After reaching a relatively secure area on the 79th Floor, Vahn set out the same magical cottage that they had previously used for resting. Helen immediately retreated to her own room without a word while Jeanne was laid to rest on a comfortable sofa. She would have normally shared the same room as Helen but it didn't seem as if the latter had any interest in following conventions at the moment. Vahn didn't really know what to say to her so he instead set about cooking up some food in the hopes of either luring her out or, at the very least, making sure she had something to eat if she got hungry. At the same time, back on the surface, Vahn had returned to the Manor with Fenrir in order to update the girls and spend time with his children.
Though the excursion in the Dungeon hadn't been going on that long, as less than three days had passed since his departure, things had already become far more troublesome than anticipated. Fortunately, at least for the time being, things were manageable and, for each problem he may face during the descent, there were a plethora of people he could talk to if things began weighing heavily on his heart. This time around, after enjoying a rather pleasant lunch with many of the Manor's residents, Vahn had returned to a private study with Eina and their daughter, Eiko. The latter was growing up healthily and was already capable of speaking broken sentences. As for her Guardian, the Gemcutter Squirrel, June, it was always very energetic as it climbed around on the furniture and explored the surroundings with a curious glint in its eyes.
Vahn absentmindedly watched Eiko giggling happily as she chased around June while Eina gently ran her fingers through his hair. He had already explained the situation in the Dungeon and was now enjoying a bit of leisure time while waiting for Jeanne to wake up of her own volition. Food had already been prepared and stored in his Inventory so, back in the Dungeon, Vahn was meditating while keeping his attention focused on their surroundings. This freed up the majority of his focus, allowing him to fully enjoy the always comfortable sensation of having someone stroke his head. It was amazing how such a simple action could provide so much comfort but, remembering how the girls reacted when he stroked their heads, it wasn't that difficult to wrap his head around...
While chasing after June, Eiko ended up stumbling over her own feet but, instead of falling to the ground and potentially injuring herself, a gentle pressure wrapped around her body before righting her once again. Then, without missing a beat, Eiko clapped her hands happily before chasing after June once again. The latter had stopped to make sure Eiko was okay and, seeing that she was uninjured, their game of tag proceeded without much delay. Eina saw this and smiled warmly before leaning down and kissing the top of Vahn's head before lightly reprimanding him by saying, "You should allow her to fall every now and then or she will never learn to be cautious..."
As he had heard similar things several times, Vahn just absentmindedly nodded his head without taking the words to heart. He knew he spoiled his children a bit but he simply couldn't harden his heart and allow them to experience suffering, at least when he was around. At the very least, he was always honest with them and made sure they were capable of thinking for themselves. This way, even if they were somewhat dependent on him at times, they would seriously consider their actions whenever he wasn't around. Since the rest of the girls in the Manor also took a part in making sure the children were prepared to face whatever the world threw at them, Vahn wasn't particularly concerned with them experiencing any setbacks as a result of his pampering nature...
Seeing Vahn's reaction, Eina giggled lightly before pinching the side of his cheek in mock protest to his haphazard way of raising his children. Since the older children hadn't shown any of the tell-tale signs of becoming entitled wastrels, she also wasn't that concerned with how their daughter would end up. After all, she had a direct hand in Eiko's education and, though their daughter was sometimes absentminded, she showed an appreciable level of intelligence for her age. Though not nearly as impressive as the standard Vanir, she shouldn't have any issues excelling amongst a group of her peers.
Without minding Eina pulling on his cheek, Vahn continued to enjoy the momentary bliss that was often present whenever he spent time with this 'first wife' of his. She was, in essence, the functional Empress of his Empire but, without minding such things in the least, Eina continued her work at the Guild Branch while spending much of her free time tending to the children or, in this case, Vahn himself. When Rose, Misha, or the other girls would tease her about being an Empress, she would simply shrug it off with a smile before asking them how their relationship was developing. This was a good way to nip troublesome conversations in the bud as, though Misha was usually pretty open about her feelings, Rose had caused her to mellow out quite a bit with the passage of time...
