Chapter 1417 - Flow
Unless he entered a dreamscape or proactively chose to dream, Vahn rarely experienced a dream outside of his control. Rather, the only times he truly fell unconscious was when he had suffered a serious injury or made a major breakthrough. Other times, he was always, at the very least, vaguely aware of everything in his surroundings. He could turn off his domain and take proactive measures to try and close off his perception, but, even if he was in a deep meditative state, he was never truly unaware of the world around him.
Vahn wasn't even sure if he could actually dream normally anymore as, the few times when he was certain he had lost consciousness, he always ended up in the same place. There seemed to be a vast and endless expanse of nothingness sealed away inside of him but, at the center of everything, four of his closest companions patiently waited, each awaiting the moment he would call upon their aid. These were Báihǔ, Xuánwǔ, Zhūquè, and Qīnglóng, the Four Sacred Beasts that represented the four cardinal directions and the myriad of elemental Laws that governed all of creation.
With the passage of time, the emptiness within Vahn had gradually given way to an expanse that, in many ways, represented his domain. Though it took on a form similar to a star if viewed from the outside, the inside was filled with a gentle warmth that brought Vahn feelings of both serenity and an overwhelming, seemingly absolute, power. This was reflected in how the four majestic creatures, each possessing incomprehensible power, readily bowed their heads.
Compared to his past visits, Vahn now found his little realm to be filled with resplendent golden light and, while the massive trigram still existed, it was now set in highly polished black stone. Seeing the trigram glowing with golden light wasn't what stood out the most, however, as, spreading out into the distance, a vast meadow of emerald-green grass now dominated the previously empty space. At the same time, Báihǔ, Xuánwǔ, Zhūquè, and Qīnglóng seemed exponentially smaller, to the point he could now see over their heads as he looked around and silently observed the changes to his inner world.
Even without being told what had changed, Vahn had already formed an understanding of how his [Rakshasa Body] had been developing. Having his own version of the Four Sacred Beasts had made it pretty obvious and, though there were undoubtedly variations, it was pretty clear he represented the 'center' since the start. This implied that his fifth transformation was actually a physical manifestation of the power and authority he wielded as Huánglóng, the Dragon God of the Center.
Huánglóng was, in many Records, a primordial deity that represented the birth of creation and the changing of the seasons. Its domains were those of Space, Time, and Creation, things he had always been drawn to, almost instinctually. Even his Zenith Rank Quest, [Genesis Path: Dawn of Creation], required him to obtain mastery in these three Laws, almost as if The Path had granted him the Quest in order to foster the development of his [Rakshasa Body].
Vahn knew he didn't put as much effort into mastering his Innates as he ought to, but, with so many things he cared about vying for his attention, this was the price of happiness. If he turned his back to everything else and pursued power, there was no doubt in his mind that he would be able to obtain a monstrous amount of power in a very short period of time. After all, he had anticipated having to stay in the Nasuverse for more than a hundred years to reach Tier 5 yet, after a little more than three years, he was already beginning to feel like it was within his grasp...
While the Gods and Deities within Records were stuck at their level for an eternity, he was able to grow without limit, facing no bottlenecks along the way. He was, quite literally, The Path itself and, as a result of his will, Vahn realized he had slowly come to represent 'change' itself. His existence within a Record allowed for infinite possibilities within previously stagnant worlds, places where the past, present, and future had already been determined. He was the only person within an infinite number of Records that could bring about real change, as, while it was possible to rewrite a story to have a different ending, that would simply produce another Record, one of countless like it...
From the moment he entered a Record, it's fate had been irreversibly changed and, while there were a myriad of potential futures, they would all inevitably fall in line, becoming a singular path that was entirely decided by him. Even if he did nothing, his existence itself funneled countless timelines into a singular flow, bringing order to chaos. He was an 'absolute truth' within the Record from the time he decided to enter and, as his comprehension increased, the Laws themselves, much like the Four Sacred Beasts, would bow to him...
By the time Vahn's small bout of enlightenment came to an end, he realized that Báihǔ, Xuánwǔ, Zhūquè, and Qīnglóng no longer even reached his knees. They now looked small and, at least in his eyes, somewhat cute. Then, as if in observance of this 'truth', they actually became more adorable, looking much like the baby versions of the animals they represented. This brought a smile to Vahn's face and, after taking a seat, he allowed Báihǔ to sit in his lap while the other three coiled around or nestled up against his body...
When Vahn opened his eyes, he noticed that the world now seemed more vibrant than before he had fallen unconscious. He had always been able to perceive elemental energy and, if he focused, he could use his [Eyes of Truth] to decipher the secrets of some Laws. Now, however, it felt like he could see much more and, while it had always been visible around people like Artoria, he now saw the flow of fate, not just for people, but for everything. The only exception to this was himself but, with every single breath he drew, every flicker of his eyelashes, and every beating of his heart, the flow of fate in the surroundings was altered.
