章節 1011: Comprehension
After diverting his focus to the surface world for a few hours, Vahn's avatar within the Dungeon, which hadn't moved since his 'rest' began, now twitched into an active state. It felt like his limbs had been set with lead but, after rising to his feet, Vahn had recovered his full faculties once again. Even so, he began to stretch in order to better his circulation while musing, "Now I have even more reasons to leave this world...I must return as soon as possible..." As much as he was enjoying his time spent in the Far East, Vahn was already beginning to feel something akin to separation anxiety, even though he could easily return to the Manor at a moment's notice. The only thing stopping him was his conversation with the goddesses who, knowing it would be 'easier' for him, advised Vahn to strengthen his resolve and focus on the journey ahead instead of giving himself more reasons to hesitate...
Only Hephaestus, Loki, Hestia, and Artemis knew the truth, at least to Vahn's knowledge, and they were doing their best to keep it a secret themselves as they continued to go about their lives and duties without letting the matter distract them, at least openly. Vahn knew it wasn't easy for them to pretend nothing was wrong as, even without entering into the Manor, he had stopped by on occasion to peek in on his children. During these visits, Vahn always found Hestia holed up in her room with Artemis while, spending most of her time away from the Manor, Loki had been rushing to take care of various tasks she knew Vahn 'required' to ensure his trip was successful. Seeing them like this made the time Vahn was spending within the Far East feel less 'real', even though he was doing his best to show his affection to Kali and Amaterasu...
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Vahn began focusing on the coming fight and what he needed to do in order to defeat Achron. He had two trump cards that would almost certainly guarantee victory but, upon starting his descent on the 90th Floor, Vahn had decided that he would rely on his own capabilities to further hasten the strengthening of his Soul. This included using items form The Path's shop as, even though it could be misconstrued as 'outside' help, Vahn knew The Path, and everything contained within, was a part of him. When he moved to other Records, The Path would forever accompany him while, regardless of how powerful they were, Artifacts like the [Sword of Evil's Bane] would be left behind. Even so, now that he had failed to defeat Achron after nearly two full days of fighting, Vahn was highly tempted to use the sword to at least deal some lasting damage to it...
After inspecting the immaculate blade for a few minutes, Vahn inevitably threw it into his Inventory once again before releasing a heavy sigh. He believed that Achron's purpose was to serve as the final 'push' needed for someone to reach godhood. If he started treating the battle with contempt, Vahn felt it would be the same as limiting himself as, compared to anything he had ever come across, Achron had fostered the most noticeable growth with him. Even though his parameters weren't changing much, it almost felt as if the numbers meant nothing at this point. True power was embodied by a person's understanding of the Laws while, as useful as they were, parameters merely served as a crutch that allowed people to glean insight into them. This was why two people with the same Agility might have drastically different speeds, especially if one focused on the concept of Speed itself when delving into the Laws...
Knowing his own 'specialty', Vahn held up his palm before activating his [Eyes of Truth] and condensing a cube of Pure Fire Elemental Energy. Though a sphere was the most stable form, Vahn liked how the cube would break at the points, dealing highly penetrative damage to anything that was unfortunate enough to get caught within its area of effect. He had even tried making a cross-shaped 'Star' to deal even greater damage but, with how thin each segment was, Vahn ended up destroying part of the Dungeon and dealing a significant amount of damage to his own body for the effort. Though his instincts told him it wasn't impossible to make more complex shapes, Vahn had defaulted to basic geometric shapes with an even number of faces and sides. These were the most stable forms energy could take when brought together, something many Mages quickly learned when they were delving into the craft...
After preparing a few surprises for his next encounter with Achron, Vahn's eyes sharpened as he brought both palms together and tried something a little more 'drastic'. His arms naturally transitioned into his Zhuque form, vermillion feathers extending all the way to his elbows, as a small marble of Pure Yang began to condense in his palms. Vahn was far more attuned with the higher-tiered elemental force in his Zhuque form, allowing him to grow the 'star' to the size of a walnut before it was on the verge of collapse. As even this wouldn't be enough to deal any real damage to Achron, Vahn muttered, "With how much time I've spent with the girls, there is no reason why I should fail..."
