Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Due to the existence of a seemingly infinite number of Magical Beasts and countless ruins, two of the most lucrative professions within Mundus Magicus included becoming a Mercenary, hunting both people and monsters, or an Adventurer, completing quests and commissions for the various research institutions and academies.

Though it required a considerable amount of strength to rise through the ranks, the most successful Mercenaries and Adventurers could make several hundred-thousand Drachma on a single bounty or quest. Since the average earnings of a citizen of Mundus Magicus were only around six-thousand Drachma each month, there was never a lack of people aspiring to make a name for themselves in the two lucrative professions. The promise of substantial wealth was too great a draw for those who sought higher standing in life, so, even if the annual death count for Mercenaries and Adventurers sometimes reached six-digits, it wasn't enough to deter the courageous, foolish, and desperate...

Among the most profitable creatures to hunt in all of Mundus Magicus were Dragons, specifically those of a non-magical nature. A single successful hunt could easily net a party upwards of three-hundred thousand Drachma. In some cases, this amount would increase exponentially, especially if the quarry had been pregnant or had started to develop a magical core. Unhatched Dragon Eggs could sell for over a million Drachma in the market, and, though they were exceptionally hard to come back, a Dragon's Core was a treasure that could go on auction for more than double that amount.

Unfortunately, hunting a Dragon was no simple feat as even the weakest subspecies had powerful magical resistance, durable scales, chemical breath attacks, and claws strong enough to rip through the armor of an Airfish with ease. If you managed to encounter one that had started to develop a Dragon's Core, they could even use powerful Magic that could instantly overwhelm an unprepared party. As a result, most parties hunting a Dragon for the first time were either forced to retreat or risk being completely wiped out. This made Dragons the single most dangerous creatures in all of Mundus Magicus, accounting for nearly 20% of all deaths among even Veterans in the field.

---

Seeing a group of four cat-like people attempting to take down a Dragon, each adorned in armor that was forged from various monster parts, Vahn felt both intrigued and disappointed. His intrigue was derived from the fact it was always interesting to see people struggling to overcome difficulties while his disappointment was entirely due to his expectations. He had somewhat expected the large explosion to have been caused by Nagi and his party, as Megalomesembria wasn't too far from the curious land of cat people, but it ended up just being a party of would-be Dragonslayers. They had seemingly lined the Dragon's den with a bunch of magical explosives, attempting to kill it without a direct encounter, but, either due to fate or happenstance, the heavily armored beast only suffered a few tears to the webbing of its wings and a couple of minor injuries.

Vahn wasn't particularly fond of the idea of 'cheating' by using explosives and traps, but, as there was literally a point when he did the same, he couldn't exactly blame them. Strength was not easily obtained, and, due to various circumstances, most people never had the opportunity to proactively seek it. Most children started working at a very early age just to help support their families so they didn't really have the time to dedicate themselves to the thousands of hours it would take to slowly increase their strength. Their only real focus was only trying to be happy and keep their family safe, so, until they experienced some kind of setback, most people never proactively pursued strength...

In an attempt to keep the Dragon from thrashing around and making the environment even harder to move in, one of the four Mercenaries, a young female Cat Person with features resembling more of a cat than a human, cast a spell that created bindings formed from light. Light-based spells were exceptionally common amongst the various Cat tribes, especially around Nyandoma, but Vahn was still surprised to see how versatile the magic spell was. It had taken most of her magical power, but the young girl still managed to immobilize the Dragon long enough for the largest of the group, a muscular man with two tiny cat ears and a nub-like tail, to attempt beheading the beast.

Using an ax that was nearly as large as he was, the man strained the muscles in his arms as a thin aura of magical energy shrouded his body. His motion wasn't exactly smooth, but the ax eventually traced a lethal arc towards the thinnest section of the Dragon's elongated neck. Unfortunately, even after putting his full weight behind the blow, the man wasn't able to cut through the exceptionally hard vertebrae in the Dragon's neck. He would have been better off aiming for the fleshier bits in an attempt to sever its jugular, but, perhaps overestimating himself or underestimating the Dragon, his mistake was rewarded with the Dragon breaking free, now even angrier than before.

As the closest target, the burly man quickly found himself knocked to the ground in the Dragon's fury. It managed to sweep the man's legs using its whip-like tail, shattering his right femur in the process. Then, using its taloned claws, it pinned the man to the ground before opening its rather vicious maw, caustic spittle dripping from its teeth as a fiery light rippled between the gaps in its scales.

