Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Vahn awoke the next morning with another powerful headache as he held his head in his palms. Unlike the previous night, when he was able to put up a bit of a fight, this time the woman within the orb defeated him using her martial skills against his. He knew she was very strong, but didn't expect her proficiency in close-quarters combat to far exceed his own. When Vahn used Báihǔ form with his domain, he was almost able to rival the speed of the Level 5 Tsubaki. However, when he fought against the woman in the orb, he couldn't even keep track of her speed at all.Releasing a sigh, Vahn awoke and washed his face before heading outside and greeting Anubis. As usual, she was waiting for him patiently, though she still seemed to be wearing the revealing robes from the previous day. After exchanging greetings, Vahn gave her a pat on the head before making his way towards the training area. After everything that happened recently, there were several things Vahn wanted to make known before any other accidents happened in the future.The children were waiting for his arrival, and Vahn couldn't help but wonder how early they woke up to always be ready and waiting for him to arrive. Right now, the sun wasn't even rising in the sky, so they would have to be getting up around 4 AM to be ready in time. Unlike the previous times, where all the children lined up, Nanu was waiting at the side of where Vahn normally stood. After accepting the greeting of the children, Vahn had everyone sit down while he explained the future plans he had in mind.Vahn made eye contact with each of the kids, including Nanu, before he spoke, "I have come to realize many things in the few days we have spent together. Though I will continue to do my best as the 'Alpha', it doesn't change the fact that I am not someone that shares the same culture as everyone here. I will most likely make mistakes, and I will rely on everyone here to help explain anything I may misunderstand."All of the children were listening to him attentively and they each nodded their heads before he continued, "But, just as I am going to do my best to adapt to the lifestyle here, you are all obligated to do the same. I will not ask you to change your values, but you need to learn how other people live to avoid conflicts in the future. I'm certain there have been times when you deal with others that issues have arisen because of misunderstandings. Isn't this correct?"Once again, all the children nodded and Vahn could see they were recalling events in their minds based on how their auras fluctuated. After everyone stabilized, he continued, "From now on, your training will be split into two parts. In the morning, you will continue your current training, while in the afternoon, you will study knowledge and work on developing a profession. You are all currently Level 2, and there is a bit of time before you gain your own alias' and can accept missions from the Guild. Until then, I want you to learn what it means to live in this City, and adapt your mentality to prevent conflicts in the future."Vahn looked over toward Anubis and saw she had a gentle smile on her face after hearing his words. He nodded slightly before turning to the children and explaining, "Anubis will be charged with your education, but I will also require everyone to pick a study of their own. You should all focus on different things, as you'll be able to teach each other in the future. I will say this plainly, but if it is a question concerning your education, or the future, I want everyone to come to me directly. I won't ask you to ignore the hierarchy, but the issue will only compound if you consider things in such a roundabout manner."After explaining a few other things, Vahn was satisfied and began their morning training. He didn't know well enough to make them study specific things, but he could trust Anubis to pass on the correct information. Though she acted a bit odd sometimes, she was an incredibly intelligent goddess who liked to collect books. If Vahn asked her to seriously teach the children history and culture, she would be more than willing to assist him.Other than the matter of Nanu being his sparring partner again, everything else for the morning went without a hitch. The group ate breakfast together before cleaning up the dishes and making their way to Anubis's room to study. Vahn had found out that he could purchase various texts and compendiums from the system for a very low cost. He gave her several topics of study, including history, mythos, and things Vahn found interesting like astrology, and various fairy tales.Anubis was surprised at receiving such a large number of books, but she didn't ask Vahn where he had obtained them. She assumed that he either had purchased them previously to support his own personal education. The idea that Vahn took studying so seriously made her respect him even more, and Vahn finally achieved a Loyalty value of 100 with Anubis. He had somewhat expected to get a new system prompt when the value reached the max, but he learned from Sis that 100 was only the maximum for affection and not hidden parameters. Instead, for extra parameters, there wasn't actually a cap and they could increase in value