Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After nearly half a year of battling monsters on the edge of the Sol System, Vahn found himself face-to-face with an anomaly he had never expected: a Rogue Planet.

Unlike the various planetoids and asteroids he had visited, a Rogue Planet was a planetary body on the outside of the Sol System. It was a seemingly lifeless place that had been battered by interstellar winds and radiation, but, deep beneath its surface, a vibrant ecosystem was thriving. The planet itself was alive, so, after passing through the atmosphere, Vahn ended up passing into a highly restrictive Planetary Bounded Field.

At first, Vahn wasn't sure whether or not the planet was actually alive; It was possible that a powerful entity had simply made the Rogue Planet it's home. However, the truth quickly came to light when a peculiar race of humanoid entities appeared. They were a bipedal species that was roughly three meters in height, possessing glossy white exoskeletons, three sets of compound eyes, and a total of four limbs, two of which were much smaller than the primary appendages.

Though the creatures resembled ants, it wasn't incorrect to refer to them as 'vaguely' humanoid due to their bipedalism and opposable thumbs. They also possessed a relatively high degree of sapience, as, despite a lack of clothing, they carried rudimentary tools and attempted to communicate rather than immediately attack an invasive species.

While the existence of a sapient race didn't confirm that the planet was alive, Vahn quickly learned the truth after following the first group into a massive spatial array. They were still in a tribal stage of development as a species, but, in spite of this, they had a unique system of magic that used a subtly different form of mana. This was the first sing of the planet's sapience, but the most important clue was the fact that the spatial gate connected to a completely isolated sub-space, a Texture.

After finding himself in a Texture that seemed to consist of a singular massive plant that radiated countless roots from a massive spherical 'core', Vahn knew he had entered a truly unique place. He followed the ant-like organisms along one of the smaller roots, an extension that was nearly 3km in diamter and thousands of kilometers in length. They were surprisingly quick, able to 'casually' move at a pace of around 300km/h so it didn't take them too long to reach the central region, an area that was roughly the three-quarters the size of the Moon.

A stark contrast to the 'lifeless' surface, the interior of the core was bursting with countless lifeforms. There was also a thriving community of the ant-like creatures, many living like the stereotypical Elves by choosing trees as their abodes. They also seemed to live alongside nature, the 'females' choosing to adorn their slightly pink carapaces with various types of flowers. As for the males, they seemed to be the designated hunters of the community, painting their carapaces with rudimentary camouflage so they could better blend into the environment.

The only 'pure white' creatures Vahn had encountered was the group that had apparently been sent to retrieve him. They seemed to be special amongst the ant-like peoples, earning reverential displays from every group they passed by, regardless of age or gender.

After several hours of travel, Vahn found himself on the outside of a porous construct that was filled with a shimmering green liquid. The structure itself spanned nearly ten-kilometers in diameter, and, after being escorted this far, his white-carapaced escort lowered themselves to the ground, planting their faces to the patterned wood flooring as a 'drop' of the green liquid began to separate from the larger body.

Much to Vahn's surprise, the liquid quickly changed into a form that roughly resembled a fusion of himself and Zhuque. Immediately after that, however, it attempted to 'probe' his mind, either to try and communicate or read his memories. This earned a spiteful look from Zhuque, but, with a quick gesture, Vahn was able to pacify her as he allowed Sis to share some of his memories. He assumed the strange entity was the consciousness of the planet, or, at the very least, one of its Gods. It didn't seem hostile at all, so he didn't see any problem with sharing a few of his less-destructive memories with it.

Proving its vast intelligence, the entity opened and closed its mouth a few times, testing its vocal cords before saying, "You have come...a long way...why?"

Smiling in response, Vahn measured his words carefully as he answered, "I have not come to harm you or your people. I may seek knowledge and power, but it will not be at the expense of peaceful creatures."

Seemingly satisfied by his response, the entity paused for a moment before giving a slow nod and saying, "You are very powerful...my power has no effect on you...very strange...very terrifying..."

