"Holy shit!" Nyx could barely contain his shout as he saw the outlandish arrow of fire fly out and killed the slime. He gulped in surprise after Nadia shot him a glare.
"It consumes About 5MP, per arrow. The Mana fist is much more stronger than the fire arrows. And the stealth and appraisal doesn't really use MP as it is passive." Nadia had listed out all of her skills in her mind. She glanced at Nyx who was looking at the place where the slime had perished.
'The arrows seem to be connected to my will, seeing that they hit where I wanted them too. But I doubt my range is large.'
"You should start killing slimes," Nadia had confiscated his gun, and made Nyx drop his large backpack on a secure place.
"Yeah? But how?" Nyx flexed his wrist and asked the petite girl beside him. He was apprehensive by the fact that the girl had protected him till now.
"You're awakened now dumbass." The girl chuckled. "So if you punch a slime you can still kill it." Nadia stuck her tongue out at him when he shot her a 'wtf' look. "Tell me, what did you feel that improved when you dissolved that core?"
"Well I think I can lift about 100kg, if I feel like it." Nyx started punching the air as if to demonstrate. "And there's a warm feeling in the back of my mind that I feel like it's the Mana that you had mentioned."
"Yeah? Can you access it?"
Instead of answering, Nyx focused his eyes to his fist. Faint blue wisp was seen wrapping on his hands. But unlike Nadia's vibrant mist, Nyx's was very faint, like it was about to be blown out if not used instantly. The mist of mana suddenly spiked and Nyx opened his mouth.
"Hey! Something was forced in my mind. I think it's a skill!" He gasped excitedly. "It's called Mana fist— it's the same as yours! I tried copying what you were doing I didn't know that it would actually work!!" His hand suddenly stopped producing the Mana mist.
"You ran out of mana," Nadia laughed at the uncomfortable grimace that Nyx displayed on his face. "Rest for a while, or follow me. I'm going to kill more slimes." Nadia giggled before walking away.
Grumbling Nyx tailed behind Nadia "I'll come with, and if there is a slime thats on its own, I'm calling dibs."
Not long after they saw a horde of colourful slimes hopping around. At a glance both of them could tell it was around 5 colorful blobs. A little fire hovered around Nadia's hand, the first fire arrow was made. But the arrow didn't move, instead another arrow was forming around Nadia's other hand.
Both arrows whistled through the air, as they targeted the nearest slime. The slimes couldn't even react as there cores were silently pierced.
⟨⟨«Fire arrows» Lv: 0 → Lv: 1 ⟩⟩
⟨⟨Earned 1 coin⟩⟩
⟨⟨Earned 5 EXP, for killing a 'slime'⟩⟩
⟨⟨Earned 1 coin⟩⟩
⟨⟨Earned 5 EXP, for killing a 'slime'⟩⟩
Those slimes didn't drop anything, so Nadia started to make another two arrows. Though the casting process was kinda slow, it was still faster than the three slimes hopping towards them angrily.
⟨⟨Earned 1 coin⟩⟩
⟨⟨Earned 5 EXP, for killing a 'slime'⟩⟩
⟨⟨Earned 1 coin⟩⟩
⟨⟨Earned 5 EXP, for killing a 'slime'⟩⟩
A core dropped and Nadia hurriedly snatched it and absorbed it, before backflipping and dodging the slime that rammed at her angrily. "Oi! Nyx! You said you call dibs on slimes that it's on its own so here you go!" Nadia suddenly barked in laughter as she kicked the slime at Nyx's direction.
"Oh you mothe-" Nyx couldn't even finish what he was about to say as the slime was approaching him in a very fast rate. He could only hurriedly cast Mana fist and aimed at the flying slimes core. When his fist connected, the core shattered and a core dropped.
The poor boy could only glare at the laughing girl, he grabbed the core and within seconds, the core have been absorbed.
"Let's go explore the neighborhood pretty boy." Nadia had then proceeded to run into another horde of slimes. Three fire arrows were hovering around her body. And a fourth one was already morphing. Nadia pushed her Mana limits and she can feel it entering around MP: 110/150.
This horde was much bigger then the previous one. Two of the four arrows had few and hit the two approaching slimes the two dropped cores. Nadia then kicked the other one to Nyx who punched it. And then she used the other two fire arrows to kill the slimes that was trying to corner her. Killing both and making one of them drop a core.
