Chapter 40 — Unbound Wolf
Morning at Lin Xuan's mansion was anything but quiet.
The long dining table was full—far too full for what was supposed to be a calm breakfast—but the loudest sounds didn't come from plates or cups. They came from the far end of the table, where Shin and Daichi were already at war.
"I told you, that's my sausage!" Shin snapped, chopsticks shooting across the table like thrown knives.
Daichi didn't even look guilty. He shoved another piece into his mouth, cheeks puffed out. "You were too slow."
Theo pinched the bridge of his nose. "Daichi. Chew properly."
"I am chewing," Daichi replied, still talking with his mouth full.
Prabhat sighed quietly, sipping his tea as if this chaos were background noise he'd long learned to ignore.
Across the table, Anika leaned closer and closer toward Lin Xuan, resting her chin on her hands, elbows propped up like she had nowhere else to be.
"Brother Lin~" she said sweetly. "Feed me."
Lin Xuan didn't even look up from his tea.
Anika blinked. Then leaned even closer, invading his personal space without shame.
"Brother Liiiin~"
No response.
Her lips puffed out into a pout. She straightened slightly, then turned her head with exaggerated disappointment.
"Yan'er, feed me."
Yan'er paused mid-bite, spoon hovering in the air. For half a second, she hesitated—then smiled gently.
"Alright."
She scooped up a small portion and held it out. Anika immediately leaned forward and accepted it, grinning like she'd just won a battle.
Shin stared in disbelief. "Why does she get special treatment?"
Theo didn't even bother answering.
"And here," Shin muttered darkly, glancing at Daichi, "my food is being stolen by an ape."
Daichi raised his chopsticks in triumph. "Skill issue."
Despite the noise, despite the arguing and the complaints, no one looked unhappy.
Breakfast ended the way it always did—plates cleared, arguments unresolved, Daichi still chewing something.
They gathered in the living room afterward, the atmosphere relaxed and lazy.
Anika stretched dramatically, arms raised above her head. Then, as if she'd just remembered something important, she reached into her pocket and pulled out two matte-black cards. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed one each toward Vaibhav and Shin.
"Here," she said casually. "Take these and go shopping with your girls."
Shin caught his card and stared at it. "That's it?"
Anika smiled sweetly. "If you break anything, I'll break you."
Shin immediately shut up.
Lin Xuan finally spoke, his voice calm but carrying weight.
"Vaibhav."
Vaibhav straightened instinctively. "Yes, Master?"
"Look into your sea of consciousness," Lin Xuan said. "See if there is something new."
Vaibhav nodded and closed his eyes.
The moment his awareness sank inward, the familiar inner space unfolded around him—vast void, silent. Beast spirits floated throughout it like constellations: Ordinary-class, Exalted, Mythic, even Mutated Mythic. They were calm, obedient, bound by his will.
But at the very center—
Something was different.
A small figure lay curled up, asleep.
A puppy-like wolf.
It was alone.
And unlike every other beast spirit present, everything around it was trembling—not violently, but instinctively, as if acknowledging something they didn't fully understand.
Vaibhav focused on it.
A translucent window formed in his awareness.
Name: The Unbound Wolf
Type: Companion
Level: Venarae Resonance — Exalted-class
Status: Evolvable
Battle Mode: Locked
Vaibhav's eyes snapped open.
He didn't hesitate. With a simple mental command, he summoned it.
Light gathered in the center of the living room, condensing into a small shape. A moment later, a tiny wolf appeared—soft silver fur, clear intelligent eyes, ears twitching as it looked around.
Alicia crouched instantly, eyes lighting up. "It's… cute…"
Yan'er knelt beside her, gently patting the wolf's head. "Hello."
Anika joined them immediately, squatting down. "Ohhh, it's tiny!"
Lin Xuan watched quietly, a faint smile touching his lips. "Hmm. Nice. Another member in the family."
The puppy suddenly padded away from the group and walked straight toward Lin Xuan.
It sniffed his hand.
Then licked his fingers.
Then—experimentally—tried to bite.
Its teeth didn't even leave a mark.
Lin Xuan looked down at it, understanding dawning immediately.
"…You want my blood?"
The wolf nodded.
Without hesitation, Lin Xuan bit his own finger. A single drop of blood fell to the floor.
The wolf licked it.
Instantly, the air changed.
The silver fur darkened, its body expanding rapidly as pressure rippled outward. The room creaked faintly under the sudden surge.
Theo reacted instantly, extending the surrounding space so the mansion itself wouldn't be damaged.
The wolf grew—larger and larger—its fur turning deep black, eyes burning with raw instinctual presence.
Then, just as suddenly—
It stopped.
The massive form collapsed inward, shrinking rapidly. Silver fur returned. The pressure vanished as if it had never existed.
The puppy jumped straight into Vaibhav's arms and hugged him tightly.
Vaibhav blinked, stunned, instinctively patting it.
"Master… what just happened?"
Lin Xuan answered calmly, as if explaining something mundane.
"It is from our bloodline," he said. "My bloodline purity is one hundred percent. Yours is ninety-five percent. The wolf's bloodline was only fifty percent."
Vaibhav listened intently, arms still wrapped around the small wolf clinging to him.
"It wanted to purify its bloodline," Lin Xuan continued. "And the fastest way to do that is through someone with fully pure blood. That's why it came to me."
Vaibhav hesitated, then asked quietly, "What happens if someone reaches one hundred percent purity? And… can you purify my blood too?"
Lin Xuan shook his head slightly. "If you reach one hundred percent purity, you gain full authority over life force. You decide whether to absorb it or not. You gain complete control over Primal Instinct."