indefinitely.After parting ways with Anubis and the other children, Vahn made his way to his workshop with Nanu. When they entered, she immediately tried to get to work, but Vahn interrupted her and she trotted over to him with an anticipatory look on her face. She had recovered her spirit since the previous night, and Vahn was happy to see her in high spirits. However, there were things he needed to clarify, so after organizing his thoughts he said, "I need to explain the matters that have taken place over the last few days."Nanu's expression turned from excitement to concern as her ears immediately flattened on her head as she waited for him to continue. Vahn spoke in a firm tone as he said, "First, I will say this. No matter what, I will not abandon or toss you aside. However, you need to understand that it was not my original intention to court you. I will not use it as an excuse, and my treatment toward you will not change, but you have to understand that my actions were based on simple affection and not intimacy."The concern on Nanu's face continued to grow as she asked in a quiet voice, "Does that mean you don't like me? I thought...all the things you did..." It almost seemed like she was about to cry, but Vahn spoke in the same firm tone, "Don't think about things like that. Though it may have been a misunderstanding, I'm not going to shirk my responsibility in the matter. I just needed you to know now, instead of finding out in the future and being disappointed. Now that I've already accepted you, I intend to do my best to meet your expectations as well. However, you need to consider things from my perspective as well, and not through the lens of what your culture has taught you, understand?"Nanu nodded her head slowly and considered every word that Vahn spoke. She was a bit saddened that he hadn't been proactively courting her, and she actually felt ashamed for misunderstanding his actions as interest. Her pride took a big hit, and she started to feel like she wasn't worthy of having received his affections in the first place. As the guilt began to eat away at her, Nanu saw Vahn do something mysterious as a small flame appeared in his hands.Vahn held out the 'flame seed' that he had created using his skill [Prometheus]. He explained with a hint of gentleness in his firm tone, "This is a very special seed...if you allow me to put this in your body, your capabilities will increase. You could gain higher parameters, or even skills similar to my own. Creating this seed is very difficult, and it will even cause a backlash on my body when I place it within yours. I want this to serve as the proof that I will never abandon you, so maintain your confidence and keep striving forward. You're a lot cuter when you are happy."The melancholy that had been building up in her heart immediately vanished as she stared at the tiny seed in Vahn's hands with anticipation and jubilance. Even if their current relationship was based on a misunderstanding, the fact Vahn was willing to go so far for her made the young girl very happy. She looked into Vahn's eyes and asked in an excited voice, "Please, Master, tell me what I need to do!"Vahn returned her smile before explaining, "You just need to remain still while I place this seed into your heart. I'm not sure if it will cause you any discomfort, so prepare yourself for anything." The moment his words finished, Nanu stepped closer to him and excitedly puffed up her chest toward Vahn while saying, "I am ready, Master! Even if it burns my body, I won't even flinch."After giving her an appreciative nod, Vahn stretched out his right hand and placed it over her heart. He noticed that nothing seemed to be happening, so he moved his palm closer until the outer part of Nanu's blouse began to turn a slightly charred color on the already black cloth. Nanu had been watching his actions, and the moment her blouse began to smoke, she immediately grabbed the sides of the shirt before pulling it over her head in a single motion.Vahn was a little surprised by her actions, as he hadn't expected the clothes to burn when he was trying to insert the 'flame seed'. After removing her shirt, Nanu also rolled up her sports bra before looking at Vahn with an excited expression and saying, "Please, Master, continue." Releasing a slight sigh in his mind, Vahn moved his hand forward until his palm came into contact with an area right above her left breast. Though the seed had burned clothes, it seemed to pass freely through her skin for a reason Vahn couldn't understand.The area around her left breast began to glow with a reddish light that emitted from deep within the body of Nanu. Vahn almost felt like he could see her heart and the shadow of her ribs as the 'fire seed' embedded itself into her heart. Nanu didn't seem to feel any pain, but she gave Vahn a slightly passionate gaze until he finally removed his hand from her chest. Vahn stared at the glowing light with intrigue, because it had been his first time using the skill.He was vaguely aware of the fact that Nanu was trying to inch closer to him, but before he would retort his body was suddenly racked by a fierce pain. Vahn's entire body seized up a bit and it scared the previously enamored Nanu who went to his side to help. Vahn held up his