Though his power in his base form didn't seem to change all that much, Vahn felt his previous power was inconsequential in the face of his shift in perspective. People rarely thought about their influence on the world around them, but, after his battle with Musashi, Vahn felt it wasn't him reacting to the changes in the world. Rather, the world itself was being shaped by his every action, no matter how big or small.
With this in mind, Vahn combed through the hair of the girl pretending to sleep at his side, watching as the flow of fate, previously imperceptible, changed with each caress. At the same time, Fenrir's tail began to lightly tap against the top of the bed and, while not nearly as much as his own, Vahn could see her influence on fate. Her fate seemed intrinsically tied to him, something he had always known, but, now, Vahn could feel the changes inside of her with each action he took...
After a few minutes of enjoying her Master's caress, Fenrir grabbed his hand, hugging it to her chest as she asked, "Are you feeling better? Nobody will blame you if you decide to sleep longer..."
Vahn couldn't help but smile in response to Fenrir's words, but, as he prepared his reply, the words got stuck in his throat as something incredulous happened. He could feel the flow of fate around them begin to shift, becoming various different 'currents'. If he focused on any individual current, it would slowly become more prominent and, after a few seconds passed, at least from his perspective, he could even see images of what he could only assume to be the future...
Feeling something wrong with her Master, Fenrir showed a worried expression before forcing him to lay back as she said, "Please, rest...you have been through a lot. You don't have to push yourself all the time, Master..."
Following Fenrir's words, Vahn noticed that most of the currents vanished, giving way for an entirely new set. At the very center of these, like the main flow of a river, he saw a vision of himself and Fenrir just relaxing in his chambers for several hours. If he followed this flow long enough, however, it, too, began to split, some scenes showing him and Fenrir having sex while others showed different people showing up to check in on him.
Realizing he hadn't simply gained the ability to see the flow of fate, Vahn felt both worried and, as could be expected, excited. He knew it would take a considerable amount of time to understand how to best use this power, but, for the time being, the concerns of his ever-faithful subordinate were far more important. If he were being honest, Vahn didn't want to know the consequences of his future actions as, if he began focusing on the future more than the present, he would be contradicting the very principals he stood for.
Though it was safe to assume that his version of foresight was more accurate than others, as it was based directly on his choices, Vahn ultimately decided it was better to just live in the moment. While the ability would undoubtedly prove useful in the future, especially when it came to tracking down his hidden enemies, that was a matter for then, not now. Thus, in an effort to allay Fenrir's concerns, Vahn hugged her body tightly, rubbing his cheek against the top of her head. Words were almost unnecessary between them so, even without him explaining his intentions, Fenrir released a sigh of relief before reciprocating his affectionate nuzzling...
Even before Vahn had awakened, his slumber had been closely observed by a number of different people. First and foremost among this group was Alaya, but, after sheepishly trying, and failing, to probe his mind, she ultimately retreated a fair distance. Even the brief contact she made with his subconscious mind gave off a dangerous feeling so, in the hopes of avoiding Vahn's ire, Alaya made the decision to give him privacy. She also began preparing her first sincere apology as, when Vahn recovered, there was no way he wouldn't bring up the fact she tried to pry into his mind...
Having witnessed Alaya's failed attempt, Merlin knew better than to make one of his own as, even if Vahn was in a deep state of unconsciousness, he knew there was 'something' protecting him. Thus, while Vahn slept, Merlin observed the strange flow of energy around him. It was unlike anything he had ever seen, almost like a whirlpool that sucked in everything around it yet, in spite of this quality, it didn't actually alter anything in the surroundings. Fenrir was even able to lay at Vahn's side for the entire fifteen hours he was unconscious, completely unaffected by this strange phenomenon.
All Merlin could be certain of was the fact that, while he slept, Vahn, despite appearing in a tangible form that could be interacted with, temporarily ceased to exist. Though he still had a physical form, it was like an infinitely more advanced version of the technique Merlin himself used to manifest on the Surface. It was like Vahn had become completely separate from the rest of the World and, if not for this paradoxical state, the strange whirlpool would have undoubtedly destroyed everything around him.
Though he didn't actually exist on the Surface, Merlin couldn't shake the thought that even he would be consumed if he ventured too close to the phenomenon generated by Vahn. It was for this reason he had everyone but Fenrir stay away as, much like Medusa, she seemed to be an extension of Vahn himself. Merlin wasn't entirely sure how this worked but, despite the fact they appeared to be unique and individual existences, Fenrir and Medusa gave off the same 'feeling' as Vahn. Not only was the energy in their body identical, but, on a fundamental level, they seemed to originate from the same source...Vahn himself...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'God of the Center','Vahn can now, quite literally, see the paths available to him...','Fenrir and Master are one, always and forever (O,....,O)!!')
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