Not really knowing how to respond to such words, Vahn just smiled wryly in response. It was much easier to allow the entity to go at its own pace, allowing it to organize its thoughts. If he talked too quickly and tried to force matters, there was a non-negligible chance they might become hostile. For now, they seemed genuinely curious, possessing a child-like innocence that was both intrigued by, and wary of, strangers.

After several rather awkward moments of silence, the unnamed entity emulated a smile as it said, "If you seek knowledge and power...we can make an exchange...?"

---

Following his initial contact with the entity, which later introduced itself as Xyabaaz, Vahn spent several days exchanging knowledge and information with it. As a result, he learned that they were a relatively young planet that had only recently developed sapient life around three-thousand years prior. What was more surprising was the fact it was initially part of the Sol System, cast off from the rest of the planetary bodies during its protoplanetary phase. Since then, it had been trapped in the ebb and flow of the galaxy's gravitational tides, denied the protection of Solar Deity.

Most planets would be unable to survive without the protection of a star, as there was a surprising amount of destructive alien lifeforms, but Xyabaaz had been relatively fortunate. It had managed to develop sapience at around 1.9 billion years old, much sooner than the average planet. This allowed it to protect itself from the various cosmic entities that wanted to siphon the energy from its core. It was able to trap them in various Textures, using its powers as a Tier 5 entity to slowly eliminate alien lifeforms while learning more about life in general.

Needless to say, Vahn and Da Vinci were both ecstatic to meet an entity like Xyabaaz. Their existence provided great insight into the formation of planetary consciousness and what qualified a planet as a 'living' creature. This knowledge would be of paramount importance if he wanted to create stars and planets with a consciousness, two things necessary if he wanted to completely stabilize a Realm and turn it into a Universe.

To thank Xyabaaz for their insights, Vahn provided it with a Photonic Crystal that contained a vast archive of information. This would allow it to create a host of different life forms, and, if it wanted to, it could even advance the technology and culture of its indigenous species, ushering in a new age of prosperity that might even allow them to reclaim the Surface.

While some might argue that it wasn't a good idea to empower a planet with such knowledge, Vahn felt that Xyabaaz was a peaceful entity. Its only sapient species coexisted harmoniously with Xyabaaz itself, removing the need for things like Gods entirely. Even its method of dealing with alien invaders was relatively pacifistic, choosing to seal them away in various Textures instead of creating lifeforms to try and eliminate them directly.

Once he learned that there were entire Textures filled with planet-devouring monsters, Vahn couldn't resist asking for Xyabaaz's permission to enter. It was very apprehensive to allow this, but, due to his nature as Type Omega, it ultimately relented to his plea. As a result, Vahn found himself in a desolate Texture that could easily rival the Textures of Hell and Hades back on Gaia. He even suspected it was this kind of Texture that gave rise to the concept of a Netherworld itself, a place where malevolent were sealed away until they expired...

With Xyabaaz only having a total of five Textures, it only took a few months for Vahn to completely clear out all of the monsters that had invaded it over the last 2.4 billion years. The majority had been cannibalized by other monsters, so, with a few exceptions, the only entities remaining were powerful Tier 4 monstrosities and their brood. This allowed him to accumulate a significant amount of OP in a relatively short amount of time, but, most importantly, at least for his future plans, his positive Karma had shot through the roof.

Even compared to his accomplishments in Danmachi, Vahn had obviously achieved far greater feats in the Nasuverse. As a result, he had even eclipsed twenty-billion total Karma, the majority of which was positive in alignment. After all, while he had committed acts that some might consider beyond redemption, his reasons for doing so were not malicious. He had always held himself accountable for the things he had done, even going as far as to allow himself to be seen as a villain in order to make the world a better place for future generations.

The value and alignment of Karma depended heavily on a person's perception and the underlying reasons behind their actions. If a person didn't know what they were doing was wrong, they would not generate negative Karma even after killing another person. Inversely, if you convinced someone that even 'thinking' about bad things was wrong, they would generate negative Karma as a result of their own wayward thoughts. This was something Vahn didn't personally agree with, but, without a much greater power, there wasn't much he could do about the apparent whims of Karma and Fate...

---

As one of the only things delaying the activation of Phase Four, Vahn found himself sitting atop the Leviathan, a wry smile on his face as he held the Asauchi and asked, "Why won't you awaken? Did I do something wrong when I was forging you...?"

