Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Unaware of the fact he had been given a sealing designation, Vahn was currently standing next to Da Vinci as they watched a veritable horde of golems install a black pylon that was cover in several lines of azure blue runes. While this was occurring, Vahn had his [Eyes of Truth] active as he watched micro-golems no larger than ants creating a network similar in structure to magic circuits leading from deep within the earth to the location of the pylon's base. Da Vinci had recently been pushing the concept of golems to an extreme limit, creating incrementally smaller golems that were even able to self replicate if given access to material reservoirs.

This had been accomplished when she synthesized a completely new 'element' using some of the mana-conducive ores he had given her from the system shop. She had named the element Zenustherium and, even compared to something like Mithril, it was more than seventy times more conductive to mana. Though it also had the property of being extreme brittle, to the point that a simple strong shockwave could incapacitate a large colony of her micro-golems, she had developed a series of 'majors' that were far more durable than their smaller counterparts.

These majors were given an 'atomically fixed' structure, making them virtually indestructible by physical means. Even if the rest of the colony was destroyed, they could recycle the materials in the dead micro-golems to slowly jumpstart the entire colony once again. It was both a marvelous example of Golemancy taken to the extremes while also being more than a little terrifying when you considered ways in which it could be misused. If not for the fact they required an element that didn't occur in the natural world, something Da Vinci would undoubtedly find a work-around for, there would be no way to stop their propagation as normal Magi were simply unable to sense them...

From the side, Da Vinci tapped her visor a few times before smiling as she commented, "At this rate, the installation process for the Atmospheric Mana Gathering Array will be finished in around eleven days, thirteen hours. Though it will take a few hours to calibrate after the fact, there shouldn't be any issues in the short term. I'll need to observe the array holds up against the elements but, so long as it doesn't suffer catastrophic damage from an external source, the micro-golems will be able to maintain it indefinitely. When people live here in the future, we'll need to restrict access to the areas in the real world where the mana is being gathered to avoid having people siphon off the energy of the array."

Hearing Da Vinci's words, Vahn nodded his head in understanding, remembering the project details she had given him before he even approved the creation of the Atmosphere Mana Gathering Array. To give it increased protection, Da Vinci had suggested anchoring the pylon within the Sub-Space Projection, effectively decreasing the amount of time it would take to absorb mana by the interval of time-dilation within the Orb. Though they would have to closely monitor the levels of mana within the environment, the system could be adjusted in real-time if there were any observable issues.

It was for this reason that Da Vinci's micro-golems had been burrowing into the ground as, instead of relying almost entirely on the mana from the atmosphere, which was relatively thin considering all mana originated from the planet itself, she was determined to siphon directly from the Earth in the future. The only downside to this was the fact that the network being engineered by the micro golems was 'extremely' fragile, making it impractical to set up in reality as even a small tremor in the earth could cripple the entire system. There was also the simple fact that the increased pressure and temperature made it nearly impossible for the micro-golems to function but, considering it was Da Vinci who engineered them, it was only a matter of time until she created a version of the micro golems that had no such restrictions.

Since she hadn't heard Vahn say anything, Da Vinci tilted her head to look at him, the same smile still present on her face. Vahn caught her movement out of the corner of his eyes and, realizing his small slip, gave an awkward smile as he stated, "Sorry, Da Vinci, my intuition has been acting up as of late. I've been a little distracted whenever I'm not training. Thank you for all of your hard work..." As each of Da Vinci's inventions had drastically changed how the Empire would function in the future, Vahn knew he actually owed her a great deal more than simple gratitude.

Fortunately, the only thing that remotely mattered to her was having more 'stimulus' to continue innovating, much like how a God within the Record of Danmachi was compelled to fulfill their purpose. Da Vinci genuinely considered each of the inventions she had developed as belonging to him, not just because he was the Emperor, but because they never would have existed in the current time axis if he hadn't summoned her and provided the necessary resources.

