Vahn spent the better part of the morning within Terra's Garden, satiating the carnivorous dragon's 'appetite' before leaving her laying peacefully against her perch. She had held up for a decent amount of time but, given his endless stamina, Vahn emerged victorious against the powerful True Dragon once again. It helped that his [Grooming] was now D-Rank, making it his highest ranked Development Skill, even surpassing his [Master Smith]. Relying on the 'threads' of petting laws, Vahn could target all of her weak spots, even if she tried to resist the influence of his ability with her own internal energy. By the time he was done, Terra looked like she had been fighting for three days and nights before falling into a peaceful slumber with a content smile on her face...
The moment he exited the illusory forest, a small figure appeared in front of him as Fenrir leaped down from the roof and suddenly asked, "Was it a boy or a girl~?" in a curious voice. Vahn blinked, surprised by the question before he smiled and said, "Neither, at least for the time being. I named it Alex Eva Evergreen Mason though, so it could one day become Alexander or Alexandria." Fenrir nodded her head, bringing a rather humanoid finger to her chin as she seemingly processed her thoughts. After a short while, Fenrir said, "Master, please help me become stronger without having to separate from you. Terra is already much stronger than me and I don't want to see her baby outgrowing me too..."
For the second time, Vahn blinked in surprise and then realized that, after as little as two months, even though Alex wouldn't have matured, it would actually be older than Fenrir. She was his first companion and had suffered in the past because of his negligence, even though he never treated her badly when they were together. Ever since her naming ceremony, Fenrir had constantly been working hard to control herself while simultaneously striving to increase her strength. However, because of the nature of her existence, and her attachment to him, she was slowly falling behind in power compared to the others. With the four years she spent with Eva, Fenrir was currently the second stronger but, if Vahn allowed Fafnir and Khaos to spend time in the orb, that would no longer remain true...
After thinking it through in silence for a short while, Vahn took on a serious look as he reached out and stroked Fenrir's hair, saying, "I will find a way to help you increase your strength, Fenrir, I promise..." Fenrir rubbed her head against his palm in response while bringing her 'paws' up to grab his wrist, much like the first time he had pet her in the past. This made Vahn feel very nostalgic because, just as he had in the past, he was once again promising to help her become stronger. He wondered if she had actually calculated this or if it was just a natural response because, like him, she too was feeling nostalgic.
Carrying Fenrir on his back, Vahn wandered into the Manor and wasn't surprised to find that almost everyone had gathered together in the dining room. It was around lunchtime and, though Terra and Alex weren't present, there was still a celebratory atmosphere in the room. Fenrir, though enjoying the ride along the way, 'obediently' extricated herself from his back as she scampered over towards Preasia. Vahn followed her for a few moments with his eyes until a flaming red-headed figure ran over like it was trying to take out his legs, shouting, "Papa, where is my new brother or sister~!? Show me, show me, show me~!"
Vana clung to his leg, sitting down on his foot as she laughed in a slightly mischevious and playful manner. As for Vulcan, which had current shrunk itself down to the size of a puppy, it hovered in the air and just glared towards him, like always. Vahn, deciding to let Vana play around, walked over towards the table while she screamed with a 'kyaaahahaha' sound while holding onto his leg. Everyone at the table smiled as they watched the interaction between the father-daughter pair, all except for a slightly pouty Ina. However, when her Papa finally sat at the table next to her, Ina was all smiles when she hopped into his lap with a 'victorious' look on her face, beaming even more when he gently stroked her head.
After explaining the matter of Alex's existence, which had surprised a fair number of those present with how 'peculiar' it was, Vahn enjoyed the festive atmosphere while playing with his daughters. Ina, Vana, and Erika were all at the stage where they could eat simple foods and Vahn enjoyed spoonfeeding them whenever he had the opportunity. Still, though he was mainly focused on the three, Vahn continued to make conversation with everyone at the table while part of his mind considered the matter of Fenrir's strength. His 'secondary processing' capability was usually used to monitor his domain but, as there was little chance of any enemy being able to threaten them within the Manor's bounds, Vahn was currently using it to talk with Sis and think of a solution.
