Kapitel 16: A Dark Realisation 2

If he levelled up all by himself, he would see growth, but it would be slow. But with Kivu... he would see huge growth at a faster rate and level. If he had other Beasts too? Would he not grow stronger faster?

Zimo was starting to understand just how big this game was. But he also knew. If he could think this far, then so could other people. And that meant that he had to begin moving quickly, as quickly as he possibly could.

But how could he move with those baby legs? All he could do was drag himself across the ground. He sighed. "This is so messed up." And yet even as he said that, his heart was racing. Maybe it was because he had nearly just died, but he had never felt so alive. This feeling of being at the edge of death...

A growl interrupted his thoughts. It wasn't Kivu. It came from somewhere out there… in the wild city below him. Only a few hours before, it was a bustling city. Now it was crawling with who knows what...

And then in the next moment, when Kivu began growling, turning to the driveway that led up to the roof, Zimo turned in that direction, watching, trying to see what was going on. And then he saw it.

A Deadspawn emerged from the shadows, staggering forward with jerky, unnatural movements. Its body shimmered faintly, its eyes glowed an eerie blue, and the air around it seemed to hum with energy.

Zimo stared at this Deadspawn and then an idea came to him. [Beast Eye]!

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|| Beast Eye: Nameless Deadspawn || Skills |

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Name: ?? (Deadspawn)

Level: 7

Resonance: --

States:

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Health, Well-Being, Satiety: 62% ++

Energy, Stamina, Vitality: 50% ++

Mentality, Decision-Making, Focus: 10% --

Mana, Casting, Magical Power: 20%

<—————

Physical Stats:

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Dexterity (Agility, Flexibility) → 24

Strength (Speed, Power) → 29

Constitution (Endurance, Health) → 32

Intelligence (Memory, Reasoning) → 9

Charisma (Charm, Persuasion) → 10

Wisdom (Intuition, Adaptability) → 11

Spirit (Mental State, Character) → 13

<—————

Magical Stats:

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Mana (Magical Energy Pool) → 0 (0 * 7)

Arcane Knowledge (Magical Talent) → Rank 1F

Mystic Control (Magical Energy Control) → Rank 1D

Elemental Affinity (Connection to Elements) → Death(F Rank)

<—————

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So it was death attribute east. How interesting that was. But at the same time, there was something about this that made total sense. After all, they had the word Dead in their names did they not? But still, these stats were a bit weak were they not? Why was it that weak?

"A Deadspawn…" Zimo whispered, almost too nonchalantly. "Is not as strong as I thought it was.."

How was it at level 7 and yet still so low in such levels as Intelligence, Charisma and Wisdom? Zimo shook his head. But still, it was pretty powerful, especially in terms of strength and speed. And when that realisation hit him, Zimo realised that he could take on that Deadspawn and take it down all by himself.

Before he could react, Kivu lunged forward with terrifying speed leaving him reeling as he fell backwards on his back. She had disappeared like some shadow, reappearing right next to the Deadspawn, and Zimo watched as one massive paw swiped clean through the zombie's neck, sending its head flying and a wave of darkness going around everywhere.

Holy shit... She was so fast! And that slash... was that [Night Slash]?

The creature's body collapsed, revealing a glowing blue crystal embedded in its head. Without hesitation, Kivu snatched the crystal and swallowed it whole. Zimo looked at this all, with an odd look. Why did she have to steal it away like that? Like he was going to steal it away? She was so greedy, he thought to himself.

Kivu turned to him, and when she did, she gazed at him as if she knew what he was thinking. Zimo couldn't help but chuckle. "What?! I was just a little bit curious. I was going to dig one out of a Deadspawn I killed myself anyway. You can have as much of those as you want," He said, dragging his body up with everything he could. His little arms were still too little.

He blinked at her in awe. "But still Kivu, You're… incredible."

Kivu turned her glowing eyes on him, and for a moment, Zimo thought she might kill him too. Her expression was unreadable, but there was a hint of disdain there as if she were mocking his weakness.

"Right," Zimo muttered, looking away. "I get it. I'm pathetic and weak right now, But one day, one day I'll be on your level."

Frustration bubbled in his chest. He clenched his tiny baby fists. He had seen how this Beast was doing incredible things, and he wanted to do the same thing. "Hey… can you teach me something?"

Kivu tilted her head, her gaze narrowing slightly.

"That thing you did earlier," Zimo said, his voice firmer now. "When you used the shadows to move me… the skill [Darkness Control] can you show me how to do it? I want to learn. I want to be able to use it too."

For a moment, Kivu didn't respond. Then she let out a low growl, a sound that might have been a sigh. Reluctantly, she padded over and sat down, her massive form looming over him like a mountain of fur and muscle. Her green eyes bore into his.

"Thanks," Zimo said, with a smile. Something told him she understood everything she was doing, and he understood here. As long as they understood each other then everything was going to work out between them.

Zimo smiled at her as she showed him a flicker of a shadow appearing from the ground, coming out like some sapling, and she looked at him, rolling her eyes. Zimo chuckled. So she was saying to start small and stop being impressed by such little things, huh...

Well, that was something Zimo could do for sure. As long as he started. And if he started he would find some success for sure.

But to Zimo, this was far from simple. It was incredible. It was pretty clear to see that there was a principle involved in this, and it was guiding the movement of something he did not understand or begin to comprehend.

