Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos
chapter-966

Seeing the rather disgruntled Amazoness before him, Vahn’s expression became odd as he wondered what exactly had happened to upset Aisha since their last visit. This thought, however, served as the answer since Vahn realized it had been well over a month since he had stopped by to visit her. She spent most of her time within Haven, now heading more than six-hundred other Amazonesses in a small community that was continuing to develop even now. Though she was able to return to the surface, as Vahn had given her a few high-grade magic cores to facilitate the transfer, Aisha wasn’t the type to squander rare materials for her own convenience.

Though he wasn’t going to let her punch him in the face, Vahn understood Aisha’s frustration since she must have heard about the fact that Tiona and Tione were both pregnant while Kali had made a few appearances around Orario for personal exploration. There was a constant flow of information between the surface and Haven as a result of the HDF’s operations so it wouldn’t take long for such information to reach her. Understanding this, Vahn felt slightly guilty as he put his hands up in a loose grappling stance before sending a small nod in Aisha’s direction. She had been tightly gripping the handle of her massive cleaver while he put the pieces together in his min and Vahn knew she wouldn’t wait much longer...

Currently, Aisha had managed to break into Level 5 so her strength had increased drastically compared to their first meeting. Vahn’s, however, had undergone monstrous growth that few could even hope to contend against. He was already stronger than she was in the past so the disparity between their strength and speed had only increased with the passage of time. Though Aisha kicked the hard bedrock surface with enough strength to leave footprints behind with her bare feet, Vahn was able to easily track her trajectory with his eyes. When she swung her massive cleaver towards him, Vahn performed a partial transformation with his left arm, growing dense black scales that completely negated the force behind the blow. In the next instant, Vahn did a transition between his Xuanwu form, growing black and white fur along his right arm as he palmed Aisha’s exposed abdomen with enough force to send a ripple through her entire body.

Aisha shot back like a cannonball that had been fired from a magically empowered cannon but, before she was able to even travel one-hundred meters, Vahn had appeared within her flight path, diverting the force so she would fly upwards instead of into any of the surrounding structures. As a result, Aisha was launched into the air like a rocket as her healthy brown complexion gained a slightly pale undertone. Vahn had carefully controlled his strength but Aisha was currently regretting the large breakfast she had eaten earlier in the day. There was a sickly feeling in her stomach as her nausea continued to rise from the rapid changes in direction...

Just as Aisha felt as if she were about to evacuate the contents of her stomach, a pair of warm arms wrapped up her body, bringing with it a wave of calming energy. Aisha habitually released a sigh of relief before a deep frown marred her generally mature and seductive features as she complained, "I don’t mind waiting for you, Vahn, but you should at least come to visit more often. When I found out you came by to drop off supplies without even coming to see me..." Using the opportunity when Vahn was listening closely to her words, Aisha elbowed him hard in the ribs while releasing a small ’hmph’. Her mature and ’sisterly’ vibe had faded away for the time being as she looked down on the perpetually expanding Haven below, all while Vahn took a few sharp breaths through his nose before regenerating completely.

Though a simple elbow strike normally wouldn’t do much damage, Aisha had used the very edge of her elbow while sending a bit of energy into the blow with her [Fist Strike] ability. She hadn’t broken any of his ribs, but Vahn felt a few fracture, sending a jolt of pain through his body that he simply tolerated. Aisha was one of the people who knew the extent of his immortality so he could give her a small amount of leeway if it would appease her anger. He knew she didn’t want an apology from him so, after holding her from behind for a while, Vahn began to guide their descent towards Aisha’s residence, a large hemispherical structure that looked like a tent but was made out of polished black bedrock.

What followed was another small skirmish, this time as a ceremony where the two fought for the dominant position in their relationship. Though Aisha knew she couldn’t win the fight, it didn’t stop her from doing her best to get a few advantages against Vahn before they both ended up entangled a few minutes after the battle had begun. It wasn’t their first time together but this time their relationship had experienced a drastic change while the ’meaning’ behind their union was distinctly different. Vahn savored every inch of Aisha’s charming and mature features as he pinned her to the thick mattress he had laid out to prevent damage to the floor. Aisha completely cut loose, allowing her instincts to run rampant so Vahn had to keep her wrists locked as she wrapped her firm yet supple thighs around his waist...

