Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Chapter 2135: Subtle Yet Drastic Changes

Since things were bound to get chaotic with the introduction of three Problem Children, Vahn decided to take a few extra precautions.

First and foremost, he gave the trio the option of temporarily sealing away their powers. They would still be able to activate them whenever they wanted, but, shortly thereafter, they would find themselves ejected from the Game Board.

Though they had never revealed it to him, Vahn was aware of each of the Problem Children's motivations for entering the Divine Realm. Izayoi was eager to become the hero his adoptive mother had always wanted him to be, Yo wanted to make friends, and Asuka had grown tired of living in a world where everyone obeyed her every command.

By limiting their capabilities in the beginning, Vahn was hoping to give the trio the chance to adapt to the world rather than immediately flipping it on its head. They would need to Level up if they wanted unrestricted access to their powers. As for Jin, well, Vahn had a number of plans for the young magus.

Unlike the original Danmachi, the world within the Game Board was entirely under Vahn's control. This had allowed him to make quite a number of changes, the vast majority of which revolved around the fates of his family, friends, and loved ones.

Even if they were ultimately just illusions, Vahn would never turn a blind eye to the suffering of his loved ones.

One example of the changes Vahn had introduced included Lily being adopted by the flower store owners at a very young age. Another saw Haruhime being picked up by Syr shortly after being imported to the mainland.

Simply put, Vahn had effectively plotted out every major event that would take place over a six-year cycle within the Game Board. This included shamelessly making the girls he was in a relationship with wholly uninterested in romance. They might be illusions, but, with a fidelity rate of 99.99963%, very few people would be able to tell the difference between the world within the Game Board and reality.

Vahn had no desire to see his wives, lovers, and the mothers of his children in a relationship with other people so even Freya was remarkably chaste within the Game Board. She was still one of the central antagonists, but, depending on the Players' choices, she would either end up allying with Loki or being forced to return to Heaven.

This time around, Vahn had taken it upon himself to alter fate even further. He made it so that, shortly after Izayoi reached Level 5, Legend would take an interest in him. This included Helen, who, even now, existed as a source of exasperation within Vahn's mind.

Though she wouldn't really be a problem by the time he has ascended to the pinnacle of Tier 7, Vahn had never been particularly fond of Helen. He was interested to see how Izayoi would deal with her, so, while it was a little underhanded of him, Vahn made doubly sure their paths would cross within the first three years.

If left to his own devices, Izayoi would quickly conquer the dungeon and trigger the ejection of everyone within the Game Board. There was even a chance he would steal Bell's spotlight and save the world on his own terms, so, prior to the group's entrance into the Game Board, Vahn made sure they were aware of the ongoing tensions between Orario and pretty much every other country. This included discussing the Ares Familia's Caste System, the corruption of the Elves, the greed of the Dwarves, and, most importantly, the enslavement of the Pallum.

Izayoi, despite his protests, was both a busybody and a tsundere. If he knew there was an entire race of people that were being pressed, he was bound to do something about it. The best method would be to team up with Finn, but, given Loki's nature, Izayoi wouldn't be able to trust her. In other words, he was bound to venture out and try to resolve things on his own terms.

By keeping Izayoi busy with international affairs, the others would have ample time to make progress of their own. Sure, they might not be able to conquer the dungeon but they could still participate in the war that generally took place near the end of the third year. That would be an invaluable learning experience for them. After all, if Shiroyasha's words were anything to go by, war wasn't far off in the Little Garden's future. In fact, it was the reason the Problem Children had been summoned...

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Since it was a mild inconvenience to make constant changes to the flow of time within the Game Board, Vahn hadn't adjusted it since the showdown with Perseus Community. In other words, he had about two hours to kill before everyone was unceremoniously ejected from the interior.

Though he had invited her to accompany him, Lily ultimately refused Jin's invitation on the grounds that he needed to stop relying on her. Entering the Game Board was a decision he had made, and, while she supported it, she refused to be apart from her friends and family in the pursuit of power. Thus, after seeing the group off with a smile, she plopped down next to Vahn with the intention of awaiting their return.

Understanding why she had chosen to sit next to him, Vahn habitually caressed Lily's head as he said, "Don't worry. Jin is a good kid. The people I sent him to are also amazing, so, even if he has to experience a few difficulties, he'll be fine."

Adopting a somewhat melancholic, Lily tilted her head so that it was easier for Vahn to access the space between her ears as she replied, "I'm not worried. I've always trusted Jin and Izayoi, Asuka, and Yo are all amazing people. I just wish they didn't push themselves so hard...Jin used to be so confident and full of energy. Even if it was just a mask, he brought us all together and became our Leader...it breaks my heart to see him so full of doubt..."

"Mmm...the burden of leadership is heavy. Even with a tremendous amount of support, there were times when I nearly collapsed under its strain. Considering he was only eight when he accepted the burden of leadership, Jin has performed spectacularly..."

