Chapitre 1372: Between Dreams and Reality

Amidst an endless sea of blossoming flowers, a youthful figure could be seen resting peacefully atop a small hill. There was a gentle breeze flowing over the land, bringing with it a cooling effect and a pleasant aroma, easing the heat from the vibrant golden sun above.

Suddenly, like someone who had overslept on the day of an important event, the figure startled into a seated position, their breathing ragged and anxious as they took in their surroundings. For a brief moment, confusion colored their peculiar blue-pink eyes as the cool breeze caused their long green hair to flow gently with the wind.

While others would be calm in this situation, the figure, Solon, bounded to their feet with a troubled expression on their face as they exclaimed, "I know you're the one behind this, you flowery bastard! Get out here, right this instant...!!"

Following Solon's outburst, another breeze passed through the endless sea of flowers, this time with a bit more force. Solon was forced to shield their eyes due to their own disobedient hair, their face forming a frown as Merlin manifested in front of them with his usual, irritating, smile. With his arrival, the wind quickly died down but, due to their current garb, Solon was the victim of a vexatious and breezy feeling that soured their mood considerably.

Before Solon could lash out at him, Merlin laughed in a lighthearted manner before musing, "That dress looks good on you, Solon-chan~."

Triggered by Merlin's teasing, Solon flipped through the air with tremendous force, kicking him in the face with the heel of their foot. This sent Merlin crashing through the endless garden of flowers but, after coming to a stop, he rose to his feet without a single injury. After all, within a Dreamscape like this, he had an absolute, inviolable, advantage.

After dusting off his robe a bit, Merlin casually caught Solon's second attack with his bare hand. He then tossed the green-haired Magus to the side where, seemingly in an instant, a large maw formed of twisted vines and flowers chomped down on their body. At the same time, Merlin mused, "I would have thought you had learned your lesson by now. Even if this is your Dreamscape, you will never be able to defeat me~."

Following Merlin's words, the complex web of roots, vines, and flowers suddenly erupted as a much larger version of Solon appeared, their face forming an aggrieved expression. In response, Merlin's own size increased until he towered over the green-haired Magus who, before they noticed it, was forced to wear a frilly frock with a large ribbon on their chest.

Though they were beyond frustrated, Solon ultimately plopped down onto the ground and sprawled out with a defeated expression. Merlin was a complete monster within a Dreamscape so, even if they were twice as annoyed, there wasn't really anything they could do against him. In the past, Merlin had made this 'very' clear, to the point Solon had forgone sleep for long periods of time for fear he would prey on them once again.

With Solon turning obedient, Merlin lightly tapped his staff against the ground. In the next moment, Solon was wearing their usual white robes, seated in an ornate golden chair with white cushions. This caused them to breathe a sigh of relief before asking, "Why are you here? I don't recall arranging to meet with you any time soon. Rather, I'm certain...something important was happening...?"

Recalling things from the real world within a Dreamscape was a lot harder than normal as your mind was in a state of unconsciousness. As a result, your subconscious mind was in control while inside, an element very few people had control over. People like Vahn and Merlin were exceptions to this but, having no affinity with Dreams whatsoever, Solon couldn't help but struggle to recall what had been taking place prior to finding themselves within the Dreamscape.

This peculiar state was something that could be readily exploited by those with the capabilities of manipulating dreams. After all, the conscious mind of a person was heavily influenced by whatever happened to their subconscious self. Because of this, it was possible to make suggestions and leave deep impressions on the mind, often without the person themselves realizing it had happened. In the past, Merlin had used this to teach Artoria the basics of [Instinct] as, by training in her dreams, a place where she could go far beyond her limits, her conscious mind recalled them instinctually.

Now, Merlin had appeared for an entirely different purpose, explaining, "In order to preserve itself, your mind completely shut down during a procedure taking place outside. Though the odds weren't that high, there was a non-negligible chance you would lose yourself if left unattended. To prevent a series of tragic events from taking place, I decided to intervene. For now, you should focus on just relaxing your mind as much as possible. You should know that the more you pay attention to things in the Dreamscape, the longer you will be stuck inside~."