hand to stop her and explained, "This is the backlash I was talking about. It is nothing to worry about, and it should pass by the time the light in your chest fades."True to his words, after about ten minutes, the light began to fade in Nanu heart until only the healthy olive-brown skin with the slightly pale protrusion remained. Vahn's pain faded at the same time before telling Nanu, "Now, I'm going to see how your status has changed. Go ahead and turn your back to me." Nanu had been happy that Vahn was no longer in pain, but she was a bit confused by his words as she obeyed his instructions and turned around.Vahn put his palm on her back and began performing the ceremony to update Status while Nanu stood silently with absolute shock. Even though she didn't have a high degree of education, she knew that only gods were able to update Status. Any inhibitions she had from Vahn's earlier explanation of their current relationship flew out the window as she imagined that her future mate was also a god or demigod. The pride she had earlier immediately returned, and there was a slight glint in the eyes of the young chienthrope girl.Since updating a Status always showed the prior stats as well as the increase, Vahn was able to see that Nanu had about a 10-20% increase in all of her parameters. Her potential should have also increased by a fair amount, and Vahn had high expectations of seeing how strong she would become in the future. The most important thing to note was that her [Blacksmith] had increased from F to D and she obtained a new skill called [Prometheus's Blessing].[Prometheus's Blessing]Rank:AGrowth dependant on the strength of the caster that applied this blessing. As long as the originator lives, the recipient of this blessing will experience rapid growth based on their feelings for the originator. If the feelings fade, the flame seed within the heart will dwindle before eventually burning out.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Doki Doki Flame-Desu?','Education','Standing Firm')

After reading the description, Vahn explained the changes while Nanu started dressing. Hearing his explanation, she was incredibly excited at the prospect of being able to grow stronger based on her feelings. She already had a reverential passion for Vahn, and now that she would get stronger from it, Nanu had a lot of hopes for the future. Vahn noticed that her affection had hit the stat cap, and quickly scanned his eyes in the system to read the now familiar notification.//Nanu Has Reached Maximum Affection////Quest Completed: [The Hearts Desire: C-SS]//Completion Grade: BRewards: 10,000 OP, 1x [Proof of Affection], 1s [Hearts Desire: Nanu]Grade Rewards: 5,000 OP, 1x [Skill Enhancement Scroll: B][Proof of Affection]Ranke: UniqueUse: Conjures an item desired by the intended recipient. Warning: Item is bound to the recipient after acceptingVahn was curious about the [Proof of Affection] and decided to activate it to see what would happen. A light flashed which started the both of them as a deep red collar appeared in Vahn's hands. It has a small metal tab hanging down from the front of the collar and looked very reminiscent to what a pet would wear. The moment it appeared within his hands, Nanu's eyes started to shine like she had found the most precious treasure in the world. Without any prompting, she stood on her tiptoes while lifting her chin up high.Since he had used the item with Nanu in mind, he had received a collar, similar to what he had learned the previous night. It was the final ceremony between mates which required the dominant party to gift a collar to the submissive party. As Vahn had already resolved himself to the future, he opened the band of the collar and placed it around Nanu's neck while she had a big smile on her face. Her tail wagged back and forth like it was trying to rip itself free of her body, and Vahn couldn't help but wonder if the muscles in her lower back would get sore from the hyper-fast motion.After fastening the collar, it suddenly shrunk and adapted its size to fit perfectly around Nanu's neck. She raised both her hands to feel its presence before smiling toward Vahn and saying, "Thank you, Master. It is perfect." Vahn had never seen Nanu so happy before, so he just laughed awkwardly while petting her ears. She began rubbing her head against his palm, and Vahn started getting flashbacks to the incident with Anubis on the first night they arrived. Before things got out of hand, he pulled his hand away while Nanu stared at the retreating figure with a bit of reluctance.Now that Nanu was properly dressed and received her collar, the two began to get to work. Since time seemed to stop whenever he used them, Vahn activated the [Hearts Desire: Nanu] after she turned away from him. The air froze as time seemed to come to a crawl and a vision passed through Vahn's mind. Curiously, unlike his previous visions, this one was slightly different.Vahn was in a completely black space and felt like he was standing on water. Standing before him was a completely nude girl, and Vahn recognized the figure to be an exact replica of the current Nanu. Inspecting himself, Vahn also found that he was in his own body instead of the normal visions he had before. The nude Nanu walked toward