Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

As his consciousness slowly returned, Vahn found himself enveloped in an extremely comfortable sensation. It was pleasant to the point of inspiring lethargy, so, even though he knew he shouldn't continue sleeping, Vahn nestled closer to the aromatic warmth, hugging it tightly as he tried to go back to sleep.

It wasn't until he heard an affectionate giggle that Vahn's awareness fully returned, his mind kicking into high gear as his eye snapped open. Then, even though he felt a strong inclination to continue nestling into them, Vahn extracted his face from Sis' paradoxically smooth yet firm breasts to make eye contact with the cat woman staring at him with a loving smile.

Taking advantage of the fact Vahn had turned his face toward her, Sis planted a tender kiss on his forehead before combing back his messy hair and saying, "If you're still not ready, we can stay here for as long as you need. You've earned the right to be pampered...at least a little..."

With Sis stroking his head, Vahn felt a calming energy wash over his body as her warmth continued to spread through him. It gave him a strong urge to let go of his worries and continue sleeping, but, understanding there were more important things that required his attention, he managed to resist the temptation, a cool sensation washing over his mind as he stated, "Thank you...but I have already slept long enough..."

Humming in response to Vahn's words, Sis continued to comb through his hair for several seconds, this time without using [Hands of Nirvana]. It was only after she had fixed most of his bed hair that she replied, "Perhaps...I still think you could sleep a little longer, but, if this is your decision, it is my duty to support it. It's a shame, though...I really enjoyed seeing your sleeping face..."

Though her facial features gave her a mischievous appearance, similar to Chloe, Vahn couldn't help feeling awed by the overwhelming love visible in Sis's gaze. He didn't even care that she had lightly pinched his cheek, the corners of her smile curling upward slightly as she mused, "Well, your awake face isn't so bad either. It's no wonder all the girls fall for you...you're a handsome little devil, aren't you~?"

Feeling uncharacteristically embarrassed by Sis' words, Vahn managed to extricate himself from her embrace, his eyes sweeping over their surroundings for a brief moment before instinctually opening the system interface. There, he received confirmation of his suspicions, a smile spreading across his face as he read the effects of his new Innate: [Universal Mind].

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[Universal Mind]

Rank: Innate (E) *Innate Skills cannot be identified. Attempts to do so will result in a backlash.*

[Passive]: All things in the Order of Creation are One. Absorbs the knowledge and experience of all beings created through the user.

[Active]: [Template]: Allows the user to develop nascent Egos in accordance with their will.

[Active]: [Partition]: The user is able to separate Secondary and Tertiary Egos from their Principal Axis of Consciousness.

[Active]: [Unification]: The user is able to link Secondary and Tertiary Egos to their Principal Axis of Consciousness.

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Though he had always expected his Mind Innate to be very powerful, Vahn couldn't help but feel that his [Universal Mind] was inordinately powerful. It might not be very useful to a 'normal' person, but, as someone who could freely create bodies, Vahn could theoretically populate an entire world with different versions of himself. There were bound to be numerous restrictions, especially with it being E-Rank, but, so long as he continued trying to improve, there were no limits to what he could accomplish with such an Innate.

As that thought crossed his mind, Vahn noticed that he was actually missing a Skill, one that had been with since the very start of his journey. In response to this, Sis, seemingly just as aware of his thoughts as usual, explained, "[Chainbreaker] has always been the template for your Mind Innate. Now that you have awakened something like [Universal Mind], combined with the fact you can no longer die, the only thing limiting you is your own perception and comprehension. Even this isn't a true limitation, however...after all, you now have the ability to create versions of yourself that are wholly dedicated to a specific task. If you wanted to, you could just sit back and allow all of your creations to do the heavy lifting while you focus on the things that really matter to you..."

Hearing Sis' explanation, Vahn could actually imagine himself relaxing in Avalon, spending time with his family, and generally enjoying life while countless versions of himself worked hard to achieve his goals. It was a very tempting notion, but, even if they were actually just extensions of himself, Vahn had never been the type to just sit back while others worked hard. If he had such a nature, he would have relied on Shadow Clones a long time ago, so, after silently contemplating his future decisions, Vahn matched Sis' gaze, returning her smile as he asked, "Where's the fun in that...?"

