Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

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

After the ceremony ended, it was now time for Fenrir's bath since Hestia didn't want her to track dirt, grime, and blood through the neat interior of the Manor. Vahn wanted to let Hestia take care of Fenrir since it might cause problems in the future if she got accustomed to bathing with him. However, there was an incident soon after which Vahn should have expected yet had overlooked since it had never really been a concern previously. Responding to a shout coming from the women's changing room, Vahn entered inside to see Hestia on the ground nursing her hand while Fenrir squatted away at the side of the room in an obviously frustrated manner.Vahn motioned for Fenrir to come near him while he walked over to inspect Hestia injury and find out what happened. He saw that, other than a light abrasion, there wasn't any puncture wounds or anything so Vahn was somewhat confused until Hestia explained through teary eyes, "When I tried to take off her top, I felt some kind of strange impact that knocked away my hands~!" Vahn looked to the anxious Fenrir and she said, "Fenrir do nothing, Fenrir not bad!"Realizing what happened, Vahn healed Hestia's injury while comforting Fenrir as he explained, "It is like the necklace I gave you Hestia, Fenrir's clothes can't easily be touched by other people. I'm sorry, I had completely overlooked the matter. I'll go and purchase some normal clothing for her to wear in the future so things like this don't happen again." Hestia seemed to be understanding with his explanation, but Fenrir was still very anxious because she thought she injured Hestia even though she was ordered not to.Vahn coaxed her a bit more and gave her a snack as he helped her undress with a bit of difficulty. Hestia watched from the side with a somewhat strange expression and remarked, "She is like a child..." Though she spoke quietly, Vahn had heard her and nodded his head before saying, "Yes, I think so as well...we'll need to make sure she is able to mature properly and teach her plenty of things. The more she learns, the less stressed out she should be when dealing with others." Vahn also explained about Fenrir's habits and avoidance of strangers, which wasn't a bad thing considering she still had the habits and instincts of a monster.After she was naked, Fenrir also tried to get Vahn to take a bath as well, but he managed to convince her to take one with just Hestia. He still had some work to do and there would be no point to taking a bath now when he would have to take one in the evening anyway. Though she was very reluctant, Fenrir seemed to be opening up to Hestia who managed to lead the way into the onsen after a bit of encouragement.When the two girls had disappeared through the door, Vahn didn't immediately head away to work since he was still very worried about any incidents occurring. Instead of leaving, he sat along the outside wall and used his ability to sense auras to track the two girls as they began bathing. He couldn't see their actual figures, but he would be alerted if anything happened if either of them began to get stressed. Though Vahn couldn't see the actual 'aura' of Fafnir and Fenrir, he could see detect the fluctuations of her energy since it was identical to his own.Fortunately, after a half hour, the two began making their way back to the changing room and Vahn released a relieved sigh. Since it was a long bath, Vahn knew it should have gone well and he smiled when the two girls entered the changing room. Fenrir had a 'comfortable' expression on her face and Hestia had a cheerful smile, at least until she saw Vahn 'waiting' for them. Though she was a bit startled, her cheerful smile turned into a teasing one but Vahn spoke before she could say anything, "I have a change of clothes for Fenrir, and she wouldn't be able to put them on herself."Realizing the truth in his words, Hestia's expression collapsed a bit as she watched Vahn help Fenrir get dressed. She bit her a lip a bit and wanted to get him to help her dress as well, but Vahn remarked that he had already seen that she can attach and detach her godly raiment. As if to rebut his claim, Hestia dangled her untarnished white panties about like a flag until Vahn chopped the top of her head and saying not to teach Fenrir strange things. Even though he had to help her dress right now, he didn't want Fenrir to place any kind of strange emphasis on the act.For the rest of the day, Vahn worked in his secret forge but only after setting up a sofa on the inside so the two girls could sit. Fenrir didn't seem fond of being away from him, and she had long developed the habit of watching him work whenever he was inside the orb. Vahn had also given Hestia several picture books and heroic tales to read to Fenrir so that she could improve her speaking capabilities and learn to read. Though he also wanted her to be able to write, there was almost no practical manner for Fenrir to hold a quill using her paws.The best thing she would be able to do was carve the letters into a hard surface which also became an exercise in 'control' so she wouldn't accidentally harm others. Though he had healed in a short period of time, Vahn's tunic had been completely ruined by Fenrir in their walk back to the Manor and he also had several accidental puncture wounds on the ride side of his body.Though he was primarily focused on his work, Vahn would glance over at the two girls from time to time with a smile on his face after seeing how well they got along. Hestia was exactly as kind and gentle as the goddess in his imagination and, even though she was actually the smaller of the two, she let Fenrir lay against her lap while reading picture books to her in a quiet and gentle tone. To keep her from accidentally getting stressed out, Vahn had created a small golden hole where [Enkidu] was dangling for Fenrir to chew on while she looked at the contents of the book and listened to Hestia's words.The most amazing thing of all was, by the time dinner had rolled around Fenrir hadn't asked for food a single time or complained about her hunger. This allowed Vahn to confirm once and for all that she didn't actually require food to appease her hunger, but it was more like an instinctual desire to try to alleviate her stress. Of course, this didn't mean she didn't like to eat at all as she went through more than 50kg of food during dinner which shocked Hestia quite a bit. Even though she also didn't gain or lose weight as a goddess, she was still somewhat envious of Fenrir's ability to put away food. Since Fenrir was only around 40kg, the fact she could casually eat more than her entire body weight in food was quite a sight to behold.Because of Fenrir's presence, this was the first day when Vahn hadn't visited the Hostess of Fertility in a while, but he managed to contact Syr through the communication scroll and explain things. Though Vahn was