Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos
chapter-1855

Though the interior of the Rice Pot hadn't seemed like anything special, Fenrir soon found herself 'sinking' into a seemingly infinite abyss. It was a sensation similar to sinking into an ocean trench, and, as if to demonstrate this was the case, the surrounding Shinsu grew progressively denser until it had a similar viscosity to water.

Fortunately, though it seemed like it might never end, Fenrir managed to reach the bottom of the Rice Pot after descending for nearly three days. There, an endless plane of cogs opened up before her, and, though there weren't any light sources, she was somehow able to see the distant horizon, a region dominated by a pitch-black sky.

Though she felt as though she were drawn to the 'nothingness' visible over the horizon, Fenrir's first action was to take in her surroundings. Then, finding nothing of interest, she sat down in the center of a stationary cog, legs crossed as she adopted a lotus position. She had learned that, during times of uncertainty, it was best to calm down and meditate before making any significant decisions.

With nothing to interrupt, Fenrir spent the better part of five hours meditating before opening her eyes to confirm, once again, that there was nothing in her surroundings. This had initially filled her with a sense of disappointment, as she expected some kind of 'secret' power to be hidden inside of her, but, after clearing her thoughts, she realized it didn't really matter. So long as she continued to follow her Master, there were no limits to what she was able to accomplish.

Confident in this notion, Fenrir set her sights on the endless nothingness that existed beyond the horizon. Though there was nothing there, her instincts were compelling her to pursue it, so, with nothing better to do, she transformed into a massive, awe-inspiring, wolf with dark blue fur and a pure white underbelly. She could now grow upwards of twenty meters tall, and, though they were generally only visible when she activated her power, a series of icy-blue runes pulsed silently at the center of her forehead.

Finished with her preparations, a bluish-black aura outlined with an icy-white glow began to rise from Fenrir's body as she bolted towards the horizon like a comet streaking through the night sky. She wasn't sure of the reason, but her compulsion to chase after the 'nothingness' over the horizon grew progressively stronger the longer she observed it. Thus, despite the impression it was getting further away the longer she ran, her speed continued to gradually increase until the only thought in her mind was reaching the endless black abyss that seemed all-encompassing yet infinitely distant from everything...

Though he couldn't see what those undergoing 'Revolution' were experiencing, Donar was able to sense how effective the process was thanks to his unique perception and his aptly named 'Eyes of God'. Because of this, he couldn't help but feel at a complete loss, as, even when he allowed Jahad and the Great Warriors to enter the Rice Pot, it only took them a few hours to reach the depths of their potential. The woman summoned by Vahn, however, had taken nearly seventy hours to reach the bottom, and, since then, her power had been steadily increasing as the temperature inside the Rice Pot decreased to such an extent that even the exterior was covered in a layer of bluish-black ice...

Noticing the same phenomenon as the God of Guardians, Vahn strengthened the link between himself and Fenrir in the hopes of understanding what she was experiencing. To his surprise, he found her repeating 'faster...faster...I have to go faster...' within her mind as she continued pushing her body beyond its limits. This caused him to frown slightly, as, even with their shared senses, he couldn't understand what was compelling her to run forward. All he saw was an empty sky, yet, as if it was the most important thing in the world, Fenrir was running towards it without a single thought for rest...

Allowing the link to gradually weaken, Vahn shifted his attention to the God of Guardians, asking, "How long is this process going to take? Can it be interrupted from the outside...?"

Without removing his eyes from the Rice Pot, Donar's expression turned into a slight frown as he answered, "Though it can be interrupted, Revolution normally ends once a person finds what they are looking for within themselves. Your companion...her potential is far beyond my comprehension. Despite this, she seems to have no ambitions, no desires, nothing...in fact, the only thing she seems to care about is pursuing this sense of 'nothingness'...I have no words to describe it..."

With the Law of Identity verifying the God of Guardians' words, Vahn was able to breathe a sigh of relief as he rose to his feet and said, "It seems this 'Revolution' isn't particularly useful to someone like me. Though her potential is unlimited, mine isn't something that can't even be comprehended within the scope of reality. I might bring a few others here in the future, but it seems like I have no real use for this place."

Though he wasn't fond of the dismissive tone Vahn was using, Donar made no attempt to argue with him. He understood that the former, much like the monstrous Ureko, was a being far beyond his comprehension. Since it would jeopardize both his life and purpose if he managed to offend the anomalous man, it was best to send him on his way without fuss. After all, his responsibilities were to train Irregulars and help them experience Revolution; not pander to monsters he had no hope of understanding...

Feeling a familiar warmth spread through her body, a natural smile spread across Fenrir's face as she opened her eyes to find her Master smiling back at her. Then, knowing what he was thinking, she nestled a little closer to him before explaining, "I felt like there was something very important waiting for me beyond the horizon...there was a moment when it felt like I could just reach out and touch it...but...almost immediately after, it felt even more distant than ever before..."

