Ares crawled back to Candy in tatters. If it weren''t for the fact that he was half dead he might have noticed the faint blush on Candy''s cheek but he was too busy attempting not to keel over on the spot to concern himself with the finer details. He weakly muttered to himself "I can''t believe she hunted me down and finished the job..." before slumping onto the floor and groaning in defeat.


    Candy poked him a few times and smiled each time. This man would be her future one day. "She''s definitely a feisty woman." How could she not find this situation fun? This was definitely a family she was looking forward to joining if for no other reason to enjoy watching these shenanigans on the daily. "How about you take it easy for now and tell me what kind of life you live normally with your family, you know the day to day stuff." She wanted to know! What kind of tomfoolery were they up to in that house. The stories would keep her preoccupied back in reality until news of Ares started to spread and she could pay attention to that instead. She wanted memories to keep her going even if she''d already found a new sense of purpose. Her real self wouldn''t be in great shape mentally or physically, no doubt, but everything that happened here today would help counteract that and renew her will to live, Candy would make sure of it. She had a life worth living and things worth waiting for. Hope was on the horizon so she wanted to distract herself until she didn''t have to anymore. The day Ares walked through her door would be life changing but, until then, she had to tough it out.


    "Yeah... I think I''ll do that... Can''t move right now anyway. We can worry about the trial after... Is there anything specific you want to hear about?"


    "Hm, how about Enyo and the second wife. Enyo briefly mentioned it was her sister but I haven''t heard anything about her yet... Is she as... You know... Different, as her sister is?"


    "Ha, no, not really. They share some similarities, like certain gestures or the way they care for each other behind their backs but, no, they''re drastically different at their core. You see, Bellona''s..." Ares went into a long rant about the circumstances in which he met the two and what kind of people they were. Candy listened intently and propped up the conversation to learn more not just about the other wives but also to find out more about Ares. His smile had hooked her in but that didn''t mean she knew everything about him automatically, there things yet to be learned! Still, she had a rough grasp fo the kind of person he was, it wasn''t hard to tell. Funny, caring, responsible, kind. The kind of person Candy liked and somewhat similar to that one old lady she''d mentioned a while back. But Ares was no old lady, he was a young man... Much younger than her, actually. Age didn''t mean as much in the cultivation world but it was something she started feeling self-conscious about now that a younger guy was in her future.


    Once Ares finished talking about the sisters, he went on a rant about Appa. At the end, he turned to Candy and asked "What about you? Do you have any children?"


    "I don''t know... I might do? It depends what real me has been up to these past years. I can''t say for sure, sorry cutie."


    "No no, that''s ok. I just wanted to say that if you do have a kid, you should look after them well. Children are wonderful little critters! I know you''ve got it rough but that doesn''t mean a kid should have to go through the same. I''m not trying to sound condescending, so I apologise if that''s how this comes across, but if you do have a kid can you please show it the love you never got? You''ve got your own problems, sure, but as a parent your greatest duty of all is protecting your child. That''s how I see it, at least."


    "... You''re right... But I really don''t know if I have one. Guess I''ll just have to wait and see! Anyway, you''re looking more lively now, do you want to get this trial underway?"


    "Ha, aww, what''s the matter? You don''t wanna chat with me anymore?"


    Candy snorted as she folded her arms. "Don''t steal my thunder and take that tone with me cutie, only I''m allowed to be coy here!" She stood up and dashed like a fox over to Ares before curling around him and whispering into his ear. "Don''t worry though, no matter how coy I am I won''t play hard to get. You don''t have to chase me, I''ll even chase you if you want." Candy pushed her chest up against Ares'' back and leant into his neck.


    ...


    "Candy, I told you, I''m married..."


    "Mhm, to that Enyo girl. But I also know you''re on track to have nine wives."


    "Enyo told you that did she?... Did she give you permission?"