As much as he wished moments like this could persist forever, Vahn sensed movement within his domain, causing his eyes to open within the Dungeon just as Jeanne raised her body and released a tired yawn. She began to look around at her surroundings before absentmindedly returning Vahn's gaze with her own. For several seconds, the air became strangely tense before Jeanne's face became noticeably red from her neck. Vahn could practically see the blush rise until it reached the top of her head before Jeanne averted her eyes to the side before sheepishly asking, "My Lord...how long have I been asleep? I can't remember anything..."
Hearing this, Vahn's brows perked up in surprise before realization dawned upon him. Whatever Maya had done to Jeanne seemed to have erased whatever memories she had obtained during her time spent in the illusion. Vahn had wanted to ask about her experience at some point, as he was somewhat curious to know what Jeanne had gone through, but that didn't seem to be an option any longer. As this was probably for the best, Vahn decided not to force the issue but, in the back of his mind, he couldn't help complaining about the fact that Maya hadn't 'undone' whatever experience Helen had gone through. In a way, Jeanne losing her memories of the trauma she had experienced would just upset Helen even further as, from what he could see, she was projecting her troubles in a way that couldn't easily be addressed in short order.
Deciding he would have to deal with the troubles as they came, Vahn forced a smile on his face as he gave a brief summary of what had transpired on the 78th Floor. Jeanne was fully aware of the fact that she had fallen into an illusion but, no matter how much she tried to recall the memories of that time, the only thing that appeared within her mind were glimpses of a woman with green hair. Even this didn't provide her with any clear information as any attempt to recall exactly what the woman looked like simply escaped her. This caused Jeanne to feel incredibly frustrated as, far more than Vahn, she was worried about Helen's well-being. However, as the latter ignored her knocking, Jeanne didn't know what she should do to make amends for the fact that her trauma had been erased while her friend was forced to face it directly...
Seeing Jeanne walking back from Helen's room with a doleful expression on her face, Vahn closed his eyes while internally shaking his head. He had no way of rationalizing Helen's behavior and, as their relationship was never that close, attempting to enter her room may very well exacerbate the situation. The only viable solution seemed to be achieving godhood as soon as possible, allowing her to be free from the burden of her assumed 'fate'. This, however, may cause the current Helen to completely break as, without a 'meaning' in life, she may very well choose death. Though this wasn't necessarily a bad thing, at least from Vahn's perspective as someone who had died previously, he felt it was exceptionally unfair to Helen that she had been given such a lot in life.
Erecting a barrier around them that blocked out both sound and external magical probes, Vahn looked into Jeanne's eyes with a severe expression visible in his own. This caused her to become serious and alert before asking, "What is it, my Lord?" In response, Vahn inhaled deeply through his nose before explaining the rather terrible 'solution' he had come up with, stating, "When all of this is over, I may have to erase Helen's memories..."
Hearing Vahn's words, Jeanne's eyes widened into full circles before her expression gradually warped into indignation and internal conflict. Though she almost habitually refuted him, Jeanne knew better than anyone that Helen's life hadn't exactly been pleasant. She had been 'alone' for a very long time and, as a result of the fate she had been given, it was impossible for her to move on without a drastic change in her mentality. Having her memories erased meant that she would lose a great deal of knowledge and experience but, at the same time, it opened up a way forward for her to live a life without the burdens that had weighed heavily on her heart for centuries.
Seeing Jeanne go through the motions of accepting his proposal, Vahn added in a solemn tone, "I'm worried that, if I am able to achieve godhood without her assistance, Helen's mind might break. If that happens, I will be forced to take action before she does something truly regretful...after that, I will no longer have any right to watch over her any longer. When the time comes, please take care of Helen on my behalf, Jeanne. I know it is selfish to entrust you with this, as the guilt will undoubtedly weigh heavily on your heart, but I believe there are none better suited to the task..."
