[Please confirm the name]
The system chimes yet again.
It was only then that Rain realises his folly.
He face palms, chuckling with amusement on his own stupid and overly cautious paranoia.
No.
[Name selected cancelled]
[Please select a name...]
Rain ignores the notification, silently making way towards the creature, chuckling at Kai's hissing.
"Calm down, Kai." He soothes the snarling critter, gently stroking its furred coat.
Rain runs his palm across the creature, feeling some resistance at first as if touching a viscous liquid then suddenly feeling as if he was touching empty air.
"Huh?" An amused __ escapes his lips.
The creature was an exact replica of the treant that almost killed him.
No, not an exact replica.
The treant didn't have a swirling and viscous, yet solid body.
Neither did it strike such an imposing figure, albeit ominous in its elusive essence.
The sight of its figure had Rain trembling and yelping as if a little girl...the treant was imposing yet even it and its kin didn't transform Rain into a juvenile female, even for a split second.
Comparing the two was like comparing heaven to the mortal realm.
It makes one wonder, which was the original and which came forth from the other?
Kai finally calms down, jumping and curiously sniffing the smoke-like creature.
Rain further does some more experiments, pelting it with a pebble which thuds and bounces off.
The series of tests continue for hours on end.
He stops, his face still showing some curiosity.
[Please select a name...]
"Hmm." Rain rubs at his chin, deep in thought*
He looks back up at the ominous creature of shadows...an abberation of nature.
"Abberant?" He says, as if unsure.
[Name selected: Abberant]
[Confirm : Yes /No]
He exhales and confirms the selection.
[Shade named: Abberant]
Rank: Tier 1
Remarks: Shade's power will grow as you advance in rank.
Rain face gleams, a wide smile warping from ear to ear an ominous cackle laugh fills the room, making Kai flinch and stare at its master, unconsciously backing away.
When the unsettling cackle subsides and completely ends, Rain goes back to looking into the system interface, keen on the changes.
The significant increase in saturation catches him unaware, a pleasant feeling surges from within.
*Almost twenty-five percent!*
He exclaims, a pleasant feeling whelling as surging within his breast.
Why wouldn't he be so excited?
Well, getting the realisation that you are unexpectedly halfway towards ranking up would make you behave like that too.
With power came greater chances at him succeeding in foiling his enemies' plans, and eventually strike them down.
The thought of them had his eyes glowing with a wrathful light.
*They'll pay!*
"Soon enough." He sighs, guiding his wrathful state back to logical clarity.
Rushing in would only cost him in the long run–- better to be patient even for a bit, grow some fangs and strike them down when they least expected.
Mustering his composure and wits back, he sinks into a deep introspection.
It was just the previous day that his saturation was close to nineteen percent.
What changed to cause such a significant increase?
*Ohh.*
Realisation kicked in.
It was always after battles and kills that he gained significant increase in arcane saturation.
Going deeper into it and analyzing multiple angles, he comes to a deduction that maybe, a stream of arcana is extracted when he completes a kill.
Heck! If the system could extract and deal with something elusive and esoteric as souls, then arcana would be childsplay.
Content with his inference he shrugs off any more thoughts on the matter, though he noted down that it would have to be tested and confirmed.
He discards everything, going back to complete his time sensitive task–- for all he could know, more enforcers might be tracking his location at the moment.
And so, he grabs the severed treant head, deftly running his knife along the sides, chipping and carving.
Hours later, an ominous head bounces as it's thrown to the ground, landing face up–- only that there was no face to speak of, but viscous green ichor matted all over.
Rain grabs the wooden face showing an expression of anguish, his fingers slick with green viscous sap.
He wipes his fingers against the hood of his cloak, standing and promptly walking to the smoking fireplace in the corner.
He sets the mask above the fire, smoke billowing towards it and waits for it to dry.
As he waits, his gaze lands upon rows and rows of smoke dried jerky, he grabs one and muches at it, then another... until his grumbling stomach settles with a pleasant weight.
All through this time, he kept glancing at the tenebrous creature looking back at him.
"Abberant, come." He orders.
The creature flickers and surges forth, standing before him.
Rain lets out a content 'ahh'
"Go back there," he points.
The creature heeds his order, executing his command to the letter.
*Shit*
Rain snaps, he'd forgotten the mask, he rushes, grabbing its smouldering form and patting down on it, extinguishing the glowing cinders.
His fingers get singed, he yelps, cursing as the mask clanks on the earthen floor.
Rain paces, his thumb plunged into his maw, nursing it from the painful bite of flames.
He waits for it to cool, fitting it with leather harness to secure it around his head.
He fumbles with the strips before getting it secure.
"How do I look?" He questions the creature, only to get a vacant look.
"Kai, how do I look?" He asks, pulling down his hood.
Kai skitters close to him, curiously regarding his master's new look.
Only if Kai could speak!
The mask was the most unsettling thing he'd ever set its eyes on.
Not that Kai knew, but such a visage belonged to creatures from horror stories.
Incarnations of vile abominations used to instill fear and discipline into children as they warn about abberations in the dark.
Its anguished expression, as if a wail cut short coupled with its slighly charred open maw was a sight one would only find deep within their wildest nightmares.
Not in person!
And not face to face.
But Kai could neither speak nor comment in words.
And so, his excited squeaks fill the entirety of the lair.
Yet, despite lacking the gift of speech, he knew.
He knew, without doubt that his master's enemies will quiver on his sight alone.
And he couldn't wait to witness such a great sight!