Chapter 74: Preparations : Promise
Vahn arrived in the dining room and noticed the atmosphere was somewhat low. He could see the auras of Naaza and Lili drooping downwards and there were tinges of blue that marred their typically vibrant yellow auras. Vahn looked towards Tsubaki who seemed unaffected by the mood and she just smiled while nodding toward his seat.
After he sat down, Lili started placing food on everyone's plates, but Vahn could see that is was much slower than normal. She seemed to be repressing her emotions and was doing her best to avoid looking directly at him. "Lili, what's wrong? Why are you and Naaza behaving so strangely?" Vahn asked with a gentle tone as he was looking between the two disconsolate girls.
Hearing his question, both girls flinched slightly before turning towards him with sad looks on their faces. Vahn frowned, but Tsubaki spoke up before he could continue questioning. "When we were preparing breakfast I told them you were likely going to be spending a lot of time in the dungeon. Since neither of them is strong enough to accompany you, I told them they would have to remain behind unless they managed to increase their strength. Now they're sad because they won't be able to have so much time with you, isn't that right girls?"
Naaza wasn't as affected as Lili, but hearing Tsubaki's words she felt saddened. She only ever got to spend time with Vahn when he was training or helping her develop potion recipes. Now that he would be spending most of his time in the dungeon, she was unsure of how to react. She even harbored thoughts of returning to the Miach Familia, but something deep inside prevented her from making that decision.
Lili was greatly affected and tears could be seen in her eyes as she stared towards Vahn. She could see a conviction in his eyes, and ever since she heard him challenge the Loki Familia she had a feeling he would end up moving forward on his own. Though Lili knew he wasn't abandoning her, it still hurt her heart knowing that he would be venturing deep into that dark place on his own. For the last month she had been putting in so much effort to grow, but no matter what she did Lili was unable to keep up with his progress.
Vahn nodded his head with understanding before thinking for a few moments. After he found the words he was looking for, he smiled toward the two doleful girls. "This is necessary for me to grow. I have an affinity with the dungeon after all. The entire reason I came to Orario was to delve into its depths so I can bring out my full potential and grow stronger. It also gave me the opportunity to meet both of you, so I will not shy away from my current path. I will continue to grow and become stronger so that I can protect the people I care about. Please don't be sad, instead, I ask that you wish me well so that I have fewer worries while I'm away. I promise I will always come back...this place is my home."
The more Vahn spoke, the more the two girls seemed to struggle. At this point, even Naaza had begun to tear up while Lili hung her head low as tears seasoned her rice. Vahn waited for both of them to relax while Tsubaki started eating with an uncharacteristic expressionless face. Vahn was influenced by this more than the two crying girls, as he was unable to recall a time when Tsubaki wasn't smiling...other than when she was fighting with her sword.
After a few minutes, Lili spoke out. "Vahn...I swear I will become stronger. I may not be able to follow you now, but one day I will be able to catch up to you. I will never stop trying." Lili spoke each word with conviction, and it seemed to influence Naaza who also said a few words. "Make sure you always return, no matter how injured you are...I will heal you up at no charge." Naaza tried to laugh as she spoke the last words, but her voice choked a bit in the attempt.
Vahn smiled towards the two girls; He really appreciated their concern for him and it made his desire to grow stronger to protect them more prevalent in his mind. Not only the people present, but Vahn also resolved to protect everyone. Even if he couldn't do it now, as long as he made the effort there were no limits to his growth. He would weather any pain and suffering to ensure that those who believe in him never have to experience it themselves.
---
After breakfast, Tsubaki made true on her words as she put Vahn through a hellish final training session. She beat him to the point he had to struggle to prevent [Rakshasa Body] from activating. Vahn felt like she was releasing a lot of pent up resentment on his defenseless body and he was unable to determine the cause of her violent actions. Throughout the entire process, her usually smiling face remained unseen as she emotionlessly thrashed his body.
By the time the training had ended, Vahn was incapable of moving any muscles in his body. He began to suspect Tsubaki was trying to prevent him from entering the dungeon, but as this thought was passing through his mind he felt a warm sensation spread throughout his body. Tsubaki held in her hand a crimson liquid and was pouring it onto Vahn's exposed chest. The liquid soaked into his flesh and an irresistible heat began to spread through his body.
Vahn clenched his teeth to resist the sensation as Tsubaki began to explain her actions. "This is a potion made using mermaid's blood as a catalyst and is mixed with various rare herbs that promote parameter development. Its total worth is more than 200,000,000V so make sure I don't regret using it on you." Tsubaki emptied the remainder of the contents and all the bruises on Vahn's body vanished.
