Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

While Fenrir was munching away on magic cores, Vahn was collecting all of the extra materials into his inventory. Even though they weren't useful for him at present, Vahn could use them as 'snacks' for Fenrir in the future. Not only did she enjoy the 'crunchiness', but Vahn could tell that the energy in her body grew by minuscule amounts each time she ate one. Though it wasn't a big increase, Vahn knew it would add up over time and she would be able to grow stronger through their consumption.After she had eaten everything in sight, Fenrir stood up and Vahn could see that her tunic was completely soaked through with blood and there were several tears in it. Though he had noticed earlier, he wasn't in a hurry to stop her from snacking after her successful 'hunt'. Now that she was finished, Vahn laughed a bit and said, "Looks like we'll need to get you some clothes that are easier to move around in."Fenrir looked down at her body and tunic and began palming it with her hands so she wouldn't damage it. She looked up at Vahn and said, "Clothes bad, Fenrir hate!" Since she had never worn them as a kobold, Fenrir didn't like the restrictive feeling of clothes at all. Not only did it make it 'harder' to move, but they got dirty and damaged easily which made her even more annoyed since Vahn seemed to care about her appearance.Vahn sighed and asked, "Fenrir, what do you think would make you happy?" As he spoke, he helped her remove the tunic from her body and she stood in the middle of the dungeon in just her blood-stained white panties. Vahn frowned a bit at the sight as he began to wipe down Fenrir's body with a wet towel. She didn't react at all to his touch as she seemed to be thinking about how to answer. After nearly a minute, Fenrir frowned and said, "No hunger, Fenrir hate hunger, feels bad, make angry."Since it was an answer he expected, Vahn nodded his head and asked, "Is there nothing else you like other than trying to satiate your hunger?" His words made Fenrir frown and she said, "Hunger worst, food make Fenrir happy! Master feed Fenrir, Fenrir happy!" Vahn released a sigh and finished wiping away the blood on her body. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to get the stains out of her fur since it seemed somewhat absorbent. Her midnight blue hair was now a much darker shade and the white areas of her fur had been stained blood red.After a bit of thought, Vahn looked through his system and found what he was looking for as he purchased a greyish-blue form-fitting top for Fenrir to wear. It was made of a triple layer elastic fabric that had an absorbent material on the inside with a water-resistant exterior. Though it took a bit of effort to get it on, Fenrir seemed to like the stretchy top more than the tunic even though it was far more revealing since her midriff was visible. Because white panties seemed to be an issue, Vahn also purchased a pair of bottoms with the same material as the top and they fit around her hips like a pair of ultra-small shorts.Since he had been looking for things in the same line of products as Amazon wear, Fenrir ended up looking a little exotic with the greyish-blue fabric complimenting her midnight blue fur. Seemingly pleased with the new clothing, Fenrir said, "Good, better, Fenrir like stretchy, no get in Fenrir way." As if to show off, Fenrir started running around on all-fours and Vahn couldn't help but rub his brow to release a bit of the tension. Now that she was wearing even less, it would be much harder to 'disguise' her if anyone saw her.Sitting down against a wall, Vahn called Fenrir over to sit next to him but she ended up squatting down with her legs spread as she placed her palms on the ground like how a dog sits. Realizing she had a lot to learn, Vahn began explaining the specifics about her body. Fenrir's original form had been based on a male's body, but it was actually genderless like the majority of monsters. Now that 'it' had become a 'she', Vahn wanted to explain how to act properly around others. Since Fenrir disliked being in her magic core, the only way he could keep her out around normal adventurers was if she wore a disguise.When he asked, Fenrir adamantly refused to go into the magic core if she didn't have to and was willing to wear a disguise if it didn't 'restrict' her. Vahn had her try on various different items until she eventually chose to wear a loose mantle that covered the majority of her body, minus the feet.He had tried to get her to wear a pair of greaves, but Fenrir rejected the idea vehemently claiming something about 'instinct' and 'hating being bound' by her arms and legs. When Vahn asked if she had ever been bound like that, Fenrir shook her head and said, "Instinct." once again and Vahn gave up the line of questioning.One of the important things he had learned through interacting with Fenrir was that, even though she was a bit 'slow' and didn't understand things, she wasn't dumb at all. She learned quickly and seemed to repeat the words he used back to him. Though she got angry and frustrated easily, as long as he continued to use [Hands of Nirvana] to keep her calm, she was relatively docile and didn't complain about being hungry. In fact, now that it was just the two of them, Fenrir almost didn't