Jeanne, in response to Vahn's words, showed an expression of sheer disbelief on her face as she failed to fully process what he was asking of her. The confident light that was usually present in her eyes began to flicker like a candle being blown about by a tempestuous wind as she absentmindedly stated, "I am my Lord's shield...I must protect you and the members of the Imperial Family..." Now that the conflict she had experienced from the illusion had faded away, Jeanne's 'meaning' in life were the convictions she had as a knight. She couldn't rationalize abandoning her duty to do something as 'selfish' as taking care of her friend as, even though she was genuinely worried about Helen's well-being, Jeanne's image of the taciturn mage was of a highly capable woman that didn't require a caretaker...
Instead of insisting, Vahn waved upon hearing Jeanne's words, forcing his mind to quickly proffer potential solutions. This turned out to be unnecessary, however, as Sis quickly chimed in, saying, (*Vahn, we both know you would never be able to live with the regret of sending Jeanne and Helen away. You would constantly worry about whether or not you made the correct decision and, if something bad happened, it would become even more troublesome...*) As this wasn't exactly a 'solution', Vahn frowned deeply but, before he was able to ask, Sis quickly added, (*Helen is a woman who is obsessed with the idea of her life having 'meaning'. Even if you're unwilling to give her meaning, you can help her find new meaning rather easily. After all, with what we know of the Dungeon, it shouldn't be that difficult to push Helen onto a different path, correct...?*)
Even without Sis explaining it directly, Vahn's eyes widened in realization as he practically leaped from the sofa, startling Jeanne in the process. Seeing her confusion, Vahn smiled before bowing low and exclaiming, "I'm sorry, Jeanne, it was irresponsible of me to ask such a thing from you. I may have a solution that will fix everything so please don't let my idiocy bother you too much." Though Vahn could feel his temples buzz in discomfort while lowering his head and admonishing himself, he ignored the sensation since he was the most aware of how foolish his suggestion had been. More than simply betraying Helen's trust, Vahn felt like he had betrayed both Jeanne and himself after coming up with such a terrible means of dealing with the situation. Though his current solution wasn't much better, it was infinitely better than simply erasing Helen's memories and leaving someone else to deal with the aftermath...
Though she was taken aback by Vahn's spontaneous actions, Jeanne felt a great deal of relief after hearing his words. For a moment, it felt like her world was crashing down so, even though she couldn't forget that Vahn had made such a suggestion, Jeanne placed a hand over her rapidly beating heart to calm down as she released a genuine sigh of relief. The flame in her eyes quickly stabilized as she looked toward the man she recognized as her Lord, asking, "Is it beyond my standing to ask about the solution my Lord has conceived...?" Normally, Jeanne would never openly question the decisions made by those she served but, as the matter pertained to someone she held dearly, she couldn't help but break propriety just once.
Without minding Jeanne's faux pas, Vahn sat back down and, after calming himself down, explained, "Honestly, I hope that things don't come to this but, if Helen does end up trying to take her life...I will not stop her." Since these words would undoubtedly upset Jeanne, Vahn had already raised his hand in a gesture to remain calm as he added, "So long as she is bound to her current life, Helen may never be able to escape her fate. If she can't even take her own life, can you imagine how she would behave after the fact...?" As someone that genuinely believed she had no sway over her own destiny, being able to take her own life was actually a step forward for someone like Helen. Vahn, however, knew that there was more to life than the singular existence you represented during the time you spent living. The soul would persist on and, depending on the circumstances, there were numerous ways in which someone could live on, even after death...
Jeanne didn't understand the full context of what Vahn was talking about but, realizing the truth contained within his words, she decided to remain silent and allow him to continue. Vahn gave her an appreciative nod in response before pointing downwards, explaining, "The Dungeon, Tartarus, is able to have some sway over the cycle of life and death. Though this is mostly related to monsters, the fact that the Xenos exists at all shows that it is directly related to the development and nurturing of the soul. Just as Ais had been reincarnated several times, I believe it is possible that we can guide Helen's soul along the same paths, allowing her to one day be reborn as a Xenos. This way, she will retain parts of her memory but, at the very least, the life she will be living will no longer be bound to the same tragic fate as it is currently. Since she already lives amongst the Xenos, I believe Helen will be happiest if she truly has a place to belong to for the first time..."