After nearly two hours of pure ’mating’, Vahn felt a contented feeling in his heart as Aisha’s tired body languidly laid against his chest. Her long dark brown hair was completely disheveled as it clung to parts of her skin which, after their long union, seemed to be glowing in the low light of the room. As much as Vahn was feeling warm, Aisha was personally experiencing a tremendous heat in her body as a strange feeling of relief slowly settled over her mind. It was her first time getting pregnant and it caused her heart to flutter in a way she had never experienced before as Vahn’s hand gently stroked her backside while his powerful heartbeat pulsed in tune with her own...

Eventually, Aisha ended up falling asleep with a satisfied smile on her face, causing a gentle look to develop across Vahn’s expression as he moved her bangs to the side and kissed her forehead. Though their relationship had always been rather unique, Vahn had a lot of genuine respect for everything Aisha had done over the years. Not only had she resisted Ishtar’s influence and tried to protect Haruhime, but she was a responsible leader that had guided her people with a great deal of patience and understanding. If the circ.u.mstances had allowed him to accept the Amazonesses into his home in the past, Vahn imagined she would have been one of the girls he had relied on a great deal since, much like Eina, Aisha had a very sisterly vibe to her. Though she would often get a bit carried away in her rather sensual teasing, Vahn wasn’t exactly against such displays of affection...

Back at the Manor, while his avatar was undergoing a climactic battle, Vahn had been enjoying a light lunch with Hestia and Artemis while Lante and Bruna, looking less like a proud warrior and now a highly capable Maid, served them. Artemis would often glance at Lante with an amused smile on her face since she actually didn’t have the confidence to wear such clothing herself. Lante was wearing a Maid outfit that had a slightly frilly design while her bushy blue tail poked out from a small opening that was tied together with a bow. She always seemed to be happy since her tail was perpetually moving from side to side, especially whenever Vahn would give her head pats or Artemis would ask her to try on new clothing.

As Vahn was enjoying the affectionate interaction between Artemis and Lante, all while cradling his first-born Vanir son, Orion, in his arms, Hestia was playfully touching his calf with her bare feet. She seemed to think she was being sneaky, flashing a mischevious smile at the corner of her lips while her leaning with both of her elbows on the table. This also meant her rather large b.r.e.a.s.ts were also nestled against the circular tabletop, giving Vahn an unobstructed view of Hestia’s cleavage. She was very aware of what was going on with his avatar, just like Artemis, so Vahn couldn’t really blame her for feeling a little ’excited’ herself. This was one of the few ’negative’ consequences of having powerful bonds with goddesses, though Hephaestus still had it worse as a result of their shared link through the eternal flame.

Vahn allowed Hestia’s antics with a softly smiling expression since he knew she wouldn’t take things too far, at least while girls like Bruna were around. He had become an object of worship to the Valkyrie, causing Bruna to show a slightly vexed expression as she attempted to stand stoically at the side. Vahn actually found the slightly fl.u.s.tered appearance of serious women refreshing, though he still preferred teasing Elves for reasons he would never truly understand. With that thought in mind, Vahn decided he would pay a visit to Riveria later to express his gratitude for the lessons she had been giving him. For now, however, he pinched the sleeping Orion’s nose, causing the slumbering Vanir to make a frustrated expression for a brief moment that caused Vahn to feel as if his heart was going to melt...

Artemis had seen Vahn teasing Orion, causing her to put on a playfully reproachful look as she said, "Don’t tease our son too much, Vahn. You can’t show preferential treatment between your sons and daughters or they may come to resent you later in life." Though she didn’t say these words with any sense of severity, Vahn still nodded his head since he understood there was a great deal of truth to what Artemis was saying. He had actually been trying to improve how he treated his sons since it was obvious that Masonia had already deviated in a strange direction.

Masonia was always very respectful and had been steadily increasing his knowledge in the hopes of one day becoming King, but it was obvious that Masonia would be deferential to the influential women in his life. This was due to the fact that, being the ’eldest’ of Vahn’s sons, Masonia had become the focal point for a great deal of teasing from most of the girls in the Manor, not just his sisters. Vahn was partially to blame for this, though it was primarily due to the fact that Masonia had inherited a lot of his mother’s looks, making him appear somewhat feminine with his long jade-green hair and fair complexion. Ever since the first time Vahn had seen his son playing dress up with his sisters, the number of times he would come across Masonia with light makeup or hair clips on had been steadily increasing. Though he still dressed like a boy, Masonia had adopted the habit of wearing shorts instead of trousers while he often wore white socks that seemed to be increasing in length with the passage of time...