As he spoke, Vahn's body underwent a peculiar change that would have caused him to sweat bomb in almost any other situation. While maintaining the shape of the Yang Elemental Star, Vahn's body became increasingly more feminine until, at the very end, one of the things he had come to pride himself in had simply ceased to be. This wasn't enough to distract him, however, as Vahn ignored his now slender and delicate arms as he began to infuse Pure Yin, intermixing it with the Yang contained within the Star. Though the two forces were natural counters to each other, Vahn knew, with absolute certainty, they were capable of existing in a perfect balance. Not only that, they would further enhance what made each unique Element great, leading to a situation where their power was compounded several fold, not just arbitrarily doubled...
Though he wasn't sure if it helped, Vahn focused on the time he melded with the goddesses as he infused the Yin Elemental Energy into the Yang Elemental Star. This caused his own body to heat up rapidly but, without losing focus, Vahn continued to fusion of the two elemental forces until, nearly twenty minutes later, he held a peculiar violet sphere in hand that, while being a quarter the size of what he started with, held an unfathomable amount of power. Even though he had been the one to create it, Vahn sensed 'nothing' from the tiny violet sphere other than an instinctual fear of letting it go. Since Yin Elemental Energy was considered the product of the Spirit, significant enough damage by anything suffused with enough energy could even damage the Ego, effectively 'destroying' the Soul from some people's perspectives.
After tossing the small Star into his Inventory, Vahn breathed a sigh of relief as he used the back of his palm to wipe away a layer of glistening sweat from his forehead. Vahn's eyes were drawn to the fairness of his own hand, causing him to pay attention to his body for the first time since the process had started. Immediate realization hit him as he saw the two budding mounds protruding from his chest, causing Vahn's body to rapidly morph back into his default Progenitor state. Then, even though it was almost impossible that anyone had seen what had occurred, Vahn turned his eyes to the surroundings. Fortunately, he had been in an isolated area of the 97th Floor and, even with some of them having nigh-omniscience, Vahn was confident that his actions had gone unobserved...
Just as he came to this conclusion, Vahn felt a tingle in the back of his mind that represented his 'instincts' tell him he was wrong. This caused an exasperated sigh to escape his lips as he wondered which of the Primordial Deities was observing him. Upon considering he was the only challenger to make it this far into the Dungeon, it was highly possible that they were 'all' observing him from somewhere. Vahn was even fully expecting that, upon clearing the 99th Floor, he would find the gods and goddesses waiting for him on the other side. This meant he may be having a reunion with Tiamat sooner than he'd like, causing Vahn's scalp to tingle slightly as he transformed into his Qinglong form and tore a path through to the 98th Floor...
Though the 98th Floor was nearly 50,000km across, making the Continent of Eden seem small in comparison, Vahn could sense an 'intent' lock onto him the moment he entered the Floor's airspace. He had chosen a place that was far enough away from Achron that the massive True Dragon wouldn't be able to immediately attack him from, at least in any meaningful way. This didn't prevent Vahn from having to quickly begin dodging a few lasers, however, as their speed made it possible to attack anywhere on the Floor in an 'instant'. Fortunately, Vahn had a fair amount of leeway to dodge as they lost a significant amount of power and accuracy the further they traveled away from Achron.
After using the laser barrage as a means to 'warm' himself up, Vahn's lust for battle had been stirred so, without further hesitation, he tore through the void before appearing above Achron's body once again. While muttering, "Still a big bastard, aren't you...?", Vahn brought out a large 'cube' before throwing it towards the base of Achron's wings. Though not as fast as the speed of light, the attack still traveled fast enough that it seemed to 'teleport' the short distance before rapidly destabilizing. Vahn chose not to wait around to see the result, however, as he vanished from his location just as Achron's tail tore through the area with unstoppable momentum.
This time, Vahn appeared near the base of Achron's tail but, seeing that it didn't possess the orifice he had expected, a new plan quickly concocted itself within his mind as he was forced to dodge once again. Fortunately, he still had a surplus of OP available after mowing through the previous Floors, giving him a bit of leeway in his options. As a result, Vahn purchased another [Yi's Judgement] before appearing less than a meter away from one of Achron's oversized eyes. It's pupil contracted to a 'point' that was still larger than Vahn's entire body as an intense amalgamation of mana began to form from its depths. This attack would never find purchase, however, as Vahn unceremoniously stabbed the black spear into Achron's eyes before ejecting the star formed from Yin and Yang Elemental energies. With that task completed, Vahn moved so fast that time seemed to stop around him as his instincts warned him to clear the area as quickly as possible...