Fortunately, Sis was very helpful in situations like this as she surprised him by explaining, (*You know, Vahn, the best solution would be to make use of Fenrir's current Innate ability or, though it would be somewhat difficult, helping her increase her Soul Tier further. I'm sure you've noticed it but, mastering one's Innates seems to be the key to increasing Soul Tier. Fenrir has always been on the cusp of obtaining Soul Tier 2 so, by helping her breakthrough that bottleneck, she may even evolve further, solving several 'other' issues that have been plaguing you both.*) If not for the fact he was happily wiping pudding off of Ina's nose, Vahn imagined his facial expression would have blanked. As Sis said, he had actually made the connection in the past since his own Soul Tier always increased when he had major breakthroughs in his Innates. He also noticed that, while Fenrir and Fafnir were both only Tier 1 Souls at their creation, Khaos and Terra were now both Tier 2, with the later progressively getting closer to Tier 3.
Fafnir only had a singular Innate at present, strangely sharing a similar name to the record it had obtained, called [Fafnir's Legacy]. As for Fenrir, she only had her [Insatiable Hunger] and, while it was a 'rankless' Innate, Vahn knew she hadn't been making full use of it. In truth, Fenrir could have used it to become incredibly powerful, growing without any true limitations as long as she ingested energy-rich sources. However, because she had been unstable at the time, it had been necessary to have Fenrir work on controlling her hunger rather than exploiting it. After all, the more her strength increased beyond her control, the 'hungrier' Fenrir would get as a result. This would make her increasingly more frustrated and potentially even cause her to lash out and go berserk.
Vahn realized that he needed to come up with a method to help Fenrir increase her power while simultaneously developing her control of said power. Fortunately, as this thought crossed his mind, Sis's ever-helpful voice chimed in, saying ("Vahn, why don't you just buy equipment from the shop that can help stabilize the mind and prevent emotions and mental instabilities from clouding one's judgment? You can also make her an accessory, much like Hephaestus' [Promise] that would be able to nullify and restrict the influence of her Innate, at least to an extent. If you take this route, it is very likely that Fenrir herself would develop an Innate that allows her a greater form of control by the time her Soul Tier increases.*)
This time, though he had been doing well to keep his processes separate, Vahn dulled in both his mind and reality. Erika, who had just asked him a question, tilted her head slightly with an embarrassed expression since she didn't understand how her question had caused such a reaction from her Papa. Vahn, noticing his daughter's reaction, smiled in response as he said, "Sorry about that, Erika, I just had a sudden realization and a bout of inspiration. To answer your question, yes, I intend to have everyone meet with Alex in the future. I already discussed it with Terra so all you have to do is visit her Garden and she will let you enter inside the orb. However, since you, Ina, and Vana are all very young, you can only stay for a few hours each day."
Vahn was somewhat afraid that his children's mental development would become even faster if they started spending long periods of time within the Spirit-Time orbs. Someone like Erika, who had a powerful thirst for knowledge, would undoubtedly want to make use of such a 'convenient' tool. If she could read and study for an extra one-hundred hours every day, Vahn had no doubt she would do just that. After all, her physical body wouldn't have changed much as only ten minutes would have passed in reality, meaning it was a powerful tool for anyone that had scholarly pursuits. Fortunately, Erika was a very well-behaved girl and seemed to realize what he was getting since she nodded obediently and said in a quiet voice, "Don't worry, Papa...I know you don't want us growing up too fast..."
For the rest of the afternoon, Vahn spent his time playing with his daughters, helping out with a bit of Naaza's research, and thinking of how he would help Fenrir with her breakthrough. Most of the girls, after enjoying the festive lunch, wandered off to the Garden to visit Alex and get their first look at one of Vahn's memory fragments. By the time they had returned, there seemed to be a unanimous agreement that there was definitely something 'strange' about interacting with a memory fragment of Vahn. Loki had even gathered many of the 'senior' members of the group together in private, apparently realizing there may be a few issues if they truly intended to make use of Spirit-Time orbs in the future.
Ultimately, after a great deal of discussion with Sis and talking it over with Fenrir, Vahn decided that the best method for her to become stronger was to 'exploit' the system. Though he often 'wasted' OP, Vahn still saved up a large amount of it since he wanted to be able to purchase the [Dimensional Anchor: Statis] in the future. However, as Sis had said, there was always a solution through using The Path and, after referencing a few texts he had obtained a long time ago, Vahn came upon the solution of having Fenrir 'cultivate' her spirit, mind, and body. There was already no limitations on her actual Innate so the only thing they needed to worry about was keeping her stable and allowing her to have greater control of her increasing capabilities.
