot. If you're going to try and use them against me, you should prepare yourself for the consequences."
Swallowing the knot that had formed in her throat, Skuld muttered, "I'll keep that in mind..." before waving her hand and causing the room to turn into an ancient forest filled with white, leafless trees covered in runes. A dense fog emanated from the interior, broken only bouts of magical blue flames that periodically flickered in and out of existence.
"This is the Forest of Forgotten Dreams. To make your way through, you must have a powerful ambition or something that drives you forward no matter what. Spirits that get lost within this mist are doomed to wander without aim for all eternity..."
Manifesting an ancient-looking lantern constructed primarily from wood, Skuld added, "The fuel for this lantern is hopes and dreams. It will light your way even in the darkest of circumstances, but overusing it will lead to the consumption of one's spirit and will. Take it, and may your journey be swift..."
Accepting the lantern from Skuld, Vahn waited for a few moments without anything overt occurring. He could feel an intent within the lantern trying to probe at his mind, but it was far too frail to advance.
Seeing the flame failing to ignite, a touch of ruddiness spread through Skuld's cheeks as she recalled the previous incident with Vahn and her sister's mirror. If the lantern was unable to ignite, she could be punished by the Central Network for staging a Gift Game that couldn't be won.
Fortunately for Skuld, Vahn wasn't just standing around aimlessly as he eyed the peculiar lantern. Instead, he was deconstructing how it worked by deciphering the runes carved into its surface and testing the functions of the intent within. Once he was finished, a cerulean blue flame erupted from the lantern's interior before surging towards the Forest of Forgotten Dreams like a tidal surge.
Smiling at Skuld's slack-jawed response, Vahn mused, "I'll be taking the scenic route." before promptly vanishing into thin air. The rules for the Gift Game forbade teleportation and spatial movements, but he had more than a few ways around such restrictions.
With the ghostly forest fading moments after Vahn's disappearance, Skuld knew he had satisfied the conditions of the Sixth Trial. Her expression still revealed a fair amount of helplessness, but she couldn't help adopting a faint smile as she muttered, "He's quite something, isn't he...?"
In response to her younger sister's utterance, Ver&eth;andi appeared out of thin air, her expression significantly less approving as she poutily replied, "He's a brute, that's what he is."
Maintaining her smile, Skuld gave her sister a side-long glance before asserting, "Most men are. The Sage Dragon Emperor is just one of the few that possesses the leeway and character to get away with it."
Crinkling her brow and nose, Ver&eth;andi wanted to retort but found herself unable to find suitable words. Instead, she suggested, "We should hurry and prepare our future Trials. Given his performance thus far, I suspect it won't be long-"
Receiving a notification that Vahn had just entered her Trial, the look on Ver&eth;andi's face alternated between confusion and disbelief. It hadn't even been three full minutes since Vahn blazed through Skuld's Trial.
Restoring her sister's senses, Skuld reiterated, "We should be on our way." before disappearing into thin air. Ver&eth;andi followed shortly after that, but not before staring in the direction Vahn had departed, whispering, "I pray the Nine Realms never antagonize the Aldrnari Empire..."
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With Ur&eth;r's challenge requiring him to face everyone he had ever killed or failed to save, Vahn simply decided not to give her access to his thoughts and memories. As a result, the Central Network was only able to recall the people he had faced in the Tower and during his stay in the Divine Realm.
Since he was no longer in the mood to play around after the incident with Ver&eth;andi, Vahn shattered Ur&eth;r's illusory domain the moment Gandr, of all people, made an appearance. He knew better than anyone that the boyish Vanargandr harbored absolutely no resentment towards him, so Vahn just shook his head in exasperation, muttering, "What a farce..." before turning to Ur&eth;r and asking, "Want to try something else? Even I'm starting to feel guilty about how easy this has become."
Shaking her head, Ur&eth;r attempted an emotionless, unreadable expression as she replied, "With your success in this Trial, you've become the Master of the Past. I can stage another if you'd like, but the person who would be dictating the rules would be you."