mention food at all until Vahn made her upset.His understanding of how her 'hunger' was tied to her emotions continued to grow and Vahn was trying to think of methods to keep her 'happy' so she could easily be satiated. He was worried that simply feeding her would actually cause more harm than good because she would just get progressively stronger and require increased amounts of food to sustain her body. Though he knew she was restricted by the laws of the record, Vahn was still worried about her going on a rampage and somehow becoming strong enough to even 'devour' Heaven.After taking a short break, it was around 10 AM and Vahn wanted to do a bit more hunting before they returned to the surface. Leading the way, they came across a single war shadow accompanied by a group of three Killer Ants. Since she shared his energy signature, Vahn could actually keep them both concealed with his domain, though she had no support skills to hide her presence further. As if she remembered his earlier commands, Fenrir hunched over and prepared to howl but Vahn stopped her by placing his hand on her head.Fenrir looked up at him with a confused and dissatisfied expression until Vahn explained, "Going all-out isn't always the best idea. You should try to understand the capabilities of your enemies and conserve your strength when you can. Only use [Lunar Cry] when there are a lot of enemies since it affects your mental state. For now, just focus on improving your [Huntress] ability and get used to having your enhanced senses." To appease her even further, Vahn one of the larger magic cores inside his inventory and handed it to her. The few loyalty he had lost when he stopped her earlier were recovered as the hair on her body began to grow sharper and stand on its ends a bit.When she was prepared, Fenrir charged out of the shadows, still on all fours, and engaged the four enemies. She made short work of the Killer Ants, but the War Shadow was able to compete with her in speed. Even though she was Level 2, the War Shadow was near Level 2 and was also used to fighting with its body much more so than Fenrir. Though he intended to train her a bit later, Vahn wanted Fenrir to experience fighting from instinct and seeing how far she could improve her natural fighting ability.Because it also outranged her, the War Shadow had several opportunities to strike at Fenrir with its claws, but Vahn would always release a burst of intent that would stun its body. Though she would originally flinch in anticipation of taking damage, Fenrir quickly realized Vahn was supporting her from the sides. As if she felt emboldened by his 'protection', Fenrir continued to attack at the War Shadow without putting any effort into defending anymore. Vahn released a sigh because she wouldn't be able to improve if she was overly reliant on him covering the gaps in her attacks.Focusing his intent to completely stun the War Shadow, Vahn stepped in with Shundo and diverted Fenrir's claws that were about to pass through the War Shadow's head. Her hair immediately flared up and Fenrir shouted, "Master, no! Fenrir kill enemy!" She then tried to move around his body and attack the War Shadow, but Vahn held out his hand to block her path and said, "Fenrir, I am trying to help you get stronger. If you are only able to beat it because of my help, you will never be able to fight stronger monsters. It isn't always about killing the enemy; it's more important to improve and develop your skills."Fenrir's eyes began to glow red and she rebutted, "Enemy die! Fenrir kill, get stronger when eat!" Though she wanted to kill the War Shadow, Fenrir didn't move after Vahn put out his arm. She seemed to be growing more frustrated and Vahn said in a firm tone, "Stand to the side and watch. I will you show you what I mean." Even though she was reluctant, Fenrir gritted her teeth and walked over to the side and squatted down next to the wall in her dog-like seated position.Vahn looked at the War Shadow and released his intent as it charged at him with swift swipes of its claws. Fenrir's hairs stood up since she had an instinctual desire to protect Vahn, but he easily diverted all of the War Shadow's attacks without even moving from his spot. Even though his parameters were much higher, Vahn was using the skills he had acquired from training with Tsubaki without completely overwhelming the War Shadow.Even when the monster tried swiping at his body in a pincer-like manner, Vahn crossed his arms and grabbed its opposite wrists as he pulled his arms wide and spun the War Shadow around in the air several times before it crashed hard into the dungeon floor. The glowing spot that people called it's 'eye' began to dim and fluctuate slightly. This was actually the War Shadows magic core, and Vahn was able to damage it a bit when he slammed it into the ground.After it recovered, the War Shadow tried to swipe at his legs, but Vahn timed his foot well enough to step on its 'wrist' and completely immobilize it. When it tried to attack with its free arm, Vahn intercepted with one of the mass-produced black blades and stabbed it through the War Shadow's hand. Looking over to the side, he could see that Fenrir was looking at his actions intently so he explained, "Even without overpowering it with speed and power, I can still defeat