Hearing Merlin's explanation, Solon felt like they were on the brink of recalling what had happened. This caused the previously blue sky to turn slightly chaotic but, with a simple wave, Merlin made the emergent stormclouds vanish in an instant. Then, to deter Solon from stressing over something they shouldn't, Merlin deterred them by musing, "Would you like to play dress-up and tag~?"

A stark contrast to their conscious self, the subconscious Solon immediately shrank down when they heard Merlin's words. They abruptly became the size of a porcelain doll as they replied in a demure whisper, "No...I think I'll just sleep..." To this, Merlin just gave a small nod before waving his hand and summoning a comfortable bed for Solon to make use of...

---

Though it didn't require nearly as much focus as Nirvana Rebirth, Vahn still had to focus his mind for nearly three hours to complete Solon's operation. Fortunately, the process became a lot easier when Solon lost consciousness. This allowed him to easily manipulate their body, extending their arms and legs so that they were straighter. This was an awkward process but, in order to complete the task as quickly as possible, Vahn ignored his misgivings.

In the end, Solon's body seemed to have aged a fair amount as, instead of a small child, they looked like a teenager. Vahn noticed that their body didn't 'develop' further than the budding mounds that had been present prior to the procedure but, considering Solon didn't identify as either gender, it would have been a little strange if they suddenly sprouted breasts.

Since it was a good opportunity, Vahn went ahead and modified the structure of the runic formation covering their body before placing a smaller version of his Familia Crest on their back. This gave him the chance to view Solon's current status and, seeing their race and age, Vahn was able to confirm a few of his suspicions.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

[Status]

Name: [Solon Yggdrasil]

Age: 4943

Race: Ethereal Spirit of the World Tree, Human(?)

Strength: 19E

Endurance: 25D+++

Agility: 44B+

Magical Power: 50A+

Good Luck: 28D-

Circuit Quality: EX

Noble Phantasm: [Seal of Yggdrasil:A++]

Origin: World, Fate, Life

Skills: [Yggdrasil's Heir: Innate:EX], [Pioneer of the Stars:Innate:C+], [Well of Fate's Vessel:Innate:B], [Mystic Eyes of Death Perception(False):A], [High-Speed Incantation:A], [Physical Resistance:B], [Magic Resistance:B],

Magic: [Yggdrasil's Blessing: Innate:S]

Magecraft: [Transmutation:S], [Divination:S], [Mystic Codex:EX]

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Though it was impossible to be certain, the fact Solon had four Innates all but guaranteed they were a Tier 4 entity. If they had been able to obtain a Divinity, they would have become a God a long time ago, potentially even replacing the original Yggdrasil.

Some might not consider Yggdrasil a God but, considering it possessed a will of its own, gave birth to a myriad of gods, held up nine realms, and even became the foundation of an entire world on the Reverse Side, Vahn would call these people fools. There was a good chance that Yggdrasil was a Tier 5 being but, in the grand scheme of things, that just made them a higher-tiered God since they had dominion over various Laws.

From what he could tell, Solon, if given enough time, would eventually turn into a World Tree. They had shed their humanity a long time ago, likely after being thrown into the Well of Fate, so there was little chance of them regaining what was lost. There was even a chance that, during the convergence, Solon would be reabsorbed by Yggdrasil so, in the end, Vahn believed his decision had saved them from a fate worse than death.

Even though Yggdrasil seemed to be a benevolent and kind entity, there was little chance Solon's Ego would be able to survive the merger. They had suffered for thousands of years so it would be exceptionally tragic if, on the cusp of obtaining some semblance of freedom and happiness, they were forced to serve as a sacrifice for Yggdrasil's revival...

While Vahn was thinking about the best method to help Solon obtain happiness, the latter slowly peeled their eyes open. It felt like their body was being crushed by the pressure of an entire ocean but, alongside the pain, a phenomenal amount of energy now circulated through their body. It gave them a feeling as though they would be able to overcome anything but, most importantly, it made them feel 'alive' for the first time in a long time.