Just as the gravitational well caused by [Yi's Judgement] began to bloom, the black sphere actually fractured into pieces as the oppressive gravitational surge was simply no match for the combined forces of Yin and Yang. The moment the tiny Star began to expand, it was as if the influence of other Laws was simply overwritten as, without even contacting any part of Achron's flesh, his head began to vanish as if it had been erased from reality. An area a thousand times the diameter of the Star had become 'empty' as it continued to float in the air, completely bereft from Gravity's pull. Curiously, instead of becoming 'unstable' and growing in size, the star kept its structural integrity with the only discernable change being the 'field' surrounding it...
After moving more than a thousand kilometers away, Vahn had used his intent to observe the after-effects of his [Yin-Yang Dual Elemental Star]. He watched with dull eyes as Achron quickly moved away from the Star's influence, a large section of its head now missing. Though this section wasn't growing back, it was able to outrun the influence of the Star as the latter, while unbelievably destructive, wasn't very fast. It made up for this lack of speed by 'deleting' everything that came into contact with it, but Vahn couldn't understand why his instincts had reacted the way they did. It wasn't until nearly an hour had passed, with Achron fleeing in the complete opposite direction, that Vahn began to sweat a little...
While the Star's influence continued to grow, the Star itself showed no signs of destabilizing or diminishing. Instead, it simply hovered in the exact spot that Vahn had released it, pulsing with a gentle violet light that was unceremoniously destroying everything around it. Though the rate of destruction was rather slow, it showed absolutely no signs of stopping whatsoever. Vahn was beginning to realize that merging two elements to the point that they had achieved 'balance' wasn't necessarily the best way to create a consumable weapon of mass destruction. Though the Yin and Yang Elemental energy were certainly enhancing each other's aspects, they were simultaneously keeping each other in check, allowing for what seemed like 'infinite' growth...
Though it was hard to imagine, Vahn could visualize this small Star of his growing to the point that it would one day destroy the entirety of the 98th Floor. Then, though it would take an astronomical amount of time, its influence might even stretch to the entire Mortal World. Realizing this, Vahn released a self-deprecating sigh as his right arm morphed into his Zhuque form. If the Star existed in a perfect state of balance, he needed to forcibly create an instability before it grew to the point that he could no longer take action. Though he could easily deal with it upon his return to the Record, Vahn felt like he was going to 'fail' the Dungeon's challenge if he simply chose to ignore it...
Taking in a deep breath to prepare himself, Vahn leaned forward slightly before musing, "Well, at least I learned something new from this experiment..." Since Yin and Yang were able to exist in a 'perfect' balance like this, Vahn's mind was buzzing with infinite possibilities for the future. He had failed to make a cross-shaped construct with unstable Elements but, seeing how the [Yin-Yang Dual Elemental Star] retained its shape, he was contemplating making an actual weapon out of it. If he could control the area of its influence, there would be little that would be able to resist an arrow that could seemingly 'delete' anything it came into contact with...
Imagining the possibilities, Vahn allowed a smile to adorn his face as, unbeknownst to him, an invisible pulse radiated from his body. He was so focused on wrangling in the [Yin-Yang Dual Elemental Star] that he had missed the phenomenon entirely. Fortunately, Sis had documented it, much like everything else that happened around Vahn. Though she didn't have a body to perform the action, she imagined a smile on her non-existent lips as she silently encouraged, (*You can do it Vahn...!*) in a voice that, even within his head, Vahn couldn't hear. This didn't stop him from instantly moving into action, however, as if the words gave him the power needed to do what his instincts screamed was an extremely foolish action.
Unable to teleport within the area of the Star's influence, Vahn emerged just outside of the invisible aura before charging into it without any hesitation. Vahn could best describe what he felt as the same kind of feeling a person would have if they dropped from an incredible height and crashed into water. It felt like his body was being torn apart by an incalculable number of needles but, unlike everything else that came into contact with the Star's influence, his Source Energy wasn't so easily dealt with. At nearly the same speed that his body was being broken apart, Vahn was regenerating under the combined influence of his Qinglong, Zhuque, and [Magia Erebea] forms. It only took a single instant for him to reach the violet star at the very center of the phenomenon, causing Vahn to extend his vermillion hand forward to grasp it in his palm.
