Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After reuniting with the main group, everyone headed towards the stairs leading down to Rivira, the settlement in the safe zone of the 18th floor. Everyone wore cloaks that covered their body and obscured their heads since Vahn was rather 'famous', and not in a great way. There was a high chance they would be denied access to the settlement, so Vahn had made the decision for everyone to camp in the nearby forests. The group followed behind Ryuu, since she knew a clearing near the site of the burial grounds of the Astrea Familia. Along the way, Fenrir cocked her head and said, "Fenrir smells lots of smelly girls."Hearing her words, Vahn looked in the direction she was facing and couldn't sense anything so he asked, "Who is it that you smell?" He had some expectation and his intuition was confirmed when Fenrir waved her arms and said, "Fenrir smells the girls that were with Vahn. They smell like the stinky Loki." Other than Haruhime, Loki was another one of the girls that Fenrir disliked, and Vahn felt like it was almost her 'instinct' to act that way around her. She is very sensitive to people's thoughts and feelings, so someone with a chaotic aura like Loki would naturally stress her out just by being around. It didn't help that Loki was constantly trying to get closer to her and had even tried to brush her in a casual manner without permission.Vahn turned to Ryuu and said, "Take everyone along and set up camp. I'm not sure when I'll be back, so go ahead and wash up before preparing for dinner. I'll make sure to be back before nightfall..." Ryuu nodded her head and said, "I'll protect everyone." Vahn smiled and saw them off before heading over to the likely location of the Loki Familia encampment. He didn't think they were on an expedition so they were probably camping in a small group located within one of the various forests. The Inn prices within the actual settlement were exorbitant, and the furnishings weren't that great, so most people avoided staying there. The Loki Familia had a small lodge in the inner circle of the tree, but they probably didn't let normal Familia members stay there and chose to camp outside. There was also a very real possibility they were camping to avoid wandering eyes since they were planning to meet up with him later.After a few minutes of travel, Vahn was able to detect several presences within the area of his domain, so he picked up Fenrir and used Shundo to close the remaining distance. When they arrived in the small clearing, there were a few small tents that had been set up with a total of eight presences within his detection range. Four of them were off in the forest, and Vahn saw the tell-tale signs of a small stream and assumed it was likely Tiona, Ais, Lefiya, and Tione bathing. He was tempted to re-experience a moment from his past but decided it wouldn't be worth the trouble of dealing with the potential joint attack of the Amazon twins. Instead, he made his way to the slightly larger tent where there were three people staying but was intercepted when the final aura, which belonged to Bete, stepped outside of his personal tent.Vahn realized he had made a bit of a mistake and, before Bete could say something that would cause problems, he grabbed Fenrir and used Shundo to dash away. Bete looked toward the direction he had 'fled' and shouted, "What kind of pansy shit is that!? The fuck did you bother showing up for when you're going to run away like a little bitch!?" Unfortunately for him, Vahn had long retreated into the distance to avoid his snide and condescending act. Even if he understood Bete was just acting out, there was no way Fenrir would have been able to accept hearing someone speak so rudely to him. He just spent the better part of an hour-and-a-half calming her down, and he didn't want her to get incited by the irrational behavior of Bete.Fenrir was always happy to be carried by Vahn, so she didn't have any complaints as she lazed about in his arms while tucking in her hands and feet so that she didn't accidentally scratch him. Vahn set her down after opening up more than three kilometer's distance from the Loki Encampment and told Fenrir, "I want you to go to where Tiona, Ais, Lefiya, and Tione are, okay? Tell me I want them to help you clean up, and I promise I'll wash you again later before bed. I have to go and talk to a few people, and they'll bring you back to me after your bath." Fenrir looked like she was going to 'pout' for a moment before eventually nodding her head and saying, "Fenrir will go. Fenrir is a good girl." After patting her chest confidently, she ran off in the direction of the bathing girls and would hopefully avoid any trouble along the way.After confirming that she joined up with the others, Vahn returned to the Loki Encampment where Bete was complaining to Finn, Gareth, and Riveria about how Vahn had 'run away'. They all noticed his arrival before Bete tried to say something but was shut down by Gareth as Finn walked over and said, "Greetings, Vahn, it's good to see you again." Vahn nodded his head and accepted Finn's handshake as he explained, "I was traveling with Fenrir, and I didn't want her to go berserk listening to Bete. She is with the other girls right now, so I'll probably leave when she gets back to avoid trouble." Finn laughed complacently before saying, "Sorry about that, I hope Bete hasn't caused you any trouble."Hearing Finn's words, Bete shouted out, "He is the one coming into our camp without warning before running off! I didn't do jack shit, so why am I being blamed!?" Since Bete had never met Fenrir before, he didn't know anything about her. Finn had also never met her, but he had probably been