    Candy''s hands rested on Ares'' chest and lightly stroked him. "What do you think, cutie." Her voice sent shivers down Ares'' spine and her tinkle-like laughter echoed in his brain.


    "... I see... Then Candy, for my sake... That promise I asked of you earlier, not to give up, can you uphold it?"


    "I will. How could I not? It''s not every day a granny like me gets to snatch up a rugged young gent such as yourself."


    "I can''t tell if you''re being serious or not... But I''ll take that as a yes?"


    Candy leant over Ares shoulder and, for the first time today, showed him a real smile. "For you, yes."


    Ares smiled in return and scoffed. "Are you sure? I''m not exactly ''cute'' or anything."


    "Haha, oh come now, don''t take that comment of mine so seriously. You''re charming in your own way. And yes, I''m sure. I''ve lived long enough to be offered thousands of men I didn''t want. I know now what it feels like to want to say yes for once and that''s proof enough in my book cutie."


    "Then I guess you don''t have to pretend I''ve staked a claim in you, you can say it with pride. I look forward to getting to know you better and living together as a family from now on. Also, I can see it in your face and the way you fidget, you don''t have to be so worried about your age. So what if your older than me? Who cares? How old are you anyway?"


    "... Never ask a woman her age or her weight, Ares..."


    "You''re not just any woman Candy, not anymore. Besides, I''ve got nothing against a mature lady such as yourself. If anything, an older woman will be a nice change of pace. Also, I''m going to live forever so large numbers don''t frighten me. You''ve been around the Gods so you must live in a higher domain where the average lifespan is ginormous, right?... I get that you might feel awkward about your age but I really don''t care, so please?"


    Candy blushed and turned her cheek to the side as she quietly and shyly muttered her age to Ares, "13,877."


    Ares turned his neck so he could kiss Candy''s. He mustered a deep voice and spoke firmly into her ear. "Well? Do you think I''m more or less turned on after hearing it?"


    Candy bit her lip and went on the offensive. "I don''t know... Maybe if you could show me some more... hard evidence, maybe then I could take a guess?" Candy''s hands ventured lower. "You know, I might not be a virgin in real life anymore... Maybe... But here I definitely am... What do you say, cutie? Wanna have a different kind of fun?"


    Ares shook his head and gave Candy a quick kiss on the cheek. "No. I want my first time with you to be with the real you, not a clone. The choice between a virgin simulation of you and the real you that very well may not be a virgin anymore is not a difficult choice. I don''t care about that kind of thing because you are more important to me than your chastity is. I know the you here and now may not know it, or be familiar with such things, but it''s not a big deal."


    "... I see. I still wanna hug you though cutie!" Candy nuzzled her cheek against Ares'' and hugged him from behind while he sat still and let it happen.


    "Did Enyo explain the whole name thing to you?"


    "You mean like ''everything'', ''limerence'', etc? If so, then yes."


    "Are you solace? You''ve lived a rough life so it would make sense. I''m asking because I''m sure Enyo had you pegged from the moment she saw you and I''m interested to know what she thought."


    Candy tightened her grip on Ares and kissed him on the cheek. "No, I''m not solace. I''m obsession."


    "... Ah. No wonder Enyo accepted you without much hassle. You were the one she was looking forward to meeting the most... Though you don;t really seem to be obsessed much?"


    "Not yet, cutie, not yet. I will be in due time, I feel confident saying that the more I get to touch you."


    "I can''t tell if that''s a threat or a promise..."


    "Such a witty cutie you are, that''s part of why I like you. Come sit on my lap cutie, I''ll teach you personally how to redirect attacks using pressure. Don''t mind me feeling you up though, that''s part of the lesson I swear."


