Io's Strength: Note Version

Fetish warning: This story involves FMG (Female Muscle Growth) elements. If you're not into these kind of things, reading this might not be a good idea.

Spoiler Alert: This FMG story has minor spoilers to the story of Code Vein up to the Crypt Spire area. If you are interested in playing the game completely blind, I don't recommend you read this.

[Glossary]
Noah: The main character, the player character. Successor.
Io: Main character's preferred and reliable partner. Noah's attendant.

Louis: The leader of the revenants at home base.
Yakumo: Louis' reliable friend.
Mia: A friend of Louis, Yakumo and Noah. Tags alongside Louis.
Murasame: Resident armory at home base. Can repair, enhance or upgrade weapons and Blood Veils.
Davis: Familiar with the Depths, a kind of dungeon in the world of Code Vein.
Jack and Eva: A separate group that teams up with Noah to defeat a common enemy.

Lost: Main enemies, comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes.
Mistle: Save point, can be used to level up and acts as a respawn point.
RV Mastery: In the game, these things are drugs used to enhance the capabilities of a revenant by granting passive bonuses.

Blood Veil: Armor basically.
Gifts: Magic basically.
Ichor: Mana basically.

[Current Location: Crypt Spire]

>Noah and Io are in the middle of fighting Bladebearer and Cannoneer

>Io takes a fatal hit and gets knocked down in the middle of a fight

>Noah casts Restorative Offering to get her back up on her feet

>While Noah's health is low, she gets attacked by a surprise attack by Bladebearer. She parries a few attacks, but the defense is ultimately broken through. Noah is knocked down.

>Io tries to cast Sympathetic Boon, but Cannoneer sets the field on fire with an AoE strike, forcing Io to relocate

>Io continues to try and find an opening to restore Noah, but is unable to do so because of Bladebearer.

>Noah loses the fight and dies, Io watches this happen.

>Bladebearer appears behind Io and kills her as well.

...

>Back at the mistle, Io apologizes for not being strong enough, but Noah says that it's her fault for not watching her stamina.

>Io still feels upset though, and tells Noah that she's going to continue getting stronger so that she can support her better.

>Noah smiles and tells Io not to worry to much and for it. Noah then asks everyone else to go back to try and formulate a new strategy.

>Jack and Eva chooses to stay with Noah to try and find any weak points during their combat.

>Io, Louis, Yakumo and Mia retreats back to home base.

...

[Current Location: Home Base]

>Io said all that stuff about being stronger, but she doesn't know how to go about it.

>She hasn't exactly been slacking off on her practice with Dammerung, her halberd. In fact, she's one of the better fighters in the team.

>Louis notices Io looking troubled and asks Io what's going on

>Io explains the situation and Louis thinks for a moment before calling Yakumo to see if he knows anything.

>Yakumo mentions about a RV Mastery item labeled  that helps the user gets stronger, but writes it off as a comment that his mates would tell each other as a joke, kinda like an urban legend.

>Io says that even if it might be an urban legend, it might not hurt to try looking for it.

>Louis then asks if she wants them to come along, but Io declines the offer because she doesn't want to bother them.

>Davis then approaches the group and confirms the RV Mastery item, labeling it as 125, and it's somewhere in the depths. He urges Io to talk to him when she's ready for it.

>Murasame overhears this conversation and tells Io to follow her inside for a bit. Io follows.

>Inside Murasame's workshop, she shows Io an experimental version of Io's current Blood Veil.

>She says that this version completely halts ichor regeneration in favour of just directly storing it into the body to improve physical growth during level up periods.

>Honestly, Murasame doesn't really recommend it since that would mean that regenerating ichor would completely rely on ichor concentrates, but Io accepts the modified blood veil, saying that it'll be a handicap to become more efficient in battle.

>Io puts on the blood veil and leaves the workshop and is greeted by Mia who was waiting outside. She heard the situation from Louis and Yakumo and wanted to help.

>Mia gives an Ichor Blend to Io and hopes that it helps with the search, and reminds her not to push too hard when things get rough.

>Io goes to talk to Davis and he brings her to the depths.

__

Current Location: Depths: Collapsed Research Campus

>Davis activates the Mistle using medicine and gives Io a map of the area before wishing her luck and leaving.

>The area seems to be a place similar to Zero District. A few buildings have fallen from the surface into the underground. According to Davis, 125 should be inside one of the taller buildings. Considering that there are only a few buildings that fit the description, it's only a matter of checking each one and not dying.

>There are 3 paths open, and each one has a path that diverges into one of the target buildings. As Io's goal is only the RV Mastery 125 drug, she's not particularly looking to clear the area anyway.