the enemy with little effort. As long as you are aware of its movements and know your own capabilities, there are few enemies within your same level that should be able to defeat you. This War Shadow is only Level 1, but you were struggling against it because you aren't yet used to your new body. Focus on what feels right and try to maneuver around and attack its blind spots. When you're skilled enough, you'll even be able to divert its attacks with little effort and conserve your strength for more dangerous opponents."Removing the sword from its hand, the War Shadow quickly regenerated and tried to attack Vahn as he kicked it in the head and sent it flying several meters. With his demonstration complete, Vahn walked over to the side and pat Fenrir on the head before saying, "Go ahead, you can do it."Fenrir's expression turned a bit fierce as she looked over at the War Shadow rising from the ground. Without further hesitation, she assumed a weird bear-like stance with her paws up as she said, "Fenrir kill, Fenrir show Master, Fenrir get strong."Vahn watched the 'awkward' fight between Fenrir and the somewhat injured War Shadow for a few minutes. Because she was apparently trying to emulate him, Fenrir didn't fight on all fours and instead kept trying to grab the War Shadows wrists every time it struck at her. Since she was now upright, Fenrir would easily outmaneuver the War Shadow and managed to arch her body and avoid its claws with room to spare. She eventually managed to catch the War Shadows wrists and sunk her ridiculously sharp claws into the shadowy flesh as a big smile grew on her face and she shouted, "Fenrir catch!"Because of her excitement, Fenrir turned toward Vahn and dragged the War Shadow toward him until her claws had completely cut through its wrist and it fell to the ground. Apparently offended by its 'escape' Fenrir turned around and used her [Freezing Roar] to stun it where he lay on the ground. Her next action was the pummeled the body of the War Shadow without using her claws like she was trying to 'punish' it without actually killing it. Vahn watched the entire scene play out with wide eyes and was desperately holding back the urge to laugh at her antics.Eventually, even though she didn't intend to kill it, the War Shadow burst into dust particles and left a magic core on the ground. Fenrir clawed at the floor of the dungeon a bit as if she was trying to grasp at the long-dead War Shadow. Unable to find it, she turned toward Vahn and had furrowed brows as she said, "Sorry, Fenrir kill, enemy weak..." Vahn was surprised since he had never seen Fenrir looking 'sad' so he immediately walked over to her and began stroking her hair with a smile on his face. He said in a kind voice, "You did well, Fenrir, you're growing much stronger. With a bit of training, you'll be able to defeat your enemies even easier."Fenrir held his forearms with the pads of her paws and had a pseudo-happy and annoyed expression on her face as Vahn heard the sounds of her Loyalty increasing and decreasing over and over. At this point, because she gained a lot of Loyalty whenever he fed her, Fenrir was already at 419 Loyalty, much higher than any of his other subordinates. The downside was that her Loyalty decreased rapidly as well and he had even lost nearly fifty points in twenty minutes it took for him to get from the Manor to the 5th floor of the dungeon.After talking for a bit and killing a few more enemies, Vahn had Fenrir wear our 'disguise' and the two made their way out of the dungeon. To save future troubles, Vahn wanted to officially register Fenrir with the Guild but wanted to try something else first. When he had been discussing matters to protect her identity and prevent people from identifying her as a monster, Sis had actually informed him that Fenrir should be able to obtain a god's blessing.The only thing that prevented monsters from obtaining a blessing was the fact they didn't have a soul and were just mana constructs. Now that Fenrir was actually Soul Tier 1, it was irrefutable evidence that she now possessed a soul within her magic core. The only matter now was explaining things to Hestia and trying to come up with an excuse to explain her hands and feet. This also had the benefit that, if it worked, Vahn would be able to keep track of Fenrir's status in the future. Even though he could see their level and soul tier, Vahn's system couldn't currently inspect the status of anyone other than himself. Sis told him there was a function for it, but she couldn't explain how to unlock it at this time.During their journey back to the Manor, Vahn noticed that Fenrir had a powerful dislike for strangers. Perhaps it was her instincts from being a monster, or maybe how she had been 'neglected' for twelve years by Eva, but Fenrir didn't like other people whatsoever. The entire time he was leading the way, she stuck close to his back and glared at anyone that walked too close to them. Though Vahn didn't mind her being near him, he couldn't help but sigh inside his mind as he felt her claws ripping small holes in his tunic...there was even a slightly moist feeling on his back where she had accidentally poked him a few times while shrinking away from passersby...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Clothes bad!','Playing catch with Fenrir','Accidental Stabbing')I am currently at $730/1200 of my new goal~! If I can reach this amount, I intend to start having character profiles and images of all the characters created so I can update the information to a wiki~! Though the Wiki will be accessible by anyone, only Patrons will receive the high-res versions of the images &lt;3

