A couple of hours later, the addition of Rain's explanations led to a less stressed journey.

Murai learned why most of the monsters didn't cause trouble for him. It wasn't because he was hiding that well, or was a threat. It was simply because they didn't view him as a target of interest. He was too weak and too young. The rules of the jungle seemed to be different.

Murai underestimated the worth of rules. This world was far from the norm.

Being a Blessed gave him various advantages, but Rain briefly discussed that topic. It was mostly about the souls, which might be another possibility as to why some of the surrounding beasts ran away from him. Instincts and a keen sense of danger were mandatory for survival.

As for the rules, the reason for some battles or balancing issues was clever to downright weird. It was turning the world into a battle-stricken madness where desirable living and power moved against the norm. It was almost against the natural laws. Especially to those of some lower status.

Blessed were crazy beings that ended up reborn for the giggles of Gods. That was the plain remark Rain said. Murai hadn't gotten a clue why this sort of thing existed. But it reminded him of his Cursed Living that had no stops. Memories and souls, Blessed were like him but with only a single life behind them. How did it work?

What if it had some correlation to him? After so many years and lives, he finally found something.

Blessed could be anything. Human races, species of beasts and demons, to weird creatures stemming from different worlds. None knew how Blessed came to be, however. They could become anything and turn the tides of the world in a new light, or shadows.

The Level that Murai gathered was portraying a certain power, analysis, and quality. Rain said it was the worth of an individual, ranging from danger, power, degree of amassing life, and attributes. That was a simple idea that Murai accepted. As a Level 0, he was somewhat omitted to take part in the dangers of this world.

Rain talked about the world most of the time; his words confirmed issues and answered many questions.

Unfortunately, Murai was still unaware of his near future, and what he should be doing. Living was an easy answer. But living wasn't what he was seeking like a gem and blessing. He wanted something more than that.

This world had its messed up reasons, often indulging in Chaos and wild courses of power. One could still expect an Order from this place, but Rain pressed that many locations and people take this world for something else than others. He almost pressed that his words lacked a beat, arguing that Murai would understood it sooner on his own.

The best advice was to do the evolution and grow as an Anatidae. That was the beginning of everything.

As for the factions, regions, and world itself, it seemed like an enormous place with billions of lives. He said something about continents, and how the world had layers of intensity that went deep, flat, or up. Murai wanted to like that, but what about his body? Liking it seemed like a joke.

For a soul that went through many Skies, he had no issue with getting used to a new one, even if Rain's brief words about godly interests in the Blessed sounded like a warning. Rain made it seem like a scrutinized topic, and objectively speaking, he didn't take Gods to his Will or beak. Probably for good reasons, so Murai accepted it and moved on.

Evolution required a couple of things: Food, so he wouldn't starve before, or afterward, and a place to evolve.

From what Rain said, evolution could take a while, and Vitality was essential. It was what fueled the evolution, and if it was too low, one could meet the End because of it.

It is the future. Manifest the Bloodline powers. Turn into a monster. I did too. Feels great. Rain's voice repeated in his head.

It wasn't necessary without problems, so Murai took preparation seriously.

Murai had to figure out how to push forward with his attributes. Vitality was easy. With food, he could grow it up, but it wasn't very efficient. The crucial factor of Vitality was the empowerment of what made the body. In Murai's head, those were the lifelines, life force, and roots. Muscles, blood vessels, bones, and other things were also there, of course. The body was a temple. It should be cared for.

Perhaps this world did work with what his memories held, which should move according to the voices he was hearing, and abilities he was feeling. Murai didn't feel any sort of magic. He felt his flesh and blood. That was it for now.

Foundation to build upon was important, which made Body Attributes his main motivation.

Vitality was like a battery of the body. When charging or using it, it could go out of business, causing issues in finishing up the evolution. That was the basic principle Murai comprehended from Rain.

The biggest issue was something else. A warning, that Rain had to tell. Evolution caused involuntary troubles in the flow of power and change of body. The choice was up to mortals, but it was Will of the Battleworld that granted everything.

In a sense, it was like a borrowed power, though it was still one's body and choice.

Murai wasn't sure how to feel about it, but when Rain insisted he needn't have to worry about it, he didn't. The best prevention was simple: get more attributes than the prerequisite amount, or some treasures ranging from fruits or potions. Murai had none, of course, but food was also an option.

Many species had numerous variables, mutations, and changes. There could be a failure in evolution if one's Will was low, or the body was too weak and not ready. Low Vitality was the most common reason for failure, followed by predators that would hunt weakened prey.

Another issue followed the balance and rules Rain said at the last moment. The courses of battles weren't always happening according to the Will of the Battleworld, but Levels were still important. Therefore, if the Level between the opponents was slim—or balanced in some other capacity—slaughtering anyone was fine.

