Chapitre 835: 50th Floor

After the initial barrage from Vahn's fingertips, the Fomoire below entered into a panic, rushing forward in a mad frenzy in accordance with their base instincts. However, his elimination of the Variant-Species and Mages had crippled the threat level of the wave of monsters while also buying time for Fenrir, Haruhime, and Lefiya to finish their chants. Fenrir's and Haruhime's magic caused massive explosions of ice and snow to decimate large groups of Fomoire within a blast zone of several kilometers. As for Lefiya, she completed her chant and summoned seventeen aetherial Valkyries that were formed from wind. They charged into the horde of Fomoire and began cutting through the mass of enemies like a gale sweeping through a field of wheat. The attacks of the Valkyries were extremely lethal while any attempt by the Fomoire to retaliate had their attacks pass through the Valkyries' formless bodies without any effect.

Not content with just seventeen summons, Lefiya consumed a mana potion and summoned another seventeen, repeating this process several times until there were more than a hundred unstoppable Valkyries of wind cutting through the flood of goat-like creatures. Vahn noticed how hard she was working and sent her a bit of his own source energy to make use of, empowering her to continue while he focused on keeping his reserves relatively full. He wanted to stay in his transformed state until the expedition had completely cleared out the Floor and planned to annihilate the Balor once it showed up. Though he didn't mind leaving it to the girls, so that they could gain experience, Vahn didn't know what was waiting for them on the 50th Floor and wanted everyone at their peak.

With the window of opportunity provided by the girls' bombardment, Vahn looked over the supplies remaining in the wagons and began to purchase bulk goods from the system shop in order to replenish the reserves. Even if some individuals within the expedition were weak, it was difficult to discredit the might of nearly two-thousand people firing magically enhanced crossbows. At the very least, they would be able to take out most of the fodder enemies that would spawn during an emergency situation. Since there were barrier wards placed within each wagon, which only prevented attacks from entering, they would be able to hold out for a few hours against anything below the strength of a Monster Rex.

After topping up the supplies, Vahn looked towards Tiona and saw her practically dancing around with the banner in her hands. She seemed to be riled up quite a bit so he sent her a small nod that caused the giddy Amazoness to charge into the horde of Fomoire without any hesitation. Since she was already in her [Pactio] form, Tiona was an unstoppable force within the group of Level 4-5 monsters, brandishing the banner as if it were a weapon she had used for years. Vahn felt a little awkward, as he had intended for her to return the banner to his hands, but he remained stoic and expressionless without calling her back. Instead, he tried to familiarize himself with the six wings at his back, noticing they responded to his thoughts but didn't actually seem to have any function outside of aesthetics.

Until now, he didn't really know why the 'armament' took on the various forms it did and assumed it had something to do with the structure of the spells. He wanted to look into it more in the future as it would be pretty interesting to be able to control the form he took without having to forcibly change it after transforming. Still, he found his current appearance to be rather inspiring and, given the fervent and reverential looks some of the expedition members were giving him, Vahn didn't make any alterations. Instead, he just continued to target any Variants that popped up and, when his reserves were near full, sent energy to the girls to keep them supplemented for the duration of the battle.

As their progress hadn't been slowed by much, the expedition continued towards the center of the Floor and Vahn was finally able to sense the Balor within his range. It was currently waiting to try and ambush them with its explosive emergence strategy, something which brought a small smile to his face. He extended his hands forward and noticed that his six wings also curled in slightly, alerting Vahn to their 'purpose' as the feathery tips began to condense mana. It seemed that his wings also served as a catalyst for producing the beams of light from [Sagitta Magicka] so Vahn cracked and even larger smile as he sent forth a volley of sixteen lasers with Source Energy contained within.

The Balor, which had been biding its time and waiting to assault the expedition, now found itself with several beams of light penetrating straight through its magic core, continuing into the Dungeon beyond as if it's body had been nothing more than an illusion. This time, Vahn didn't even need to use [Enkidu] and, as he had targetted the magic core directly, the Balor immediately turned into dust before most people were even aware it was present. Since it had still been underground, this caused a geyser of purple dust to explode from the Dungeon Floor as monster core fragments began to rain down. Vahn couldn't help but laugh out a little, unable to even hear his own voice with the chaotic explosions and loud cheering coming from the expedition...

