Evelyn's resolve drowned in her heart.
She didn't want to act like a monster. Yet she still wanted to pass the training like the others.
She squatted to the ground, thinking of a way to kill the human-rabbit without actually taking her life. She only needed to get the points.
The human-rabbit moved close, her hair dropping like rabbit's ears when sad. Her cheeks were rose tinted from her tears.
Evelyn could think of nothing. She looked at the other rabbits holding each other and watching the human-rabbit move further away from them.
"Can you tell me how you became human-like?" She stood straight. "If you're not evolving to something potentially dangerous, how can you use mana?"
The human-rabbit stopped walking, her cheeks puffed up. She shook her head vehemently. "I don't know. I was the only one in my litter born this way, and I killed my mother during birth."
Words hung in his Evelyn's throat. "I am not killing you just because you're an anomaly." She stared at Juda while saying that. "There's nothing wrong with being different."
Still, there was nothing else she could do. She decided to check how many points were left.
"Status." Her glare softened. "I already have 10 points?"
Killian and the human-rabbit looked up.
Juda checked his status immediately. "Ha. Did the gains double?"
"This is interesting." Killian mouthed, checking his and noting that his points were 46. "They were probably never 1 point to start with since they're not normal E-Rank monsters."
Juda shrugged. "I have only 18 points so it's a good thing it doubled or I might've needed to kill one—" His words stayed in his throat again when Evelyn glared at him. He raised his hand in surrender and stepped back. "Sorry."
Evelyn disliked his casual mention of killing, even if she said the same thing a few minutes ago, but her reasoning was simple.
They didn't have to kill anymore and the thought that they already killed innocent members of someone's family already weighed down on her.
However, it was part of the job. She returned for her gear and the ground let her have it.
"We should return." Killian started leaving.
Evelyn gently cleaned her gear stained with the mud and made a short sprint to catch up with Killian. "Let's go! We are finally done!"
Juda looked at the human-rabbit that now had a hopeful expression. He narrowed his eyes on her before leaving with Evelyn and Killian.
"You really think an anomaly should live? Rabbits reproduce fast so this anomaly can grow too. It will ruin the system our realm is built on."
"Then it should." Evelyn said casually.
"If anomalies can topple a system built for centuries, filled with thousands of Mages and Wardens, then maybe the system wasn't worth much to start with."
Killian felt the Void stir at her words.
What? Do you still want to eat her?
"I like her."
Killian only smiled. He turned to the two. "Has your WLog asked if you want to end the training?" They both shook their heads.
Does it mean it isn't over yet?
"It will do that soon. It's likely a stupid glitch. The WLog hasn't been updated for years anyway."
"How do you know that?"
"They've been so many crashes since the creator died. No one knows how to fix it like she did."
Was there a creator who programmed this system?
"Wanna run?" She asked Killian.
"Yeah!" Juda answered, and she rolled her eyes.
Killian could tell she really didn't like him from how often she glared, and sighed at anything he said since he joined them.
He also planned to feed the Void his Healing Fire during the training by subtly moving the tendrils along the grass, but the training wasn't what he expected.
"You two can go ahead. I'm tired. Also, you might want to check for other monsters around and gain more points. There might be more."
"Okay! Race you, Eve!" Juda started running first.
Killian and Evelyn paused. They glanced at each other, and then shuddered dramatically, before sharing a chuckle.
"Forcing a nickname on someone is so uncool." Evelyn gagged, before starting small jogs and running ahead. "See you later!"
Killian raised a hand in response.
He slowly walked the path ahead till he reached the first intersection they passed when Juda brought them. The other path looked lonely. Too lonely.
He shrugged, and continued towards the right path. "I am not feeling adventurous today." He sighed tiredly.
Even if I didn't use the Void, my physical stamina reduced faster than normal. He stared at his feet.
It might be what the Void said about the tendrils being inactive. They will still drain a little mana and stamina constantly.
"What benefits do I gain from the tendrils staying under my feet?"
"Fortify your kicks?"
"Please, be serious." He spotted the cliff up ahead. "Finally."
The path downwards was the last descent to reach the hills they started from, and get back to the white wall which should be the exit.
"I believe the old Void Mages used Shadow Writhe to retrace their steps, or return to a particular position at will."
Killian stopped moving. He back-stepped down the path, finding every faint footstep he made on the way. "Something like my shadow's footsteps?"
He ran back a short distance despite being tired. "So I can just—"
"You can't do it till Shadow Writhe improves. You can't just upgrade it either, so you use the skill and naturally, you will be able to do more with it.
"Oh." Killian's shoulder slumped, and he started back up again. "I can't even see the shadow's footsteps yet."
"You can't see the footsteps till you awaken your eyes. Your feet and arms are usually the first to be awakened."
Oh.
" Do not worry, you are progressing. At least, you didn't leave me starving for long. You catch on quick too."
Hearing those words bolstered the strength in his legs. Words of encouragement are rare in his past life as a Null.
Mostly all he heard was hopeful encouragement, but at the moment, he knew he didn't need to only hope.
He had to get stronger quickly to earn the right to ask questions about the system, and defend his right as an anomaly.
"Also, there's something else Shadow Writhe can do that you can try now."
Killian stopped walking. The cliff path was quiet, save for the distant sounds of combat echoing from the plains below.
What is that?
"Forging. Your bat. The way you control your limbs' shadows, the bat can be an extension of your shadows that you use without mana."
Killian stared at his bat. It was his sister's prized bat that she said had good luck. He didn't really want to remold it too differently as it was his gift from her.
But he knew having a weapon, like Evelyn's mechanical arm, would make him efficient.
An upgrade. It's lightweight and smashes well so what exactly will you add to it?
"To work well with your shadow. Do you have a little mana left to wield Shadow Writhe?"
Killian descended the plain again. He took notice of his footsteps even if he knew he couldn't see anything till he awakened his eyes.
"I'm ready." He was far from anyone seeing him, unless they could jump at least thirty feet.
The darkness responded instantly.
"Send them where you want them to go."
Black tendrils rose from his skin but it didn't rise like tendrils. It rose like ropes of black blood. Like oil soaking into wood, the shadows seeped into the bat.
The metal groaned, expanding.
Killian gritted his teeth as his mana drained rapidly.
The transformation wasn't subtle. The silver metal darkened to a matte black. It stopped groaning.
Veins of purple pulsated along the barrel. It didn't glow but rather absorbed the light around it.
It was Void.
"Now feed it."