endless path, infinite cosmos

chapter 88

Vahn was dreaming of flying through the sky far above the world. Above, he could the see stars, while below, everything seemed so inconsequential and small. Reaching out his hand, he felt like he could encompass mountains with he hands, and even turn the seas if he put in just a little effort...

Vahn's eyes suddenly shot open as he jumped to his feet. He had just sensed a group of people approaching, coming from the direction of Riviria. Given the current situation, Vahn assumed they were either trying to get back to the 'Wall of Grief' so they could exit the dungeon or, they were likely the group that had initially killed it. If it was the former, he could just ignore them and let them pass, but, if it was the latter, he would have to make his claim and potentially even confront them.

After a bit of hesitation, Vahn put the crystal containing Fafnir, which he had been holding, into his Inventory. Though he wanted to summon it to dissuade anyone from causing trouble with him, if the group ended up being very powerful, it may cause a fight to occur. Intimidation wasn't the best tactic to rely on against multiple opponents, especially if it consisted of any higher level adventurers.

The group finally entered his line of sight, and Vahn felt a chill creep down his spine after seeing who it was. Had he called out Fafnir, it would have most likely led to his new companion getting instantly killed without the time to explain anything. Among the group of eight, the lowest was Level 3, while everyone else was much stronger. It was the Loki Familia, following behind Finn and Gareth with Riveria taking up the rear. Tiona, Tione, Ais, Bete, and Lefiya filled out the rest of the numbers.

Remembering that Ais had a trauma related to 'black dragons', Vahn would have to explain before he summoned Fafnir, or the last experience it might have would be blade winds cutting through its body by the aggravated Level 5 Ais. Fortunately, Vahn had given into his own reason at the time, or he very well may have caused a minor catastrophe.

Vahn wasn't the only one to notice the situation of the floor; the moment the Loki Familia entered the room containing the 'Wall of Grief', they all looked toward him with caution. The fact another person was located in the area meant they would likely be trying to compete for ownership of the next Goliath. Bete (A/N: I swear, it tries to rename him to Beta for me) had a pissed off look on his face, while Finn frowned slightly. However, not everyone was bothered by the appearance of the boy in front.

"Yaho~! It's Vahn!" Before Finn or Bete could say anything, Tiona called out and started running toward Vahn while waving her arm excitedly. Finn's expression became a bit calmer after realizing it was Tiona's acquaintance, but after a bit of consideration realized it could become a bigger issue. Ais also started walking toward Vahn with Lefiya trailing not far behind. Gareth and Riveria explained the situation to Finn, while Tione gave a curious look toward the boy her sister was fawning over. The only person still high tension was the frizzled white-haired werewolf boy that looked towards Vahn with a hostile expression.

Vahn returned Tiona's wave as she came within just a few inches of his body and started circling him. He was very confused at her actions, but Ais had shown up and spoke to him before he was able to determine Tiona's motive. "Alone...?" Vahn saw Ais looking around the area, likely for anyone that had accompanied him.

Showing a small smile, Vahn nodded in affirmation. Ais's eyes opened a bit wider, but after a while, she, along with Tiona who had finished her inspection, also smiled. Even Lefiya, who was standing to the right of Ais, seemed to be somewhat impressed by the fact Vahn had been able to delve to the 18th floor unassisted. It had to be known that she, as a Level 3, wouldn't have been able to match the feat.

The group had an amiable atmosphere as a shout came from afar. "Eeeeeh? Who is this pipsqueak? Don't tell me he got lost and separated from his group!?" The person who spoke was a white-haired man with a fierce expression. Vahn could see he had the look of a predator but noticed that his aura was actually split between purples and greens. This was a bit confusing for Vahn since he had come to associate the colors with fear, trepidation, and envy.