After entering the Inn, Ryan asked how long Vahn was intended to stay as they made their way to the bar. The owner of the Inn was a stocky boaz man with ruddy-brown hair. Though he had a stern expression, he was still smiling as he made drinks for the customers at the bar.
"I'm not sure how long I'll be staying. It will depend on how things go." Vahn was somewhat distracted as his eyes glanced at the other patrons. Seeing there were no extra malicious auras, he continued tracking the three men from earlier. After Vahn entered the Inn, they all started heading further into the settlement towards the direction of the large tree. Eventually, the exited the area of his domain, which caused Vahn to frown.
"Hey, boss, two rye beers and somethin' strong to get us started!" Ryan flagged down the owner and placed an order loudly next to Vahn. Turning towards the amiable man, Vahn shook his head before separating slightly. "Sorry Ryan, I never drink in the dungeon. No exceptions." Vahn had been told by Tsubaki previously that alcohol was a very dangerous thing. Unless he was celebrating with people he knew or in the comfort of his own home, he should never accept alcohol, especially in a place like a dungeon.
Vahn had never been drunk before, but he had seen the effects on others. He knew it had a debilitating effect on a person's mental state and even caused drowsiness and nausea. Most like as a result of his unique blood, but Vahn had been able to drink almost everyone he drank with under the table. Even a goddess like Hephaestus and the heavy drinking Tsubaki couldn't match him.
Ryan shook his head, "Come now, kiddo. You gotta loosen up on occasion. Even if yer not of age, the fact you're this far in the dungeon more than makes you a man. Let's celebrate our reunion." Ryan still had an amiable smile on his face, and Vahn could see his aura was stable and kind. However, even if it was a fact he couldn't get drunk, Vahn wouldn't put himself at risk with unknown dangers lurking around.
After seeing that his insistence had failed, Ryan gave a sad smile before throwing back a long swig of his beer. Vahn noticed the look and gave an apologetic smile before explaining, "Sorry, Tsubaki, the Captain of my Familia, and the person who helped me train, forbade me from ever drinking inside the dungeon. Even if she never found out, I wouldn't be able to lie to her. As someone far more experience than I am, I listen to her advice, as it will probably be what keeps me alive."
Hearing Vahn, Ryan smiled and nodded while sipping at his drink. "Good kid. You'll live a lot longer than most with that kind of discipline. Here, even if you can't drink, you can still share a toast with this old fool." Lifting his glass towards Vahn, Vahn used his own glass of water to accept the toast.
"Cheers!!","Cheers." The two said at the same time which caused Ryan to laugh after seeing how serious Vahn was. They continued to make small talk and discuss the results of their recent ventures. Ryan explained how his sons were just recently promoted to Level 2, and that they belonged to a C rank Familia run by the God Caerus.
Ryan's role was the lieutenant of the Familia, and he had brought his sons to the middle-floors so they could get some experience. Who would have thought that, on the same trip, he nearly lost the both of them due to their encounter with the Purple Wyvern? Claiming his god's Divinity was based on 'luck', Ryan toasted loudly to the bar and ordered drinks for the other nine customers.
Vahn enjoyed the atmosphere before refusing the offer to stay at the Inn. Though they only charged 18 magic cores a night, Vahn had no intentions of staying in the area. After the men he was tracking left his domain, he had been intending to leave the vicinity after eating a hearty meal. Vahn wasn't willing to stay in the area the men had last seen him, especially if he didn't know their purpose or where they had gone. He intended to leave the settlement entirely and seek refuge in the forests until things became clear.
After parting with Ryan, who tried insisting that he stay, Vahn made his way around Rivira and marked every building on his map. He was also looking for the men with the dark auras, but after identifying all 118 buildings within the area, he was prevented from continuing his search. Further down the main road of Rivira, there was a gate that was manned by a large group that was much more organized than the entrance to the settlement. They prevented Vahn from venturing further inwards unless he was accompanied by a large party or was able to identify himself as a Level 4 or higher.
After investigating a bit, Vahn completely ignored the men and made his way to a secluded area before entering stealth and jumping over the wall. He noticed there was some kind of mechanism to detect intruders, but it didn't seem to trigger with Vahn's presence. He looked around and noticed most of the buildings were far apart and much higher class than the ones in Rivira. It seemed like these were the camps/buildings that had been set up by the stronger Familia as a staging point for further exploration into the lower floors.
