Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

By the time the discussion had come to an end, it was nearly 5 PM so Loki, Hephaestus, and Anubis had left to arrange things and make preparations for their own move. Nanu spent a short period of time having Vahn pet her before following along obediently. Vahn helped Lili and Naaza settle into their shared room before helping Naaza set up her lab in the west wing. While they were at it, Naaza told Vahn about all the breakthroughs she had made in recent days and also talked about how she and Lili had been venturing into the dungeon alongside Nanu, Maat, and Chione. Naaza was still Level 2, but her capabilities had skyrocketed after receiving the [Yi's Bow] from Vahn in the past. They were able to easily venture down to the 18th floor without any difficulty whatsoever and had even gone down to the 25th floor on the mock expedition.

After everyone was settled, Vahn got to experience bathing with a large number of women before dinner. There were still girls on the women's side, including Haruhime, Mikoto, Maemi, Preasia, Milan, Tina, and Shizune. As for the 'former' men's side, it was Vahn, Hestia, Naaza, Lili, Syr, Fenrir, Ryuu, Aki, and, surprisingly, Riveria. Her reason was simply, 'If the wall is going to come down soon, you'll eventually see my body regardless." Vahn wanted to point out that she could use the private baths, but he decided to keep his opinion to himself since Riveria wasn't the type that easily backed down on the decisions she had made.

There was also the fact that, despite being 97 years old, Riveria had a thin and lean figure like the other elves he had seen in the past. Though she looked slightly more mature, there wasn't a big difference between her and Ryuu even though there was nearly an eighty year age gap between them. She had a slim figure, very modest, yet nearly flawless, b.r.e.a.s.ts, a tight waist with a fit butt, with a pair of long and slender legs. Her hair was a beautiful, emerald green color and her eyes were a luminant jade that made her expression appear to be very 'cool' and 'intelligent'.

Since he hadn't exactly hidden his gaze, Riveria squinted her eyes and said, "I don't mind if you gawk, just don't turn it into a problem later on. It would be more appropriate to consider our relationship as colleagues that share similar interests. Because of my status, even if you wanted to pursue me I would have to refuse you. It would be better if you paid more attention to the other girls and leave other matters laying." Vahn stared into her jade eyes for a moment before nodding apologetically and saying, "Sorry, Riveria, I just got distracted for a moment since it was a new experience. It wasn't my intent to make you uncomfortable and I should have taken into consideration your own circ.u.mstances..." Since there were so many girls 'approaching' him, Vahn didn't have a lot of resistance when it came to being exposed to other girls. Though he hadn't considered Riveria amongst those he was 'interested' in, Vahn was still curious about her body since he could tell there was something unique contained within. Since she was a 'High-Elf', Vahn had a certain degree of intrigue related to 'studying' her in detail.

Riveria released a small sigh as she crossed her arms under her relatively small b.r.e.a.s.ts and said in a plain manner, "Curiosity is a healthy trait, especially for someone that has an interest in research. As long as you maintain a sense of propriety, I don't mind allowing you to study my body at your leisure. I understand better than most how important it is to experience something first-hand instead of relying on a book to gain knowledge. My status as royalty puts me in a position where I'm duty-bound to assist you in any matters related to your future research. Until Lefiya becomes capable enough to take my place within the Loki Familia, I'll be staying here to watch over everyone so let's do our best to get along without worrying about formality. I wouldn't be here in the bath if I was going to mind such things after all."

After their short dialogue, Vahn ended up being washed by Syr and Aki while helping to wash Hestia, Fenrir, and, since it had been a long time, Naaza and Lili. Though Naaza blushed fiercely, she still had a happy smile on her face as Vahn washed her back. Lili, on the other hand, got a bit carried away and tried to have Vahn her front as well before she ended up being pulled away Aki and Naaza with an 'aggrieved' expression on her face. Vahn had a wry smile on his face before spending a short while relaxing and looking over the girls for a bit before bringing the bath to an end. He noticed that Lili and Naaza had developed a little more since he had last seen them, especially Lili. Her height hadn't much, if at all, but she had a very healthy figure and Vahn could see the subtle lines of muscles in her abdomen and shoulders.