Vaibhav's breath caught.
"And about your second question," Lin Xuan added, "no—and yes."
Vaibhav stiffened. "What do you mean?"
"You cannot purify your blood simply by consuming my blood," Lin Xuan said. "To do so, you would need to consume my flesh along with it. Your big brother purified his blood the same way."
"Master!!" Vaibhav blurted out. "How can you say that so calmly?!"
Lin Xuan shrugged. "It's normal for our bloodline. It has always been this way."
Vaibhav swallowed hard, then forced himself to ask another question. "Then… what about big brother Vivan? If we're human… why does he have those eyes? Isn't he a beast?"
Lin Xuan looked at him directly.
"Human?" he repeated. "No. We are not humans. Not beasts either. We are something else. We simply resemble humans."
The room fell quiet.
"As for Vivan," Lin Xuan continued, "he possesses a unique ability. If he devours a being, he can use their abilities—wings from birds, traits from other entities. However, he cannot use their Origin Path. It functions similarly to a Beast Spirit."
Vaibhav frowned. "What's an Origin Path?"
"I will explain that later," Lin Xuan said. His gaze shifted to the wolf still clinging to Vaibhav. "And… are you not going to name it?"
Vaibhav looked down at the small wolf, then turned to Prabhat.
"Big brother," he said, "you once told me Father had a pet named Vigil. I want to name it something similar."
He smiled faintly. "Viggy. How does that sound?"
Prabhat nodded. "It's a good name."
The wolf wagged its tail enthusiastically, clearly approving.
Then, as if satisfied, Viggy yawned.
Its small body shimmered faintly, silver light peeling off its fur like mist. Vaibhav felt a gentle tug in his chest—familiar, instinctive.
"Ah—" he murmured.
The wolf glanced up at him once, eyes bright and calm, then dissolved into light and flowed back into his Sea of Consciousness. In that inner space, it curled up again at the center, resting peacefully—no longer trembling, no longer isolated.
Complete.
Vaibhav opened his eyes.
Before he could say anything—
Clap.
Anika brought her hands together sharply.
"Alright. Bonding time's over."
She grabbed Shin by the collar without warning. "You."
Then hooked two fingers into Vaibhav's sleeve. "You."
She pointed at Alicia. "And you."
Alicia blinked. "Me too?"
"Yes," Anika said flatly. "Especially you."
Shin frowned. "Where are we going?"
Anika turned and started walking. "Garage."
Vaibhav hesitated. "Why the garage?"
She looked over her shoulder, smiling sweetly.
"Because I don't trust any of you to be on the road without licenses," she said. "And I don't feel like explaining to authorities why half a city block disappeared."
Shin muttered, "That happened one time."
"Exactly," Anika replied.
They were herded straight into Lin Xuan's car.
Anika took the driver's seat.
Shin paused. "Wait—you're driving?"
Anika smiled.
The engine roared.
The car shot out of the mansion gates like a missile.
Shin screamed. Vaibhav grabbed the seat. Alicia held on silently, eyes wide.
Lin Xuan watched them leave from the doorway, sipping tea.
"…I hope she doesn't kill someone," he said calmly.
The Motor License Bureau was not prepared.
The moment Anika's car slid into the lot—perfect drift, tires screeching—three staff members flinched.
The tests began.
Shin went first.
He nearly took out a cone. Clipped another. Forgot to signal.
Somehow, inexplicably, he passed.
Shin raised his fists. "YES! Told you I'm a natural!"
The examiner stared at the clipboard, questioning reality.
Alicia went next.
Perfect posture. Perfect turns. Perfect parking.
The examiner nodded solemnly and handed her the license with both hands.
Vaibhav was last.
His driving was controlled. Precise. Aggressive—but disciplined.
"Good reaction time," the examiner said. "You fight the car less than most."
Vaibhav nodded politely.
All three walked out licensed.
Shin looked at the card like it was sacred. "I'm legal now."
"Barely," Alicia said.
Next was a luxury car showroom.
Glass walls. White floors. Cars that gleamed like weapons on display.
Shin whistled. "I'll take the one that looks like it wants to kill me."
The salesman froze.
Vaibhav walked calmly past him and stopped in front of a sleek black sedan.
"This one," he said.
Alicia stepped closer, circling it once. "It suits you."
Vaibhav blinked. "…It does?"
She nodded.
Anika clapped her hands. "Good. That one. And something fast for the idiot."
"Hey—!"
Anika leaned toward the manager. "Deliver all of them to my home by tonight."
The manager nodded so hard his neck nearly snapped.
Then the mall.
Bright lights. Endless stores.
Shin tried on sunglasses and struck dramatic poses.
"Do I look mysterious?"
"You look unemployed," Anika said.
Alicia quietly picked out clothes for Vaibhav—shirts, jackets, things that actually fit.
She handed him one.
Vaibhav stared at it, then at her blushing. "…Thank you."
She smiled slightly and turned away before he could say more.
Shin flirted with the receptionist during payment.
Anika bonked him on the head immediately.
"Behave."
"Ow! I was being polite!"
"Your politeness looks like harassment."
They returned to the mansion as evening settled in, bags full, wallets lighter.
Dinner was loud.
Mostly Shin and Daichi arguing over food.
"Stop stealing my meat!"
"Then eat faster!"
Theo sighed. Arjun ignored them. Vivan drank quietly.
Lin Xuan finally spoke.
"Eat in silence."
The table went quiet instantly.
Later, everyone drifted off to rest.