Vahn felt like his body was burning, which was a peculiar feeling since he had become fire-proof after obtaining [Heart of the Eternal Flame]. After the pain faded, it felt like all the pores on his body had opened and each of his muscles felt full of strength. When he arose from the ground, he could hear his bones popping with each movement. Curious about the phenomenon, Vahn started stretching and noticed his flexibility had increased remarkably. After checking his status, his eye nearly turned round from shock.
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[[Stats]]
Name: [Vahn Mason]
Age: 14
Race: Human, *sealed*
Parameter: [Danmachi: 1-4]
-Level:2(2)
-Power:1001+(H119)->(E447)
-Endurance:1108+(G240)->(D590)
-Dexterity:887+(H101)->(F322)
-Agility:940+(H192)->(E410)
-Magic:1611+(E444)->(B701)
Total:5547+(1096)->(2470)
Soul Strength: Tier 2 (Hero Soul)
[Karma]: 1,008
[OP]: 143,050
[Valis]: 339,000
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Tsubaki saw the shock on his face before slapping him on the back and laughing. "I'm sure you feel full of power, but don't let it go to your head. The biggest effect of the potion is it resolves any damage you may have suffered to your foundation in the past. Make sure you work hard or I'll beat you even worse next time!"
Vahn nodded his head like a clucking chicken before he left to make preparations for entering the dungeon. Since he only intended to return when he was overly fatigued or hit a dead-end in his progress, there were several things Vahn needed to prepare. Most important of all, he wanted to make sure he had enough good food to last for up to a month.
After consoling Lili, who seemed unwilling to let him go, for several minutes Vahn finally managed to separate from her. Naaza also gave him a short hug before breaking away with a blush which Vahn found interesting. It was rare to see Naaza act so adorable and he almost wanted to tease her for it. However, considering that he would be leaving shortly he didn't want to upset either of them further.
On his way towards Babel, Vahn made a large detour to visit the crepe stand he hadn't visited in a while. After exchanging pleasantries with Ivaan, who was pleased to see him, Vahn ended up buying up the entire stock of crepes. Ivaan was surprised hearing Vahn's demand, but Vahn assured him that it was for a good cause so Ivaan consented to the exchange. Thanking him for his kindness, Vahn left an extra large tip that brought the total expenditure to 37,000V.
Leaving the stand, Vahn ducked into an alleyway and put the large basket full of crepes into his storage. As he was in the area, Vahn made another detour to visit Hephaestus. He had learned from Tsubaki she had left early to tend to her work that had piled up during the Denatus. Vahn wanted to let her know he would be venturing into the dungeon, as he was worried she may overreact if he was exposed to danger without her knowing.
It didn't take long for Vahn to come across the familiar building that had changed his life so recently. He stood outside and observed the structure before taking a deep breath and entering the premise. The head guard, Zaff, noticed his entrance and immediately sent someone to inform Hephaestus. After doing so he walked forward to greet Vahn. "Heya Vulcan. Heard you've been up to some heroic deeds lately."
Vahn laughed slightly at the comment. He wasn't surprised the guards that worked for Hephaestus already knew about his alias, and he wasn't ashamed to be addressed as such. "Good morning Zaff, thanks for your help in the past." Vahn handed him a slip that he had received from Chloe the other day. As long as someone exchanged it, they would be able to enjoy a discount on all alcohol at the Hostess of Fertility between 7 PM and closing.
Zaff received the slip and his gruff face lit up with a smile. He was no stranger to the item as it was one of the most sought-after commodities that few patrons had the chance to receive. "Hehe, good lad. I'm sure the boys'll toast you thrice for your kindness." Zaff patted Vahn's shoulder before returning to his post and having one of the other guards pass the word to the rest of the members. The man who heard the news showed a big smile before hastily making his rounds.
Hephaestus finally showed up in the door and smiled after seeing Vahn. She waved toward him and he followed her to the private workshop at the back of the store. After they entered, she closed the door before sitting at her worktable. "Good morning Vahn, I'm happy to see you so soon." Vahn could hear a slight tremble in her voice and noticed a light blush on her face.
"I'm happy to see you again Hephaestus. There was something I had wanted to tell you this morning, but you had vanished before I was able." As he spoke Vahn approached the desk until he stood directly opposite of Hephaestus. He could see her swallow before asking, "What did you want to tell me Vahn?"
Vahn took a deep breath before explaining everything he had realized since this morning. He conveyed his desire to grow stronger while also becoming a more capable blacksmith. Vahn swore that he would one day forge an item worthy of her praise. Hearing his proclamation, Hephaestus showed a gentle smile but her happiness quickly turned to awe as he continued.