It was a natural way of Order and Chaos, so where strength mattered, morality swayed.

This world has always been chaotic. It has a rich history. Rules are meant to be often breakable, so threat your steps lighting and you won't get burned. But if you won't get it, burning the world and shredding common sense is fine too. Going against everything is that. Hells follow that principle. I do, too. That was Rain's reference, which he ended up in a term called Breach.

The worst outcome was the End. The lesser would be a weakened status, and inability to fight back. It would be the End.

Like the case with the Devil Fox, one could start their own fights, or the fight would find them instead. That was one thing that Murai understood with ease. He also realized the cause of his punishment, which was as unreasonable as he thought.

Will of the Battleworld was upset about his lack of battles, which led to Rain's involvement and the start of the Punishment Act.

In truth, Murai was almost too furious after he comprehended what it meant. He even berated Rain for no reason because the Pouncing Devil was just playing by the rules.

This issue was even worse, however. This approach wasn't universal across the world. It was a strict countermeasure against Blessed, so they wouldn't be too absent from the way of the Battleworld. It was their little shortcoming that stemmed from their existence, origin, or the way this world took them for something special.

Going against this approach was possible, though punishments and rough times would be ahead. Angering the rules and God of Battle was a warning that Rain repeated.

As for why Rain even talked about it after his loss, Murai assumed he was a special case of an interested party that wanted something from him. After all, Rain did ask him about being part of some Demonic Legion and personal Pact. Rain could also be a weirdo who was prone to talking, so he talked like a welcoming veteran to a newcomer.

However, there must be things Rain hadn't let out, but Murai was unable to guess them. It was perhaps something deeper, rooting some rules or some secrets that Rain was prohibited from sharing. It could be about his species or time. The first words he sent him were about Anatidaes, followed by confusion, wild emotions, and bits of fearful apprehensions, filling Rain with doubts. Murai felt it. Soul Read worked wonders.

Then, he trusted his hunches and doubts of others. Rain spoke about Anatidae in small manners, though intrigued and hesitant for some reasons. As if he was afraid of them, yet he respected them in power or some reputation.

That was it. Rain said it. Now is my reality, Murai thought, walking through the forest in no direction. I need to focus on his hints. Evolutions. They should be truthful since he didn't seem like he needed to lie about that. He wanted to give me some leeway and price for the stress he caused me. What a weirdo.

Murai sighed, glancing and traversing through the Redglory Forest which was quite a big place from his low perspective.

Food. The bones would work the best if he took them back to his cave. Meat or something nutritious could work wonders as well, but if he had a lot of bones with marrow, their amount could overcome the quality of the meat.

Murai was hasty with eating all the bones. He didn't need to do that at all; he didn't even know how valuable they would've become. He didn't eat because of hunger. He ate to get more powerful and cherish this life.

The cave is my dwelling. If it's empty and no other fox or other monsters will be there, it seems like a perfect place to get my evolution done in silence.

With this decision, Murai went back to his cave according to his memory, or the outlook of a huge mountain on the horizon. On the way there, he looked for some food.

Walking through some bushes, many kinds of smaller insects and animals were always around him. His eyes worked in physical realms, whereas his Soul Read acted like echoing meaningful shimmer, noting to him they were there; that they existed in reality. The more he felt and sought it, the more notable it felt.

He even noticed things he had previously overlooked. Soul Read was a passive ability that he couldn't stop. Sensing too many living beings in his surroundings felt like a good advantage; so did their emotional senses of their intelligence. Like that, he could notice irregular beasts from animals with limited instincts.

Rain was the best he had seen and spoken with. He was clever and vivid in his soul, feeling wild and with many feelings around him.

Soul Reading less complicated being seemed to be useless and dull. There wasn't much to Read. Reading complex souls was more draining but worthy.

Around him, there were presences, feelings, and rough primal emotions coming from the world and nature. It seemed to overlap and overwhelm him when he was too focused.

Little rats were feeble. The stronger the beast got, the more apparent they became in their instincts. Murai was kind of disappointed about Soul Read since that name implied something stronger. Reading a soul sounded like a cheat, but having the ability to sense others and their presence wasn't that bad either. It was excellent for surveillance in a 10-meter radius.

Abilities could level up and become more potent. That was at least according to Rain, so Murai figured his soul could have an interesting future.

He discovered squirrels, worms, and all kinds of insects with very little presence under the ground, or hiding in the trees. They were weak, and not even connected to the Will of the Battleworld like Blessed would be. And all of them were nasty. He would never eat them. Food was worth it in the eyes first, so he was up to no good start.

