「You have leveled up」
A semi-transparent screen appeared before my eyes.
「Name: Nameless
Level: 2
Strength: E‐-
Agility: E--
Endurance: E-
Mana: D--
Attributes: Absorption, Assimilation
Title: Night Crawler
Skills: Instinct Lv.2, Night Vision Lv.1, Light Weakness Lv.1, Cold Resistance Lv.3」
I look at the floating screen before my eyes, inspecting every inch of it. It had everything from the uber–useful 「Night Vision」 to the inconvenient 「Light Weakness」.
Looking a little further I could see my Attributes. I deducted that 「Absorption」 let me obtain skills from others, while 「Assimilation」 let me adjust to said skills, making them my own.
Going further, I could see my sole title, 「Night Walker」. There wasn't much to say about that, other than I simply had it.
Then I was moving. I didn't really have a destination in mind, other than getting out of this labyrinth.
Splash
「Skill 'Instinct' is warning you」
I followed the sound, quickening my pace.
What I found was a small lake–or pond, I couldn't really tell the difference– glistening under the glow of the countless crystals protruding from the walls and ceiling.
Without hesitation, I submerged my head into the glistening clear water. My mouth open as to drink as much as possible.
It felt cool and soothing. My fatigued mind and body quickly recovering.
I lifted my head out of the water and took a deep breath, spotting a beautiful, scantily clad lady.
The lady beckoned me over, it's hand moving this way and that.
I approached, mesmerized by her beauty.
「Skill 'Instinct' is warning you」
As I moved closer, the lady blushed, embarrassed, most likely by it's own lack of clothing.
「Skill 'Instinct' is warning you」
I peeked at the lady's prone form. Now that I was closer, I could see scale–like marks on her cheeks, wrists, and midriff.
「Skill 'Instinct' is warning you」
I traced the scales to it's lower body, rather than the expected legs a normal human being had what she had mas much much different.
She had a tail. Not the furry kind, no, it was much better. From her lower waist down, all she had was a scale–covered, multi colored tail–which, combined with the illusion effect of the clear water produced a gorgeous rainbow mosaic topping any art pieces I had seen–and remember–in both of my lives.
「Skill 'Instinct' is warning you」
I looked at the pretty lady's face. She was smiling, her claw–like fingernails reaching for my throat.
「You have obtained the Skill 'Charm Resistance Lv.1'」
Huh?!, I jumped with surprise, water splashing all around me.
My body was already half–submerged in the water, rendering me practically immobile.
「Skill 'Instinct' is warning you」
The lady–no, Siren shrugged and started singing. It was beautiful, sure, so long as you discount the fact that she was going to murder me as soon as that song was finished.
「You have obtained the Skill 'Charm Resistance Lv.2'」
I extended my fist into a jab, the Siren yelped as it's body was flung slightly backwards. She quickly readjusted herself with practiced control.
Meanwhile, I looked for a platform that I could use. It was too disadvantageous to stay here–being a non–aquatic mammal and all.
I spotted a lone boulder 8 meters away from where I currently was, but it was too late.
The Siren was rapidly approaching me, her serene face now filled with fury.
「Skill 'Instinct' is warning you」
I quickly swam towards the boulder, escaping from the on pouring bloodlust behind me.
I was almost upon my destination, when I felt something grip my feet.
「Skill 'Instinct' is warning you」
It was the siren staring at me with bloodshot eyes, the sapphire tint long gone.
I desperately flailed my legs, trying to escape from her grasp, but to no avail. The Siren gripped my ankle, refusing to let go, trying to drag me down with it.
The lake wasn't deep, maybe a few meters at most, but it was still enough to drown a man. By now, we were both a resident of the underwater–her, a born resident, me, a first–time immigrant. I grabbed her head. Stepping on her shoulder, I kicked downwards, the force enough to free my shackled leg from the Siren's sharp claws. My leg had scratches all over, it hurt a bit to move it, but I just had to work through it.
Breaking through the water's surface, I gasped for a breath of air, before immediately diving again.
「Skill 'Instinct' is warning you」
My head was ringing with the alarm bells of 「Instinct」, but this was something I had to do.
I can't run, I told myself.
Facing challenges, fighting adversaries, overcoming obstacles, constantly challenging myself, that was the only way I could grow.
As the memories of my old life seeped into me I came face–to–face with the Siren once again.
She had a quizzical, look like she just found a interesting specimen.
Look all you want, you two–faced bitch, I thought with clear malice, bloodlust seeping out of me.
「Skill 'Instinct' is warning you」
The Siren flinched, quickly brandishing her pure–white claws. She swiped at me and I struggled to dodge with the heavy pressure of the surrounding water, the tip of her claw slicing my cheek.
It felt hot, not just outside, but inside too. Repositioning myself, I noticed the Siren's awkward movements, its somewhat slack posture, and it's lack of focus as it swam within the lake. Then I realized, with a imaginary bulb lighting above my head, that the monster was as new to fighting as I was.
Well, almost, I thought with confidence, having two kills under my belt.
While my first fight had been nothing more than a fluke, the same couldn't be said for the second.
Recalling the fight with the burly beast, I reflected on my actions, the wasted energy, the delay of my attacks, down to the hesitation in my movements.
Twisting my body, I threw a right hook onto the Siren's pretty face, she belatedly put her arms in defense, but that was just a faint.
Next, I threw an uppercut from below, the strike impeded with the water's enhanced gravity.
Slow, I thought with disappointment, but I knew I was just making excuses.
The surprised Siren dodged, though a second too late. The tip of her chin met my fist, dealing a critical hit.
Using the extra time, I once again resurfaced for air, and just as quickly dived down.
The Siren was still dazed from my previous blow, struggling to keep it's body upright.
I grabbed it's neck, strangling her. The Siren clawed at my arm, producing wounds and cuts which hurt like hell. Working through the pain, I tightened my grip even harder.
There was a familiar crack as the Siren's body went limp. The Siren started sinking. The huntress becoming nothing more than a forever sleeping beauty.
「Attribute ' Absorption' is activating」
「You have obtained the Skill 'Hydro Navigation Lv.1'」
「Attribute 'Assimilation' is activating」
As I swam back to the surface the ringing of the 「system」 messages reverberated in my ears.