Vahn assumed there were likely Level 3 or higher adventurers within the area and that it would be dangerous to go further. If he was caught infiltrating a forbidden area, it would cause a lot of problems when he visits the 18th floor in the future. There was also the matter that, Vahn didn't have confidence in concealing himself from people much stronger than himself. There were all kinds of people with unique skills and abilities that could help them discover his presence. Not to mention any mages would be able to detect the presence of his domain if they were strong enough.
Resolving himself to increase the level of his [Stealth] in the future, Vahn leaped back over the wall and made his way to the entrance of Rivira. He left them a 'holding' fee and registered his identification so he would be able to enter without difficulties in the future. To prevent any trouble, he also demonstrated his 'magic' that allowed him to transform. The men were surprised, but Vahn made certain they annotated his transformation so that others don't randomly attack him in the future.
Vahn had grown accustomed to being in his Báihǔ form, especially in places like the dungeon where he always had to remain cautious. It was hard giving up the enhanced senses and reduces parameters when he was walking around with unseen enemies lurking. After making his way several hundred meters from Rivira, he split off into the woods and disappeared into the depths.
---
Several minutes after Vahn left the settlement, a group of seven figures appeared along the route he had taken. They were each wearing dark clothes and had cloaks that concealed their faces. After coming to the spot where Vahn had entered the woods, one of the figures bent down low and inspected the ground. Noticing the tracks had turned to the woods, they sniffed around in the air before making hand signs to the other cloaked figures.
They all nodded before branching out and entering into the woods. If Vahn had been in the area, he would have noticed that each of their eyes reflected the light coming from the crystals. Like him, they too could see in the dark. Without being restricted by the overgrowth of the forest, the group continued into the darkness, heading towards the direction Vahn had left in.
---
Vahn hadn't been going at a very fast pace, as he had not expected people to follow him outside of the settlement and into the forest. This didn't mean he had dropped his guard though, as he had dispersed his aura into the forest and was actively using his stealth as he made his way further into the forested trails. He was looking for a clearing or a water source so that he could bathe and clean his clothing before finding a nice tall tree to rest in.
While he was making his way forward, Vahn detected 'anomalous' presences in his domain. Unlike normal presences, they seemed to be somewhat 'transparent' and hazy, but Vahn was still able to detect them. He slowed down and equipped his [Scout's Guille Suit] while crouching low to the ground. For a group to be trying to conceal themselves while following his path, Vahn didn't expect they had good intentions.
---
The group of seven continued tracking their target before slowing their advance to a crawl. The 'leader' of the group made a hand sign and they slowly started to fan out. As they specialized in tracking, they were very capable of following their prey undetected. The fact that the forest had suddenly become 'silent' triggered the instincts of the leader so they split their team into a wider net.
Following the trail, the hooded figure slowly crept forward with perfectly silent footsteps. They kept their eyes open to the smallest movements and perked their ears to listen for any hushed breathing. It was uncommon for their target to simply vanish, so the leader assumed they had been detected which caused their prey to hide in the vicinity. The curious thing was the fact that, even with their enhanced senses, the group was unable to find any sign of the boy other than his trail.
---
Vahn had identified a total of seven people within his domain and they seemed to be on very high alert. Though they had yet to find him, Vahn was impressed with how much caution they showed the moment he stopped moving. From his perspective, Vahn could see the figure closest to him moving silently through the underbrush. It was actually amazing how the person seemed to meld into the sounds of nature and moved without disturbing any loose twigs or grass.
After watching the group slowly advance, Vahn began to realize that none of them triggered his 'instincts'. Every time Vahn had ever fought someone stronger than him or entered a dangerous area, something inside of him seemed to react and cause him to act more cautious. The fact none of these people made him feel that way made Vahn believe they were weaker than he was.
By now the closest figure was within 7m of his position, a distance Vahn could cover in the time it took to blink. Tensing his legs and putting strength into one of his palms for support, Vahn launched himself forward with his maximum velocity. The moment his feet left the ground, the sounds of wind tearing exploded through the area as the trees and grass began to rustle furiously.