Once she had finished working on a project, she would no longer care about it at all, considering it 'obsolete' form the time of completion as it only served the purpose of future innovation. The only exception to this was her own body, something she genuinely wanted to perfect as, after learning her [Golden Rule] was only B-Rank, she was determined to push it to the EX-Rank in the future. She had previously considered her body 'perfect' according to the logic of her time but, now that she understood how the world itself judged her work, Da Vinci was determined to make the 'ultimate masteripiece' by innovating upon herself in the future...

In response to Vahn's words, Da Vinci covered her mouth and gave an elegant giggle before saying, "You know how you can show me your gratitude~." in a sultry voice. This earned dry laughter from Vahn in return as, though her words 'implied' something different, he knew she just wanted to take a sample of his blood. One of her pet projects was trying to create a container that was able to keep his blood for more than twenty-four hours. She was also trying to understand the mechanism behind its 'collapse' into sub-atomic dust as, according to Da Vinci, there was 'always' a reason.

Vahn didn't doubt her words but, considering the fact that even a membrane of Source Energy couldn't stop it from dissipating, he knew it would take a 'very' long period of time before she made any real progress into cracking its secrets. Still, having an Omnipotent Genius working to understand something he had slacked on was rather encouraging as she would intuit things in a few days that might have taken him years to understand. Though he knew this was him developing something of a dependence on Da Vinci's presence, Vahn knew the pitfalls of trying to split his focus too much as it had been one of his greatest weaknesses in both Danmachi and the Nasuverse. Having people to fill in the gaps in his own capabilities was the mark of a capable Emperor as, regardless of how powerful he became, he wouldn't be much of an Emperor without any Ministers and subjects...

---

After making their way back to the workshop, Vahn filled a series of containers that Da Vinci had prepared, several of which had been painstakingly transmuted by her for this sole purpose. As none of her equipment was capable of analyzing his blood, she was currently focused on testing how it interacted with a variety of different materials and stimuli. In the past, she had even tasted it herself, commenting that it was 'somewhat sweet', something Vahn had grown accustomed to hearing. Even he found his own blood to be uncharacteristically sweet and, though he only had a few sample sizes to compare it to, this seemed to be a rather unique trait that only applied to him. Since he could even crystallize his blood into something like a 'candied' form, something Fenrir was rather fond of, it often felt as if his blood was intended to be consumed from the start...

Though he had gotten used to ignoring her as of late, Vahn became vaguely more aware of the presence of Alaya on his shoulder as that thought crossed his mind. In response, her small blue body twitched as if she was sensitive to the fact he was thinking about her. At this point, it almost felt like she was just another part of him, something Vahn had slowly started to accept after realizing they would likely be together, not just the next sixty years, but until he finally left the Nasuverse.

When he first had this thought, Vahn humored the idea of trying to tame Alaya as, regardless of how emotionless she seemed, it was undoubtedly possible. He might currently lack the means but, if he were a Tier 6 entity that had continued to polish his understanding of Petting Laws, Vahn had no doubt he would be able to pull it off. In the past, he had even been able to 'tame' the mechanical owl that Da Vinci had created, now complete with the ability to camouflage itself like a 'real' owl in much the same way that the residents of the castle were able to change their clothes on the fly.

Much to Vahn's and Da Vinci's surprise, it had only taken him around an hour of 'playing' around with the mechanical golem before it no longer obeyed its original 'programming'. This had been a matter of extreme interest to Da Vinci, resulting in a heavy petting session between her and Vahn as she attempted to directly collect data. Unfortunately, though he could have used [Hands of Nirvana] to give himself an edge, Da Vinci's body seemed extremely resistant to petting. Though there was an obvious effect, it was significantly weaker than what he would experience with other women while, even in direct contact with her, Da Vinci's body proactively resisted his attempts to probe its internal structure.

Based on these observations, Vahn knew it was possible for his Petting Laws to influence just about anything, so long as it was capable of processing. It didn't even need to be self-aware as, regardless of how well they were programmed, none of Da Vinci's golems had reached the point of sentience or sapience. Though the possibility of them developing it existed, this would require them to break through the limitations of their programming, something that required external stimulus and a series of nigh-impossible coincidences to occur. The only way around this was to directly implant a soul from the start, either by coaxing it into the artificial body or using one of the complex formations used during the production of Homunculi. Without a biological anchor, however, it was extremely difficult to pull off such a feat, to the point that there were only a handful of sentient Mystic Codexes in all of history...