Though most people wouldn't be able to notice it, Vahn could see Ur&eth;r's aura flaring with a mixture of fear, anticipation, and barely restrained lust. The Origins of her and her sisters coincided with the conceptualization of Time itself, so it wasn't an exaggeration to say she had been waiting since time immemorial for a man capable of completing her Trials to appear.
Adopting a wry smile, Vahn gave Ur&eth;r's scantily clad figure a quick once-over. She was easily one of the most stunningly attractive women in all of creation, but the same could be said for the vast majority of his harem. He would be lying if he said he wasn't tempted, but it just didn't seem right to claim her when she had been waiting for so long...
With Vahn observing her with his eyes rather than his other sensory abilities, Ur&eth;r's heart began to race as the purple feathers forming her garment began to flare, unfurling like the petals of a flower in bloom. If Vahn requested it of her, she was ready and willing to give her everything to satisfy his desires.
Understanding that Ur&eth;r probably wouldn't be content if he just 'tossed her aside,' a faint chuckle emanated from Vahn's throat as he shook his head and muttered, "Here we go again..."
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Upon teleporting to the location of the Seventh Trial, Ver&eth;andi was briefly surprised to find her elder sister floating behind Vahn, her arms wrapped around his neck and an absentminded smile on her face.
Furrowing her brows, Ver&eth;andi asked, "What is the meaning of this...?" in a disproving tone.
Since Ur&eth;r was more focused on nuzzling against him than responding to her sister, it was Vahn who casually replied, "I'm very good at what I do."
"..."
Though she was tempted to ask what Vahn was talking about, Ver&eth;andi already had the answer in her heart. After all, if he managed to complete the coming Trial, she too would be subject to his whims and desires.
Seeing through the lavender-haired giantess's thoughts, Vahn shook his head and remarked, "I'm not the type that forces people against their will. If you would rather accept my offer of freedom and find someone worthy of your care and attention, I would not stop you."
Hearing Vahn's words, Ur&eth;r promptly came back to her senses, squeezing him tightly as she stared at her sister and asserted, "I'll support whatever decision you make, but I'm convinced that Vahn is the person we've been waiting for all this time. I haven't felt this whole...this 'complete' since our initial separation from Mother."
"Clearly..."
Seeing her sister clinging possessively to Vahn, Ver&eth;andi had no doubts about the integrity of her words. Had the former not spanked her just a few minutes prior, she would probably be looking forward to what came next.
Exhaling a sigh, Ver&eth;andi tapped the twining, spear-like end of her staff against the ground, saying, "We'll see what Fate has in store..."
Since she hadn't been given much time to prepare, Ver&eth;andi left it to the Central Network to fill in the blanks for the Seventh Trial. Given Vahn's performance thus far, she was convinced it didn't really matter what she threw at him.
So long as it wasn't one of his children...
Fortunately for Ver&eth;andi, the will associated with the Central Network seemed to understand the futility of pitting Vahn against anything known to him. Thus, after a remarkably long and progressively tense delay, the world around the trio began to crack and fragment away, eerie grey light emanating from within.
Raising his brows, Vahn suggested, "You should probably stand back for this one." Ur&eth;r reluctantly complied but not before planting a kiss on his cheek and pressing her now-familiar breasts against his shoulders.
Adopting a faint smile, Vahn manifested Enkidu and sent it flying toward the cracks rapidly spreading across the sky. He didn't know what was on the other side, but it caused the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end, a phenomenon that hadn't occurred in quite some time.
Compelled by Vahn's intent, Enkidu tore through the cracks in space-time, eager to seal whatever lay beyond. From the golden chain's point of view, it was moving at incomprehensible speeds toward its target. What it didn't know, and what Vahn didn't expect, was for Enkidu to effectively freeze in place the moment it came into contact with the grey energy exuding from the cracks.
"Well, that's not normal..."
Dodging one of the beams of light that seemed to curve toward him, Vahn watched as it spread out across the ground like a mist, rapidly eroding the surface and converting it to a type of inert ash, utterly devoid of life and energy.