As it had been a long time since he had checked, Vahn wanted to view the Status Boards of some of the girls so he could get a better understanding of the current situation. He also asked Hestia to update Haruhime's Status so that she would be able to level up. When the other girls learned that Haruhime had reached the point where she was ready to hit Level 2, they were very surprised since it had only been a few weeks since she started training at all. The most shocked were the veterans like Riveria, Ryuu, and Aki, but Vahn explained how Haruhime's growth was accelerated based on his own parameter development through her flame seed in conjunction with his Mentor's Mark. She had also awakened a rare skill that let her break through the S-Rank parameter limit for magic and Riveria was very enthused about taking her on as a student in the future.

When it came time to actually update the statuses, Vahn noticed one of the bigger changes he would have to deal with in the future. Unlike the past, where the girls were somewhat more reserved and 'cautious' about how they acted, now that there were so many women present they seemed to completely 'overlook' the presence of a boy. They acted more comfortably around each other and showed a lot fewer reservations as they sat around chatting in a friendly manner in nothing but their bras as they waited for their turn. Vahn didn't mind the sight since it was actually quite nice, but he knew it was just the precursor to future developments.

This was probably why the girls had wanted to bar other men from entering the Manor in the future, as it would interfere with the group's cohesion and unity. If they had to constantly be on their guard all the time, it would cause tensions to increase that would potentially drive everyone apart or cause discord within the group. By acting more openly and bonding with each other, they were able to essentially create a 'sisterhood' of sorts while using Vahn as the lynchpin that holds everything together. Vahn knew this was likely the influence of Syr, as everyone seemed to be getting along especially well with her as she guided the conversation and kept things flowing smoothly.

There were some 'unfortunate' side-effects of everyone acting more openly however, and Vahn got his first taste of it when Lili started walking around completely topless before sitting in front of him to have her status checked. She acted in a 'bashful' manner and openly tried to flirt with him while overreacting to his touch as he traced his finger down her back. Her 'sensual' m.o.a.n caused the atmosphere in the room to tense up as everyone watched Lili 'writhe' about under his finger. Vahn could feel the vein in his temple twitched as he translated her status and recorded it onto a sheet to track her growth.

(A/N: Though I kept track of Lili's growth in my spreadsheet, I'm going to show the last doc.u.mented parameters for her so everyone understands how far she had grown in the last five months. This is one of the few times where I'm going to show someone's hidden parameters since Hephaestus would have kept track of it and recorded it before allowing Lili to Level up.)

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[[STATUS]]

Name: Liliruca Arde

Race: Pallum

LV. 1->2

POW: I91->A887 - I10->F302

END: H107->S941 - I10->E417

DEX: H183->C676 - I10->H123

AGI: G250->D598 - I10->H106

MAG: F353->B811 - I10->G285

Skill: [Artel*Assist:E->C], [Atlas: Innate(sealed)], [Prometheus's Blessing], [Oniyuri:H](new)<--(A/N:Remember, she is Tsubaki's Martial Apprentice)

Magic: [Cinder*Ella:C->B]

Development Skill: [Abnormal Resistance:G](new)

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Vahn was very impressed with Lili's growth and put on a smile as he paid her a few heavy compliments while his brow twitched. When she received her status sheet, Lili had turned to him without minding the fact she was topless as she happily overlooked her status and even snuck in a hug after Vahn complimented her. Feeling her plush b.r.e.a.s.ts pressing into his waist made Vahn's mind buzz a bit as he passively stroked her head until she eventually pulled away after seeing Aki coming over to retrieve her. Vahn noticed there were a few girls that didn't seem to 'fond' of how Lili was acting and decided he needed to explain things to them in the future or it could cause problems.

He knew Lili acted somewhat uncouth, but he also understood the reasons for her behavior since he knew about her past. If she acted normally after being treated as a tool for her entire life, Vahn would have found that strange since he himself wasn't quite functional. Without the massive 'support' group around him, Vahn was certain his life would have been filled with far more difficulties. He wanted Lili to open up to others so he decided to have her befriend Milan, Tina, Preasia, Shizune, and Fenrir. Shizune might be the 'odd one out' in the group, but she also had a lot of experience being exploited and should be able to help Lili.