Murai was stronger and more confident in this adventure. Fighting against Level 54 was an interesting experience, and his species didn't seem that weak. At least from what Rain mentioned and didn't say. Their exchange made its worth. Anatidaes were variable demonic beasts of unique Bloodline and rarity. Since his doubts were that obvious, he should be stronger than he thought.

So he moved quickly and began to train in movement and traversal. Unlike a normal duckling would ever do, he found some tricks and discoveries. With some practice, he ran quite fast, as long as his tail and wings counterbalanced his steps. Thanks to that, he was no longer so awkward and slow.

But there was still something bad. The little legs with those awkward little flat feet were his biggest obstacle, followed by his weight and height. No matter what, he couldn't get used to them.

On the way to the cave, he wasn't lucky in any finds, so he figured he might give some battle a try to catch his own food. He wasn't able to discern the Levels of the opponents, but since he was Level 0 with a rough ability to Level 10, his Beak's Fury should provide its worth. Finding some low-level beast would do him good.

Initiating a battle for food was expected in this world. Rain agreed with that logic as well, stating that nature itself was still extremely intoxicating and rough. Murai went in another direction from the cave, going to the other section of the mountain that he had yet to visit.

An hour later, it was getting foggy and darker. Murai's vision from his low position was so much worse. He ended up relying on his Soul Read to feel the surrounding foes. It had some rough capacity that he understood after seeing and feeling numerous beasts. Souls had feelings for them, followed by Will and instincts.

Murai started to experiment and poke some beasts, but most ran away from him or showed endless disinterest. Against a little duckling, Murai felt his choices vanishing.

Walking ahead, he remembered Rain's words. A lot of things may be met with the voice of Will of the Battleworld. Lots of fools are interpreting that voice in many forms. Everyone takes that for a voice of Gods. But not everything is subjected to every intricate detail and worth. Tread your steps lightly.

Murai might not be the finest learner in his flesh, since he lacked the context and time, but a soul was a soul.

It was further into the forest, in plains surrounded by trees and bushes, that he discovered a rather surprising sight. It was an open battlefield filled with the old or new carcasses of many beasts, corpses, and residues of battles. Some soil was even scratched or marked with many battles. Most living things were long turned to bones, signifying the presence of some predators like ravens, and wolves, or beasts that would eat anything for survival.

However, the bones were still there, attached to the skeletons. Murai reached further into this plain after not detecting any hiding fools; he figured that Soul Read was excellent against those who were hiding. Nothing would hide from him. Not even ghosts and cursed souls that were unable to go towards Afterlife.

Murai gathered that sensing a dead soul was unlikely for his current power. Perhaps they were here, hunting those who wanted to touch their corpses.

The carcass that was closest to him was of some boar-looking monstrosity that had massive weight. Husk and horns around the thick skull were bigger than his whole body by many times. It must have been quite a savage beast when alive.

“Well... Excuse me, little pig,” Murai said, picking this target as his prey. “I will still eat your remains, even though the others already got most of it. Think of it like some sort of higher worth for your deceased sake. Even the tiniest little bit of your life shall be given to others. That is the way of life. A way of nature.” He spoke and quacked out loud, not even knowing why he was doing that.

Was it some sort of sentiment for this boar? Murai didn't think so and didn't eat it either.

Instead, he used his Beak's Fury to strike the sections of the ribs. He bounced off of them, stumbling. It was very heavy and dense. Murai finally met some challenges in the name of bones. He unleashed his Fury next, and after dozens of strikes, cracks resounded. Then, things got easier and the first rib was broken apart. He followed it with others, fuming, breathing haphazardly, but not stopping.

He was making them smaller so he could take and store them in his cave, where they would get softer.

He couldn't grab this half-a-ton carcass away. He was a tiny duckling in comparison to it. It was rather boring, lengthy work. Especially the part where he had to force the bones with his beak toward the cave, and then come back and repeat it over and over again.

But there was something good in this act, other than getting this food.

It was his first time using his Beak's Fury. It was a strike of his beak, but it felt different than his previous smacks. This thing felt... smoother. Was it his intent? How did it work when he smacked those bones with his beak with or without Fury?

Rain didn't mention how abilities worked all that much. With this Beak's Fury, his whole body was surprisingly efficient when he manipulated his body, charging it with Fury in mind. It was almost happening on its own, making his smacks surprisingly powerful. It was at least half a dozen times more effective than his regular attacks.

Murai found some satisfaction in smacking bones to bits.

This ability should allow him to strike a more powerful foe. Devil Fox died under his beak with nothing but his body. No ability played an important role in that fight. Well, apart from his plotting. Strategies were a major part of any fight. Murai knew it from his many lives. With Fury, he felt he could've slaughtered it cleanly.