Furrowing his brows, Vahn waved his hand in an attempt to prevent the strange mist from spreading outward. He had reached a point where he could manipulate even the Void, but there seemed to be something 'off' about the peculiar grey mist. He could see it very clearly with his eyes, but it didn't have any presence whatsoever. It was like everything within range of the fog simply ceased to exist, leaving nothing for him to sense.
As it wasn't his first time dealing with something capable of erasing the very concept of existence, Vahn was relatively calm even as his efforts to stem the mist's expanse failed. This was a stark contrast to Ver&eth;andi and Ur&eth;r, who, for the first time in their lives, could not access their powers. It was like Time, Fate, and Reality itself were being eroded by the enigmatic mist.
To the horror of the two giantess's, especially Ur&eth;r, Vahn stopped trying to dodge and allowed the mist to encompass him. Enkidu had been frozen in place, but unlike everything else influenced by the mist, Vahn could still sense it. Thus, in order to get a better understanding of just what the mist actually was, he allowed it to affect him directly.
As the light-formed mist enveloped him, Vahn experienced a phenomenon similar to time stopping. More accurately, it was like time spontaneously ceased to exist, nearly severing his connection to the outside world as he looked around to find a world shrouded in ash.
Noticing that he couldn't feel the ground beneath him, nor the influence of gravity, Vahn experimentally moved his right foot. He felt as though every molecule within his body weighed as much as a small start, but that didn't prevent him from sifting through the ashen ground beneath his feet. There was absolutely no feedback, and, rather than being propelled forward, the ash clung to him like weightless mud, wholly unaffected by the laws of physics.
Recognizing the phenomenon, though he had never experienced it in such an extreme manner, Vahn peered through the cracks in reality to find what appeared to be an impossibly ancient man sitting motionless in the center of an empty grey void. Parts of his body appeared to have decayed away, but Vahn could feel an incomprehensibly powerful intent exuding from his body and permeating the entirety of the ashen world...
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Speedrunning strats...','Some things never change...','O_O...')

Following his conversation with Skuld, Vahn entered a type of maze known as a Trojaborg Labyrinth.
Unlike typical mazes, Trojaborg Labyrinths only had a single path with no dead ends. As he made his way through, panels would rise behind him to prevent him from turning back, presumably representing the passage of time and the general inability for people to turn back on the road of life.
Contributing to this speculation, Vahn eventually found himself within a room whose environment spontaneously changed into the aftermath of a great battle. There were hundreds of corpses littering the ground, but it was possible to make out subdued sobbing and other signs of life if you listened closely.
"Hmmm..."
Though he could see a rather conspicuous gate located a few hundred meters away, Vahn took a moment to ponder the purpose of his current setting. At the same time, his domain captured everyone and everything within range of his senses, instantaneously informing him of the number of survivors and their respective conditions.
Presumably in an attempt to break his concentration, Vahn's attention was drawn to a relatively young boy with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a missing arm that called out to him, "Please...help me..." in a strained tone.
"Sure, why not?"
Raising his right hand towards the sky, Vahn surprised the skulking Skuld by creating a complex magic circle that easily covered the entirety of the battlefield. Then, with a simple snap of Vahn's fingers, everyone in need of treatment, including a few that had recently passed, found themselves without injury.
While it would have been understandable if they needed time to process what had just happened, there was no stillness following Vahn's actions. Rather, upon discovering they could move about freely, a few of the more bloodthirsty individuals picked up stray hammers and axes in an attempt to strike down their recently recovered foes.
Adding insult to injury, the boy that had asked Vahn for help picked up a spear and attempted to impale him through the stomach, shouting, "Die, Sorceror...!"
Rolling his eyes, Vahn began making his way towards the gate at the far end of the battlefield as several individuals joined the youth in trying to kill him. In response, Vahn made his body immaterial, completely ignoring their frenzied attacks as they seemingly competed for the glory of taking his head.
