Chapter 1810: Hidden Intentions
A stark contrast to the chaos and uncertainty that dominated the first day of the preliminaries, the days that followed were relatively peaceful and quiet. Many teams were still apprehensive about leaving the safety of their dwellings so they ended up stalling until the barrier surrounding the battlefield forced them to head inward. This was when the 'true' competition began, a bloody affair that resulted in a substantial number of deaths due to the remaining 17% of Regulars being among the strongest and most violent in the batch.
Fortunately, Team Wolf Pack had managed to secure one of the centermost defensive points within the entire battlefield. This forced them to constantly be on guard against enemy attacks, but it also meant they were able to accumulate a considerable number of Points just by keeping others at bay. Even people like Shibisu and Nare were able to earn their keep by manipulating Observers capable of firing dense beams of Shinsu at unsuspecting enemies.
Though their individual members were far stronger than the average Regular, what truly set Team Wolf Pack apart was the enviable quality of their equipment. Each member had been outfitted with an extremely durable hooded mantle that loosely emulated the features of a Vanargandr. The hood had two large ears that worked as powerful sensors; and, though some people might assume it was purely cosmetic, the tail drooping near the backside helped to store Shinsu absorbed through the fabric of the mantle in order to power a number of useful functions.
The 'bagworms' were not only extremely durable, but, so long as the user had precise control over their Shinsu, they could conceal themselves from scans, turn invisible, and even teleport over short distances. They also helped to give Team Wolf Pack a sense of uniformity, quite literally appearing as a pack of wolves whenever they moved and coordinated together.
The only thing Phae hadn't provided Team Wolf Pack was powerful weapons since neither she nor Vahn wanted them to become entirely reliant on their equipment. Instead, they were tasked with developing their individual skills and abilities while improving their Shinsu capacity and control. In the end, each member of Team Wolf Pack was expected to be able to fill virtually all Positions in a team, Light Bearer and Wave Controller included.
If a member of Team Wolf Pack wanted a powerful weapon, they could either save enough Points to purchase one from the Workshop, complete a Quest that offered one as a reward, or confiscate the weapon of an enemy attempting to kill them. Stealing was strictly discouraged, but, so long as your foe attacked with malicious or vile intentions, taking their weapon as compensation was considered acceptable.
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With Endorsi's 'consent', Gandr was patrolling through the forests surrounding their team's fortress alongside Anak. They had teamed up a lot over the last few days, and, though she didn't speak that much, it was easy to see how much Anak was enjoying their time together based on how the tip of her tail would periodically waggle. She had also become rather fond of headpats, so, whenever she successfully defeated a group of Regulars without severely injuring them, Gandr would express his approval by patting her head and telling her she had done a good job.
Unfortunately, even after months of training, Anak still had trouble holding herself back whenever she got excited. The stronger her opponent was, the more excited she became, so, unless they were relatively weak, most of Anak's opponents ended up suffering from broken bones and other serious injuries. As for those who looked down on or insulted her...well, they only had themselves to blame for their hubris...
Having been called a brat by a woman on the enemy team, Anak didn't hesitate to charge directly at the offending Light Bearer as the former's team attempted to protect her. She was much faster than any opponent they had ever dealt with, however, so she easily evaded the piercing lunge of the Fisherman by ducking under the sapphire-blue point and hammering the back of her fist into his ribcage, shattering several bones. This also sent the man flying to the side, his body crashing through several trees as she side-stepped their Scouts flanking attack by a hair's breadth before rewarding him with a similar prize.
Seeing the two strongest members of her team taken out in an instant, the opposing Light Bearer could only stare with wide eyes as her mental faculties slowed to a crawl. Fortunately, she was not fated to be Anak's victim as Gandr promptly appeared behind her, striking the back of her neck in much the same manner as the rest of her allies. He could freely produce Shadow Clones, so, before Anak could lose her cool, he decided to end the fight by eliminating the other enemies himself.
Noticing Gandr's actions, Anak was unable to prevent a pout from developing across her face. This was only for a very brief moment, however, as she knew Gandr had assuredly done the right thing by eliminating the enemies swiftly and efficiently. Only tyrants, bullies, and thugs willfully harmed those who were much weaker than themselves. She didn't want to be any of these things, so, after forcibly calming herself down, Anak adopted a slightly apologetic expression as she muttered, "I'm sorry..." in an uncharacteristically demure tone.
After quickly destroying the badges of the enemy team, Gandr made his way over to Anak's side, petting her head as he said, "You're doing your best, Anak. Don't let small setbacks like this get to you..."
Though she continued to lower her head slightly, Gandr could tell his words had made Anak feel a little better since the tip of her tail was twitching. Her tail was a lot more honest than she was, so, if you know how to read her body language, it was pretty easy to tell how Anak was feeling. She had tried to control it several times in the past, but, as was often the case for those who possessed tails, the extra appendage had a habit of betraying you at the most important times.
Retracting his hand from Anak's head, Gandr had to force himself not to laugh as the tip of her tail immediately drooped. Fortunately, he had already been smiling before so she didn't see wasn't able to see through his thoughts as the corners of his smile curled upward ever-so-slightly...