Murai discovered the most efficient part of how to do this whole ordeal. First, he obliterated a big chunk of this boar carcass. Then, he made his way with these bones to the entrance to the cave until all of them were there. Forcing the bones downwards to the lowest section of the cave was probably the easiest thing.

But it was efficient, even though it took him almost a whole night and a chunk of the day.

Back in the cave, he observed his loot. Many bones were around, leaking some blood, but most of the marrow was dense and firm, not yet soft.

After his work away from the cave, he realized how the temperature and this cave felt. It was even moister and hot, acting like a hot spring. There was also something else that his head took for a surprise. He was seeing things much brighter in the darkness as if his eyes were no longer hazy.

Right as he wanted to ignore his findings, Will of the Battleworld announced a new call. Whether it was intentional or not, his worry and sudden surprise revealed the cause.

According to Rain, Blessed were massive takers of Will of the Battleworld, and each held its indicator within their souls, observing and reading them, so the benefits and rules would make sense. Because of that, Will of the Battleworld saw their actions and acted after coming to certain conclusions, reasons, and decisions under some complicated terms that the God of Battle created.

[A dim atmosphere is not good. One shall have good eyes to seek what lies beyond] a dull voice said.

[Anatidae species have good eyesight and even better night vision, thanks to their vast ancestry in terms of variable sub-species and Bloodlines]

[New Ability is unlocked after endings of attributes, living in the dark, and accomplished familiarity]

[Night Vision: A simple passive ability without offense or defense. It is simple and cool. a simple benefit of seeing clearly at night can lead to further benefits according to the situation and the settings]

[Grade E]

[Level 1]

Oh, that explains some things. I was growing up, and the effects of this ability went through my Bloodline before taking full effects as an ability. Rain said something about it. Bits, though. Should I take the locked and unlocked things for that? I suppose I should start thinking of the bigger picture.

Murai wondered how Will of the Battleworld sent the rules and this world affected his prowess. In the sight of a new ability and overturning vision, he had yet to notice how intangible waves poured out of the earth, traveling towards him, disappearing into him, and changing his eyes.

He even shuddered, taking a new ability for something nice.

A strange new light emerged in his eyes, making them thinly glow in white light. Afterward, he saw the cave in light. To his surprise, it was much bigger than he assumed. The ceiling was tall enough to fit a tree, and the walls were further from each other, looking rocky and dark in color. There were also some holes around the walls; they were small, not for a fox to crawl into.

Maybe a small kind of fox could crawl into it, or a duckling? Murai thought so, but other things piqued his attention. Above the sea of bits of bones, piles of clothes, crates of old age, and weapons, hazy steam was flowing like wind and fog, causing this strange moisture and heat.

“I knew it! Can't smell many things, but I can see an adventure when I see a reason!” Murai exclaimed, and let the bones be the bones. Leaving them here should make them soft enough until the evolution.

Running past the corpse of the Devil Fox—which seemed to decompose at a rapid pace—he reached the section of the wall where the steam was coming from. It was around a 7-meter tall wall, with sections of stones and stalagmites where he could jump at and get to the top. There was some opening to another cave system where the steam was coming from.

Murai tried to quench his undeniable curiosity and a sense of adventure took over him. Thanks to the stalagmites and stones around the wall, he jumped and began his ascend. He fell from time to time because of his clumsiness, but it wasn't that bad. For some reason, even a fall from 2 meters didn't hurt him at all.

He wasn't that heavy and his feathers were fluffy and resilient at the same time, allowing him to take hits much better. The color, number, and density of his feathers were much higher and better since Devil Fox kidnapped him. Murai still didn't pay his appearance much attention.

With jumps and care, he reached the end of the wall after a good workout. He got more used to this body, but it wasn't as if he could gain some attribute out of this simple task.

What was before his Night Vision wasn't anything surprising. Murai couldn't see shit! The mist and the hazy steam were making this place completely shrouded and hot. Catching where the steam was coming from was easy. There was more heat and a slight breeze. It was hot water moisture, with no poisonous gas or anything dangerous.

After some steps, he noticed the sound of splashing water, but still couldn't see anything. It was dull sounds, so he moved slowly by using his beak as a walking stick. It was unironically useful, but strange-looking.

There were reclining stones on the opposite side, depicting a hole beyond that looked like a cliff. Those were irregular, looking like a step to the Void or Abyss. He didn't know where it led; it sounded like water was below, dozens of meters away. He didn't want to get stuck down there, since his evolution was more important.

There was some time limiter, so Murai had to act on its merits.

He still had some time left. Murai wasn't in a hurry, but it was better to be safe than sorry. He forgot about this place for now.

He had a choice to make. A triplet of sub-subspecies with their respective height and further futures weren't simple.

Rain said that the starting evolution mattered the most. It was akin to a root, which would branch out to others.