They landed back on the ground below. The building behind them collapsing in a cloud of dust and debris and booming sounds. Myles glanced at the destruction and imagining again feeling the events that take place just few minutes ago. He turned to Lilian who stood calmly beside him. It seems like nothing could disturb this woman."You'll have to be careful from now on," Lilian said. "Survive on your own for a while. I'll come back later."Myles frowned. "Wait, you go? Where are you going?"Lilian smiled, her dark eyes glinting mysteriously."I need to look for information. Once I have what I need, I'll come back to you and I'll ask for your help when that time comes." She stepped closer, her eyes locking with his. "You will help me, right?"Myles nodded. "Of course, I'll help you," he said. "But... if it's your business. I mean, something involving beings from another world, do you really think I'll be able to help? I mean, what could I possibly do?"Lilian's lips curved into a knowing smile. "Oh, don't think about that. You can help."Myles blinked and stared at her. "Well, If she thinks I can, then I probably really can."After all, this was a being far more powerful than him, someone who clearly knew more about this magical apocalypse than he did.Without another word, Lilian sprouted her black wings, their dark feathers shimmering against the light of gloomy day. She leaned in and giving Myles a gentle kiss on the cheek."Be careful," she whispered, her voice soft, before stepping back and launching herself into the sky. Her wings beat powerfully and in moments she disappeared into the sky.Myles stood there alone now, watching her figure fade into the distance. He was back on the street, surrounded by the chaos."Okay, I need to survive by my own now."His gaze hardened as he looked around at the ruined cityscape."I need to accumulate power," he muttered to himself. But he knew he had to do it carefully. There was no room for recklessness now. If he wanted to stand a chance in this new world he'd been thrown into, he would need to grow stronger—fast."Thankfully, I already got this new skill from Lilian."Myles smiled. Then he start walking to look for monsters or mutated human to try his new skill.He walked cautiously through the debris-strewn streets, gripping his bloodied kitchen knife with tense fingers. His eyes scanned the desolate cityscape and can see that the aftermath of chaos evident in every corner. Occasional distant growls and the shuffle of mutated humans or monsters filled the street.After a while, he spotted a group of mutated humans. Small horns jutted out from their heads and their eyes gleamed with madness. The human who can't stand the magical influence of the unknown power from far away places in the cosmic.There were too many of them, though. Approaching them head-on would be suicidal even with his new skill. Having this skill doesn't mean that he is invincible.So, he silently slipped away, stalking through the shadows until he found a more suitable target.A lone mutated man dressed in a bloodstained work suit stood hunched over a corpse, gnawing on the remains of a dead woman. The sight sent a chill down Myles's spine, but this was his chance. He clenched the knife tighter and steadying his breathing.Myles stepping into view and made his presence known. The mutated man turned toward him, revealing a grotesque face. Horns protruding not just from his forehead but also from his eyes and mouth, creating a nightmare of bone and flesh.A guttural snarl escaped the creature's lips as it rushed toward Myles with terrifying speed.Myles focusing his mind on the new power coursing through him. He then using his Shadow Bind just like how he had read in the novel – by focusing on it. He watch his own shadow stretched across the pavement and slithering toward the charging mutant.When it connected with the creature's shadow, dark tendrils shot upward then wrapping tightly around the mutant's body, halting his movement entirely.A grin spread across Myles's face. It worked.But he could feel the drain on his mana, his energy slipping away fast. Not like when he just using his Fireball skill.Without hesitation, he lunged forward, raising the kitchen knife and driving it repeatedly into the mutant's skull. Blood spurted as the creature convulsed under the assault, but within seconds, it was dead.Myles stepped back, looking down at the lifeless body. His heart raced from both the thrill of success. The skill worked, but he knew he'd need to manage his Mana carefully in future fights.After the mutated man lay dead at his feet, Myles stood up then wiping the blood from his knife on the man's tattered work suit. He opened his status window and his gaze immediately drawn to the Mana section. His Mana had dropped significantly, 30 points gone in the blink of an eye from using Shadow Bind. He frowned."Obviously, I need more mana," he muttered to himself, realizing that if he wanted to rely on this new skill he'd need a way to replenish it quickly or increase his total mana pool. But for now, he had no clue how to do that. All he knew was that he needed to get stronger by accumulating EXP first.Deciding not to waste time pondering Myles set off again, moving quietly through the deserted streets. His mind was focused and he began searching for his next target. He needed more kills.It didn't take long before he spotted a mutated dog. Its body twisted and contorted with patches of fur missing and large, jagged teeth that gleamed as it ran. The creature was fast, far faster than the human he had just killed.Myles instinctively activated Shadow Bind again, feeling the familiar pull on his mana as his shadow stretched out once more. The dark tendrils lashed out, wrapping around the dog's shadow and pinning it to the ground.The creature snarled and thrashed but it couldn't break free. Myles wasted no time, rushing forward and stabbing the dog repeatedly until it stopped moving.He stood up after killing it and checked his status window again. His mana had taken another hit, but he also noticed that his EXP had gone up. Killing the mutated dog had earned him the same amount of experience as the mutated human. He now had 45 EXP."Not bad," Myles thought. He glanced around. Suddenly feeling that the thrill of the hunt building inside him. He would need to find more mutated creatures, more targets to kill.He didn't know that killing will be this enjoyable.---