The leader that had been closest to Vahn's position was shocked hearing the explosive sound but still managed to keep their cool as they tried taking evasive actions. Unfortunately, just as Vahn assumed, they were all Level 2 and much slower than Vahn was. Unable to evade, the figure tried attacking towards Vahn with a dagger, but Vahn received it with his left gauntlet before driving his claws into to the figure's stomach.
Groaning, the cloaked figure collapsed to the ground while trying to put pressure on their stomach to slow the bleeding. Vahn wasn't simply faster than they were, he was also much stronger as well. Since the group specialized in speed and stealth, they had no hope of receiving his attacks head-on, so the hooded figure paid the price.
The rest of the group immediately tried surrounding and attacking Vahn, but due to the seven months he had spent in the forest, and the fact he had increased his [Featherfoot] to rank B, Vahn was able to make excellent use of the terrain. Within two minutes, more than half of the group had been maimed or disabled, and the rest began feeling intense fear inside of them. They didn't expect the young boy who had only recently become Level 2 to be so ferocious.
After Vahn took out another one of their companions, the remaining two figures tried to retreat in opposite directions. Seeing their attempt, Vahn scoffed before equipping his bow. He took aim at the figures who had abandoned all thought of attacking him and entered his stealth state. Even if there were other people nearby, as long as his target was unaware of his presence, Vahn could make use of a skill he had grown fond of recently. Loosing the arrow, Vahn activated [Call of the Reaper] and fired toward each retreating figure.
Unable to sense the approaching arrow, the two fleeing figures ended up taking the hit straight into the back of their pelvic areas. Vahn had targeted a non-lethal spot that would prevent them from recovering even with the use of a potion. So far, he hadn't killed any of them as he still wanted information. As everyone was still within the area of his domain, Vahn would be able to sense if anyone recovered or tried to sneak attack him.
Vahn made his way toward the first figure who was still clutching their gut. The person had tried to pour a potion onto the wound, but it was healing at a very slow rate. As Vahn had imbued his 'burning' effect into the attack, just like with all his previous enemies, the wound was slow to regenerate. The figure noticed Vahn's approach and tried attacking with a concealed weapon that was as black as the night.
Vahn, with his night vision and high perception, easily detected the attack and caught the blade out of the air. It was a strangely shaped blade that was solid black in color and had a subtle, yet foul smelling, odor wafting from it.
Frowning, Vahn threw the small knife into the knee of the hooded figure. The blade shattered the kneecap and embedded itself deeply into the area between the two bones. The figure, who Vahn had identified as a man by the scream, began writhing in pain as froth built up in their mouth. It seems like the poison was a fast reacting kind, and without an antidote, the man would probably die within a minute.
Without any hesitation, Vahn pulled out his tamahagane blade and severed the man's leg. The man screamed out, but Vahn focused his intent through [Will of the Emperor] and caused him to freeze. Using his [Hands of Nirvana] Vahn helped 'pull' the poison from his system while also taking the time to sever the tendons in the man's arms using his claws.
"Start talking."
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Spooky','Assassins vs. Reaper','Wrekt')
I know I said I was probably only going to submit 2 chapter today. But 'probably' doesn't mean I will ONLY submit two~
The man remained silent after hearing Vahn's demand. Looking around, he could see that all of his companions were still breathing so he released a sigh. Vahn waited for the man to speak, but after seeing him remain silent for more than twenty seconds, Vahn removed the hood masking the man's features. The moment the hood was removed, Vahn saw two pointy black ears reveal themselves.
The 'man' ended up being more like a 'boy', as he looked to be around 13-14 years old. Though the boy's face was pale from the pain and bloodloss, Vahn could see his skin was a natural olive-brown color. Atop his dark-brown, almost black, hair stood two large pointed ears covered in fur. The ears were unlike any cat person or chienthrope Vahn had ever seen before. The most notable features of the boy were the pale gold markings on his face and the pale-red wine colored eyes.
The large-eared boy continued to stare at Vahn with a hint of blame and anger in his brows. He seemed to be contemplating something and kept looking toward his leg that had been severed by Vahn previously. When Vahn had removed the poison earlier, he also channeled his energy into the leg to re-attach it. The boy hadn't recovered its use due to his shattered knee, but with rehabilitation, he would be able to walk again.
Vahn, though he didn't care about the hooded figures, noticed none of them had the black auras as the previous three he had observed earlier. Though there was no doubt they were tracking him, Vahn didn't think they were after his life. The only things that confused him were the black knife and the reason they had to track him in the first place.