And anyway, something told Zimo that even while she was rolling her eyes, or looking at him in disdain, that was just her personality. She seemed to look down on everything in the world. In a way that look had judgement, but it also had something else in it, something simple, something easygoing and caring. There were other looks too, the terrifying kind of looks that she gave him, and those were the ones that made him extremely unnerved.

Kivu extended one massive claw and began to draw shapes in the dirt at their feet… symbols, patterns, things that seemed to twist and shimmer unnaturally. Zimo watched intently, trying to memorize the movements. What was this? Some kind of language? No, it was images...

She was telling him to inspire the movement of the energy inside him, and then call upon the words in the system, like he did. Well, that part was simple, but how was he going to control it?! Oh right... she merely tilted her head, as if telling him to figure it out all by himself. Just great.

[Darkness Control]!

Zimo got started with a small sapling and watched as it dissipated just as it formed. Yeah, okay... he might need to do this a few times after all.

The process was slow and frustrating. Shadows flickered around him as he attempted to mimic her gestures, but nothing seemed to happen. Kivu growled again, baring her teeth, and Zimo flinched.

"I'm trying, okay?" he snapped. Kivu snorted, as if unimpressed, but she didn't leave. She stayed there, helping him, teaching him, as patiently as she could. Soon enough Zimo started seeing some progress, but then his Mana ran out, and he could only flop there like the useless man baby he was.

Zimo lay there awkwardly, and he sighed turning to Kivu, who seemed like was this close to slapping him. "You just need to level up for me to get some mana and start over though, right? Just give me a bit of time. I believe in myself and I hope that you can believe in me too," Zimo said, earning himself another roll of the eyes.

Zimo felt an unsettling heaviness settling over him as he sat there, looking out. It wasn't just the exhaustion of his mana—it was something darker, something… wrong. His emotions felt muted, and distant, as if a thick fog had descended over his mind.

Was it Kivu?

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She was watching him intently, her green eyes gleaming with something he couldn't place. This was supposed to be a creature of evil was it not? So what emotions was she looking at him with? Was it amusement? Curiosity? Malice? Sometimes he could tell... other times... not so clearly.

"Kivu... I felt so alone back then. Actually, for a long time, I've been alone. That's why I can't help but wonder... Are you… messing with me?" he asked, his voice shaky.

Kivu didn't respond. She merely gestured to his hands to get him to continue practising. But Zimo sighed. She was making fun of him again was she not? She was talking about the fact that he had no energy anymore, and that was all he needed to pay attention to.

Zimo shook his head. That was a really good deflection. She was so intelligent to have thought of that.

He turned his mind to this growing coldness in his heart. He felt stronger, yes, but also less… human. Even when he saw her kill that Deadspawn, it was not that he had gotten used to it, but more like it was just not something that could phase him. He even felt a bit of excitement too for some reason seeing the successful hunt.

How terrifying.

A noise from the street below drew his attention. Voices… angry, desperate and cold… maybe even dead. He crawled to the edge of the rooftop and peered down. A group of men was dragging a struggling woman through the rubble-strewn streets.

"Ahh!! Stop! Somebody Help Me!!" She kicked and screamed, but they were stronger, pulling her toward a dark alley.

"Shut up, bitch!!"

Zimo's heart lurched, but the emotion was faint, dulled by the fog in his mind. He hesitated, his breath catching.

"I should… do something," he whispered, though he wasn't sure if he believed it. Should he do something? Why him? He had no limbs? He also had no idea who that was. Would she thank him? Or would she treat him like shit, just like all those people he had helped before?

Kivu stepped up beside him, her gaze fixed on the scene below. There was no pity in her eyes, no anger… only cold indifference. Zimo looked down here too, and as they dragged the woman away, she couldn't help but glance at Zimo,

"Help me, please!!" the woman screamed before one of the men closed her mouth again.

Zimo watched it all, and all e could think about was oh damn, she had been too loud, now all those Deadspawn were going to come to her location. And then in the next seconds when those Deadspawn came, Zimo sighed. They would either die or make it out...

Whatever fate came to them was theirs to bear, just like this limbless state was his to bear.

Zimo sighed, This was the nature of reality. It was a fight, a struggle. It was not his job to fight against it all. He just had to walk his path. If they ever met, he would congratulate her for having made it.

Hearing the sound of a banging door, Jason knew that they must have gone into that building through some back door to get away from the Deadspawn. She was probably about to get raped in there, wasn't she?

Why was he even thinking about this in such an apathetic way? Zimo was not the type to not care about things like this. No. It was very obvious to him that there was something wrong. He turned to Kivu, his voice trembling. "Why don't I feel anything anymore? What are you doing to me?" he asked, his voice barely audible.

Kivu's eyes met his, and for a moment, Zimo felt like he was staring into an abyss . When Zimo saw her mouth curl into that unnerving smirk again, Zimo's stomach churned.

He laughed, the sound bitter and hollow. "This is insane. All of it." The laughter bubbled up uncontrollably, spilling out in harsh, ragged bursts. He felt like he was unravelling, piece by piece as if the world around him was just a cruel joke and he was the punchline.

"How interesting…" Zimo muttered, his voice tinged with hysteria and a bit of understanding. This was the cost of allying with a Beast. He would grow stronger faster, but he would also become like her, and she might become like him too. He was just inheriting her Beastly nature and attributes, ever so slowly. It might get worse the higher his level gets.

As he stared into the darkness, he realised something chilling.

He wasn't sure where he ended and Kivu began.