More than any other race, Vahn saw the kinship that was shared amongst all Xenos and genuinely believed that there was no better outcome for someone that has lived for centuries in imposed solitude. Even if she remained cold and taciturn, Vahn believed that Helen would eventually open her heart to her fellow Xenos and, in time, gain a chance at the happiness she deserved. She had lived a tragic existence where even her family looked at her as nothing more than an object to either be obtained or admired. Since Xenos weren't attracted to others in a conventional manner, it wouldn't matter if Helen's Innates remained unchanged during her reincarnation. She would be able to live amongst them as freely as any other Xenos and, after severing her fate with her own hands, it was likely she would readily accept the new 'fate' that had been assigned to her...
Though she was more than a little confused by Vahn's words, Jeanne was aware that Ais had indeed been 'reborn' through the Dungeon. She didn't share the same faith as he did that things would go smoothly but, seeing how much confidence he had, Jeanne couldn't help feeling that Vahn's idea was the correct decision. It was certainly better than his suggestion of erasing Helen's memories and having her take care of whatever remained after the process was completed. Just imagining a life where she had to educate someone with the base intelligence and strength of Helen caused Jeanne's brain to buzz with anxiety. Though they could have also reset her blessing, it wouldn't have done anything to the development of her unique abilities...
Without a better suggestion, Jeanne inevitably nodded her head in agreement before asking, "Is there anything you require of me...?" To this, Vahn shook his head before looking towards the direction of Helen's room and muttering, "I will not ask you to stand idly by while Helen continues to suffer. Do everything you can to help her but, if the time comes, please prepare yourself...even if she will be reborn, Helen must genuinely die before then. I have experienced loss before...it isn't easy..." Even though he knew Jeanne had likely experienced loss of her own, Vahn couldn't help but give her advice that, at the same time, was meant for himself. He knew that it wouldn't be easy to watch Helen take her own life, no matter how much he prepared himself for the possibility. As for Jeanne, she adopted a solemn expression before nodding, a far firmer conviction in her eyes than the one Vahn felt in his heart...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Empress? Can it be eaten...( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)?','Vahn giving Jeanne a fresh trauma just as she had the previous one erased...','...')
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After having cleared the troublesome 78th Floor and resting for a few hours, Vahn summoned Fenrir back into the Dungeon and, though she was refusing to speak, Helen from her room. Even Jeanne didn't have much luck in getting her to open up so Vahn had the party advance, allowing Fenrir and Jeanne to take the lead as he, once again, protected Helen. Fortunately, though each monster they came across at this point was, individually, very powerful, neither Fenrir, nor Jeanne, had any trouble dispatching them. With Vahn providing support using his bow, they quickly mowed through the 79th Floor's residential monsters with ease. Upon reaching the 80th Floor, the point that the One-Eyed Black Dragon claimed he would never be able to cross, things got moderately more difficult. This was a result of the fact that gravity, which had been relatively normal on prior floors, seemed to triple while descending the stairs down from the 79th...
Though experiencing three times the normal gravity didn't have much of an impact on anyone in the party, there was a startling reduction in everyone's maximum speed. Their muscles were certainly strong enough to resist the strain but, having no real means to strengthen individual cells, fast movements would cause a prickly and painful sensation in the limbs. The most problematic aspect was the fact that the eyes, which were often seated snuggly in the head, felt as if they weren't moving as fast as the rest of the body. Even when accelerating forward, Jeanne commented that it felt like someone was pushing on her eyes with their fingers while Fenrir outright adopted a fighting style reliant on her sensitive nose and ears as a result of her discomfort.