Seemingly annoyed by his words, the Asauchi released a low hum in protest, the blade trembling as if it had been struck by a ball-peen hammer. This was proof that it understood what he was saying, but, no matter how hard he tried, Vahn simply couldn't get it to awaken. It seemed like the Asauchi itself actually wanted to awaken, but, for reasons he had been unable to deduce, it simply couldn't...

Shaking his head, Vahn released a tired sigh before pulling out his usual oil rag and polishing the mirror-like surface of the Asauchi. This was enough to get it to calm down, eliciting a pleasant hum that caused the void to tremble slightly in response.

Though his Zanpakutou Spirit had yet to awaken, Vahn knew the Asauchi was, inarguably, his most powerful weapon. It had grown exponentially stronger after nearly forty years of careful maintenance and a steady supply of Source Energy. He had even been able to shatter one of Musashi's swords in a direct collision, earning little more than a nick on the edge of the Asauchi.

At this point, Vahn's skill with the sword had greatly eclipsed his mastery with both the spear and bow. After all, the Asauchi even protested when he was using the [Thunderbolt], making it almost impossible to use another weapon. It even seemed to know when one of his other vessels was using a different weapon, releasing an aggressive hum that allowed it to break free from its own scabbard.

After nearly forty years, Vahn had moved through the ranks of [Swordsmanship] before evolving the Skill and reaching the pinnacle of [Master Swordsmanship]. Now, he had stepped into the realm of [Grandmaster Swordsman], and, though he still paled in comparison to monsters like Musashi and Suzuka, he could still secure a victory against them using his other skills, primarily [Laplace's Key].

Though he had never fully mastered it, Vahn could now activate [Laplace's Key] without losing his sense of self. The curious thing was, the more he 'mastered' it, the lower the rank of the Skill itself. It had eventually degraded to S-Rank, but, compared to the base Skill, [Instinct], it was still monstrous. Musashi even equated it to the state of 'Nothingness', meaning he was technically able to make use of both supreme states of swordsmanship, something that shouldn't be possible.

Remembering the look on Suzuka's face when he countered her EX-Ranked [Trichiliocosm], a small smile spread across Vahn's face. In hindsight, their duel had actually been rather silly, but, due to his victory, Suzuka had been forced to properly wear panties. This didn't really matter in the long run, as she became a member of his harem shortly after the incident, but it was still a fond memory to look back on...

Shaking his head, Vahn finished wiping the excess oil from the Asauchi before placing it in its sheath. It was getting late and tonight was a relatively significant event, being the celebration of his 250th birthday. He had now been in the Nasuverse for nearly ninety-five years, and, considering most of this time had been spent training and preparing for the next Record, Vahn had decided to officially begin Phase Four.

Vahn realized there was a very real chance his Asauchi may never awaken into a Zanpakutou Spirit, so, before he could become even more complacent, he decided to move forward with his plans. He had originally been intending to wait until he had been in the Nasuverse for one-hundred years, but, after failing to reach Tier 5 through 'normal' means, now seemed like the best opportunity to take a leap of faith. He needed something to trigger his awakening as a Tier 5, something he couldn't find in the Nasuverse due to his existence as Type Omega...

---

With his mind made up, Vahn attended the grand celebration of his 250th birthday, an event that was celebrated worldwide. There were still a lot of people who hated him, but, with the advent of the Supercolonies and the rampant spread of the Virtual World, people under the age of twenty-five had started to greatly appreciate the Empire. Thus, while Avalon was throwing an island-wide celebration, massive events were simultaneously taking place in the Supercolonies and the Virtual World.

While his secondary vessel was attending the celebration, Vahn's main body had entered the Moon Cell. There was one last thing he wanted to try before moving forward with Phase Four, challenging the White Titan, Velber 02. If even 'she' couldn't push him to the point of achieving Tier 5, there was virtually nothing within the Root System that could manage it. He was simply too powerful, and, due to his designation as Type Omega, the most powerful entities in the Sol System, readily subordinated themselves to him.

