018 - First Battle - Part 2

While we rested my mind filled with thoughts about how we could use Gwen’s power in the coming battle.

My intentions were clear, Gwen had to land the final blow.

I had to make it happen.

I had a few ideas. But executing them was different.

I wanted to test something before we went into the fight, if it worked as I expected it to, then I should be able to pull this off.

I looked towards the resting siblings.

Before I fought the bear, I needed to know what I was working with.

I wasn’t about to go in blind.

“I’ll look around a bit to check for any more threats,” I told Roy and Gwen. “We don’t want to get ambushed mid-fight.”

Roy started to get up, but I waved him down.

“Rest. You’ll need it.”

They didn’t need to know I had another reason for leaving.

He reluctantly nodded his head and sat back down.

I walked into the darkness keeping the fireball over my head a little dim so I didn't catch the attention of anything else.

After I had moved a certain distance away, I completely extinguished the fireball.

With the ’s ability, seeing in the dark was a complete breeze. I could see clearer than when I had the fireball up.

I wanted to test the trait before I used it in battle.

‘Avaria, are any of the instructors near me or looking at me?’

[Negative.]

‘Good.’

The moment I activated Death String Puppetry, I felt something crawl under my skin.

Thin, black threads spilled out of my fingertips, like the unraveling of something buried deep inside me.

My surroundings turned a shade darker than black and I could also see my shadow wiggle outwards.

I flexed my fingers. The strings twitched in response. Not quite like extra limbs. More like pulling on unseen muscles.

I curled them around a fallen branch and yanked. The branch barely moved. I could move it if I really wanted to, but it felt insufficient.

‘So, you only care about bodies, huh?’

The versatility wasn’t there, I thought since they were threads, I could use them to bind stuff, but it looks like it works well only on bodies and not inanimate objects. The effects were minimal.

I am better off picking up a stone with my hands and throwing it.

I wanted to test this on some creature or something but it looks like I won’t get a chance like this for now.

I tried a few more things before confirming everything I needed to.

Just as I was about to go back to the siblings, my ability started ringing bells and I instinctively moved my body to the side.

The blur that went past me looked back, and I saw what it really was.

I couldn’t help but smile looking at the golem.

It was the size of an adult human, had a dark metallic body, a blade for a forearm in one hand and a clenched fist for another.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

I saw intricate symbols and patterns adorning the body of the golem.

But I didn’t get to study it, because it started its attacks again.

With my increased stats and strength, dodging its attacks was easy. The golems seemed to barely be at Rank 1, so its movements were in slow motion for me.

‘What should I use against you?’

Just then, I remembered something. Doesn’t the Reaper’s ability let me take control of something?

‘The golem should count as a body, right? I mean I’m pretty sure that Claudia is way too unhinged to just use just mechanical parts to make these golems.’

Let’s try it.

I moved my hands as I dodged another one of the golem’s attacks. But this time, I had the thin threads move around the golem binding him in his place.

It tried to move, but it was proving to be difficult.

Also, I noticed that the skill was too noticeable, I wanted to hide the existence of the strings if I wanted to use them in a battle.

So, once again, I activated my ability, but rather than using the threads from my fingers, I used my changing shadow and had the strings stretch out from there towards the golems body. In a place like this, which was covered in darkness, those thin black threads were completely invisible.

Wrapping the golem slowly, without it being able to recognize it.

I held it in place and tried to puppeteer it, but it was difficult. The ability was too weak right now.

Still, I continued my practice for a few minutes before my inept control over the golem crushed its joints and shattered the body’s structure.

I sighed and finished it off with my blade.

I knew about these bladed golems, I had studied about them, their weakness was in their foreheads, that was where the control crystal was stored. I shattered it and the golem collapsed.

[Defeated Rank 1 enemy - Bladed Golem]

[Experience gained.]

[Level Up.]

[Skill Points +5]

Seeing the system messages, I couldn’t wipe the grin from my face, I had finally leveled up.

I opened my status to confirm.

[The Insatiable System - Lv.1 (2%)]

[Host – Anshe]

[Realm – Rank 0 (Pending Breakthrough: 2)]

[Physique - 226]

[Magic- 340]

[Control - 290]

[Skill Points - 5]

[Traits]

* Death String Puppeteer

* Cryos Titan Physique (Dormant)

* Divine Phoenixs’ Blessing

* Living Flame

[System Abilities]

* Soul Bind

* Eyes of the Devourer

* Locked

[Innate Abilities]

* Locked

* Reaper’s Marionettist | MYTHIC (3%)

* Fire Control | MYTHIC (2%)

* Cryos Titan’s Physique | ASCENDED (0%)

[Acquired Abilities]

* Novice Swordsmanship Lv.5 / 5

* Novice Footwork Lv.5 / 5

* Inferior Regeneration Lv.1 / 5

[Resistances]

* Fatigue Resistance (0.5%)

I decided to check on the changes later, as I had left the siblings alone for too long.

I still couldn’t wipe the grin when I made it back to the siblings. They looked at me weird.

Roy gave me a weird look. “...Why do you look so happy?”

Gwen clutched her pen tighter. “Did something happen?”

My smile vanished as my eyes twitched at the siblings’ comment.

“Forget about that. Are you guys’ rested enough?”

They both nodded enthusiastically.

“I’m ready to go anytime!”

Roy beamed, his eyes full of fire.

“Good, because I have a plan in mind…”

I explained my idea to them and at the end of my explanation, they both looked at me with worried eyes.

“I-I will be landing the final blow? Is it okay to trust that responsibility onto me?”

Gwen looked down at her small hands, clenching them tightly, I could see her fingers tremble.

I looked into her eyes and nodded with firm confidence.

“Of course, Roy and I will hold that gnarly bear in place while you wait for the perfect opportunity to strike, giving us the best results. I trust that you can do it!”

Of course, I will hold that stupid, multi-eyed bear back with my threads while Roy wears it down, and I pretend to struggle. Then you will get the perfect shot to land the final blow… and give me the best rewards.

Her shaky eyes became firm at my fake bravery speech and she hesitated a bit and bit her lower lip as her grip tightened once again and she finally nodded with confidence.

“I won’t let you down!”

You won’t. I’ll make sure of it.