Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos
chapter-1498

Though they were impossible to distinguish from reality, at a glance, every Marble Phantasm had a few unique qualities depending on the user. In Arceuid’s case, her Marble Phantasm made it so that it was always the night of a full moon. As for Artoria’s, hers was almost the complete opposite as it was always a comfortable spring day, a world filled with lush greenery and blooming flowers.

There were other reasons, but the primary cause for anomalies within a Marble Phantasm was that their users typically had a loose understanding of the Laws. Though they were able to functionally manipulate reality on a whim, the ’structure’ of this reality was entirely dependent on their grasp of the changes introduced. This was why, in Vahn’s case, he could create a nascent Universe, but, while it appeared much like any other Universe at a glance, the ’scale’ was askew. Not only were the planets and stars much smaller than they should be, but, no matter how much time you spent searching, you would never find natural flora and fauna.

Due to these traits, Vahn, or, more specifically, Da Vinci, had been able to glean various insights into the true nature of Reality. This included the nature of Divinity itself, which, on the most basic level, served as a means of stabilizing Laws within a given area. For this reason, rather than saying Divinity gave you mastery over the Laws, it was more accurate to say you gained a small amount of Authority over how those Laws functioned within your world.

The best method to create a stable Reality, was, in essence, creating or recruiting entities capable of expressing and governing specific Laws. This was the primary purpose of Gods, and, much like he had experienced in Danmachi, it was also the reason for the ’restrictions’ placed upon them. If a God didn’t serve their ’purpose’ adequately, the Laws they governed would become unstable, and, if their Authority had been high enough, they could severely alter, or even destroy, the fabric of Reality itself.

To prevent this kind of arbitrary destruction, the most powerful forces within a Record seemed to function more as a ’control’ than anything else. They consolidated the greatest amount of power for themselves, and, in order to prevent things from going haywire, they limited how much power the Gods within their World could possess. This was the presumed reason behind the separation of Heaven, Hell, and the Mortal Realm back in Danmachi. As for the Nasuverse, due to its higher tier, the primary regulatory body was the Root System. Beneath that, the very stars and planets in the night sky all represented their own Realms, each possessing Tier 5 Primordial Deities that had the ability to assign, strengthen, and weaken the Divine Authority of entities within their Realm.

In the end, Divine Authority basically amounted to ’giving permission’ for those within your Realm to make use of specific Laws. This required no comprehension of said Laws, as, regardless of how the Record manifested, the Laws, themselves, were a ’constant’. How they manifested might vary, but, on the most fundamental level, even the strongest beings in the Record were unable to alter the structure of the Laws.

When it ultimately came down to it, the most important aspect of governing a Realm was having greater Willpower and focused Intent. You didn’t even need a stronger Soul Tier than the beings you ruled over, as, without your ’permission’, most of what made a person powerful simply didn’t apply with a Realm you had created. After all, a God of Fire would find it very difficult to fight in a world where they no longer governed fire. If their opponent could, literally, turn the world into an ocean around them, that just further complicated things.

If he wanted to ensure the success of his plan, Vahn would need several powerful beings at Tiers 4 and 5 under his control. Their presence would serve to stabilize his Realm and ensure it wasn’t arbitrarily torn apart by other powerful entities with similar Soul Tiers. Without them, he risked the entire Realm’s collapse as forces that opposed his rule, possessing incredible Willpower, refused to be restrained. This would be a very serious issue he would have to face, and, in the end, Vahn knew he would even need to ’tolerate’ powerful forces of opposition just to ensure the balance of his Realm was maintained. It seemed a little ridiculous, as he would be the most powerful being in his Realm, but, due to the nature of Reality itself, it was impossible to excise absolute control in a world with free will...

In the midst of these thoughts, Vahn was absentmindedly stroking the ’naked’ figure of a delicate woman with fair skin, free-flowing white hair, and gem-like eyes. She was languidly sprawled over his body, her back resting against his chest as he caressed up and down her abdomen. She, like Alaya and Tiamat, didn’t actually have ’defined’ sexual organs. This gave her a somewhat doll-like appearance, but, in spite of this, she, like her sisters, was able to react just like any other woman...

As further proof of this peculiarity, Vahn’s fingered lightly traced over what would have been the mons pubis of a normal woman, causing a tremble to run through Gaia’s body as a small amount of moisture began to flow from between her thighs. There was nothing for it to flow from, but, like a saturated sponge, a fragrant, sweet-smelling, slightly-viscous liquid would ceaselessly flow from between her thighs whenever she was excited.

Though she didn’t actually require sleep, Gaia’s eyelids slowly peeled open as if she was waking from a peaceful slumber. Then, grabbing his hand, still dripping with her sweet nectar, she lazily guided his fingers to her lips, suckling on them without any hesitation. At the same time, from the surroundings, more movement occurred as four more versions of Vahn, each adorned with up to two naked beauties, began waking everyone from their peaceful slumber.