Nodding her head in approval, Lily's smile visibly brightened as she nestled a little closer to Vahn's shoulder. This caused the latter's smile to cramp. Fortunately, Lily didn't seem to have any wayward thoughts toward him. Her aura was primarily composed of sunny yellows, soft blues, and a hint of purple. Threads of pink would periodically appear, but, for the most part, they would only persist for a brief moment before promptly fading away...

As if to spite him, Vahn noticed the center of Lily's aura shift from a sunny yellow to a pale shade of pink as she muttered, "Now that I think about it, I never did thank you..."

Restraining a dry chuckle, Vahn retracted his hand from Lily's head as he said, "That isn't necessary. As I said previously, I didn't help the No Names because I was expecting gratitude. I helped because it was the right thing to do and-"

Interrupting Vahn's speech with an amused giggle, Lily leaned her head against his shoulder before saying, "I wasn't talking about that. While I am grateful for everything you've done for us, that isn't what I wanted to thank you for. Rather, even if I dedicated my life to trying to repay you, I feel that my debts would only increase...no...the thing I wanted to thank you for is your comment during the party..."

Despite having a mind that could grasp the structure of an entire world, it still took a few moments for Vahn to understand what Lily was referring to. This was immediately followed by a sudden and intense urge to smack himself in the forehead...

"Do you really think I'm as beautiful as Black Rabbit...?"

In a manner eerily reminiscent of Haruhime, one of Lily's tails naturally coiled around Vahn's waist as she craned her head to gauge his reaction. When she saw the stoic yet statuesque expression on his face, she couldn't help but giggle. He was normally very calm and relaxed so it was refreshing to see him with such a silly expression on his face.

Feeling emboldened, Lily entrusted more of her weight to Vahn's shoulder as she softly muttered, "I don't mind..." with upturned eyes.

Resisting the urge to ask what, exactly, she didn't mind, Vahn startled Lily by pinching her nose and saying, "Cut it out. I'd rather not have Jin resent me the moment he emerges from the Game Board. Besides, even if you look like this, you're still only ten years old. You might be very mature for your age but you have a long way to go before I consider you an adult."

Though she was briefly confused by Vahn's words, it didn't take long for Lily to understand the greater meaning behind them. This caused her own expression to turn statuesque, a prominent shade of crimson rising from her neck and spreading through her cheeks as her brain temporarily overloaded.

While she had, in fact, been trying to flirt with him, Lily had never considered taking things so far. The most she expected was having her head caressed or her tails fondled. A bit of light touching was also acceptable, but, beyond that, the most intimate thing she had envisioned was the two of them holding hands...

Cupping her reddened cheeks, Lily's ears and tails twitched violently as she looked away from Vahn and cutely exclaimed, "How scandalous~!" in an adorably high-pitched tone. This left Vahn at a loss for words, not because he had misunderstood Lily's intentions, but because she was clearly pleased by the misunderstanding...

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Wiping away a trace of blood from his lips, a somewhat insolent smile spread across the face of a heroic-looking youth in his early twenties. His blond hair was a bit of a mess, but, with eyes that gleamed like crystal-clear amethysts and a dilapidated pair of headphones hanging loosely around his neck, even people who had never met him would recognize the man as the legendary Sakamaki Izayoi.

"You're one tough bastard, you know that...?"

Hoving in the air a few hundred meters from Izayoi's position was a golden-haired man wearing resplendent golden armor. In response to Izayoi's words, he just snorted before rolling his crimson eyes and remarking, "You're just weak. It's pathetic, really. Even after receiving that whore's power, all you can do is skitter around like an insect. I can't help but wonder what kind of subterfuge you used to defeat that muscle-headed fool and his brother..."

Laughing in spite of his injuries, Izayoi forced himself to stand before tearing away the remnants of the dark-purple tunic covering his body. This revealed a muscular frame covered in injuries, as, even after five years, ten months, and seventeen days, he had never once used his power. He had clawed his way to the top through his own efforts, and, after defeating countless foes, the only person that posed any threat to him was the man standing in the air: Gilgamesh, the God-Emperor.

"Not everyone has to rely on deceit and subterfuge to defeat their enemies. Just because you got your ass kicked doesn't mean everyone else has to get their asses kicked. Now, stop talking. This is supposed to be a battle. I'm not your therapist."

Snorting a second time, Gilgamesh, inspired by the version from the Nasuverse, spread his arms to create countless golden portals. This caused the smile on Izayoi's face to become more prominent, as, despite feeling as though Gilgamesh's ability was complete bullshit, he was confident he could come out ahead...

"Let's dance, Goldilocks...!"

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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn be like, "Covet my women? I don't fucking think so..."','TFW you step on a landmine while trying to avoid shooting yourself in the foot...','Protagonist vibes xD...')