As he approached the entrance to the Manor, Vahn stopped because he could sense the presence of Hestia waiting on the opposite side of the door. He turned to look at Fenrir, who had also 'sensed' something and began stroking her hair as he explained, "You're going to meet my goddess, Hestia. She will help take care of you from now on, so try to be nice to her, okay?" Fenrir frowned with a small-mouthed pout and said, "Fenrir no like!" She shook her head back and forth and Vahn could already see her eyes beginning to glow with more intensity.Vahn kneeled down and seriously explained, "Fenrir, you know I want to help make you happy and keep you from being hungry, right?" Fenrir nodded her head after a period of hesitation so Vahn continued, "I can't do that on my own though, because I will sometimes be busy with other things and have to take care of other people as well. You remember all the time I forged previously and you were watching from the side? It's very much like that, I can't always tend to you but I can help guarantee there will be others at your side. Hestia is a good goddess and she will be nice to you as long as you are nice to her."Fenrir grit her teeth and kept opening and closing her paws as her claws changed between a sharp and a dull state. Even her scarlet eyes continued to waver as if she was trying to process everything he had said. Though Vahn knew she didn't understand the words, he was certain his intent was properly conveyed because of the experiments he had done with 'orders' before. After a while, Fenrir groaned, "Fenrir try, no mean to Fenrir, Fenrir be good." Vahn stroked her hair a bit but still let a length of [Enkidu] dangle from his hands for her to chew on. He could tell she was very stressed out, even though she wasn't asking for food.After having her stand behind him and making sure she didn't attack Hestia, Vahn made his way through the door with his hand up and shouted, "Hestia, wait!" Hestia, who was about ready to charge at him like a banshee immediately came to a stop and nearly fell over after she heard Vahn's exclamation. She looked at him with a confused and concerned expression until she caught sight of the small bundle of tan cloth with a midnight-blue haired girl behind Vahn's back.Before she could make a scene, Vahn explained, "I will explain everything, but you have to remain calm. She gets very stressed out and it could lead to problems if you have an outburst right now. Here, let's go into one of the studies and I'll explain in detail." Though she still wanted to lecture him, Hestia could see the seriousness in Vahn's expression and the caution in his voice. Looking behind him, she could see the girl at his back staring toward her with glowing red eyes that made a shiver run down her back. Deciding it was for the best to listen to Vahn, Hestia ushered the two into one of the studies on the first floor without standing near the 'scary' cloaked girl.After Vahn sat on one of the sofas, Fenrir squatted down on the ground and continued to nibble at [Enkidu] while keeping her attention focused on Hestia's movements. Seeing the girl squatting down on the ground in a strange manner, Hestia was very confused as she sat on the side of Vahn opposite the 'feral' looking 'child'. Vahn could sense Fenrir's hair rise a bit so he used [Hands of Nirvana] to stroke her head and used himself as a well between her and Hestia.Though she knew there was something strange going on, Hestia now realized things were more serious than she thought. She looked toward Vahn with unveiled concern and asked, "Vahn, this child, where did you pick her up?" Vahn shook his head and explained, "I didn't pick her up anywhere; do you remember my explanation about Fafnir, the black dragon that follows around Tina and Milan in the shadows?"Hestia's eyes widened a bit and she looked around at Fenrir as Vahn said, "Her name is Fenrir, and she is a kobold that I had tamed in the dungeon. When I used a special skill, she evolved into her current form, and that is why I had to go to the dungeon so urgently. I needed to test her capabilities and find a way to manage some of her...unique traits." Vahn then explained everything he could regarding Fenrir's abilities, including her skills like [Devour] and [Insatiable Hunger]. Hearing the descriptions, Hestia's aura fluctuated slightly but Vahn could see she was trying to empathize with Fenrir as well since her fear didn't show on her face at all.After his explanation, Hestia said in an inhibited tone, "So she is a monster that evolved and became humanoid...and she also eats everything and she is always hungry unless she is relaxed or happy?" Leaning around, Hestia saw Fenrir complacently noming away on [Enkidu], so Vahn explained about the indestructible quality and the fact that it helped keep her calm. Hearing his words, Hestia actually had a somewhat sad expression and kneeled down on the floor a bit aways from Fenrir and slowly extended