filled in by Loki while Riveria, who was somewhat interested in Fenrir from their prior meetings, looked toward Bete and said plainly, "It's your brash and thoughtless nature that is the problem. If you had met that girl, you probably would have said something to upset her. Vahn did the right thing by avoiding the confrontation, so you'd do well to remember that you were irrefutably the cause of the current situation."Bete looked like he wanted to say something, but Gareth smacked him on the back and said, "Just drop it Bete, let's go have a drink. I've got a new brew that I think you'll be fond of..." Gareth looked over to Vahn and made the motion of drinking alcohol with his hand before saying, "You can come along if you want. There is a bit of time till the little ladies return, Grahahahaha~!" Vahn nodded politely and said, "Sure, I'd like to spend more time hanging out with a few guys...I feel like my life is a little oversaturated with women lately." Gareth began laughing heartily while Finn showed an awkward smile since he knew he had probably added to Vahn's problems to an extent. Bete seemed to be triggered by Vahn's words but was pulled along by Gareth who said, "Don't get yer britches in a bunch, don't you have girl troubles of your own these days?"Vahn raised his brows and saw the somewhat blushing, yet pissed off, face of Bete as he said, "Mind your own business you old coot! Fuck, whose goddamn idea was it to let a bunch of prostitutes join our Familia...that little shit is so weak..." Gareth gave Bete a stern look and said, "It is the duty of a strong man to protect the women around him, just do your job and there won't be any issues. Besides, if you've any real complains you don't have to sleep with the lass, do ya?" Bete clicked his tongue but didn't say anything as he put his hands in his pockets and headed toward one of the larger tents near the main tent alongside Gareth.Finn watched them for a while before turning to Vahn with an amiable smile on his face as he asked, "So, you've come for the Goliath subjugation, right? I heard from Riveria and the girls, so I was wondering when you might show up." Vahn nodded his head and explained, "If possible, I wanted to try and solo it again. I brought along my entire Familia to gain experience, and I'd like them to see what it is like to fight against a Monster Rex. I'm willing to give all the drop items and the majority of the magic cores to the Loki Familia." Finn laughed in a casual manner and said, "I thought that might be the case. Very well then, that should be acceptable. It's good to be working with you for the time being, Vahn." They shook hands again before Finn walked off toward the same tent where Gareth and Bete left to.Riveria looked toward the distance for a while before saying, "I'm interested to see what other unique abilities you'll use tomorrow. You can leave the protection of your Familia members to us and focus wholly on the upcoming fight." Vahn smiled and thanked Riveria before the politely separated and went to their own respective tents. Riveria moved to the main tent while Vahn went toward the large tent where the other guys were waiting and enjoying some rather strong alcohol. Vahn still remembered Tsubaki's words of never drinking in the dungeon, but that was retracted when it was discovered he was immune to the effects of alcohol. If anything, it wasn't a bad idea for him to drink since he could use it to get people to lower their guards around him.When he stepped through the tent flap, Vahn saw Bete with a flushed face and Gareth laughing in a jovial manner while nudging his side. Finn had a glass of his own and Vahn could detect the scent of honey in the air as he walked over and sat down. Bete had noticed his entrance and waited for him to sit before asking, "So, can you even drink alcohol!? You look like a bit of a lightweight to me..." Vahn couldn't help but laugh which made Bete shout, "What the fuck are you laughing at!?" Without concerning himself with Bete's outburst, Vahn moved to the small stump next to Finn and pulled out a bottle of translucent brown alcohol he had purchased from the system called [Dwarven Drought]. It went for a total of 8,000OP and had even taken down Loki after just a few shots.Even though he hadn't removed the cap, Vahn saw a sheen in Gareth's eyes as he correctly guessed, "That's the so-called [Dwarven Drought], ain't it? I saw Loki-sama lounging about for an entire morning after sipping on that for a bit the previous night. Grahahahaha, let's see if the rumors are true!" As a pure-blooded Dwarf, Gareth had an incredible tolerance and instinctual love of all forms of alcohol. He even carried a flask on his person at all times that was full of a highly concentrated base liquor that he mixed into other types of drinks. Vahn smiled and opened the cap to allow the nutty aroma to spread through the tent with a powerful aroma that smelled so strongly that you might get drunk just by exposure to the ambient scent. Finn's eyes widened while Gareth has a fervent expression on his face as he poured the current contents of his glass onto the ground below. Bete looked like he wanted to say something, but there was a severe lack of confidence in his expression after getting a whiff of the [Dwarven Drought]. As a werewolf, he had a very powerful nose and Vahn noticed the rudy blush on his face had already started to deepen.As Vahn poured a glass for Gareth, Finn laughed before downing his own flagon and setting it to the side. He stood up from the small stump and dusted himself off before saying, "I know when I'm beat, so I'll excuse myself from this round. Please, feel free to enjoy yourselves in my absence." Bete looked like he wanted to