After having witnessed it for herself, Riveria wanted to have Vahn update her Status as well as she unabashedly removed her robe. Because she wore a full-body robe, when she removed it she was wearing nothing but light-green lace lingerie and Vahn thought it was very suitable for her. Her appearance drew a few wide-eyed looks from some of the girls who hadn't seen her earlier and Vahn couldn't blame them as she had an almost unearthly beauty. As a noble High Elf, Riveria was closer to a spirit than a normal elf and it showed due to her unnaturally long ears, unblemished white skin, and perfectly symmetrical appearance. She even wore her hair in a way where you could almost draw a line down her body and both sides would be nearly identical of each other.

As she sat down, Vahn drew a line of blood down the long line of her back and the Loki Familia crest appeared. This was ironically Vahn's first time seeing Loki's crest and he was a bit surprised that it looked like a clown with its legs crossed, arms open, and a strangely unnerving smile on its face. He decided it wasn't worth worrying about and stared at the massive list of Riveria's Status with abject shock on his face. Riveria was the first Level 6 he had ever viewed the Status of and her Skills, Magic, and Development Abilities were all developed to a ridiculous extent.

(A/N: Seriously, Riveria is known as 'Nine Hells', and I feel like I had to pass through ten just to finish her status~! Also, most of Riveria's magic don't have their chants listed~!(TT^TT);; I had to make up a few, so bear with me since I have no idea what logic the author used to create them (O,...,O))

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[[STATUS]]

Name: Riveria Ljos Alf

Race: High Elf, Spirit(sealed)

LV: 6

POW: H188->H189

END: G204

DEX: D520->D522

AGI: E445->E448

MAG: A828-A831

Skill: [Freyr's Blessing:Innate(sealed)], [Concurrent Chanting:B], [Fairy Anthem:A], [Alf Regina:A]

Magic: [Wynn Fimbulvetr:A], [Rea Laevateinn:S], [Vas Windheim:A], [Liv Illusio:B], [Veil Breath:A], [Via Shilheim:S], [Fil Eldis:A], [Luna Aldis:A], [Van Alheim:A]

Development Ability: [Yggdrasil's Roots:Innate(sealed)], [Mage:A], [Treatment:A], [Abnormal Resistance:C], [Spirit Healing:A], [Magic Resistance:A]

[Concurrent Chanting]

Rank:B

Use: Allows the user to chant while moving about even under intense strain. Provides enhanced control over magical energy and prevents backlash from chant disruption.

[Fairy Anthem]

Rank:A

Use: Increase the effect of all magical spells based on mana used and chant length.

[Alf Regina]

Rank:A

Use: Enhances all magical abilities of elves within the user's magic circle. Converts all magical energy of elves within the circle to mana and absorbs it to enhance the efficacy of all magic spells.

[Wynn Fimbulvetr]

Rank:A

Use: Extreme cold Magic that uses Ice and Time elemental laws

Chant: Harbinger of the end, the white snow. Blow with the wind before the twilight. Closing light, the freezing land. Blizzard, the three severe winters - my name is Alf

[Rea Laevateinn]

Rank:S

Use: Wide area Annihilation Elemental magic to seeks out enemies and tears their bodies apart in an indefensible tornado of devastation.

Chant: The flame will soon be released. Creeping war, unavoidable destruction. The horn of battle sounds aloud, the cruelty of conflict will envelop all. Come, crimson flames, the ruthless inferno. You are the avatar of hellfire. Sweep completely, bring a close to the great war. Burn them through, Sword of Surtr - my name is Alf

[Vas Windheim]

Rank:A

Use: Wide area magic that uses Wind and Space elemental laws to create a vacuum that causes instantaneous decompression in enemies and boils their insides.

