Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos
chapter-808

At this point, Bell, Line, and Plum had all noticed what was going on between Vahn and Alicia but they chose to keep to themselves since the latter two had gone out of their way to open up some distance for privacy. Bell kept trying to draw the [Pactio] circle, as he had failed to form the lines properly the first two attempts, and was doing his best to avoid having to ask for help. Line and Plum did their best to ignore the fact that they saw Alicia's hair fall out, only to be replaced by a very healthy head of green hair, and kept their focus on Bell. This didn't mean they were able to keep their curiosity completely in check, however, as their eyes would periodically wander towards the 'mysterious' event transpiring just 50m away from them...

Vahn was currently dazed after hearing Alicia essentially give him permission to do 'whatever' he wanted. He didn't really have anything in mind, but someone giving him that kind of power made him feel a little giddy. If he were being honest, he was actually very interested in the effects of this system functionality but didn't have the courage to proactively change things. He was certain he could have convinced someone like Lefiya to help him out and had already thought about what might happen if he gives someone a race that didn't exist in the record. His curiosity had been piqued and having someone so willingly offering themselves up to appease his curiosity was something that always affected him greatly in the past...

With various thoughts racing through his mind, Vahn swallowed hard before leaning a little close to Alicia. She became a little red in the face when he approached but didn't make any attempts to move away as Vahn asked, "Do you mind if I try to change your body...?" This question made Alicia's heart flutter but she was also a little saddened, thinking Vahn wasn't 'satisfied' with her appearance. However, this feeling faded away very quickly as she produced a smile and said, "If it pleases you, Vahn-sama..." As she gave her permission, Alicia also thought about the fact that she could 'request' changes of her own, making it marginally more acceptable that he made such a request of her.

Vahn had noticed Alicia's hesitation and it actually reflected in the system interface as well, causing the 'price' for the change to increase before it slowly started decreasing again. Eventually, it settled on a much lower number than it started so, after spending 815OP and 40AP, Vahn confirmed his selection and swallowed hard a second time as he waited for the changes to occur. At first, there were no obvious changes at all and it wasn't until Alicia furrowed her brows slightly and began to fidget that Vahn was able to confirm it had been effective. Alicia then asked in a low voice, "Vahn-sama...what did you do to my butt...?"

With a bit of an awkward smile on his face, Vahn stroked the back of his head and said, "Honestly, I'm able to see and understand the proportions of a person's body and I noticed that your butt was a little smaller than your bust size. I figured it would improve your balance if I gave you a fuller butt and, if I were being even more honest, I admit that I've always had a thing for girls with fuller hips and thighs...don't worry, I only increased the size from 84cm to 88cm, matching closely with your bust size..."

Thought he fluttering in her heart increased in intensity, Alicia did her best to keep calm as she remarked, "That is fine and all, Vahn-sama...but please keep in mind that many girls have their clothing fitted for comfort. Suddenly having my panties bite into me isn't exactly pleasant..." Even as she was saying this, Alicia actually wasn't that bothered by the situation, especially after hearing Vahn confess to liking fuller butts. She knew that, as an Elf, it would have been very difficult to exercise and shape her butt so this had saved her a lot of effort on something she would have tried to change naturally after learning of Vahn's preference.

Noticing that Alicia didn't seem upset, based on her body language and the fact her Allegiance had already recovered what he expended, Vahn returned a smile and asked, "If there is anything that has ever bothered you, I can help you change it. However, even without the small 'tweak' I made, know that I already find you to be an exceptionally beautiful girl." Since he genuinely meant it, Vahn's compliment seemed to get through to Alicia as a lovely smile spread across her face, accented by the light blush on her cheeks. Still, as happy as she was for the compliment, it didn't stop her from thinking about all the things she had wanted to change in the past...

As a woman, even though she had the natural beauty of an Elf, there were an endless number of small changes that Alicia would have liked to have made to her body. In fact, she would often wish her body appealed more physically fit than lean, as the image of her own 'frail' looking body would sometimes bother her. At the same time, having somewhat large breasts for an Elf, Alicia had always been a little self-conscious about them. There were even small cosmetic changes, like having more shapely eyebrows, fuller lips, and removing the slight curve at the end of her ears. She also had a mole on her back that was a top priority on the list of things she would want to change, each of which she detailed to the poker-faced Vahn.