In an attempt to move to a seated position, Solon mustered up what little strength remained in their body, a pained groan escaping their lips as a result. Then, just as the movement seemed impossible, a set of warm hands helped guide them the rest of the way, both sending a gentle stream of energy into their body. This caused Solon to release a contented sigh as, everywhere the energy flowed, great relief followed.

Vahn expected Solon to complain about the fact he had placed one of his hands on their abdomen but, seeing them show no particular response, he opted to explain, "The procedure went without any major hiccups. It'll take some getting used to but your body now has its own Magic Circuits. Though it might take a while, you should try and familiarize yourself with using proper Magic from now on. It is never good to be entirely reliant on Artifacts and equipment..."

Hearing Vahn's words, Solon looked up at him, their Mystic Eyes glowing with a light that would unnerve most people. Vahn, however, was entirely unaffected so, after a few tense moments, they asked, "Is that your first order as my Master?"

The moment Solon asked their question, both Vahn and the person in question showed expressions of surprise. For some reason, the form of address that had annoyed them in the past now sounded 'natural', unnerving Solon and causing their Loyalty value to drop a few points. If not for the obvious surprise on Vahn's face, this value would have dropped even lower as Solon momentarily considered whether or not he had implanted something in their subconscious to make them more submissive.

No longer feeling comfortable with Vahn touching them, Solon batted his hands away before trying to rise to their feet. They had already recovered enough to move around without too much pain but standing turned out to be too high an obstacle, at least until Vahn used Telekinesis to support them. This caused Solon to feel bitter but, knowing he wasn't trying to shame them, they accepted his help in restoring their robes and Artifacts.

After dawning the [Seal of Yggdrasil], Solon felt as if all of their power returned. To their surprise, this seemed to be nothing more than a drop in the bucket, however, and, even after several minutes had passed, their reserves had continued to increase. By the time they were fully dressed, Solon felt like they had enough power to level an entire continent, causing them to gaze at Vahn, an incredulous look in their eyes as they asked, "These aren't 'normal' Magic Circuits...are they? I don't even think the Barthomeloi's Blue Blood Magic Circuits can compare to these."

Since the deed was already done, Vahn just shrugged in response to Solon before answering, "I don't take half-measures when messing around with other people's bodies. Though their structure isn't all that different from the norm, those Magic Circuits have a functionally infinite potential for growth. If you put in the effort, you can become much stronger in the future. Even transcending the Gods isn't as difficult as you might expect so work hard..."

//Solon Yggdrasil: Loyalty +13//

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Dick Wizard to the rescue~!','Vahn be like, "Oh, it is so much easier to move them around when they are unconscious~"','RIP Solon, you put up a good fight')

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commentaire Commentaire 43

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Chapitre 1373: Influence

Since it was one of the things they were most interested in, it wasn't long before Vahn found himself standing next to Solon as the latter analyzed the Quest Board, searching for a suitable Quest. It took completing at least one Quest to activate the Skill Tree so, curious to experience it themselves, Solon was eager to accept their first.

What bothered them was the fact that, among the Quests listed, Solon noticed the majority had the reward of Loyalty listed, a mechanic Vahn had already explained in detail. This effectively meant the more a person used the Quest Board, the more Loyal they would become to Vahn. Though this was a rather common arrangement, as even Noble families offered power in exchange for loyalty, it was a different matter entirely when the person you formed a pact with was a God.

To further exacerbate matters, Solon learned exactly what kind of Divinity Vahn possessed, causing them to immediately reconsider becoming his Subordinate. Unfortunately, the die had already been cast so, after obtaining ridiculously potent Magic Circuits, combined with their understanding of his power, Solon could only accept their fate. After all, even without these things, Vahn had a great deal of leverage over them due to the fact he could produce World Trees.

After ruminating over their options, Solon ended up touching an E-Rank Quest that rewarded a mere 150 Variable Experience and 10 Loyalty. The Objectives were extremely simple to complete and, after everything that had happened, they had a strong desire to just wrap everything up and take a nap. It had been a tiring day so, if it meant they could relax, suffering a moment of shame was a price they were willing to pay.