Chant: Lord of the Void, hear my call. Let unto mine enemies the suffering of absence. Soundless cries, endless suffering, rob mine enemies of their very breath. Those that seek compassion and absolution will fall into the eternal abyss, never seeing the light. Embrace all that will never be, expand into nothingness. Reaper's embrace, bringer of solitude - my name is Alf

[Liv Illusio]

Rank:B

Use: Absolute Barrier magic that blocks physical attacks. Mana cost based on damage received.

Chant: Become a barrier of light to shield mine allies against harm - my name is Alf

[Veil Breath]

Rank:A

Use: Provides resistance against physical and magical attacks while also providing minimal regeneration effect. Duration: Dependant on mana used and damage received.

Chant: Assemble, breath of the land - my name is Alf

[Via Shilheim]

Rank:S

Use: Absolute Barrier Magic that blocks physical and magical attacks. Mana cost based on damage received.

Chant: Dance around spirit of the atmosphere, lord of light. Contract with the guardian of the forest, and envelop us with the song of the land. Surround us become a great barrier of forest light and protect us - my name is Alf

[Fil Eldis]

Rank:S

Use: Light Healing magic that regenerates flesh and heals status abnormalities. Minimal mana cost.

Chant: Breath of recovery - my name is Alf

[Luna Aldis]

Rank:A

Use: Medium Healing magic that regenerates flesh and heals status abnormalities. Moderate mana cost.

Chant: Return to form - my name is Alf

[Van Alheim]

Rank:A

Use: High Healing magic that can even reattach lost limbs and remove most status abnormalities. Massive mana cost.

Chant: The Light calls you back. Return from the darkness of the abyss. Break free from despair - my name is Alf

[Mage]

Rank:A

Use: Improves magic power, widens effect range, and increases the efficacy of all magic. Creates a magic circle under the user when chanting magic.

[Treatment]

Rank:A

Use: Improves the efficacy of all healing spells and support magic.

[Abnormal Resistance]

Rank:C

Use: Nullifies abnormal status effects such as poison under the given rank.

[Spirit Healing]

Rank:A

Use: Greatly increases the recovery rate of mental energy and mana.

[Magic Resistance]

Rank:A

Use: Greatly increases resistance against all magical attacks.

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Vahn was awestruck reading Riveria's status and blanked for several minutes before passing the sheet over for her perusal. Seeing that Vahn's 'reading' showed the development of her magic, Riveria was very impressed since she hadn't actually seen such values before. With Vahn's assistance, she would be able to improve upon her weaknesses and now had a much better understanding of her own skills, magic, and development abilities compared to the past. She turned to Vahn and had a small smile as she said in a low tone, "Thank you, Vahn, this has been very informative." Vahn nodded his head with a wry smile while scratching his cheek since Riveria was facing toward him 'seriously' thanking him while wearing nothing but lingerie.

A thought passed through Vahn's mind and he turned to Riveria and said, "Ah, I didn't put it on the status sheet, but you actually have two unawakened rare skills. Though I typically keep them hidden, you're already Level 6 and I think you might be able to help me understand how such skills are awakened if you know about them." Riveria had already been impressed with Vahn's capabilities, but hearing that he had actually seen two 'rare' skills hidden in her status, she was somewhat dumbfounded as she asked, "What...are they called?" Though she didn't quite believe him for a moment, Riveria knew what kind of boy Vahn was and he wasn't the type to tell lies.

Vahn nodded his head before explaining Riveria's Innates in the vein of 'rare' skills and also gave his speculation about how they might be awakened. Riveria listened patiently with her thumb on her chin in a contemplative fashion that made Vahn feel slightly unnerved so he 'casually' held out a robe for her to wear. Riveria stared at the extended robe for a moment before looking down at her own body and noticing her current state. She looked around at the onlookers for a brief moment before refusing the robe in Vahn's hand and wearing her own with an almost unnoticeable blush on her face. Unfortunately, Riveria's affection had actually gone from 73 down to 72 in the process and Vahn couldn't help but shake his head in a defeated manner.