follow Finn's retreat, but he couldn't easily give up when Vahn was the one offering the alcohol. He finished off his glass before slamming it down and saying, "Smells like piss, I wonder if it even has any taste at all!?" Gareth, who had just been admiring the smell with a contemplative look gave Bete a glare and said in a hard tone, "If you've that kind of attitude, this alcohol is beyond you. This is some of the finest whiskey I've ever smelled, don't tarnish it by trying to put on a strong front! Hmph!" Finished with his words, Gareth took a long swing of his flagon before closing his eyes and savoring the experience. After he was done, he released a long sigh and actually breathed out a small cloud of alcoholic fumes as he said, "Damn, that's some good stuff!"Bete's brows furrowed low and he gnashed his teeth for a brief moment until eventually asking, "Hey, can I get a taste of that...?" Vahn nodded and filled Bete's cup to the brim before topping off Gareth's and his own glasses. Raising the glass, Vahn said in a happy tune, "To the Alliance, and our continued friendships." Gareth immediately raised his own glass, but didn't clink them together since he was afraid to spill any of the alcohol onto the ground. He shouted out in a hearty, "Hear, hear, that's the way, Grahahahahahaha!" Bete didn't seem interested in the toast but he still nodded his head in an almost indistinguishable manner before taking a swig of his glass alongside Vahn and Gareth.The moment the rich, flavorful, and fiery alcohol hit his tongue, his eyes widened and he began to cough painfully after breathing in a small amount of the liquid. It tasted delicious, but it was far stronger than anything he had ever tasted before. He couldn't think of how anyone would be able to drink such a thing as, after a single sip, he already felt a little light headed. He looked around and saw Vahn and Gareth easily working away at the contents of their glasses without seeming to pay attention to his somewhat embarrassing performance.Gareth gave him a sidelong glance when Bete looked over and said in a stern tone, "Don't push yourself too hard kid...this is some expensive brew. Savor it as much as you can, there is no rush." Bete frowned as if he wanted to say something, but he saw Vahn refilling his empty glass and swallowed his words down. He had been thinking of challenging Vahn to a drinking competition, but now he realized he had nearly walked face-first into an immovable surface. Even after downing the entire glass, nearly a full pint of the powerful alcohol, Vahn didn't even have a light blush and seemed to be capable of drinking the whiskey like it was water. Even Gareth gave him an approving nod before savoring the contents of his own cup. Bete, unable to make any headway against the two 'seasoned' alcoholics slowly sipped on the burning liquid until he passed out a few minutes later with more than half the glass spilling onto the ground.Seeing the sight, Gareth released a sad sigh and said, "Damn, what a waste..." Vahn laughed before placing down a cloth container onto the ground with a thud. Gareth eyed the package until Vahn gestured toward it. When he opened the large cloth, Gareth's eyes opened wide as he saw a miniature keg that looked like it could hold around 5 gallons of alcohol. He uncorked the side and smelled the contents when an appreciative smile appeared on his face and he began laughing heartily. He raised his own glass, as if making a toast, and said, "Yer a good lad, Grahahahahaha!" Vahn took the initiative to do what Gareth had avoided earlier and clinked his flagon against the middle-aged dwarfs before remarking, "We should do this more often after the regulations from the Guild loosen. I'm trying to put together a group of guys to create a small network...well, if nothing else, just know that I'm good to my friends, hahahaha." Though he couldn't get drunk, Vahn was in a good mood drinking alongside Gareth and the two were in high spirits until the girls eventually returned from their bath.(A/N: 'Fenrir smells smelly smells','Not today, Bete my boi!','Grahahahahahahahahahahahaha!')If you'd like to support me as a writer so I can write even more stories in the future, please follow the ******* link below (O,...,O)~! Stay beautiful &lt;3. Since it was requested, I also added a Paypal link if that is preferable~!)https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Since he had detected their arrival, Vahn parted ways with Gareth and left behind the small barrel for his own personal use. Gareth's tolerance was incredible and he was able to work away, albeit slowly, at the miniature keg without any major difficulties. Vahn was curious how his body was able to process the alcohol so easily and he noticed some kind of strange, microscopic, creatures inside of his stomach that broke down the majority of the alcohol before process the rest as normal water. He knew these were bacteria since he had seen plenty in the bodies of others when viewing them with his [Eyes of Truth]. Since Dwarves were known for their tolerance, Vahn suspected there was a unique quality in their stomachs which allowed them to cultivate the special bacteria inside of their bodies without adversely affection their physiology at all. It was a very unique thing, so Vahn made sure to document it within a journal for future study.After leaving the tent, Vahn saw the girls walking over and stepped forward to catch Tiona who had jumped at him the moment they made eye contact. She began rubbing her face against his and laughing cheerfully as she said, "Yay, Vahn~! I can't wait to see you pummel that dumb monster tomorrow~!" Vahn placed his hands around Tiona's waist before giving her a short kiss on