out her hand.Fenrir immediately entered an alert state but didn't try to take any action for several seconds. Vahn continued to pat her head to keep her calm and she eventually stopped chewing on [Enkidu] for a bit as she leaned her head forward. She seemed to be trying to follow Vahn's previous orders and was giving Hestia a chance. Hestia's nervous expression turned into a small smile as she leaned forward and gently pat Fenrir on the head. Though she frowned a bit, Fenrir didn't pull away from Hestia and 'tolerated' her touch.Hestia's smile became wider and she said in a soft tone, "There, there, you're a good girl aren't you Fenrir~?" In response to her words, Fenrir's tail thumped once on the floor and she nodded, "Fenrir good, Hestia good?" Hestia laughed a bit and stroked her ears affectionately as a bit of excitement began to appear on her face and she responded, "That's right, this beautiful goddess will be your friend from now on~"Fenrir frowned and shook her head as if to 'refute' Hestia's words, even though she didn't understand the concept of beauty, and said,"Master better, feels good, Hestia bad, but good." Nodding her head as if she had said something profound, Fenrir began biting away at [Enkidu] while Hestia sat in a blank manner as she mechanically continued to stroke Fenrir's head. Vahn laughed at her reaction and put his right palm on top of Hestia's head while using [Hands of Nirvana]. He explained in an amused voice, "I think she is talking about the difference in our petting technique. I don't mean to brag, but I feel like I have an edge over most people."Feeling the warm energy coming into her head, Hestia's smile returned and then her eyes widened as she turned to Vahn and whispered in a 'loud' manner, "Ah~! That massage thing felt super amazing, we have to do that more often! If you want me to forgive you for sneaking out this morning, you'll have to make it up to me later~." Hestia was suddenly in high spirits because Vahn had reminded her of the incredibly relaxing massage from last night. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced and she couldn't understand why the other goddesses had tried to keep it from her. Hestia thought they were trying to trick her so that they could monopolize Vahn's massages to themselves.Vahn nodded his head and, with a confident smile on his face, said, "Leave it to me!" In response, Hestia's smiled blossomed more but both of their expressions froze when a Fenrir asked in a curious, yet angry, sounding voice, "Massage super amazing? Fenrir want!" Though Hestia began to laugh awkwardly, Vahn cocked his head a bit in thought before saying, "Sure, but only if you behave." Since he could replenish her energy and help calm her down at the same time, it wasn't a bad method to keep Fenrir under control and help relieve her stress.After things were explained properly and Hestia and Fenrir had 'accepted' each other, Vahn breached the next subject, "Hestia, because of the uniqueness of the skill I used that helped Fenrir evolve, I can say for certain that she has a soul. I want to see if you can give her your blessing so that we can keep track of her growth in the future." Hestia was in a happy mood and had taken to brushing Fenrir's hair until Vahn mentioned something 'ridiculous' to her. She frowned and said, "That shouldn't be possible. Though it isn't unheard of for some monsters to possess a soul, I've never heard of any monster being able to develop one through evolution..."Though he understood her doubts, Vahn reached out his hand and rubbed Fenrir's head as he explained, "Hestia, believe in me. Fenrir probably doesn't even qualify as a monster anymore...but something far more unique. There is no harm in trying, is there?" Unable to resist the gentle and imploring gaze of Vahn, Hestia released a sigh before saying, "Fenrir, can you sit absolutely still for a little while as I inscribe something on your back? It might feel a little unpleasant, but you'll be the same as Vahn and be able to get even stronger in the future."Understanding the cue of Hestia, Vahn unequipped his tunic and showed Fenrir that Hestia's crest was engraved on his back. She stared at it with her characteristic 'annoyed' expression but also had a bit of interest and intensity in her eyes. After nearly a full minute, Fenrir said, "Fenrir want." Afterward, Hestia rolled up the back of Fenrir's top before giving Vahn a 'mean' look and asking, "If Fenrir was a monster before, then you must have been the one to give her these clothes?" Hestia stared at Vahn in an intense, almost accusatory, manner and Vahn could imagine a strange 'Jiiiiii-' sound entering his ears.Vahn explained Fenrir's evolution, her resistance to clothes, and how she shredded most of the things he tried to get her to wear. Her current outfit, though somewhat revealing, was the only thing she seemed to be comfortable in that didn't restrict her movements or absorb blood. Hestia listened in silence until Vahn mentioned the part about 'blood' which made Fenrir hold up her paws proudly, "Fenrir kill!" Though she hadn't noticed it before, Hestia could see the darker stains in Fenrir's fur and gave Vahn an incredulous look and exclaimed, "Vaaaaahn~! She needs to take a bath!"Hearing her words, Fenrir's eyes glowed more intensely and she