him and embraced him around the waist as she rested her head against his chest and said, "I already found my heart's desire, my Master..."The black space shattered, and Vahn noticed the air was comprised of various memory shards that showed images of the life Nanu had led before he met. He didn't have the opportunity to experience them himself, but it seemed that she had put the past behind her after accepting him. Now, the only thing that remained was her present form as she wrapped her arms around his waist and nuzzled into his chest.Time started again as the frozen air warmed back up. Vahn was in a bit of a daze as he looked toward the back of Nanu and noticed her tail was still wagging about in a happy manner. He released a sigh, but this time it wasn't exasperation, but a mild affection for the adorable young girl. Though he hadn't made many intentional moves against her, she had already fallen for him completely. With a mental promise to do his best, Vahn opened the system and inspected his new rewards.//[Hearts Desire: Nanu] fulfilled. Extra parameter 'Love' unlocked.//[Nanu]: Love 78(Devoted)//Bond established with [Nanu]////Optional Quest Triggered//[Quest: A Man's Responsibility, Repeatable]Rank: B-SSObjective: Impregnate Nanu (0). Ensure a safe delivery; Current Children(0)Rewards: 100,000 OP, 1x [Guardian:(Nameless)]Failure Condition(s): Death, Nanu's Death, (Nameless) Child's DeathPenalty: 200 Karma (0)In an almost identical fashion as Tiona, Vahn unlocked the love parameter with Nanu as well as the standard 'optional quest' that seemed to come hand-in-hand with the parameter. For a very brief moment, he imaged the young girl with a big belly and couldn't help but feel his brain buzz at the strange mental image. With her current height and frame, it was a very strange picture, and Vahn reaffirmed his conviction to wait until she was older before he did anything.After settling all the matters in his system, Vahn started his work and decided to forge a spear this time. Though he had no shafts to work wish, Vahn wanted to try to make one entirely out of magisteel with mithril coiled around it. He had studied magic circuits intensely, and could even bring up the diagrams in his own mind as he slowly carved the channels into the body of the spear with intricate detail. A single mistake in the structure of the circuits could cause the entire spear to explode if it was overloaded with mana. Vahn didn't want to have the reputation of injuring his own client, so he performed every step in painstaking detail.Because of his efforts, without even working on the spearhead yet, Vahn spent nearly eight hours just crafting the body. The hardest part was working the mithril into a thin enough strip and properly shaping it around the length of the spear's body. Fortunately, after a few failed attempts, he was able to complete the task and now had a 3m long spear that had yet to be fitted with a spearhead. Vahn wasn't at the point where he could shape the metal into intricate shapes, but the simplicity of his craftsmanship actually made him feel like it looked better.Though he had ignored the fact when he made his twin swords the day prior, it wasn't necessary to make a weapon intricate. Oftentimes, the efficacy of the item was based on its composition and internal structure, not the outward appearance. The tamahagane blade he had gifted to Ais was the best example of a weapon that was both simple and incredibly lethal. Holding the onyx-colored spear that was wrapped in bands of blue-black mithril, Vahn gave an appreciative smile at his own realization.Using the remaining two hours before dinner, Vahn started shaping the spearhead and, using the principles he had just learned, focused on making it incredibly durable and efficient instead of intricate. He ended up with a product that was precisely 27cm long and had a gentle, sloping, curve as the spearhead tapered toward the tip. When he affixed it to the spear's body, it now looked like a plain black spear, but it also shone with a dark and intimidating glimmer if you stared at it for too long.Vahn felt like the spear would be able to cut through the darkness and always strike true if wielded by a capable owner. Imagining the onyx-colored blade reflecting the moonlight, Vahn named the spear [Moon Piercer] and received 1005 OP from the system. Surprised by the amount, Vahn inspected the [Moon Piercer]'s stats within the system.-------------------------------------------------------------------------[Moon Piercer]Rank: B (Magic)Slots: 1P.Atk: 330+30M.Atk: 441Ability: Piercing(B), Hardening(C)A simple spear that combines beauty and simplicity to create a form with terrifying efficiency. Under the moonlight, this weapon reflects a deadly glow that draws its victims into the night's eternal embrace. Weilder is empowered under the moonlight.