"I promise Hephaestus, once I am strong enough I will drive away the loneliness in your heart. I will make it known to the entire world that I, Vahn Mason, am privileged to be at your side. Those that would besmirch you will realize their foolishness and I will start by doing this..." As Vahn gave his impassioned speech he reached over the table and grabbed Hephaestus face.
Hephaestus's body completely froze up when Vahn grabbed her face and pulled her forward. She closed her eyes and prepared for the inevitable contact as an anticipation began to build in her wildly fluctuating heart. But, instead of the expected outcome, she felt a searing sensation on her now uncovered right eye. The pain spread throughout her body, and she was unable to resist its encroachment.
It felt like something within her body was changing and she began to panic, never believing that one day the boy she showed so much affection for may one day betray her. An anguish spread from her heart at the thought and Hephaestus felt like she wanted to cry as a result of the heartbreak and pain, but before she was able to cry out the pain began to rapidly subside. The heat from her eye vanished and she looked towards Vahn who was showing her a deeply affectionate smile.
Vahn ignored her questioning look as he grabbed a large polished blade from the display. He approached the muddle-headed Hephaestus before holding the flat of the blade toward her. Hephaestus was confused and stared into the blade as if it contained the answers to all the questions that were dancing chaotically through her mind.
Seeing her own reflection, Hephaestus felt something was strange before noticing something that shook her to the very core of her being. The deformity that had plagued her for her entire existence was gone. The eye still burned with a crimson hue, but the flesh around the socket had been completely mended and appeared identical to the left side of her face. She reached with her hand and felt the smooth skin that was previously coarse and rough.
She looked towards Vahn as the tears she had been holding back earlier began to fall freely. "How...?" Hephaestus couldn't think of anything else but this question. No matter how hard she had tried in the past, nothing was able to remove the perpetual blemish from her face. It was almost like she was cursed to bear the ugly mark until the end of time.
Vahn smiled before he reached out and patted her head, just like he had always done for Naaza and Lili when they were emotional. "I said I would take away your loneliness and make those idiots regret. I intend to keep my promise."
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'How to Train your Goddess', 'See with eyes unclouded', 'Tears of Happiness are the most Beautiful', 'Vahn hits puberty', 'Cyclopean Loan Shark')
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Einlion
Einlion The first chapter of Vol 5. This chapter is going to show Vahn slowly becoming a badass while dealing with the bad guys that want to harm him and his loved ones~!
Fuck em up Vahn!!!
Oh, this chapter is part of Friday's batch. I couldn't sleep since I was so motivated, so I decided to write this one before heading back to bed.
Chapter 75: Unstoppable Momentum
Vahn spent several minutes consoling the crying Hephaestus. Once she was finished she immediately began asking him how he had healed her eye when even the power of the gods was unable to do so. He explained how he was able to heal wounds and scars using a skill called [Hands of Nirvana] with the support of his other healing abilities. What he didn't tell her was that he had infused his blood with the skill after evaporating part of it using the 'eternal flame'. Vahn suspected his blood would be able to remove the mark and was happy to find his conjecture was correct.
Hephaestus suspected there was more to the story, but at this point, her trust toward Vahn was far greater than her curiosity. She knew he would tell her when and if he was able to do so. Seeing the compassion and care in his eyes, she buried her worries deep in her heart before rising from her desk. She walked around the table and embraced Vahn in a powerful hug. She had never been more thankful to someone in all her millions of years of existence.
Vahn returned her embrace and felt the connection shared between them increase as the 'eternal flame' within his heart danced about excitedly. The two continued to hold each other for a long while when Hephaestus suddenly pulled away slightly without letting him go. As she was nearly 15cm taller than Vahn, it was quite awkward hugging the small boy as his face was in line with her breasts. She didn't care that much, but feeling his breath against her made Hephaestus's heart itch.
After creating a bit of distance Hephaestus locked eyes with Vahn before leaning forward and kissing him on the forehead. "I will wait for you to fulfill your promise." Hephaestus smiled before continuing, "Don't take too long." She then gave him a tight hug before releasing the dazed boy. He rubbed his head like a fool before smiling and heading out of the workshop at a fast pace. His heart was beating wildly and he wanted to immediately set out to increase his strength.
Hephaestus watched him leave and collapsed into her chair. She rested her head on her workbench and began to play with the diagram she had been working on previously. Sighing, she began to blame Vahn. "How am I supposed to get any work done today..." She continued fiddling with the documents before getting fed up; Hephaestus closed her eyes and just listened to the rhythm of Vahn's heart and shared in his excitement as a smile adorned her now flawless face.
