We burn the first group that reaches us. Even Isabella helps, as there are just so many of them. Tens of rats led by some weird, bipedal monster.

[Parasitic Wererat - lvl 76]

It's not a named monster, but somehow it's controlling all the rats and even using some probing skill, able to detect either our mana or our presence. Obviously, I kill it first, but the scanning still continues and one of the rats screeches, turning into a wererat.

[Parasitic Wererat - lvl 75]

I kill it again, and the same thing repeats. The decaying rat monster screeches and its body bulges. I feel a lot of mana as its body enlarges, the monster getting on two legs, and its face and tail lengthening.

[Parasitic Wererat - lvl 74]

I see how it is.

This time, I put more time into creating a mana orb, and then I throw it at the group. It enlarges into tendrils of mana coated in [Oscillation]. The wererat dies again, and plenty of monsters too, the remaining ones burned by Isabella's flames. Hmm, there sure is room for improvement. Making an orb so it unfolds into oscillating tendrils of mana takes too long, and the skill doesn't even damage that big an area.

Feeling a lot of presence from all around us, I jump high in the air while holding the little girl in my arms. I continue to absorb the kinetic energy of my orbs and propel us higher and higher, and then in the air, I continue to propel myself ahead and up to keep us in the air.

It's janky, it's difficult, and I'm barely able to do it while we continue to jump up and down and being propelled ahead and to the sides.

I let us fall on the roof while absorbing the kinetic energy of our fall, and multiple orbs shoot against a group of gargoyles flying at us. Some of them end up with destroyed wings and fall down, continuing to rush us on their feet, while others dodge and continue to charge.

I boost orbs orbiting around me and sling them again, this time aiming carefully and boosting them with a surge.

More of them die and a blue flame slithers around us, rushing at the gargoyles that are moving on their feet.

Then we move again, this time I jump from roof to roof, only using [Redistribution] to boost my strength and rush mana through my body, making it even stronger and faster on top of the new upgrade of [Redistribution].

Isabella lets out excited screaming noises as we continue to run at a speed that feels fast and exciting even to me, jumping from roof to roof.

One of the orbs turns into a small shield and blocks a projectile attack that flies at me, and I dodge to the side, avoiding another one.

[Disruption] fires up and cancels the attack that comes at me from the shadow of one of the chimneys. An attack reminding me of a weird tendril made of dark black mana. Three projectiles sling at the monster that I can't see, but I can feel its presence and it dies, revealing a body that reminds me of a bat.

[Chameleon Bat - lvl 66]

And it doesn't stop. There are more and more monsters coming at us from all sides and I constantly feel waves of mana that continue to track our presence. Another tendril made of black mana reaches me, but this time I'm too slow and end up with a deep cut on my leg, at the last moment moving my body a bit so it hits me instead of the little girl in my arms.

I absorb more energy and turn it into even more speed, feeling my body heating even more, the sweat already running down my back.

My breathing is rough, and I feel my head pulsating as I continue to use skill after skill.

Yet, there is no sign of my mana depleting.

I use more of it, it rushes through my circuit, through my pathways, it fills my body making my mana heart beat wildly, so much that I can hear it in my ears. The world becomes quieter and quieter, only some noises passing to me and the colors totally drain off, just black and white with mana glowing beautifully.

I [Focus] and more mana enters my body, exits it, forms orbs around me, dozens of them spinning wildly while letting out noises that sound scary even to me.

I know that if I reach out my hand and get it in the way of the orbs, it will get obliterated, torn by orbs made of mana that are moving at terrifying speed.

I absorb all the energy at once, putting both of my focuses on handling it. I hold it, and I redistribute it.

The entire building in front of me explodes, torn apart by kinetic energy. The building disappears from top to ground along with the monsters on the roof and in front of it.

The force of my attack throws me backwards, threatening to splat me and Isabella against another house, but I absorb even that energy and immediately propel us up, avoiding another series of attacks.

Orbs appear around me again, and I feel the blood flowing from my nose. I feel it on my lips, I feel it on my chin as I absorb the energy once again and a brilliant yellow flame roars in front of me, burning another wave of monsters with ease, leaving cobblestones glowing from heat and the wooden houses burning.

I propel myself up and rush again, noticing that the girl is leaving some sort of trap behind us, traps that explode into the blue fire when monsters get closer.

And we continue to run, and I continue to ignore the monsters that are scanning me and detecting us, sending other monsters after us. Monsters that I can kill and make it much easier to run.

But hey, where is the fun in that?

Another wave of kinetic energy enters my body, and I [Focus] again.

[Lvl 77 > Lvl 79]

[Focus - lvl 28 > Focus - lvl 29]

[Redistribution - lvl 14 > Redistribution - lvl 16]

[Mana Surge - lvl 10 > Mana Surge - lvl 12]

Okay, maybe I need to be a bit less excited to fight next time?

I take another step with a groan, still a day, and Isabella on my chest held by my unbroken arm, while the left one just hangs along my body, bleeding. At this point, I might think that the system and the monster have some personal unresolved issues with my left arm.

My head is spinning slightly as I continue to jump from roof to roof, but now much slower and carefully.

I did end up killing their scouts, but it did cost me. Every step I take hurts and when I move mana through my body I feel my pathways burning and my hand continues to shake from how tired I am. Hunger is also back, even after finishing the side quest and eating and drinking all the food.

The new side quest is this.

Side quest: Kill 400 enemies

Rewards:Common gear of your choiceFood and water rations

Look similar?

Yeah? Because it goddamn is! Only the number grew bigger. What the heck? How many monsters will I have to kill in a few days to get some food? Thousands?

Then there is also another side quest:

Side quest:

Reach level 100

Get 3 skills over level 30

Rewards:

Skill upgrade token

So is this skill upgrade token different, allowing me to upgrade my already upgraded skills? Will completing this side quest allow me to upgrade my level 30 skills? Or is it just a normal skill upgrade token and I can´t upgrade already upgraded skills?

Currently, from my experience with the system, I think that to upgrade an already upgraded skill it needs to reach level 30. I can be wrong, obviously, but the system likes rounded numbers and I wasn't able to upgrade them at level 20 something. Plus there is a side quest now, similar to the one I got so long time ago. That's why I believe that I'm right.

I slow down and sit on the roof, letting the girl out of my arms. For a moment, I just rest while still keeping my [Perception] running. Just a little bit of rest.

"You are also dumb, maybe even dumber than Soph." I hear from Isabella.

Here we go again, dissed by a 10-year-old.

"Just a few minutes and we can move again," I say to her.

I filter out her words because I catch something with the edge of my perception. A mana signature, but this time it doesn't feel like any of the rotted and decaying monsters, it feels like a human.