Late that night, after spending some 'quality' time with Syr, Lunoire, and Chloe, Vahn went up to the roof where Fenrir had been sitting, staring towards the full moon with glimmering scarlet eyes. Vahn plopped down next to her, somewhat surprised that she didn't try to sit in his lap, instead, asking, "Master...do you not mind if I change...?" Fenrir knew that, if she made use of the methods they had talked about previously, she would become far different than her Master's previous expectations. She didn't mind being an 'anchor' for him, even if it was a role she had to take up for all eternity, so it made her somewhat hesitant about moving forward.
Vahn released a sigh, causing a small amount of condensation to spread out through the somewhat chilly atmosphere. Because of Fenrir's current mood, her magical energy had actually dropped the surrounding temperature a fair amount. So she didn't misunderstand his reaction, Vahn pulled her over to his side, hugging her seemingly frail and petite body firmly in his embrace as he said, "I have been thoughtlessly cruel to you, Fenrir...you really are too good for me and have done things on behalf that should have never been required of you. Just like I said in the past, long ago during a similarly cold night, my only hope is that you are able to be happy. This will allow you to pursue the path you seek and, even if I lose you as an 'anchor', I know you will always be my most loyal and trusted companion...though, if it is your wish, we can also be much more..." At the end of his words, Vahn leaned down and kissed Fenrir's exposed shoulder, feeling her body tremble slightly within his embrace.
Fenrir remained quiet for a very long time, thinking about the future path she wished to take and how it would affect, not just her Master's life, but her own. Ultimately, after remembering the smiles on all the other girls' faces, Fenrir found her resolve as she tightly hugged her Master's arms and said, "I want to become stronger...I want to be with Master always...Please, help Fenrir..." During the latter part of her words, Fenrir had turned her head upwards, looking towards him with watery eyes that made Vahn's heart twist inside his chest. Vahn knew that, though unintentionally, he had severely wronged Fenrir, even though she had always been working hard on his behalf. In fact, he had a habit of wronging many of his 'subordinates' even though he often told them they were like family to him...
Holding Fenrir's body tightly in his embrace, Vahn leaned down and kissed the teary-eyed Vanargandr on the lips, almost getting caught up to the point that he forgot about her [Devour] ability. Fortunately, Fenrir was 'very' aware of her own skills and turned her head away when she felt her Master's tongue try to snake its way between her lips. Still, she felt happy knowing that he had gotten caught up in the moment enough to treat her like a 'normal' girl. Thus, deciding to take advantage of the moment, instead of holding herself back, Fenrir turned around in his lap and pushed her Master down, enjoying a very long session of kissing and mutual 'petting'. Her Master had turned into his Vanargandr form to make matters easier for her, something Fenrir was very thankful for since it was very hard to hold back at the moment...
Several hours later, Vahn and Fenrir could see the horizon beginning to light up with the approaching dawn. It was still an hour or two away but it showed very clearly that they had gotten a little carried away in their actions, something that earned him a 'very' rare blush from Fenrir when he commented on it. Fortunately, Vahn hadn't completely lost himself in the moment and had, while his main focus had been on Fenrir herself, his 'sub-process' had been looking over the possible solutions with Sis.
The only reason Vahn knew about 'Cultivation' was as a result of the various strengthening items he had purchased in the past while, though only briefly, it had also been mentioned within the [Hands of Nirvana] manual. Vahn knew, from reading various resources after the fact, 'Cultivation' was one of the best methods to increase your internal energy, strengthening the meridians, forming a dantian, and potentially even ascending to godhood through martial practice, meditation, and spiritual enlightenment. Through understanding the various laws of the universe, gleaning insight into the 'dao' of all things, a person could increase their lifespan exponentially while simultaneously experiencing a monstrous growth in their physical and spiritual power.
Presently, Vahn's understanding of the principles behind 'Cultivation' was very shallow as even cheap cultivation manuals seemed to cost several tens-of-millions of Origin Points. As they were techniques that could allow one to potentially reach godhood, or even exceed it according to some texts, it wasn't too surprising. Fortunately, much like the [Flying Heavenly Sword Manual], it could technically be read by multiple people, meaning he could potentially allow multiple people to study it in the future. The only real restriction was, each cultivation technique was heavily dependent on the nature and affinity of the user. Also, unless you had a strong soul and a great deal of willpower, some phases of the cultivation process could be lethal to the practitioner. After all, the 'purpose' behind cultivation seemed to be an effort to directly oppose fate, meaning there were several heavenly tribulations the user would have to face depending on their karmic alignment.
