Battle Admin System 6

6 - Pride And Shadows

A battle in a deep swampy forest was imminent. Lillea sensed it in the air. Excitement fluttered in her stomach. She was unsure why. Something about the stalker thrilled her. It was time to confront them.

She found a muddy glade hedged in by tall vegetation. Moonlight beamed through a wide hole in the canopy. For a Moon Giant, it might as well be daylight.

She slid to a stop, letting her heels dig furrows into the soggy ground. They weren’t too deep. She’d lost weight. She should hunt soon.

Animals stirred awake and ran. Weak beasts prowled nearby to observe. Night birds and insects filled the dark with their songs.

Lillea tossed her backpack to the side and soaked in the wild atmosphere. Then she checked her levels. She’d done well the past week.

Moonstrider Learning V leveled up from 242 to 251!

Lillea had taken a pain-point with having a team and used it to her advantage. Instead of letting the Level 300s act on their own, her knowledge of team tactics had led them. Now her mind felt even sharper.

Moonstrider Athleticism V leveled up from 251 to 255!

Expert Hunter’s Perception III leveled up from 239 to 243!

It was a surprise to see her athleticism rise. The same for her perception. Those skills were harder to level because few could match her physical prowess or outwit her senses. Using club fighting and her prosthetic had provided adequate challenges.

Adept Club Fighting leveled up from 154 to 189!

Prosthetic Adjustment leveled up from 26 to 109!

It had been dubious to fight with only her left arm. She had to put herself in an awkward position against furious foes. When the Chief Log Picker attacked, I almost wanted to cry in frustration.

She could still feel the clamoring rattles of each iron log she’d blocked while defending the caravan midrun. Athleticism helped with every microshift of her body. Perception kept her guard up. They’d gained quite a bit. Club fighting and her prosthetic had gained a heap.

Now her body felt more vigorous. Her senses reached further. The club skill was growing on her. Her metal arm felt more connected to her than ever before. It was almost a scary thought to start over again.

You’ve gained a new skill in your pool: Magic Prosthetic Mastery (Level 1).

Lillea grimaced. Some skills could evolve directly at certain thresholds, changing all the perks. Those were rare cases. Most led to better skills surfacing in the pool menu.

But she would have to free up a slot and level the new skill from the beginning. All her progress with the current prosthetic skill would disappear if she dumped it.

The memory of leveling a skill would remain, which was great for training different weapons. But the magic or physical changes behind high level skills would reset. Knowing this, Lillea decided to stick with her current skills until she returned to Cold Tooth.

“You can come out now. I know you are eager to face me.”

For ten days, the stalker followed or waited wherever the giant went after leaving Cold Tooth. The stalker impressed her with their patience. She had to know who or what they were.

A drifting cloud blocked the moonlight. Darkness engulfed the glade. Minutes later, the cloud drifted aside. Moonlight shone free once more.

A shadowy figure stood a dozen paces in front Lillea. Now face to face, Lillea noticed the outline of a girl. And more.

“Show yourself fully, please.” Lillea grinned. “Let me lay eyes upon my would-be huntress.”

“My pleasure.” The stalker’s hood and cloak tucked behind her. Out came wild raven hair, crooked horns, and powerful claws extending from her hands and feet. Darkness covered the feminine bits and left everything else bare on her light gray skin. Pure white eyes looked arrogantly at Lillea.

Noble rank. Around Level 325. Demon race. The faint smell of corruption was more obvious now. It smelled like sulfur. Glorious.

Lillea clamped down on her conflagration of excitement. There was history between Moonstriders and demons. The stories and practices passed down the generations felt fresh in her mind.

She had volumes of knowledge on these creatures and knew this was a blessing. The greatest thing to happen in years. She would have to work harder than ever to capture her prize.

“Hm. You’re scared, aren’t you?” The demon laughed into her hand. “You should be. You can tell how superior I am. Do yourself a favor. Submit yourself. Be my meal.”

She’s prideful. But what’s her element?

Lillea waited and gave nothing else away. Minutes passed.

The demon flicked a claw. A shadowy cord swung at Lillea’s face. The giant moved her head aside and avoided it. The demon laughed despite giving away treasured information.

Prideful Shadow. A unique combination. There’s a blank in my knowledge about demons with pride and shadow. This would be a new venture for a Moonstrider.

The demon had more haughty words to say.

Lillea pressed forward. But not too quickly. She moved with all her weight and some speed.

The glade trembled under her steps. The forest erupted into activity. Animals squawked. Beasts fled. A legendary battle commenced under the blessing of the moon.

The demon stepped into the shadows and disappeared. Lillea turned and wrapped both hands around her club for the first time. She blocked a faster and stronger shadow whip. Splinters flew off her club.

She caught sight of the demon’s white eyes. They flickered out of view. Magic tingled over her left shoulder. Lillea turned and blocked two shadow whips, one after another. More splinters flew from her club.

White eyes watched with amusement. They stayed in a deep pool of shadow under a tree. Six shadow whips flew out.

Lillea stepped into the volley and swung at each attack. Her club fell further into pieces. Her soles crushed the splinters into the soggy earth.