Thinking about his son, Vahn’s expression became slightly wry, earning a laugh from both Hestia and Artemis since they knew exactly what was on his mind. He decided to take Masonia with him on a journey in the near future to broaden his son’s horizons and give him a short break away from the female-dominated Manor. There was also the option of sending Masonia to spend a bit of time with his Grandfather so he could interact with what would likely become his future people. Since he also needed to make good on his promise with Sylfia at some point, though there was no particular rush given how ’young’ she was, Vahn didn’t think it was a bad idea.

Hestia released another light chuckle as she said, "You seem to have made up your mind on something. Tell me, is it another woman...?" Though she said it with a playful voice, Vahn felt like the last word out of Hestia’s mouth was a little sharper than normal. This caused Vahn to release a small sigh as he nodded his head, unable to lie to Hestia’s face about the matter. Hestia bit her top lip for a brief moment but ultimately kept whatever comment she wanted to say to herself when Artemis gave her an inquisitive look. She understood a few Hestia’s frustrations but had long accepted that Vahn’s relationsh.i.p.s were abnormal. In fact, she actually felt that the more people that were around him, the larger and happier their family would become...

Vahn always felt guilty during moments like this and couldn’t help but wonder if there was something he could do to ’fix’ things in the future. His nature made it difficult for him to deny the genuine affections of others and he had already made more than a few ’exceptions’ when it came to his emotional attachments. Even women like Freya, who Vahn had been extremely guarded against in the past, now had a place in his heart. Vahn knew the capacity for change that positive relationsh.i.p.s could bring so it was difficult for him to refuse anyone that he also had an interest in. Because of this, there would undoubtedly be a few more women in his close circle before he exited the record, even though he knew it wasn’t what he should be focusing on...

Seeing that she had caused Vahn to fall into a period of reflection, it was Hestia’s turn to feel guilty since the main reason she was ’upset’ was that she actually wanted more of Vahn’s time for herself. When she had first accepted that Vahn would have a lot of relationsh.i.p.s, Hestia felt as though other girls were ’stealing’ him from her. Now that she had accepted everyone around Vahn as part of their extended family, and genuinely enjoyed the companionship of nearly everyone in the Hearth Manor, Hestia’s mentality had changed. It didn’t mean she wasn’t jealous, as seeing Vahn with some of the other girls still caused her heart to ache, but Hestia didn’t truly blame him for wanting to make others happy...she just wished he would make her happier more often...

Understanding Hestia’s nature well, Artemis turned to Lante and said, "Lante, would you accompany me to Spero Village? There are a few dresses I had Miss Naho design that I wanted you to try on~." Lante’s eyes practically had stars in them as she happily raised her hand in the air and shouted, "Yes, Artemis-sama~!" Since she had nearly the same appearance as Artemis, the only exception being the added dog ears and tail, it was always a peculiar sight, seeing ’Artemis’ acting so jubilantly. Hestia’s momentary melancholy faded away as an expression of confusion appeared on her face for a brief moment.

Vahn already understood Artemis’ intent so he handed the sleeping Orion over before giving her a short parting kiss after saying, "I’ll make it up to you in the Sub-Space orb later..." This caused Artemis’ smile to broaden as she and Lante both departed for the underground passage that connected the Hearth Manor and Spero Village. Even Bruna seemed to have understood what was going to happen since she gave a courteous bow before flicking her wings and taking to the sky. Vahn was tempted to turn his eyes skyward, as the skirts worn by the Maids seemed to grow progressively shorter with the passage of time. He managed to cull the instinct to do so, however, as Hestia was the more important matter at hand.

Knowing she had been ’set up’, Hestia’s face had already turned slightly flushed as she showed an expression of genuine embarrassment. She couldn’t disguise the ’relief’ in her eyes though, especially when Vahn wrapped his arms around her petite body, stroking her long black hair as he comfortingly said, "If you’re ever feeling lonely, Hestia, I can always make time for you. Though I may be busy at times, I’d rather have the world waiting for me to take action than leaving you feeling as if I don’t have time for you..." Though he genuinely wanted to make the world a better place, it was because of the people he loved that Vahn was so driven...

Hestia’s heart was racing even before Vahn’s words so it had practically popped out of her well-endowed chest after hearing what he had to say. Though they were the flowery words of promise that Vahn often spoke, Hestia knew they were Vahn’s genuine feelings on the matter. The biggest ’problem’ was the fact that Vahn was also very serious about almost everything he did, making it hard to fault him when he seemingly failed to keep his promises. For the time being, however, Hestia decided not to worry about such insignificant things as, at least for this singular moment, she could have Vahn all to herself...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: "Vahn is a stronk boi...’,’RIP Masonia (U x U)’,’Gimme gimme...’)