aware of the network that had been established around him, he was somewhat surprised to find that Syr was the representative for contacting the Hostess of Fertility, when he was closer to Chloe than anyone else. This made it even more apparent to him that Syr was something akin to the 'lynchpin' within the pub and had a say in everything that happened behind the scenes.After sending his message, Vahn took a bath alone even though both Hestia and Fenrir wanted to join in. Vahn dissuaded them by making an excuse about waste and extravagance and the fact that they had just bathed earlier in the day without working up a sweat or anything after that. Though it was a bit 'lonely' to bathe alone, Vahn still wanted to help break the habit for Hestia while also preventing Fenrir from developing it in the first place. He knew he would still probably bathe with them at some point, but he wanted it to be the 'exception' and not the 'standard' that they lived by.Though she was somewhat insistent at first, Vahn managed to shut Hestia down when he talked about her negatively influencing Fenrir who still needed them to teach her proper behavior and how to interact with people more sociably. Since she was likely going to be the 'caretaker' of Fenrir in the future, Hestia didn't have any leeway to argue against Vahn and retreated to the room while 'pouting' to Fenrir about how 'mean' Vahn was. When Fenrir immediately took Vahn's side, Hestia laughed awkwardly as the two disappeared from sight.After the bath, Vahn went into the room where Hestia was once again reading a book to Fenrir as she used Hestia's breasts as a pillow. Since she was slowly nibbling on a magisteel block he had given her, Vahn could feel a pressure in the bridge of his nose and couldn't help but mentally exclaim how adorable the scene was. Noticing his arrival, Hestia closed the book as Fenrir rolled off her body and walked over to Vahn before finishing up the remainder of the metal snack. As if following a script, she looked upward into Vahn's face and said, "Master, massage? Super amazing?"Hearing her words, Vahn looked over at Hestia who was covering her mouth to prevent herself from laughing. After squinting his eyes a bit, Vahn smiled and stroked Fenrir's head and said, "Sure, but we need to find out where you'll be sleeping first." Because she had been laying in the bed with Hestia, Fenrir pointed over with her tiny claws and said, "Fenrir sleep!" Though Vahn might have agreed normally, there was a big problem that still needed to be addressed.Holding her paws in his hand, Vahn squeezed the pads on her fingers and Fenrir's claws extended further. She couldn't retract them fully, but Fenrir's claws were actually quite a bit longer than their normal appearance. If she grabbed away at either himself or Hestia while she was asleep, they could both potentially be in danger. Vahn explained the danger of Fenrir's claws and even showed her the areas on the bed where she had already cut into the fabric when she was moving around normally.In her frustration, Fenrir tried to do something that Vahn hadn't expected at all. She lifted her paws toward her own mouth and tried to bite through her own claws and successfully did so even though she had a pained look on her face. Vahn immediately grabbed her paws and saw the bleeding tips and sat Fenrir down as he started healing them. She wanted to resist and tried to pull her hands away, but Vahn continued to coax her as even Hestia came over and stroked her hair while hugging Fenrir from behind.Because she seemed to have very high regeneration, it only took around twenty minutes for Fenrir's claws to grow back to their maximum length. Vahn was even relatively certain that they had grown back even sharper than they were previously. Since she couldn't easily resist the care and concern Vahn and Hestia showed her, Fenrir let them tend to her even though she had a very frustrated expression on her face. Even though she didn't have the habit of sleeping with anyone before, now that she had laid in the bed with Hestia, Fenrir didn't want to be left out.Vahn thought of a solution that might work, but he had trouble bringing it up since he knew she would be averse to it. Demonstrating the principle first, Vahn had Fenrir place her palms together and interlock her claws between the gaps of her fingers. Since her body seemed to have an immunity to her own claws, Fenrir was about to perform the act without injuring herself at all. Vahn explained, "The only safe way is if you can't accidentally touch anyone with your claws, and the only guaranteed way for that to happen would be to temporarily bind your paws together."Fenrir frowned deeply at his words, but Vahn continued as he showed her a relatively low-grade leather band that could be tied around the hands. He showed her that, if she put in a little effort, she could easily break through them without any difficulty. The only thing the band did was help her develop the habit for now and she would eventually be able to sleep without having to rely on it when she learned to control her own claws better. Though still reluctant, Fenrir nodded her head and allowed Vahn to bind her wrists and paws together. As if to confirm it herself, Fenrir tried to break free and was able to do so with the ease that Vahn promised. With a small smile, her tail thudded on the ground twice as she let Vahn tie her paws together once again.Once they were firmly held together, Fenrir shook her hands around a bit to get used to the sensation before the three crawled into bed. Though Vahn noticed the claws on her feet were also a problem, they didn't seem nearly as sharp as the ones on her hand. Vahn suspected it was because she fought with her front claws as a kobold and still had an instinctual reliance on them. Hopefully, she would be able to control them properly in the future and neither her hands or feet would be an accidental danger to others.Keeping his promise, Vahn gave a massage to both Hestia and Fenrir before it was finally time for bed. Like Hestia, Fenrir also reacted in the 'normal' way which allowed Vahn to confirm his suspicions that the reaction of the other goddesses was because they were in a state of arousal at the time. Even though Hestia acted somewhat promiscuous, she didn't have any experience with sexual matters at all and had a severe lack of understanding about the emotions involved. Since Fenrir had been a monster her entire life before her evolution, she didn't have any strange response at all and just enjoyed the massage in silence. Vahn noticed that her eyes had become placid like deep scarlet pools and he stroked her hair a bit before going to sleep.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn forcing his 'problems' to deal with each other','Hestia's bad influence','Happily 'bonding' with the danger floof')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

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

Chapter 231: Goddess and Wolf