Once she was properly dressed, Riveria turned back to Vahn before bowing politely and saying, "I'd like to discuss this matter in detail at a later date. For now, my presence is only delaying things so I'll excuse myself. Thank you for updating my status, Vahn, I trust you'll keep these matters a secret in the future." Vahn nodded his head and stated in a firm tone, "I will never casually talk about the secrets entrusted to me...ah, and thanks for letting me check your status. Your trust means a lot to me, Riveria, thank you very much." Since she had bowed to him, Vahn gave a formal bow in the etiquette of the elves that made Riveria's brows twitch as she hurriedly said, "Never bow like that before me..." Without waiting for his response, Riveria flared her cape before departing the room without sparing anyone a glance. Vahn noticed her Affection had dropped from 72 down to 68 and he felt at a loss since he didn't know what he had done wrong.

Ryuu walked over and had a complicated expression on her face as she said, "Vahn...remember that elves never let those they don't trust touch them. For a High Elf, it is even more problematic and yet Riveria-sama allowed you to do so freely. She also displayed her n.a.k.e.d body to you earlier in the bath, so if you treat her in a formal manner she will only be hurt by your actions..." Vahn's mind blanked for a moment before he smacked his forehead powerfully because of his own foolishness. It had been a 'major' incident when Ryuu had joined him in the bath the first time, and it wasn't as though he was unaware of elven customs. High Elves were almost 'sacred' entities within the elven community and Riveria's actions were an obvious sign that she was treating him as an equal. If he acted formally toward her, it was the same as saying he didn't consider himself 'worthy' of her fellowship.

Anticipating that he might want to go apologize, Ryuu said, "You shouldn't apologize, Vahn, just show your sincerity through your actions from now on. If you follow her before finishing here, she will only hold you in contempt for avoiding your duties in order to pursue personal interests." Hearing her words, Vahn looked around at the other girls waiting for him to check their status. The atmosphere had taken an awkward turn after his interaction with Riveria and leaving would only escalate matters further. After releasing a small sigh, Vahn nodded his head to Ryuu and said, "Thank you, Ryuu, I'll try to do better from now on." Vahn then turned to the waiting girls and bowed apologetically and said, "Forgive me for making you wait, I got a little carried away by the momentum of the situation." None of the girls really held it against him since it was Vahn's sincere nature that made many of them hold affections for him in the first place.

After things settled down, Vahn checked the Status of all the girls present, excluding those without Status Boards. Included amongst those that had their status checked, there was Milan, Tina, Shizune, and Preasia. Now that they were going to be permanent residents at the Hearth Manor, the girls had taken the initiative to join the Familia after Hestia had finished helping Haruhime level up. Shizune and Tina wouldn't be allowed to venture into the dungeon until they were 'older', but it didn't stop them from getting the crest and having Vahn check their status. Milan and Tina actually had the same Innate ability which made Vahn speculate that they could be inherited between parent and child. The name of the skill was [Eclipse] and Vahn wasn't able to really infer anything about what it might relate to since he couldn't imagine the girls obscuring the sun.

As for Preasia, her Innate was called [Golden Fleece] and Vahn thought it was strangely suitable for her considering she was a Sheep Person. It seemed like a defensive Innate, so it was very unlikely she would ever awaken it unless she started venturing into the dungeon. Shizune actually had two Innates, which Vahn found somewhat surprising since he hadn't heard of her in the original story. Her Innates were called [Tamomo] and [Moon's Prayer] respectively and Vahn was able to infer that they were 'racial' Innates related to her being a Kitsune. Vahn kept the matter a secret for the time being, but he intended to bring it up when he talked to Riveria later...

(A/N: For those that might be upset that I'm not including the Status of non-combat personnel at this time, please try to show a bit of understanding. The word count had already broken 4k at this point and I have been researching to write the chapter for several hours...they will have their time in the limelight, but it probably won't be for a considerable amount of time.)

After tending to the 'new' members of the Familia, Vahn also helped Naaza check her status and discovered she had an Innate that was likely related to alchemy and was a magic called [Awen]. From what he could understand, it should allow her to either enhance the cauldron she was using or potentially even create a cauldron using nothing but magical power. As for her parameters, she had been accompanying Lili into the dungeon and also had a flame seed inside of her which promoted her growth. Though it wasn't to the extent of Lili, Naaza had made impressive progress in her growth and was well on her way to Level 3.