-------------------------------------------------------------------------Once again, Vahn noticed that his intentions seemed to be reflected by the item he forged. As he had imagined the spear cutting through the moonlight when he named it, it adopted that idea and developed an ability that reflected his intent. Vahn was confused because it felt like he was able to make use of the naming ability of the [Keeper of the Akashic Tome] even while it was on cooldown. It didn't have the drastic effect of evolving the weapon as it had done with Fafnir, but Vahn had felt a very slight amount of his energy drain when he 'named' the spear.As it was now nearly time for their evening bath, Nanu and Vahn cleaned up the workshop and had a brief window of time before Anubis usually showed up. Though Vahn had intended to polish his spear a bit more, Nanu seemed to take the opportunity to get a bit closer to him. She didn't say anything, but she just stood in front of Vahn with a smile on her face as her tail beat back and forth. Vahn reached his hand out and began stroking her bob-cut hair and pointy ears and she immediately began to squirm against his hand. Though he was somewhat worried that she would become 'heated' as Anubis had, Vahn noticed that her aura was stable, so he continued to pet her for the entire ten minutes before Anubis showed up.Afterward, everything else happened as routine as Vahn took a bath with everyone before enjoying a delicious dinner. Unlike previous nights, Anubis had encouraged the children to talk about what they learned today, and Vahn made conversation with them which seemed to make them excited. Vahn was pleased because if giving them light praise made them work harder, he didn't mind giving them a few encouraging remarks.Everyone cleaned up as normal and went about performing their duties before Anubis, Vahn, and Nanu made his way towards his room. Though Nanu knew she couldn't accompany him at night, she felt it was her duty to wish him well, similar to how Anubis was always around immediately before he went to sleep and right after he awoke in the morning. Vahn pets the girl for a few moments before sending her on her way to bed. When she was gone, Anubis spoke out, "I see you gave her a collar."Vahn nodded, as it wasn't exactly a secret since she had proudly shown it off to the other children. The other two girls seemed envious and even gave Vahn a few looks, but Nanu immediately corrected their behavior and encouraged them to work harder in the future. Anubis had been quiet at the time, so he was curious why she seemed to be a little deadpan when she made the statement.Anubis furrowed her brows slightly as she mustered her courage and proclaimed, "Master, I too would like a collar. I am already Master's servant, and being without one makes me feel uncomfortable. I wasn't going to mention anything, but now that Nanu has received one, I can't keep it to myself any longer." Vahn was surprised at Anubis's outburst because she seemed abnormally flustered compared to her usual self.Vahn contemplated her words for a moment before a black collar appeared in his hands. Vahn hadn't paid much attention to it previously, but he noticed it had a similar color scheme as Anubis's clothing, and he realized she had purchased it with the intent to wear it in the future. Just as Nanu had been previously, Anubis entered a high tension and excited state as she moved closer to Vahn and tilted her chin up.After loosening the band, Vahn reached around Anubis's neck and fixed the collar to her. Unlike the one he had gotten from the system, the black collar didn't automatically adjust, so Vahn had to fiddle around with it a bit. Since it was his first time tightening a collar, he miscalculated and tightened the collar a bit too tight and Anubis issued an incredibly light moan. Though he might have missed it normally, as they were very close to each other, Vahn heard the sound and it made his heart thump a bit.He quickly loosened the collar a bit as he apologized. Anubis, with her chin still tilted upwards, looked at Vahn with a slightly 'pained' expression as she muttered, "It's okay, Master. I don't mind if you tighten it a bit..." Vahn swallowed his saliva as he began to slowly tighten the collar around her neck. Though she seemed to be encouraging him to tighten the collar, Vahn decided to play it safe and left a small amount of space between her neck and the collar before fixing the clasp to hold it in place.When he was done, Anubis seemed both happy and sad at the same time, and Vahn couldn't help but feel a sense of incongruity inside of his mind. He performed their small ritual of petting her hair before turning back and heading into his own room. After he closed the door, Anubis continued to stand in place while feeling the collar around her neck with both hands. She had a large grin on her face as she headed into her own room and disappeared from the corridor.For the third night in a row, Vahn lay down on his bed and focused his intent into the black orb. This time, the moment he entered the black and white space, he immediately activated his Báihǔ form and domain before quickly investigating his surroundings. In a manner similar to his first visit, the only thing in the surroundings with the infinite, contrasting, black and white space without a single soul in sight.Vahn was a bit confused, but he didn't drop his guard as he continued to look around for any sight of the blonde woman. After nearly an hour, she still hadn't shown up and Vahn began to suspect if there was something wrong with the situation. He thought she may be trying to toy with him, so he maintained his vigilance for what seemed like half a