Knowing that there was an enemy within the Dungeon that had the means to influence monsters, nobody on the expedition was expecting the 50th Floor to truly be a safe zone any longer. Instead of relaxing their tensions and celebrating their successful conquest, everyone remained on guard as the carts and wagons were brought closer together. The pace they had been moving at caused a bit of a slinky-effect and Vahn wanted to make sure everyone was properly formed up before making the final push. This was also an opportunity for people to eat rations, drink some water, and tend to any damaged equipment. Vahn never really managed to crack the mechanics behind what made a [Whetstone] work, but there were more than a hundred Hephaestus Familia members present that could perform spot-maintenance.

After around an hour, as Vahn also wanted to give them time to eat and do things like use the bathroom, always an awkward affair, he took up the banner again and pressed forward into the 50th Floor. Tensions immediately reached a critical level and Vahn could feel his own bubbling up as he descended the large staircase leading to the 50th Floor and passed through the massive natural archway that served as its entrance.

Vahn had used the hour-long rest to transition into his 'Lightning Emperor' form so he was ready for anything that might appear before him. There was a shroud of bluish-white electricity crackling around his body while his long and spikey hair would periodically crackle with sparks. This was, inarguably, the strongest form he could manage as it provided the greater offensive potential than almost anything in the record could conceivably deal with. Not only was his power output immense, but the sheer speed he could achieve was simply beyond the perception of even powerful Level 8 enemies with developed Innates of their own. This gave Vahn the confidence that he could deal with whatever Enyo would throw at them. Thus, without any hesitation, Vahn chose to enter the 50th Floor, finding that the only thing awaiting them were ashen trees, white stones, and complete emptiness...

This had caught Vahn slightly off guard but he didn't show any discernable changes in expression as he turned back and said, "Fenrir, Ais, Tiona, do a quick sweep of the Floor and see if you can't find any enemies in hiding. I'll keep watch and react if there are any changes..." With his current speed, Vahn would be able to react to anything that happened within the 200km wide room in an instant. If he didn't restrain himself, it was possible to achieve speeds near 300,000km/s, even if he wouldn't really have any control outside of 'aiming' himself.

While the three started flying around and looking for enemies, Vahn descended to the Dungeon floor and gestured Finn to his side, handing the banner back to the confused Pallum as he said, "Given Enyo's behavior thus far, this could very well be a trap meant to lull us into a false sense of security. We will begin laying the foundation for the settlement in accordance with our original plans...though they don't have to be on high alert the entire time, make sure there is a proper guard rotation. Let people get plenty of rest, but advise them to only do so if they are half-geared or greater..."

Since Enyo was supposedly a goddess of War, Vahn suspected she was employing a tactic to try and drain their morale by having them remain tense for a long period of time. Given how much of a hassle it was to even reach the 50th Floor, the tensions of everyone within the expedition were already very high. If nothing happened for an extended period of time, it was almost an instinctual response for people to become complacent. It was during such moments, when the defenses were lax, that an 'army' was the most susceptible to an attack. If something to the extent of what happened as Lil Geirr occurred, before proper defenses could be established, the number of casualties would be far greater...

Finn understood Vahn's concerns, giving a curt nod as he said, "Don't worry, though I can't speak on behalf of the construction crews, most of the Adventurers here are seasoned veterans. So long as we help bolster positive morale during meal times, everything else can be addressed based on the 'mood' within the encampment." This current situation wasn't that dissimilar to previous ones, the only exception being that they had an 'enemy' that was proactively targetting them. Even so, as they couldn't exactly retreat after coming this far, they would simply have to deal with any changes as things developed...

While Finn was organizing the somewhat confused expedition, Vahn continued to watch the small lights that represented the mana shrouds around the girls' bodies. They had already been flying around for a few minutes and were beginning to slowly double back, searching for any enemies hidden within the ashen forests below. Since they hadn't found anything in the first pass, Vahn gave the order to proceed forward and began doing his own sweep of the Floor while the expedition marched the 100km to the center of the Floor. Vahn made sure to check the location where Haven would be built before anything else, confirming that there were no discernable signs of sabotage. Even the small encampment they had built in the past was still present, looking almost unchanged since the last time they were on the 50th Floor...

