EPIC: Path of Demons and Dragons

As Vahn's Party pushed their way further into the glade, the number of Timber Wolves they encountered gradually increased from pack sizes of ten to an average of twenty. Stronger monsters called Timber Wolf Pack Leaders began appearing, taking charge of the weaker wolves, but even if their coordination steadily improved, they simply lacked the stats to pose a threat.

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Accurately shooting two Timber Wolves in the head, Tanya, looking bored, remarked, "We should take on an F+ Rank Dungeon next. These monsters are way too weak."

"Well, each Rank is supposed to be a hundred times stronger than those preceding it," explained Vahn, intercepting a Timer Wolf's pounce with the tip of his spear, discarding it to the side as he revealed, "Also, this is Floor 0 of the Tower, also known as the Tutorial/Testing Area. It was conceived to help everyday people acclimate to fighting monsters, so we're ahead of the curve at D and C-Rank."

"Everyday people?" parroted Tanya, frowning as she asked, "What's the point of empowering such people? More to the point, why create a place like this? People don't empower others arbitrarily, so what do you and the others who created this place hope to achieve?"

Though he was a little taken aback by Tanya's abrupt, interrogatory line of questioning, Vahn didn't hesitate to smile and answer, "We want to build a community."

Preempting Tanya's follow-up questions, Vahn stabbed his spear into the ground, creating a golden Magic Circle with a twenty-meter diameter. All monsters within its area of effect were pushed out forcibly. At the same time, those on the outside could not enter, their advance thwarted by an imperceptible, dome-shaped barrier that produced golden light whenever something came into contact with it.

"Oh? That's a convenient ability..." remarked Himmel, wearing his usual smile as he turned to face Vahn and pulled out a cloth to clean his sword. It was free of blood and gore thanks to the monsters disappearing when killed, but dutifully cleaning and maintaining their equipment was a habit most seasoned Adventurers from his world had.

Continuing where he left off, Vahn explained, "I'm one of a small group with the capacity to link and cross between different worlds, universes, and dimensions. Some of us have the power to decimate entire planets, but even that isn't as impressive as it sounds when you consider it only requires a Power Level in the tens of thousands. There are beings in the multiverse with Power Levels in the billions, so you could say our goal is to create an organization that can solve multiversal problems or oppose virtually any threat that could appear."

"An organization that you or someone you know will stand at the top of, no doubt..." remarked Tanya, exhaling from her nose.

"That's not entirely true," refuted Vahn, shaking his head as he contended, "I honestly don't care who's in charge so long as they follow the rules and aren't a complete tyrant. I personally just want to live free and spend time with the people I care about, but since I possess the means and power to help or enable others, I feel obligated to at least try."

"And what's to prevent people who gain power here from using it to cause chaos back in their original worlds...?" asked Tanya.

Shaking his head, Vahn argued, "Even without power, those who seek to cause chaos and harm will find a way. We have failsafes in place, but not to the extent where we would prohibit people from thinking and acting for themselves. Just keep in mind that actions have consequences, so if you choose the path of a villain, you need to be prepared for the appearance of a Hero who will strike you down. That's how karma works, and not even Gods are exempt from its influence."

"Well, no concerns there," responded Tanya, shrugging as she contended, "Only fools go out of their way to become Heroes or villains. My only goal is to live a safe, comfortable life away from conflict or strife."

"Is your world currently or frequently at war...?" asked Himmel, his eyes softening empathetically as he remarked, "Because, while I'm not familiar with the structure of your Empire's military, the position of Warrant Officer sounds like a reasonably high position. That suggests you worked hard or were given the position out of necessity..."

"I earned the position out of necessity..." countered Tanya, exhaling from her nose as she revealed, "My father was a soldier who fell in the line of duty, and my mother abandoned me at the door of an orphanage when I was three. My options were to starve and wait for a good family to maybe adopt me or forge a path for myself. Enlisting in the Empire's military was my best option, as it's the only path that ensures upward societal mobility for those without backing..."

"I see...you've lived a difficult life..." remarked Himmel, resisting the urge to extend his hand and tousle Tanya's hair as he didn't believe she would appreciate it.

"You're mistaken..." refuted Tanya, shaking her head before adopting a serious expression as she asserted, "Difficult lives are reserved for those who lack the perseverance or resourcefulness to make the most of their situation. I was born with the capacity to become a Mage, and though it has been a hindrance thus far, my appearance is a boon I should be able to take advantage of in the future. Save your sympathy for those who only know how to live or leech off others..."

"I understand..." responded Himmel, offering a slow, affirming nod. He got the distinct impression that Tanya's words were meant to convince herself more than anyone, but until she opened herself to accepting the help and counsel of others, any compassion she received was likely to be met with suspicion or hostility.

'I should look into the world this girl originates...' thought Vahn, prompting Sis to respond, (I will queue it up for you to watch later.)

'Thank you,' responded Vahn, exhibiting considerably less restraint than Himmel as he extended his right hand, unabashedly tousling Tanya's hair as he asserted, "You're very strong..." in an affirming tone.

"And you're lucky there aren't any police here..." responded Tanya, batting Vahn's hand away as she narrowed her eyes and asserted, "You could get in a lot of trouble tousling the hair of little girls you scarcely know or aren't related to without permission..."