Another slime was fast approaching the duo, Nadia hurriedly kicked the first slime to Nyx and she punched the next one that followed, she then grabbed the previous core drops.
"This slime dropped a core!" Nyx had informed from afar. Nadia waved her hand as if saying that he can have it. She focused her attention to the three slimes that were left. Two arrows hovered around her before it penetrated the two slimes, Nadia then punched the last one. Out of three, two cores dropped. She waved them at Nyx, 'i don't need the cores you have I can get mine on my own' her actions seemed to display.
⟨⟨«Fire arrows» Lv: 1 → Lv: 2⟩⟩
Nyx ran up to her, after the all the slimes were killed. His expression revealed that he was refreshed after absorbing the core. "Shall we continue?" He asked after arriving beside Nadia's side.
"Wait," Nadia sat on the ground. She opened her status and looked at her coins.
⟨⟨ Name: Diyana Susas Tuban--» Nadia Romanov
Race : Human
»Lvl: 1
Exp: 65/100
HP›› 150 / 150
MP›› 150 / 150
» STR: 10
» END: 10
» SPE: 10
» AGI: 10
» ACC: 10
» CHA: 6
:: SHOP:::
Coins: 19
Skills:
«Mana Fist» Lv: 2 «Stealth» Lv: 1 «Apraisal» Lv:0 «Fire arrows» Lv: 2
Status points: 6⟩⟩
After looking at the coins she had, she puts the status points—4 on CHA and 2 on ACC.
"Hey, if only awakened can kill these monsters. Then how can anyone kill them and survive if they are not awakened?" Nyx also sat down beside Nadia.
Nadia silently echoed this question to the system.
⟨⟨There are naturally awaked humans after the ᛗᛟᚾᛊᛏᛖᚱᚠᛁᚲᚨᛏᛁᛟᚾ ᛟᚠ ᛖᚨᚱᚦ.⟩⟩
Nadia paused after reading the system's answer. "There are natural awakened humans....I guess something just like me? I didn't need a core to awaken. And if my guess is right, then if one wants to use those powers then they can awaken just like how you did." She received the water bottle that Nyx handed her.
"I doubt that people that has awakened would give the cores for free.... Should we gather more cores to give?" Nyx gulped the water.
"To exchange for favours?" Nadia asked curiously liking the idea.
"No you idiot, to help." Nyx frowned at Nadia who looked at him disapprovingly. "Think about this way, the more people there is to survive the more safer it's gonna be."
"More people doesn't really mean surviving you know." Giving back the bottle Nadia said in a matter of fact tone. "Anyways you should gather more cores, take the half and absorb it and the other to trade with me." Nadia stood up and adjusted her backpack.
"Trade you for what?" Nyx ran back to the place where they hid his backpack and came back asking.
"Very soon I can trade you weapons that's gonna work on the Monsters." Nadia looked over to her next target. "In the mean time, be on your toes. I'll be kicking slimes on your way." With the heavy backpack Nadia dashed into the dozen or so slimes hopping around.
Nyx closed his mouth in exhalation at Nadia's actions. "This girl really is strange." The guy could only mutter.
On her hands there's already two arrows. It floated independently, Nadia then made the first move with just one punch she had already killed a slime. Her body ducked as she swept a slime to Nyx's direction. The arrows pierced two other slimes that were doubling to attack, both dropped a core, which she swept on her hands and absorbed it.
Fire came alive whenever Nadia raised her hands, and in those moments the fire would turn into burning arrows. Which would rapidly clear out the crowding slimes. Just by standing still she had cleared away 5 slimes single handedly.
⟨⟨«Fire arrows» Lv: 2→Lv:3 ⟩⟩
⟨⟨You have leveled up! Lv:1→ Lv:2
Please choose of the following:
•100 coins
• regeneration skill
• spiked ice ⟩⟩
As the system was flooded with notification with all of the slime's kills and exp. A level up notification was displayed in front of her asking which skill would she choose. Without even pondering about it she chose the second one. Not even in seconds later the information crammed in her head.
⟨⟨ Congratulations! You have earned the skill «Regeneration» Lv: 0⟩⟩
⟨⟨«Regeneration» Lv: 0
Recovers 1 MP and 1HP per 40 sec. Regeneration will be faster after once it is leveled up.⟩⟩
The information was layed in her head, the skill was passive. Which was not that bad. She kicked an approaching slime to Nyx's way without even looking up from the information that was displayed in a notification window.