It was possible to use [Cantus Bellax] and [Vis Maxima] to create a magical aura around the body, enhancing your parameters and providing a moderate resistance against the increased gravitational pull, but this was only a stop-gap measure. The drain of using such skills under the increased burden was a little extreme and, though Vahn was able to manage with relative ease, even his reserves were beginning to dwindle when having to constantly replenish the reserves of three other people. If not for the fact that the only enemies on the Floor were strange, armored frog-like creatures, each possessing thick and robust legs while having squashed bodies, it would have been far more difficult to clear the 80th Floor. Fortunately, though their ability to shoot magical means from their mouths were more than a little annoying, their attacks weren't able to break through the auras shrouding everyone's bodies. Their biggest weakness, of course, was the fact that, much like the party, these Armored Frog Battery's were extremely slow.
After eleven grueling hours, with night having already descended upon the surface world, the group finally reached the stairs leading down to the 81st Floor. The moment they set foot on the long spiraling stairwell, the increased gravity faded in its entirety, causing Fenrir to jump around excitedly while Jeanne began rubbing her tired joints after having to move around in heavy armor for an extended period of time. Since it hadn't been easy for him either, even with his ability to forcibly adapt his body, Vahn brought out the cottage without spending too much time checking the surroundings. Helen, just as she had done previously, retired to her room without a word while Vahn cooked dinner for everyone, refusing the offer of Fenrir and Jeanne to assist. He could see that they were tired while his body had already recovered completely. His [Magia Erebea] constitution meant that, as soon as the strain of the increased gravity had faded away, he was already back to 100% without any issues whatsoever.
Fenrir ended up watching as Jeanne removed her armor and began performing routine maintenance, even though Vahn would ultimately end up having to touch-up the armor on his own. Her process included using one of the scent removal towels that had become relatively commonplace back at the Manor to remove, as much as possible, the smell of her sweat. Though she showed a great deal of confidence at most times, Jeanne would often become sheepish whenever it came to some of the 'smaller' things, especially if it concerned embarrassing situations with her Lord. Fortunately, Fenrir readily assisted her by using her sensitive nose to confirm that her aroma wasn't clinging to the armor before it inevitably found its way into Vahn's hands. As for the latter, he often found Jeanne's actions rather adorable but, unlike many of the other girls in his life, chose not to tease her for it since it seemed like a 'dangerous' weakness of her's. The last thing he needed was his most capable Knight fumbling around whenever he was near her so, as much as he wanted to tease her, Vahn had resolved himself to avoid that landmine for as long as possible...
As was often the case, the food prepared by Vahn ended up being both delicious and nutritious. Jeanne gave a few heavy compliments and, even though it tasted pretty much the same as everything she had ever eaten, Fenrir also enjoyed it a great deal. Vahn had developed a spice that was particularly useful for enhancing the flavor of anything she ate so Fenrir often quickly gobbled down anything he handed her. Her tongue was sensitive to mana-rich ingredients so Vahn had a shaker that was filled with the powdered remains of several high-level Dragon's. On occasion, though only very rarely, Vahn would even mix a bit of his blood into any stock he used in preparing her meals. This would instantly cause Fenrir's ears to perk up since it was, by far, the tastiest thing that ever reached her palette. It had the unfortunate side-effect of over-exciting her, however, so Vahn had quickly learned to use such a special ingredient sparingly...
With dinner completed, Jeanne retired to the room that Vahn would normally sleep in while he ended up taking the couch alongside Fenrir. This was after placing a covered tray containing warm food for Helen's consumption, though the odds of her actually eating it seemed slim at best. Since she could easily go months without eating, Vahn wasn't expecting Helen to reflect on how she had been behaving and improve any time soon. Part of him wanted to just yell at her, in an attempt to break her free from her delusional state, but reason told him such actions were, ultimately, pointless. She seemed to have convinced herself that even Jeanne was somehow against her as, throughout the 79th and 80th Floors, she distanced herself from the downtrodden Knight, refusing to even make polite conversation with the latter.