said, "Fenrir hate bath! Fenrir no bath, no, no, no!" Because of her anxiety and frustration, Fenrir wanted to move away but was still following the order to sit still. Her eyes grew progressively more vibrant and Vahn spent several minutes trying to calm her down and explaining the benefits of a bath. She seemed to have developed a 'phobia' to bathing since the time she was forced by Eva in the past. Since she didn't understand what Eva was trying to do at the time, Fenrir must have thought she was going to drown or something.She finally calmed down when Vahn said that bath they used was a hot water onsen and was actually very shallow. There was no danger and nobody would try to force her under the water or anything like that. Vahn also said, since he remembered her interest in it from earlier, that he would give her the 'super amazing' massage afterward. Though it felt a little strange to refer to his own technique as 'super amazing', Vahn still confidently gave his promise which finally made her relax. Following that, Hestia managed to perform the Familia induction ceremony without any issues whatsoever. She was incredibly shocked when it actually worked and stared at Vahn from the side with incredibly wide eyes.--------------------------------------------------------------------------[[Stats]]Name: [Fenrir]Age: 12-Level:2-Power: (G205)-Endurance: (H156)-Dexterity: (F311)-Agility: (H173)-Magic: (I92)Skills: [Lunar Cry:C], [Freezing Roar:C], [Chainbreaker:C], [Devour:SS],[Huntress:A]Development Abilities: -Magic: --------------------------------------------------------------------------(A/N: Remember that Innate skills don't show up inside the Status Board~)(A/N: 'Fenrir no like!','How to train your Heaven Devouring Wolf','Impossible Success')I am currently at $730/1200 of my new goal~! If I can reach this amount, I intend to start having character profiles and images of all the characters created so I can update the information to a wiki~! Though the Wiki will be accessible by anyone, only Patrons will receive the high-res versions of the images &lt;3

Since he still wanted to perform a few tests with Fenrir, Eva ended up sticking to Vahn's back while he wasn't wearing a shirt and draining his blood while he conversed with Fenrir. Since she seemed interested in it, Vahn had to explain that Eva was allowed to suck his blood because she was a vampire. Other than that, Vahn discovered that Fenrir liked any food as long as it was 'hard' to chew. Other than bland things, she didn't seem to have a preference for anything else. Vahn had given her everything from metal ingots to pastries and she ate them all the same. If anything, her favorite 'foods' were adamantine and [Enkidu].As time was approaching for them to exit the orb, Vahn stroked Fenrir's hair while she was nibbling on [Enkidu] intently. He asked in a soft tone, "Do you want to leave this place with me?" Since he was afraid she would resist returning to the magic core, Vahn wanted to get her to agree to leave before he brought it up. Hearing his words, Fenrir looked into his eyes with the spearhead of [Enkidu] in her mouth and remained silent for several seconds before nodding her head.Vahn rubbed the edges of her ears with his thumbs and said, "That's good, but you'll have to return to your core if you want to be able to leave." His words made her frown deeply and Vahn could see a glow begin to rise from the interior of her scarlet eyes. Vahn whispered in a gentle, coaxing, tone, "It won't be for long, and I'll take you to a place where you can play and eat as much as you want." In response to his words, Fenrir thumped her tail once before trying to bite through [Enkidu] with maximum effort before finally letting it go. After she dropped it to the ground, she said, "Fenrir play, eat food, go now."After praising her a bit, Vahn returned [Fenrir] to her core which had turned the same midnight blue as her hair. There was a gentle azure light glowing in the core intermixed with a bit of scarlet. When she turned back into a magic core, the tunic and panties he had purchased for her fell onto the ground. Vahn picked them up and noticed they were still a bit warm as he threw them into his inventory. Once she was away, Vahn tended to Eva for the remaining duration of time within the orb before returning to the real world.Hestia was still using his body as a bed and Vahn stroked her hair a bit before rolling her off his body. Before she was able to cling to him again, Vahn dodged to the side before crawling out of bed. Seemingly dissatisfied, Hestia had a frown on her face as her brows furrowed but she didn't wake up. She fumbled around with her arms as if she was looking for something and Vahn felt a little guilty for a moment before shaking his head and whispering, "I'll be back soon, Hestia..."Before he left, Vahn left a note on the table, door, wall, and the edge of the bed, just in case Hestia panicked when she woke up. Since he was worried she would overreact if she couldn't find him, Vahn left a proper explanation since he didn't want her to cause a scene and involve everyone else in the matter. On the table next to the bed, he even left a fresh breakfast for her and covered it with a silver top to preserve the heat.After leaving the Manor, Vahn hung up their emblem and firmly fixed it