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[[STATUS]]

Name: Naaza Erisuis

Race: Chienthrope

LV. 2(+)

POW: H143->G266

END: H128->F312

DEX: G203->D619

AGI: G255->E557

MAG: H105->F382

Skill: [Bow Mastery:C], [Eagle Eye:G]

Magic: [Awen:Innate(sealed)], [Darbh Daol:D]

Development Skill: [Mixing:C]

[Bow Mastery]

Rank:C

Use: Increases accuracy when equipped with a bow. Provides slightly enhanced vision when the user focuses.

[Eagle Eye]

Rank: G

Use: Allows the user to see at great distances when focusing on a target. Decreases peripheral vision but protects eyes against rapid changes in the amount of light entering the pupil.

[Darbh Daol]

Rank:D

Use: Decaying magic that creates balls of magical energy that bore through the target.

Chant: Devour flesh. Devour bones. Devour marrow. Let mine enemies know true torment. Scarab king, carve a path of devastation as you Devour life itself. The essence of suffering shall sustain you and perpetuate an endless cycle of suffering - Devour, Darbh Daol!

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The final status he checked was Haruhime's since she had just reached Level 2 and there was a chance something might have changed after the fact. He hadn't originally intended to look, but she had joined the queue of girls and waited patiently for him to go through everyone else before happily plopping down on the stool with her back exposed. Vahn released a light chuckle before dragging a line of blood down her back and confirming her current status.

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[[STATUS]]

Name: Sanjouno Haruhime

Race: Renard

LV. 1->2

POW: F318->E440->I10

END: E444->C648->I10

DEX: E483->C698->I10

AGI: C607->SS1053->I10

MAG: SSS1218->SSS1548->I10

Skill: [Inari:Innate(F)->(E)], [Prometheus's Blessing:A], [Heroic Strike:G->F],[Featherfoot:C->B]

Magic: [Uchide no Kozuchi:B],[Kokonoe:C],[Icicle Edge:E->D]

Development Skill: [Moon Priestess:Innate(sealed)], [Spirit Healing:B], [Hunter:I], [Mage(sealed)]

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Haruhime's growth was nothing short of monstrous and Vahn was wondering if the twins would be able to replicate the feat in their upcoming excursion. They already had their Innate ability awakened, but there were still several unknowns related to their skill and Vahn wasn't sure how it affected their growth. Till now, they weren't able to hold their transformation for more than twenty seconds and Vahn wasn't sure how it was affecting their growth when they were split. He was looking forward the helping them discover the best method to use the skill, but for now, he simply felt mentally exhausted and decided to call it quits after finally updating everyone's status. Though he had the option of inviting almost anyone to sleep with him, Vahn had decided to snuggle up with Fenrir because he wanted to relax and also spend some time with her since she was probably frustrated that he was gone for nearly three days.

After telling everyone good night, Vahn 'retreated' to his room with the happy Fenrir and he spent around twenty minutes just hugging her body like a pillow before she rolled up into a ball on his chest and went to sleep. She was wearing a cute black and white frilled nightgown that Vahn had helped her wear and her hair smelled like shampoo with an underlying earthy aroma that Vahn found very calming. He probably wouldn't get much time to himself in the future, so he wanted to enjoy the silence for a while longer and Fenrir was always the best 'person' to comfort him unless Eina was visiting. Thinking of the gentle and kind half-elf, Vahn felt somewhat melancholic before a happy smile appeared on his face as he thought about the upcoming wedding. Vahn felt like her presence in the house was the one thing he was missing in order to balance out everything else, so he tried to will time to move forward slightly faster as he very slowly drifted off into darkness.

(A/N: Seriously, fuuuuuuuuuuck this chapter xD. Info dumps are a nightmare since I have to do research and check to make sure things are consistent. I hope this chapter pleases you all, because I think it took literally three times the amount of effort as other chapters of equivalent length TT__TT)

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Heaven at Home','Riveria's Fellowship','Fenrir, comfort my tired heart...')

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