While thinking about what the future would hold, Vahn absentmindedly ran his fingers through Fenrir's hair, tracing down the line of her back before invariably stroking her bushy tail. This would cause her hips to twitch slightly, something Vahn found both amusing and therapeutic, as she never complained about any 'inconvenience' caused by the involuntary movement. Fenrir had grown so accustomed to his touch, in fact, that she quickly fell into a light slumber, even has her body obediently responded to his touch. Vahn found this adorable and, though he was tempted to press into the sensitive spot above her tail to see how much he could get away with, he ultimately managed to resist the urge while focusing on other things. Fenrir only slept out of consideration for him so Vahn wasn't going to behave even more selfishly just to satiate every whim that crossed his mind...
---
Waking early the next morning, Vahn began preparing himself for whatever the 81st Floor would throw at him by stretching his body and performing routine maintenance on everyone's equipment. To his surprise, Vahn noticed a distinct lack of a tray out of the corner of his eye, indicating that Helen had, at some point, done something with the food he had set out. Though she may very well have disposed of it out of spite, Vahn didn't think Helen was 'that' petty. The fact that her Affection had gone up, even just a single point, seemed to indicate that she inevitably broke down after smelling the fragrant aroma wafting from the covered dish. Vahn had specifically used a cloche that had the added effect of enhancing the smell of whatever was beneath it. Since Helen also had a 'weakness' for spicy food, which was naturally aromatic, Vahn made a few of her favorite dishes in an attempt to lure the icy queen out of her isolation.
By the time Jeanne had dawned her armor and everyone else was ready to go, Helen finally made her appearance. Fenrir's nose twitched slightly in response but, much like Vahn and Jeanne, she elected not to say anything to the still-quiet Helen. The fact that she had eaten the food was progress enough, for the time being, so there was no need to put her on the spot and cause her to retreat inside her own mind even further. Vahn, truthfully, would rather not have to watch Helen die after losing her 'purpose' so, if at all possible, he wanted her to mellow out a bit by the time they reached the 99th Floor. Even if the odds were extremely slim, it was a far better outcome as, regardless of how much time he had experienced chronologically, Vahn felt he wasn't prepared to watch someone that should be his ally kill themselves.
Without dawdling for too long, the group proceeded into what should be a relatively easy Floor, at least with the information Vahn possessed. He knew what enemies to expect along the way but, much like how the 80th Floor's gravity had come as a surprise, there were undoubtedly even more environmental hazards that would bar their passage. Fortunately, by analyzing what kinds of monsters had chosen the Floor as their habitat, it was possible to make a basic assumption about what they should expect.
The 81st Floor was home to a group of vicious humanoid creatures who, seemingly possessing a small amount of intelligence, were attired in tribal equipment comprised of stone, bone, and pieces of roughly worked metal. They came in two varieties, a stout group with green skin who seemed capable of using powerful magical attacks and ranged weaponry while their much larger kin, possessing blood-red skin, towered over them while wielding fierce-looking sword and axes. While the former was a 'modest' 2m in height, the latter group seemed to easily reach 3m while, according to the information Vahn had obtained from the mirror, there were even 'variants' that could reach 5m. Though this wasn't particularly large for a monster, the densely packed muscles on even the smallest of the monster, covered in intricate tribal tattoos, made them seem far more intimidating than most enemies.
Upon entering the 81st Floor proper, Vahn noticed that the air became extremely humid while the surrounding temperature instantly shot up to around 40 degrees Celsius. It was even possible to see a thin mist lingering around the floor which, in most situations, could have been misconstrued as condensation due to the increased humidity. The subtle glow contained within, however, alerted anyone with even moderately high perception that it was something far more dangerous. For the first time in more than a day, Helen broke her self-imposed silence by muttering, "Mana..." in a voice that even Fenrir had trouble hearing. Vahn didn't ask her to speak up, however, as he had already made a similar conclusion and didn't want to trigger Helen back into silence.