Though it was possible to get lucky and obtain a cultivation manual through the gacha system, Vahn knew it was very unlikely unless he managed to procure some 'Premium Gacha Coupons'. Thus far, he had only ever managed to accumulate two of them, one from the Goliath and another as a lucky drop from his and Ais' fight against the Balor. Currently, other than as a 'Grade Reward' from quests, Vahn's only way to get 'Premium Gacha Coupons' was from slaying Monster Rexes, generally without assistance. With his [Magia Erebea], this became far more practical than in the past so it looked like he would need to treat it seriously in the future. If he could accumulate ten coupons, Vahn would be able to exchange them for a 10+1 pull from the system, with the bonus pull having a much higher rate of being the type of item he was looking for. Just like his own [Mantra of Eternity], which Vahn suspected to be related to 'Cultivation', there was a very high chance he could obtain something beneficial for Fenrir's growth.
The main reason Vahn decided to use the Premium Gacha was that it wouldn't cost him any Origin Points, meaning he could save tens, or even hundreds, of millions of OP. However, this didn't mean he was unable to help Fenrir almost instantly as, after reading up on various matters related to Cultivation, Vahn knew where were several support techniques that would be very beneficial to her. These included special meditation methods, spiritual refinement medicines, soul-strengthening pills, and even tertiary support methods like treasures, artifacts, and equipment.
Fenrir, in order to increase her affinity with ice elemental energy, had actually slept on a bed of ice when she was in Eva's orb. Vahn discovered that such methods were actually very common in cultivation resources since it allowed a person to increase their understanding of specific laws by constantly immersing themselves among their respective elements. Thus, Vahn decided to convert one of the subterranean rooms of the Manor into a 'Cultivation Cave' for Fenrir's use, fitting it with a bed of ice, made of a material called [Pristine Jade Ice]. He also gifted her a meditation technique called [Mind of Still Water, Heart of Eternal Ice], which would supposedly allow Fenrir to have better control over her emotions while also increasing her elemental affinity with Ice...
----------------------------------------------------------------------
[Pristine Jade Ice Bed] (390,000OP)
Rank: A (Earth-Grade Treasure)
Use: Allows the body to absorb ice, water, and yin elemental energies, further increasing the user's affinity with said elements. For users that do not possess said elements, causes yin-ice toxins to build up in the marrows and restricts the flow of energy through the meridians.
An Earth-Grade Treasure used by disciples of a sect that cultivates Ice Elemental techniques. Disciples of the Sect are known for their calm dispositions, ethereal beauty, and cold hearts that become detached from the world. However, rumors also say that anyone able to melt the heart of these disciples would win their favor for all eternity, even becoming dao companions on the long road of cultivation.
[Mind of Still Water, Heart of Eternal Ice] (250,000OP)
Rank: B (Mortal-Grade Meditation Technique)
Use: Manual detailing specific breathing techniques that allow the user to have better control over their emotions, making the cultivation of water, ice, and yin elemental techniques easier. However, prolonged use of this meditation technique, without counterbalancing it with fire, star, or yang elemental energies can make the user become as cold and detached as the techniques they cultivate.
A meditation technique created by a young practitioner in a foreign record, having grown within an area surrounded by water and ice. It is said that she had been inspired by the ever-present chill of her homeland and watching how icebergs were able to slowly carve a path through the land, almost as if they had limitless patience and an infinite amount of time. In the same way that rivers can create canyons, this technique emphasizes patience, perseverance, and, most importantly, attunement with the elemental laws of water, ice, and yin energy.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Fenrir's Desires','The Goodest Girl...','Ack! Someone Got Cultivation in my Slice of Life Novel~!')<--(A/N: This was never meant to be a slice of life novel (>,...,<)~!)
https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu <-(p.atreon link)
paypal.me/Einlion
Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh
It took a bit of effort, and coordination with Terra, but Vahn managed to get a decently sized room set up for Fenrir's cultivation. Because of the conflicts between natural energy, and all the elemental affinities Fenrir made use of, the room she used had to be completely isolated from the rest of Terra's dominion. To do so, she made several reinforced earthen layers surrounding the room, each bearing a complex arrangement of wards that would prevent the icy energy from spreading into the surroundings. By the time everything was complete, Fenrir had a room that was near -200 degrees Celsius, covered in a layer of ice with several valuable herbs and natural resources growing within, each suffusing ice and yin elemental energy through the room. Most notably, however, was the large slab of ice that formed the shape of a bed, something Fenrir seemed rather fond of since it was always very calming to be surrounded by your own element.
