Remembering Selene's last words about checking his physical stats, Ivar opened his status screen.
His physical stats surprised him, as both his vitality and strength had gone up by one point. Admittedly, he did not have that much experience with this system yet, so he wasn't sure how hard or easy it was to raise those stats usually.
But he was sure it shouldn't be this easy, especially because he had barely absorbed energy or trained!
He realised it likely had something to do with the transformation, "Selene? Would you mind explaining?" While he was relatively sure of the cause, getting confirmation was only prudent.
Selene giggled in his head, "Isn't it obvious? Like the fact you are a Gale Wolf increases your agility by a large amount, any other transformation will still raise your stats at least a little, even if their abilities aren't focussed on them."
Ivar smirked and nodded; this definitely made things easier in the future.
*****
Another few hours later, Ivar had practised his selective shift ability to be able to use at least two transformations at the same time, while Alita had learned to return to human form.
Currently, Ivar was grinning while sitting on a chair as Alita twirled naked in front of him, showing him every corner of her now once again human body.
He praised her, "Good job, Alita. What about your eyes, though? Were they always like that?"
While most of Alita's body was human again, her eyes, while not looking like those of a wolf anymore, were still the colour of crimson.
Alita nodded, "They have always been like that, Master. Most people just assume I have eye implants or contact lenses, but I've been this way from birth. I never knew why before, but now, perhaps it is related to my non-human genes?"
Ivar rubbed his chin, "Possibly. Does your sister have them aswell?"
Alita nodded again, "Yes, Master."
Ivar smirked, "I guess I'll have two valkyries soon."
Alita flushed red, enjoying being called his Valkyrie but also remembering she would soon betray her sister.
She quickly suppressed her useless guilt, though. She had made her choice, however much there was of one, and she was sure that, soon enough, her sister would happily drown in submissive pleasure right alongside her. Her sister really needed to unwind a little, anyway.
Ivar looked through a nearby window and saw the night was quickly approaching, meaning it was time to leave.
Even if most of the city would still be bathed in light, the alleys would be dark, and they had already been lucky enough that the actual owner of this apartment had not yet returned.
Ivar had no trouble killing them, but he didn't want to draw more attention than necessary, at least for now.
So he got up, "Alright, Alita. Your sister must be beside herself with worry. Let's go reassure her, shall we?"
******
Ivar and Alita left the apartment just after midnight to ensure the lowest chance of running into anyone in the hallways.
They were dressed in clothes they found inside the bedroom; unfortunately for Alita, the only occupant of that apartment seemed to be a large man, so while Ivar was somewhat comfortable, Alita was forced to use scissors to shorten some things and belts to tie the clothes to her body.
Neither of them particularly liked the way they looked, but it would have to do for now, and since there were clearly people after Alita, this would also help make her less recognisable.
They did come across a few people on their way to the back entrance of the building, but everyone tended to ignore each other whenever possible in this neighbourhood.
They left the building without issue and started walking along the alleyways toward Sanctuary. After a few minutes of walking in silence, remaining alert to their surroundings, they came across a lone woman in a long overcoat, hiding her face.
Ivar looked at the woman and, out of sheer caution, called up her status window.
*****
*relative to strength level, 10 being average for current strength level.
**unrelated to strength level.
*****
Seeing her stats, he discounted her as a real threat but remained on alert for any small weaponry she might be hiding.
He also heard the voice of Selene in his head, "Careful, she doesn't seem dangerous, but there is something strange about her. I can't tell her intentions towards you, which is why there is no resistance stat."
Ivar nodded inwardly and stayed alert, putting himself between Alita and the woman.
It appeared to be for nothing, however, as the three people passed each other without a word.
Both Ivar and Alita stayed alert, however.
And a good thing they did, as it was moments later that Selene yelled, "Watch out!"
Ivar reacted instantly and faster than any mortal human could follow. He transformed, turned around, and pushed one clawed hand forward, conjuring a whirling light-blue mass of wind that acted like a shield.
His transformation was somewhat different, as he appeared to have small, antler-like horns on his head.
He thanked his foresight in making sure he had something to defend himself with when dealing with guns and bullets.
He looked at the transformations in his status window.
The horns came from his new wendigo transformation, a therian subspecies focussing on strength and the ability to form cold northern winds into a shield.
He felt heavy impacts on the shield, but it held on as he started running forward towards the source of the impacts.
The woman, who had fired the shots from a kind of rifle strapped to her arm, stood at about 50 meters distance, something that Ivar managed to cover in no more than two seconds, but when he thought he would instantly tear the woman apart, she dropped her coat and pulled a long, curved sword from her back, barely managing to block Ivar's claws in time.
To her credit, she seemed hardly phased by Ivar's sudden change.
The woman slipped back a few meters and trembled, barely able to block Ivar's blow. Yet even that was strange, as their difference in strength should have broken the woman's arm.
He yelled inwardly, "Selene?!"
The reply was instantaneous, "I don't know. Her physical stats suddenly jumped up just before she fired that shot like she received a powerful boost from somewhere, but I don't know how or from what."
Ivar once again called up the woman's physical stats.
Ivar considered himself lucky the woman was still weaker than him, but the problem was that she not only had a weapon, but losing her overcoat also revealed a strange kind of form-fitting armour.
Suddenly, he heard a shout from behind him, "Andra! What are you doing here?! Why did you betray me?!"
Clearly, this woman was the head of security, Andra, who had sent Alita on the mission that nearly became her undoing.
Andra looked at Alita, and a short look of doubt came upon her face, but then she shook her head and said, "It's nothing personal, Alita. The mistress wants you dead. And she will get what she wants."
Alita appeared shocked, "Mistress?! Who did you betray me for?!"
Ivar chuckled inwardly, despite the situation, as he thought that Alita's circumstances really weren't so different from this Andra woman.
He didn't know who Andra's mistress was, but clearly, Andra had somehow ended up as the servant of an enemy of Alita, her former friend. Meanwhile, although Ivar was not exactly an enemy of Alita's sister, Alita would still betray her for him after having ended up as his servant.
Yet, this distinction seemed entirely lost on Alita as she stared at Andra with hatred.
Andra ignored Alita's question and turned towards Ivar, "I don't know who you are or what you are, but the mistress will get what she wants; I suggest you don't get in the way."
Ivar snorted in response and said in his deep, gravelly voice, "Don't be stupid, woman. I may not have any weapons, but I am much stronger than you, and my claws will serve just fine in a pinch.
And if you think I will let you kill my servant while I stand by, you are sorely mistaken. Your mistress will get nothing. Now leave before I decide you are worth the trouble."
Alita sighed in relief as the tension she didn't know she was holding left her body. It seems she was still unsure whether Ivar would actually protect her despite already having accepted him as her master.
This caused her resistance to Ivar's orders to drop to zero as she felt an unfamiliar feeling built inside her heart.
Andra seemed to consider for a second but then hardened her gaze and shook her head, "You may win in a contest of pure strength, but that is not all that matters in a fight; if you decide to stand in my way, then prepare to face me."