Seeing which Quest Solon had selected, Vahn was slightly surprised but, knowing they couldn't easily ask, he took the initiative to extend his hand, lightly patting their head. This caused Solon to slouch forward, their bangs covering their eyes, but Vahn could still feel their mixed feelings even without seeing their face. He had selectively chosen a few Quests with Loyalty rewards since Solon's current value was only 48.

Since it was dangerous to let a Loyalty value decrease below 50, as it could suffer a rapid decline at any given moment, Vahn had skewed the odds in his favor. Most of the higher-ranked, non-Loyalty, Quests listed would take several days to complete so Solon's only real options, if they wanted to get their first Quest out of the way, was to choose one of the D or E-Rank Quests, all of which required them to do something they would generally find embarrassing.

It was likely a result of the previous procedure and related events, but Solon now seemed more willing to allow for physical contact. The other options included things like walking around and greeting people, performing menial chores, dancing in public, and other troublesome things. In comparison, having their head pat for a total of ten minutes was a relatively tame Objective so, while nobody else was around, Solon swallowed their pride and allowed Vahn to demonstrate exactly why he was called the Godhand.

Though he could have gone easy on them, making use of his Petting Laws to a minor extent, Vahn felt he wouldn't have many opportunities to make an impression on Solon. He wasn't going to go out of his way to meet with them that often and, given their nature, Solon was very unlike to seek him out for anything. Thus, while the opportunity presented itself, Vahn was going to take advantage of the situation, fully aware of how much frustration it would cause them. Now, when Solon spied on him and the girls, the memory of this moment would be waiting to creep upon them...

Feeling the warm and pleasant energy flowing from Vahn's hand, Solon forced themselves to clench their teeth but, after a few minutes had passed, even that became impossible. They began to feel an indescribable amount of comfort that caused their thoughts to wander aimlessly. Then, all too soon, the comfortable feeling had passed, followed by Vahn casually informing, "Ten minutes have passed. Go ahead and turn in your Quest and see what Skills are available to you."

For a brief moment, Solon was confused by Vahn's explanation as, due to the latter's effort, they had actually forgotten what they were doing prior to the head pat. It was only after several seconds had passed that they realized what had happened, their hands forming into fists as they tried to rid their body of the remnants of the calming energy. This ultimately proved futile, however, due to Vahn's infusion of Source Energy into the affecting energy.

After failing in their endeavor for several frustrating seconds, Solon eventually released a tired sigh before shaking their head and submitting the Quest. They felt like Vahn was teaching them of the 'futility' of opposing him so the best method to deal with the current situation was simply to remove themselves from it. Thus, after turning in the Quest and confirming the semi-transparent Skill Tree did, in fact, exist, Solon looked back at Vahn and said, "I'll be going now. Unless there is something important, please don't bother me any time soon."

With Solon's Loyalty going up to 55 during his petting and 65 after completing their Quest, Vahn had no reason to continue pressuring them. Even without him being around, their Loyalty would slowly increase with each use of the Quest Board, irrespective of whether or not in offered Loyalty as a reward. Unless Solon was convinced by external forces to proactively oppose him, something that was all but impossible, it was only a matter of time until the green-haired Magus relented.

Understanding this, Vahn nodded his head in response, saying, "As I said before, I don't have any intentions of really telling you how to live. Still, I do hope you'll be more considerate of the people I leave in your charge. The Clock Tower is still in a tumultuous state so, rather than spying on me all the time, you should consider making sure the students are kept safe."

Hearing Vahn mention spying, Solon's face became somewhat solemn as their Loyalty decreased to 64 before jumping up to 66 a moment later. Then, without deigning to respond, one of the rings on their finger flashed with a brilliant light. When it had faded, Solon was nowhere to be seen but, as a result of Subordinating the hermetic Magus, Vahn could still sense them. Rather, he could basically sense 'everything' within the Bounded Field of the Clock Tower due to his Map Function and Unit Management.

It rarely came into play but, ever since the completion of his Main Quest back in Danmachi, Vahn had always been able to 'see' everything within the territory he owned. As a result, even without using his domain, he could track the physical location of everyone on Avalon and, based on the color of their dot on his Map, they could easily be identified as friend or foe.