Vahn had to set up several barriers to the entrance of Fenrir's room since it could actually kill anyone that didn't have a high tolerance to cold. Exposure to the extreme ice elemental energy in the room would sap the strength of anyone inside of kill, freezing solid anyone that didn't have some means to resist the icy chill that would seize their body. Fenrir, however, seemed completely immune to it, much like Vahn who was currently laying on the [Pristine Jade Ice Bed] with the jubilant little Vanargandr clinging to his body. She continued to draw deep breaths, enjoying her Master's fragrance in this small world where only the two of them existed. After refilling her 'reserves', Fenrir lifted her body and said, "Thank you, Master...this room feel very comfortable. I will do my best to become even stronger in the future..." Then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, Fenrir leaned down and started kissing him, something she seemed especially fond of since the previous night.
Fenrir had completely stopped putting on the 'act' she had adopted ever since her return from the orb. With her Master accepting her desire to grow stronger, along with her feelings of wanting to be with him, Fenrir felt like a heavy weight had been removed from her shoulders. She hadn't realized it previously, but there had been a very heavy burden on her heart that had caused her to bottle up some resentment towards the other girls. After all, before spending four years with Terra and Eva, she had never really opened up to them completely. Though she still cared deeply for her Master's children, Fenrir was much happier being able to improve her strength while having a special place only she and her Master could visit...
Other than the time he spent visiting Alex, conversing with the girls, and playing with his daughters, Vahn spent the rest of the day helping set up Fenrir's room. Once everything was completed, they snuggled up on the bed and talked about cultivation and various other subjects, at least when Fenrir wasn't releasing her pent up 'affections' on him. Vahn, knowing how much he had restrained her in the past, pampered Fenrir quite a bit throughout the day, though it never went further than heavy petting and kissing. Unlike the past, they actually sat down and talked about the unique structure of her body, discussing possible solutions and steps she could take to overcome her 'Ageless' trait.
Like all of his subordinates, they were actually able to live forever but, as a result of some of the unique quirks of the system, they could still age and grow depending on special circumstances. This would continue until they reached physical maturity or, in the case that age resulted in their power increasing, even extend far into their twilight years. However, unless they were killed outright, none of his subordinates named through the Akashic Tome would die of old age. After all, though they were unique entities, they were still an extension of himself, sharing an unbreakable link with his soul and being entirely comprised of source energy...
Fenrir was a unique case among the rest of his subordinates because, much like Eva, Fenrir had a 'fixed' default state that her body always reverted back to. Fafnir, Terra, and Khaos, while having noteworthy regeneration, didn't possess this quality as it was something unique to Fenrir's existence as a Vanargandr. He wasn't sure which record he had drawn her name from, but the original record holder must have had the Ageless trait as well. As a result, Fenrir's body always reverted back to her base form, regardless of the damage she sustained. Unless she was outright killed, Fenrir could regrow lost limbs, regenerate organs, and even grow out her hair to the exact same length as her 'default' state. Even if she shaved her entire head of hair, it wouldn't even take more than two hours for it to reach the middle of her back once again.
Unfortunately, there weren't any outright ways to change Fenrir's Ageless body into a more 'normal' one, other than increasing the Tier of her soul and fundamentally altering the nature of her existence. The higher someone was in respect to Soul Tier, the greater influence they had over their own destiny, including the form they took and the capabilities they would possess. Innates existed outside the influence of laws so, if Fenrir was able to get an Innate that allowed her to freely alter her form, it would have a higher priority than her Ageless trait. She already nearly mastered her [Mimickry] Development Ability at this point and, though her transformation magic still needed work, Fenrir was quite gifted at it.