In a desperate attempt to save their companion, the other female Cat Person, looking far more human than her counterpart, cast a spell that created a magical barrier between the burly man and the Dragon's spittle. At the same time, the final member of the party, a young man who seemed to be from the Leopard tribe, attempted to blind or distract the dragon using his bow. Unfortunately, perhaps as a result of the rush of adrenaline, he was unable to hit the bowl-sized target despite his close proximity...

Unable to deter to furious Dragon, the other members of the party could only watch on in horror as liquid-like flames erupted from the Dragon's mouth, enveloping their companion before spreading through the area like water poured from a bucket. The Dragon's breath was very similar to Napalm, making it impossible to extinguish using normal water-based spells. It also possessed qualities that allowed it to eat through armor with ease, so, if you were unlucky enough to take a direct hit, you were bound to sustain severe injuries.

Seeing their companion enveloped in flames, the more bestial woman released a feral scream as she attempted to charge at the Dragon, her cane raised like a club. She didn't seem to care about the fact there was Napalm-like liquid between her and the Dragon, her fury and grief completely overriding her sensibilities as she charged like a banshee towards the undaunted monster. Even the calls of her companions did nothing to stop her charge, forcing them to choose between trying to help or fleeing before they, too, became victims.

While it would have been perfectly normal to run in such a situation, as there was no way for them to win, the final man and woman stood their ground, conviction visible in their gazes. Vahn couldn't help but nod approvingly when he saw this, a smile spreading across his face as he casually stepped off the side of the mountain. Then, in a functional instant, he appeared before the woman charging through the flames, pushing her back with his right hand while creating a swirling vortex to absorb the Dragon's second breath attack.

Before the three could process what was happening, Vahn compressed the flames into his hand before vanishing from view. When he next appeared, he was right next to the Dragon, a tiny orb of flame in his hand. This surprised even the Dragon, but, before it could do anything to defend itself, Vahn placed the tiny orb into its mouth, smiling as he said, "You can have this back."

Though its own flames wouldn't be able to hurt it under normal circumstances, the compressed ball of energy wasn't something that could be looked down upon. The Dragon's gag reflex had caused it to swallow the destructive flame, and, without anything to keep it restrained, it released a violent eruption. The Dragon's scales and muscles were durable enough to prevent it from exploding like a balloon, but, as its organs were significantly weaker, it collapsed to the ground, dead, immediately following the muted explosion sound.

Ignoring the three people gawking at him, Vahn reached his hand through the mud-like substance that was left in the wake of the Dragon's flames. Then, causing everyone except the bestial woman to collapse to the ground, he pulled out the burly man's body, still intact. He was a little worse for wear, especially with his right leg shattered, but he would survive. The thin membrane surrounding his body, provided as a courtesy of Vahn, had made sure of that...

---

While his secondary vessel was dealing with the party of would-be Dragonslayers, Vahn's main body was still seated atop the finger-like mountain near Arika's Airfish. Even Asuna had more than enough power to protect herself from most threats, but, promising to keep them safe, he couldn't simply leave them unattended. There were creatures far stronger than non-magical Dragons in the Magical World, so, even if you were extremely powerful, dropping your guard could be fatal. There was even a group of monsters known as the 'Four Beasts of Calamity', devilish creatures capable of rivaling the Great Elemental Spirits.

Not much was known about the Four Beasts of Calamity, as they seemed to appear and vanish at random, but their names and appearances were well-known. The most famous of the four was the so-called Dragon King, Arvayr, a mountain-sized Dragon that appeared amidst a horde of tens of thousands of lesser Dragons. The most dangerous, however, was the angelic being known simply as The Harbinger of Death, a monster that appeared as a femme fatale with anywhere between three to six sets of wings. She didn't seem hostile, with some accounts saying she even smiled and waved at people in passing, but, without exception, any region visited by the angelic beauty experienced great misfortune in the days that followed.

The final two Beasts of Calamity were known as the Behemoth, a giant Mammoth that even made the mountain-sized Arvayr seem small, and the Leviathan, a surprisingly small serpentine Dragon that had a penchant for devastating port cities with massive tsunamis. The Behemoth was the most docile of the Four Beasts of Calamity, often appearing far away from cities and settlements, but, as could be expected from such a colossal creature, its mere steps caused earthquakes to spread for hundreds of kilometers. As for the Leviathan, it was easily the most hostile of the four, proactively appearing to sink any ships that were unfortunate enough to cross paths its path. It was rumored that Airfish had been developed as a direct result of the Leviathan sinking countless merchant and fishing fleets, drastically decreasing trade and making it impossible for island nations and ports to flourish.

