These squirrels do not care about dying.
It only takes me two Empowered steps to catch a pair of them. A normal Essence-powered squeeze of my hands is all it takes to snap their spines
They were either fornicating, fighting, or just hanging out on the side of this oak. Regardless, I appreciate how easy they've made it.
I return to Nicklas sitting on an impromptu seat of mossy stones, just as I've left him.
I put him on fire duty after igniting it using extremely simple fire Magic—albeit, it's one of the very few spells that I know, despite my C-rank magic. My grasp on it is above-average, but I'm not well-practiced or well-versed in larger, important combat Spells. My Magic repertoire is almost entirely utility.
He's collected some more dry tinder, as I ordered, and now pokes at the small fire for no real reason other than to make himself feel useful. I don't bother to correct it. Not worth the energy, and I don't have any more busy work for him—collecting tinder is the only task lowly enough for him to complete.
Butchering these squirrels without a real knife is actually quite doable.
I do use a sharp stone, but it isn't sharp enough to properly cut through the skin by itself.
So I resort to using my cheat Imprint. It takes an incredible amount of mental strain and effort to control Tremors. I have it at around 50% of Tremors' total speed. It's just enough to cut through weak stuff with the stone, while also not shattering the stone from all the power being infused into it
After several intentional cuts above the tailbone, I simply tear off the pelt. Then I cut the extra bits off, remove the innards after another cut, do the same for the other squirrel, punch some sharpened sticks through, hand one to Nicklas, and we begin to cook our meals over the fire.
It's not much, but it's a start. Humble and modest, but for good reason. There's so much we don't know yet. We'll need a full stomach to go out scouting, especially so without Valeria.
Maybe if there really is a weapons cache, there might also be food supplies as well. Wishful thinking; giving out food would be a bit too kind, and I don't even know if there are weapons in the first place.
CLANG.
Metal clatters on the ground by my feet.
I turn around to see a monstrous sight.
Valeria, the big, friendly, moronic giant, has returned, drenched in water and speckled in blood. Her black-crimson uniform is disheveled, her face dirtied, her great red mane of hair made wilder than usual.
She takes a heavy seat on the mossy stone by the fire, snatching the squirrel-on-a-stick from Nicklas.
"Hey—" Nicklas tries to protest, but she side-eyes him into submission. Very doglike.
Hungrily, Valeria ravages the half-raw squirrel. Animal. Does an A+ in Vigor give you a lead belly? Probably.
"But… that was mine."
"Shut it," she snaps between bites.
Nicklas really, strangely, wants to fight back. I roll my eyes and just hand him mine instead.
I bend over to pick up the steel sword that Valeria tossed. It's the most basic of mass-produced swords ever. Shabby, but I can make it work. Master Nero made me practice with something quite similar, so it feels a bit familiar to my hand.
I even quickly push Essence into Tremors—it does withstand its full speed, as I thought; another reminder that I'm an all-knowing genius.
It should be mentioned that Tremors does come with a unique and apt backlash; my hands uncontrollably shake—extremely light and subtle as of now, but it'll get worse with overuse.
"Where'd you get this?" I ask with an air-whistling flourish of the steel sword.
"Leara." Her angry gaze has since been pacified in the face of food. Valeria's eyes are now tired, and oddly, filled with some solemn, unintelligible emotion. "She wants to speak to you."
Of course, you ran off to your owner. Didn't I predict that too?
I had hoped that we would continue to keep our alliance secret. Can't really hide it with cameras on us—I trust Leara's decision-making; it's evident that our meeting is more important than maintaining the element of surprise.
"Where'd she get the weapons?" And why does she continue to insist on showering me with gifts?
"You'll have to ask her."
So useless.
"What's with the blood?"
"Corrupted," anger suddenly and tangibly colors her tired face. "Stop fucking interrogating me!"
"I need information. You know—because one of my teammates ran off without notice and I couldn't go scouting myself."
"There's Corrupted here?" Nicklas goes starry-eyed, though simultaneously flushed from fear.
"Where's Leara?" I ask, continuing the trend of ignoring Nicklas.
"No more fucking questions!" Valeria curses. This is the closest she's gotten to hitting me, but despite my ridicule, Valeria has a good head on her shoulders. She knows nothing good will come from fighting me—especially after feeding her that squirrel.
"Well… actually… I thought that question was quite valid," Nicklas comes to my defense. "Also, what's your guys' deal with Leara Mateiko?"
"She's a few miles northwest. There's a mostly intact village there." Valeria doesn't care to elaborate on the latter question for Nicklas. I won't either. He doesn't really need to know anything.
The sun has nearly set—it's quite dark under the cover of the forest already.
"We'll leave in a few hours then."
"Won't… it be a bit dark then?" Nicklas asks.
"Yes. So both of you should try to sleep now. I'll keep watch."
"Don't tell me you're gonna keep dragging that lesser along," Valeria glares between Nicklas and me.
"Forgotten I'm 'lesser' as well?" I reply.
"You at least have some value," Valeria's lip angrily twitches as she gives out her version of a compliment, like pulling teeth. "He does not."
Nicklas looks a bit hurt by the comment, but maybe he's a bit stronger than he lets on, at least in the realm of mental fortitude. I expected him to shatter into a thousand pieces and scatter into the wind.
"He's on our team, he comes with." The words go against my better nature of being a hateful prick.
Every life matters in this format, especially allied ones. Nicklas will have some form of use in the future, surely. No need to cut him loose now—it's shortsighted.
"Sure. Whatever."
Valeria hops up, dusts off her filthy hands, and skulks back into the nearby forest once more.
"Don't go too far," I call out.
"Fuck off."