Even before Alicia had finished listing out all the changes she would like to make, Vahn had started to understand that it wasn't just himself that he needed to worry about. His exploitation of the system had a certain measure of 'awareness' associated with it, but the recipient of the benefits also needed to properly consider what they wanted to change. Vahn realized that, if he didn't refuse certain requests, it was even possible for his retainers and subordinates to make 'petty' requests every time they didn't like something about their body. However, there was a certain realization that also came from thinking about the potential requests that could be made...

Still listening to Alicia, Vahn asked, ("Sis, if I can change the race and appearance of people, isn't that essentially a way to grant them functional immortality? Since I've used my 'Nirvana' to make changes, my understanding of the internal structure of the body should allow me to even modify people to the point that they are able to have the same physique as someone that had undergone the process...right?") Affirming his suspicion, Sis immediately responded, (*That is correct, Vahn. The modifications you make are based on your comprehension of the changes so, if you were able to form an 'image, much like you do for your own transformations, it is not impossible to 'refine' certain features, or change them entirely...*)

Vahn was beginning to realize that this function was even more godly than he had initially expected, as it meant he could even make people into Progenitors or modify their race to be the 'purest' version of their original species. Since he had already observed the effects with his eyes, he would even be able to allow people to assume a similar race to someone like Lefiya, something that should have only been possible because of her heritage. Though he imagined the cost would be immense, which he confirmed by selected Alicia and imagining changing her into a Progenitor, it was a function with limitless possibilities. (A/N: Btw, it would take 500,000,000OP to change Alicia's race to a Progenitor. Don't look down on the 'origin' species~!)

Since he might have requests of his own later, Vahn acceded to the majority of Alicia's requests and spent around 94,000OP changing all of the small things that bothered her. In the end, she had strangely asked him to reduce her bust size by around 4cm, give her a slightly more athletic body, alter the shape of her ears, change the color of her eyes to an azure blue, and even altered her base complexion to have a more 'tender' and fair look. This made Alicia's lips slightly redder which meant that her nipples and vulva would likely reflect the change as well. Vahn felt he would know the answer to that question the moment he even hinted at wanting to sleep with Alicia, but he kept it to himself for the time being.

One of the most notable changes, other than her hair and eye color, was the fact that Alicia actually requested to have her height reduced from 169cm to 165cm. This made her look slightly more petite and also made the armor she was wearing look a little too big for her. It was fortunate that the majority of the fabric around her arms and legs was elastic or her stockings and arm warmers would have likely sagged off her body. Alicia observed all these changes in a large mirror, a contented smile on her face as Vahn watched her Allegiance continue to rise until he broke through the 1k mark and continued climbing.

Apparently satisfied with what she saw, Alicia turned around with a smile, giggle as she said, "I'll need to go shopping and buy some new clothing...thank you, Vahn-sama. It is a little hard to believe that this is me...I'm a little afraid of what people will say. How should I answer their questions...?" As he had already been thinking about the matter, Vahn quickly answered, "You can tell them I used a special technique and a rare Elixir to help make the changes. Most people know about the drastic change of Tsubaki, Eina, and Shizune, so the changes in your appearance aren't that difficult to explain away. If they ask for specifics, just tell them that its a secret that you don't wish to expose."

As she had also seen the drastic changes in Tsubaki and Eina, Alicia felt relieved with the excuse Vahn had prepared for her. If he had told her to just keep everything a secret, that is exactly what she would have done. However, since many of the members of the Loki Familia were her good friends, Alicia was happy that she had some freedom to explain the changes to her body. At the same time, she was also thinking about 'converting' some of the girls she knew fancied Vahn. He had explained her status as a 'retainer', a term she was both aware of and happily accepted, and knew it wouldn't be difficult to get some other girls to 'follow' Vahn...

Unaware of the ripples his actions had caused, Vahn had a smile on his face as he said, "Well, let's go ahead and get your [Pactio] taken care of. It looks like I might need to help Bell out as well..." This caused Alicia to laugh, covering her mouth with one hand as she looked over at the 'fiasco' occurring between Bell, Line, and Plum. She found their interactions amusing but was glad that Vahn had shown up today, lest she somehow end up falling victim to Bell's nature. Though she didn't have a bad impression of the boy, it was very difficult to imagine falling in love with him...at least, that is what her reasoning told her. Strangely, she could see it happening and, if not for Vahn's 'warning', Alicia realized it might not have even taken that long before she was 'accepting' of the boy's behavior...