Cursing aloud, Nyx dodged the incoming slime and punched it. He gritted his teeth after finding the core not cracked, he swung his fist again before finally killing it. It dropped a core which he pocketed, he resisted the urge to absorb it. He faced the other direction and jumped back as a slime tried to kill him. In a fit of irritation he kicked the slime to Nadia's direction.
Nadia's body was being circled by 4 arrows, and everytime a slime approached within 10 meters in her vacinity a arrow would hunt it down killing it with one shot. So the slime that Nyx had sent hurling towards Nadia was killed without Nadia ever batting an eyelid .
⟨⟨MP: 50 / 200⟩⟩ the notification on Nadia's view alarmed her when she saw her MP reaching that point.
Humming for a bit she cancelled 3 of the arrows around her and it it left her with one arrow. She started to punch the slime's core like Nyx has been doing, without the Mana fist but with just brute strength. Her fist would hit the slime's core twice before the slime would be killed.
⟨⟨» STR: 10→11 ⟩⟩
Surprisingly after she had killed about three slimes with just brute strength her STR had risen from 10 to 11.
Suddenly a huge wave of fatigue washed over her body and she hurried to look at what was causing her symptoms.
⟨⟨MP: 5 / 200⟩⟩
⟨⟨Due to the continues use of mana the MP bar had risen MP: 5 / 200 → MP: 5 / 210⟩⟩
She cancelled out the last remaining arrow around her in hopes of alleviating the burden on Mana reserves. "Nyx! Keep on killing slimes I'm going to rest for awhile!" Shouting at the person not far from her, Nadia leaned on a fallen tree. And hiding away from view. Her skill stealth instantly activated.
Leaning tiredly, she opened her status window. Thinking about how important weapons at this point. The knives strapped on her leg would not be any use in killing.
⟨⟨ Name: Diyana Susas Tuban--» Nadia Romanov
Race : Human
»Lvl: 2
Exp: 125/200
HP›› 200 / 200
MP›› 11 / 210
» STR: 10
» END: 10
» SPE: 10
» AGI: 10
» ACC: 12
» CHA: 10
:: SHOP:::
Coins: 40
Skills:
«Mana Fist» Lv: 2 «Stealth» Lv: 1 «Apraisal» Lv:0 «Fire arrows» Lv: 3 «Regeneration» Lv: 0
Status points: 29⟩⟩
"Coins is 40 and my status points is 29." Nadia evenly distributed the points and it left with something like this:
⟨⟨» STR: 16
» END: 15
» SPE: 15
» AGI: 15
» ACC: 16
» CHA: 15⟩⟩
She closed her eyes and rested, she wanted to see if she can learn the meditation that the system had offered her when she leveled up. Clearing her mind she started to enter a meditating state. After a minute or so, a gradual flow of new energy entered her body. And the system notified her that she learned a new skill.
⟨⟨ Congratulations! You have earned the skill «Meditation» Lv: 0⟩⟩
⟨⟨«Meditation» Lv: 0
Can recover MP while in a meditating state. ⟩⟩
She didn't need to open her eyes to see that she had succeeded. The flow of new Mana was addicting and she was honestly too lazy to open her eyes. Instead she continued to meditate and little by little her MP became full once again. She picked up footsteps nearing her, she knew that it was Nyx without looking up.
She cancelled her stealth skill.
"Holy shi-" Nyx jumped out of his skill when he suddenly noticed that Nadia was sitting peacefully beside where he sat. "Godamn it, did you learn a new skill or something?" He clutched his neck in embarrassment.
"It was a stealth skill" Nadia snickered at Nyx's expression.
"Teach me new skills will you? I feel like my Mana fist is getting stronger you know. But it it isn't enough, I need something long ranged like that arrows of fire you did." He leaned on the fallen tree like Nadia did.
"I can't teach it to you." Nadia said honestly. "I didn't learn it, I...earned it."
"You did? How?"
"When I was going to your house—now basement. I encountered a book," Nadia recalled that it the system's shop, there were tomes and grimoires. She suspected that those were drops from monsters. "When I touched the strange book it suddenly disappeared and the feeling of learning a skill entered my system. I didn't have enough Mana to use the skill, but now that I was absorbing those cores I can use it."