the lips which caused her smile to increase in size. From behind her, or ahead of Vahn, Ais walked over and said, "Tiona, be careful." Tiona laughed in a silly manner before dropping from Vahn's body and saying in a playful tone, "I know, I know~! Just make sure you don't hog him all to yourself, ahahaha~."Before Ais could step forward to get a hug of her own, Fenrir beat her to the punch and shouted, "Vahn, Fenrir is all clean now~!" Vahn habitually stroked her head and said, "Yes, that is very good Fenrir. Did you get along with everyone?" Fenrir's body twitched a bit before she looked to the side as if she were refusing to make eye contact and said, "Fenrir is a good girl..." Vahn gave a wry smile before looking around at the other girls and seeing they all had somewhat awkward expressions on their faces. Ais was the least affected, but she walked over and tilted her head to the side to stare at Fenrir and said, "It is my turn...?" Fenrir looked at her and frowned deeply before finally letting go of Vahn's waist. Ais smiled and said, "You are a good girl...thank you."Vahn shared a hug, and a short kiss, with Ais before they all started talking about the battle tomorrow. It was decided that Vahn would be fighting alone since he really wanted to test his own growth. The last major stint he spent in the dungeon ended not long after his fight against the Goliath, and it had been a somewhat close fight. His parameters had grown a fair bit, though not nearly as high as he'd like, but his overall capabilities had increased greatly. When they heard about his plan, Tiona got very excited because she imagined the image of Vahn fighting against the Goliath bare-handed again. She even had a small expectation that he might burn away his clothes, but Vahn assured her things 'should' go well.As the crystals overhead started to dim slightly, Vahn decided it was time to head back to their own camp so he parted with the girls after a few short embraces and polite words. He even decided to give Tione a short hug, since she had been 'struggling' for a while at trying to keep her own cool. Perhaps unwilling to be left out, and at the incitement of Ais, Lefiya stepped forward to receive some head pats and a very brief hug. Vahn then let Fenrir ride on his back, since she had been asking, and then rapidly made his way through the forest with Fenrir happily pointing the way with her devastatingly sharp claws.A few minutes later, they arrived near the campsite and Vahn carried Fenrir the rest of the way as she wobbled about on his back. She was very careful to prevent her claws from pricking him, but it didn't stop her from moving about in a very hyperactive manner as she pointed toward every small bug and animal they came across. When a stray Almiraj had wandered along the path, she looked like she wanted to jump off his back to attack it but just growled until it ran away. Vahn laughed and asked, "Are you going to let it run away?" Fenrir nodded and said plainly, "Fenrir wants to stay with Vahn longer. Vahn not carry Fenrir when she has bloody fur." Vahn mused and asked, "You sure you don't want to get messy so I have to clean you again?" Fenrir didn't seem to care that she had been 'exposed' and said, "Vahn said he would bathe Fenrir later. Fenrir enjoy sitting on Vahn's back for now. Ehkekeke."After arriving at the campsite, Vahn let Fenrir of his back and she separated without a struggle before running off toward the campfire where everyone was preparing dinner. Vahn walked over as well and Aki explained with a polite smile, "We checked the area, there aren't any other Adventurers nearby so things should be relatively safe. We'll be running security in shifts tonight, just to give the girls experience in guarding a camp." Vahn nodded his head and patted Aki's ears as he said, "Thanks for your efforts." Aki laughed cheerfully and said, "It's my pleasure, Vahn~."Not long after they arrived, dinner was prepared and Vahn enjoyed the roasted meat, even though it was somewhat bland. It was a very reminiscent smell and taste, so Vahn ate it gratefully and thanked the twins for their efforts since they had been the primary cooks this time around. After dinner, Vahn set up his own tent quickly before taking Fenrir over to the nearby pond and washing up. As promised, he helped clean her body thoroughly before washing her somewhat bristly hair and removing any stray debris that was contained within. She had already been cleaned earlier, but Vahn still went through the motions since she seemed to be enjoying herself. Afterward, he took a dip himself and washed off before meeting up with Ryuu. He had promised to go visit the grave site of the Astrea Familia with her and he didn't want to keep her waiting for too long.Ryuu had been waiting in her Adventurer attire near the outskirts of the camp and smiled at Vahn as he approached with an apologetic expression on his face. Without waiting for any excuses he might come up with, Ryuu nodded and said, "Let's go, Vahn..." She then started running off through the woods and left Vahn to chase behind her after blanking for a short moment. After a few minutes, Vahn felt like his senses were being messed with a bit, but he was nearly immune to most illusions so managed to follow Ryuu easily. He used his [Eyes of Truth] to look around and saw several runes carved into trees, almost like a formation had been set up in the area.Eventually, Ryuu turned behind her and smiled after noticing that Vahn had kept pace even through the illusion barrier called 'Magical Forest Illusion' that was meant to make people lose their way and wander back to the outskirts. When Vahn stopped next to her, she said, "It doesn't seem like I can get away from you