Lily was currently laying in bed reading a book, with Alice draped over her stomach looking at something on her phone.
"Hm? What's up?"
Alice tilted her head over to look at Lily at her sudden usage of her name.
"Did you know that animals have different names for groups? Like there's a school of fish but a pod of whales."
Alice smiled, watching her girlfriend explain whatever she was reading.
"But these three are really funny, for Kangaroos it's a Mob of Kangaroos, for owls it's a parliament of owls... and for crows it's a Murder of Crows."
Things were very understandably not good for Alice right now, she had a beak piercing through her side, one that had tiny spikes on it and was about to be ripped out, while her [Supernatural Sense] alerted her that she was in fact surrounded by Crows.
Alice tore herself away from the Crow, ripping her body free of its beak, she felt her blood dripping but she had to protect Xana. She did a quick glance around but her ears had already confirmed what she was seeing. The Crows had surrounded them, however only one was currently fighting her. She recognized this one, that third eye in its forehead was hard to forget.
"I see you have grown since I sent you to the depths. Perhaps now you are worthy of knowing my name. I am Ricket the Predator of the Skies."
A chuckle escaped from Alice.
"What do you find so funny, Bat!"
Alice looked at him, her snout turning into a smile.
"You just all have such... dumb titles. The Plaguemaster, Predator of the Skies. You're animals, in a world that has dragons that roam the skies you claim the title of predator of the skies?"
Ricket glared at her, his anger was apparent. But that was good, he would be messy if he was angry and Alice needed every advantage she could get here. If she could properly defeat Ricket then the other crows may fear her.
"You won't make it out of this, this time you flying rat. I'll show you exactly why the System granted me that title."
Alice burst out laughing again.
"Oh my Gods, System that System this, I don't care if the System told you that you're a special little crow that doesn't change that you were too scared to attack Xana when she was missing an entire arm."
Her snout shifted smugly as she goaded him. Ricket made a sound of frustration before shadows began to flow off his wings, he swept forward like a shadow streaking across the ground at Alice, his beak opening wide full of teeth as it came to chomp down onto Alice.
However Alice had other plans, two bolts of shadow shot out of her shadow as she activated [Shadow Bolt], each slammed into Ricket with a loud impact while Alice moved forward herself, claws flowing out as she scratched down the side of his face. He screamed out in pain flying up into the sky!
But Alice had wings as well, she flew after him, activating [Speed Up], she suddenly shot forward like a rocket, slamming into him with enough force to send them both off course. As they came tumbling down to the ground Alice bit into Ricket, sinking her fangs in deep drinking in his blood.
So Ricket was Tier 6? He certainly didn't seem like it, at least not any more. Before he had been the most dangerous opponent that Alice had fought thus far, however now she was fighting him with ease. Skills and Evolution was truly frightening. She didn't understand how quickly she had advanced in a short period of time. That it wasn't normal.
"ENOUGH!"
Ricket screamed as razor sharp talons slammed into Alice's body, he suddenly seemed much stronger, perhaps he had his own buffing skill? She struggled against him but couldn't move, as the talons dug deeper into slamming her into the ground as they landed. She felt the air knocked out of her lungs, Ricket's third eye was wide open as he chanted.
"[From nothing become dust, from dust become stone, from stone may your prison be eternal, Stone Sight!]"
A curse? That wasn't good, she felt her entire body begin to harden, as something reached into her very soul squeezing it.
Of course yes! Alice focused on the prompt, she refused to die like this!
Yes!
Alice's entire body began to glow, Ricket paused, his Third Eye widening further as the light shined off Alice.
"W-What in the... what are you? You're no bat!"
Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.
He stumbled away, pulling his talons out, his feathers ruffled in fear as he looked upon Alice.
Alice didn't know what he meant, but it didn't matter. She had to fight, she had to win. How could she win? She could rip him apart... yeah... she was a vampire bat right? She just had to drain this one dry, he was Prey after all.
Alice moved, she felt sluggish but that didn't matter. Ricket was staring at her in horror, she took a step, and heard a crack, she looked down and saw that her leg had stone falling off of it, a burning white flame was eroding the stone. She didn't know what that was but that was fine all that mattered was filling this thirst she had, yeah... she was thirsty. So so very thirsty lucky for her there was so much prey around!
She grabbed Ricket, slamming his body into the ground, her wing claws digging into him as she bit down, drinking rapidly.
[Blood Drain has leveled up to Rank 9]
Alice ignored it, it tasted far too good to just absorb this blood, she didn't know the more she drank the brighter she glowed.
[Substitute Life Force accepted]
[Curse successfully fought off with Blood Drain, new skill unlocked, Blood Curse 1]
[Congratulations! Three Eyed Crow Slain! 1000EXP gained!]
[Congratulations! You've slain a Titled creature, you've gained the Title Predator of the Skies]
Alice let Ricket's drained body drop, she looked upon all the crows around her, they seemed unsure to her. That was okay, she was making the choice for them. She briefly inspected her new title and skill.