While his other bodies were attending to others, Vahn lightly kissed Gaia’s shoulder, while, curled up between his thighs, another petite woman with white hair lifted her head before stretching her body rather adorably. This was none other than Illya, and, for reasons only she was fully aware of, she had slept with her face nestled against his sleeping dragon. Her hot breaths had tickled him all evening, and, at one point, she had partially awoken and, much like a sleep-walker, began to dutifully lick and suckle his member as if it was muscle memory...

As this memory played across his mind, Vahn and Gaia watched as Illya’s eyes darted to his lower body, a slightly predatory look in her eyes before they moved slightly, this time staring between Gaia’s thighs with mild temptation visible. Immediately after that, however, she noticed she was being stared at, causing her body to tense up as a heavy flush spread across her face. She hadn’t fully awoken, and, while she would adamantly deny it if pressed by others, the truth of the matter was that Illya had always been a closet pervert, even after her fusion with Cath Palug.

Moving to a seated position, allowing Gaia’s pert and smooth butt to fall into his lap, Vahn carried out the usual ritual of calming Illya down, petting her head and ears until she became docile. This was made considerably easier with the presence of Gaia, as, due to her calming aura, even anger and hatred would fade away, much less embarrassment. The previous night had proved just how ’dangerous’ this trait could be, but, despite none of them actually requiring sleep, it also helped everyone to relax and calm down after the ’fun’ had come to an end.

With drooping ears, closed eyes, and a contented expression on her face, Illya issued a gleeful ’ehehehe~’ while enjoying, not just Vahn’s caresses, but Gaia’s as well. She had fully embraced her identity as a ’Beast of Gaia’ at this point, her nature reminiscent of Fenrir whenever she was with her respective Masters. This made Illya seem even cuter than normal, but, due to ’wanting’ to appear that way, her size had actually shrunken down slightly. She no longer had the appearance of a woman in her late teens or early twenties. Instead, she had shrunk down to around 153cm, and, though her breasts had completely reverted, they were now ’palm-sized’, making her easier to pet and cuddle...

While one of his bodies was dealing with Gaia and Illya, another version of Vahn was tending to

Artoria alone. Since he had five bodies, three versions of himself had paired off with two people while two versions, by lottery, had tended to just a single person. The fortunate victors had been Artoria and Nero, but, considering they had A+ and EX-Rank Luck, this wasn’t too surprising an outcome. As for why there were two versions of himself freed up for a single person, this was due to the fact that Fenrir had spent the night with Spenta, as, regardless of her age, there as no way he would allow the exceptionally innocent Conceptual Entity to participate in such an event...

Seeing the rather licentious sight of a full room of naked people, including five versions of her husband, Artoria was in a slight daze as Vahn untangled and fixed her hair. The previous night had been unlike anything she, or any of them, had ever experienced before, so, in stark contrast to her usual vigor, she was completely out of it. This was a combination of her contented feelings and the calming effect Gaia had on everyone in the room, making her feel warm and ’fluffy’ on the inside.

After sorting her thoughts, Artoria turned to face Vahn, not even bothered to conceal her flawless figure as she softly stated, "This shouldn’t repeat too often...if this became the norm, I fear those with weaker wills would become prone to depression. That kind of euphoria is dangerous, even if there are no adverse effects on the body..."

Understanding Artoria’s concerns, Vahn gave a small nod, answering just as quietly, "I had similar thoughts. Though it would be quite the sight to behold, I understand the dangers of a complete lack of inhibition. We’ll only ever do this kind of thing within the confines of the Marble Phantasm, and, even then, in moderation. If there are ever any ’innocents’ nearby, it should be avoided at all costs. I feel guilty for Fenrir, but, it terrifies me to imagine what would have happened if someone like Spenta wandered in...haaaa..."

Due to the nature of his Divinity and the ’enhancement’ provided by Gaia, the sealed chamber had become an area with few, if any, inhibitions. Vahn had been able to maintain a modicum of control, largely in part due to his [Will of the Emperor], but the effects it had on others was ’very’ dangerous. Even Artoria had become exceptionally compliant, but, infinitely more troublesome, Vahn had felt very little resistance to ’anything’. He barely avoided having sex with Tiamat, Alaya, and Gaia, and, at one point, Iris had easily convinced him to alter his appearance to the point of being ’dangerously’ youthful...

When the minds of sapient creatures were in an incredibly relaxed state, they were susceptible to suggestion and manipulation. Though it was possible to resist with adequate Willpower, the effect Gaia had was almost ’inviolable’ under the right conditions. As a result, everyone had discarded even the pretense of inhibitions, and, under the influence of his Sex Divinity, the sealed chamber had become a ’Realm’ of pure debauchery. If not for Sis and his [Will of the Emperor], there would have been nothing to stop him from ravishing Alaya, Tiamat, and even Gaia.