>As Io is sneaking around, she notices an isolated amount of the Lost: 2 Euphoric Losts, one with a bayonet and another with a sword. She also notices a one Raging Noblewoman. She comments that due to Noah not being around, she has to be careful since she can't really take advantage of any of Noah's abilities as Successor.

>Io quickly dispatches the Euphoric Lost (Bayonet) with a combination of Frost Spike and Lightning Spike. The patrolling Lost notices the ruckus and charges at Io, but she quickly counters with a well placed 3 hit combo with her halberd.

>In the middle of combat, Io notices how her ichor regeneration isn't increasing at all, and attributes it to her modified Blood Veil

>In this moment of distraction, Io notices a shadow looming over her. It's the Raging Noblewoman. Her hammer is REALLY close to slamming ontop of her, but a well timed parry and a back attack makes quick work of the enemy.

>Io takes a sigh of relief on that close call and notices that her haze amount has accumulated enough to go up a few levels, but her ichor hasn't increased at all, so she concluded that maybe she shouldn't rely too much on her gifts.

>There doesn't seem to be any more enemies near the building, so Io goes to explore the place. Unfortunately, RV Mastery 125 is nowhere to be found, so Io walks back to the Mistle.

...

>Io notices that she has extra haze that she can use to level herself up a bit, and recalls what Muramasa said about the Blood Veil storing ichor and haze to boost physique during level up.

>Io looks at her smooth body and arms and wonders what leveling up will do to it, but she quickly dispels her doubts when she remembers that shes doing it for Noah.

>She levels up [3] levels and notices that as her cells are regenerating, she can feel her biceps swelling a bit and her core tightening up. She looks at her hands and tightens up her fist, feeling her muscles flex.

>Confused, she takes off her Blood Veil for a moment to take a better look at her body, revealing her previously smooth and soft body to now have slight muscle definition. Flexing her arms reveals a small but very noticeable peak.

>She also notices how her clothes feel tighter than before, not that they weren't tight already, her chest feeling thicker. She runs her fingers through her midriff and feels small bumps through her abs.

>She puts her Blood Veil back on and as she lifts Dammerung up, she notices how it feels lighter to hold. She speculates that this is the effect that Muramase must be talking about, and concludes that leveling up more is the way to go.

...

>Io proceeds to the second area marked on the map, she notices a few more of the Lost than previously. This time, it's a platoon of Euphoric Soliders, at least 4 of them and a Queen's Vanguard leading the helm.

>Io doesn't want to rely on her gifts after learning that she just straight up doesn't regenerate ichor, but fighting 5 enemies at once is just a really bad idea.

>She uses a single Frost Spike to attract the attention of a single enemy, and as he approaches, she attacks the incoming Euphoric Solider.

>Due to Io's increased physical strength, she noticed that she could swing the halberd quicker and deeper, making the Euphoric Solider that was previously a bother to defeat a quick job, as if she was killing one of the lower Lost back in the Ruined City Underground.

>Realizing that she could work more efficiently, she slowly approaches the rest of the lost and quickly cleaves the head of the 4 before getting knocked back by the Queen's Vanguard's sword.

>Io notices another thing after getting knocked back, she took less damage than usual. She attributes it to her stronger physique and opens up with a Lightning Spike before following up with a Chariot Rush. The Queen's Vanguard doesn't relent however, using the knockback inertia to swing for Io's head.

>However, Io thinks quickly and parries the attack before stabbing the Vanguard through the chest. It dies.

>Io wipes the blood off her face and the sweat off her brow. She notices how much easier it was to attack physically rather than use her gifts. She makes a note of relying more on her physical abilities now.

[...]

>After regenerating her health, she goes inside the second building. Inside, she finds a mirror and with a passing glance, notices how pumped her body looks, especially after fighting the Lost outside. Curious, she flips back the Blood Veil covering her arm and does a small flex. Io cracks a small smile before concealing her arms again and moving along with her search.

>After effectively turning the building upside down, Io realizes that the RV Mastery 125 drug isn't anywhere in sight. Io is starting to feel like the drug is just, as Yakumo said back at base, an urban legend. As Io turned to leave, however, she noticed a book that was not fully pushed in the bookshelf.

>Io's natural curiosity taking over, she goes over to the book and glosses over the title and back cover. "RV Mastery 125 Production Notes". Shocked, Io opens the book and finds out that the book basically detailed how the drug was conceptualized. It also held the location of the drug, which is coincidentally in the third building that Io hadn't checked yet.

[...]

>After confirming the location of the drug, Io returns to the Mistle go recouperate her lost ichor and to read the production notes.