Vahn virtually ran towards Babel with a fast pace. The crowds parted to allow him passage while giving him curious gazes. From their perspective, they saw a smiling handsome boy that made his way through the traffic of the City streets without any concern or care. Some of the girls that caught sight of the boy became infected by Vahn's atmosphere as they smiled towards his direction and tried to garner his attention. Vahn nodded towards each person that made eye contact with him, but he kept moving forward without a single pause in his stride.
He arrived at the plaza outside Babel in record time before gazing up at the heaven-defying tower. Without further hesitation, Vahn began making his way inside before a thought suddenly passed through his mind. He turned back towards the direction he had just come and remembered he hadn't stopped by to visit Milan and Tina. He contemplated if he should backtrack, but as he had already arrived with so much impetus he didn't want to turn away before he managed to even enter the first floor.
Shaking his head, Vahn entered the first floor of Babel and decided he would buy Tina a present before his next visit. Since she didn't know he had been in the area she wouldn't blame him for failing to stop by. Little did he know that at the time he was running through the streets, a small chestnut-brown haired cat girl had tried and failed to get his attention. She resentfully stared at his fading figure while stamping her foot on the ground. (A/N: RIP Vahn.)
---
Before heading into the dungeon, Vahn approached the information counter and purchased every map and compendium available for the first 18 floors. He also recorded his information, and when the Guild staff noticed him write down the alias 'Vulcan' they gave him a strange look before wishing him well in his endeavors. Vahn thanked them, but after seeing the greyish aura emitted from their body he frowned before turning away.
Vahn didn't know what he did to offend the young man but began preparing his mind for any potential troubles that may arise in the future. He knew his alias would bring him attention from people that had both positive and negative intentions. The staff member was likely someone that resented his rise to fame or was related to one of the groups that would be plotting against him in the future. Unfortunately for them, as Vahn was able to see their intentions through their auras, he was not so easily deceived.
After entering the first floor of the dungeon, Vahn took a deep breath of the cool and stagnant air. This would be the first time he entered the dungeon solo in more than a month. He was looking forward to how far he would be able to go before being forced to return. With a confident smile on his face, Vahn took his first steps towards his second attempt to conquer the dungeon.
During this attempt, Vahn wanted to complete his weapon quest as he was very near the 100,000OP restriction. Since the time he had received the quest nearly two months had passed and Vahn had now spent 81,700 of his 100k restriction. If he couldn't finish it soon, there would be a lot of problems if Vahn wanted to make use of the shop in the future.
(A/N: A refresher for anyone that forgot about the quest)
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[Quest: Birth of a Legend]
Rank: SS
Heroes are as famous as the weapons they wield. Even a lowly squire can become a Legend when wielding a sword forged by the Gods. Condition: Exchange 1,000,000 OP with the system to obtain a random weapon.
Rewards: 'Gacha Function Unlocked', 10+1 Premium Gacha pull, 1000 Karma
Failure Condition: Death, 12 months pass [302D16H28M], Spend more than 100,000 OP [81,700/100,000]
Penalty: All items within the inventory destroyed. Shop Function disabled for 12 months. Equipment items become cursed for 1 month [cursed items cannot be removed]
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As Vahn wanted to use this attempt as a metric for his growth, he decided to clear each floor in sequence instead of skipping to the furthest floor he had unlocked thus far. There were several skills he had developed in secret that he was unable to use when Lili had been present, and he wanted to experiment to see how viable they were before he encountered any real threats.
The first was a function Vahn had discovered only recently and it used a trick with his [Will of the Emperor]'s domain to essentially allow him to auto-loot any items that had traces of magic. As long as Vahn was able to detect the object within his domain he could lock onto it with his aura and place it into his inventory. The most useful aspect of this feature was that Vahn was able to retrieve his weapons immediately if he had to discard them for any reason.
Vahn cut his way through the first four floors of the dungeon without any difficulty at all. Even though his stats hadn't increased nearly as quickly as when he first entered the dungeon, his general awareness and techniques had improved exponentially. After his encounter with the 5-man party, Vahn had polished his [Featherfoot] technique all the way to C after managing to adapt to the 7th stage of the weighted bamboo mechanism. Now he moved uninhibited through the monsters and efficiently slew everything that crossed his path.
After passing through the fifth floor in a similar manner as the first four, Vahn finally arrived on the sixth floor where he encountered his first real challenge. It wasn't that the monsters had suddenly become a threat, but Vahn had developed a vendetta against War Shadows since the incident with Naaza. He wanted to cull their numbers while testing a second ability he had developed after obtaining [Heart of the Eternal Flame].