    "Hmph." Ares scooted backwards onto Candy and he fit snugly inside her bosom. "I don''t believe you for a second. Luckily I''m used to horny and beautiful women going to town on me so do your worst, foxy. I''m here to learn though, so don''t expect me to retaliate! After all, the sooner I''m done here the sooner I can send you back... As much as I would love to spend more time here with you, there''s somewhere else you have to be. I can''t risk keeping you here while your real self draws nearer and nearer to an untimely demise. The quicker I get stronger, the sooner we can be together in a normal way. It''s going to take some time as is, you are the sixth wife after all, but I never once pretended to be a patient man and I want to be with you as soon as possible. So yeah, enjoy yourself to your heart''s content, just don''t take it personally if I''m focussed on learning. It''s not for my sake, it''s for ours."


    "Well, now I really want to touch you. Why must you tease me with such sweet words cutie? How can I fool around when you''re working so hard?"


    "You can and you will. After you teach me the basic idea, do whatever you want while I work it out. I don''t want you to stress about anything because you''ll already have a rough time as is when catching up with your real self. No work, all fun! I won''t permit any effort on your end of things! You may be an older lady but if I catch you doing anything even resembling work I may very well spank you!"


    "... Well now it just feels like you''re encouraging me, cutie. I''m not so sure that''s as much a punishment as it is a reward."


    "You and Enyo are a match made in heaven... Anyway, before we get started, I''ve been meaning to ask. You said you put up the runes in this place? You must be really talented no?"


    "When it comes to anti-magic and runemancy I''m a cut above the rest, yes. Anti-magic is my specialty but I studied runemancy extensively when I was stuck indoors so I''m very familiar with it. I''d heard the two pillars worked well together so I started combining them out of boredom and the results drew a lot of attention. Eventually I was asked to replace the runes in this pagoda in exchange for being allowed to send my conscience inside to oversee a trial on one of the floors. They knew I wanted a way out so they leveraged that to get me to work for them and update the pagoda but that''s fine, I enjoyed doing it anyway. Even just seeing a rare treasure from another corner of the world excited me, let alone getting to work on it. At some point the anti-magic God caught wind of it and that was how his fascination with me started... And never really ended either. I''ve heard all sorts of negative rumours about him so I''ve made every effort to stay away and shoo him off. The null legion also have a chip on their shoulder because I''m said to be the next in line to become the Goddess of the pillar and yet I''m not one of them. If it weren''t for me being cooped up all the time I could have made quite a name for myself in the cultivation world... How disappointing, right?"


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    "Don''t be silly, not at all. You''ve had no say in the matter so it very clearly isn''t your fault. You kind of remind me of Yulo, my current sect master. Being tied down has slowed down your cultivation path... And, ironically, I''m going to be the one to fix it! You''ll have plenty of time to catch up on your cultivation... Though I''m sure you''re way higher in the cultivation food chain than I am currently anyway... Well, the point of me asking you that was because I was curious if you could show me some of the runes? With my Omniscience I can copy and use them in the future. They may come in handy, if you don''t mind of course."


    "Feel free cutie. If you want my runes you can have them." Candy rested her chin on Ares'' shoulder, as her pink tail swayed back and forth, and started drawing runes in the air in front of Ares who turned on his Omniscience and stole it all. This carried on for about half an hour, during which Ares learnt all sorts of tricks of the trade. Candy''s expertise was in a realm Ares couldn''t even fathom because it was so drastically better than anything someone like Julio or Charity were capable of. Still, he didn''t need to understand what he was seeing, he just needed to see it to make it his own, that was more than enough. He didn''t currently have any use for the runes he was learning about but one day he would, he could already envision drawing these up around the sect when he took over and the thought gave Ares some relief. He needed to make the sect an unbreakable fortress and this would aid him massively in that endeavour. Although Ares himself didn''t have access to the anti-magic pillar, unless he happened to find an enabler, he could just hassle someone like Onno to offer up his mana when the time came.


    "Thank you Candy. It might not seem like sharing this is a big deal but it will be the foundation of my home''s defences. I owe you a lot for this."