into the hard surface of the gate. Since he had a lot of knowledge in regards to formations and knew the key to the current security of the manor, it wasn't a difficult matter for him to include the emblem into the network. Even if someone did manage to try and steal it, it had the [Durandal] attribute as well as buckler purchased from the system as the base. The moment anyone tried to touch it, it would break free from their grasp and potentially injure them if they kept trying.Satisfied, Vahn transformed into his Báihǔ form before making his way toward Babel Tower. Fortunately, their Manor was actually very close to the City center, so Vahn was able to make the trip in only seven minutes. Stepping into the first floor of Babel, Vahn had a small smile on his face because it felt like it had been a long time since he entered the dungeon last. After registering in the logbook, Vahn went into the dungeon and made his way down to the fifth floor before deciding it was far enough.Now that his domain reached 317m, Vahn could actually sense the majority of monsters and adventurers around, even those directly above and below him on different floors. Since the average distance between floors on the first through the eighteenth floor was only around 100m, Vahn could easily map three floors at the same time, even though he couldn't detect things as easily through the walls of the dungeon as he could on the surface. Since there weren't any presences nearby, Vahn pulled out Fenrir's orb and inserted his energy into it so he could summon her. Surprisingly, it actually didn't take much to summon her, perhaps because of her small size compared to the colossal Fafnir.Since he had already been prepared, Vahn immediately passed the tunic and panties to Fenrir who reluctantly put them on with the help of Vahn. She tried to do it herself but kept cutting through the band of the panties with her claws until she had gone through four separate pairs. Vahn eventually gave up and helped her wear them properly before pulling the tunic over her head. He also wanted to give her pants, shoes, and gloves, but her hands and feet didn't facilitate their use. Vahn would have to forge her some equipment in the future or it might cause problems if anyone saw a humanoid 'monster'. Though he could pass his own transformation off as magic, it would be much harder for Fenrir since she wasn't very personable or patient.Once she was fully clothed, Vahn stroked her head for a bit and said, "You did well to be patient Fenrir, here is something to snack on." In his hand, Vahn had a small bag full of magisteel ingots that she would be able to 'snack' on while he explained their purpose. Fenrir was annoyed after being forced to wear clothes, but she eased up a bit when Vahn handed her a 'treat'. She immediately began munching on one of the ingots slowly while waiting for Vahn to speak.Fortunately, the link between them helped Fenrir understand his intentions, so Vahn didn't have to explain much other than laying out a few inviolable rules which were: Do not attack anything that looks like a human without his permission unless they attack her first. She can eat anything she hunts, but she cannot take food and items for other people unless she asks Vahn first. She had to listen to anyone Vahn told her to listen to unless it made her uncomfortable. If she was every frustrated or 'hungry', she should always look for him and he would do his best to appease her.Though he knew she couldn't understand the words, Vahn had also conveyed his intentions through his thoughts and knew she would 'instinctively' follow his orders even if she didn't understand them. The downside to that would be a loss in Loyalty, but Vahn really didn't want to come across a situation where Fenrir was attacking or even eating, another person out of her anger and insatiable hunger. His explanation finished, Fenrir nodded her head before Vahn led the way deeper into the 5th floor.After a few minutes, they cam across one of the 'rooms' of the 5th floor and Vahn found exactly what he had wanted to find. Within the room, there was a group of seven Killer Ants and that would be a benefit for their current predicament. Fenrir had noticed them as well and Vahn saw her hairs begin to stand on end as she dropped the bag of ingots onto the ground. Without him saying anything, Fenrir got down on all fours and haunched her back a bit before dashing forward in one of the most awkward displays he had ever seen.Because she had only ever fought as a kobold, Fenrir was using the same style of combat and trying to 'increase her speed' by running on all fours. Unfortunately, because of the changes in her body, she wasn't built in the same way and was much slower on all fours than if she had run at them. The only thing she managed to accomplish was flashing her panties which made Vahn purchased a belt from the system so her tunic wouldn't constantly ride up her body in the future.Even though she was somewhat awkward, Fenrir was still much stronger and faster than the Killer ants and easily cut through them with her claws. One of the unique things about Killer Ants was their tenacity and ability to survive even if their head had been separated from their body. This would allow Fenrir to eat her fill before she eventually devoured the magic