Encounter

[Day 39]

"Haaaaaaa...this is going to take a while..." sighed Vahn, sinking into a hot spring pool in one of the Frozen Abyss's Checkpoints. Nearly a month had passed since he began his self-imposed trial of ridding the Floor of every Draugr littering the landscape, but he had seriously misjudged how big 1.2 million square kilometers was.

(But you've been enjoying yourself, right~?) asked Sis, causing a smile to develop across Vahn's face. He had always known it to be the case, but unleashing his power and generally exerting himself for upwards of twelve hours a day made everything from eating, drinking, relaxing, and spending time with his harem all the more enjoyable.

"Let's just hope Akeno never finds out that I'm beginning to enjoy getting my ass kicked..." joked Vahn, referring to his near-daily sparring sessions with Jack-O. He originally picked her as an opponent because he found her two-tone red-and-white hair and remarkable physique attractive, but after experiencing her strength, he was determined to defeat her and one day meet the real deal.

ssfssh

"Hmmm...?"

As he was the only person on the Floor and Checkpoints had never had monster spawns, Vahn's brows rose to their limits when he looked to his left and found a pair of large yellow eyes peering at him from behind one of the boulders populating the springs. Said eyes were attached to a little girl with messy, almost midnight-blue hair, a prominent ahoge, and, most notably, a pair of large, wolf-like ears.

'What's a little girl doing here...?' Vahn wondered, outwardly adopting a friendly smile as he asked, "Did you come here to use the hot springs...?"

Leaving Vahn at a momentary loss for words, the girl, speaking in a low and somewhat raspy voice, tentatively asked, "Are you my papa...?" while sticking her head out further from behind her hiding place, revealing her bare right shoulder and collarbone.

'And she's naked to boot...' Vahn realized, a wave of confusion washing over him as the girl appeared to be between five to six years old and, at least on a surface level, sapient. The only other truly living being he had encountered in the Corridor was Akeno's mother, Shuri, so there was a non-negligible chance the girl had wandered out from one of the strange stone doors that periodically appeared.

grrrowaaaaaaaaaaaaagh

Catching Vahn off guard, the little wolf girl's stomach abruptly produced an audible and lengthy rumbling sound, causing her cheeks to blush and her expression to become timid.

"Are you hungry...?" asked Vahn, regaining a smile as he produced one of the fruits that was increasingly becoming associated with him, a Crimson Bapple. The little girl initially didn't answer, but after looking between him and the almost luminous red fruit several times, she tentatively emerged from behind the boulder, confirming her nudity and revealing that she had a bushy, midnight-blue tail nearly as long as her legs.

Not wanting to frighten the girl, Vahn remained completely motionless until she, rather abruptly, snatched the Crimson Bapple from his hand, secured it with the exceptionally sharp-looking teeth in her mouth, and ran away with inhuman swiftness on all fours.

'There she goes...' mused Vahn, briefly considering pursuing the strange girl and gifting her clothes but ultimately deciding against it as she didn't appear to be affected by Fimbulwinter's Encroachment, further cementing her status as a native of the Frozen Abyss. That left him with considerably more questions than answers, but he was sure the girl would either return to interact with him of her own accord or he would locate where she was living during his search.

'Either way, I should be more considerate when using area attacks in the future...' thought Vahn, closing his eyes and allowing the tension to leave his body.

"More..." muttered a voice Vahn immediately associated with the little wolf girl, leaving him confused as he didn't sense her approach at all. When he looked to his left, however, she was less than two meters away, poised in a very unladylike crouching posture, similar to someone pretending to be a dog. Less notably, as he was briefly taken aback by the dangerous view, her once yellow eyes had turned crimson. She also had a rather jarring set of teeth, reminiscent of a shark...

Recovering from his brief stupor, Vahn regained his smile and responded, "But of course," before sitting straight and presenting an entire bushel of Crimson Bapples for the girl to enjoy, consequently discouraging her from taking one and running.

Seemingly acknowledging that Vahn wasn't a threat, the girl plopped onto her butt in a similarly unladylike manner and began devouring the Crimson Bapples at a rate that would humble Goku. More conspicuously, she didn't appear to need to chew, her throat briefly expanding noticeably whenever she swallowed whatever was in her mouth.

Though there were one hundred Crimson Bapples in the bushel, enough to keep an average person sated for months, the little wolf girl left Vahn at an even greater loss as she picked up the wooden container that had contained the crimson fruits and began eating it with the ease of chewing a piece of celery. Then, staring at him with pale pink eyes, she reached up and stuck her right index finger into her mouth, hooking her bottom lip as she offered a simple, "More..."

'She just devoured more than twenty kilograms of hunger-alleviating food and is still hungry...' noted Vahn, his smile cramping slightly as he got the distinct impression he might serve as the little girl's dessert if he couldn't completely satisfy her hunger. The crimson hue of her eyes had lessened after consuming the bapples, however, so he assumed it wouldn't take too much more.

"Before that, would you mind putting on some clothes?" asked Vahn, his smile relaxing as he explained, "Being naked in the bath is okay, but you shouldn't be walking or running around like that."

"Clothes...?" parrotted the girl, tilting her head nearly thirty degrees to the side.

