Edrick woke up inside his tent. The outside was not quite as warm as it had been previously. Nonetheless, he had slept in the nude, with only a piece of beastskin covering his lower body. He had slept using Oswulf as a pillow. Her soft, long reddish-orange fur provided much warmth… In addition, Vulpalis had also slept right by his side. Her pale fur pressed against the side of his chest as she rested her smiling face against his shoulder.

Ansbach wasn’t into cuddling with his master, so he had just slept at Edrick’s feet, closest to the tent’s entrance.

Anoteros stroked the fur of his bestial companions. He had somehow ended up with three canines, not that it mattered what kind of beasts they were, but it was an odd coincidence–And although Alffine wasn’t a companion of his, even she was a canine.

Apart from his own sasquatch son, all of his notable tamed beasts were canids. Not that he was going to complain… All three of the females had proven excellent partners of Biestia. He was looking forward to perhaps finding a way to properly reward them with his seed… He doubted whatever they would end up giving birth to would be able to count as actual descendants of his, but who knew? This was a wide, wild world.

…This reminded him of Niediao’s wish to earn a bloodline from a certain type of goblin bearing only male specimens. Indeed, the Monstrisia-enjoying Elideue probably had the right idea. It probably was the best way to earn the consistent ability to crossbreed.

Regardless, Edrick now had a Laughing Fox as a companion. Vulpalis’s abilities were his to command now. Through her, he could command swats of creatures to act on his behalf. If he kept her hidden from the public, there were already many ways he could envision making good use of her skills… 

Not to mention that she had the potential to evolve into a more powerful form. She had shown a glimpse of that through the consumption of the bloody chunk of moss and grass combined. That form had basically been an enlarged version of what she currently was, with noticeably longer legs and an even more expressive face.

Of course, it was also coupled with much greater physical power and mind control abilities.

She would make for a great follower…

Edrick also believed that Vulpalis would allow him to get his hands on more Laughing Foxes as well.

He stroked her between the ears.

“…I will make you a queen amongst your kind…”

Anoteros got himself dressed and checked up on the pregnant Mountain Sasquatches. They didn’t seem like they were showing signs just yet.

After getting done with some morning training, he went back to the spot where he had previously found the stairs leading to the physical form of Eltysia. The stairs were still there, so he descended while his three companions settled down and waited.

The scion found himself in the same pale-red temple interior as last time. The realm was still in the same position, as though she hadn’t budged in the least since he had last met her.

“You were quick to complete the task… I suppose it was already on your bucket list, after all… But the way you dominated her… Mmh~ You truly make for an exemplary male individual, don’t you?”

“I am not too familiar with the ways of humans. You fellows only appear every fifty years or so, and you all look so different and unique! I was never able to get a good grasp of what you were about… A diverse species of sapients for certain”

“I wish I had met your kind before finalising my very own sapient species. In comparison… Underwood Elves seem so bland and similar to one another. I mean–They all have the same sexual attraction to muscular men”

“Regardless… Welcome back, Edrick Lucien Anoteros. I very much enjoyed the way you decided to go about this. Vulpalis, you decided to call her? That is a nice name. Creatures of this realm never consider doing the things you do. You offer a fresh perspective”

“Glad to know you like my methods”

He glanced at the floating, assembled skeletons. They radiated a tantalising aura. There was something special about them, and his body desired it. They held the way to greater power–They could provide something incredible, he could feel it.

“If I may ask, though. What else would you like me to do? You said that you wanted to test me, yes?”

Eltysia smiled.

“Indeed, I must truly make sure that you are the right candidate. If not, I would hate to bring about the end of such a… Fine specimen”

“I only have two more tasks for you, Edrick. You see, under my watch, the beasts of this realm can develop the ability to change their form to a more humanoid one. Alffine has achieved this level from having lived for a very long time thanks to her druidic bloodline”

“Only one other creature has reached this level. She is a special one, too… She mourns the loss of her father, and she now guards two treasures he left behind for the strong and bold to claim. I would like you to claim her and the legacy left behind by her father”

Edrick smiled.

“The kind of beast she is–It’s the catch, isn’t it?”

She smiled back at him.

“Of course, a test without challenge would not be fun for either of us… She is a Paraceratherium Magus. You can imagine the value of the treasures I mentioned just from this, yes? They are fully yours to claim and use as you see fit–Just like she will be if you manage to get her under your ownership”

“May I know what the third challenge will be?”

Eltysia shifted under her luxurious blanket, lying on her side like a Roman noble about to be fed grapes.

“What else, but to defeat my Red Guardian? You have all the time you want to complete these tasks. Come back here when you have completed both, and I will reward you handsomely~”

Edrick reappeared outside. The staircase had completely disappeared.

‘…Good thing I am not on any time limit. I can’t casually stroll up to a Paraceratherium Magus… Especially not a special one… Well, maybe I could, but it is best to prepare’

He knew his limits. The two tasks she was giving him were not things he could accomplish at the moment. Thus, he was going to focus on growing stronger on his own for now.

It was probably time to get to work on the quest the system had given him. Thanks to the Blutgar’s assistance, Anoteros had increased his reputation greatly with all of the Underwoods… 

Make The Underwoods Yours: Dominate all Underwood Elf chiefs. Dominate all of the greatest hunters. Make all Underwood Elves crave your dominance. Establish rites and festivities involving you and the desire of the elves for your affection. Be recognised as a leader by all of the elves. Expand the existing Underwoods whilst maintaining the culture and current level of development. Establish at least one new Underwood, and get rid of all the safe places created by humans from the outside

He was going to be pounding a whole lot of dark-bluish backsides for a while.

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