Though not the result of his Yang Elemental Energy destabilizing the star, Vahn felt as if time had come to a stop the moment he formed his hand into a fist. He was vaguely aware of the fact that the star had tried to absorb some of his blood before, in less time than an instant, Vahn's connection with his avatar had been completely severed. Back on the surface, Vahn had been in a meditative state with Amaterasu curled up in his lap while Kali was passed out at the side. Her tails were gently snaking about as a contented smile adorned her sleeping expression, something that would have caused Vahn to smile in almost any other situation. This time, however, he released a sigh before reaching out his hand and stroking her silky black hair while thinking about what had happened...
It was at this time that Sis's voice echoed within his ears, causing Vahn's brows to perk up as she said, (*Congratulations, Vahn, your Soul has finally reached Tier 4...!*). Then, understanding his confusion, Sis explained, (*I'm not sure if it was your comprehension of 'balance', or your willingness to stop the Star's destruction, but your Soul has undergone a qualitative change. Take a look...*)
Following Sis's advice, Vahn submerged his intent until he was outside of the rainbow-colored space that represented his Soul. He could see Eva's memory fragment sleeping peacefully within but, instead of being cradled by his Soul, it was almost as if she was a tiny nucleus as, compared to before, Vahn's Soul felt 'massive'. Even [Enkidu], which seemed to take up a large portion of his Soul before, now coiled around in a much larger arc that made it seem tiny compared to the past. Most importantly, Vahn could sense something new within his Soul that hadn't existed before and, even though it was hard to 'understand' what it was, he instinctually knew it was his own Divinity based on the connection they shared...
Extending his 'hand' outward, Vahn condensed the strange 'something' within his Soul until it formed into a tiny white shard. Since Divinity within the Record of Danmachi was fragmented, Vahn wasn't that surprised by the fact that his own only seemed to be a 'piece' of something greater. He would need to develop and nourish his Divinity further if he wanted to truly make it his own but, even this small fragment filled him with an overwhelming sense of 'completion'. Vahn couldn't really describe what he was feeling right now but, as if the destruction of his avatar had been a small matter, a feeling of supreme bliss welled up from within his heart before extending outwards to his surroundings...
Though they were sensitive to Vahn's emotions in his normal state, Amaterasu and Kali were both startled awake when they felt this particular pulse of energy. Amaterasu, who had been having one of the best dreams of her long existence, nearly hopped out of the bed in surprise as her golden eyes reflected the image of Vahn deep within. As for Kali, her eyes showed an extreme amount of excitement as her mouth formed into a vicious and predatory smile. Watching what was happening to Vahn's body made her own feel like it was suffused with liquid magma and, if not for her unwillingness to 'disturb' whatever process he was undergoing, she wouldn't have been able to contain herself.
Sparing each other a quick glance, Amaterasu and Kali could see understanding in each other's eyes as they both began to stir up their own Arcanum to mask the aura radiating from Vahn's body. Then, with shimmering eyes, they continued to watch as light radiated from each of Vahn's pores, casting his figure in a subtle blue glow. His hair, which had been moving as if a gentle wind was blowing it, changed from its traditional dark brown into a pure and untainted white. On his chest, in the same location as Freya and Artemis, a small glowing symbol emerged, this one emanating a radiance that even Amaterasu, a Goddess of the Sun, couldn't directly look at. It wasn't until the light began to fade, allowing Vahn's floating body to gently lower to the bed, that both goddesses were able to see that the symbol on Vahn's chest had taken the same appearance as his Maker's Mark. The only difference was, instead of being black, Vahn's glowed a sky blue on the edges while pure white light shone from within its depths. Neither girl stared at it for too long, however, as Vahn's eyes slowly peeled open to reveal a pair of blazing blue eyes that caused Amaterasu to gasp while, diminishing the impact of the moment, Kali released a sensual moan...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Preparing for a Raid be like...','Achron noped the fuck out','Kali, "My body is ready...!")
(A/N: Sorry for the late chapter. I'm a bit busy today, but I'll try to get out another when I can.)
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章節 1012: Final Preparations
After dealing with an overexcited Kali, Vahn was finally afforded a bit of time to think when Amaterasu, now fully clothed, asked, "What is it like, Vahn, becoming the first mortal to ascend to godhood? How do you feel...?" These words caused Kali, who had been twitching nearby, to calm down a bit as she rolled over and began listening in on the conversation. Vahn gave her a brief glance to make sure she wasn't acting up again before turning his attention back to Amaterasu and saying, "Honestly...it's a little hard to describe. It feels like I'm 'more' now, almost as if my previous existence was small and insignificant..."