Deciding she would have to 'educate' Bell about how he should behave around women in the future, Alicia nodded her head and watched as Vahn quickly created a complex magic circle in under three seconds. This caused Bell, who had been working hard to draw his own, make another mistake as he looked over with a 'defeated' look on his face. Line and Plum also watched with bated breath as Vahn and Alicia shared a kiss, causing magical light to shroud their bodies before a strange card emerged. Alicia, having intuitive knowledge on how to use it, activated her [Pactio] and gained a rather unique appearance that nobody had expected.

Alicia's raiment took on the form of an ornate sleeveless top that had white as a base color and was covered in green embroidery that looked like leaves and vines. Instead of her dress and stockings, she now had on a pair of green shorts that were frayed on the edges, looking like something Loki would have worn with how small they were. At the same time, she also had a green vest that ended around her ribs and had the motif of a tree etched upon the back with golden embossing. She also had a pair of muted green boots and gloves that extended to her knees and elbows. In her hand, which was undoubtedly her artifact, Alicia had a dark red rapier that was covered with a subtle purple sheen and had thorn-ridden vines wrapping around the guard and handle.

Observing her changes in the mirror, Alicia had a slight blush on her face as she tried to pull at the edges of her shorts so her butt wasn't poking out. She would have never worn such an outfit under normal circumstances and, though it certainly suited her figure, Alicia was embarrassed that this 'raiment' was supposed to be based on her personality. If not for the fact that her 'artifact' seemed very interesting, Alicia would have inquired about trying to change her raiment somehow. It was fortunate she could summon her artifact out without using her raiment, or it would have been very difficult to show her face around her Familia mates...

Vahn had also noticed the slightly exposed cheeks of Alicia and couldn't help smiling slightly as he said, "It suits you..." This earned him a small look of blame from Alicia who, failing to pull the shorts down to cover the exposed skin, gave up trying. She figured she could just buy a waistcloth or something to wear around her hips in the future. There was also the option of removing her vest and wearing an overcoat or something that would easily prevent people from gawking at her butt. She didn't mind if Vahn saw it, but the thought of someone like Raul eyeing her gave Alicia the urge to poke the innocent man with her artifact, [Reginae Spinam]. It had the effect of allowing her to convert mana into toxins that had a variety of effects ranging from sleep induction, paralysis, or even necrosis.

Since she didn't have to go change her clothes, as staying in her raiment was good enough for now, Alicia joined Vahn as they made their way over to where Bell, Line, and Plum were located. Line, unable to restrain her curiosity, immediately asked, "Alicia, you've changed so much...how...?" To this, Alicia chuckled lightly before remarking, "Would we have moved to the side if I could answer questions like that, Line~?" This caused Line to blush, earning her even more laughter from Alicia who then clarified, "Don't worry, I'll explain it for everyone later. For now, there are other pressing matters to resolve and I'm certain Vahn-sama has other things to tend to. Please, be considerate of the circumstances~."

Line nodded her head in understanding and bowed slightly as she said, "My apologies, Vahn-sama. I didn't mean to pry into your matters..." Vahn just waved his hand dismissively and kept his focus on Bell as he said, "It seems like you're having a bit of trouble drawing the circle..." Bell gave a wry smile in response, causing Vahn to laugh lightly as he said, "Don't worry, it actually took me a lot of practice to reach the point where I'm at. If not for the fact that I was already a [Master Smith], it would have taken me even longer. As your Dexterity increases, and you practice the skill further, you will become more adept at its usage. Just make sure you practice in private and always erase the circle when you're finished, even if it is a failure..."

After making sure Bell understood the precautions he would have to take, something Vahn also imposed on Line and Plum, he then helped Bell create the [Pactio] circle. Who made it didn't matter as, even in Eva's world, there was often a skilled Mage that would act as an intermediary for the process. After all, there were few people that could actually master using the skill and it wasn't uncommon for people to spend years just learning how to perform it adequately. Thus, after drawing a circle in a whopping three seconds, Vahn watched as Bell, with a face redder than a tomato, took nearly a minute before Plum got fed up and initiated the kiss.