cores as well. Not long after she began chomping away on one of the hard carapaces on the ground, Fenrir's ears began to twitch as she stood back on all fours and waited for the arrival of the Killer Ant horde that had been summoned by the seven she killed earlier.Since it hadn't been that much time, there was only around twenty as part of the first wave and Fenrir immediately threw herself toward them before Vahn stepped in with Shundo and pulled her away before their pincers could swarm her. He could see that her eyes were glowing subtly and she had several cuts and abrasions on her body even though only a few seconds had passed. Because she hadn't expected to be grabbed, Fenrir tried to dig her claws into Vahn's arms before pausing just as they were about to penetrate his skin.Landing further away, Vahn set Fenrir down before saying in a firm tone, "Stay." She looked up at him with a frustrated expression like she wanted to continue fighting but immediately became silent when Vahn increased the pressure of his domain. Compared to the past, when he could only pressure individual targets, Vahn could easily overwhelm the group of Level 1 Killer Ants and their frail minds. He could even feel the dungeon itself vibrating slightly before he heard several notifications sounding in his head that caused him to look back at Fenrir.Perhaps remembering the past, Fenrir kneeled down onto the ground and placed her paws to the floor as she lowered her head toward Vahn. Vahn could hear the system telling him that her loyalty was steadily increasing and Vahn didn't know if he should be happy or sad that her 'fear' of him made her more loyal. Without losing his firm tone, Vahn spoke somewhat gently, "Fenrir, you are my companion from now on. You don't have to bow to me to show your loyalty."Hearing his words, Fenrir's ears twitched as she looked up at him with dim red eyes before standing back on her feet. Vahn, while still using his domain to pressure the ants, stroked her hair a bit and explained, "Try fighting how I tell you for a bit...I will teach you everything you need to know and help you become stronger." Fenrir nodded her head as Vahn turned back to the Killer Ants and said, "You have a skill called [Lunar Cry], try activating it."Fenrir hunched her body a bit and Vahn thought she was about to get on all fours again before she arched her head back and howled toward the ceiling. With his enhanced vision, Vahn could see the ripples in the void as a brilliant white moon appeared on Fenrir's forehead. Her eyes also took on a silvery color as she waited for Vahn's next command. Nodding his head, Vahn said, "You have two other active skills for combat. The first one is called [Freezing Roar] and can stun your enemies, while the other one is called [Huntress]. You should try to use them as often as possible and try to evolve your fighting style around them."In response to his words, Fenrir's hair seemed to become sharper as her claws and teeth immediately transformed into a more lethal form. Vahn could see her scarlet eyes darting about as her ears twitched and her nose scrunched up a bit. He could determine this was her [Huntress] mode and marveled at the 'bloody' aura coming from her body as her senses were enhanced. The last thing she did was drop back onto all four before glaring at the Killer Ants and releasing a low roar that made even Vahn feel uncomfortable.The last thing Vahn heard before a massacre began in front of him was the, "Gggrrraaaahhhh~!" of Fenrir before she leaped into the horde of Killer Ants and began to shred them apart with her deadly claws. [Huntress] seemed to influence her instincts along with the development of her senses and her attacks became progressively smoother over time while still having an animalistic quality to them. Vahn felt a little guilty because he thought the sight of her cutting through a mob of enemies was somewhat inspiring. The moonlight emblem on her head turned dark red over time and the scarlet light in her eyes constantly increased in intensity.Nearly two hours later, Fenrir had killed more than three hundred Killer Ants before the ceased spawning and trying to reinforce. She now sat amongst several corpses because most of her attacks hadn't destroyed the magic cores. Even though she was covered in blood, and snacking away on a pile of cores she had bundled together with her tunic, Vahn still approached and praised her plentily for her efforts. He had noticed that, even though her eyes glowed during the fight, Fenrir didn't seem to become frustrated and actually looked to be enjoying herself. By the time everything was dead, the glow in her eyes had faded and she was now happily snacking on magic cores as she squinted her eyes and enjoyed his caress. For a brief moment, Vahn felt like it wouldn't be that difficult to raise her after all...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Sneaky sneaky dungeon desu~','Goddess of the Hunt','Happily Bathing in Blood')I am currently at $721/1200 of my new goal~! If I can reach this amount, I intend to start having character profiles and images of all the characters created so I can update the information to a wiki~! Though the Wiki will be accessible by anyone, only Patrons will receive the high-res versions of the images &lt;3

Chapter 230: Training