Blood Curse: A split off from Blood Magic, you may inflict curses upon others by using their blood at a Catalyst. As a being that drains blood you can hold up to 3 targets of those you've drained blood from to curse. Your limit will increase with advancement of Blood Curse. Current Curses Known: Null
Well that wasn't useful now but in the future it would be. Now for the title...
Predator of the Skies: You are a fearsome predator within the skies, while flying you deal far more damage, dealing 30% more damage. While flying your senses are heightened allowing you to easily find any creature weaker than you easily.
Good to know... she then turned her gaze to the Crows.
"Well, whose next! Or do you not care about Ricket here?"
She pushed his corpse over for good measure, activating [Intimidate]. Truthfully she didn't know if she could take all of them on. One wrong move with Ricket and she would've died, but luckily he had underestimated her.
Kishaw didn't like this, she felt uncomfortable. Ricket was one of their strongest and he had been torn apart! Yes he had been careless and easily goaded but that didn't change that this no name Bat had just drained him like he was a puddle of water!
"That was an impressive display of power, we have numbers though."
"Perhaps but is it worth it? With Ricket dead the Bat might leave us alone?"
"We could offer a bargain, a treaty to ensure peace."
"Yes that could work, ensure the Bat does not bother us while we retain our superiority."
"Kishaw, tell the Bat that we are impressive with its strength and respect its title of Predator of the Skies, we shall stick to our sector so long as it does not invade."
Kishaw looked at them with shock, why did it have to be her! She didn't want to get near that... that monster!
She deftly swept down onto the ground, ensuring there was distance between her and the bat.
"We... understand your intent Predator of the Skies, we shall not bother-"
She heard the murmurs, everyone had gotten it. It was clear that the Timeless desired more bloodshed. How many of her brothers and sisters would die in this? At least... at least the bat would be slain right?
She could hear the flap of wings behind her, she swore inwardly before she got ready to fight herself. She could do this she would...
"[Let night fall over this land, may the garden consume ye and a great black tree grow from your bodies, Shadow Grove!]"
The ground grew pitch black, as spikes made of shadow suddenly began to shoot up, those who had been blindly flying forward talons ready were suddenly struck, the Bat... stared at them, a cold and dull stare that seemed almost bored. Just what was this monster? Did it lack fear? Did it-
It shot forward with such speed that Kishaw thought she was seeing things, the impact as its fangs sunk into Gille, ripping into his throat with such speed and force that his head went flying. The bat sat there as his blood sprayed across her body, tinting her black fur.
"[Seek true hearts and gather courage, never let the armies of your enemies win, Courageous Cry!]"
Skreeshans chant, his [Bolster Magic] was one of the greatest boons to the tribe. Yes they could win like this!
All of the Crows got a huge boost in power, flying after the bat with enhanced speed as Skreeshan stayed behind, Courageous Cry was a [Concentration] Spell, he had to keep focused to keep the effects up. All of them knew that so they knew to rush the enemy as soon as it went out to prevent said enemy from figuring it out.
Kishaw also moved forward, she couldn't just watch, she had to help, she had to kill this Bat, for the boon, it was for the tribe, everything was for the tribe!
Suddenly she felt... so slow... and then she heard the crunch, the cracking and breaking of bone. She turned slowly towards where Skreeshan was, the Bat was behind him, her mouth wrapped around his entire neck. He had always been smaller. The Bat stared into Kishaws very eyes, there was a hunger there it was... extremely unsettling.
When the bat dropped Skreeshan there was no blood from his wound, it had all been drained out. The bat looked happy about something, and then it swooped forward once more, going towards them, blood began to flow off its claws as it ripped through them like paper.
Alice was full of glee and bliss as she activated [Blood Claws], a new spell in her [Blood Magic] that she had unlocked after draining that Crow who had chanted dry. Apparently it was an [Arcane Crow] based on the System message she had received.
She had taken only a brief second to view the details while she held the corpse in her jaws.
Blood Claws 1
- Mana Cost: 15 per minute
- Description: Blood begins to coat your claws increasing their cutting ability and range, allows for short range projectile slashes that deal reduced damage. Empowered when used when already coated in blood or after draining blood.
It felt... amazing, to rip through these... flying feathered sacks of meat, yes that's all they were, they were simple monsters for her to slaughter and use for her own gain in power! That- No... that was wrong. They were like her, no, not like her but! They were beings with their own wants and desires, something had clearly stirred them to attack her but that wasn't important. All that was important was survival.
She tore through the waves of crows, slaughtering them nearly effortlessly. It made sense, most of the messages she was getting was for [Young Crows], standard ones likely only ever getting the most common evolution option. She was an Adult Evolution and an Epic one at that which clearly went a long way, the gaps in power were not small by any means. Prior the biggest advantage Ricket had on her was his size but now she was larger than most of these crows.
Quickly the entire cave floor was slick with crimson, corpses laid about, half torn over, some not fully dead just yet, but their guts sliding out. The Crows that were smart quickly retreated.