"Generally speaking, little girls aren't Warrant Officers, much less capable of flying around and wielding firearms..." retorted Vahn, sporting a playful smile. However, as the words left his lips, he recalled that Issei had tried introducing him to several anime shows with the exact premise of young or conspicuously young-looking girls wielding firearms to battle aliens or some other monstrous threat. There were even gacha games where each character you acquired was a historical or mythological ship, tank, plane, submarine, or some other type of vessel that, for some reason, had been given human form...

Leaving Vahn at a loss for words, Tanya extended her cupped left hand to him, her expression and tone serious as she expressed, "Regardless, you touched me without my permission. I demand compensation."

Though he was tempted to argue he had done nothing wrong, Vahn knew from experience how unpleasant it was to be touched or taken advantage of nonconsensually. He didn't believe he had crossed that line, but since it was Tanya's decision to hold him accountable or not, he eventually pulled up a trade window and offered her a thousand Tower Points.

"This will suffice as a warning..." affirmed Tanya, promptly accepting the trade before meeting Vahn's gaze and warning, "The next touch will cost you ten thousand, minimum."

"Fair enough," conceded Vahn, offering an affirming nod instead of trying to apologize. Tanya was clearly a very pragmatic girl, so if he went out of his way to apologize, she would likely argue that if he were truly sorry, he should give her even more TP as compensation...

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[Five Hours Later]

After meandering through the Warden's Glade without any particular destination in mind, Vahn, Himmel, Tanya, and Ruijerd eventually found themselves near a large, slightly elevated cave occupied by well over a hundred Timber Wolves, four Pack Leaders, and an unspecified variant that was clearly their ruler. It was taller than the average person while lying with its forepaws crossed, so its standing height had to be at least three meters with a length exceeding five, tail excluded.

"That's quite a bit larger than the other wolves we've faced..." remarked Himmel, sporting his usual smile as everyone concealed themselves in the treeline, several tens of meters from the cave's entrance.

"It must be the Boss of this area," reasoned Vahn, explaining, "Since they represent a final challenge of sorts, Dungeon Bosses are always at least a plus multiplier more powerful than other monsters. There are exceptions, but here on the 0th Floor, it's safe to assume most Bosses are between E and E+ in Rank."

"If I fly up and bombard the entrance with my Artillery Spell, I should be able to drop the entire cave on their heads," remarked Tanya, looking a bit worse for wear compared to the rest of the group but modeling a resolute, indefatigable expression.

"The territory or chamber of a Boss typically has rewards that can only be accessed after their defeat..." explained Vahn, sporting a determined look of his own as he proposed, "I suggest we draw the Boss's attention using ranged attacks and then I'll sow confusion among their ranks by charging directly into the cave. That will split their focus, and once I'm inside, I can unleash flames to cut off any prospective reinforcements."

"Is that necessary...?" questioned Ruijerd, his expression and tone flat as he reasoned, "With our strength, we should be able to deal with the entire group while maintaining our formation."

"The moss-headed tri-clops is right..." affirmed Tanya, appending, "The three of you can draw out the enemy utilizing a pincer formation while I assail them from the sky. Even if the wolf leader can fly or employ ranged attacks, I can dodge and block bullets, much less whatever some E-Rank mutt can throw at me."

"If everyone else agrees, I'm fine with executing that plan," responded Vahn, meeting the gazes of Himmel and Ruijerd.

"It's a reasonable plan," affirmed Himmel, nodding.

"I will serve as the rearguard..." appended Ruijerd, believing he should give the trio a chance to increase their strength as he was the strongest and most experienced member of the Party.

"Then I'll take the right flank," asserted Vahn, offering a curt nod before splitting off from the group. Himmel subsequently split off to the left, and once they were in position, Ruijerd made his presence known by stepping into the clearing, drawing the attention of the Boss nigh-instantaneously.

Rising to its full height, revealing it was closer to four meters than three, the colossal green and yellow wolf reared back its head and unleashed a protracted howl. Dozens of Timber Wolves and Pack Leaders immediately answered the call, forming up along the ridge outside the cave's entrance, but Ruijerd remained completely stone-faced as he approached the group with his bone-white trident in hand.

Demonstrating a burgeoning intellect, the colossal Timber Wolf looked to its left and right, using a mix of head gestures and growling vocalizations to communicate with the two largest members of its pack before leaping down from the low ridge, ostensibly to face Ruijerd alone. When Vahn and Himmel witnessed this, they immediately felt they shouldn't intervene, but Tanya had different thoughts. The moment the oversized Timber Wolf and Ruijerd adopted their respective battle stances, she squeezed the trigger of her Type-12 Mondragón rifle, striking the center of the Boss monster's head with a bright purple projectile that produced a large explosion. When the consequential smoke, dust, and debris cleared, the Boss's body could be seen slowly dissolving into bluish-white smoke, the energy comprising its body being drawn into a pale red enhancement crystal.

Seeing their leader fall, the remaining Timber Wolves' fur stood on end, their eyes glistening red as they leaped down from the ridge, abandoning any semblance of restraint or strategy as they stampeded toward Ruijerd with murderous intent. At the same time, Tanya emerged from the forest's canopy, accurately sniping one Timber Wolf after another as Vahn and Himmel emerged from their hiding places, attracting the attention of the wolves closest to them as they joined Ruijerd in mowing them down with almost machine-like precision...

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