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While Gandr was out patrolling with Anak, Endorsi was lounging in a beanbag chair near the corner of their temporary control center. The interior of the fortified room had been refurbished to make it marginally more habitable, so, whenever she wasn't on duty, Endorsi liked to snuggle with Yun-Yun while following Gandr around with an Observer she had 'borrowed' from Shibisu.
Endorsi genuinely liked to watch Gandr showing off so part of their agreement allowed her to freely spy on him whenever she wanted. The other part involved having him revert back to his puppy form so that he could sleep with her in the women's resting area. This latter part had caused Gandr quite a bit of stress as Endorsi had a bad habit of going overboard whenever other women were around. As a result, he had been pet and fondled excessively over the duration of the preliminaries, not just by Endorsi, but by nearly every female member of the team.
With the exception of Ohta, who didn't seem to think his cub form was very cute, the other female members of Team Wolf Pack absolutely adored Gandr's wolf transformation. Even Phae wasn't an exception to this, so, as the days passed, it became increasingly common for him to be handled and passed around among the group of doting girls.
Unfortunately, Gandr actually enjoyed being doted upon and pampered quite a bit, so, even though he had the sinking suspicion that Endorsi was trying to groom him into something like a pet, it was difficult not to enjoy the attention he was receiving. He especially liked being cuddled while having the backs of his ears scratched. Belly rubs were a close second, but, more than anything else, Gandr was developing a mild addiction to having his face nestled between a woman's breasts while they hugged his body.
Though they knew he had a human transformation, even Nare seemed to completely forget about this fact whenever Gandr was in his puppy form. She liked to cuddle and play with him, and, every now and then, would even talk to him in 'baby speak' while squishing and pulling his cheeks. This was extremely embarrassing but it was nothing compared to the time when Yun-Yun attempted to conceal him within her blanket like some kind of stuffed animal that she could freely cuddle as she slept...
Needless to say, Gandr had been living a rather enviable yet stressful existence, all in accordance with Endorsi's grand plan. She was proactively encouraging the girls to cuddle with him in his wolf form in order to instill in them the idea that it was her 'permission' that allowed them to get closer to him.
Endorsi knew there was little she could do to prevent others from coveting someone as adorable and capable as Gandr, so, before it became a problem, she wanted to cement herself as the 'highest authority' among the women he would become involved with. She had already come to realize that it was impossible to control him due to his loyalty towards Vahn and the Aldrnari Empire, so, rather than focus on something she couldn't change, Endorsi set her sights on influencing the perspective of the people around him.
Though she would never admit it, Endorsi didn't mind the fact that Gandr was the dominant party in their relationship. She liked that he didn't fawn over her like a complete idiot, and, though it was a little annoying at times, it made her feel giddy whenever he would put his foot down and correct her behavior. He also showed restraint no matter how far she pushed him, a stark contrast to what she would have expected from a 'normal' man. This made her like him more with each passing day, and, though she wasn't quite at the point of admitting it, Endorsi was pretty sure she had already fallen in love with the fluffy-eared brat.
Before others could encroach upon her territory and contend with her for Gandr's attention, Endorsi felt compelled to establish herself as the undisputed 'number one'. She couldn't tolerate the idea of being below others, the only exception being Gandr himself. With that in mind, it became necessary to convince the girls around him that she was the one in control. This might not be the case behind closed doors, but, if they ever wanted to advance to that point with 'her' man, they would, first and foremost, need her permission. This wasn't something she could compromise on, so, while it made her feel a little guilty to put Gandr in a position she knew stressed him out, Endorsi was determined to do whatever it took to ensure the integrity and stability of their relationship.
With this in mind, Endorsi continued to follow Gandr and Anak around on their patrol while lightly patting the sleeping Yun-Yun's head. She had developed a bit of a petting habit, much like the rest of Team Wolf Pack, so, whenever she was spying on Gandr, Endorsi generally cuddled with the pink-haired Mare. With the exception of Phae, who had easily seen through her intentions, Yun-Yun was the only person who knew the full extent of her plans.
To prevent Yun-Yun from exposing her intentions to the others, Endorsi had bribed her by allowing the former to draw nourishment from her dreams. This had exposed many of her secrets to the not-so-young little girl, but, after spending so much time with Team Wolf Pack, Endorsi had learned how to place her trust in others once again. At the very least, she trusted Vahn, Phae, Gandr, Anak, Baam, and, to a lesser extent, every member directly associated with the Empire.
Endorsi believed that, so long as she didn't deviate down a dark path, the members of the Aldnrari Empire would always be willing to lend a helping hand. Vahn, in particular, seemed like the type of person who would battle against an entire Empire just for the sake of a single person. This gave her the confidence to move forward with her plans without hesitation, a smile on her face as she silently zoomed in on Gandr fearlessly staring down two groups of Regulars...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Team Wolf Pack on the prowl','Gandr has succumbed to the fluff','Endorsi is actually quite smart (OwO)...')
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