She moved within four steps of the Prideful Shadow. The white eyes shone with cunning. The demon gave away her intent to reposition again.

Lillea stepped once more. A Rock Spire burst from the earth and launched the demon into the moonlit air.

Rock Spire (Level 211): Need a boost? A sudden defense? Aiming for the crotch? This solution is as solid as rock. Take a step on an earthy floor. Raise a spire of rock near you.

Sometimes Rock Spire worked as an attack. Lillea preferred it for everything else. The open shock on the Prideful Shadow’s face was worth a painting.

The demon recomposed herself and extended a hand. A shadow tether shot out to a branch and reeled her toward the shadows.

Lillea stepped and raised another spire from under her feet. She catapulted up. Fast. Her knife came out. Her metal hand gripped the club. She slashed the tether and smacked the demon down.

The Prideful Shadow blocked the club with her arms and landed in a crouch. The demon needed a second to stabilize but had clear ground between her and the next patch of shadow.

An aerial giant was a rare sight, but the demon could flee and never return. Lillea refused to let that happen. I will have you, demon.

Lillea’s trajectory led to a thick tree trunk on purpose. She kicked off with more force than she’d shown in a while.

Wood chips sprayed in a great shower. A loud crunch and explosive crack resounded. A deep dent remained in the titanic tree, and Lillea fell upon the demon like a meteor.

The Prideful Shadow screeched, heels digging into the soggy ground. She unleashed a storm of shadow attacks. Whips. Bolts. Living shapes that snapped their jaws like wolves.

Lillea hit the ground in front of the demon with a thunderous thud and roll. Whips hacked through her cloak and lashed her back. Bolts burst against her right side, the arm raised like a shield.

She blocked one wolfish shadow with her splintered club. She sacrificed her metal forearm to another and ignored the puncturing damage. A third wolfish shadow bit down on her right ankle and cut through the leather. It drew blood.

She felt their power. Level 325 and noble indeed. They could drag her down. Lillea channeled mana around her body and rushed forward.

Another Rock Spire shot up and cut off the demon’s retreat. When the Prideful Shadow refaced Lillea, the giant crashed down all over her.

The ankle-biter fell under step and dispersed from a crushing stomp. She swung her metal arm and slammed the forearm-biter into the rock spire. The spire exploded into stone chunks. The club-biter stopped being a concern once Lillea released the weapon.

The demon cowered under the towering giant. But she soon regathered her wits. She had a shadow to escape into: Lillea’s shadow.

The demon submerged down to her neck before jerking to a stop. White eyes widened with shock. She looked up.

Two giant fingers caught her by the hair. Lillea pulled her up and slammed her into the moonlit ground firmly.

The Prideful Shadow endured the blow with a painful grunt. Rage moved the shadows violently.

Lillea switched hands before a shadow volley ripped into her. The metal hand endured and pinned the demon.

More shadow attacks flew out. Metal shards fell free. Her middle finger dropped away. The Prideful Shadow could cut deep.

Lillea ignored the loss and chased her objective. Sorcerous knowledge moved to the front of her mind. Her concentration condensed to a fine point. Her mana channels pumped vigorously. Her middle and index fingers glowed with pale light on her right hand.

The demon’s tantrums and cutting shadows grew stormier. Lillea’s metal hand suffered. A few shadow whips slipped by. Fresh cuts on her cheek poured blood before sealing. Ravenous Survival healed her quickly. It stopped her guts from spilling out after a deep cut to her belly.

She pushed past the pain and lowered her glowing fingers. She inscribed magic runes on the ground around the demon.

The demon screeched louder. She knew what was happening. Shadow attacks sliced at Lillea’s fleshy arm. Bone glinted in the moonlight. Blood dripped in rivulets.

Ravenous Survival worked hard. Flesh wounds sealed up. Lillea kept writing the rune script. Her smile beamed wide when she finished.

Her next words echoed with sorcery. “Demon of Pride and Shadow. I bound thee under the authority of Moonwatcher!”

The script shone from pale white to brilliant silver. Lillea backed away. The Demon crashed against the boundary and slammed to a stop. Her attacks met the same fate. She slammed her fists and kept screaming to no avail.

Lillea sat back and laughed. Her metal arm was a mess. Ogun’s hard work would need extensive repairs.

But that was okay.

She had a prideful shadow demon bound in front of her. She had ancient knowledge of the Moonstriders to make use of this fortune.

***

Profile: Lillea Moonstrider

Race: Moon Giant

Rank: Legendary

Role: Battler

Experience: Level 260

System Points: 1

Lillea smiled at the upper half of her system runes. She was Experience Level 251 last week. She was Experience Level 260 now. Growing in experience improved the overall abilities of creatures with systems. Physically. Magically. Sometimes even mentally.

The growth was incremental compared to growing her skills. The right skills in the right situations could topple enemies many levels above her. Especially with her legendary rank filling her with great potential.

Still, having her experience level rise helped altogether, especially as a Moon Giant. Her kin were some of the strongest, smartest, and most magical of giants. Tonight was a rare treat where she showcased her best.

Moonstrider Learning V leveled up from 251 to 260!