Vahn had learned from the compendium about the existence of the 'pantry'. Though the main body wasn't found until the 7th floor, there was an extension that branched into the 6th floor where War Shadows and other monsters were known to congregate. They gathered to feed off the substance that emitted from the crystalline structure and it was considered a forbidden zone for small groups of adventurers.
It happened that his new skill was perfect for fighting a group of enemies and Vahn found it the most practical way to test his hypothesis. Ignoring the warning of the compendium, he followed the map he had obtained for the sixth floor and eventually arrived at the pantry. The crystal pillar penetrated through the floor of the dungeon and had an off-green color similar to the walls. Surrounding the pillar were dozens of monsters included a total of nine War Shadows that were hugging the pillar while driving away other monsters.
Vahn put his plan into action and contracted his domain to around 10m, the maximum range he had been able to successfully test his new ability. He began to activate the 'eternal flame' in his heart as his body began to pump with energy-rich blood. The fire elements in the air began to condense and the domain became a hazy gold color that started to blacken the walls and floor. Vahn continued absorbing the fire elements and channeling them directly into his body.
As he now possessed an immunity to all fire below Soul Tier 4, Vahn noticed his body was extremely receptive to absorbing heat without any detriments. This discovery came when he was soaking in the onsen one night and Tsubaki tried to join him. The moment she put her foot in the water she quickly jumped back at the scalding temperature that Vahn simply found 'pleasant'. Before she had arrived he arranged several cores to bring the water to a near boiling point.
Ever since then he tried seeing if he could channel the 'burning' effect of [Heart of the Eternal Flame] into his own body. As he continued absorbing the flame elemental energy into his body he could see the veins within his arms begin to glow in an eerily reminiscent manner. Though Vahn was displeased at the sight, he continued channeling the energy to see if he was able to effectively apply it to any practical use.
After a few minutes, his skin began to glow like super-heated metal while his hands had turned a vibrant golden color that actually began melting his gauntlets. Seeing the peculiar sight, Vahn also became aware that the clothes he was wearing had long dried up and began to smoke. Since then he had purchased flame resistant clothes and had learned to channel the energy into his forearms instead of his entire body.
Now he was able to condense the effects to a greater extent while maintaining an absolute domain around his body that spread out for 10m. Anything within the domain would begin to burn as the flame elemental energy began to take root in their body. This included any exposed soft tissue and sensitive organs like the eyes, nose, and ears of the monsters. Anything that managed to survive through the fire would be dealt with by Vahn's flaming strikes and swordplay.
---
At this point, the monsters had recognized the change in atmosphere. They turned towards the brilliantly golden boy that had begun to illuminate the surroundings. In a rage at having been disturbed, all the monsters began fiercely charging towards the interloper that had ruined their meal. The first to arrive were the War Shadows, the target of Vahn's current vendetta.
The moment they entered the area of the domain they began to wail with a shrieking voice as they tried protecting the core behind their 'eye'. Using their claws, they tried to prevent the heat from damaging their weakness, but the only thing they got for their troubles was Vahn's flaming fingers sinking deep into their exposed bodies.
In a manner similar to the method used by the White Shadow to torment Naaza, Vahn began slowly dismembering the shadowy figures. Though they were generally able to regenerate and reform their bodies, they were unable to do so in this instance due to Vahn's third discovery. He had learned that the 'source energy' within his body had a repressive effect on the mana and magic of this world. If he used the same skill or ability as someone else, his would always appear several tiers higher even at the same level.
As the bodies of the War Shadows were magical constructs, any wounds they sustained from Vahn's hands were slow to heal. Instead, the 'burning' effect only increased the damage they received as they desperately tried to escape from the monster before them. At this point, every monster that had tried to come to their aid was similarly writing on the ground. Some of the weaker monsters had even begun to dry up as their eyes began to burn black with smoke.
Vahn continued slaughtering every monster that appeared in the pantry until his wrath had been appeased. By the end of the day, he had killed a total of 43 War Shadows and more than three-hundred miscellaneous mobs. Calculating his spoils, Vahn had collected a total of 4760OP before he set camp in the corridor connecting the stairs to the rest of the dungeon.
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Calm down there kiddo...','All the world shall turn to ashes, burn [Heart of the Eternal Flame]','Frog Shooter's Natural Enemy', 'RIP Vahn', 'SHINING FINGER!!')
CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Einlion
Einlion
147,810OP for those who are keeping count~
Sleep is for the weak~!
Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
95 Power
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