Slight breeze brushed the tree leaves, killing the group's silence during their walk. They left the flower plains a while ago, traversing through the thick, tall woods that slowly dwindled down.
Shay had noticed a regular territorial pattern of Growlers' territory. Stronger beasts lived within a dense area of gigantic trees, while weaker ones occupied the outskirts.
His posture weakened, diving deep into his thoughts. 'Why was Growler Warlord lurking by the cave?' His throat vibrated, letting out a humming sound while two of his fingers hugged the chin.
"Wondering about what happened before, kid?"
Shay twitched, almost tripping because of paying no attention to where his feet stepped.
He remembered his speech at the office and lessened the tension in his upcoming remarks. "Oh… Yeah, the most recent past."
"Haha, don't worry. We are heading back for your stuff at the wrecked cave. It should be retrievable."
Upon hearing Blarken's words, Shay confirmed their direction through the shadows' angle. They were going straight north, leaving the deepest part of the zone.
"It's unsurprising that you know about that."
"Haha. I wonder, how much did you change throughout the days? I'm asking, because, as you have probably guessed, I spectated your intense brawl." Blarken said.
His firm posture and indifferent tone reassured Shay with safety, unlocking a door toward trust.
He sighed deeply, then joined him.
"Well, I still insist on keeping my progress a secret. Let's say my power developed through killing a certain amount of beasts."
Blarken shrugged and closed his lips. He expected such a vague answer, cutting off the conversation.
Shade, clicking behind them, bolted to Shay's side.
Something clicked in his mind while remembering their interactions. He leaned towards its ear and whispered. "Hey buddy, do you want to go hunting?" he said, stroking his shadowy, somehow soft fur. The blazing void engulfed his hand, which he retracted after sliding it up and down.
Suddenly, dirt shot past him. He locked his gaze on his diminishing friend that leaped in a zigzag style, its precise steps jumping off roots and rocks.
Blarken turned his head, staring at the disappearing black dot. He scratched his scalp, wondering about his pal's whereabouts. "Where is he off to?"
"I want him to evolve, since he is still just a puppy, right? He can take care of himself." Shay grinned when the last words escaped his mouth.
Past few days, positive feelings seemed to avoid him, yet now his mind raced from the thoughts of gaining new skills through Shade. Most importantly, he loved their fresh bond.
'That's what I call a win-win situation!'
He even let out a slight giggle, which he covered with both his hands, preventing further laughter. Blarken noticed his strange behavior and raised his eyebrow for a moment.
They took their sweet time, reaching their destination after a whole hour.
The surroundings were illuminated by the sun, sending bright beams of yellow light straight down, revealing one distinct area.
Sharp stone spikes and crushed lands peeked from the earth, encircling the crimson red corpse. A flock of crows created a rotating disc high above, some scavenging closer.
From their reef stand point, Shay looked down, observing what mess he left behind.
"A fearsome sight, right?"
Shay's jaw downed from being flabbergasted at such a view, thoughts obscuring his mind. 'Have I become this strong in just a few days?'
Immobile, he felt something large press on his back.
Fwoosh.
"There's no time to waste, kid," Blarken said, gazing at the falling figure.
'What the fuck!'
His vision narrowed, skyrocketing his focus. He pivoted, crouched, and tensed his muscles for the rough landing.
Boom! Clatter.
The land had lost its firmness from the previous fight. Thus, on impacting the surface, instead of creating another crater, he slid between the crushed stones. He planted himself on the earth like a carrot, his arms resembling the greens.
Kshrrr.
Before freeing himself, he aimed his head upward, looking at Blarken sliding down.
Stone fragments scattered around him while forming ten fissures alongside the rock wall with his fingers, slowing his fall.
Thud.
He landed beside Shay and grasped both his hands, releasing him from the gray prison.
"That wasn't so bad, but your landing still needs some work."
Shay, standing next to him, opened his mouth, but retreated instantly. He wished to cuss at the brute.
'Who fucking sends his student out of a cliff?! A month before, I'd have died from such a fall!'
Although only anger thoughts fired up, it somewhat helped him to calm down.
"So, how do you plan retrieving my stuff from the cave?" He asked, looking at the boulders blocking the cavern's entrance.
"If it was buried fully, the whole reef would slide down. Since it disconnected slightly, we only need to move those things to get through."
Blarken turned 90 degrees, Shay tracking his motion, and stopped beside it.
"Does that mean…"
Without letting him finish, he clenched the stone, making two fracturing holes, and pulled back.
When his limbs started sinking, the boulder was far enough for one singular action.
Humph!
Using the edge of the hard surface, he pivoted, loosened a hand, and rotated like a pitcher throwing his ball.
It curved high, lazily flying over the arena. The sound of bending wood resonated through the air, as multiple trees fell down, shaking the ground.
'Did he just… No, that's unreal!!!'
Shay rubbed his eyes, two times at that, in disbelief. He gazed at the row of shrinking heights of timber, and the logs spread around.
"Come in, won't you?"
He slapped his cheeks and followed Blarken's steps.
Although the cave had been enclosed, all the contents stayed in place. One side was loaded with beast materials, the other covered up stacks of stuff for staying alive, counting his backpack close to it.
Out of survival reflex, instead of swooping all his belongings to his bag, he shoved three razor sharp tooths inside his only intact pocket before doing so.
'It should be everything, right? I just need to gut the corpse outside,' he thought as he scanned the cave, ensuring nothing was missing.
Since all matters were concluded, they both left. Shay was partially blinded by the bright sunlight as his pupils shifted.
'Now, it's time to obtain the grand prize.'
He closed the distance with the cadaver and pulled out the incisors, preparing to cut its abdomen.
"Catch this," Blarken said, throwing a huntsman knife, inserted in a black painted case, toward him.
His improved perception allowed him to grasp its rough handle.
Upon unsheathing, it revealed a full white blade. He compared it with the teeth, and after further inspections, some patterns seemed to match.
"It's made out of them, if you're wondering."
Shay nodded and turned back at the body, proceeding to gut for its magic stone.
He reached for it, a dim red light gently intensified. It was black, but filled with multiple wide crimson veins, which emitted a warm, comforting radiance.
[Possible Mana Pool fusion.]
As his eyes narrowed and raging excitement blinded him, he forgot about being stared at.
[Novice Mana Pool - Basic Flame]
[Description: +25% Power Boost, -25% Mana Cost for fire elements. Has opposite effects with water element skills.]
He gazed at the prompts that obscured his vision while clenching the sucked up stone in front of him.
"How long are you going to stare at it? Come on, we need to hurry before the sun goes down."
Blarken pointed with his thumb behind him.
Shay turned while throwing the powerless junk.
They headed back towards the encampment, allowing him to completely examine his list of skills.
[Passive Skills]
[Root Regeneration]
[Poison Defiance]
[Agile Might]
[Predator's Awareness]
[Silent Step]
[Fire Hide's Resilience]
[Warlord's Flame Comprehension] - Allows the user to learn basic fire type skills.
Before he fell into a coma, he remembered seeing the last skill, and had somewhat predicted its properties. Although it could seem like a simple ability, in contrast to the beast's strength, it was his first ranged maneuver.
This could prove handy against vast groups of foes, serving as an AOE technique, as its potential lied in explosiveness and wide sweeping burns.
'I guess my progression isn't that slow.' his lip corners lifted by his thought.