    "No you don''t. At most, this makes us even. You''ve done a lot for me and letting me use your name will make my life a lot easier. If I can repay you with just this I should consider myself lucky... Not that I wouldn''t have given it to you even if I didn''t owe you anything anyway. You are my favourite cutie after all."


    Ares leaned back onto Candy''s soft chest and looked her in the eyes. "Candy, I think you ought to know the truth about me." Ares clicked his finger and covered the room in a layer of disintegration. Now that he''d seen the rune structure from the woman who made it he knew the loopholes and could freely wield any and all types of mana and magic at his discretion on any floor. He wouldn''t, as he still wanted to clear these floors properly, but right now it was useful. "I''ve already explained my pillar, and Xhilihx, and about how I''ve got a duty to save the world and blah blah blah... But there''s a little more to it..." Ares opened up to Candy about his own problems for about ten minutes as he explained what was going on behind the scenes. He even mentioned Enyo''s past because it was somewhat relevant and dumped the information on Candy whose head was spinning as a result. As someone who wanted to explore the world, finding out the world in question was at least millions of times bigger than she thought it was threw her for a loop. More than anything though, she finally understood why Ares was trying so hard for her sake. She stroked his head as he sighed to himself.


    "... My problems seem so small in comparison..."


    Ares shook his head. "That''s not the point. I wasn''t trying to belittle your experiences, I just wanted to be upfront with you so you could know what kind of person I really am. I don''t want to put up a front around you only to hit you with an uncomfortable truth long after you''ve accepted me. I don''t think that''s fair on you... Also... Seeing as how we''re really similar, both wanting to preserve our wonderstruck and joyous selves in a harsh world that would otherwise wither us away, I just wanted to vent for a bit to someone I know could understand me. Thanks for listening patiently."


    "I should be saying that to you. You''ve been supportive so listening to you in return is only natural. As for your matter... Don''t dwell on it. Do what you need to do and then come back to your family for comfort. There is no shame in what you have to do because you have no choice but to do it. Things would be different if this was a willing choice but the people that care for you know it isn''t. In the end, maybe you won''t be looked favourably upon by everyone else... But we''ll understand. So promise me you''ll keep being the ''dumb'' fun loving revenant you say you always have been? If even someone like you can become world weary and tired of it all then what chance do I have?!"


    Ares chuckled and held Candy''s hand in his. "Fair enough. Nothing in life is ever simple... And that includes me, the greatest simpleton of them all... But that doesn''t mean I have to intentionally complicate things either. Maybe I''m just overthinking it all but I worry that if I stop thinking about it I''ll become accustomed to it, unphased by what I''m going to have to do. That feels worse than just letting myself be bothered by it... All things in moderation I guess. Well, we have limited time together so I won''t needlessly be a downer. We''ve been a bit side tracked so how about you teach me... I''m guessing how to redirect attacks with pressure, right? That should be what this floor is about."


    "Mhm, it is. I''ll let you know now that I''m going to attack you for a minute straight. Halfway through I''m supposed to make the challenge more difficult and the same thing happens again when there''s only ten seconds left. The difficulty of the challenges in this pagoda start to really ramp up here so you best prepare yourself cutie! I won''t go easy on you just because I want you to pass."


    "I wouldn''t want you to. This is an important step for me considering all the advantages I have regarding pressure. I need to make sure my pressure fundamentals are all in order so I can build on them later. So yeah, give me your worst... Well, maybe not all of your worst. My cultivation is insignificant compared to yours. Just whatever would be deemed fair!"


    "Don''t worry, the pagoda automatically adjusts my output. It''s why I could put even the anti-magic God in his place when he showed up here... He did beat me and my trial eventually though but, hey, that''s a God for you."


    "Mhm, I heard he did poorly on the last floor... Then again, I hear everyone does. You got any clue what''s up there?"


    "Yes... But I''ll let it remain a surprise. A shock to the system such as that is best experienced first hand otherwise it won''t hit quite as hard... Now who''s getting sidetracked!? Come, lift your palms in front of you and I''ll tell you the basics about what you''re doing here!"