After spending a few seconds in silent contemplation, Vahn turned to Jeanne and Helen to ask, "Will mana this concentrated be an issue for either of you...?" Though mana was generally good for the body, high concentrations could cause a variety of problems, especially if the contained element ran counter to your affinity. There was even a phenomenon known as Mana Sickness which, in some instances, could even prove fatal to those with a weaker constitution. Since Helen was a Half-Elf Demigoddess, Vahn didn't expect her to have any issues but, even with all of her resistances, Jeanne was still a normal Human. She may not die from overexposure to mana but it would quickly become a problem if they had to lug her around in a drunk and delirious state.
Helen's response was to slightly avert her eyes without answering while Jeanne gave a confident nod before stating, "Though it may not mean much after what happened on the 78th Floor, I can say with full confidence that this degree of mana shouldn't have any effect on me. My body should naturally filter out anything bad for me while the accessories forged by my Lord should be more than enough to prevent any other status abnormalities...!" Since, even without her Innates, Jeanne possessed a Pure-Light Elemental Affinity, the odds of her being affected by anything other than Pure Darkness were slim to none. Even then, anyone trying to harm her would have to be far stronger than her which, considering that she was nearly Level 9, implied Jeanne was virtually immune to status abnormalities. This wasn't even accounting for the equipment Vahn provided to all the girls as part of their standard loadout which, as a result of his overprotective nature, had built-in redundancies that provided protection against most status ailments and mental control.
Seeing Jeanne's confidence, combined with his own as a [Master Smith], Vahn gave a small no in response before sparing Helen one last glance. She squinted her eyes without saying anything so Vahn decided not to press her as he turned to Fenrir and said, "I'll leave the vanguard to you again, Fenrir. Don't forget to show added caution when first encountering a new enemy. At this point, it wouldn't be a stretch to see monsters that are Level 7 and higher as the standard..." Though Fenrir wouldn't struggle against the average Level 7, Vahn couldn't help but worry about her since the predominant element contained within the surroundings was Fire. Her body could easily process it as nourishment, meaning she would almost never run out of energy by simply breathing, but this didn't apply to external attacks from increasingly powerful enemies.
Though she didn't take her Master's words to heart, Fenrir still gave an understanding nod while increasing the tension in her body slightly. She knew that her strength was beginning to plateau compared to Jeanne's but, as the strength of the enemies increased, so too did her own power. By consuming the cores of more powerful enemies, she could marginally increase her power, literally without limits. Even if this came at the cost of destabilizing her mind a bit, Fenrir knew she had far more control over her emotions than she did in the past so she had a lot of leeway before having to worry about going berserk. If things got really bad, there was also the option of returning to the surface and entering closed cultivation for a time to stabilize her emotions once again...
Once their preparations were finalized, the group began their excursion through the 81st Floor, once against reverting to their standard formation with Fenrir as the vanguard/scout, Jeanne as the mid-line defender/support, and Vahn as the rearguard/ranged specialist. Helen was technically qualified as both a healer and buffer, a coveted combination that would make her heavily sought at by other experienced parties, but Vahn ended up filling those roles in lieu of her. As tempted as he was to ask for her help, Vahn still felt it was better to simply have Helen observe. Unless it was an emergency, her skills were almost overkill as, even compared to Haruhime, Helen's ability to increase her allies parameters was truly monstrous.
Helen's standard Magic, a spell named [Oversoul], increased a single parameter by as much as 30% and, though it couldn't stack on the same attribute, Helen could use the buff multiple times to effectively increase a person's capabilities far more than a single level could account for. This had the detrimental effect of causing intense strain on the body, however, requiring Helen to use her second Magic, [Ulma-Natis], which, for a short period of time, made someone practically immortal unless they had their head or heart destroyed. The regeneration provided by the spell was comparable to Tiona's [Pactio] but, much like her [Oversoul], it carried the downside of literally overtaxing a person's vitality. Though this wouldn't mean much to the most powerful individuals, as their lifespan was far greater than that of a normal person, it would still shave away at their longevity.