According to Eva, it took her nearly ten years to learn how to change the shape of her body with magic, something she had never truly mastered. Fenrir, though only working on it proactively for the last two months, already had a marginal amount of success with the ability. In the future, she may even be able to assume an 'adult' form, even without the reliance on an Innate. This, however, wouldn't get around the base issue so she needed to harden her intent and 'desire' an Innate that would give her more control over the changes in her body. Most likely, she would end up first getting an Innate related to the mind, increasing her control and willpower, so it was probable that the 'issues' with her body wouldn't be addressed until she reached Tier 3. However, with her [Insatiable Hunger] possessing no growth restrictions, Fenrir would be able to reach Tier 3 very quickly, likely in as little as a few months depending on how much effort she puts into her secondary Innate.
The development of one's Innates was the key to increasing the Soul Tier, though not the 'determinant' factor. Having a mastered Innate just meant you could reach the limit of your current Soul Tier, meaning a Tier 1 Soul could reach the peak of Tier 1 if they mastered their Innate. To actually advance your soul further, you required a breakthrough in both your understanding of laws and the nature of existence itself. This would prompt the awakening of other Innates, circumventing the laws of the world and allowing you to grow beyond the limitations you were born with. Interestingly, these changes would persist through all your future reincarnations as well, meaning Cultivation was the key to eternal life, regardless of the record you originated from. At the very least, you would make life easier for all your future incarnations since their potential would have been increased through your efforts...
Having a better understanding of how Innates function, Vahn realized why his own Soul Tier had increased so quickly, even though it was very difficult to do so for 'normal' people. His [Will of the Emperor] had already reached the peak at the moment of its awakening. This allowed him to have a rational view of the world while increasing his understanding of various laws through observation and interacting directly with the elemental energies within the air. It was also the major shifts in his mentality, supported by [Will of the Emperor], that caused his other Innates to awaken. Vahn knew that his Soul Tier fundamentally had no restrictions, meaning he already had several dormant Innates sleeping inside of him. If he truly managed to awaken each of them, pushing them towards mastery, his path to obtaining higher Tiers would only be restricted by his perseverance and understanding.
Vahn was tempted to try cultivation himself but, after forming the thought, Sis informed him it wouldn't be 'appropriate' given his bodies constitution. In truth, though there were skills that allowed him to have an almost 'perfect' control over certain elemental forces, Vahn had no affinity with any element. This made most cultivation techniques, even catered to his body through the path, fundamentally 'flawed'. Since he actually had no limitations from the start, normal cultivation would actually 'create' bottlenecks that didn't previously exist. By following a path laid out by other people, his growth would be limited, even if it would also give him an explosive amount of power in the interim.
Eva's [Magia Erbea] was a good example since, after learning it, Vahn had a lot of restrictions and issues that he has slowly been working to overcome. However, for his current record, the skill gave him too many advantages to simply throw away. Instead, much like he would have to do with any cultivation manuals he purchased, Vahn had to improve upon the skill and overcome the inherent restrictions through breaking down and understanding the laws that allowed the skills to function. Fortunately, this didn't apply to existences that he had named through the Akashic record as, even though their body was comprised of source energy, they still possessed elemental affinities.
Fenrir had limitless growth with her completely unrestricted [Insatiable Hunger], which was graded even higher than his [Will of the Emperor]. By cultivating certain techniques, Fenrir could have greater influence over how her base Innate affected her growth. This made it so that she had no 'real' bottlenecks in the future, limited only by her mental development and self-control. After all, even if she stayed Tier 1 forever, Fenrir would be able to have enough power and energy to rival beings that were much stronger than her. If left unrestricted, she could even devour an entire record without ever increasing her Soul Tier at all, including all the powerful entities and gods contained within. Now, by increasing her Soul Tier and working towards 'controlling' her own Innate, Fenrir's future growth was truly unrestricted, even without sacrificing her mind in the process...
---
After spending the night with Fenrir, Vahn woke up with a comfortable chill encompassing his entire body. Though he didn't have any water, ice, or yin elemental affinity, Vahn was entirely immune to the yin-ice poison that would have settled in his body by sleeping on the [Pristine Jade Ice Bed]. Instead, the icy chill made him feel very calm and relaxed as his body broke down the detrimental effects of the energy and converted it directly into source energy. Fenrir, though covered in a light layer of frost, also seemed to be very comfortable as her eyelids fluttered open, dispersing the small particles that had attached themselves to her hair and eyelashes. With a happy smile on her face, Fenrir wrapped her arms around him suddenly and began rubbing her head against his bare chest, lazily muttering, "Master~."