Better yet, if they were one of his actual subordinates, Vahn could freely teleport them around his territory, albeit at a cost of Loyalty, Belief, Allegiance, or Fealty. For this reason, he only ever used this functionality during emergencies as, even without it, he could teleport around using his, or Alaya's, power. Still, suddenly having a perfect map of everything within the Clock Tower's Bounded Field had confirmed something Vahn had been curious about for a few years now; the fact that the properties of his Subordinates were also his own.

The link Vahn had with those listed in his Unit Management wasn't a simple promise that could be thrown away and discarded on a whim. It was something quantifiable and, in more ways that one, it even transcended most lesser forms of contracts. After all, at high enough values, he could tell those within his Unit Management to basically do anything and, so long as it didn't conflict with their own values too much, they would obey. Even now, if he really wanted to, he could transmit the thought to Solon, 'focus on becoming more loyal' and, as it wouldn't directly contradict with their intentions, they would begin to do so as if it was an original thought of their own...

Vahn rarely exploited this ability intentionally but, at times like this, he knew it could be the lesser of two evils. Thus, after considering the matter for a few moments, he transmitted an earnest plea of sorts, mentally commanding, 'Do not compromise yourself in an attempt to please me. Live the life you please and find what makes you happy. Never go out of your way to harm others unless they pose a threat to you, the things you want to protect, and those you are charged with protecting.'

After transmitting his intentions, Vahn stood with his eyes closed for a few seconds before a small smile spread across his face. The fact Solon's Loyalty hadn't been affected meant his order basically coincided with their original intentions. This confirmed his suspicions about the elusive Director as, while they didn't like to associate with people, they still cared about the World as a whole. The fact they had committed to this thankless task for millennia was a testament to this so, with the order he had given them, Solon would eventually find happiness for themselves.

With another troublesome task taken care of, Vahn spent a few moments to stretch his body before teleporting to the Department of Unified Magical Theory's primary training field. He was supposed to act as an Advisor in their afternoon classes but, due to the matter with Solon taking longer than expected, he was a little late. It would have been possible to head there with his second body but, after everything that had already happened throughout the day, Vahn needed some time to cool off.

Just as he would visit various people throughout the day, Vahn's always set aside time to spend a few hours meditating atop Leviathan. This was actually an important part of his training, as he spent the time focusing on his comprehension of the Laws, so it wasn't as if he was slacking off. Rather, if he didn't go to Leviathan every now and then, the massive Watcher would be the one to call upon him, often by whispering through his shadow or sending someone like Amelia and Ikaros to retrieve him.

Since the Watcher existed for the purpose of elevating its Master to a higher level, Vahn needed to periodically undergo various trials within its labyrinthine interior. With his capabilities, these had all proven relatively easy to complete but it was still a very useful training method. After all, he didn't have many chances to fight actual opponents these days so, with his Daily Gacha rarely giving him anything good, Vahn had been stockpiling Premium Gacha pulls by killing the 'boss' monsters within.

Eventually, once he reached a higher tier Record, Vahn was intending to use his stockpiled Gacha pulls and Upgrade Stones. They were infinitely more useful in higher-tiered Records so, with the Nasuverse basically providing him with everything he needed to succeed, Vahn hadn't felt the need to waste them. Rather, there weren't any items that would be more useful to him than existences like Alaya, Tiamat, Arcueid, Aoko, Illya, and Spenta. With them on his side, there were very few things in the world that could threaten him as, soon enough, the World itself would be on his side.

Though he already had CHALDEAS to serve a similar function, Vahn imagined it would be quite the eye-opening experience to have an entire planet mapped within his system. This would allow him to not only track the location of everyone on the planet but, as a quirk of the Minimap Function, even the location of plants and animals would be within his perception. Then, much like how he was able to send his intent around, Vahn would be able to view functionally any part of the planet by simply creating a window within his field of view. Though it wasn't true omniscience, his enemies, especially, wouldn't be able to tell the difference...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'I blame Loki','Vahn be schemin'...','I feel bad for the Gods that cause trouble in the future xD...')

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commentaire Commentaire 44

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