Though she could probably win easily after subsuming the Divinities of various Gods and consuming an ample amount of Source Energy, the original Amaterasu would struggle to defeat Velber 02. This made the White Titan stronger than nearly every God that had ever existed on the Surface, including many Solar Deities, combined...

Vahn had always wanted to test his strength against the infamous White Titan, so, after ignoring the protests of Ayn Rand, he entered the Far Side of the Moon Cell. There, he found a massive cacoon-like structure formed from a bluish-white material that was closer to chitin than metal. He knew this was supposed to be 'Art of the Stars', a factory that functioned in a similar manner to the True Forms the Olympians. It was able to produce a type of automaton known as an Anti-Cell, creatures that had the ability to corrupt and consume the data constructs that were created by the Moon Cell.

Fortunately, after its initial invasion of the Moon Cell, Velber 02 lost the ability to mass-produce her Anti-Cells. Now, her ship had become little more than a defensive cacoon, protecting her damaged body until the inevitable return of the Umbral Star.

Though he was somewhat interested in the Ark of the Stars, Vahn set aside his curiosity as he pulled out the Asauchi and teleported into the ship's interior. This earned him the attention of the sixteen-meter tall giantess that was slouching on what appeared to be a massive Throne. Her amber eyes immediately locked onto him, compressing the surrounding space as her surprisingly deep voice resonated through the area, asking, "How lost must you be to end up in a place like this...?"

Since he already knew she would attack him, no matter what he tried to say, Vahn just pointed the Asauchi towards the bluish-white titaness who loosely resembled Altera, stating, "I have come to test my limits. Show me the power that shook the Heavens during the Age of Gods...!"

With an expression of mild incredulity, Velber 02 tilted her head to the side, seemingly confused by his words. Then, with no build-up at all, her massive hand seemingly tore through Space and Time, her expression immediately turned wicked as she attempted to crush him in an instant. Instead, her attack hit empty space, followed by Vahn appearing right next to her face, the Asauchi swing in a flawless arc.

Though she had faced against Gods with Authority of Space and Time, Velber 02, designated as Sefar, was surprised by her opponent's ability to ignore the spatial lock she had created. She even felt a considerable amount of danger from the tiny blade he held in his hands, causing her body to shrink to 160cm in an instant. Her speed was directly tied to her size, so, with her opponent able to move faster than her systems could process, she switched to a form that would, hopefully, allow her to compete...

Despite Velber 02 evading his attack, Vahn let his attack complete as if she had never dodged. As a result, a massive gash opened up on the surprised titaness' neck. Dark blue blood began to pour out in a large amount, and, for the first time in her life, she felt 'pain'. This caused her body to release an incredible radiance, followed by the release of a destructive pulse of energy that nearly annihilated Vahn's body in an instant. It had expanded like a bubble that turned the surroundings into a black and white still, almost as if Time itself was being 'shattered' by Velber 02's destructive energy.

Feeling as though his body had turned to lead, Vahn attempted to force his dragonification as the surprisingly petite Velber 02 appeared right in front of him. Her eyes were now blazing with a dark red hue, but, most notably, at least to Vahn, her neck still had the injury he had left on her moments prior...

With her giant hands, which were still big enough to wrap around her prey's body, Sefar grabbed her would-be assassin, smiling viciously as she said, "You are weak. However, I find your arrogance to be somewhat endearing. My isolation has awakened the desire for companionship. I will keep you here, separating your mind and body. You will become my pet and an Apostle of the Umbral Star. After I learn all of your secrets, I will grant you to power you seek. You will act as my agent to destroy this hateful place..."

Hearing Velber 02s words, Vahn couldn't help but burst out into laughter. This confused the White Titan a great deal, causing her to tighten her monstrous grip around his body. Unfortunately, it was already too late for her, as, back on Gaia, another version of Vahn had just completed his chant. As a result, Vahn's main body transitioned into his Emperor of Light form, a radiant smile on his face as several layers of acceleration gates appeared around his body. Then, like a star going supernova, a mass of energy erupted from his body, transcending the speed of light with unparalleled destructive force...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Xyabaaz has worked hard...','The result of 95 years','Exploooooooosion~!')

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