Moonstrider Athleticism V leveled up from 255 to 260!

Lillea relished the sight of her learning skill matching her athleticism skill. She had leaned on the latter more than the former in her younger years. But her time spent in Cold Tooth helped the learning skill catch up.

The 9 level jump came from applying old generational knowledge in a stressful situation and finding success. There had been plenty of failure points. The demon had been shredding her to pieces, and Lillea could’ve made a huge error and bound herself.

But Lillea trusted her knowledge and herself. Now she felt steadier with both her intelligence and her physicality. A rare treat. Most deadly encounters would have her athleticism overshadow her learning.

Moonstrider Athleticism V (Level 260): Each of your strides will bring you closer to the night sky. Where the moon stands greater than all the stars. A testament to its physical will. *Perk 1: Your strength, agility, and balance harmonizes with your size. It grows greater with training. *Perk 2: Your endurance does have a limit. Finding it might be a challenge. *Perk 3: Infuse your body with a magical rush. Then explode with action leveraging your physicality to the fullest.

“You’ve forced me to use perk 3 on my athleticism. Twice.” Lillea shook her head. She was both amazed and amused. She rarely had to use that perk.

It was fun, though. A real rush. Having used it paired well with the other skills she’d showcased tonight.

Expert Hunter’s Perception III leveled up from 243 to 248!

Without this, she wouldn’t have caught on to the attacks from behind.

Expert Hunter’s Perception III (248): See the tracks on the ground. That’ll do you no good. We’re dealing with magic and monsters. You’ll need more than basic tacking. *Perk 1: You can track the physical and magical presence of others with finer control. Levels are easier to estimate on those you observe. *Perk 2: Your sensory abilities are both enhanced and easier to link with your knowledge. Being an expert is smoother than ever.

She tended to sniff out physical presences. Magical ones gave her a tingly feeling. Or had a certain sound. The perception skill paired well with the learning skill. The overlap made it harder for others to outfox her.

Then there were the other skills supporting her main ones.

Ravenous Survival leveled up from 179 to 198!

Force Manipulation III leveled up from 230 to 232!

Rock Spire leveled up from 211 to 218!

Adept Club Fighting leveled up from 189 to 199!

Prosthetic Adjustment leveled up from 109 to 122!

Lillea sighed pleasantly. Seeing her burst of growth made her sentimental. Her levels had slowed to a crawl the past five years. It almost felt like she was on the cusp of changing everything around.

She’d lay the foundations. Now it was time to build higher and higher.

That means we need to get back to work. Come on, you.

Lillea raised to her feet and patted down her muddy backside. Her torn up leather armor felt looser on her. Her steps hit the soggy ground lighter than before. She was feeling ravenous, her stomach growling.

She turned her attention to the riled up demon pacing around her enclosure. The Prideful Shadow dashed at the boundaries and slammed into them. Silver light rippled across the magical walls. The glowing runes flickered a little.

The night was passing. The current rune script was a temporary measure.

Lillea concentrated and channeled her mana to her right finger tips. She bent down and hummed a song as she etched more runes around the captured demon. One circle became half a dozen after a while.

The demon bashed against the walls with more fervor. She cussed at Lillea. She promised to eat the Moon Giant’s children and desecrate her ancestral burial grounds. When the Prideful Shadow reached a point where she might beg, she clenched her jaw in silence.

Sunrise turned the sky golden above the glade. Mists crawled back into the darker depths of the swampy forest. Lillea finished the greater script circles. Her mana channels hurt and her mind felt rung out. Using ancient sorcery without the focused magical skills was taxing. Lillea’s determination kept her going. She chanted to complete the ritual.

“Glade of mud. Forest of darkness. Air of rot. Day of dawn. I beseech you, dear elements. Flow through these portals carved from your flesh. Nurture the ancient language born from dark depths. Loosen the veil between mortals and spirits. Bring fortune to the watchers of your rise. Under my true name, Lillea of the Moonstriders, see my will done per the old pact. Bound and protect this Demon of Pride and Shadow.”

The new scripts glowed with a miasma of colors. Elemental magic drained from the surroundings and fueled the boundary. The old script winked out and granted the Prideful Shadow a bigger space. A bigger pen.

The demon looked up at the daylight. She surveyed her new enclosure. She hissed. Her white eyes stared hatefully at Lillea.

“Protect?” the demon asked with detest.

“Yes. Bound and protect.” Lillea fell backward. Her mind throbbed. Mental exhaustion was setting in. But her levels went up.

Moonstrider Learning V leveled up from 260 to 263!

Experience leveled up from 260 to 263!

Lillea closed her eyes and caught a faint feeling from her growing experience. Her overall personhood felt a few touches better.

“Hey! Wake up. Why do you want to protect me?” the demon asked.

Lillea chuckled. The Prideful Shadow was like a temperamental child. Strangely, Lillea did not mind.

“I wish to bond with you.” Lillea rolled over and faced the demon. They were only a few feet apart. The boundary stopped the demon from ripping Lillea’s face to shreds. “I see you are still confused. That’s okay. Building mutual trust is the first step. Once we have enough trust, you will let me absorb you. And I will make your power my own.”