Fortunately, Gaia seemed to respect his intentions, so, when things got especially dangerous, her aura was ultimately what allowed everyone to calm down. She had been unaffected by the state she had helped to induce, allowing her to serve as the ’voice of reason’ when everyone else was almost wholly focused on experiencing new pleasures. Had this not been the case, things would have gotten even further out of hand, potentially endangering all of Vahn’s plans, forcing him to remain in the Nasuverse much longer than intended...

After looking around the room, making eye contact with his other selves, Vahn took advantage of the fact Artoria was still facing him, stealing a relatively tame kiss before saying, "We should take a bath. It feels like my body is covered in something and I don’t even sweat..."

Though he didn’t intend to make her embarrassed, Artoria lightly blushed in response to Vahn’s words. She knew exactly why he was ’dirty’, and, remembering the previous night, it caused her face to quickly transition through various shades of red before she ultimately nodded and said, "I agree. I’ll have everyone use the bathhouse on the western side. You should go to the east before checking on Fenrir and Spenta. Even though Arcueid sealed off this space, I can’t help but feel a little worried about them."

Had he not already confirmed they were unaffected by the previous incident, Vahn would have shared Artoria’s concerns. Still, he knew it was important to check on them personally, and, out of consideration for the fact she had missed out on a rather significant event, Vahn was intending to pamper Fenrir all day. He would acquiesce to all of her demands, but, knowing her, this meant he would probably spend the entire day just lounging about in his Vanargandr form.

Fenrir was extremely sensitive to his mental state so she would be able to sense how overtaxed his mind and spirit were from the previous evening. Though it was somewhat shameful for him to admit, Vahn needed the unique peace of mind she brought in order to recover. It would be very dangerous if he became accustomed to the level of pleasure he experienced the previous night, both for himself and others.

Vahn primarily focused on the emotional connection that was formed whenever he had sex with others, but, due to a complete lack of inhibitions, he ended up ’enjoying’ the pleasurable aspect a lot more than was healthy. He already had more sex than most people could even comprehend so it would be disastrous if he became ’addicted’. It was important to have some kind of restraint, as, without them, there were no limits to how base and animalistic people could become. Carnal pleasures were a dangerous thing, and, if Arcueid hadn’t properly sealed the chamber, even the innocent Spenta might not have been spared his greedy claws...

As that thought crossed his mind, Vahn affirmed his belief that everything should be done with proper respect for moderation. Spenta might ’technically’ be safe, but, after crossing that line, his self-respect would be lost. From there, very few things would be ’off-limits’, and, if this became a common event, there was even a chance his own children and students could get wrapped up in the event. Everything would rapidly spiral out of control, and, by the time he met up with Eva and began trying to link the Records, he would have become unrecognizable from his past self...the man who had won the respect, admiration, and love of countless people...

Imagining a version of himself with a seemingly limitless harem that had no boundaries, Vahn felt a shudder run through his body. For a brief moment, the version of Lenneth from the Divination appeared within his mind, her eyes turned up at him as she eagerly attempted to satisfy both of their sexual urges. This had terrified him in the past, rightfully so, and, while he was willing to make exceptions for those like Mordred, Vahn would be a complete failure as a parent if he had no inhibitions toward his own children.

With his mind made up, Vahn didn’t even need to explain his intentions as Sis dutifully answered, (*It is done.*) in a calming voice. Immediately afterward, he felt his senses dull slightly as his aura and domain became marginally weaker. This caused everyone in the room to shift their gazes to him, but it was Gaia who asked, "Why...?"

Understanding her confusion, Vahn lightly pats Gaia’s hair, flattening her myriad of ahoge as he explained, "There is no use in having a power that endangers the people I care about. It was very useful, but I’m more than capable of taking care of my women without such a crutch. There is far greater meaning in spending time learning about your partner, growing alongside one another as your love blossoms into something greater. You may struggle to understand it right now, but I will help you to understand the meaning behind these words in the future..."

Towards the end of his words, Vahn firmly embraced Gaia’s body, understanding why she would be a little upset. After all, he had just discarded the Divine Authority she had bestowed upon him without any forewarning. This was similar to throwing away the gift of someone who, very rarely, handed out presents. She had every right to be a little upset, but, if it meant he could protect the things he cared about, there was no part of himself that Vahn wasn’t willing to throw away...even his Divinity.

(A/N: Alternate Titles: ’Balance in all things’,’Debauchery Tea Party’,’Sacrificing everything for power is a sign of weakness. Sacrificing power for everything else is a sign of strength. Power can be easily quantified and expressed. Character Growth, however, is EX-Rank by default’)

(A/N: Update. Still feeling sick, but much better than yesterday.)