Snuggling Whisker below the bed was nostalgic. It was not a burrow-level feeling of safety, but the illusion was there. Whisker had also calmed down. She hadn’t tried to flee again. Yuki wanted to believe the other rabbit felt safe near her and recognized family, but she wasn’t that lost to her fluffy obsession. It didn’t change the fact that she wanted to, well, Yuki didn’t know what she wanted.
A part of her wanted to use the contract spell, even if she didn’t really understand what the effects of that spell would be. Another wanted to permanently inscribe Whisker with [Shapechange]. Would a rabbit-turned-human develop like a human? The idea fascinated Yuki more than she wanted to admit. Silly modern ethics and morals kept badgering her mind that experimenting on siblings, even if they were animals, was a bad idea.
Time idled away, sometimes napping, other times making sure Whisker’s fur was clean and fluffed.
Yuki heard Jenny’s footsteps way before the woman reached the inn, even if she only recognized them when Jenny was all but entering the room. The sound of her boots was accompanied by the metal spear hitting the cobblestone. Yuki had a superb hearing, even if, most of the time, she just pushed it to the background. If she focused on it, she could hear the entire town simultaneously. It would have been maddening if she couldn’t ignore most of it, the noise retreating like background ambiance.
Jenny had stopped by the door, probably searching for the key. Yuki willed her character sheet open. The skill tabs had a [Perception] skill.
[Perception](INT+POW): Perception is passive observation and focused detection, whether hunting for something specific or simply being aware of surroundings. Ambient conditions affect Perception.
Like everything else in the system, the skill description wasn’t that helpful. Yuki started to believe that things would only leave the realm of the mundane when someone unlocked a perk. This reminded Yuki that she had never talked with Jenny about her perk.
The door opened, and Jenny stepped inside. She placed the spear by the door. The woman walked closer to the bed, where Bee still slept.
“Biscuit?” Jenny whispered.
Yuki disentangled from Whisker and hopped from beneath the bed. “Welcome back.”
“I got the powder,” Jenny said first thing. Then she moved closer to the window and peeked outside.
“Everything went well?” Yuki asked, examining the spear. The weapon looked polished, even if it still had that old weapon feel.
“Yeah, I don’t know if the blacksmith believed my story, but he didn’t make a fuss either way,” Jenny said, looking away from the window. She knelt, open palms on the ground.
Yuki hopped on the woman’s hand. It was a nice gesture that Yuki appreciated.
Jenny sat by the table, placing Yuki on top of it. Soon after, she dug into her pockets, taking out three small pouches. It looked and smelled like leather. Jenny untied them, and Yuki peaked inside. Silver, gold, and sapphire dust. Yuki didn’t know why she needed those components. It didn’t make much sense because she knew the gem dust could even be a different precious stone as long it was something valuable. Magic was weird and awesome.
“That should be more than enough.” Yuki nodded, satisfied. “What about the animals for magic points?”
Jenny shook her head. “I didn’t see anyone else selling on the market, but we can ask Peggy where she purchases her meat; that might help.”
“Right,” Yuki said. She looked at Jenny, still transformed. The magic wouldn’t last much longer. “Can you check something for me?”
Jenny looked at Yuki briefly, fingers sneaking over the table, finding the right spots near Yuki’s ear. “What is it?”
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Yuki held back the urge to purr. The mischievous glint in Jenny’s eye made it clear the woman was doing it on purpose. Yuki closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She could survive this. She was stronger than some fingers.
“Check your parchment? There’s a tablet called Characteristics. Do you have anything called experience stacks there?”
“Status,” Jenny said, her eyes focusing on something only she could see. After a moment, she shook her head. “Nothing.” She started humming.
Yuki fought the urge to thump. Jenny’s fingernail scratched a nice spot, and Yuki’s teeth ground for a moment before she stopped. “Skills,” Yuki said, eyes still closed. “Memory Manipulation. Check. Perk.” She managed to say.
Jenny’s humming stopped, but the fingers did not. “I can see it.”
“Pick. One?” Yuki stuttered.
Jenny giggled. “I can’t.”
Yuki opened her eyes and reluctantly hopped away from the fingers. She hated the idea of losing here. She lost by giving up first, by escaping the attention, by no longer being pampered. But this was too important to get distracted. Yuki collected herself, ignoring the victorious grin on Jenny’s face. The [Shapechange] had ended, and Yuki hadn’t noticed. Dangerous.
“Which one do you want?” Yuki asked after evading the enemy's fingers.
“I don’t know?” Jenny asked, sounding confused. “Mother,” she started and stopped. The hands slowed down for a moment before starting again. “Mother told me about my family tradition. She was a mind weaver. She could make people forget.”
That was… “Can you do it to others as well?” Yuki asked, jumping over one hand and then duking under the other.
“I never learned how to,” Jenny admitted. “I can only change my own memories.”
Yuki ran to one corner, facing the woman’s fingers. The hand stopped, digits splayed open, blocking the path. The second hand approached from above. The enemy thought her defeated, naive! The hand was almost on her when Yuki hopped side-to-side and then up. With a small thump, she used the hand as a springboard to escape the trap.
“Do you want to pick one now?” Yuki asked, voice not hiding her triumph.
Jenny giggled again, moving her hands back. One hand stayed over the table, chasing, while the other moved under. Sneaky blonde!
“Give me some time to think?”
Yuki just bobbed her head. “From that spell book, which magic would you want the most?” she asked, changing the subject.
Jenny’s head moved a bit to the side. She blinked. “I’ve been trying to learn Inferno’s might blessing.” The woman said, not missing a beat.
Yuki ran toward the wall, the over-hand chasing openly, while the under-hand threatened from the sides, still partially hidden. “How’s it going?” Yuki assumed her best spider-Yuki persona, jumping at the wall, then thumping herself over the chasing hand.
“Not well,” Jenny said, frowning. “It’s more complicated than I thought,” she admitted.
“I want to try something,” Yuki said, ducking under the over-hand again while sidestepping the under-hand. “It might help.”
“Help how?”
Yuki hadn’t stopped fleeing from the seeking hands. “I think I can help you learn the magic, but I’m not sure.”
Jenny waited a long moment before speaking, concentrating on their game of chase chase. Finally, Jenny said, “Okay.”
Yuki didn’t wait. She willed her status open and zeroed in on the spells. Yuki scrolled on the list, finding there, added after all the base spells she had, the same twelve spells she had read from the grimoire. She selected the blessing and willed the system to spend her last stack point to teach and give the spell to her familiar.
Use one stack point to attempt to learn the spell Inferno's Might Blessing?
Yes/No
Yuki selected yes.
Calculating…
[Invocation] check successfully.
Imprinting knowledge…
The chasing hands stopped. Jenny grunted. Soon after, both hands moved up, and the woman held her head tight. Yuki blinked, not sure what was happening.
Imprinting knowledge…
Jenny moaned in pain. Blood seeped from her nose, and bloody tears escaped from her eyes.
Imprinting knowledge…
Knowledge Imprinted.
Jenny sighed in relief. “What wa—” she started, then stopped. “I think I’m—” She didn’t finish. The woman wobbled and fell down unconscious.