Chapter 400: Playing

Ethan placed a hand gently against Wolfy's side.

'Variable Beast Mend.'

A surge of warm mana flowed from Ethan into the giant Fenrir.

He poured more MP into the skill than it was designed for, and while not as efficient, it was much more effective.

Soft blue light spread across Wolfy's body, moving through the old injuries and lingering damage. Within seconds, the damaged tissue repaired itself, the tension in Wolfy's muscles slowly disappeared, and the scars faded.

The giant beast let out a low sound of satisfaction while Ethan let out an exhausted sigh.

Isabelle's face brightened.

"He got better!"

"Yep."

Ethan smiled.

Just as he had promised, he healed Wolfy, though he hadn't expected to have such an audience.

"Don't worry, he's tough."

The Fenrir stood a little straighter now, looking far healthier than before.

Ethan watched Isabelle carefully, ready to intervene if anything went wrong, but Wolfy remained completely calm. He lowered himself slightly, almost as though he understood exactly what Ethan wanted.

He finally placed Isabelle onto Wolfy's back.

"Hold on."

Isabelle wrapped both arms around the thick fur.

Wolfy slowly stood.

The giant Fenrir barely fit inside the room.

His back nearly reached the ceiling, and every careful step made the floor creak beneath his enormous weight. Jessica held her breath as she watched her six-year-old daughter ride around on a creature that looked capable of unfathomable destruction.

This was probably not something any mother would consider normal, and it was her closest taste of the insane supernatural in the world.

Yet Wolfy behaved perfectly.

He walked slowly around the room, carefully adjusting his movements so that Isabelle wouldn't fall. Every so often, he turned his head slightly to make sure she was still holding on.

If anything, he seemed to enjoy the attention.

Isabelle ran her hands through his thick fur, laughing as Wolfy continued walking around the room.

To her, he wasn't a terrifying monster.

He was a gigantic dog.

"It's amazing!"

She laughed.

Then she looked toward Ethan with the biggest smile on her face.

"Can I keep it, Daddy?"

The word slipped out naturally.

Ethan froze.

His heart practically melted.

He stared at his daughter for a moment, almost unable to process what he'd just heard. Isabelle didn't even seem to realise what she had called him. To her, it had simply come naturally.

Daddy.

'I thought the only time I'd be called that was in the bedroom.'

Ethan lowered his gaze for a moment, trying to hide how much the single word had affected him.

"You can keep everything," he mumbled under his breath.

Then he summoned Spark.

The orange flaming spirit appeared beside him, buzzing happily through the room. Unlike Wolfy, Spark immediately moved around with a restless energy, leaving tiny trails of orange light through the air.

Isabelle immediately climbed off Wolfy and chased after it.

"Come back!"

Spark zipped away.

Isabelle followed.

The little flaming spirit darted around the room, clearly enjoying itself. Every time Isabelle came close to catching it, Spark would suddenly change direction and float somewhere just out of reach.

Then, seemingly amused by the game, Spark began floating around Isabelle's hands.

The flames danced across her fingers without burning her.

Instead, they gave off a comfortable warmth.

Ethan wasn't surprised.

He already knew that his beasts wouldn't harm her.

Still, seeing it happen made something inside him tighten.

'It's like they can tell she's my daughter.'

Spark seemed to genuinely like Isabelle, maybe even more than it did Ethan.

The thought almost made him jealous.

Before long, Isabelle was buried deep in Wolfy's fur while Spark danced around her. She laughed continuously among Ethan's beasts as though she had been playing with them her entire life.

Jessica simply stared.

She looked from her daughter to Wolfy, then to Spark, before finally looking toward Ethan.

"The world really is crazy now."

She laughed softly.

Ethan approached her.

Nathan had remained unusually quiet throughout the entire display.

There were no jokes, no strange transformations, and no attempts to make the situation awkward. He simply lingered nearby, watching the interaction with an expression that was surprisingly respectful.

Ethan glanced toward him before looking back at Jessica.

"Jessica, I know I..."

He hesitated.

"But are you sure I can..."

He wasn't sure how to finish.

There were a hundred things he wanted to say, but none of them seemed quite right. He almost felt ashamed to ask after everything that had happened. He had only learned Isabelle existed a week ago, and even then, he'd spent another week avoiding Jessica because he hadn't known how to deal with the situation.

Jessica seemed to understand anyway.

She smiled.

"I guess some things haven't changed."

Ethan raised an eyebrow.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

His tone was defensive, but the slight smile on his face made it obvious he was joking.

Jessica laughed.

Then, almost as if she had read his mind, she answered the question he hadn't been able to ask.

"Feel free to take her to see your family now. I think that would be great for her."

Ethan stared at her.

She was surprisingly trusting of him.

Considering how much time he had missed, he had expected her to be more hesitant about letting him suddenly step into Isabelle's life. Instead, Jessica seemed almost relieved that he wanted to.

"What about you?"

He paused.

"Don't want to come with?"

Jessica smiled warmly.

"I don't think your partner would like that very much."

Ethan paused.

For a moment, the two simply looked at each other.

Then Ethan smiled.

"You're probably right."

He laughed.

There was something strangely comfortable about the moment.

They had shared a child, and that meant they would inevitably be part of each other's lives from now on. Whatever their relationship had been in the past, they now had something far more important connecting them.

Isabelle.

And, surprisingly, Ethan was glad that was the case.

An amicable but purely platonic relationship with Jessica, with whom he shared some good times.

Things had been far more pleasant than his meeting with his father. There hadn't been anger, manipulation, or some bizarre revelation that had turned his entire world upside down.

Instead, there had been Isabelle.

His daughter.

Someone he could actually build a relationship with.

For the first time in years, Ethan had something that felt completely separate from the violence and chaos that had surrounded his life. Yet despite everything going well, Ethan couldn't help but feel a small knot of anxiety forming in his chest.

'I'll never let anything happen to her.'

That silent vow was one he planned to keep at any cost.

And underlying his concern and fear of bringing harm to the innocent little girl who was now a part of his life was a wholesomeness like no other. She filled a void in his life he didn't even know he had.

Now it was time to introduce her to his other loved ones.