Perhaps it was overkill using such a MC intensive move on a group of basic tier beasts, but Erin could regenerate her MC later. She didn't want to deal with the sunlight, and she wanted to test out her new ability.
[Shadow Void]
[The user creates a space surrounded by shadows in a specific area. The space created will last a total of one hour. -50 MC points to cast the skill. When shadow void is active, user cannot regenerate MC.]
Just as the system has said, she was indeed no longer in sunlight, but there was another effect at play. It was hard to describe, but Erin felt like she was one with the shadows, and the shadows were also her.
Controlling some shadow off to the side, she was able to change and shift the shadow void, forming a few hands where the walls of the shadow were. Just like moving her arm, controlling the shadows was easy and almost thoughtless.
"Interesting," Erin commented.
Dropping her umbrella off at Layla's side, Erin used flashstep to slide under a wingedlizard's belly, and struck upwards with her rapier.
[Basic tier wingedlizard killed]
[+10 EXP]
[195/400 EXP]
The beast fell, and then jumping out of the way, another wingedlizard bit at her direction. She sidestepped, then threw a few blood swipes at its face, distracting it. It clawed at the red lines before Erin slid under its belly and stabbed upwards again.
[-1 HP]
[-1 HP]
[Basic tier wingedlizard killed]
[+10 EXP]
[205/400 EXP]
[You have gained +3 HP]
[HP is full]
'I can heal using beasts?' Erin thought, before rolling out from under the beast.
Normally, if she drank beast blood then it would harm her, but the unique active effect of the paleneedle rapier circumvented that. The only downside was that it didn't fill her blood bank.
With this in mind, Erin decided to use more blood skills. With another beast about to bite into her, Erin lifted a hand with a red light forming around her finger tips.
[Bloodspray activated]
[-5 HP]
[HP 60/65]
The blood shot into the beast's mouth, killing it nearly instantly.
[Basic tier wingedlizard killed]
[+10 EXP]
[215/400 EXP]
There were only two left, and as they charged at her, Erin used flashstep one more time, stabbing her rapier into one of the beasts' side as she ran past them.
[+3 HP]
[HP 63/65]
[Basic tier wingedlizard killed]
[+10 EXP]
[225/400 EXP]
Then, right as she was about to charge at the last beast, an arrow had landed into its back, causing it to momentarily get distracted. It turned around looking for the source of the attack, allowing for Erin to run and jump into the beast, stabbing its underbelly as she did.
[+0 HP]
[Ability cannot be used again for another 6 seconds]
[Basic tier wingedlizard killed]
[+10 EXP]
[235/400 EXP]
Removing her sword and flinging the blood off, Erin had managed to kill a total of 10 beasts the whole time she had been there, and had gotten a total of 200 EXP as a result of it.
Lifting her hand upwards towards the shadow dome, she willed it to dissipate, and the skill canceled. The fight against the beasts didn't last very long, only about 10 minutes, so the shadow void could've lasted another 50 minutes if she wanted it to.
The shadows surrounding them had slowly dissipated, turning into a mist before they gathered around Erin's feet. Thankfully, because Erin ended the skill early, she regained some MC back.
[MC 80/100]
The dreaded message that Erin had grown too familiar with popped up, and she waved her hands dismissing it as soon as she could.
[You are being hit by direct sunlight]
[Your stats have been reduced by 70 Percent]
'I'm aware,' Erin bitterly thought.
Sweat formed on Erin's forehead, and she could feel her body immediately become exhausted. The good news was that her beast gear was helping towards her reduced stats, but they didn't reach the same level of stats they were when she first got the system.
[HP 31/32]
[Strength: 6] [+6]
[Agility: 7] [+4]
[Stamina: 7]
Layla soon jumped down from her hidden spot behind the rocks, joining Erin as she did. She handed Erin her umbrella, opening it up.
[You are no longer in direct sunlight]
[All stats have returned to normal]
"Erin, maybe we should take a break after we harvest their beast crystals," Layla sighed, fanning herself, "I'm out of MC, and it's really hot out here."
Erin, however, wasn't. She walked to one of the beasts and dug her arm into it, eventually taking out an opaque crystal the size of a golf ball. She continued to do this for the other beasts on the sand.
"Erin?" Layla asked again, placing her bow on her back, "Didn't you hear what I said?"
In her mind, Erin was thinking about the crystal in her hand. She could store it away in her system, but that meant Quinn would have access to it. He would probably hold the crystals hostage to get her to listen to him, and that was something she didn't want to do right now.
"Or you could store them in your shadow. He wouldn't have access to it there," The system suggested.
Somehow, Erin felt like the system voice was lying to her. With how the game system created a new tab the moment she gained a new ability, some part of her wondered if Quinn could have access to the shadow inventory. He had been able to look at what tabs she opened, and they both could use the crystals stored in the system inventory.
Instead, Erin wordlessly handed the crystals to Layla.
"So, are we going to take a break?" Layla reaffirmed, awkwardly holding the crystals.
"Continue to gather more beasts here, we need to go increase our place to number one," Erin commanded then pointed at the direction of the wingedlizards.
Layla balked at what Erin was saying.
"Did you not hear me? I said I'm out of MC," Layla asserted, "Let me just take a break first. We should be fine if we go back with at least 10 crystals today. We're bound to get a good score."
"You two were only able to get 10 beasts killed, but imagine if you had a whole team to help you out," The system mused, "Someone like Fex could tie down beasts, or you could have Quinn lure several beasts over while Layla takes a break. It could've been quite efficient."
Erin clenched her fists, some sort of anger and frustration rising in her, knowing the system was right, but before she acted out, she heard footsteps coming their way.
"There's someone— no, multiple people heading here," Erin said in a low voice, then took out her rapier.
With her enhanced hearing, she heard about 5 bodies, enough for a whole team. listening closely, these bodies were clearly human, and Erin doubted they were up to any good.