Though he was bound to benefit greatly from the creation of several different Egos, Vahn was more than satisfied with just Phae, Gandr, and Sis. He might make other versions of himself in the future, but, rather than put them to task while he sat in the back, he would work alongside them to reach their unified goals. After all, if he wanted to just create extremely obedient yet capable servants, he had always been able to do so.

Fortunately, even without him having to ask, Sis responded with a curt nod, explaining, "Even if it is not originally your Innate, the [Keeper of the Akashic Tome] is currently a part of you. Since entities such as Phae and Gandr do not have fates, there is nothing preventing you from naming them. You can even recreate some of your favorite characters from the Records you were unable to visit. There are no limitations, only your personal inhibitions."

Hearing Sis' response, Vahn briefly imagined populating a world with all of his favorite characters, separating their Egos from himself and allowing them to roam freely within his Realm. There were actually a number of characters he had always wanted to meet and interact with, chief among them being people like Naruto, Luffy, and Ichigo. He had also had a bit of a crush on characters such as Hinata, Nami, and Yoruichi, the first due to her kindness, the second due to the empathy he felt regarding her plight, and the third because she was beautiful, confident, and had the ability to turn into a cat...

Almost as soon as that thought had crossed his mind, Vahn's eyes rounded his view suddenly split into four. Three of these views were focused on his shocked expression, but, from the perspective of his original self, Vahn was thoroughly at a loss for words as he stared at the three realistic versions of the characters he was just thinking about. This included a young and absurdly adorable Hinata, a curvaceous and beautiful Nami, and an extremely lithe yet toned Yoruichi.

Though he was surprised by the sudden appearance of the three girls, Vahn couldn't help but tilt his head to the side as he noticed that Yoruichi was only a few centimeters taller than the twelve-year-old Hinata. He always imagined her being a tall and confident woman, towering over other females in the series with her shapely yet athletic figure. Instead, she was only 156cm tall, and, though she radiated a mature and subtly seductive aura, especially in form-fitting clothing, she barely came up to his chest. (A/N: Vahn is 185cm tall.)

Further increasing Vahn's incredulity, Yoruichi crossed her arms, an accusatory look in her golden eyes as she remarked, "I'll have you know that I'm above-average for a Japanese woman. You're just too tall."

Almost immediately after Yoruichi had spoken, Vahn was no longer able to see the world from her perspective. His instincts told him that he could reestablish the link whenever he wanted, but, for the time being, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that Yoruichi had become a separate entity from him. This, in turn, caused Nami and Hinata to blink into awareness, the former adopting a slightly annoyed look while the latter seemed to shrink into her own clothing.

Before things could get further out of hand, Vahn raised his left hand, saying, "Give me a moment." while using his right hand to massage his temples. Too many things were occurring simultaneously, and, though he had just awakened his Mind Innate, it didn't seem to have any effect on his ability to process information.

Fortunately, the Yoruichi, Nami, and Hinata standing before him were 'only' nascent Egos. They did not truly exist, and, unless he named them, they were just versions of himself that had been made to look like the characters he was familiar with. They had none of the knowledge and experience of the originals, and, though they were capable of emulating the behavior he was familiar with, it was, in the end, just an act.

Feeling his link with the three immediately reestablish itself, Vahn's own Ego became the dominant presence within the girls' minds. He could move around and control them at his will, and, though their 'base' appearance was that of the three characters he was familiar with, he could even change their shape and form if he really wanted to. The moment he did so, however, he felt a potent feeling of anxiety well up inside of him, almost like the nascent Ego he had produced feared for its life...

Before he willed it, Vahn's connection with the trio was promptly severed, his perspective returning to a single point of view as he stared back at the silent trio. They were compelled to obey his orders due to being extensions of himself, and, unless he gave them free will and a name, this would never change. This made him feel a little guilty, but, before he could fall into his usual pattern, Sis crossed her arms and said, "Stop worrying so much. This is your power, Vahn, not something you should be afraid of. Just as you have told so many others, you should embrace this power and do your best to try and master it. If you continue holding yourself back every time you obtain greater power, you'll only increase the amount of time it takes to reach Tier 7."