Nodding, Vahn extended his hand, stating, "First and foremost, put these on. To do that, you first stick your feet through each of the two holes and then pull up the bigger hole until it's snug around your butt."

Holding up the pair of white cotton panties Vahn had given her, the little wolf girl inspected them curiously before sniffing them several times. She clearly didn't know what they were, but after a period of deliberation, she eventually slipped her feet through the holes intended for her legs before pulling them up around her waist, notably inside out.

"That's very good," affirmed Vahn, nodding and providing a second bushel as he explained, "Though, in the future, the part with the padding goes on the inside. Once you're through eating, I'll present you a pair with a ribbon or a tiny bow to make it easier."

"Mmn..." responded the girl, staring intently at Vahn as she devoured the second bushel at a more conservative pace. Vahn initially held her gaze, but since she didn't appear to need to blink, he eventually closed his eyes and sank back into the water, enjoying its warmth with the girl's eating as white noise.

plop

Ostensibly sated after an additional fifty-four bapples, the little wolf girl surprised Vahn for the umpteenth time by slipping into the bath on his left side and snuggling closer to him with her left hand grasping his arm. She didn't say anything, but he got the impression she had grown rather fond of him as she rubbed her forehead and temple against his shoulder rather aggressively.

"Baths are meant for relaxing..." said Vahn, his tone soft but firm, causing the wolf girl to stare at him with her large, now yellow eyes. Then, after a glance at his body, she appeared to try and emulate him, lying back in the water. However, instead of sinking into the water, she floated atop it due to her butt-length hair and tail evidently being hydrophobic and buoyant...

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"Do you have a name...?" asked Vahn, standing behind and brushing the hair of the wolf girl as she sat slouched with her heels together atop a broad-topped stool in an oversized tee and panties. He tried getting her to wear something more comprehensive, but she quickly grew agitated, complaining about them being too tight even though everything he chose should have fit her perfectly.

Shaking her head, the wolf girl answered, "Mama said that Papa would give me a name. But I waited and waited, and Papa never came. Then I smelled something really good, so I came here."

"Did you find what smelled good?" asked Vahn, having a pretty good idea what the girl was referring to as she leaned back against his belly, looked up at him, and confirmed, "You smell like happiness. That's why I asked if you were Papa."

"Mmn...I see..." muttered Vahn, using the brush in his hands to try and comb aside the girl's bangs, but her hair was bristly and resilient, much like Goku's. It seemed to have a shape it wanted to stay in, so while he could brush out the knots, the girl's hair naturally formed spiky tufts that flowed away from her scalp.

"As far as I'm aware, I haven't been blessed with any children just yet..." appended Vahn, adding, "But my name is Vahn Mason. Some call me the Intertwining Dragon of Fate, but you can call me Vahn."

Shaking her head, the wolf girl sounded fairly certain as she sat straight and decisively asserted, "You're Papa." Immediately after, her bushy tail started wagging behind her, presumably indicating she was happy as she then began swaying her body from side to side while humming.

'Well, it's not like I don't have other adoptive children...' thought Vahn, his expression softening as he exhaled from his nose and continued brushing the mysterious girl's hair. Then, while thinking of possible names, he softly asserted, "Alright, then. If I'm your Papa, that means you have to listen to me. And that means dressing properly like a good girl."

Catching Vahn by surprise, the little wolf girl's body tensed, her hair and tail bristling when he linked the words good and girl. The words appeared to be a kind of trigger for her, as the moment the bristling concluded, she tilted her head back and looked up at him with teary eyes, asking, "Have I been a bad girl...?" before pursing her lips in a sad frown, causing her chin to crinkle.

"Not yet..." assured Vahn, his expression and tone softening as he gently caressed the underside of the girl's throat and appended, "But if you're going to be my daughter, that means you'll need to interact with a bunch of other people. And that means wearing clothes properly..."

"Okay..." responded the girl, sniffling loudly a few times before closing her eyes and gradually relaxing into his palm. His A-Rank Petting Skill was just as effective against people as it was against animals, so it didn't take long for him to calm her down, allowing him to finish brushing her hair and very bushy tail before they picked her a more appropriate outfit and retired to a tiny villa he produced to acclimate her to living indoors and using common appliances. She was what some might call a feral child, evidenced by the fact they had been speaking to each other in growls, so Vahn concluded it would be better to have her remain in the Corridor and bring the others to her until he could be certain her crimson-eyed state wouldn't compel her to try and eat someone...

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"Well, aren't you just the cutest little thing..." hummed Venelana, sporting a motherly smile as she held the sides of the wolf girl's face and rubbed her cheeks with her thumbs.

"Gnuuuuuu...you're not Mama..." groaned the wolf girl, yet, as Vahn had asked her to be on her best behavior, she endured Venelana's affection. She would later reflect on their meeting as the happiest and scariest time in her life, as Venelana didn't restrain herself when it came to educating and disciplining naughty children...

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(A/N: I had some unplanned medical expenses last month, so if you're feeling generous or want to contribute to ensuring I can continue writing, please consider becoming a Patron(eins_left_foot) or donating to my Paypal at paypal.me/Einlion.)