Under normal circumstances, a normal individual takes years to understand their ability through books and experience. It takes time to perfect a skill, and only after that phase, the individual is ready to create, experiment, and move freely with their ability.
But when it comes to Quinn, it sometimes feels like even the rules bend around this particular individual.
Quinn was growing at an exponential speed. It had only been eight hours since he gained these new abilities, yet he was already performing impossible feats.
In those eight hours, he had been growing nonstop—leveling up, improving every second.
Still, when it came to combat, he was an amateur. His fighting style lacked finesse. His form looked as if he had copied it from the foes he had fought in the short course of his life. Crude, reactive and instinct-driven.
Yet his potential had multiplied many times over in that brief span.
And now, his evolved draconic body offered increased flexibility and adaptability, allowing him to push beyond limits that should have broken him.
In the barren land of Pioletic, Quinn was battling against three Death Bats.
One was dead.
The second was badly injured.
The third was still circling in the air, looking for an opening to strike back.
Quinn felt his body being crushed, yet he was still alive—still kicking—thanks to his improved body. Slowly, he pushed himself up from the small crater formed by his earlier impact by the free fall.
His MC had dropped to 160.
"I thought 390 was a lot", he thought grimly,
"but it seems I need much more if I want to fight longer."
This fight needed to end—now.
He was feeling faint from pushing his abilities this far.
"I have to get used to this somehow ", Quinn muttered.
The third Death Bat landed beside its injured comrade, almost as if tending to it. Then it opened its mouth and let out a long, eerie wail.
It was calling its roost.
"This is bad. System, help me",Quinn cried.
"If more of them comes, I won't be able to manage, Quinn said, worry creeping into his voice.
"Well," the system replied calmly, "when I was still a vampire trying to evolve into a Vampire Noble, we had to defeat ten Death Bats. That was part of our evolution, making our bodies stronger in the process."
Quinn blinked.
"I was particularly interested in these creatures," the system continued. "While my rivals focused only on killing them, I studied them. Back then, I even worked with a vampire friend who could communicate with beasts. We learned quite a lot."
"And?" Quinn pressed.
"Like vampires, Death Bats are sensitive to light. And since you already have a very handy attribute in your arsenal… it might work."
Quinn listened patiently—until that last line.
"What? Are you kidding me?" he snapped. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"
Quinn moved with a burst of wind attribute, now running in circles he thrust his palm forward toward the Death Bat and began concentrating. He had never used the fire attribute till now, the simple reason being, he was not used to it and the fact that it was earlier locked.
But now he had to do it, his body had the capability and he just had to bring it out like all the other abilities he did.
He separated the fire energy within him and tried channeling it through his arms, just like he did with earth. It was difficult at first, but soon his hands began to heat up.
Then—flames.
Visible fire erupted from his palms.
Scanning quickly, Quinn spotted the rusted, overturned transport vehicles nearby. He threw his hands forward, and upon getting closer he ignited them one by one, flames roaring up into the air.
As he ran, he also hurled fire toward the Death Bats, the one who didn't have any visible injuries screeched, panicked, and fled into the sky,leaving the other behind.
The injured Death Bat, however, had no chance to escape.
Quinn seized the opportunity.
But even injured, the creature was terrifyingly resilient so quinn had to be cautious.
He flash-stepped in, and activated Hardening, and slammed a punch into the joint at the base of its wing. The bat retaliated with its claws, but Quinn flash-stepped away again.
He reappeared at the same spot, driving earth and ice spikes into its body.
The repeated flash steps drained him further. Fatigue crept in, slowing his movements.
Quinn was now once more near the beak of the Death bat, the same body part which the other death bat used to pierce his abdomen.
He felt a sting of pain as a reflex, but he didn't let the fear of pain occupy his mind.
As the bat struggled weakly, Quinn jumped high with the burst of wind, and formed an earth spear mid-air, and drove it straight down into its neck.
The beast let out a final, sharp squeal.
Its body convulsed—then went limp.
Quinn was huffing and panting now, his uniform soaked and stained with beast blood.
Around him the smoke was rising in the air, the transport vehicles were burning fiercely.
[Congratulations. You have defeated a Death Bat.]
The system's voice resounded in his head.
[Death Bat killed: 2000 EXP]
[Death Bat killed: 2000 EXP]
[First advanced-tier beast killed: 7000 EXP]
[First Death Bat killed: 3000 EXP]
[You have leveled up.]
[You have leveled up.]
System Level: 18
1,300 / 12,800 EXP
+8 stat points
Strength: 32
Agility: 32
Stamina: 32
Quinn immediately felt a rush of adrenaline and dopamine surge through his body, a fleeting sense of pleasure coursing through his veins.
But when he looked inward, there was no joy.
The person he had been desperate to save… was dead.
That truth weighed heavily on his chest.
As he mourned in silence, a sudden sound snapped his attention sideways—
The sound of heavy metal stomping rang out. Then—bam. The window exploded with flames and a student dragged himself out, coughing.
Quinn froze.
His breath caught. Tears welled up and streaked down his face.
The boy he had been mourning…
was alive.
"what are you doing standing there?, go and help him you idiot,"
the system voice spoke annoyed.