"I said talk. The longer you stall, the worse their injuries become." Vahn gestured towards the people laying on the ground. The boy followed his hand as his frown grew deeper. After a few more seconds of hesitation, he grits his teeth and asks, "Will you make a vow to spare them if I talk?"
Vahn frowned in turn before responding, "I will vow to spare them if they do not pursue or attack me. But, you must also vow to speak the truth or I won't hesitate to go back on my word." Vahn looked into the boy's eyes and after a few seconds the boy raised his hand and made the oath. As they both possessed crests, they were bound by their vows or risked permanently losing their falna and bearing the mark of a curse.
Vahn, after waiting for the boy to finish, also made his vow using their agreed upon terms. Aftward, he recovered the bodies of the other hooded figures and unmasked them. Vahn did this to allay the doubts of the boy and make him speak more easily. Even if he was bound by a vow to tell the truth, there were loopholes to everything. After he had gathered everyone, Vahn noticed their auras became more stable after seeing that everyone was alive.
"Speak. Tell me why you were tracking me and what you intended to do when you found me." Vahn moved about 3m away and surveyed his 'captives'. Like the boy, they were all very young, most looking to be around 10-13 years of age. They had the same colored skin, dark hair, and pointy ears that seemed a size too large for their heads. Among the group of seven, there were four males and three females. The males all had golden markings on their faces while the females had red markings. Each of them had the same light-red wine eyes. (A/N: I want to say rose-colored so badly.)
The boy, who Vahn believed to be their leader, nodded as he began explaining their purpose. It turns out they were foreigners from the Southern Sands and belonged to the Anubis Familia who had followed their Goddess into the City only recently. Their orders were to track Vahn down and, if possible, capture him and bring him to their Goddess. The boy said he didn't know why his Goddess wanted to meet Vahn, but that she was acting at the request of a God called Osiris. They didn't know what agreement Osiris had with their Goddess but he seemed very hostile towards Vahn. Members of the Osiris Familia had tipped them off earlier about Vahn's existence, so the group had set out in pursuit.
Vahn listened to the story and became confused. He couldn't understand why a god he had never even heard of was hostile towards him. According to the boy, Osiris had also just recently entered Orario, so there should be no connection between him and Vahn. After asking a few questions to allay his concerns, Vahn's frown only grew deeper after receiving no real answer. Lastly, Vahn decided to ask questions about the Anubis Familia.
"What is with your group? Why are you all kids, and I'm not sure what race you are." Though it wasn't uncommon to have children in a Familia, the fact that the entire group seemed younger than him and yet they were expected to track others was odd to Vahn.
The boy frowned like he was insulted before he answered, "We're chienthropes, but all the members of the Southern Tribe have dark hair and pointed ears. We've been trained by our Noble Goddess Anubis to track criminals and possess an unrivaled sense of sight and smell. Lady Anubis taught us how to survive and saved us from the life of a street orphan. Don't look down on us just because we're young!"
Vahn noticed that while the boy was letting out his frustrations, his ears began to twitch which made his anger seem more comical than threatening. He stifled a laugh, which the boy seemed to realize as he started gritting his teeth.
Vahn shook his head and sighed. "I can't meet your goddess now, as I'm on a mission, but as long as she harbors no ill will towards me she can always pass a message to my goddess Hephaestus. After I've finished my mission, I don't mind meeting her personally." Vahn didn't believe that someone who took in orphans was a bad person. The fact their orders were just to capture him was enough evidence to convince him.
A thought passed through his mind, so Vahn asked,"That knife. What kind of poison was on it?" Vahn remembered that, even though the boy claimed to only want to capture him, he tried using a poisoned knife to attack at the end. Remembering how the boy frothed at the mouth, Vahn thought it was a very potent toxin.
The boy answered, "It's a poison that causes people to become disoriented and eventually pass out." After hearing the words, Vahn was confused. "Why did you froth at the mouth and act like you were dying then?" The boy flinched when Vahn asked his question and looked at him with an incredulous expression. "You threw the knife into my kneecap and shattered it! It fucking hurt!!!" The boy yelled the words with tears in his eyes.
