I frustratedly stepped back. I'd never thought that I had a chance against Rulac in true form, but I hadn't expected this session to go the way that it had thus far. Rulac had never done anything other than just easily dodge my attacks and occasionally lash out with his tail, and I was exhausting myself trying to catch him, to lay even a finger on him, but I never could. His massive frame was surprisingly lithe and quick, and it felt like trying to catch individual raindrops in the dark. Simply impossible.

Rulac took a step forward in reaction to my retreat, "You were better in that duel with the one you killed those weeks ago. You're overthinking."

I grunted as I tried to dodge the tail lashing that I knew was coming, but I was wrong--he finally closed in on me for real, and went for a bite around my neck. I stepped back again, trying to avoid his lunging attack, but left myself open for a vicious kick that smashed my head back, leaving the taste of blood in my mouth. I tried to gather myself, but Rulac didn't give me the opportunity. He pressed forward again, and I tried to back up more, but found myself hitting the wall with my tail. "C'mon, do something already!"

Cornered, I decided to do just that.

[Bloodlust activated] shone in the corner of my eye while I rushed forward with my magic beginning to push aggressively to my throat and hands. I snapped aggressively at my foe, and he smirked back at me, and stepped back, before going to smash his head directly down on my body, but I was ready for him. I raised my hand and locked my fingers together. Since my last evolution, they had changed in form, and the chitinous hard covering could now lock with itself, making me much less likely to shatter my fingers if I used them as a united knife, and I planned to do just that.

Rulac seemed to know what I was going to do as he saw my movements, and pulled his head back while shoving out with one arm, making me stop in my tracks. "Good. Aggression is in your blood. Take advantage of it." He pressed forward, this time in his strange, hip-twisting step that allowed for him to strike out with his tail on either side. I tried to telegraph an opening on my right side, and Rulac grinned in response. "That would work on most. Not an Alqat, but most." He pressed into battle with me, and in the back of my mind, I knew that he was taking it easy on me by no longer kiting me, but the rest of me wanted to make him bleed. I purposefully gave a part of my sanity to the [Bloodlust], and felt myself slip deeper than I had since I'd evolved the skill. The magic I had sent to my limbs finally burst out, and my muscles felt jittery, but powerful.

I was a snarling, ripping beast, and I didn't care what happened to me. I just wanted to draw blood. There was something innate in me, that I hadn't felt before. I knew how to move, how to dodge here, and where to strike to guarantee a mortal wound... almost like there was a grid superimposed on Rulac's body, and I could see his weak points. I struck towards them, and was blocked once, twice, thrice. But the fourth attack made contact just between two of his lower ribs on my left. I felt scale and skin give way beneath my fingers, but before I could get any deeper, my jaw was smashed into the ground.

I saw stars, and belatedly realized that I was trying to kill Rulac, so I deactivated [Bloodlust]. Shaking my head, I stood up and looked at Rulac. He grinned back at me, "There's the whelp I saw so much potential in. Take a break, then let's talk." He turned to one of the observing members of the Alqat, and clicked something at him in the strange Alqat tongue. The male nodded back and walked out into the main hallway.

Panting and trying to shake the stars from my eyes, I finally took notice of a new notification in the corner of my eye--[Skill potential unlocked. Evolutionary information updated.]

I was shocked. Quickly, I pulled up my [Status] and looked at the bottom.

[Improved Bloodlust—current evolutionary progress: 0/3. Hidden skill evolutionary requirement completed. Evolution to higher level skill {Combatant's Bloodlust} guaranteed upon evolution. ...

Evolutionary Foresight

-Sonic Magicblood Swarm Beta—Requirements: Acknowledgement of the Swarm's Alpha.

-Sonic Magicblood Swarm Alpha—Requirements: Deposing the current Swarm Alpha. Acquiring the approval of 75% of the total swarm.

-Sonic Khatif Sub-Swarm Alpha--Requirements: Skill: Combatant's Bloodlust, Improved Sonilphon, Sub-Swarm Alpha race.

Other evolutions possible, but not currently foreseen.]

Whoa there. What is this? I can guess the answer, but it doesn't hurt to ask... how is [Combatant's Bloodlust] different from what I would have received upon evolution?

[The Administrator has deemed it unnecessary to divulge that information. However, that decision may be rescinded, depending on your future growth.]

... Of course. And what is a Khatif?

[A Khatif is a particularly dangerous breed of keelish. They focus on combat above all else, and specialize in both magical and physical prowess.]

So... This would be a significant upgrade for me?

[The Administrator says: Well, all evolutions are.]

I sighed. Of course the Administrator is sitting up wherever he is, laughing at me. I almost wanted to sit down and rant at the [System], but realized that the main thing that would slow me in this evolution would be my progression in the evolution of my Sonilphon, which was only barely past halfway in its progression, at 28/50. Looking over the evolutionary requirements, I only needed to fully deplete my magical reservoir to progress, so I simply flooded my entire body with the magic, all at once. It was almost excruciatingly uncomfortable and my body vibrated against my own will, so I tried to force the magic out of my limbs and to the air. After what must have been 15 seconds of solid concentration, I was able to pulse the vibrations out of my limbs.

When I opened my eyes, the three Alqat in the room were staring at me, jaws agape (Rulac included). "What did you just do?" Rulac asked, standing up and approaching me.

"I... don't really know. I was just experimenting with my magic. What did it do to you?"

"It... got me going. I'm feeling ready to go for some more fighting, even through the feeling of this wound." He looked jokingly at his right side, where blood continued to flow weakly. "Whatever it was, practice it. It could be useful in this upcoming war."

Well, he didn't need to tell me twice, and it had expended nearly half of my entire stockpile of magical energy, so it would be killing two birds with one stone, I smiled to myself.