Since it would be the location of Haven, Vahn closely inspected the area and even used his [Eyes of Truth] to probe into the ground. Though he found some incredibly rare mineral veins, which he promptly looted into his Inventory, Vahn didn't see any indicator that Enyo's forces had made any preparations at all for them. It was almost like she was doing the opposite of almost everything he expected or...if he considered it in greater detail, it was possible that Enyo may have a better understanding of him than believed...

Other than the plant-like mutated monsters, and the Variant species under her control, it didn't seem like Enyo's actual forces were that great. The Variants may have the restriction of only being able to command monsters on specific Floors and, as he had already demonstrated the ability to wipe out an entire wave of the caterpillar monsters, Enyo may have decided it simply wasn't worth throwing away her forces without any gains. Since it was impossible for Enyo to have control over the entire Dungeon, these conclusions seemed to make sense and, given how things had progressed till this point, Vahn believed he might actually have gleaned some understanding of the mysterious goddess...

If his deduction proved correct, Enyo would likely go with his original speculation and try to trap them in the Dungeon instead of fighting directly. They would need to send scouts into the upper Floors to make sure their path wasn't cut off and, in order to keep Enyo on her toes, Vahn was contemplating venturing into the 59th and 60th Floor to cause some havoc of his own. He had several attacks that could pierce through Floors and, even without fighting against her directly, Vahn was certain he could cause her some problems.

The downsides to this course of action was the fact that he had almost no information about Enyo's reserves. There were also numerous people that were likely being kept as captives for Enyo's schemes and, knowing they wouldn't all be like Olivas, Vahn didn't want to unnecessarily take the lives of 'innocents'. After all, any one of those people, including Enyo herself, could have information about Ais' and Rufina's past, something Vahn had promised to help uncover. If he shot lasers or pillars of lightning into the 60th Floor, there was no way of knowing who would get caught in the crossfire...

Realizing he was beginning to fall back into his cycle of overthinking things, Vahn focused internally and saw the 'ocean' within his body was currently very tumultuous. He was now beginning to understand why so many texts related to being a good Ruler discussed assigning capable personnel to contemplate over these types of matters. It should be his duty to make decisions based on the available variables, not try to analyze and create variables within his mind that would drive his actions forward. Since there were so many 'unknowns' right now, the only thing he 'needed' to do was obtain more information.

With a small nod of his head, directed towards no-one in general, Vahn opened his eyes and felt the 'ocean' within stabilize. He looked down towards the spot where Haven would stand and made a solemn conviction within his heart to protect what it represented, hope. If Enyo wanted to play these games, he would slowly tear apart all of her plans until the only things remaining were broken plans and, if necessary, an even more broken goddess. He would systematically analyze and wipe out any of the forces she had seeded in the surrounding Floors and slowly claim this territory as part of the Alliance. Though she might have some influence over the Dungeon, Vahn knew she wasn't in control and, with a certain True Dragon at his side, Vahn knew that influence could be taken from her...

Though he didn't have an image to associate with Enyo in his mind, Vahn still imagined an angry and frustrated goddess pulling her hair out in frustration after he tore apart what could have been a thousand years of planning. He even sent a silent prayer, wondering if she would be able to hear it as a goddess, encouraging her to reflect on her future decisions if she wanted to avoid an even harsher punishment...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'RIP Balor-chan...never gets any screentime','The pitfalls of man xD...','Enyo-chama needs a spanking...')

https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu <-(p.atreon link)

paypal.me/Einlion

Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

commentaire Commentaire 61

Voter

Chapitre 836: Migration

With preparations on the surface going relatively smoothly, even though it involved a very rapid deconstruction of Loki's Manor, Vahn and the Xenos had already started their migration to the surface. They were one of the most likely targets for Enyo and, though none of the 'changed' Xenos had shown up during his stay, Vahn felt that a large-scale attack might occur if he left them alone. He had never discovered the exact means Enyo's forces were using to obtain information through the Dungeon but was certain they must know about his presence within the Xenos' Hidden Village.