Vahn smiled, returning her embrace while enjoying the strange sensation of her ice-cold skin against his bare body. They had both slept naked the previous night, enjoying the cold energy pervading through their bodies while cuddling up with each other. Fenrir, even though his body was also very cold, commented that she enjoyed the warmth that radiated from his body. When he asked about it, Fenrir explained that it was like his aura was very warm, while his presence and aroma made her feel calm and safe. This was actually a sentiment shared by most of the girls in the Manor, which was why they all felt somewhat strange when they interacted with his memory fragment previously.
After Loki, Hephaestus, Eina, Hestia, and Syr had discussed the matter, it was decided that the 'reward' orbs wouldn't be used in the future. If it wasn't the real Vahn, it felt very strange since he acted distinctly different than normal while also 'feeling' different. The only Space-Time orbs that would be used were exclusively restricted to educational purposes and skill development. To make up for this, Terra was now trying her best to make a more powerful Sub-Space orb so that Vahn could spend time with each girl with his 'real' form.
Fortunately, it was possible to use multiple orbs to get around the restrictions that might have limited the progress of 'normal' people. If Terra made several orbs, it would be possible to make use of each of them, functionally increasing the time dilation a person experienced, potentially to the point where they could experience an eternity over the course of a single day. This, however, would take a vast amount of resources and a powerful understanding of space-time laws, which were currently far beyond the capabilities of Vahn, or anyone else for that matter...
Since Vahn had to make good on his 'promise' to Rakia Kingdom today, he couldn't really stay locked up inside Fenrir's room all day. Thus, after hugging her body for the better part of an hour, allowing her to fiddle around with his 'proud' dragon, Vahn and Fenrir got dressed to attend the morning training. When they finally came out of the icy chamber, Vahn felt his skin stinging as his temperature slowly normalized. Fenrir, however, seemed to 'contain' the icy energies in her body as a gentle mist wafted off of her. She always walked around bare-pawed so, every step she took made icy fragments spread around from the point of contact. Vahn found this rather interesting and, after checking over Fenrir's body with his [Eyes of Truth], he could see several icy strands of energy flowing through her body. Very small parts of this energy was being absorbed by her mana circuits, nourishing and strengthening them. However, the vast majority of the energy was slowly dissipating into the atmosphere, forming the mist that gave Fenrir an illusory look.
As they walked through the Manor, Fenrir left a small trail of ice that caused her to furrow her brows slightly and, upon coming across Emiru and Maemi, she apologized for making a mess. The twins were somewhat surprised by the 'honest' apology they had received, smiling softly in response as they synchronously said, "Don't worry about it, Fenrir. We will take care of it properly~." Unlike everyone else, the twins usually trained in the afternoon since they spent most of the morning cleaning the Manor, serving meals, and doing laundry. They genuinely enjoyed working as maids so, though it used to bother him int he past, Vahn had completely accepted their self-assumed roles. Fortunately, Syr, Milan, Lunoire, and, though he had been surprised the first time he saw her, Risna also helped out. She had something about not wanting to just 'leech' off everyone else in the Manor, feeling self-conscious about watching everyone else work hard all the time...
Arriving in the back yard, Vahn saw Tiona in her dual-transformation, making use of both her [Pactio] form and the wand in her possession. She was flying around creating shockwaves while she and Ais fought in the air above the training field. From below, Naaza and Ryuu were shooting arrows towards the two, allowing them to train their awareness while practicing high-speed movements. Ryuu didn't train much these day, but it didn't strain her body too much just using her artifact to fire arrows. Though slightly different in structure, Ryuu now had a crest carved on her abdomen that allowed her to absorb natural energy into her body. It didn't serve the same purpose as Riveria's, which was almost 'necessary' for pregnancy, but still allowed her mana to replenish much faster than normal.
One of the discussion topics in recent weeks was creating several types of crests that could help increase the acquisition of magic power in all the girls' bodies. Since it wasn't that difficult to remove later on in life, it would allow everyone that was currently in their development phase to increase their magic power further. This was especially true for the girls that were currently pregnant since their growth would be limited during the duration of their pregnancy. Now, not just Ryuu, but Eina also had a crest carved on her body. In the future, once the crests were refined to suit each individual elemental affinity, Vahn expected it would be 'common' to see specific types of crests present on people's bodies.