With his domain having jumped from around 3.3km to a monstrous 8.5km in an instant, Vahn felt like the entire world was in the palm of his hands, even if it was only a small portion of it. As for Kali and Amaterasu, they just gave a small nod in response before the latter showed a radiant smile, placing both hands on her cheeks as she mused, "To think that we would bear witness to your ascent so soon...ehehehe~." Though she didn't harbor any doubts about the path she had decided upon, Amaterasu felt more than a little vindicated seeing Vahn reach godhood in such a short period of time. Since it was something that had occurred right in front of her, Amaterasu felt as if she was viewing the literal dawn of a new era, one in which Vahn would shine like the very sun she represented.
Seeing that Amaterasu seemed even happier than he was, Vahn's smile softened as he reached out his hand and began stroking her ears. This caused her face to quickly develop a blush before she grabbed his hand, moving it aside with a bit of reluctance visible on her face as she asked, "What Divinity have you come to possess? It feels very powerful..." Even though Vahn's aura seemed 'small', Amaterasu felt as if the Divinity he possessed had a quality that couldn't be matched by other gods. As Kali had similar thoughts, she had sat upright with an expectant look on her face as Vahn tilted his head in contemplation before saying, "It feels as if my Divinity is related to Creation, but my instincts tell me it is something a little different..."
Within the system interface, Vahn was able to confirm that he did indeed possess a Divinity related to Creation but, as Creation was actually somewhat abstract, it was hard to determine exactly what he was capable of. Awakening his Divinity had given him some insight into his 'purpose', as all gods within Danmachi seem to have been assigned a role, but even that took the form of vague images that were impossible to focus on. It was as if he were trying to recall a distant memory but, with his ability to 'remember everything', Vahn knew it was impossible for him to forget such a thing. This meant the Laws of the world were obscuring his ability to decipher his own Divinity as, compared to the precedent set by other gods, his was unique in the fact that it had no inherent limit.
Following his instincts, Vahn extended his index finger as a lotus made of Pure Fire Elemental Energy blossomed almost instantly. Instead of having to use his 'Oblivion' to shape the energy, Vahn felt as if it was a natural part of himself as he watched the Pure Elemental Energy emulate life atop his finger. It was a strangely mesmerizing sight that caused Vahn's mind to enter a state of 'nothingness' as Amaterasu and Kali watched on with widened eyes. Though the lotus atop Vahn's finger was beautiful in its own right, the fact that there was 'vitality' contained within the energy was something that shook both goddesses to the core. After all, even if Vahn himself wasn't aware of it, they were very aware of the fact that his actions were akin to having created a lesser Spirit without any discernable effort...
After watching the lotus reach full maturity, Vahn felt a connection to the tiny flower that caused a small smile to spread across his lips. Though it lacked sentience and the presence of a Soul, Vahn could feel that the lotus was 'alive', even if it existed in a form that ran perpendicular to how most life was formed. Turning his eyes to the system interface, Vahn could see that there was a new [Nameless] entity within his Unit Management list. The system recorded this small lotus as a mana construct that, if named, had the potential of becoming a creature that may even rival the gods one day. This thought caused Vahn to feel an overwhelming sense of pride, comparable to the emotional upheaval he would feel when bearing witness to the birth of his children...
Using his free hand to stroke one of the lotus' petals, Vahn murmured, "It is a shame you were not born a little later...I would have liked to see what you would have become if given a proper name. For now, I will call you Jade..." With the petals of the lotus looking like pale white jade, especially with how they possessed a slightly translucent sheen, Vahn felt the name was suitable. In the future, upon returning to the Record, Vahn promised that he would give his first genuine creation a real name. By then, his [Keeper of the Akashic Tome] would be even more powerful, allowing the tiny lotus to truly blossom into an existence worthy of its own significance...
Though it lacked sentience, the lotus atop Vahn's finger curled its petals inwards and, as if awaiting the day it would receive a proper name, entered into a budding state that seemed to be on the very cusp of blossoming once again. Since Vahn couldn't place it into his Inventory, he used the Unit Management function to place his newly named Jade into stasis before finally turning his attention back to the two gawking goddesses. Seeing as even Amaterasu's mouth was slightly agape, Vahn felt more playful than normal as he extended his finger to her lips, surprising her back to awareness as a red hue quickly ascended her neck until overwhelming her fair disposition. With upturned eyes, Amaterasu stared back at him as she said, "You undoubtedly have a Divinity related to Creation...it is a very rare ability, being able to create Spirits so freely..."
