A full day had passed, since Bathilda's well fought victory. Not that she or her companion were able to tell. Yet to escape from the everlasting tunnels, the Blood Sucking Bat had sliced her way through dozens of Brats and a stray Alto in search of an exit.

Following the path that continued on from the Brats nest, Bathilda encountered a second nest. This was followed by a third, then a forth and so on. Each nest contained more of the vermin than the last and with each victory, Bathilda grew stronger. So too did her skills.

That's not to say her battles were easy. Many of them were life threatening, but with each win Bathilda became more and more empowered. Each victory brought clarity to the nurse, who in turn used that knowledge to reflect and grow.

Alongside the many skill and level ups she recieved, Bathilda also picked up a new skill. A well needed one at that and it's level rose quickly. She also managed to bank a few skill points for her hard fought efforts, bringing her total to ten.

Skill (Blood Control+) Level 6

Further increases the control you have over the power of blood.

Continuous use will drain MP.

After acquiring the (Blood Control) skill and raising it to plus status, Bathilda finally managed to get a grip on her animaliatic instincts when in front of the tempting scarlet liquid.

Bathilda encountered a dead end after destroying the final nest at the end of the tunnel. The cavern had been long and arduous, but the ever vigilant nurse hadn't notice any other paths worth exploring. Those she had seen could all be mapped through a single use of (Echolocation+).

With no other options, Bathilda was forced to travel back the way she came. She didn't have to fight any monsters on the return trip as they had already died by her hand, making the journey much faster.

During the flight back, Bathilda passed the time by reviewing the skill list. She mused over the recovery section for a while before eventually deciding against the purchase. Having the (Heal) skill would serve to be no use at all while she was still isolated from humanity.

During her perusal, Bathilda came across a good number of fight-ending skills as she browsed each category carefully. However, each one was priced well over her 10-point budget.

As she reached the nest of the first Brat pack she had slain, Bathilda made a startling, if-not welcome, discovery. She was in the shadow magic section when her eyes landed on a skill that seemed too good to be true. Its value to the world and its value to Bathilda appeared to be worlds apart as she read the description and giggled gleefully.

Spell (Clone): 5 Skill Points

Cost: Half of current MP

Create an identical copy of the user. The duration of this spell is dependent on the amount of mana supplied during casting. The Clone will begin with half the user's original stats and has a slight capacity for growth. Some skills and magic are restricted and will be unusable by the Clone.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Only one Clone can be summoned at any time.

Another fighter. A scout. A lookout maybe? A clone could fit any one of those roles.

Confirming her purchase, Bathilda couldn't believe her luck. As knowledge about magic entered her mind, she giddily stopped to test out her new spell. Using half of her mana, Bathilda felt the mystical energy drain out of her. It was completely different to (Wing Slash+), which only required 5MP per blade of air.

Even though Bathilda felt the loss, it wasn't enough to cause her to panic. Plus, the excitement of watching a clone being created before her very eyes was not a second place spectacle. Her heart was pounding as she watched magic give birth to life.

From the ground upwards, and from out of thin air, a set of clawed feet formed into existence. A pair of thin, black legs grew from the stumps and was quickly followed by a plump body. Spider-like appendages extended out from the top half and a pink membrane connected the wings to the body. The head appeared last, but looked more gargoyle than it was a bat. Bathilda was slightly mortified once the mirror image had finished forming.

Well, almost finished.

For some reason, Bathilda's clone only came up to her waist. Standing at half her height, it was identical to her in every aspect except proportion. The small bat looked up at its taller counterpart blankly, tilting its head in a cute and somewhat frightening gesture.

Awww, aren't you just... sort of... adorable?

Almost lost for words, Bathilda's amazement doubled as the half-sized bat nodded along to her thoughts.

Holy Shit! You understand me?

Questioning the strange phenomena that she has no place questioning, especially since recent events showed that reality was longer confined to the cage she once knew, Bathilda smiled at the clone who was still nodding in agreement.

Oh my god, this is so cool! Can you believe this, Hiro?

No response came from the usually chatty Hiro, causing Bathilda to wonder if something went wrong.

Hiro?

Until she remembered that the hitchhiking leech would do just about anything for a body.

Are you kidding me? Hiro!?

The smaller bat no longer looked oddly adorable, instead it gave off a suspiciously, shady vibe as it twiddled its wings together.

Out! Now!

Bathilda screamed in outrage as Hiro had jumped ship the first chance he got.

"Well, it's not what I expected. I'll give you that, but... Where do you expect me to go? Do you want me back inside your head?" Hiro words didn't reach Bathilda. Instead, she was too caught up in the fact that he had actually spoken to pay attention to small details like what he was acually saying. His voice was also much deeper than his small size would imply.

How are you doing that?

Bathilda couldn't believe it.

Shocked at the novelty of hearing actually words opposed to the regular screeching that she was subjected to, Bathilda was already over the body-jumping incident. He could stay there for all she cared if he could help her vocalise herself.

Until the smart ass opened his mouth that was.

"First, I opened my mouth. Then, I prepared my throat. Ahem. Me, me, me, me, me. And then..."

If you're going to be a dick about it, then don't bother. Out, now!

From 0 to 100, Bathilda was instantly annoyed. With that, she returned to her previous statement and repeated her demand.

"Okay. Okay. I was only joking. It's easy. When I speak, I just... Do it? No, that's not right. I just... Talk?" Hiro answers with about as much insight as a closed door.

Really? Just do it? Talk. Is that seriously all you've got? If it is, I should just dispel you or whatever it's called.

Reaching the limit of her frustration over trivial matters turned gigantic, Bathilda threatened her partner with the only thing she could.

"Honestly. Have you even tried it since evolving again? Just try it." not wanting to be dispelled, Hiro began panicking.

Shut up, Hiro. I tried it when I got here, remember? There were clicks and other noises, but no actual words. I mean, I suppose you're right about the evolution. My body might have changed in ways I don't even know about. That might be why you find it so easy without even realising.

Putting Hiro's success down to her own achievements, Bathilda once again tried to use her own vocal chords to produce tangible sounds.

"Heee... Rooo..." Bathilda croaked in a deep, zombified slur as the tiny bat beside her burst into a fit of laughter on the tunnel floor.