Though his presence in two locations may be very confusing for them, they apparently didn't have the means of using more powerful pawns in the Middle and Upper Floors, something Vahn wanted to look into when he had time. He speculated that it was either related to the energy density on the Floors, making it harder for strong monsters to survive for long periods of time as they went higher up, or that Babel Tower's sealing effect got stronger towards the surface. Thus far, he hadn't been able to determine how exactly Babel Tower was sealing the Dungeon but, after seeing the massive formation situated behind Ouranos' throne, Vahn knew the two were related...

It was very likely that forces he simply couldn't comprehend, at least for the time being, were at play. Since even his 'Emperor' self had been unable to circumvent this issue, Vahn knew there 'had' to be something going on behind the scenes, especially since the version of himself in the Divination had been rather overbearing in the actions he took. However, instead of worrying about such things, Vahn was trying to focus on the tasks at hand, specifically the establishment of Haven and the migration of the Xenos. His main body was currently leading the expedition towards the 50th Floor while his Avatar was protecting the small congregation of Xenos as they took the safest paths available towards the surface...

As there were simply no other means to transport her, Vahn ended up in a rather unique situation where he was using Water Elemental manipulation to create a sphere of water that contained a very excited Marie. She would periodically send small jets of water to splash him and seemed to be enjoying the strangeness of the situation while most of the other Xenos, somewhat against Vahn's expectations, weren't tense at all. They made their way through the Dungeon as if it was their backyard, not minding the noise they were making or showing any great concerns for their safety. This was a combination of the fact that the weaker Xenos had full confidence in their leaders, which now seemingly included Vahn himself, and the fact that their instincts and senses were extremely developed. If there was any actual danger, even Marie would become alert in an instant, causing most monsters to get immediately taken out without Vahn having to do anything...

This ended up being for the best as, other than maintaining the sphere of water for Marie, Vahn currently had a 'backpack' shaped like an adorable Arachne-Xenos. Naho seemed to have the ability to cling to him even while she was asleep, so Vahn was carrying the tuckered out Xenos who had stayed awake throughout the night out of excitement. Most of the Xenos with 'immature' mentalities had a stronger desire to live amongst the surface or, at the very least, they were more open about it. The Xenos who had developed more mature mentalities were better at keeping their thoughts and emotions under control, typically serving as leaders and counsel to their...less intellectually inclined kin.

It only took around two hours to reach one of the connection points between Knossos and the Dungeon, something the Xenos were very aware of since the existence of Knossos was one of their banes. Now, though there were likely more than a few secrets still pertaining to the artificial dungeon, Vahn could lead them through it safely and disarm any traps that would bar their safe passage. Once they reached the elevator shaft, it was apparent that others were still at least trying to make use of Knossos for their own purposes, as the elevator platform was located a few Floors above.

Vahn spent a few minutes figuring out how the mechanism worked before calling the platform to them, noticing that the majority of the 'supplies' were now missing. He would have to investigate the lower fifteen Floors of Knossos in the future but, for the time being, simply made the elevator return to the first subterranean Floor. The elevator moved rather slowly and, more so than when they were in the Dungeon, many of the Xenos were becoming tense. Even Naho, who had woken up from the loud noises of the elevator, was clinging to him with greater strength. Her small arms were trembling a little, causing Vahn to lightly pet her head as he spoke loud enough for everyone to hear, saying, "Don't worry. Even if the entire City of Orario wanted to bring you harm, the Alliance would never allow it. Just trust me...I will protect you all."

Though not everyone in the Alliance would be okay with the Xenos from the start, it was already the official policy that their organization supported the equal rights of all Xenos. Anyone that tried to cause trouble would have to make the choice of distancing themselves from the Alliance and becoming blacklisted. Since very few people had a prejudice strong enough to sacrifice their livelihoods for something that was essentially unrelated to them, the majority of those within the Alliance would just 'accept' the Xenos passively. They may not rally to the protection of the Xenos but, so long as they weren't causing trouble, Vahn didn't really mind letting their perception change with time...