Though Helen knew far more Magic spells than were accounted for in her Status Board, as a result of centuries of study, each of her recorded spells were a bit too extreme for constant use. It was almost as if she had specifically chosen abilities that had determinants in order to dissuade anyone from trying to rely on her abilities to enhance their own. Since this was very likely the case, especially considering her situation prior to arriving at Spero, Vahn was content with having Helen act as a bystander. Even if she had to use her abilities, he would bear the consequences with his own body as, regardless of the detriments involved, they would ultimately have no effect, even without his [Magia Erebea] constitution.
Fortunately, Jeanne was prodigious enough that, even though she only had a few months to learn, she could use [Cantus Bellax] for short periods of time. Centuries of experience couldn't be looked down upon and, with her mastery over Light Elemental magic, Jeanne had a natural affinity with the buff magic taught by Eva's magic system. Though she only used it to resist the gravity of the 80th Floor thus far, as none of the monsters they had crossed were her match, Jeanne would still be able to activate it at a moments notice in a sticky situation. As for what would have to occur for that to happen, even Vahn couldn't guess as, even if several Floors of the Dungeon collapsed on her, Vahn felt that Jeanne would crawl out of the rubble unscathed...
As if intending to put Jeanne's durability to the test, an arrow that was much larger than normal came barreling through the Dungeon's corridor, its glistening head aiming directly toward Jeanne's throat. Ultimately, the situation never devolved to the point that Jeanne's defense was called into question, however, as she deftly angled her kite shield, deflecting the arrow with practiced ease. The green-skinned monster, which Vahn had dubbed as an Hypergoblin, the result of its green skin and vaguely similar appearance to Goblins and Hobgoblins, immediately fired another ballista sized arrow in response to its first having been deflected. At the same time, another green-skinned Hypergoblin began to blow on a curved horn, obviously intending to call for backup since they seemed to be nothing more than a patrol group.
In the midst of calling for aid, the Hypergoblin was forced to abandon its horn by decisively, and surprisingly quickly, leaping back. Fenrir's claws had nearly severed its head when she performed a flanking blow but, unwilling to allow her attack to be evaded so easily, Fenrir twisted her body using the momentum of her swipe to create a foothold in the air. Her body vanished from sight before reappearing right behind where the Hypergoblin had leaped to, even before it had landed. Its eyes widened into saucers as it attempted to curl up in a defensive posture but, much like every other monster that had tasted Fenrir's claws, this was an ultimately futile effort. As if the plating provided absolutely no defense, the Hypergoblin's body was cut into four distinctive chunks before bursting apart into a cloud of purple dust moments later. It was obvious from the small club-like staff that this particular Hypergoblin was a Mage so it was sorely lacking in Agility, even though its reaction time had been remarkable.
Immediately following Fenrir's victory over her opponent, she looked over to see Jeanne pulling her sword out of the ranger's chest. It had already slumped over and, by the time Jeanne brandished her blade, vanished into a second cloud of purple dust without any flair. As if they had been competing against each other, Fenrir gave a small snort through her nose since it seemed like their kills very close to each other this time around. Her only advantage against Jeanne was her speed, as the latter couldn't use [Shundo], so Fenrir didn't consider it a true victory since their battles had ended so close together. Fortunately, in response to the call for aid, a large group of Hypergoblins began to pour into the area and, much to Fenrir's personal glee, there were even two of the red-skinned warriors amongst them...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Gravity imba, please nerf','For a brief moment, I imagined Helen as Erina eating Souma's cooking...','Fenrir's competitive nature')
(A/N: For some reason, I keep waking up way later so I may have to start setting an alarm clock soon. There should still be three chapters today, though the second and third might not be until the afternoon. Sorry for the inconvenience m(。≧ _ ≦。)m...)
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