"Boy, that girl... Feed me."
Killian took a step away from Evelyn.
She stopped, and her lips curved downwards. "We have only a day, you know."
"Yeah, but I wanna try something quickly." He widened his arms. "Hit me with your element."
Crickets.
Evelyn spun around and started moving.
"Hey, wait." He chased after her. "I am serious. I need to know—"
"If you want to practice, wait till we find a target. I shouldn't use mana on someone who isn't adding to my kill count." Her brown eyes shifted to him coldly. "Unless you wouldn't mind?"
Killian replied with a strained smile. She shifted from cute to cold in a few seconds.
Just another side of Evelyn Constantine. He let her go ahead.
"Boy."
"You heard her. Let's meet targets first, then you'll eat your fill. They use the Earth element here. In the meantime, work with WLog to make me understand how to use the element."
There were no other responses.
Killian focused on reaching the hill.
As per the rules he was taught, the testing ground would be somewhere within the realm itself.
It must be that hill. Its walls were solid and fortified so not even a crazy Fire element trainee could break it down and start a scramble.
"Should we run?"
The moment those words left her lips, Killian dashed off. He suppressed his eagerness for the sake of Evelyn who might want to satiate the moment.
But as D-Rank trainees, he should've known they would both be excited to stand in a realm after all they experienced.
Evelyn's laughter echoed as she ran behind him.
But it was short-lived.
A ten-foot worm attacked from the right.
Killian forced himself to a halt with his right leg, and shifted his support to that leg quickly.
The worm curved mid-air and descended.
Just in time, Killian pulled Evelyn to himself as the worm crashed on the spot she stood.
Its smooth body rippled from the effect of the crash. Killian's thoughts raced quickly.
Why does it attack us? It is not from this realm.
"Weapon, now!"
Evelyn pulled out the gear from behind her. The mechanical weapons hummed to life, attaching themselves to her arms.
It had a hole that focused her mana to shoot for long range, and the pins on the knuckles for close range.
The worm jerked out of the ground, hovering over them.
"This isn't an E-Rank rabbit monster." Evelyn stated the obvious.
Killian nodded once. It didn't matter what it was. It was a monster they had to kill.
It doesn't attack with mana so I can't just let it hit me.
"So," he swirled the bat in his hand. "Let's pummel it. Stay close."
"Got it!"
The worm revealed a large mouth, roaring, and quaking the small stones on the ground. It attacked with its mouth open.
"Now!"
Evelyn charged forward. Slam!
Her fist hit the head of the worm, making a rippling effect, but then.
Killian pulled her back again.
They stayed a safe distance, observing it.
Slime. Physical attacks were absorbed. It also threatened to absorb its attacker.
"Let's move." He told her.
She dashed out immediately, using her element to bolster her speed.
He followed, thinking of the interface. There had to be an update since his entry through the white wall.
An update that let his interface be visible to only him, as well as any possible skills he had unlocked upon awakening.
The first skill.
[Element: Void]↓
With a thought, he opened the drop-down.
[Element Rank: S]
His eyes remained on the rank, till his lips curved upwards. Not surprised.
No questions asked, so he checked the skills.
[Element Skill: Shadow Writhe.]
"Do you want to try?"
"Heck, yeah." He halted, and clipped the bat in his gear belt. "Get ready, Evelyn. Long range."
The worm picked up its pace. She slowed down, keeping a safe distance behind him.
A cold rose from his chest, spreading to his arms as the shadows under him grew larger. His shadow's arms grew longer, tracing itself on the ground.
They became alive, rushing forward and sliding up the worm's body. He felt mana drain out of his arms, causing a slight ache but it didn't deter what he had to do.
He clenched, and the shadow's arms tightened around the worm's body.
"Shoot!"
She leaped in the air, a ball of wind forming in the mechanical arm.
A shot hurled at the worm as it slithered towards them.
Whoosh!
It slammed squarely on the head, but the creature merely slowed.
It lowered its head, aiming to attack her mid-air.
The shadow's arms clenched on its head. Crash!
Roar! Thud!
Killian caught Evelyn. A smile stretched across his face. "Good shot. You took it down!"
Evelyn stared briefly, wondering if her shot really took it down.
"Thanks!" She got down.
Killian turned to it. The worm splattered on the ground… yet its parts were already regrouping.
It needed to be permanently neutralised. Physical attacks could only do so much.
He folded and released his fingers, feeling a rush of wind move around in his palm.
"Sneaky."
Evelyn's shot had hit shadowy arms and sank into the Void.
"I fed you. Thank me."
"Thank you."
The worm had already regained its form and would chase soon. It should be a C-Rank at most.
If it kept following them, it would lead to casualties. Also, it wasn't here by accident, so there would be worth in killing it.
Evelyn's attack barely scratched it. Shadow Writhe only slams. Or do I need to be more creative?
"Jump."
Evelyn scaled the cliff, rolling to the ground to cushion the fall. She stood up, dusting herself. "Come on."
"Go." He walked back to it. "I'll finish it off."
"What? Killian, it's already dead!"
He planted his feet, and the shadows beneath him surged like black oil.
The skill activated fully this time, since there was no threat of being seen.
Tendrils of darkness erupted from the ground, grabbing the worm.
If it can grab…
The tendrils pierced through the slime's body.
Then it can do that too!
The creature thrashed about, trying to regenerate, until it stopped moving.
"Thank you."
"For what?"
The tendrils crushed the worm's insides. Red mana seeped out of it and sank into the shadows. Where the shadows touched, the slime didn't regenerate back. It shrunk into nothing.
It devoured it? Completely?
Then he felt a sharp drain on his stamina, a hunger mirroring the power he wielded.
The tendrils returned to him, crawling up his body and forcing themselves inside his chest.
He unbuttoned his jacket, and tore his shirt instantly. There was a sigil of a black flame, with rough edges. The cold stayed there. It was like Quara had said.
I had also felt it when I touched the crystal earlier.
Since Shadow Writhe was the only skill available, and he had seen it work once, it meant he gained a skill after using them.
In other words, when he used a skill the Void already possessed in its stash, that skill became his.
That's how the rulers transferred their skills to the next generation.
He had to catch up quickly.
[Target Eliminated.]
[Killian Dominic: D-Rank]
[Reward: 30 Points.]
[Void Capacity: 1% → 2%]
[Points For Passing: 10 Points.]
[Points In Account: 30 Points.]
[Surplus: 20 Points.]
[Point Exchange Available Upon Completion]
[Do You Wish To End First Training?]
[Yes] [No]