Hearing Fenrir's words, Vahn felt a strange sense of melancholy as he instinctually correlated the 'nothingness' she had pursued with himself. If that were the case, it implied that Fenrir's existence, on the most fundamental level, revolved around her tireless pursuit of him. This inspired feelings of guilt to well up inside of him, but, before they could take root and sprout into negative sentiments, Fenrir squeezed him even tighter as she whispered, "Master is right here..."

Though he was momentarily confused by Fenrir's words, it didn't take long for Vahn to realize that she had seen through his thoughts. This made him feel a different type of guilt, but, rather than pay it any mind, he just held her closer as he whispered their timeless promise, "That's right...always and forever..."

Nodding her head in affirmation, Fenrir repeated, "Always and forever..." in a somewhat tired voice before gradually descending into the abyss of unconsciousness. She had overtaxed her mind, body, and spirit during the process of 'Revolution'. This allowed her reserves to increase from just under 300,000 to more than 740,000, so, as could be expected, she was 'very' tired. It was for this reason that he had used the Law of Petting to lull her into a peaceful slumber, as, even if he sent her back to the Little Garden, there was no guarantee she would take a break...

With Fenrir gradually shrinking into her puppy form under the influence of his energy, Vahn tucked her into his shirt before looking up at the silent God of Guardians and saying, "Though I understand your reasons, it's a shame we never got a chance to fight. By the time we meet again, my power will be so far beyond yours that there would be no meaning in the engagement...it really is a shame..."

Feeling as though Vahn was just a few words from abruptly attacking him, Donar felt a cold sweat spread across his body for the first time since his encounter with Ureko. The latter had beaten him so badly that the program designed to make him into a battle junkie had reconfigured itself into a potent sense of self-preservation. Thus, in the hopes of redirecting Vahn's battle lust, he averted his eyes for several seconds before suggesting, "If it is a battle you seek, there is another onboard the Hell Express who might meet your expectations..."

Raising his brows in response to the God of Guardians' words, Vahn was about to ask who he was talking about when the Law of Identity happily chimed, "He wants to use you to eliminate someone named White, one of FUG's previous Slayers. They seem to be trying to devour the souls that have accumulated onboard the Hell Express in order to return to their original strength and become even stronger. Since the train uses the energy produced by these souls as fuel, giant boy over here wants you to get rid of them~."

Though he wasn't that surprised, as even Realms like Heaven used the energy contained within a dead person's Ego to sustain themselves, Vahn couldn't help but frown in response to the Law of Identity's explanation. The Hell Train had nothing to pacify or nourish the souls it kept within so it was effectively using the negative energy derived from the suffering of the deceased in order to fuel itself. This was completely unacceptable, so, in response to the God of Guardians' words, his own became deep and heavy as he said, "Tell me where this 'White' is located..."

Having yet to mention the name of the person he wanted Vahn to eliminate, Donar's eyes widened in a momentary expression of shock. He was suddenly seized by the impression that the former was able to see through his thoughts, and, as if to confirm this was the case, Vahn extended his hand and said, "I have no interest in meaningless contracts. So long as you hand me the ring, I will spare the Hell Express from complete destruction. This is the furthest I am willing to compromise...it is not up for discussion..."

Sensing the Shinsu in the surroundings quickly side with Vahn, gaining a golden luminance in the process, Donar realized he had stepped on the tail of a beast. Now, the best he could hope for was ensuring the survival of the Hell Express until the Workshop returned to repair it. Fortunately, it had become a pretty important existence within the Tower, so, even if Vahn took away its fuel source, it wouldn't be long before the infamous train was up and running again. This was a small consolation, but, considering the alternative was the complete destruction of the Hell Express, it was better than nothing...

With the God of Guardians' chamber representing one of the numerous dead-ends aboard the Hell Train, Vahn needed to return to the area with the three teleportals before he could continue forward to the residential area. Fortunately, the route he picked seemed to be different than the one chosen by Team John as there were still Shinheuh swimming about. He needed to vent a little after learning what the Workshop had done in order to ensure the Hell Express continued operating 'indefinitely'.

Though there was nothing assigned to directly torment them, the spirits onboard the Hell Express had effectively been trapped there for no better reason than to use their negative energy as a fuel source. This effectively guaranteed it would continue operating, but, in exchange, the designers had effectively condemned millions, if not billions, to suffer indefinitely. This was a maddening thought, and, though it didn't really surprise him, Vahn couldn't help but feel incensed at the 'injustice' of it all.

Imagining what it would be like to be trapped for ten-thousand-years without a body, doomed to suffer just because someone wanted to produce a fuel-efficient vehicle, a potent feeling of nausea began to well up from Vahn's stomach. This was a sensation he hadn't felt in a very long time, and, for a brief moment, he felt like the walls, floor, and ceiling were beginning to close in around him. If he still had his [Chainbreaker], he imagined it would have activated then and there. Instead, the icy chill that had permeated his body and mind seemed to bleed into his domain, freezing everything in his surroundings as he said, "Disappear..." in a tone that seemed to penetrate the very existence of the Shinheuh observing him...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Run...','Ureko the type of girl to smack a computer and change its operating system...','Meanwhile, Fenrir is just sleeping snugly within her Master's embrace...')