so easily...I'm glad." Vahn blinked and asked, "Were you trying to run away?" Ryuu laughed, uncharacteristic of herself, and said with a cheerful smile on her face, "I've been running away for a long time...I think it's about time I stop. I'm glad you came here with me...Vahn." Ryuu reached into her pouch and pulled out some flowers that had been wrapped in a special container to prevent them from wilting. Without explaining anything, she walked over into the clearing where a mound full of weapons could be seen. Vahn could see various different weapons, nine in total, that were placed about and understood they likely served as the grave markers for her former comrades.Ryuu placed the white flowers on the grave, one for each weapon, before kneeling down and placing her hands together in silent prayer. Vahn watched from the side, and he could see Ryuu's aura dim a great deal and it made his heart ache for her. Though he might have been able to help if he had been present, there wasn't anything he could do for her friends now that they had been dead for several years. The only thing he could do was support Ryuu and help her move forward so that she could honor the lives of her friends, instead of mourning their deaths. He knew she had already sought revenge for them in the past, but she didn't seem to have moved on after the fact.Vahn observed the grave for a bit but was primarily focused on Ryuu's actions as she continued to pray in silence. He didn't really know what the best course of action to take was, but Vahn decided that doing nothing wasn't the answer. He took a deep breath before walking forward and standing next to Ryuu. He noticed she was paying attention to him, even though she didn't look directly at him. Vahn stood straight in solemn silence for a while before sitting on his knees next to Ryuu. He then bowed reverently toward the grave site and said in a solemn voice, "Please, leave Ryuu to me from now on...I will make sure she is able to find her happiness again. I won't let her feel lonely and lost anymore."Ryuu turned her head toward Vahn but he didn't match her gaze and continued to address the grave site, "I did not know you in life, but I will protect that which you left behind. Please rest easy knowing I will always do my best to provide sanctuary for Ryuu from no onwards. No matter how difficult things get, I will weather the storm at her side and protect her from harm. I hope your souls find comfort and you are able to live a free and unfettered life in all of your future incarnations..." As he finished his words, Vahn bowed low enough to touch the ground and remained silent for nearly a full minute before straightening his back. He turned to look at the blank face of Ryuu and smiled before saying, "Sorry, I made the decision on my own...it's just, you have so few expressions...I'd rather see you happy than in pain with a sad expression on your face. You are far more beautiful when you smile, it's like each time I see it I've obtained a rare treasure..."Vahn's own words echoed in his mind and he could feel his tensions rising as a warm feeling spread to his cheeks. Ryuu continued to look at him with a serious expression for a while before a small smile appeared on her face. As if a seed had been planted, her smile slowly widened until it bloomed into a beautiful arc that enhanced Ryuu's beauty to a level that could rival goddesses. She reached out with her left hand and grabbed his right before saying in a whispering tone, "I'm glad you were the one to take my hand, Vahn...I feel like I can finally start moving forward again. I don't want to make my comrades sad by continuing to live a life as a wanted criminal and vigilante." Ryuu leaned against his shoulder and stared at the grave site with slightly moist eyes.Vahn stroked the delicate hand of Ryuu for a while before saying in a quiet tone, "I believe you...I feel like this is the first time you took the initiative to grab my hand ever since we met..." Vahn felt a tiny movement against his neck and turned his head to see Ryuu's ear droop a bit with a rosy hue to it as she turned to look at their connected hands. After a few seconds of silence, she looked up into Vahn's eyes with her watery sky-blue gems and said, "You know...my best friend...Alise...she told me that if there were ever a boy that could grab my hand...that I should never let him go. I feel like I understand what she meant better now..." Ryuu squeezed Vahn's hand with a bit of strength before asking with a somewhat bashful smile that he had never seen before, "Is it fine...if I hold onto you forever?" As her words fell, so to di Ryuu's head as she peered up at Vahn's face with upturned eyes and discreetly bit her bottom lip.Vahn squinted his eyes slightly with a happy smile before reaching out with his left hand and tilted Ryuu's face upward. Before she said anything further, Vahn whispered in a quiet tone, "It looks like I have a life debt to Ms. Alise...I should start paying it off as soon as possible." Vahn then stroked the right side of Ryuu's face before leaning forward and sharing what would become one of the longest and emotional kisses he would ever enjoy with an elf...---------------------------------------------------------------------------//Ryuu Lion Affection has Reached the Maximum////Quest Completed: [The Hearts Desire:C-SS]//Completion Grade: ARewards:10,000OP, 1x[Hearts Desire: Ryuu Lion]Grade Rewards: 1x[Seed of the Tree of Life], 1x[Fairy Promenade], 8,000OP[Seed of the Tree of Life]Rank: UniqueUse: Can bloom anywhere, including barren wastelands, toxic swamps, and even the void itself. Promotes the growth of all plant life in an area 40x wider than the tree is tall. Cleans the air and creates a natural barrier against toxins, poisons, miasma, and evil creatures. The branches of this tree can be used to make powerful magic staves and relics while the leaves can be used to create potent potions and healing salves.