    "Ha, right." Ares followed Candy''s instructions and stretched his arms forward... Candy couldn''t resist tickling him once but after that she was focussed on her task!


    "There are two steps to reflecting an attack, three if its magic. Step one is to figure out the orientation of the attack and which direction it''s coming from. Step two is to create a vortex of pressure that rotates in the opposite direction of the attack. Step three, if applicable, is to land your pressure on the core of the magic. This last one is pretty hard to do because there''s usually no easy way of telling where a core is exactly... But for the most part it tends to be near the middle. There''s a bit of leeway so you don''t have to be pinpoint."


    "Hm, my Omniscience shows me the core..."


    "That simplifies things! You might struggle a bit without your Omniscience after though. Still, you can''t deflect or reflect every attack to begin with, some are too big or powerful. This is mostly something you do if you''re feeling confident and have the room to spare in your fight. It''s a high level technique with somewhat niche application but works wonders if you pull it off. Even people who can coat their body in pressure don''t use this trick particularly often. You need quick reflexes to adjust on the fly the direction of your rotation. If you use clockwise rotation on the wrong attack you''ll really end up regretting it because you may just enhance their attack instead. Let''s not worry about that for now. Right now you should learn how to make a vortex on your palm, the direction doesn''t really matter yet. If you have any arts that create a swirl this step should be pretty easy for you." Candy looked forward and saw Ares already fiddling around with a clockwise swirling, golden vortex on his left hand and a similar looking vortex on his right hand too. The one on his right was swirling anti-clockwise, however, and it became apparent to Candy that she was seriously underestimating Ares. She''d had the concept of a fundamental explained to her but she didn''t quite respect it as much as she should have, clearly. Really, the pressure bullet that pierced her room should have clued her in, and the Annihilation Echo was also irrefutable, but even then she didn''t realise the extent of how ridiculous a fundamental champion was exactly.


    "Luckily I have an art called Not Even Light. I have enough experience with it that this feels quite comfortable actually... Maybe... Maybe I can even do this..." Ares lightly pushed his hands and sent the vortexes floating forward... He''d successfully detached the vortexes from his hands meaning he could, theoretically, create a ranged deflect! Did it matter? No, not really... Ares couldn''t imagine a use for this but it was possible and knowing that was good enough! Perhaps if he needed to save someone who wasn''t directly next to him he could fling a deflect in front of them? It was highly specific but it was worth keeping that use in mind in case he ever needed it.


    "Good. Next... Next comes practice. There''s no easy way to learn how to apply this ability without actually testing it. Sorry cutie but I''m going to have to get a bit rough with you from now on, ok? Don''t take it personal but I gotta hit ya!"


    "Ah don''t sweat it. My wives hit me all the time!... You''ll fit right in..." Ares'' voice trailed off as he realised he really did get kicked around a lot... Ah well, he could take it! Also, this time specifically was a learning experience!


    Ares stood up and stretched while Candy did the same. She giggled as she nimbly darted circles around him, eventually coming to a halt in front of him. She looked down at him while lifting his chin up so he could return her gaze. Her smile now was different. It was another very real smile but not quite as affectionate as the one from before. This was a smile worn by overconfident predators who were preparing to toy with their food. "Cutie, you told me the truth about you... So let me do the same and show you who I really am. I used to be a lot more spry and active but, mainly, I had quite a devilish side whenever I used to play with my opponents. It''s been a while since I''ve seen such a delectable looking specimen, so forgive me if I go a bit overboard. I just really want to see you squirm, cutie." Maliciousness and condescension smudged her smile as her her head tilted up and slightly sideways. She narrowed her eyes and bared her grinning teeth at Ares as the mood in the room shifted. No longer was the friendly, soft, and fluffy Candy present. Her aura had changed to that of a mischievous spirit looking to haunt a weak and helpless individual. Her toothy smile held a trace of mockery as she giggled to herself while leaning backwards. Before Ares could take in this drastic transformation, Candy disappeared with a Blink.