Having regained her own senses, Kali nodded her head in response to Amaterasu's words before adding, "Keep in mind that, while you may have no equals in the Mortal World, using your Arcanum without restraint will draw a lot of unnecessary attention towards you. Gods like Ouranos may be content with simply observing History, but there are many other gods who may try to intervene if they see you abusing your powers. Even without descending themselves, there are numerous ways in which gods can interact with the mortal world, some of which possess Creation Divinities far greater than your own. Though I don't imagine you will misuse your power, you should properly consider your actions from here onwards..."
With a goddess like Kali warning him, Vahn was overtaken by a momentary surprise before he was able to make sense of her words. She was, after all, speaking an irrefutable truth as, with what he knew of the gods, Vahn was very aware of the fact that he was closer to the bottom of the pyramid than anywhere near the top. Though he could seemingly create Lesser Spirits with a bit of guided thought, there were gods residing in Heaven that were capable of creating Greater Spirits. These Greater Spirits were some of the most powerful existences within the Mortal World as they often embodied the purest form of a specific Elemental Law. Though Vahn would be able to move without being restrained like other gods, it didn't mean that there were no forces in the world that could oppose him. Chief amongst these were the gods enshrined within the Dungeon as, even though they were also bound in a statuesque shape, it was clear to see that the amount of power they possessed dwarfed anything he had observed in other gods...
Nodding his head, Vahn alleviated Kali's concerns by explaining, "I have no intention of letting this new power get to my head. Though I will be using it to conquer the Dungeon, that will be the last time I exercise my Divinity within this world in its current state..." Vahn chose not to mention that, by the time he returned to the Record, any of the gods that Kali was worried about wouldn't be able to do anything against him. Neither she nor Amaterasu knew that he would be leaving soon, even if the latter seemed to have 'sensed' something with her uncharacteristically high perception. This was one of the things he had quickly come to appreciate about Amaterasu as, even though her status among gods was actually very high, she was an extremely modest and sensible goddess...
Sensing that Vahn was thinking about her, Amaterasu adopted a small smile as she asked, "What will you do now...?" She knew that Vahn was probably going to leave them, even if she didn't know exactly what that detailed. Now that he had become a god, Amaterasu knew his focus was no longer with her and Kali. This made her feel a little lonely but, having already prepared herself to observe the world Vahn would create from the sidelines, she kept a gentle and unperturbed expression to alleviate any anxiety Vahn might have about his own actions.
Responding to Amaterasu's words, Vahn explained, "My avatar was destroyed on the 98th Floor of the Dungeon. For the time being, I intend to create a new avatar before continuing my conquest of the Dungeon. I will also return to Orario to resolve a few things that require my attention...after that, I will come back to retrieve the two of you. Though you may wish to stay in the Far East and watch over your people, you should still have a place picked out at the Manor. I'll set up a teleportation ward so you can freely move between the Manor and the shrine whenever you please..."
Though she knew Vahn wasn't being truthful with her, Amaterasu smiled in response before nodding her head in understanding. Her instincts told her that the whole reason Vahn had brought Kali over was to keep her from interacting with others, at least for the time being. By the time he returned to pick her up, Amaterasu felt as if Vahn would no longer be the same person. Though he would undoubtedly continue along the path their promise was based upon, Amaterasu felt melancholic knowing there wasn't anything she could do to help him. Fortunately, Vahn seemed too distracted to notice the melancholy she kept buried in her heart as she wore a mask that even Loki would struggle to read...
---
After making arrangments with Amaterasu and Kali, Vahn quickly set about performing the actions he had decided were necessary to complete his Main Quest. First, even before he began to process of creating a new avatar, Vahn teleported to a small cave located a few kilometers away from Amaterasu's shrine. Though the province located around the shrine was typically very warm, courtesy of the sun's gracing the land with its presence throughout most of the year, the area he had teleported to was so cold that the perpetual Spring settled into the area had been, quite literally, frozen in time. The flora that was common in the surrounding mountains had been converted into beautiful ice sculptures by the overbearingly powerful Ice Elemental Energy contained within the air.