>Apparently this particular drug was built as an experimental venture to try and see if it was possible to increase the weight limit and physical strength of revenants, but due to the critically low amount of revenants that fit the conditions required to use it effectively, the finished product never left the lab.

>Io closes the report and checks her haze count. Enough for 6 levels. Io takes a deep breath and levels up again.

>She notices that this time, the growth is happening at a faster pace and is she's filling up her dress even more now. A tearing noise can be heard as Io's dress begins to strain under the increasing size and she begins to breath deeply as her chest begins to expand outwards.

>When the growth stops, Io turns around as she looks at her new body. Her previously soft and curvy now replaced with what is effectively a physique fit for a lightweight female bodybuilder.

>Io lifts her dress up, careful not to tear anything, revealing her new abs on her spotless skin. Her chest has expanded quite a bit, stretching the already straining fabric even further.

>Io then notices her thighs, who formerly was soft and plump was replaced with a layer of hard muscle. She's a bit sad that maybe lap pillows wont be as comfortable anymore, but she concluded that such comforts must be sacrificed to be able to support her successor better.

>As Io gets up and lifts the halberd again, she realizes that she's able to swing it around easily with a single arm. Io drinks Mia's Ichor Blend to get a boost in ichor usage. Putting on her Blood Veil, which fits really snugly now, she approaches the final building.

[...]

>After Io quickly dispatches a bunch of stray lost with her halberd, she notices something. There is a suspiciously low amount of Lost. What's going on here? As Io treads carefully around the area, the air suddenly changes.

>In the distance, an army of the lost is appearing; it's an invasion. Io readies her halberd and quickly dispatches one of the weaker lost, but she is caught from behind and falls to her knees.

>As Io struggles to get up, she is struck in the back with a Raging Noblewoman's hammer. She is clearly in a very dangerous spot, and is only able to survive thanks to her recent physical developments. She rolls out of the way and rushes inside the building where she recouperates some of her health.

>Io casts Frost Spike at the gate to try and and formulate a plan. Even with all of her new strength, she only barely made it out of that invasion in one piece, and even then they're starting to break through the walls.

>Io gripes that if she can't even defend herself from this invasion, then there's no way that she'll be able to defend Noah from Cannoneer and Blade Bearer. Physical strength isn't enough to beat the army of Lost. Io needs to think of a plan.

>She looks around the ruined room and finds a piece of collapsed ceiling. She uses her new strength to lift the rubble and throws it at the entrance. That should buy her some more time before the Lost starts finding other ways to enter.

>She goes upstairs in order to look for the drug. As she's searching, she can hear the Lost breaking through the windows and finding new entrances through the multiple holes in the building.

>Eventually, she finds it. RV Mastery 125. And right as she finds it, the Lost begin to swarm the area. Io decapitates the incoming Lost with a powerful swing of her halberd, but the sturdier enemies parry the strike. Thinking quickly, she uses more of her ichor to create an opening through the horde with Chariot Rush before fleeing downstairs.

>Io balls her hand into a fist and destroys the wall of the building, leading to the outside and dashes outside. The invasion really is getting out of hand, but now that Io is outdoors, it should be much easier to manage the battle.

>As the enemies continue to approach, Io is realizing that she's running out of ichor. And that means she can't use her gifts. And that means if the Lost get any closer, and they will, she'll be in critical danger.

>She then looks at the drug that she finally got from the building and recalls the a sentence from the book that states that the usage conditions of the drug is so ungodly specific that there's no real guarantee that she'll even benefit from it, much less survive.

>But as the lost army begins to approach, Io realizes that she can't bend now. If she dies here, she'll be unable to fulfill her role as Noah's attendant. Taking a deep breath, she stabs herself in the neck and injects the drug into her body.

>As the drug begins to work inside Io's body, her peception of time slows to a standstill before her body heats up like it's on fire. Unable to hold the pain, Io collapses to the floor in pain. On her knees, she tries not to scream as her body screams in pain under the drug.

>With each breath that she takes, her muscles expand. With each breath she takes, her body grows larger. Io subconsciously grabs the ground, and a crater forms underneath her as she grows heavier thanks to her new growing mass. Her Blood Veil shatters under the strain and tears, falling to the floor.

>Io fights against the urge to frenzy, and as the Lost tries to attack her, she instantly grounds it with a powerful backhand. It's body parts scatter all over the area as Io fights to regain control of herself.

>Io then recalls Noah's brave figure and how she's still struggling to fight on top of the Crypt Spire and fights back the urges. After all, it was she who taught her how to fight. It was she who inspired Io to get stronger to fight for her own path. When Io comes back to, she notices that her Blood Veil is on the floor, torn and her dress extremely tight, as if if she tried to tear it, it'd definitely rip without question.