Since the lowest Affection he had amongst Xenos was now 95, with the majority actually around 98 and 99, many of them had relaxed after hearing Vahn's words. This caused Vahn's desire to protect them to become even stronger as, even in the distant past, he had always endeavored to meet the expectations of those that placed their trust in him. Since his impression of the Xenos was almost at an extreme level now, Vahn didn't care if the entire world opposed his decision to support and protect them. No matter how much time it took, he would create a better world where, not just the Xenos, but all peoples could live freely and seek the happiness everyone intrinsically deserved...

(A/N: Vahn is a Beyond-Omega Level Idealist...)

After around twenty minutes, the elevator platform reached the highest Floor, which Vahn had already mapped completely in the past. He confidently led the way forward until they were nearing the main entrance of Knossos, encountering two members of the Freya Familia along the way. Since Freya had already received notice that he would be returning with the Xenos, her Familia members weren't surprised by the 'horde' of monsters behind Vahn. Instead, they both saluted with stoic indifference before one of them began ringing a bell. Following this sound, several other bells began ringing further away, resonating with each other to alert those stationed around the first Floor that Vahn had returned.

Seeing the 'respect' other surface-dwellers showed Vahn, many of the Xenos released a sigh of relief and, while passing the two guards, some of them even tried greeting them. To the guards' credit, they managed to remain relatively unperturbed, at least until the more powerful and humanoid Xenos passed by them. Since Gryuu, a Green Dragon that was nearly 14m long, was also amongst their entourage, the two guards had to reposition themselves to make room as Gryuu, with a deep voice, said, "Pardon me..." and squeezed his way through.

Upon reaching the surface, Vahn wasn't surprised by the fact that Freya was waiting for him while several hundred members of her Familia had created a cordon around the entire district. The Alliance had already cleared out the area around Knossos' entrance and had started to tear down the surrounding region to construct their future headquarters. Even so, being surrounded by relatively strong Adventurers had caused the Xenos to become somewhat tense, even as Vahn gestured for them to remain calm. He then removed Naho from his back as, though Freya was relatively docile these days, Vahn knew she wasn't truly understanding of 'any' kind of relationship he had with other women.

Even with this being the case, Freya retained her elegant appearance as she walked forward, long legs causing her hips to snake seductively with each step taken. Then, as if it were perfectly natural, Freya reached her arms forward and attempted to hug him. However, before completing the act, there was a brief pause which brought a small smile to Vahn's face as he stepped forward to complete the embrace. He stroked the back of her hair and whispered, "I almost thought you were going to misbehave a little..." This caused Freya's body to shudder slightly as she whispered in a somewhat pitiable tone, "Maybe I'm a little jealous after your other body played around at the Manor...please don't tease me too much..."

Releasing a slight chuckle at Freya's antics, Vahn stroked the side of her immaculately sculpted face and gave her a rather long kiss, even if it was very 'tame'. At the same time, he moved his hand along the side of her body, sending energy through his fingertips that caused Freya's aura to begin flaring up. He didn't do anything too untoward, especially since it would potentially cause dissent amongst some of her 'children', but knew she would appreciate his touch, even if but a little. By the time they separated, Freya's face was slightly flushed as she whispered, "I had prepared a surprise for you...but I'm not sure if it would appeal to you after gathering so many 'exotic' women..."

Freya had been eyeing several Xenos, very aware of the ones that were drawn to Vahn since she was, after all, a lesser goddess of Love. Her eyes settled the longest on Marie, who was floating just behind Vahn, surprised by the fact her young lover had managed to secure a Mermaid, especially one with genuine intelligence. Freya could sense the natural [Charm] radiating off of the innocent Xenos and, if not for the fact it would bother Vahn, would have tried to 'train' the exotic girl to her preferences. She would have been very useful in the past, though that was no longer important now that so much had changed...

The thing Freya found the most 'interesting' was the fact that some of the 'normal' looking Xenos, those that still had uniquely monster features, also seemed very fond of Vahn. She could understand why the 'obviously' female Xenos were drawn to him, as she understood Vahn's nature very well, but it was very interesting to her to see 'animals' attached to her lover. As this thought crossed her mind, however, Freya remembered that Vahn could actually give them humanoid appearances through his unique skill, putting the puzzle in her mind together in an instant. This made her feel a little excited, as something 'new', like the Xenos, represented a path she had never even considered in the past...