(Warning: Grows by a rate of 1m per month until maturity and then at an additional 1m per year for up to 1,000 years.)[Fairy Promenade]Rank: UniqueUse: When active, all trees, plant life, and animals open a path for the user to pass unhindered.Prohibits those with malicious intent from following using the forces of nature itself to halt their advance. Duration:2H---------------------------------------------------------------------------(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Fenrir likes Vahn best','Reponsibility...','Alise is the best wingman...')If you'd like to support me as a writer so I can write even more stories in the future, please follow the ******* link below (O,...,O)~! Stay beautiful &lt;3. Since it was requested, I also added a Paypal link if that is preferable~!)https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Due to exploiting the holes leading downwards, it only took the group around twenty minutes to make their way to the 17th floor. On this floor, the number of monsters spawned was far fewer than the preceding floors, but they were individually quite strong. There were Lygerfangs, giant tiger-like monsters, as well as a few Minotaurs and a few smaller monsters like Hellhounds and Almiraj, rabbit-like creatures that often used small daggers and spears. They typically exploited the low-light of the cavernous structure of the 17th floor, but they weren't able to get the drop on the group with Vahn present.After progressing through the floor for around half an hour, the group came across a pair of Minotaurs and Vahn decided to give the weaker members of the Familia a chance to fight. Even though the Minotaurs were strong enough to pose a threat to even Fenrir and Mikoto, Vahn believed they would be fine if they worked together. Fenrir charged at the closest Minotaur and tried to attack its legs with her claws while Mikoto followed closely behind to cover her in the event anything went wrong. The twins began to pelt the pair of Minotaurs with bolts while Haruhime watched from the backline and was prepared to use her short-chant magic to help out if necessary.As expected, Fenrir's attacks easily broke through the thick hide of the Minotaurs and left huge lacerations on its body. However, the Minotaur didn't falter from the attack and managed to react fast enough to slam its fist into Fenrir's side and send her flying several meters through the air before she landed on her feet with fiercely glowing eyes. Mikoto had exploited the gap in the Minotaur's defenses from attacking Fenrir and stabbed it directly in its magic core with her katana.Though he originally intended to let the girls fight together, Vahn called out, "Everyone back away, let Fenrir fight alone!" Vahn could tell that Fenrir was 'triggered', so he needed to let her vent out a bit or it would be troublesome later. She was actually quite vengeful by nature and wasn't the type that would easily accept someone's help when she was angry. Since she was Level 2, a Minotaur wasn't an opponent she couldn't match on her own and Vahn was standing by if she needed help.Fenrir's hair started to rise with her anger as she leaned low and prepared to destroy the remaining Minotaur. As if it could sense the danger, the Minotaur actually back stepped a bit and looked like it might try to run away. However, it wasn't long before it let out a loud bellow and charged at Fenrir as if to try and crush her with its powerful fists. It was actually faster than she was, in a linear charge, but Fenrir was far more agile than the Minotaur and managed to dive to the side before kicking back with her leg and leaving cuts with her feet-like paws at the back of the Minotaur's leg. Seemingly unaffected, it tried to twist its body and slam its fist down onto Fenrir and left spider-web cracks on the ground as she evaded yet again.Exploiting the moment when it had leaned forward to attack, Fenrir jumped at the head of the Minotaur and grabbed both of its horns as she stabilized herself on its body. The Minotaur tried to reach up and grab her, but Fenrir's eyes glowed scarlet as she opened her mouth far wider than normal and bit down with terrifying sharp teeth. As if there was no resistance at all, Fenrir bit off the entire top of the Minotaur's skull before it turned into dust and dissipated in the air. Unappeased, she picked up the magic core and crushed it with her powerful jaws before absorbing the Minotaur's essence into her body. She turned back to the group and still had scarlet eyes with a slightly crazed expression on her face.Vahn squinted his eyes before using Shundo to approach Fenrir to prevent her from getting near any of the other girls in her current state. He placed his hand on her head and used [Hands of Nirvana] to calm her mind as he said, "You did very well, Fenrir, I'm proud of you..." As she commonly did, Fenrir reached up and placed her paws around Vahn's forearm, but he noticed her claws weren't retracting much and it was very obvious she was restraining herself. She muttered in a somewhat cold sounding voice, "Master...Fenrir hungry..." Vahn nodded his head before looking back and saying, "Ryuu, Aki, take the girls the rest of the way, I'll catch up in a bit." Vahn threw over the [Rallying Whistle] and [Divine Hearth] for emergency use before leading Fenrir along as she chewed away on the link of [Enkidu] trailing from his palm.After they left, Haruhime muttered in a quiet, sad sounding, voice, "Poor Fenrir...it must be very difficult for