Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos
chapter-2019

Despite a relatively short two-hour nap, Vahn awoke feeling refreshed, reinvigorated, and ready to start a new day. Rather than immediately get out of bed, however, he created a second version of himself to prepare everyone's breakfast while his main body enjoyed the gentle chorus of nearly a dozen women peacefully slumbering.

With the exception of Fenrir and Mikoto, both waking at nearly the exact same moment as him, the other girls were still asleep. This gave Vahn the urge to silently watch over them, so, with no one but himself to dictate how his time was spent, that is exactly what he did.

The previous day, while strange in many ways, had reminded Vahn of the importance of living life to the fullest. It had also revealed a fundamental truth about creation, so, while he would undoubtedly remain a busybody, he was slowly starting to understand that the only thing that truly mattered was that he was doing 'something'. His presence within the Records was something the Records seemed to long for, as, without an outside force to influence change, everything, even the most rudimentary particles of the universe, had no choice but to fulfill the role they had been given.

Simply put, it didn't really matter whether he was good or evil, only that he existed. He was basically the key liberating the Records from a fixed fate, and, though he might only interact with a relatively small subsection of each Record's inhabitants, that was more than enough to incite comprehensive change. After all, the beings he interacted with were often among the most powerful in the Record, and, depending on the decisions he made, his actions in the present had consequences that would ultimately spread throughout countless timelines.

As egotistical as it might sound, Vahn was beginning to feel as though he was seeing the pieces of a complex yet paradoxically simple puzzle being brought together. At the center of everything was Source Energy, but, thanks to his [Universal Mind] and [Actualization] Innates, he was already at a level where he could influence entire realities. This was the reason he had felt smothered within the Tower, as, even if Jahad were to muster all of his power, it would ultimately amount to nothing. His fate had been decided from the moment he became Vahn's enemy, as, no matter how powerful the opponent, there was very little they could do against a being whose every action shaped the fate of the entire Record.

Though there were times when his concern for others caused him to make questionable decisions, the one thing Vahn was absolutely certain of was that Source Energy eclipsed everything within the Records. As the sole conduit of said energy, anyone unfortunate enough to become his enemy, no matter how powerful, would ultimately find themselves on the receiving end of an often one-sided beating. This had always been the case, and, were it not for his fear and naivete, even Tiamat would have been forced to kneel once he finally gained the confidence to confront her.

In essence, Vahn didn't really need to concern himself with the matters of the world around him. He could also skip training, as, much like Ureko had pointed out, there was nothing hindering him from stopping time and simply becoming stronger as needed. His growth had always been influenced by perceived threats, so, even if he trained every single day to increase his power, comprehension, and mastery, the end result was either becoming too powerful or 'power leveling' at the last moment to overcome whatever threat he was facing.

Despite realizing these things long ago, Vahn was only now beginning to accept that his power had never really mattered. The most important thing, at least from the perspective of creation itself, was that he existed. The path he chose was entirely his to decide, and, even if he spent millions of years cuddling with Fenrir, there was nothing intrinsically wrong with that. This was the 'freedom' that had been granted to him by The Path, and, though he possessed an earnest desire to earn the power he wielded, the truth of the matter was that the proverbial deck had not only been stacked in his favor, he was allowed as many mulligans as he pleased...

As that thought crossed his mind, Vahn skillfully flipped pancakes with both hands, a relaxed smile on his face. He had no intentions of giving up The Path, so, while he would undoubtedly continue his training, it was a relief knowing he didn't have to force himself. Instead, much like when he was just a kid, he could focus on whatever he wanted without having to worry about whether or not his power would stagnate.

The only thing Vahn needed to worry about was what might happen to his family and friends, but, so long as their indestructible souls remained, there was a very real chance he could simply recall them using his Unit Management. Constructing a new physical vessel was child's play at this point, and, even if they were somehow transported to a different Realm, the simple fact of the matter was that Vahn's true body existed outside of the Record. This allowed his system to function outside of the Record's laws, and, as a result, even the most comprehensive restrictions could not prevent him from freely exploiting his Unit Management.

Though he would do everything in his power to preserve the lives of his family, friends, and loved ones, Vahn was gradually beginning to accept that death was simply another part of life. There was nothing wrong with wanting to protect them, but, just as he was allowed to venture out and make mistakes, he needed to be willing to let them experience setbacks of their own. Death was the best teacher in this regard, as, depending on the circumstances of your demise, it would drastically alter the way you viewed and interacted with the world.

With his expertise, there was nothing preventing Vahn from creating an artifact that could store the memories contained within a person's Ego. This meant, even if their Ego was severely damaged and found themselves forced into the cycle of reincarnation, they would still able to retain their sense of self and identity. In other words, death would simply mean transmigrating to a different world, and, thanks to the experiences he had accumulated in the Toaruverse, he could even arrange a scenario where the artifact acted as a system to allow them to return of their own accord.

