Chapter 29: Escape

Kana was sneaking out of the city, and she used the darkness of the night to hide. Her senses were on high alert, and she scanned everything she saw. Jolly was still unconscious and slung over her shoulder, drooling like an idiot.

’I wonder if Jay is alright… No, I am sure he is. He is a smart guy, he will find a way. As for me, I need something to escape from here-’ Her eyes landed on something that made her smirk.

She cautiously approached the vehicle and noticed that the door was unlocked. She looked up at the building next to the car, and even though she was outside, she could smell it, a disgusting smell.

’Argh, why do people do such things? It is so nasty. I was going to feel bad for stealing this car, but now I do not feel so bad.’

She threw Jolly into the other seat, and her limp body slammed against the dashboard. Kana did not even look. She just sat on the worn seats and started looking for the keys, but they were not in the car.

’I guess I will have to do it the old-fashioned way.’

She hotwired the car and drove off, and she did not spare the gas pedal. The night air hit her from the window, but she did not react. She was staring straight ahead, but she looked like she was not really there, as if she was thinking about something that was weighing on her. Her eyes glanced at Jolly, whose limp body was still leaning against the dashboard. She did not bother to help her.

’I let my emotions get out of control… what was I thinking? But hearing her talk so badly about him like that, I just could not stand it, not after everything he has been through. I am sorry, Jay. I hope you will move on from all this.’

The city was slowly disappearing from her view. There was no turning back now, only moving forward.

—

Back in the forest, Yenna was lying on the ground, sweaty and out of breath. Wren looked perfectly fine, and she was staring at Yenna with a smug expression. Yenna took this as a challenge and jumped toward Wren, trying to catch her, but a tail hit her in the face.

’Dammit, was she always this strong? Or is it because I lost my power… no, I cannot tell. She is definitely getting stronger… This is not working. At this rate, he might leave me behind.’

Wren saw her sulking, and she wanted to be happy, but there was something more important. This girl was someone who had helped her master, so a part of her was happy that she was around.

“Prr prr prr prr… prr… prr.. prr.”

Yenna looked up and saw Wren doing a pattern of poses and then looking at her, as if telling her to try. “What are you doing? Are you feeling itchy?”

“PRRR!!”

“S-Sorry, I do not understand-” The more she looked at the patterns, the more she began to understand. It was like a dance, and each move flowed into the next with a specific rhythm. Yenna furrowed her brow as she struggled to understand what Wren was trying to show her. The poses were not random. There was a deliberate pattern, almost like a silent language behind them.

“W-Wait, could this be?” She got down on all fours and tried to do the moves. It was hard for her stiff body to keep up, but she tried her best. After just a few minutes, she could tell that this was an incredible way to train.

’Amazing. My muscles and joints are screaming in pain, but every time I get the pattern right, I can feel something aligning inside me. With each pattern, I am starting to look less stupid and more like a cat.’

This continued for a while, and Yenna was finally starting to see some improvement. It was enough to give her hope that she would not be abandoned.

—

Deeper in the forest was Vell, and he was sitting on top of a tree, watching a group of little monsters that looked like they were made for cuddling instead of fighting. He stared at them for a while, and he thought about taming one, but he also did not want to waste a slot.

’Hey, are you there, system?’

[Yes, master. I am here.]

’Ah, about last night, I apologize for going off on you. I was in pain, I was angry, and I took it out on you. I am sorry.’

[I know, master. There is no need to apologize. It is normal for someone who is hurting to get angry. I just hope you can learn to control those emotions. This world is vast, and controlling one’s emotions can either lead to fame or to death.]

’I will keep that in mind. What can you tell me about those dark slimes down there?’

[Displaying known information.]

[Dark Slimes, Name: Shadow Slimes (rare)]

[Nature: Adaptive]

[Threat Level: Low]

[No other information is known.]

’Huh, is that all? Why is there so little information?’

[Yes. No one has ever tamed a slime of any kind. They are seen as weak and worthless.]

He leaned back against the tree, and he was not sure what to think.

’What about you? Do you think the same way?’

[Although slimes have their uses, in the long run, they will prove to be useless.]

’Hmm, interesting… can you see that dark, glowing energy?’

[What are you talking about, master? There is no dark energy anywhere.]

He stopped talking to the system and started thinking to himself. He was sure about what he was seeing.

’Is that mana? No, it looks denser for some reason… it looks similar to what I did when I lost control of myself. What could this mean? Is this the second phase of mana? And a slime that is considered weak has that very energy? Something is not adding up.’

He jumped down from the tree, and he scared the slimes, but they did not run away. They are a species that is known to be friendly, so they approached him. They rubbed against his skin, and at first, he was smiling as he squished their soft bodies. But then he felt something entering his body. It was the same corrupted mana as the figure had used.

“Shit!”

He jumped back up into the tree and started to meditate. He thought his mana was about to go on a rampage, but that was not the case this time. The mana entered his body like water flowing in a river.

“Huh, I am not hurting? This… it feels good. What is going on?” He touched his chest, and he could feel the mana gathering around his core. It was steady and calm.

“Maybe I should-” He cut himself off. He let the mana enter his core, and he was nervous, but nothing happened. “Haha… I guess the core is working fine…” The thought of him being called non-human played in his mind. “Whatever, let’s try that one more time.”

He leaped back down from the tree, but before he could touch the ground, a massive snake grabbed him and threw him away, into the trees.

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