The problem was convincing Alaya to let him try and tame her as, unless she believed there was a purpose behind their interactions, she largely ignored him as well. Though she was undoubtedly paying attention to everything he did, their interactions were largely fruitless unless he was willingly providing information to her. She would allow him to move her around a bit but, once he began to pet or handle her as he pleased, Alaya would be like an unstoppable force as she easily liberated herself from his grasp. He knew she was just trying to bait him into having s.e.x with her but, as the days turned into long months, Vahn had been increasingly attempted to give it a try. As Da Vinci's mechanical owl was able to break free from her control, Vahn was very curious to see what would happen if he managed to somehow win Alaya over from the Root's management.

To that end, once Vahn had finished filling the containers Da Vinci had set out for him, he waited until she had finished setting up her experiment before walking up behind her. The best time to target her was when she was transitioning from one experiment to another as, being her 'highest' priority, Da Vinci would immediately change focus if he took advantage of these moments. This time was no exception as, from the moment she sensed Vahn's proximity to her, Da Vinci gave a knowing smile before closing her eyes and allowing everything but her lingerie to melt away into a mist of magical particles. Following this, Vahn reached around from behind her, hefting her plump and impossibly soft b.r.e.a.s.ts with his hands. They conformed to his hands in a way that most b.r.e.a.s.ts had no hope of matching, to the point that Vahn felt like he could even 'close' his hand while the flesh would give like a fluid that escaped through the gaps in his fingers. He would never put this theory of his to the test but, given how 'light' Da Vinci's rather large b.r.e.a.s.ts were, he knew there was more to them than he was made aware of...

Given her height and proportions, Da Vinci's weight should have been around 51kg but, after picking her up several times in the past, Vahn knew she was 'exactly' 40kg. He had no idea where the extra 11kg had gone, adding yet another enigmatic quality to Da Vinci's body that he was would have to endeavor to discover. She had made it very clear from the start that, if there was something he was curious about, he would have to figure it out on his own. To that end, she allowed him to do almost anything he wanted to her, so long as he remembered that she would take the same liberties in turn.

They still hadn't had s.e.x yet, though she was by her own admission willing, making her a contender for the woman he had known for the longest period of time. As for why he had never crossed that line, Vahn felt a strange kinship towards Da Vinci and, though they didn't hang out in the same way he and Siegfried did, she felt like one of his closest friends. Sleeping with her felt like it would pollute that somewhat as, even compared to Lakshmibai, Vahn knew Da Vinci would be interested in trying pretty much 'everything' at least once...

While enjoying the fragrant aroma that naturally wafted from Da Vinci's body, Vahn began to trace his hands around her body while making full use of his Petting Laws. He was 'determined' to reach the point that she was just as susceptible to his petting as other girls as, much like how he advised others, Vahn 'knew' it was possible. If he pushed the concept to the extreme, even becoming a God of Petting was possible and, though he still prioritized Creation, Destruction, Time, and Space Laws, Vahn was determined to awaken a Divinity related to Petting in the future. Not only would this allow him to bring great comfort to the people he cared about but, in certain situations, it would even be possible to completely avoid unnecessary battles if he could pacify his enemies. The targets he was most interested in affecting were Da Vinci, followed by Scáthach, and then ultimately moving on to Alaya when he had gained enough confidence. This was the same as moving from a Tier 3 entity that had a strong resistance before moving on to a Tier 4 and Tier 5 entity with borderline immunity...