    Ares swivelled on the spot as he felt an ominous air prick away at his back. When he turned he saw Candy hovering in the air with her tail having multiplied ninefold. She was lying sideways with one leg draped seductively over the over and her hand covering her titering mouth. Countless blobs of inky black and white magic surrounded her mystical form that possessed an other-worldly charm. This was the real Candy, a foxian with a strong bloodline who was equally as powerful as she was playful. Right now she was in her element and Ares couldn''t take his eyes off her. He felt a different kind of attraction to her than the one he felt towards Enyo or Bellona, this was something wholly different. He felt like he''d stumbled across a legendary creature in its natural habitat and now it was going to endlessly prank him to death but, buried deep within the trickery, was a bond shared by fellow playmates who saw the joy in everything. Just because you were killing the other person that didn''t mean you couldn''t have a bit of fun along the way. As for the situation Ares was in... Well, at least his wife-to-be was going to be having a lot of fun. It may be at his expense but he was ok with that. He was glad to see her normal self, the real Candy that she''d locked away. To him, this Candy was infinitely more beautiful than the tortured soul wearing a pained smile. This Candy had a violent streak and was assured in her superiority. There were clearly no limits to what this woman would do in her current state and, for the first time, Ares was loving the decision to have a harem. Bellona still felt a little forced but this woman was incredible and Ares needed her in his life. He needed to not be the only one in the family with an occasionally evil disposition.


    He and Candy needed each other.


    Though it may have been cruel to Bellona for Ares admit this to himself but she just didn''t scratch the itch that Candy did. They had different roles and filled different holes in his life. The similarities between Ares'' situation and Candy''s were an entire laundry list long. Candy was like an evil spirit and, for that, she was a kindred one to Ares too. Ares did feel guilty towards Bellona, and he swore he would spend more time with her, but right now he was too excited with discovering everything Candy truly was to care. Ares had his ''this woman is special'' moment with Enyo a long time ago during the course of his stay at the hotel with her in the snatcher town. Ares had never had that moment with Bellona... But now he''d had it with Candy. It was only really hitting him now that every one of his wives were going to be special. His expectations had been dulled somewhat thanks to not developing a close relation to Bellona properly yet but now he was reassured it would definitely happen.


    As for Candy... She was a stunning woman. That disgust for the world and everything it put her through. bubbling beneath the surface, was gone and in its place was a boundless curiosity like the kind that belonged to an unethical scientist. If Enyo was the representation of everything that could be considered ''justice'' then Candy was the exact opposite. They were two sides of the same coin. If Enyo encouraged Ares to walk the right path in life, he could feel Candy tugging at his moral compass to pull him off that path and just bathe in the chaos of his actions. Both of these women wanted the best for him they just disagreed on the method. If Enyo wanted to cheer him up she would throw her body at him. If Candy wanted him to feel better she would become the devil on his shoulder, whispering into his ear to go and blow up a village consequences be damned. She had no respect for anything because everything was a game to her. People were just dolls she could pull the strings of. That was the essence of the Candy lazing about in the air in front of him. Unsealing this side of this woman, that had long since been jailed away in her heart as a precaution, was a dangerous move but one that got Ares'' heart pumping. Letting this beastly fox devil out into the world again was like unleashing the contents of pandora''s box but, man, did this woman make being bad feel so good...


    Ares had some speculations about her name, Candy, when he first met her. Maybe it was because it sounded similar to ''canidae''. Maybe it was because of her sweet disposition. Maybe it was because she was capable of manifesting a hard shell to protect herself from the cruel realities that assailed her. Whatever the original reason and intent had actually been was irrelevant because Ares was realising here and now why exactly her name felt tailor made.


    This woman was a rush.