day, but he noticed that only several tens of seconds had passed in his system. Though he hadn't noticed it previously, there seemed to be a powerful time dilation effect inside the black and white space.After another hour, Vahn finally dropped his guard and dispelled his aura as he looked around at the empty space. He had expected that the moment he dropped his guard, the woman would attack him for his foolishness, but nothing happened. Space remained silent without the woman appearing before him. Sitting down, Vahn focused on recovering his energy while diverting some of his attention to the surrounding space. However, even after more than a day had passed, the woman hadn't appeared at all.Vahn began to worry because, though he knew how to enter the space, he had no way of exiting presently. Sis had informed him that, if he continually put in an effort, he would be able to break the space with the use of [Chainbreaker], but it would destroy the orb in the process. Releasing a sigh, Vahn crossed his legs and began focusing on the second skill he had obtained a few days ago. Though he was vaguely aware of the words that kept sounding in his mind, no matter how hard he tried, Vahn was unable to make out a single syllable.Not long after he started meditating, the figure of a woman appeared out of thin air with a distortion of space. She had completely sealed away her energy signature as she approached the back of Vahn undetected. Even with his domain expanded around his body, he was unable to sense the approach of the woman who seemed to have less presence than the void around them.While he was trying to comprehend the sounds in his soul, Vahn suddenly felt a sharp pain in the muscles connecting from his neck to his back. His mind immediately snapped to full awareness, but Vahn noticed he couldn't put any strength into his body at all. Vahn was spontaneously overwhelmed by fear, as he could feel a nostalgic feeling that still periodically haunted his dreams. Though he could feel a warm feeling spread through his body, the only thing Vahn focused on was the 'sucking' feeling of his blood being drained from his body.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'This chapter really sucks the life out of the story','Dumpity Dump','Now he owes all the other girls gifts')

Once Vahn returned to his room, he had the system scan the information inside of the books and store it in his mind. Similar to what he did with manuals, Vahn was able to retain the information in the system and then read it at a later date. It also provided information to Sis, so if there was something he overlooked, she might be able to help him out. Vahn didn't have anything like a perfect memory, but his recollection with the support of 'The Path' and Sis could be very useful.Vahn perused the information for a bit, especially the areas regarding social etiquette and hierarchal relationships. There were several things on the various courting rituals and how both men and women sought mates. The more Vahn read, the more he understood just how badly he had messed up. If he saw things from Nanu's perspective, he would have also been misled by his actions. Vahn tried to recall all the events that happened in order, so he would be able to make better sense of everything...It all started the moment he accepted the children into his house along with Anubis. The moment he became the 'Alpha', all the children immediately respected his position, even if they weren't fond of his character. From that point on, if Vahn had acted impartially and confidently, there wouldn't have been any issues. His first mistake was treating the two girls, Nanu and Chione, as different entities compared to the other children.Since Vahn had felt guilty for pinning the two girls backsides with his arrows back on the 18th floor, he was always a bit awkward around them. He tried to be nice whenever he could because he wanted to make up for any grievances they had suffered at his hands. Unfortunately, since he was treating them 'differently' from the rest of the pack, they interpreted that as him having an interest in them. The longer he treated them kindly, the greater the impact would have been, and it wouldn't be long before one of them responded to his 'advances' out of necessity.Once Nanu was chosen to be his assistant due to her [Blacksmith] skill, Vahn needed to immediately treat her like a student. He needed to be firm with her, and make sure she followed his orders without hesitation. Instead, he always paid attention to her efforts, even when he was working on his own ingots. From her perspective, this was him continuing to give her a 'signal' that he was interested in her, not as a student, but as a potential suitor.The biggest problem before that though, was when Anubis had helped him test the effects of [Enkidu] in his workshop. Instead of dismissing Nanu, he allowed her to stay in the room while he had Anubis act in a submissive manner toward him. Since Anubis was higher than her in the hierarchy, but he allowed Nanu to see their intimacy, it was similar to saying she was also special.When Anubis called her over to check her Status, Nanu had been paying close attention to Vahn's expression. Instead of looking away or acting disinterested, Vahn instead