The more he thought about it, the more Vahn believed this was the solution he had been searching for. He still had mixed feelings regarding the decision everyone would make once they reached the top of the Tower, so, rather than forcing the matter, the simpler solution seemed to be developing countermeasures to prevent a worst-case scenario from occurring. This would allow them to make their own decisions, and, by networking their systems with his own, he could always recall them to his side even if they ended up losing their lives. There was no need to wait until he had reached the Divine Realm, and, from the perspective of the Record, they would be performing a great service by simply interacting with the world around them.

Smiling at this notion, Vahn reduced the heat of the stove as he mused, "I wonder if this is how the Gods responsible for reincarnation feel whenever they select people to isekai..."

Imagining people like Artoria and Mordred being born into a cultivation world, the smile on Vahn's face became even more prominent. They would no doubt experience setbacks, but, knowing them, it wouldn't be long before they rose to the pinnacle of their verse. Artoria would most likely extend the Aldrnari Empire's influence into her world, and, due to her nature, Mordred was bound to 'slap' quite a number of young masters' faces before securing her position as the 'strongest'.

Though this might not seem all that different from letting the girls reincarnate once they reach the top of the Tower, the end result was quite a bit different. After all, the relative nature of space and time meant that it flowed differently depending on the world you were in. In other words, the girls could effectively spend tens, hundreds, or even thousands of years in a new world without a single second passing in whichever world he ended up. This meant they would have as much time as they needed to increase their strength, and, so long as he included a stasis function, they could basically exit the world whenever they got bored or fed up with it.

With a bit of effort, Vahn was relatively certain he could link the worlds the girls ended up in with the Little Garden. He could theoretically use World Tree Seeds to power the artifacts he produced, so, as long as Rose and her sisters existed, travel between various multi and metaverses should be possible. The only downside was that 'outsiders' might be able to force their way in, but, so long as the Little Garden remained a part of himself, Vahn was confident he could simply seal them away or erase them entirely. The Little Garden was basically an extension of his Realm, so, unless they were a higher tier, they would effectively be at his mercy the moment they trespassed within.

Confident he had found the 'answer', Vahn waved his hand over the food, and, as a result, the total amount increased to a point that it could easily serve more than a hundred people. Then, while his main body was rousing the members of the Eurasia Family, he manipulated space within the dining room to drastically increase its size before recalling the majority of the explorer group. This caught a number of people by surprise, but, rather than complain, most promptly decided to take a seat as Artoria, Eva, Arika, Asuna, and Theo, the aptly named 'Council of Wives', came over to question why he had summoned them.

Before answering their questions, Vahn proceeding to embrace each of them in turn before going on to outline everything that had transpired in the last twenty-four hours. This included his sudden urge to train, and, though he skipped the parts about Sis being responsible, he told them about the illusion he had been trapped in for the better part of three months. This allowed him to put a lot of things into perspective, and, though he was confident in the 'answer' he had found, he wanted their input before committing to any specific course of action.

Needless to say, the girls were somewhat taken aback by the revelation he had spent three months trapped in an illusion, but, seeing how calm he was, they didn't pressure him to reveal the details. It was enough knowing he was okay, and, hearing the solution he had come up with, they actually felt relieved. It might not be an ideal solution, but, compared to what he had come up with during their previous meeting, there were significantly fewer flaws. The only thing they didn't agree with was his apparent lack of regard for what might happen in the worlds they visited. They knew this wasn't the case, but it was almost like he didn't care what they might do when the only people they could rely upon were themselves and the allies they made along the way.

Though it wasn't particularly likely that any of them would become despots or tyrants, one of the most important factors preventing this was Vahn's view of the world. If he suddenly stopped caring and simply allowed them to do whatever they wanted, it was only a matter of time before someone experienced something that caused them to go off the deep end. Things would become even more troublesome if he empowered people that began earnestly seeking strength, as, when death was no longer a consequence, people gradually stopped caring about how they lived.

Vahn's proposition would effectively convert the Little Garden into a 'Realm of the Gods', as, with the exception of select individuals, everyone within was a God. In other words, it would become a version of Heaven akin to what could be seen in Records such as Danmachi. Everyone within would effectively become immortal, and, thanks to the artifacts provided by Vahn, the mortal world would basically become their playground. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing if their desire was to punish injustice and help people, but, the moment they viewed reincarnation as little more than a means to have fun, it was only a matter of time before someone deviated down a dark path...after all, not all Gods were benevolent creatures...

(A/N: No alternate titles this time around. Instead, I want to ask for everyone's opinion. Would you rather see Vahn venturing forward as a confident and self-assured deity that basically slow rolls the worlds he traverses or would you rather he encounter legitimate, albeit temporary, struggles? We're coming up on the end of the ToG arc, so, while it won't change much in the end game, the tone of the story will change drastically depending on Vahn's attitude towards the world around him. In the first instance, he would become supremely confident, rarely questioning whether or not he is doing the right thing. In the latter, he would effectively become a goofball/troll, who, rather than forcing his ideals onto people, simply goes with the flow while smacking down anyone unfortunate enough to earn his ire. For a baseline, you could compare the former's behavior to people such as Sephiroth and Wise King Gilgamesh. For the latter, imagine someone like Ace from One Piece of Spike Spiegel from Cowboy Bebop. He would become serious when he needs to, but, most of the time, he would basically just be messing around or trolling the people around him.)