After passing through the gate, Vahn, once again, found himself within the Trojaborg Labyrinth. When he looked back, the battlefield had vanished, replaced by a smooth stone wall and a mural depicting a man raising his hand toward the sky and raising the dead.
"Neat."
While others may have fallen into a moment of reflection after passing through the battlefield, Vahn left Skuld feeling at a loss as he resumed his journey without a fuss. In his mind, there was nothing to be learned as he was well-acquainted with the selfishness of those who lived in the pursuit of glory. At the same time, his healing of people was an expression of his personal form of selfishness. He wasn't going to brood because someone used his gift to spite him or commit atrocities. That was their decision, not his.
Making his way through the maze, Vahn inevitably came across several other settings that required him to make choices that would have weighed heavily on the consciousness of others. There was even a situation where he had to choose between saving two children, his decision to save one invariably resulting in the death of the other.
Completely ignoring the premise, Vahn teleported both children to his side before ruffling their hair and telling them to be more careful in the future. Later, he was given the option of saving a group of hunters being assailed by a massive wolf. The wolf turned out to be a mother trying to secure food for her pups, so coming to the aid of the hunters, at least under normal circumstances, would have resulted in the deaths of several innocent lives.
Doing things at his own pace, Vahn prevented the mother wolf's attack with some headpats before smacking some sense into the hunters that wanted to kill her in retaliation. He then provided more than enough food for both groups to go their separate ways before relocating the mother and her pups someplace where they would be able to live without human intervention, at least for a while.
In the end, Vahn had to clear a total of eleven stages, one for each circuit of the Trojaborg Labyrinth. Awaiting him at his destination was a massive stone wall depicting the decisions he had made along the way, each laid out in a fresco. Skuld was also there, appearing somewhat unenthusiastic as she said, "Much like this mural, the decisions we make in life are set in stone. It might be possible to take a chisel to it, but there is no changing what has come to pass, only what is to come..."
Gesturing towards an ancient-looking hammer and chisel located beneath the mural, Skuld added, "Beyond the limitations of time, knowledge of the past, present, and future are one and the same. With the proper tools, it is possible to change all three. However, the only thing that truly changes is oneself. Attempt to change the past in the present, and the only thing you end up accomplishing is writing a new future..."
Having long been aware of such fundamental truths, Vahn simply nodded his head in response to Skuld's words. When she saw her words had very little effect on him, a subdued sigh escaped her throat as she lowered her hand and remarked, "I thought as much. You truly are a unique existence. Most people spend their entire lives searching for meaning along the path they walk. It is exceptionally rare, even among the Gods, for an individual to be content walking the path itself..."
Resisting the urge to point out he was the manifestation of The Path itself, Vahn maintained a smile as he replied, "Compliment me any further, and I may float away due to my ego overinflating."
Rolling her eyes, Skuld began to slowly dematerialize as she said, "When you reach the end of your journey, the best way forward is to carve a new path..."
"Mmm...I see..."
Though she could be trying to be mysterious, Vahn decided to interpret Skuld's words literally by blasting a hole through the mural depicting his journey through the maze. When he did, he could have sworn he heard the sound of someone tripping, but Vahn just ignored it as he made his way into the nebulous black void that awaited him on the other side of the newly created door...
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Shortly after entering the darkness, Vahn found himself stepping out into what appeared to be an underground cavern. The walls were covered in bioluminescent algae that made it resemble the evening sky, but the thing that immediately caught Vahn's attention was the stunning beauty waiting for him near a spring filled with a hazy, rainbow-hued liquid.
Knowing what the sisters originally had in mind once he completed their challenges, Vahn decided to tease the ephemeral, pink and blue-haired giantess by asking, "Oh? Are we going to take a bath?"
Snorting through her nose, the mesmerizing beauty, Ur&eth;r, explained, "This is one of the many mouths of Ur&eth;arbrunnr, the Well of Fate. To proceed to the next Trial, you must find your way through this passage without losing yourself in its flow. Be warned, as even the most stalwart of spirits can be shattered-why are you taking your clothes off?"