As he traced the line of her abdomen, Da Vinci released a contented sigh before commenting, "This really is comfortable. I believe the only reason it isn't completely effective against me is due to the unique qualities of my body and the fact that I'm working on several different projects within my mind. If you're willing to let me try something after the fact, I can verify this by shifting my focus solely to your actions...how about it~?" Though she didn't mind allowing Vahn to do as he pleased, Da Vinci had already experienced his Petting Laws a few times by now. She was very interested in its usefulness but, as there were other things she considered a higher priority, Vahn keeping her from working was slightly troublesome. It was clear that he was making progress, as he was able to affect two of her sub-processes, but this actually doubled how troublesome the process was as it meant she was unable to focus on other things while he was touching her...

Though it felt like she was taking pity on him, Vahn was also curious about what would happen if Da Vinci shifted her focus entirely to him, at least for a short while. Since he trusted her not to ask him to do anything too extreme, Vahn nodded his head in response to her proposition. As a result, Da Vinci's face almost immediately developed a subtle pink hue as she leaned back against his chest with a hot sigh escaping her throat. Now, when his hands moved around her body, Vahn could feel Da Vinci's muscle groups reacting in much the same way as a normal woman's. This showed that it wasn't just his own actions that gave his Petting Laws power and, even though he had already known this from seeing how Beast Humans reacted to his touch, it was still an important thing to verify since it meant he could increase the potency by changing his targets perception of the process...

After fondling Da Vinci's almost limp body for a few minutes, Vahn was satisfied with the 'data' he had collected so he helped her stand as she shifted her focus back to other matters. This process didn't seem to go entirely according to plan, however, as Da Vinci admitted, "Fuuu...it seems like it will take a bit of time to recover completely. I can barely even form more than five different thoughts right now. That is quite a terrifying ability you have there...hmmm..." Though it looked like she was about to start ruminating over the usefulness of Petting Laws for her own work, Da Vinci must have unlocked a sixth sub-process as she immediately regained her composure in the real world. This was an ability Vahn was slightly envious of, even though he knew the 'burdens' of such a mental capacity were actually rather extreme.

Now that she had fulfilled her part of the deal, Da Vinci smiled towards Vahn as she said, "Follow me. It is time to show you what I've been working on while you are away." As more than half of Vahn's 'day cycle' was spent training and away from the workshop, Da Vinci had ample time to work on a host of projects he was entirely unaware of. Now, for the first time, she was allowing him into the secret lab that also served as both the nexus and server for her own personal network. Vahn was very interested in learning more about the peculiar blue cube that seemed to float in the middle of an isolated spatial field but that would have to wait until later as he was far more distracted by the three figures in glass containers along the far side of Da Vinci's private workshop...

As this was what she had brought Vahn to see, Da Vinci giggled in response to his surprised reaction before explaining, "These are my backup bodies. In the event that my current body is destroyed, I will be able to reincarnate so long as at least one of these remains undamaged. To answer your question, they do not have a soul contained within them as they are fundamentally different from Homunculi. They do, however, have what I refer to as a Soul Anchor, an imprint of sorts that allows my own soul to transfer to them in the event my untimely demise. I would like to test if it is possible for you to use one of these bodies as a vessel in the future, but that is not an imperative matter as I'm currently more interested in developing a 'more perfect' body. To that end, I would like you to inscribe your crest on these bodies and tell me if any have a higher grade of [Golden Rule] than my current form."

With Da Vinci's explanation, Vahn understood exactly what she expected of him but, more than that, he was still shocked by the fact she had created three different versions of herself in such a short period of time. From left to right, there was a version of herself that seemed no older than thirteen years old while the one in the center and far-right seemed around sixteen and twenty respectively. If they did have the [Golden Rule] that Da Vinci was researching, it meant this was their 'final' form so Vahn was a little troubled by what it would mean if the version on the far left had the highest grade of the skill. Though it wouldn't take any effort at all to convince Da Vinci that it was possible to reach the EX-Grade for 'any' age, Vahn had a sinking suspicion that the petite figure on the left was of a significantly higher quality than the other two since it had even more presence than Circe...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Da Vinci-chan could destroy the whole world with this kind of tech O_O...','The pursuit of Petting is an Endless Path (o,...,o)...','RIP Vahn, can never catch a break')

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