Mixing the lies and the truth, Nadia managed to convince Nyx. He nodded as if understanding, he didn't find it strange that she encountered such a situation. Where magic and monsters on the loose, where would he find the heart to doubt what Nadia spouted.
"Say, where's your parents?" Nadia knew that it was inappropriate to ask such questions. But she feels like Nyx was too calm without ever mentioning what happened to his parents.
Nyx quieted, "They died," Nyx felt like it was appropriate that Nadia would ask that sooner or later. He's just glad that he isn't alone anymore. "Those pack of wolves manage to wreck down the house. And once they did, they saw my parents escaping and dragged them to that hill." Nyx pointed at the hill that was like a dungeon. As it was littered in blood red soil and the entrance was like an ark of bones.
"For three months or so, I managed to hide in my bedroom and never got out. So I was really surprised that there were people alive around my neighborhood." Nyx recounted what happened to Nadia who listened quietly. "By the way, I have 5 cores. What can I trade these with?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out 5 cores."
"Gather more of them— absorb 3 of those. I'll tell you when I can kill around a hundred slimes." Nadia nodded towards Nyx who thoughtfully looked at the cores on his hand. And just like what Nadia said, he absorbed the cores, and decided to hunt slimes.
Nadia's MP is dreadfully low. But it doesn't hinder her movements in killing slimes. In fact her END stats helped her in this part. Due to the fact that it was very high in terms of her level, it doesn't matter if she doesn't have Mana or not as long as her health is full she can kill those slimes relatively with ease.
⟨⟨ Congratulations! You have earned the skill «Martial arts» Lv: 0⟩⟩
Nadia glanced at the new notification and knew what the skill was. It was pretty self explanatory just by looking at the title. She blew through her nose as she hit the slime on it's core. Finding it easier to execute the action after she had gotten the skill.
Nyx ran up to Nadia afraid that he might loose the figure among the slimes. Every moment he spent fighting the slimes, his body is feeling more flexible. He can feel that he had earned another skill but he found bit unnecessary to say this to Nadia. "Hey, let's go to the next block maybe we can find another survivor." He swept a slime and watched it die.
"Alright, but let's avoid confronting that hill." Nadia started walking along the road, and they both knew what hill Nadia was talking about.
Nyx didn't waste anytime and he followed the path Nadia had cleared, along the way he didn't have to kill a single slime as Nadia was doing all the work. He wanted to help but he couldn't find an opportunity to do so.
He had wondered how his schoolmate had changed. When Nadia had confessed to him, his initial impression about her was that she was too common. Average in every single aspect— he didn't find any strange rumor around her nor did he find any characteristics that made her stand out. She was an average student through and through.
Although he knows that she is in the same neighborhood, even that fact she didn't caught his fancy.
When the outbreak had started, he didn't even consider that she lived. Nor did he consider that she was getting these strength. Nyx felt confused when they met at his room. The Nadia now— is vastly different in terms of...well everything. Not that he took the time to know her personally to compare, maybe this was the true Nadia all along.
But finding out that another person had survived lifted him out of his blank depression. His parents death took a toll on him, and aside from the constant pressure he faced in daily life he found another reason to die.
So desperately he stuck close to the person that pulled him out of his wallowing existential crisis. Nadia's indifference to him brought him relief for some odd reason.
Around 12, they found traces of camp. Nadia found traces of the camp. The further away they walked from the wolf's dungeon. The slimes they encountered was steadily growing and getting stronger.
"There's traces of survivors! And it looks like they are about a dozen of them." Nyx looked at the fallen tent. "It looks like they abandoned this camp."
"Either that or they died. Wiped out— and cleaned."
Nyx could do nothing on Nadia's pessimistic view on life. He himself was hanging by the single strand of sanity he has left. And Nadia out here doesn't even care anymore.
"Is there a isolated part around here?" Nadia suddenly wondered out loud.
"The police station should be near." Nyx had the sudden realization. "People should be there! Shall we go?" His heart palpated in excitement.
Nadia stayed silent as she looked at her status. And the watch on her wrist. "Let's eat first and we'll have to go there before it gets dark." And with that, there simple exploration on the block was extended to exploring the town.
Nadia munched on the chips that was becoming stale as she looked at the options the 3rd level gave her. Currently they were hiding in a house that didn't cave in.