Seeing everything but Vahn's underpants spontaneously melt away, Ur&eth;r couldn't prevent her eyes from roaming even as she took a step back and prepared to apparate away. Both she and Ver&eth;andi had been listening in when he spoke with Skuld, but she didn't trust that Vahn wouldn't try to force himself on her if the opportunity presented itself. Most Gods weren't exactly gentlemen...
Resisting the temptation to point out that Ur&eth;r's feathery outfit was even scantier than his own, Vahn calmly replied, "If I'm going to pass through the spring that contains the memories of everyone's pasts, I may as well experience it directly."
Recalling how Solon had once been swept up by the Ur&eth;arbrunnr, Vahn had always wondered what it would be like to subsume himself into the collective memories of everyone that had ever lived within a designated Realm. Most people would be terrified by such a thing, fearing they would be consumed and lose themselves, but Vahn knew it was only a matter of time before he had to subsume all of Creation into himself. He couldn't be intimidated by the collective experiences of a few trillion people.
Seeing no signs of fear or hesitation in Vahn's actions, Ur&eth;r couldn't help thinking he was looking down on their Trials. At the same time, however, a fluttery feeling filled her bosom as she considered the possibility that he really could clear them with ease...
Noticing the dazed giantess's gaze as he walked past, Vahn sent Ur&eth;r a wink before stepping into the rainbow-hued liquid without a moment of hesitation. Nothing happened when it was just his body, but the moment his head sank beneath the surface, he could feel countless fragments of Ego attempting to invade his body.
("Oh...this is going to be easier than I thought...")
Similar to when Gustang attempted to invade his mind and analyze the structure and composition of his Ego, Vahn didn't even have to resist as his body and mind naturally purged the invasive influence. Then, as if to prevent further intrusion, a pulse of energy surged out from the very core of his Ego, purifying the surrounding waters of their rainbow hue.
Though he was a little disappointed, Vahn swam through the underwater tunnels with the finesse of a god-tier penguin until his senses detected an air pocket. When he surfaced, he found Ver&eth;andi staring down at him with an almost offended look on her face as she asked, "Just what are you...?"
Rising from the water like a balloon, Vahn casually replied, "Those close to me call me Vahn. Pretty much everyone else calls me the Sage Dragon Emperor. Nice to meet you?"
Furrowing her brows, Ver&eth;andi gripped the staff in her hands as she said, "I've never heard of a Dragon that can exorcise Souls by simply swimming through them..."
While drying himself off and donning a fresh outfit, Vahn tried to correct Ver&eth;andi's misunderstanding, explaining, "The waters of the Ur&eth;arbrunnr are not comprised of Souls, but the fragments of countless people's Egos. It is a collection of memories and intentions that refuse to merge, so they form a stream of consciousness that attempts to latch onto anything more 'whole' than itself."
Landing on the ground, Vahn ignored the suspicion in Ver&eth;andi's gaze as he looked around asked, "So? Where's my next Trial? I'm not exactly in a rush, but there are a lot of people waiting for my return."
"Hmph..."
Tapping the spear-like end of her staff against the ground, Ver&eth;andi produced what appeared to be several additional Doppelgangers. This time, however, they did not take Vahn's form. Instead, two took on the forms of Sis and Fenrir while the others began changing into people the Central Network undoubtedly recognized as precious to him.
If it were just his lovers, Vahn wouldn't have minded too much as he knew the Doppelgangers weren't 'real.' It was when a few began taking on the form of his children that the casual smile faded from his face, replaced by a grim expression as he looked towards Ver&eth;andi and warned, "This goes beyond playing with fire..."
Though she would have ordinarily scoffed at such a threat, Ver&eth;andi's eyes widened as she found herself unable to move under Vahn's stare. It was like a hand had grasped around her entire body, threatening to crush her into paste the moment she said or did anything out of line...
...
..
.
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn does things at his own pace...','Oof...','Even the Central Network is sweating...')

Chapter 2304: Simmering Calm