According to legend, the Four Beasts of Calamity and the Four Sacred Guardian Dragons had been created alongside Mundus Magicus itself. They were considered pinnacle existences that could only be defeated by each other, but, in the near future, that illusion would be shattered. Ala Rubra, led by the currently unknown Nagi Springfield, would be elevated to legendary status overnight when it was discovered they had killed the Dragon King, Arvayr. Nobody knew how the conflict had started, but, according to some historical accounts, it was apparently the result of Nagi's attempt to turn the infamous Dragon King into his mount...

Imagining a thirteen-year-old kid trying to tame a legendary King of Dragons, Vahn couldn't help but be reminded of his children. While most of their actions were relatively tame by comparison, he could easily imagine someone like Vana trying to befriend a legendary dragon. She would thrive in a world where taming and befriending creatures was the norm, and, though there were a number of other reasons, she was the main inspiration behind the thematic virtual world related to taming.

Remembering the spirited Vanir, Vahn could feel a sour feeling in his nose, causing him to inhale a deep breath before releasing it in the form of a tired sigh. It had been nearly a hundred years since his departure from Danmachi, and, based on his current rate of growth, it would likely take several hundred more before their reunion. This was a moderately depressing thought, but, as he couldn't simply ignore Eva, Vahn was always fated to depart Danmachi at some point. He also felt a powerful draw to explore other Records, so, while his timing could have been better, Vahn knew the journey itself had been inevitable.

After calming himself down, Vahn teleported back to the Airfish and decided to follow his advice to Arika, choosing to take a nap, or, at the very least, cuddle with Medusa. She was very sensitive to his mental state, so, whenever he felt sad or nostalgic, their roles would reverse and she would happily pamper him. She could use her hair like countless extra appendages, massaging and caressing his entire body as he used her modest yet impeccable soft breasts as a pillow. It wasn't quite the same as when he allowed someone like Artoria or Musashi to embrace him, but it was still enough to help calm his unsteady heart...

---

After an hour-long shower, Arika emerged from the bathroom wearing little more than a towel and a pair of pure white panties. In her absentminded state, she had forgotten to prepare a change of clothes, but, rather than fret, she unabashedly walked through the ship in her near-naked state. She, like her mother, wasn't particularly worried about being seen by Vahn, and, during a few occasions, they had even bathed together. The Royal Bath was a massive bath that could easily accommodate over a hundred people without space being an issue. It was also one of the few instances where the Royal Family came together in order to relax and socialize, so, as a 'friend' of the Royal Family, Vahn had been given permission to use the Royal Bath.

Originally, Vahn had been asked by Vesperina to take care of Asuna, as she had been following him around like a lost puppy since their first meeting. He had been reluctant to agree, at first, but, after an upturned gaze from Asuna, he ultimately relented. From then on, it became relatively normal for everyone to bathe together, and, though it sometimes caused her to feel anxious, Arika did her best to behave as normally as possible. She had even offered to wash his back a few times, but, with the ever-present Medusa, he had been able to casually refuse her goodwill time and again.

Finding herself near the entrance of the Captain's cabin, Arika nearly stepped inside before catching herself at the last moment. She knew that, at the very least, Medusa would be inside, so, after a few moments of hesitation, she turned around and made her way downstairs. Most of her luggage was in the cargo bay so she had to dig through a sizeable pile of suitcases before finally finding the one with her sleepwear. This included everything from simple panties to far more intricate designs that included frills, ribbons, and lace. She, like most women in Mundus Magicus, typically didn't wear a bra, but, at the deepest part of the suitcase, a semi-transparent set of black garments caused a very slight blush to spread across Arika's face as she quickly buried them from view.

After looking around to make sure nobody had noticed the parting 'gift' her mother had given her, Arika released a sigh of relief before picking out a pair of pure white panties and pale-pink pajamas. Then, without bothering to find a changing room, she stripped out of her previous pair, becoming completely naked for a brief moment. This made her feel unusually nervous, but, suppressing the feeling, Arika quickly donned her sleepwear before returning to the bathroom for a brief moment to fold up her previous pair of panties...

---

While Arika was taking her sweet time to return to the cabin, Fenrir was beginning to feel a little stressed out. Her senses were very sharp so she knew Arika should be returning at any moment, but, every time it seemed like she was heading back, the woman would wander off. This wouldn't normally bother her, but, sensing her Master was feeling lonely, Fenrir wanted to go to his side. She couldn't just leave Asuna alone, however, so, until Arika finally finished her preparations for sleep, Fenrir was forced to bide her time, her scarlet eyes glowing slightly in frustration...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Is this a new Monster Hunter expansion...?','Anyone else kinda feel bad for the Dragon King?','Fenrir be like, "Hurry the f**k up, you smelly Queen (\>,...,\<)~!"')

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