locked eyes with the girl throughout the entire process. From Nanu's perspective, this was the same as acknowledging and being okay with her presence around him. The fact that he held eye contact with her, even though she was lower in the hierarchy, was the same as elevating her position according to customs.After Anubis had been dismissed, instead of immediately asking her to get dressed, Vahn entered a 'contemplative' state while still facing toward her. Since he had been thinking about all the women around him being 'pregnant' in his mind, it must have looked to Nanu like he was inspecting her body and having 'intentions' about her body. It didn't help that, the moment Vahn's contemplation ended, he had a smile due to his own excitement. He remembers that, at the time, Nanu looked at him with a reverent expression and seemed to be very pleased when he gave her permission to wear her clothes.When they were working, he never ignored her and continued helping her out in all of her work. From Nanu's perspective, it was essentially him helping her increase her own capabilities to make her more compatible with him. When the entered the bath, Nanu started sending him 'signals' of her own by undressing next to him. Typically, it was inappropriate for someone of a lower stature to change next to someone else, but Vahn allowed her to do so and even gazed at her figure periodically.Once they entered the bath, she continued allowing him to court her by offering to service him. Since Vahn had thought she was acting as his 'apprentice' and wanted to show off to the other kids, he allowed her to do so, which essentially confirmed her suspicions that he was interested in her. If Vahn had recognized the looks of all the other girls at the time, he may have been able to avoid the misunderstanding. It was only Vahn's second time bathing with the group, so he was entirely unaware of their customs.This is the reason why the other girls immediately started treating Nanu better, and Vahn allowing her to sit at Anubis's side at dinner cemented the idea in the entire group. When he allowed her to take charge of the cleanup and the rewarded her in front of the rest of the pack, it was almost as if he was informing the group that she was now his potential mate and to respect her will in the future.All of these misunderstandings led to the events that happened during the training in the morning. Even when they had trained on the first day, when the kids sparred, they always did so with each other. Vahn only fought them as a group, and it was always when he initiated the spar. When the kids broke off into pairs and Nanu approached him and requested the spar, the moment he accepted, it was like saying he recognized her efforts and was giving her the chance to impress him.Nanu pushed herself as hard as she could to impress Vahn, and even exceeded her own limits by a fair amount. Unless Vahn had asked her to give up, it was the same as allowing her to continue. Unless she failed, she would keep trying to impress him until he either refused or accepted her. The moment she performed her acrobatic maneuver and suffered an injury, Nanu probably thought she failed to earn his respect as a potential mate. This was the true reason why she had apologized to him at the time with tears in her eyes.Instead of being 'disappointed' with her, Vahn instead showed concern for her injured state and treated her wounds. This was the same as him telling her that he was stilling willing to give her a chance, so she took the queue and performed the final courting ceremony where she would offer her belly to him. She would become his official subordinate, and in the future, she might even become his potential mate. Because of the failure of Anubis to explain properly, Vahn put his hand on her stomach without any hesitation.This is when he made his biggest mistake because, the moment he put his palm on her abdomen, she had already become his subordinate. Instead of allowing her to recover and accept her place as his subordinate, he instead 'held her down' in her submissive stance and continued to stroke her belly. For Nanu, this was Vahn telling her that she now belonged to him and to accept her place as his 'mate'. Vahn remembered how excited Nanu became at his actions, and he even smiled back at her because he thought she was ticklish...After both 'recognizing' each other as official mates, Nanu had been incredibly excited and even received the congratulations of the other children in high spirits. Since that point onward, in the minds of the other hounds, Nanu was now Vahn's official mate within the group. Everything after that just compounded on top of his various mistakes, all the way up until the point where Nanu started to get a little out of hand. His constant rewards and leniency gave her an incredible amount of confidence, and she was trying to act the part of a proper 'mate' and desired to please him.Now that Vahn understood the whole story, he felt like a genuine idiot. It was almost like he had been actively pursuing her from the moment she entered his house, and he hadn't even been aware of it. Now he had a young chienthrope that seriously considered him to be her mate, and according to the notes in text, chienthropes of the Southern