The trend would start with the girls in the Manor but, depending on how things developed, Vahn didn't mind making it available to the students that would attend the School. After all, anything that could passively aid a person's growth, especially when they are young, would be very beneficial to securing the future of their graduates. Then, once people learned the purpose of the crests, Vahn expected they would become commonplace after a few years. Thus, the crests themselves were actually a disguise for the 'real' formation that was carved underneath, making use of his knowledge of meridians and the existence of the spiritual and magic bodies. Even if people 'copied' the crests, they wouldn't have any true function, making the prestige of the School and its graduates elevated with an air of mystery associated with it...
Fenrir stood next to Vahn for a few minutes, watching the skirmish overhead with intrigue before turning towards the forest and saying, "Master, I'm going to go talk with Terra. I want to meet Alex and see what your memory fragment is like..." Vahn nodded his head, giving Fenrir one last kiss that earned him the attention of some of the other girls in the field. Fenrir smiled in return before suddenly shaking her body, forcing the cold energy to escape through her pores. A layer of frost covered the grassy area before Fenrir giggled and ran off towards the forest. Since Terra would have complained if she was 'leaking' energy in the Garden, Fenrir diffused it from her body before deciding to head over. Vahn, also covered in a layer of frost, shook his head with a slight smile on his face. Fenrir's laugh had been directed towards him but Vahn didn't mind, simply enjoying the change in her character and how happy she seemed.
Shortly after Fenrir had departed, Haruhime made her way over, accompanied by Lili, the latter of which was covered in a light layer of sweat from her morning exertions. Vahn habitually stroked both their heads the moment they entered his 'range', earning smiles from both girls as Haruhime said, "Fenrir seems a lot happier than before. I was actually starting to worry about her over the last few days. I'm glad everything turned out well..." Lili, nodding her head, added, "Yes, she seemed to be trying very hard to restrain herself. If things had kept going in that direction, it's possible she might have had a mental breakdown at some point." There was a very 'serious' look in Lili's eyes as she looked toward Vahn but, after a few seconds had passed, she smiled and said, "I knew you would take action before then, though~."
Haruhime laughed in response to Lili's words, pulling closer to Vahn as she said, "Indeed...after all, our Master is rather Heroic, isn't he, Lili~?" Lili's brows had twitched when she saw Haruhime suddenly get close to Vahn but, after hearing her words, she smiled and, without minding her sweaty body, clung to Vahn's other arm and muttered a happy 'Nn!' Vahn just shook his head with a wry smile before asking, "Mind if I join you two for training this morning? I want to warm up my body a bit before I leave later." Hearing his words, Haruhime and Lili exchanged a knowing look, understanding that Vahn may suffer a mental blow by the time he returned in the afternoon. Lili gave a small nod, seemingly communicating something between them before she looked up at Vahn and said, "I don't mind if you want to train with us. However, we were talking to Lefiya earlier and she had been looking forward to using her 'Heavy Petting Coupon' later on. If you're not busy this afternoon, you should go spend some time with her..."
Vahn was very surprised when he heard Lili essentially telling him to spend time with other girls, especially given her character. Though she had improved in leaps and bounds, Lili still had a somewhat jealous personality and it wasn't easy for her to prop up others. Understanding she was acting out of character on his behalf, Vahn started to realize that it wasn't just Fenrir looking out for him. With a smile on his face, Vahn made Lili flush as he bent down and kissed her lightly on the lips and said, "Sure, that sounds like a good idea. After I'm done, however, how about we all go play in the woods for a bit? This time, I'll be the Seeker and, if I managed to find you...well...I'm sure you'll enjoy it~." Lili had started to breathe heavily through her nose, face completely red as she nodded with a very serious, "Yes, that sounds great! Super great!" escaping her tiny lips. As for Haruhime, her eyes glittered with the light of expectation as she released a peal of elegant bell-like laughter...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn's body is a Cultivator's wet dream...','Vahn's body is Fenrir's wet dream...','RIP Lefiya, gonna get some of that 'Heavy Petting' soon')
https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu <-(p.atreon link)
paypal.me/Einlion
Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh
Anda mungkin juga menyukai
Komentar Paragraf
Fitur komentar paragraf sekarang ada di Web! Arahkan kursor ke atas paragraf apa pun dan klik ikon untuk menambahkan komentar Anda.
Selain itu, Anda selalu dapat menonaktifkannya atau mengaktifkannya di Pengaturan.
MENGERTI