Scarlet

Is there anything else I should know? Aside from how you know all this, since you for some reason seem to know everything that changes in my body.

“It’s part of my contract,” Tar explains. “The System informs me of all of your changes so that I can better advise you on things.”

Uh huh. So what about my chest growing a little bit or my skin becoming shinier needs advising?

Tar doesn’t say anything for a few seconds before muttering, “You have a point there. But I’m not the one who designed the System, so…”

Hmm. True.

Anyways, my question?

“Aside from what I’ve already mentioned, your muscles have become a little bit more compressed to allow more muscle growth while using up less space, your eyes seem to have gained the ability to track prey now, your sense of smell has been enhanced, which I’m guessing you’ve already noticed?” Tar pauses before continuing after seeing me nod my head at that. “And of course, you now have retractable claws.”

As if on instinct at the mention of my claws, I feel a strange sort of muscle in my hands that’s practically begging me to use it for some reason. So I do, and immediately find my fingernails turning into those claws that I saw earlier. Pitch black claws with a very faint red glow to them. One that I didn’t notice before. Probably due to the blood I was covered in at the time.

“Interesting…” I mutter while turning my hand back and forth to look at my claws. Then I remember his comment about my muscles being more compressed, so I glance down at my arms and legs to find very little actual difference. But there is some difference. That being that my arms and legs are just a tiny, tiny bit smaller in terms of muscle.

Huh. Wonder if this means I can work out to get more muscle easier now?

“The System didn’t explain to me anything outside of what I already said, so I don’t know,” Tar says while shrugging. So I do the same while focusing on my eyes.

You said I can track prey now?

“Correct,” Tar says before adding, “this one I can explain to you thanks to your father’s teaching me about it before.”

I raise a brow at that, but stay silent, nonetheless.

“To mark your prey, you simply have to consider a single target as your prey and you should do it on instinct,” Tar says, so I turn my gaze to him and narrow my eyes, immediately considering him my prey. Which has him quickly backing up at the look in my eyes as my vision becomes tinted slightly in red with him showing up with a glowing black outline.

“Interesting…” I mutter before turning my gaze away from him and no longer thinking of him as prey, making my vision return to normal immediately. “Very interesting.”

This could be quite useful.

As for my sense of smell… yeah, that’s going to get annoying.

I noticed it as soon as I got away from the putrid scent of that black guck. That I’m pretty sure I can smell everyone in this building. And it’s not pleasant.

Nowhere near as overwhelming as my hearing, but still not the slightest bit pleasant.

Especially when I can smell someone training in the training hall, along with their sweat.

I grimace at that before asking out loud, “Any way you could teach me to tone that down too?”

“Of course,” Tar says with a nod. “It’s actually easier to turn down your sense of smell than your hearing according to your father. Not sure why though.”

I let out a sigh at that news.

Good. Very good.

Wait a second…

I look in the mirror again while pulling my lips back slightly to focus on my teeth.

“Your teeth didn’t grow sharper this time, don’t worry,” Tar says, sounding slightly amused.

Good.

“Your teeth aren’t going to grow any sharper, not even in your next ascensions,” Tar assures me. “You will likely get retractable fangs, but your teeth themselves won’t be growing any sharper.”

Actually, on the note of retractable things, I can tell that I have claws on my feet too.

It’s a good thing I was barefoot when I went into the bath. Because I’d have holes in my shoes and socks otherwise.

I wonder how the internet will react to my new changes?

“Judging how they seem to love your ears and already thought you were beautiful,” Tar says, making me blush a little, “I’d say they’ll react positively to these changes. Although some might question why someone with blood magic is getting inhuman features. Moreso than before since you’ve lost your human ears now.”

Right. That could be a problem.

Not like I can delay ascending though. Not unless I want your father hounding me to grow stronger.

“Yeah,” Tar mutters, sounding ashamed of that fact.

I’m not blaming you, don’t worry. Just stating a fact.

The tanuki lightly nods his head while looking rather sad. Sad enough that I almost hug him. But I stop myself. Because today is still the last day of him not being allowed to sit on or lie down on me.

Wait. That’s it.

“The ban ends tomorrow by the way,” I mention to him, knowing that he understands what I’m saying. And that – amusingly enough – perks him right up.

Why do you like sitting on me so much anyways?

The tanuki actually grows a little embarrassed by that.

I raise a brow as I ask out loud with more than a little suspicion, “You aren’t taking advantage of-”

“No! Never!” Tar shouts, sounding slightly offended by that. But then he calms down, seemingly understanding that it was a perfectly normal question. “I’ve never told you this, but while fae do have humanoid appearances, we do not have the same sexual parts as humans do. Meaning that it’s not possible for a fae to feel sexually attracted to a human, because humans are mortal and do not have what we fae are attracted to. And that is not looks at all. It has more to do with the spirit and soul.”

“Huh,” I mutter, rather surprised by that sudden admission. “The fae never talk about their appearance or sexual thoughts to humans.”

Or at least, that’s what I’ve always been told.

“You’re right, we usually don’t,” Tar says, sounding slightly embarrassed. “In fact, telling mortals about fae society besides the hierarchy is forbidden. Except if you are fae royalty yourself and trust the mortal.”

My mouth drops open into an o shape at that before I smile.

I’m glad you can trust me then.

Tar smiles back in his weird and cute tanuki smile before suddenly saying, “Don’t you have some System messages to go through?”

Oh. Right.