In response to Freya's words, Vahn tilted his head to match her gaze and obstruct her view of Marie, saying, "I'm certain whatever you had planned would be exhilarating...you've been working so hard, Freya...I know you wouldn't let me down after having several days to plan..." Though she understood his nature, Vahn had become accustomed to Freya's as well. He knew that, if he had never existed in this world, Freya is exactly the type of goddess who would have taken advantage of the Xenos. He could imagine her taking an interest in and grooming several of their kind, if not outright using them as 'whetstones' to sharpen and test the members of her Familia she had taken an interest in...

Hearing Vahn's words, Freya couldn't stop another slight tremble from passing through her body, knowing he had seen through her once again. Unlike all of her former lovers, Vahn had always been able to strip her down until she laid everything bare before him. It was almost impossible to even think about what she would do with other men now, to the point that she hadn't even kept any of the male Xenos in her eyes. The only reason the females had caught her attention was because of their attraction to Vahn, something she was always very perceptive of since it would potentially 'threaten' her own relationship with him.

Not wanting to stress her out too much, Vahn kissed Freya's forehead and smiled before saying, "We need to move the Xenos safely to their new home. After we get them settled, I'll make sure to keep my promise with you...I'm looking forward to your surprise..." Freya nodded her head almost immediately and, while still leaning into Vahn's chest, shouted out, "Make preparations to begin moving. I want all the streets within two blocks of our path completely cleared out...!" Since a 'block' within Orario, at least when you got to districts with Manors, could be several kilometers, this would be a relatively daunting task. However, none of the Freya Familia members complained and had immediately set out to perform their duties, even as the object of their reverence rested in the arms of another...

As reluctant as she was to part, Freya gave Vahn one last 'sneaky' kiss before separating from him, saying, "I need to make some final preparations. Everything should be ready in around two hours but, even if it takes a bit longer for you to show up, I'll keep waiting..." Freya knew it would probably take a little while to get the Xenos settled in, especially since the journey to the Manor would probably take around twenty minutes. She knew he would probably end up spending some time with his children and talking with the goddesses within the Hearth Manor as well. However, this didn't matter much and, if she had to wait longer, Freya was very willing to do so...after all, if Vahn felt a little guilty about keeping her waiting, her 'reward' would be even greater...

Though he knew she was playing him a little, Vahn kept a calm smile on his face and wondered exactly what she had planned for him. He knew it was likely related to a group that she wanted to make into his retainers and wondered if she had gathered some of the more attractive members of her own Familia for 'entertainment' purposes. Given her nature, Freya wouldn't exactly share him with others so Vahn suspected she had arranged a show of sorts and potentially wanted to engage in something like an exhibition play. One of her 'quirks', which is how he referred to many of the compulsions binding the gods, was that Freya enjoyed being seen. As a principle Goddess of Beauty, she 'needed' to be appreciated for her appearance and, if they made love in front of a gathering of beauties, that would appease her Divinity a great deal...

Deciding not to think about it too much, Vahn shook his head lightly and turned to the somewhat stupefied Xenos and said, "Let's go see your new home on the surface...shall-" Vahn's words were interrupted by Naho suddenly jumping towards him, clinging to him 'expertly' as she exclaimed, "Who was that girl!? Was she ones of your wives~!?" Freya, who actually wasn't that far away just yet, nearly tripped when she heard Naho's outburst. She looked back with a light blush on her face and even hugged her body somewhat insecurely before walking away with hastier steps. Vahn had pretended not to see this, as he didn't want to make her feel even more embarrassed, and instead lightly patted Naho's head as he said, "Maybe someday..."

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'I mean, it kind of is their backyard...','Vahn often ends up as some kind of 'pack leader', doesn't he...','Freya...is kind of cute...?')

https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu <-(p.atreon link)

paypal.me/Einlion

Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

commentaire Commentaire 63

Voter