Plum's [Pactio] took on the form of a yellow one-piece that extended past her knees and had a variety of pockets located all over it. She also had what looked like a brown miner's helmet that had a set of goggles and a large light on the front. Her artifact was something that took Vahn by surprise, at it had the appearance of a large pickax with a shiny white top. It was actually 'taller' than Plum herself was and looked much heavier than someone her size should be capable of lifting.

Contrary to this, Plum was able to easily wave the pickax around, explaining that it had the ability to ignore defense and gave her an ability to detect mineral veins. Vahn found it somewhat strange that Plum, who had been a slave used in wine production, ended up getting a raiment and artifact that made her look like a Miner. However, so as not to trigger any trauma that might exist within her, Vahn kept his opinion to himself and just smiled as he watched the small girl create a few large holes in the training area...

When it came time for Bell to perform a [Pactio] with Line, she didn't beat around the bush at all and, as soon as Bell began to hesitate, she grabbed his face in a death grip and gave him a somewhat forceful kiss. Vahn couldn't help but shake his head at Bell's behavior and wondered if he should 'mentor' the boy so that he would be able to handle women better. Though Vahn knew his own actions were heavily influenced by the women in his life, he was far more decisive and resolute than someone like Bell. He also knew how to handle each of his women, including the best methods to tease and appease them...

Line's raiment was, once again, something completely outside of Vahn's expectations. The glasses on her face were replaced by rounded spectacles and her clothes hadn't actually changed all that much, instead, looking like a slightly modified and more armored version of her basic attire. This showed that Line's personality already accounted for her clothing preferences, making the massive artifact she had in her possession stand out even more. She had what looked like a 'canon', a massive ivory canon that was 220cm long and had a strap so that she could sling it across her shoulder. It looked like it weighed more than a hundred kilograms, but Line didn't show any difficulty supporting it at all, instead, showing a face full of excitement as she inspected her gigantic artifact, [Carmina Librator].

Line's 'canon' had the ability to pull in mana from the atmosphere based on whichever element she selected from a dial located on the side. There was a blue 'turbine' located at the core of the canon that would rapidly spin as it absorbed this energy and condensed it into a devastatingly powerful projectile. Though it wasn't exactly practical in a fight, as the fastest charge took around four seconds, there didn't seem to be an upper limit on how much energy it could contain. The only restriction was Line's ability to keep the shape of the projectile, as it used her own magic power as a 'container'. Still, even if she failed to keep it condensed, the canon would instead spew out the energy in a wide arc over a much short distance, making it incredibly useful for large groups of enemies located near her position.

Bell, seeing the 'awesome' raiments and artifacts of Line and Plum had glittering eyes as he suddenly asked, "Is it possible for me to get a [Pactio] as well!? I can't believe something like a canon can just be pulled out of thin air! So cool!" Before Bell had even finished, speaking, Vahn created a bit of distance with him and said, "You know the answer to your question from the information that should have been embedded in your brain with the grimoire. As the Magister, you should focus on your personal development and come up with other ways to grow strong. They, as your Ministra, are now your allies that will both serve as your protectors but also rely on your mana to protect themselves. If you don't focus on becoming stronger on your own, they won't even be able to keep their [Pactio] forms active, nor will they be able to benefit from the advantages provided...work hard, Bell..."

Vahn had his [Eyes of Truth] active when he was observing the girls use their [Pactio]s so he was very aware of the fact that Bell's internal reserves were quickly being consumed. By the time he had finished his words, Bell had gone a little pale and collapsed around the same time that Plum's and Line's raiments and artifacts vanished. This caused Plum to fluster as she quickly ran over, shouting, "Bell-sama...!" while Line also had a concerned expression on her face. Being the more experienced of the two, she quickly determined that Bell was in a state of Mind Down and began treating him by giving him a sip of mana potion and letting his head rest on her thighs as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Seeing this, Vahn shook his head and marveled at Bell's [Luck] as he gave the girls a parting farewell, explained to Alicia that she didn't have to worry about consuming his mana, and then went to seek out Loki...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Godhand, Sage Aldrnari, Flame Emperor, Butt Aficionado','Does Alicia's artifact mean she has a toxic mentality...?','*Bell furiously staring at Vahn's lips*...!?')