endless path, infinite cosmos

chapter 188

Vahn awakened in the orb and Eva tried to land on top of him as she had done many times in the past. The moment she tried kissing him, she realized that something was wrong since Vahn wasn't reciprocating as usual. Sitting on his stomach, she looked down and saw the unveiled hatred in his face. For a brief moment, Eva thought he was angry at her and could feel fear welling up in her heart until Vahn began explaining the situation. After releasing a sigh and deciding to not punish him for being late, Eva offered her advice and it coincided with Vahn's intentions.

Even though Vahn wanted to immediately go and save Milan and Tina, spending a few seconds of time to practice Shundo and learn a bit of magic would be the most optimal decision. Whenever he used [Will of the Emperor], even if he was beyond the rational level of anger, his mind was always calm and calculating. The moment he had escaped from the guards Vahn entered the orb to calm his mind and train with Eva.

There was also another important thing he had to do while he was in the orb; Vahn wanted to retrieve Fafnir since he would be able to cross the City in a few short minutes instead of running on foot. Since Fafnir could now hide in his shadow, Vahn didn't need to unsummon it to conceal it in the future. No matter what problems he may have to face in the future, Vahn wasn't going to avoid using every trump card he had available just to avoid drawing attention to himself. Things were already to the point where people thought they could use the people he cared about against him, and Vahn had no patience for their games.

After allowing Eva to replenish her energy by draining his blood, Vahn began receiving a crash course in Shundo. Though he could try to learn magic, actually obtaining the skill to use it would take months or even years for him to master. Shundo was an incredible technique, but it was also something that Vahn was well suited to learn given his current combat style. Even though two of the assailants had been Level 3, they weren't even able to react to his movements in his Baihu form.

Though she was typically very affectionate towards Vahn, Eva had grown serious after understanding the severity of the situation Vahn was facing in the real world. For the next three days, she constantly drilled him on the use of Shundo with little rest between training sessions. Vahn supplemented his lack of stamina with senzu beans and meditation. For the entire duration of their training, Vahn hadn't disabled his domain for a single moment, even when Eva was draining his blood. Though he could use the time within the orb to calm his mind, Vahn didn't want to lose the tensions and drive that he had when entering.

It wasn't until there were only ten hours left when Vahn finally took a rest to fully recover his mental energy. Unlike their normal baths, where Vahn would pamper Eva, she instead washed his body and allowed him to continue focusing his mind through meditation. Since Vahn could even keep his domain active in his sleep, he laid down in the bed to recover the rest of his energy in preparation for the coming fight. Though Eva often laid on top of his body, she just silently rested against his arm and remained relatively docile for the duration of their rest.

Moments before Vahn left the orb, she gave him a passionate kiss before wishing him good fortune in battle. Though he was still focused, Vahn returned her kiss and gave her an affectionate smile as he rubbed her golden hair and willed himself to dissipate faster. Fafnir was already back in his inventory and now he would just have to re-summon it back in the real world. Though she wasn't fond of it, Vahn left behind (Nameless) so Eva wouldn't be lonely while he was away.

Vahn awoke in the real world and immediately set out to take actions to track down Milan and Tina. While chugging an [Elixer] 10,000OP, Vahn constantly channeled his energy into the beautiful rainbow crystal in his hand. As Fafnir became stronger, the crystal that contained it became more resplendent and required more energy to awaken. The [Elixer] not only fully restored his health, but it also constantly recovered his energy which allowed him to finally summon Fafnir.