Seeing the tears and hearing the boy shout, Vahn began to feel guilty about his own actions. He had noticed none of them had black auras, so maybe he should have held back more...Shaking his head, Vahn decided he wasn't wrong to take the actions he did. If he didn't have 'View Affection', there was no way he could have recognized them as anything other than assassins. They were very lucky he hadn't killed them all, as he would have been justified in doing so according to common logic.
---
They continued to talk for a while longer while Vahn began treating their wounds. None of them tried to attack him, and they even had a bit of fear in their expressions as they accepted his treatment. Vahn felt especially bad for the two he had shot with the arrows earlier. They were both girls, around twelve years old, and he had hit them in the area right above their bushy tails. Even after he healed them, they looked at him with eyes of resentment after having to expose their backs to him.
Though Vahn felt awkward under their gazes, he pretended to be unperturbed and helped treat the entire group. After everything was done, Vahn wrote a letter that the goddess Anubis would be able to pass on to Hephaestus if she had no ill intent. Vahn trusted Hephaestus to see through the unknown Goddess, so if she didn't receive the letter he would know it was a trap. Handing the letter to the boy, who had identified himself as Rasui, Vahn allowed them to leave.
After a few minutes, the group had left the range of his domain and Vahn released a heavy sigh. At least he managed to obtain information about some of the people scheming against him. The letter also informed Hephaestus about the ill intent of the god Osiris, and he believed she would take action after knowing. With the speed of the group and the fact they held resentment towards Osiris's lackeys after this event, they would be out of the dungeon by tonight. If things went well, Hephaestus would receive the letter early tomorrow morning.
---
After trekking through the forest for half an hour, Vahn finally came to a clearing that had a small pond that was fed by a creek. Taking the opportunity while no-one was around, Vahn took a bath and washed his clothes. The water was incredibly cold, but Vahn could keep himself warm by channeling his [Heart of the Eternal Flame]. Not only did it make him fireproof, but by activating it he could resist the cold as well.
Once he had finished bathing, Vahn spent an hour mapping the area. Even though Rasui's group didn't have any malicious intent, it didn't change the fact there were still members of the Osiris Familia that wanted to harm him. He would have to keep on-guard until he was able to return to the City and sort things out with Hephaestus and Anubis. Hopefully, Anubis was the noble person her children believed her to be, and Vahn wouldn't have to guard himself against two Familia at once.
He at least had the benefit of meeting members of the Anubis Familia and identifying them. According to Rasui, every member of the Familia was a chienthrope from the Southern Tribe, so Vahn was able to recognize their members by smell as long as he was in his Báihǔ form. Osiris seems to have formed his Familia after entering Orario, unlike Anubis who had migrated her people into the City.
Vahn looked around the area until he found a tree with a large canopy with poor visibility from the ground. Climbing to one of the larger branches, Vahn stretched himself out before laying on the branch. Vahn had long possessed the ability to remain absolutely still while sleeping, so even laying on a branch wasn't dangerous. Spreading out his domain, Vahn slowly drifted off to sleep after inspecting his status.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Stats]]
Name: [Vahn Mason]
Age: 14
Race: Human, *sealed*
Parameter: [Danmachi: 1-4]
-Level:2(+)(2)
-Power:1001+(B714)->(B760)
-Endurance:1108+(S998)->(SS1019)
-Dexterity:887+(C686)->(B737)
-Agility:940+(B751)->(A822)
-Magic:1611+(SS1072)-(SSS1114)
Total:5547+(4221)->(4452)
Soul Strength: Tier 2 (Hero Soul)
[Karma]: 1,219
[OP]: 234,241
[Valis]: 171,630
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(A/N: Vahn didn't kill a lot of monsters on the 17th floor as they were usually alone or small groups. Also, you don't gain exilia from fighting or killing the sentient species and those with falna unless its an official duel where you made a vow. Murder isn't really accepted by the gods~!)
Title: Osiris : Anubis
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn uses his brain','Vahn : Bully','Ouch!','RIP Osiris')
I wonder if this is what everyone expected from the last chapter~?
I tried setting Vahn up in a lot of cliche situations and then made him do the 'smart' thing instead of the 'cliche' protagonist immune to everything way. I always thought it was dumb seeing a 'weak' protag being able to hide from a 'demigod' or someone WAAAAAAAY stronger than they are.
I know that sounds weird after the Juggernaut chapter, but they are two different situations~!
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