Chapter 73: Big Doggy (2/2)
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Unique or Racial Traits:
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- Spiritual Sense: An elven ability that allows one to perceive and talk to spirits. Thanks to this, elves possess a large talent when it comes to anything related to mana manipulation. They are also master at tracking spiritual traces and have very high empathy.
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- Night Grace: A very rare mutation of the Dark Taint. Elves who possess it are called Night Elves and are gifted with an incredible affinity to concealment. They are often called Blades of the Night for their uncanny talent for assassination. They also have the peculiarity to never truly need rest since their mind gets invigorated at night as if they had slept for an entire day already.
During the nighttime, their presence becomes 200% harder to sense, they receive a 200% increase to their senses and become hypersensitive to all fluctuations in the air. It is said to be impossible to hide from a night elf without at least being incorporeal.
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Note: A young child with tremendous untapped potential. She has lived her life sheltered with her parents without contact with the outside world.
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”Oh…” Rakna uttered awkwardly. That explained how she had managed to get so close without him noticing. ”Did you… hear me?”
The little girl nodded with innocent eyes and he growled helplessly. ”Say, say, big doggy, do you come from outside?”
He sighed before opening his mouth, ”Yes… yes, I do.”
What could he do? Silence her? He wasn't going to hurt a child. At the very least, it seemed like she wasn't scared of him nor was she cautious of his presence. That could work in his favor.
”Really?!” Her eyes sparkled. ”What does it look like?”
Rakna scowled at her. The note about her sheltered life appeared to be true. ”Well… this village is located under a swamp. It has a lot of mud and parasitic plants along with withered trees but there is much more variety as well. Verdant lands with nothing but colorful flowers and greenery, rocky places and oceans, snowy lands with white as far as the eye can see, dense jungles, massive cities of steel, and much more…”
The more he continued, the shinier Vivi's eyes became. ”Do you think I'll be able to see all of that when I grow up?!” She asked enthusiastically.
”I wouldn't know why you couldn't,” Rakna replied and she instantly started imagining herself exploring all those places. After watching her fantasize with an amused frown he spoke up again, ”Your name is Vivi, right?”
”Yes!” She nodded vigorously but then tilted her head to the side. ”How did you know?”
Rakna snorted. ”I have superpowers.”
”That's awesome!”
”Indeed, it is. Now, Vivi, can I ask you a few things about this village?”
She nodded again.
”Have you ever heard the words 'Local', 'Host', or perhaps 'Plateau' and 'System'?”
”Hmm,” she cutely put her hand on her chin. ”I haven't... Ah! But you can ask daddy and mommy! They know a lot of things!” She declared and ran to the door of her house before waving at him. ”Follow me! They should wake up soon.”
Rakna slowly walked to her. ”Are you sure it's okay for me to go in? Your parents might kick me out or report me, no?”
Vivi's expression turned sour for a second, something that was very out of place on someone as young as her, but she quickly recovered from it. ”It's fine! Daddy and mommy are very nice. If I tell them you're a doggy from the outside, I'm sure they'll be happy! Come on!” She added and entered the house with a quick step.
Rakna shared a look with Pronos before shrugging and followed Vivi inside after making sure to brush his paws on the carpet as to not dirty the floor. He closed the door behind with one tail and walked further inside right when Vivi flipped a light switch.
The interior was surprisingly modern and well-furnished. He almost felt like he was back on Earth for a moment since the lighting resembled electric networks. Though, he knew that it wasn't since he could sense the mana coming out of it.
”Sweety? Is that you?” A female voice sounded from one of the rooms and Rakna turned toward it.
”Ah, yes!” Vivi skidded over and opened the door. ”I'm sorry, mommy. I didn't want to wake you up,” he heard her say as she entered. ”I'm going to make breakfast now, okay?”
A giggle followed, which Rakna obviously assumed was from her mother. ”It's all right. I know it's hard for you to wait for us to wake up every day. No need to apologize.”
Rakna curiously approached the opened door as they were talking. He peeked inside by sticking his head past the door and inspected the room. A double-sized bed, two nightstands, and a closet; this was the extent of what it contained.
He then focused on the woman sitting up on the bed as Vivi talked to her with a wide smile while tip-toeing. She was naturally a dark elf and she seemed to be the oldest one he had seen from this village yet; perhaps in her mid-twenties.
She was a beautiful woman with long silver hair and golden eyes like her daughter. Her skin was also dark, as expected of her race, but something stuck out to Rakna. She seemed… very pale. Not in the normal way though. Her dark skin seemed to be gradually turning into some sort of dark gray.
He was about to cast Appraisal on her when she coincidentally turned toward him and suddenly tensed as her eyes widened. Her countenance transformed from a gentle mother chatting with her daughter to terror and shock.
”Who-!” She started but before she could voice it completely, Vivi took over.
”Ah, mommy! This big doggy said he was from the outside world!” She said and her mother looked at her with a stunned expression. ”He said he wanted to ask you something. Can you answer him, please?”
Vivi's mother struggled to open her mouth and form a sentence. She glanced at Rakna, who was innocuously sitting at the door, and sighed. She forced a small smile and nodded numbly, ”Of course, sweetheart. If he's your friend, I'll answer his questions.”
”Yay! You heard that, big doggy?”
Rakna really wanted to tell her to stop calling him that but he just nodded powerlessly. Even he didn't dare to correct that ingenuous child.
”Now, now, Vivi, could you go make breakfast while I talk to your doggy friend? Go wake up your father too after, okay?”
”Yes!” Vivi acquiesced and jumped down from the bed and ran past Rakna with a wave. ”I'll make a portion for you too, big doggy. Talk to mommy while waiting,” she said and closed the door behind her very softly.
Once Rakna was alone with the elven woman, she took on a cold and serious expression. ”Who are you? How did you find this village?”
Rakna frowned at her. ”Was I not supposed to?” He retorted dully.
At first, she seemed to be taken aback by the overwhelming confidence in his voice and the almost noble aura he exuded with his two flailing tails combined with the glittering scarf around his neck.
Soon enough, her mien sunk. She looked away from him with another sigh and stared at the sheets she was clenching in her hands.
”I guess… it doesn't matter,” she whispered with a sad tone. ”As long as you do not bring any harm to my daughter, I will not mind. In fact, she looked really happy when she introduced you. I rarely see her so jovial,” she said with a wry smile and turned toward him. ”I thank you for that. Vivi said you had questions, right?”
Rakna nodded and she straightened her back with a solemn poise. ”Ask what you want, I'll do my best to answer.”