>Her muscles have grown larger than her head, and her chest and quads accentuate her new figure. Her abs are harder than Queen Steel; her body has transformed into that of a greek marble sculpture. Hard muscle now surrounds Io's body, but her skin still remains as pure as ever.

>Io takes a deep breath and readies her halberd Dammerung, feeling lighter than ever. With a powerful yet graceful swing, she slashes the air which forms a shockwave strong enough to slice the Lost.

>The Lost begin to try and swarm Io, but thanks to her new strength, she simply shrugs off the weaker lost. However, a familiar feeling rears behind Io. The Raging Noblewoman once again swings at Io with a massive hammer. This time however, Io is able to parry the strike. Io falls to her knees as the force of the hammer increases.

>This time, things go differently. As Io continues to grow stronger as the drug is still working, she slowly stands. With each breath, her body grows larger, stronger, and eventually, she is able to overpower the overwhelming force of the hammer and an opening reveals itself. With a quick swing, she uses her offhand to slash the arm of the Noblewoman and push her onto the floor.

>Io then picks up her halberd and impales the Lost. She gets up and turns around to find that the remaining invasion is circling around her, anxious on what to do next after such a raw display of power.

>The rest of the Lost lose a one sided battle against the new Io, and right as the battle ends, RV Master 125 finishes it's effects. She takes a deep breath and observes her new body.

>Massive and muscular. That was one way to describe it. Io's body had gone from a curvy soft and slender figure into what is effectively a wall of muscle. Her biceps have clearly grown past the size of her head, and her chest has grown so much it might as well have doubled in size, alongside her breasts.

>Io's smooth midriff has been completely replaced with an extremely defined six pack with the obliques to match, each ab extremely visible through the struggling fabric that is her dress. Her back had widened to impressive sizes, her lats creating an extremely broad sihoulette; each muscle group could be easily identified.

>Her quads might as well be tree trunks at this point, absolutely bulging with power and absolute density while retaining it's softness when unflexed or bumped. Io is glad of this fact as it means that she'd still be able to give Noah her lap when she needs rest.

>Io smiles to herself, and is convinced that with her new strength, she'd finally be able to defeat Canonneer and Bladebearer with ease. She walks to the Mistle and teleports back to the Crypt Spire.

[...]

Location: Crypt Spire

>After a large amount of losses, Noah sits on the floor with a perfect plan to counter Bladebearer and Canoneer. Engrossed in her notes, she had been mixing and matching gifts, blood codes and passives for the past few minutes.

>Io's voice can be heard through the elevator. Noah notices this and prepares to greet her reliable attendant. She starts off by stating the new strategy, but is halted when she sees Io's new figure.

>Shocked, stunned and honestly probably aroused, Noah asks Io what's up with the new look, and where did her blood veil go. Io simply smiles and states that it's a result of her training.

>Noah then says that she'll explore Io's new body later, but says that priorities first, the twin bosses need to take a hike.

>As the two approach the bosses, the fight begins.

>Noah focuses on Blade Bearer while Io focuses on Canoneer. Noah's new strategy perfectly counters the Blade Bearer, with quick strikes, parries and dodges. Despite getting hit a few times, her razor sharp focus allowed her to bite through the pain and repeatedly strike the enemy with deadly accuracy and force. Despite not being as strong or powerful as the new Io, Noah is still keeping up.

>Io smiles warmly as she remembers that this is the attendant she follows. One who will make up her lack of physical power with strategy and wit. She is snapped back into the fight as Canonneer sets the ground on fire, but using her overwhelming force, she cuts down the cannon with a clean cut from Dammerung. No longer limited by her modified blood veil, Io uses Frost Spike to stagger the enemy and pin him down and breaks his limbs with a powerful punch. Shockwaves reveberate through the area.

>Noah is amazed at her partner's new power and decides that she can't be outpaced by her. She uses Blazing Roar to stagger her enemy before disabling her legs. At the same time, the duo deal the finishing blow to the enemy.

<Greater Lost Dispersed.>

>Noah drops to the ground, exhausted and looks at Io wiping the sweat from her brow. Noah asks her how does it feel to be that strong. Io is unsure on how to answer, and instead inquires on what Noah meant when she said that she'll "explore her new body".

>Noah blushes slightly and tells Io to meet her at her room later.

>Noah sends an advance note to the rest of the party that the home base would be off limits for the next 4 hours. No one is really sure why, but one could imagine what things are happening behind those closed doors.

<To be continued?>