Understanding the truth contained within Sis' words, Vahn ran his fingers through his hair in a self-calming gesture before looking directly at the trio and asking, "What do you want to do? Though it might sound ridiculous considering the current circumstances, I will give you the option to choose your own path..."

Since they were no longer compelled to remain silent, Nami was the first to answer, her tone rather harsh yet spirited as she exclaimed, "Are you an idiot!? Our only real options are to either continue living or have our existence erased! Though I'm seriously pissed off about this situation, it's not like it can just be reversed! Instead of asking if I would rather die, you should be trying to convince me to live!"

Though she was acting the way he expected her to act, Vahn couldn't help but feel taken aback by Nami's fiery temperament. Fortunately, before she could continue screaming like a furious banshee, Yoruichi added her own two cents, an amused smile on her face as she crossed her arms and asked, "So, you have a crush on me, huh? I must admit, I never expected my existence to be predicated on the fact that a boy I never met wanted to keep me as a pet...well, so long as you keep me well fed and pamper me, I don't particularly mind. Just don't go overboard or I might have to turn that little dragon of yours into a scratch post."

Hearing Yoruichi mention the fact he had a crush on her, combined with her reference to his 'little' dragon, a very subtle shade of red crept into Vahn's cheeks. It had been quite some time since he felt embarrassed, but, perhaps as a result of his actual crush on the woman, Yoruichi's teasing was surprisingly effective. Her amused smile actually made him feel a little giddy, and, though he was able to avoid averting his eyes, he had a very strong inclination to look away...

Understanding Vahn's thoughts, Yoruichi's smile became progressively more playful, but, before she could act on her 'instincts', everyone shifted their attention to the quiet girl poking her index fingers together as she muttered, "Umm...I think...I think...I..."

Though Vahn could deal with Nami and Yoruichi, Hinata's existence was one that inspired quite a bit of guilt. She was actually one of his first crushes, someone he had always found both adorable yet extremely pitiful. The way she was discarded from her family made him hate the Hyuuga quite a bit, but, while he had always liked her, Vahn had always done so while imagining himself as Naruto. He believed the two made a perfect couple, and, though he never finished the series from his original world, most of the versions Vahn purchased from the system shop had Hinata end up with Naruto.

Since they could all understand Vahn's thoughts, Hinata began to feel extremely flustered, waving her hands from side-to-side as she exclaimed, "No, no, no, no! Um...please don't think like that...! I don't want you to make a Naruto-kun just for my sake! B-b-b-b-besides! He wouldn't be the real Naruto-kun! I am h-h-happy just to be given a chance to live in such a fantastical world...I mean...I..."

Seeing the way Hinata was behaving, Vahn remembered that their behavior was entirely dependent on how he 'believed' they should act. This was a version of Hinata who was well aware of the fact he had a crush on her, so, while she might not feel the same, her kind and gentle nature compelled her to be considerate towards him. She also had his knowledge, including memories related to his past, so it was simply impossible for her to make demands of him. Rather, even if she didn't like him right now, the seeds of affection had been sewn the moment she manifested before him...

Confirming his suspicions, even Nami ended up releasing an exasperated sigh in response to Yoruichi's and Hinata's responses. Then, after crossing her arms under her extremely voluptuous chest, she firmly asserted, "I want a planet, one filled with treasure. I also want to visit my world at least once after you gain the ability to link Records. I want to save Bellmere...even if it is for the sake of another me..."

Though it wasn't necessary to make such guarantees, as Nami's desires actually reflected his own, Vahn still nodded his head, promising, "I was already intending to visit One Piece in the future. The very concept of the Celestial Dragons has always bothered me so I wanted to try crushing them at least once. There's no way I would ignore the injustices that happened in Cocoyasi Village and the Gray Terminal. Even if I end up interfering with Luffy's path to becoming the King of Pirates, I'll still protect the people I want to protect."

Since they were all aware of Vahn's nature, Nami didn't doubt the veracity of Vahn's claim. Instead, she snorted through her nose before asking the most important question, "So, which one of us are you going to name first...?"

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'We're in the End Game now boys...','Someone stab this man...I don't care if it doesn't actually do anything (T ^ T)...','The future might be filled with endless possibilities, but, no matter what happens, you can be sure that Vahn is going to fuck up some corrupt assholes xD...')

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