Fortunately, most of the fauna within the area had fled by instinct so, other than the insects that resided deep within the earth, most creatures had evaded an icy fate. As for the cause of the tundra-like qualities of this particular mountain, Vahn found it located deep within the small cave. There, seated atop a bed of ice, Fenrir was in a deep state of meditation as a mystical blue aura radiated from her body. At the same time, the crest on her abdomen had turned from a vibrant crimson into a muted, blood-red color. She had been using her newly awakened Innate to slowly devour the Destructive energy within Tiamat's blessing, literally converting the energy forced into her body into her own. Since she would lose it upon leaving the Record, something Vahn had explained to her, Fenrir had been training in earnest to absorb as much of the invasive energy as possible before it was time to leave.
Sensing the presence of her Master, Fenrir exhaled a stagnant breath that caused a dense cloud of condensation to shroud her figure. When she inhaled inward, however, this cloud immediately dispersed as small ripples appeared within the void, almost like a vortex leading to the interior of Fenrir's delicate lips. It was only after this that Fenrir opened her eyes, asking, "Master...is it time to go...?" Though Vahn's appearance had changed slightly, Fenrir wasn't even remotely concerned by the change as, regardless of what form he took, her Master was still her Master. If anything, she was happy that he had grown stronger, even if it made her feel a little bothered that she was falling even further behind...
Shaking his head, Vahn quietly explained, "We may be leaving sooner than expected, but not just yet. I wanted to check in on you and make sure you were okay as I may be away for a few days..." Vahn suspected that creating a new avatar might not be possible in his current state, as his understanding of the process was still a bit lacking. It was easy enough to make a new body, as he could literally grow one out of his own flesh, but ensuring it possessed a Divinity wasn't that simple. Much like Eva's memory fragment, the shard of Vahn's Divinity seemed to be a unique existence within his Soul. Though he may be able to fragment it even further, Vahn felt this would diminish his power greatly. This meant that, instead of conquering the Dungeon with his avatar, Vahn would have to enter the 99th Floor with his main body while his avatar was left to wrap things up on the surface...
Hearing her Master's words, Fenrir adopted a small frown before hopping off from her icy platform and saying, "I will come with you." Even without Vahn explaining that he would be entering into the Dungeon with his main body, Fenrir could sense something was wrong. She resolved herself to follow after him, even if he tried to refuse her assistance. If nothing else, she would forcibly return into her core state to force his hand on the issue. As Vahn could sense the resolve Fenrir had mustered up, he didn't even try to refute her and instead reached out his hand to stroke her head as he muttered, "This may be it, Fenrir...after I deal with Ouranos and finalize the treaty with the Land of No Sun, the last thing we have to do is conquer the Dungeon...are you ready?"
Without any hesitation whatsoever, Fenrir nodded her head before adopting a serious expression as she said, "When we come back, I want to deal with that one personally..." Even without specifying who she was talking about, Vahn knew that Fenrir had a grudge with Tiamat after being taken against her will. Though she was more than a little happy to have awakened her new Innate, Fenrir hadn't been that far away from achieving it through her own methods. Having someone else forcibly push her down a path she hadn't chosen caused her hunger pangs in the middle of the night. It felt like the mark on her abdomen was a fiery brand that was constantly burning her skin as it continued to feed an incredible amount of mana into the vortex located in her stomach...
As he also wanted to teach Tiamat a lesson, Vahn gave a nod in response to Fenrir's request, even if he knew there was a good chance neither of them would put her in their eyes upon returning. After all, even if she doesn't reach the peak of Tier 6, Vahn expected that Fenrir would be near the peak of Tier 5 by the time he linked the records. It was very difficult to increase the Tier of your Soul without having sealed Innates already embedded within it. He knew that there were several Innates slumbering within his own Soul, meaning it wasn't surprisingly easy to advance, but Fenrir would have to rely on her own comprehension to become stronger. Though he may be able to boost her with his [Keeper of the Akashic Tome], Vahn suspected that the path Fenrir wanted to walk was one of self-reliance...
After leaving Fenrir's impromptu cultivation cave, Vahn spread his senses through the area before frowning slightly. Knowing what he was going to ask, Fenrir explained, "Medusa said she found something interesting to the South and left two days ago..." As she spoke, Fenrir's face formed a deep frown as she wasn't that fond of her newest companion. This was a combination of the fact that she had been looking forward to traveling to other Records with her Master, just the two of them. Though Eva would undoubtedly be a part of the question at some point, she had already come to respect the latter while, from the first moment she had laid eyes on it, Fenrir hadn't been fond of the Rainbow Viper.