Tribe were fiercely monogamous. Those that become mates with members higher up the hierarchy would only ever have that one mate for life. As the 'Alpha', Vahn was allowed to have multiple partners, but for the rest of her life, Nanu would only consider herself to belong to him.Vahn started to realize why he felt so much pressure from the young girl. From her perspective, he had more or less become the center of her world, and he had been the one to initiate the courting. This made her own valuation of herself increase to an insane degree, and she would likely continue acting in his interests until he became dissatisfied with her. According to tradition, if a mate had been abandoned by the 'Alpha', they would either kill themselves or drive a hot stake into their womb to prevent from having to bear the child of another. In their culture, they were considered some of the lowest in the entire social hierarchy, because they had the chance to rise up and became unworthy of their position.Imagining the young Nanu driving a stake into herself, Vahn's face became pale and he almost ran out of his bedroom to retrieve Nanu. Remembering her dejected manner as she walked away, Vahn was afraid that she might have misunderstood his actions as 'abandoning' her. Fortunately, he managed to recall the actions of Anubis and understood that wasn't the case. If he went to her now, it would essentially be telling her that he allowed her to be selfish and would harm his image in the eyes of the other children as someone who couldn't keep his word. It was even possible that the other children may start seeing Nanu as the 'Alpha' while Vahn was just her mate...Vahn collapsed back on his bed and wiped the sweat from his brow while releasing a deep sigh. The burden of the truth was quite heavy, and he had never expected that knowing the reason behind her actions would have such heavy implications. If he wasn't careful in the future, things could get out of hand very quickly. To ensure there were no slipups, he re-read the books on social etiquette and how 'mates' typically interacted with each other. Since he couldn't abandon her, he needed to make sure he performed his expected duties well.---After reading the books front-to-back three times in a row, it was nearing midnight and Vahn decided it was time to pull out the black orb and have another go at learning the technique. He didn't know if time continued in the space of the orb, or if it would reset to the state of the previous evening. Taking a deep breath, Vahn focused his consciousness on the orb before opening his eyes in the familiar white terrain and black sky.The moment he opened his eyes, his instincts immediately began to trigger and Vahn received a heavy kick to his head while he was unprepared. He was launched nearly twenty meters before finding his footing and staring at the beautiful girl that had just sent him flying. Activating his Báihǔ form and spreading his domain, Vahn immediately began attacking toward the woman with his greatest speed.The woman looked at him with disdain as her feet gently touched the ground and she vanished from Vahn's sight. Unlike the teleportation she had used previously, Vahn understood this was a pure speed-based skill. He didn't understand the principles behind it, but it seemed to allow her to spontaneously accelerate without any buildup of momentum.Vahn dodged the kick that came at the back of his head and tried to kick back with both of his legs toward her pivot foot. Since she had been ruthless the entire time, Vahn's kick was intended to snap the slender white leg. Before he was able to hit her body, she suddenly disappeared again with an incredible burst of speed and appeared at his side before punting his body skyward with a sharp kick to his exposed gut.Before he was able to travel higher than ten meters, the woman suddenly teleported above him and performed a heel-drop kick to his back. Vahn felt like his spine had snapped by the attack as he was shot down toward the ground like a bullet. After coughing up a mouthful of blood, Vahn swallowed a senzu bean and tried to recover. However, the woman didn't seem to be giving him a reprieve as she fell like a meteor into his back and shattered the newly repaired spine of Vahn.Vahn coughed out a large mouthful of blood as the woman spoke in a cold tone, "The next time you come here, be prepared. To be a fighter beaten down by a mage...you are unqualified to learn my techniques." As her words fell, Vahn was rapidly losing consciousness but he managed to hear each of her words clearly. Right before his body completely dissolved, Vahn said it a muted tone, "I won't give up..."The woman followed the particles that constituted his body and looked skyward in a manner similar to their last meeting. When the remnants of Vahn had vanished, she looked down to the pool of blood on the ground before cupping her hands together and filling them with his blood. She cocked her head back and drank Vahn's blood without any hesitation. When she had swallowed it, she licked her hands clean before turning back toward the sky and saying, "You are definitely not a normal human..."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Culture Shock','Crushed','Ittadakimasu')

Chapter 143: For the Future