⟨⟨You have leveled up! Lv:2→ Lv:3
Please choose of the following:
•300 coins
• Bakunawa's breath
• Buddha's aura ⟩⟩
She paused when she looked at the options that was laid out from the system. Bakunawa's breath, and the Buddha's aura. She of course knew about Buddha, but she didn't expect to see the name 'Bakunawa' on the skill list. These were mythical beast and gods.
Buddha is well known. But as for Bakunawa, she was only familiar of the name because of the elderly she met daily.
The Buddha's aura if she had to guess was something that can calm peoples nerves or the skill can heal people. As for Bakunawa's breath, she would guess that it was something related with water.
Recalling what Lola had said to Nadia, Bakunawa was Known in ancient Bikolano mythology as the god of the underworld and considered to be the causes of eclipses. It appears as a Giant sea serpent with a mouth the size of a lake.
Nadia didn't think about for too long and she chose the second one.
⟨⟨ Congratulations! You have earned the skill «Bakunawa's breath» Lv: 0⟩⟩
⟨⟨«Bakunawa's breath» Lv: 0
the breath of a sea serpent that has swallowed an eclips. It's breath can kill everything that is under the sky, it's power is multiplied when at night.⟩⟩
"It seems that I was wrong..?" Nadia's guess on the skill was somewhat wrong. It was unclear to what the skill was about. But it was apparent that it is powerful.
"Hey are you done?" Nyx popped out from behind the couch. "Let's get going?"
"Yeah let's go...the slimes in this area is really strong so I'll have to ask if you learned a another skill?" Nadia asked Nyx on his progress. When she used the appraisal on him nothing changed there other than the fact that he's on level 1 now.
"I got the skill, Martial arts." Nyx adjusted his backpack. "I have two skills now. I guess it's normal right? How about you how many skills do you have?" Nyx asked curiously.
Nyx saw Nadia staring at a blank space. "Eight, currently I have eight skills." Nadia honestly stated, she didn't plan on hiding how many skills she had. It's not like it's gonna affect her if someone knew.
"Jesus chr- you are really amazing." Nyx gasped when he heard her answer. And here he thought that he's pretty strong. The weight on his pockets containing cores sudden became light. He felt that the cores were not worth much now.
Amazement? Yes
Jealousy? Also yes
Different emotions was swirling inside Nyx. But he didn't let that get in the way from the fact that he's now determined to catch up to Nadia. When you see something amazing happening in your eyes, you can't help but envy it, not only that your going to unconsciously try and achieve the things they have earned. Nyx is doing just that in his heart.
"You have killed about a hundred slimes by now right?"
Nadia nodded. "Do you know how to wield a sword?" She suddenly asked. In the corner of her view the Shop panel was opened.
"Why? Are you gonna trade me that? Where would yo-" Nyx shuts up when Nadia suddenly pulled a broad sword out of thin air. With the blade as thick as Nyx's arm and as long as Nadia's legs, the girl surprisingly wielded the sword with apparent ease.
"Yeah, 10 cores for a sword." She cuts through thin air, and with her STR stats, the air rippled when she did so. The steel sword costed about 50 coins, she can buy two one for her and one for Nyx. Of course the sword wasn't free for Nyx that's why she asked for cores as money.
With the scabbard on her other hand, the blade of the sword was hidden. She tossed it to Nyx who handed her the 10 cores. His face was that of surprise, by now he thought that Nadia would teach him skills as something to trade. He didn't expect her to pull out a weapon out of nowhere.
"How....how about you? Do you have another sword?" Instead of answering Nadia pulled out another sword. This answered Nyx's question.
"I guess exploring the basements of the neighborhood won't be done." He ran his hand into his own hair. His face showed that he was tired. Sometimes Nadia forgets that Nyx is two years older than her.
"Yeah, let's start moving to the town's police station before the sun goes down." She paused for a bit. "And for now we don't have to worry about food. If you have cores to trade you can buy some from me." Nadia's thoughts wondered through the system's shop. Fresh food, meat, full course meal— it was available on the shop.
"I'll have to work hard then." Nyx smiled wryly. He didn't even question where the food would come from. He's guessing it's the same place where the sword came from.
"Yeah if you have any cores left I would advise you to absorb it now before we go." After receiving a nod, Nadia also decided to deal with her 48 SP.
» STR: 26
» END: 26
» SPE: 26
» AGI: 25
» ACC: 26
» CHA: 25
Her stats ended up becoming something like this.