her when she can't control her urges..." Ryuu, who often took care of Fenrir, nodded her head and stated plainly for the rest of the girls who were a little unnerved, "She tries very hard to fit in with everyone, so make sure you treat her well to make things easier for her. Compared to her original self, she has made great progress and it shouldn't be impossible for her to learn to control herself even better in the future. Just remember, she doesn't have a lot of experience interacting with people so she needs everyone's guidance from now on. Her potential is incredibly high, and she will be a core member of the expedition parties in the future, so make sure to get along well..."Though they were a little worried at first, Maemi and Emiru nodded together and said, "Yes, we'll take care of Fenrir from now on when we're at the Manor." Ryuu nodded her head with a kind smile before saying, "We need to hurry...without Vahn's detection ability there is no telling what might happen if we stall for too long. Aki, you protect the rear...I'll take point and Mikoto will protect the center of the party and use her detection magic to scout for enemies. Try not to draw too much attention to yourselves with the crossbows...and Haruhime, don't be shy about using your mana potions and accessories. There isn't a great distance between here and the 18th floor, and we'll have plenty of time to replenish our reserves when we arrive."After organizing themselves a bit, the group set out at a moderate pace while remaining alert. Fortunately, the number of enemies on the 17th floor wasn't that great and they had four people within the party of six that could see in the dark, had powerful hearing, and a well-developed sense of smell. Most monsters were rather pungent and weren't great at stealth so it wasn't that difficult to push forward if they were careful. Ryuu was able to kill most monsters in a single hit at this Level, so the group's progress wasn't stalled much until the arrived at the Wall of Grief an hour later. Ryuu could tell that the shadow within the wall would appear in the next day or so, which coincided with their intentions of venturing into the dungeon in the first place. She then led the group to the corridor connecting to the 18th floor to wait for Vahn and Fenrir to catch up.Vahn had led Fenrir far away from the group and used his domain and minimap to map large areas of the 17th floor to look for monsters. He noticed that Fenrir had calmed down a bit when it was just the two of them, but she was still very frustrated and needed to vent against monsters so Vahn found small groups for her to fight. Fenrir saw the group of five Hellhounds in the distance and dropped [Enkidu] from her mouth before charging toward the group. Hellhounds could breathe fire and were quite quick, but their defenses were abysmal, not that it mattered since Fenrir's claws could cut through adamantine easily. Vahn supported from behind and briefly stunned any of the monsters that tried to attack Fenrir's flanks while she jumped around and literally tore them apart. They weren't much larger than large dogs so Fenrir's claws could easily cut several centimeters deep into their flesh, which was enough to cut through bones and muscles. They also weren't able to change directions easily, so Fenrir could exploit their non-existent defense easily. She had grown a lot in the last two months and could even fight well when she had lost her senses and entered a blood rage. Her instincts, sense, and reflexes, were all abnormally high and it made her more than a match for most monsters. The only major threat to Fenrir were agile monsters with high offensive power and those that used magic and could fly.Though he had stunned it, one Hellhound managed to break through and try to bite at Fenrir's side, but she turned around and grabbed at its mouth with her paws. The Hellhound bit down on the somewhat fleshy appendage and bit deeply into her paws, but Fenrir closed her claws and squeezed its face until it dissipated into smoke. Vahn could see the wounds left by the Hellhound slowly closing as she completely ignored the damage and continued to fight. Not only did she have powerful regeneration, especially when she was eating things. After the fight ended, she had 'spared' a single Hellhound after cutting through its spine early in the fight. She picked up its body and began to devour the entire thing, fur, bones, and all.Vahn approached while she was eating and waited for her to finish before giving her the link of [Enkidu] in his hand. She reached out in a casual manner and grabbed it in her paws as she started chewing away at the indestructible chain. Vahn noticed that, even though she had suffered a few wounds, Fenrir was still calming down faster than normal. He had long known that she was the least stressed when it was just the two of them because she still struggled to truly open herself up to others after suffering Eva's 'mistreatment' in the past. Vahn felt like she only rationalized getting along with the others because they treated her well based on his orders, not their own volition. The only exception to this was Milan, Tina, and Preasia.After killing a few smaller groups of monsters, they came across a group of four Minotaurs and Fenrir said in a low tone, "Fenrir kill ugly cow monsters...then we go. Fenrir doesn't want to leave the others waiting." Vahn smiled and stroked the little wolf girl's head and said in an encouraging tone, "That is very mature of you Fenrir. You really are a good girl." She nodded her head as if it were an undeniable truth and said, "Fenrir is a good girl so Vahn has to treat Fenrir well. Fenrir doesn't like being icky, so Vahn has to wash Fenrir properly." As