With a wry smile on his face, Vahn stroked Fenrir's head as he used his Unit Management to recall Medusa to his side. Though he could have gone to pick her up, Vahn felt he might get wrapped up in something problematic if he went to see what she found interesting. She seemed to have an instinctual draw to both treasures and troublesome things, something he was fully expecting to be both a boon and the cause of infinite troubles in other Records. As for why he had decided to take her along with him, it was due to the fact that he felt some fate with the small serpent, much like when he first stumbled across her in the Dungeon. He knew this was likely related to an Innate that was slumbering within her then developing Soul but, after naming her, Vahn hadn't been able to glean any insights into what exactly was special about her...
After being forcibly summoned, a petite girl with cascading silver hair and golden eyes appeared in the air before Vahn. He told himself it had nothing to do with him but, seeing Medusa's figure caused Vahn to internally sigh as he wondered why she had chosen such a form. The only things he had desired upon naming Medusa was that she would become more powerful while at the same time being a companion that could work alongside Fenrir. As a result, Medusa took on the form of a petite young woman that was only 139cm tall. Though she had a golden tail protruding out of her backside, with a few rainbow-colored scales neatly arranged along the fringe, her base appearance was heart-wrenchingly youthful. This was even more apparent as, much like Fenrir in the early days, Medusa had a problem with wearing clothing that Vahn hadn't personally picked out for her...
Seeing her Master, Medusa's face warped into an excited smile as she spread her arms and unhesitantly leaped towards him. Her long silvery hair, as if possessing a life of its own, began to coil around him as she happily rubbed her cheek against his and exclaimed, "Master, lets play~! I found something really really cool~!" At the same time as she began clinging to Vahn, Medusa's smiling face morphed into a slightly taunting look as she peaked over at Fenrir and poked out her bright red tongue. Fenrir's frown deepened upon seeing this before she unceremoniously grabbed Medusa's golden tail, shouting, "Smelly snake...!" before she tossed her to the side.
Medusa was currently much weaker than Fenrir so there wasn't much she could do besides allow herself to be thrown. This, however, didn't stop her from adopting a pitiful expression on her face as she plopped to the ground and began sniffling. Vahn knew she was only pretending but he still sent a warning look towards Fenrir that caused her to snort, even as her ears drooped ashamedly. Vahn habitually rubbed her head before lifting Medusa with his telekinesis and saying, "You shouldn't antagonize Fenrir so much, Medusa. It isn't too late for me to change my mind..." Though he would like to pretend he didn't play favorites, Vahn was very aware of the fact that Fenrir had cemented herself in an especially sensitive spot within his heart.
Knowing her antics had gone too far, Medusa showed an apologetic expression as she lowered her head and muttered, "I'm sorry, Big Sis..." in a demure tone. Though it sounded a little half-hearted to Vahn's ears, he still set Medusa on the ground before explaining, "We may be leaving sooner than expected so I'll have to ask you to either return to your core state or go into stasis for the time being. Don't worry, it should only be a few days this time around..." As he spoke, Vahn could see Medusa adopt a pouting expression on her still lowered face but, by the time she looked up, it had vanished entirely as she said, "I understand. I want to go with Master so I will behave..." Then, without any hesitation, Medusa's body turned into rainbow-colored dust before a deep purple magic core, glowing with intense rainbow light, fell towards the ground. Vahn quickly snatched it out of the air, feeling the cores peculiar warmth before setting it within his Inventory. Once this was done, he turned towards Fenrir before extending his hand and saying, "Let's go..." in a gentle yet determined voice...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The birth of the Jade Lotus...','You think you can force me to use your energy? Good, good, good, Fenrir could use a snack...!','Medusa, Fenrir's rival...?')
(A/N: It may not come as a surprise to any of you that this Medusa shares the same design as the Primal Beast from Granblue Fantasy. Vahn's desire for Fenrir to have a companion meant that the form Medusa took was from the same Record of origin as Fenrir herself. Like the matter with Nagato/Amaterasu, this was something that had been determined long ago when the Rainbow Viper was first introduced. By the way, I love Granblue fantasy xD (Rank 128)...)
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