Yeah, Darwin will probably go berserk again.
Is that why you are powerleveling me?
How could I not? You call this a team building exercise but so far it's just been a mess.
Since you are being honest right now, mind telling me what exactly is going on?
And me being stronger can stop that how?
Am I the only lottery ticket you are betting on?
I suddenly catch Clink looking at me with unabated interest. And come to think of it, she's always been monitoring me especially. She could have just given me that storage equipment but she was constantly next to me!
"Looks like Navi told you a little too much."
"You've been hoping to learn from my actions, haven't you? I can instruct even through intentions since instructing reached level 2…"
"No need to sound so accusatory. Learning from you when you are not actively trying to teach has little effect when compared to what I've heard you can do."
"Then why are you still watching me? And what are you even trying to learn?"
"Dismantling."
"Dismantling?"
"You don't seem to notice but a lot of your attacks against monsters are subconsciously aimed at their weakpoints. Probably due to your high attainments in the anatomy of your targets. It's not too hard to study up on that knowledge but integrating it into a skill makes it just that much smoother to use. Also, I'm of the mind that there are no bad skills to get with little effort. Worst case, you sacrifice them and get more potential."
"Next time, just ask me. I know I did some outrageous stuff by accident but I can still teach you something like dismantling!"
"Very well, please teach me then. I'll gladly assist you in dismantling the carcasses we find from now on. Based on the feedback I just got, we should head up. Peter, stop dawdling! You can try out your new skills and power on the monsters ahead. Close your eyes, I'm bringing us up."
I barely manage to close my eyes before Clink grabs me and hoists me up like a ragdoll before the world starts to bounce and zoom by. Thirty seconds later we alight the Clink express on the tenth floor. Did the branti only start attacking now?
"Oh gods, I'm in for a lecture aren't I?"
Maribelle and Pascal look pretty beat up. Maribelle can't even fly anymore and her streamlined body is covered is cuts. I can see a dozen or so stingers sticking out of her. She's bleeding and white scales appear a reddish brown with hues of green from all the caked blood. I'm sure it's not just her blood but still.
Pascal looks somewhat better because she can't bleed herself but in return her green color has been interspersed with blotches of white and dark red. The white parts are her insides below the green skin and the red is probably the blood from the branti's head. There might also be green blood from the branti's bodies but that would be harder to see on her.
Clink's undead produces a predator's smile that almost splits its face in half. Is she mad at them. Oh, they probably made her use her contingency!
"Why do you think that dear Maribelle? Did you do something you shouldn't have?"
"Yes, I overestimated myself, got in over my head and now I'm wounded and… that happened."
"What happened? Am I the only one confused? We won, didn't me? And yet Maribelle seems depressed ever since we finished the fight!"
Clink outright scoffs at Pascal's question.
"You really didn't notice? Guy noticed the moment I placed it on him and you didn't even notice when it was saving your life. If I had been an enemy you would have been an easy target."