if to emphasize her 'distaste', Fenrir tried to dislodge some of the blood from her fur before making a 'disgusted' face. Vahn laughed because he knew that, though she was 'pretending', there was some truth to her claim as well. She had grown accustomed to wearing cute clothing and liked being clean since it made people pamper her more.Vahn gave her an encouraging pat on the back to urge her forward after saying, "Sure, but you'll have to take a proper bath with the girls later. It's better if everyone gets along since we'll all be together for a very long time." Fenrir nodded as a strange 'smile' appeared on her face and she said, "Yes, but Fenrir will be with Vahn forever and ever..." Her words finished, she charged at the group of Minotaurs that had been unaware of their presence due to Vahn's concealment ability preventing sound from reaching them. Since four Minotaurs were a bit much for her, Vahn used his bow and shot a few arrows into the joints of the monsters without killing them or fully disabling them. Fenrir exploited the gaps in their movements and learned that it was much easier to kill the Minotaurs if she attacked them from behind. She could dig into their back with her indefensible claws before yanking out the magic core as the Minotaur struggled to try and reach her. She had a relatively small frame, and the Minotaurs weren't very flexible, so she could easily exploit this fact to take them down unless they attacked each other.Monsters weren't very 'smart', and they acted with strange restrictions in place that usually prevented them from using attacks and magic that affected their 'allies'. If Fenrir was on another Minotaur, the others couldn't easily attack her and just tried to pull her away but were unable to do so because whoever she was attacking usually flailed about due to the pain they were experiencing. Vahn thought the sight was somewhat humorous because it felt like Fenrir was bullying them quite harshly. When there was only one Minotaur remaining, Fenrir got in a reminiscent pose similar to when she first entered the dungeon long ago. She held up both of her paws, claws extended, in something similar to a sumo pose as she faced down the Minotaur completely undaunted by its massive size and incredible power.The Minotaur released a loud roar like it was trying to intimidate her, but Fenrir countered with her own [Freezing Roar] and temporarily stunned the large monster. Since it was obviously afraid of her, it wasn't able to resist the paralyzing effect of the skill. It stalled for several seconds and began to froth from its bull-like mouth before the light eventually faded from its eyes and it fell to the ground. Fenrir took a 'heroic' pose similar to what Vahn had done when he was showing off earlier. She puffed out her nearly non-existent breasts proudly and tilted her head up a bit as she looked down on the unconscious Minotaur with a disapproving glare in her eyes. She sent short glances toward Vahn with her scarlet eyes and he realized what she wanted to he clapped his hands as if he were impressed and said, "Wow, very powerful, very domineering~!" Hearing his words, Fenrir pat her chest with a thump and made the closest thing to a laugh she could manage, "Ehkekekeku, Leave it to Fenrir~!" She stepped forward and reached her hand through the Minotaur's chest and pulled out its magic core before trotting over and delivering it to Vahn with a 'smile' on her face.Vahn praised her a bit more before leading the way towards the rest of the group that had been waiting for them. He had been slowing tracing a path towards the Wall of Grief while Fenrir was on her tirade, so there wasn't that great a distance to traverse before they arrived. Vahn had even suspected that Fenrir picked up their scent earlier, and that was likely why she had brought up regrouping with them. She still 'remembered' Haruhime's scent that he had her memorize in the past, so it was very easy for her to track down the fluffy Renard girl even if they were separated by several kilometers. When they reunited with the group, Fenrir walked forward proudly and proclaimed, "Fenrir killed lots and lots~!" As if she weren't affected by the bits of blood and gore covering Fenrir's body, Haruhime extended out her hand and affectionately stroked Fenrir's head and commented, "Fenrir is as strong as she is cute~!" Fenrir nodded her head before casually walking away from Haruhime's petting and walked over to get spoiled by Ryuu.Vahn cocked his head at the strange display because Fenrir always acted differently towards Haruhime compared to all the other girls. Though she wasn't very 'eloquent' in her speech, she didn't really struggle to say any words. Yet, even though they had been around each other often, Fenrir still called Haruhime as 'Harume' and usually didn't let herself be spoiled by the young Renard unless Vahn let them brush each other for a while. As if she had read his mind, Haruhime laughed before whispering, "She doesn't like me because my tail is fluffier than her's is...fufufufu~." Vahn's eyes widened at the claim and he noticed Fenrir's ears had twitched as well. Even though she had spoken quietly, Fenrir's ears were very sensitive and she gave Haruhime a sidelong glare with slightly glowing eyes as she muttered, "Smelly Harume..."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Racial Traits OP','Fenrir's Mini-Massacre','Smelly Harume...')If you'd like to support me as a writer so I can write even more stories in the future, please follow the ******* link below (O,...,O)~! Stay beautiful &lt;3. Since it was requested, I also added a Paypal link if that is preferable~!)https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 336: Detour