Kinkaru has been spending the majority of his extra time in the training center. However, instead of fighting the typical dwellers of the facility, he has been actively sparring him shadow Fraper. Through this he discovered a few things,

1) His summon takes about half of his mana,

2) His summon is nowhere near as strong as when it as alive. He has a connection with some type of mental wave, which tells him the creature’s stats. He just seems to know,

3) The summon gets stronger individually, however, he cannot read their stats.

4) Kinkaru has also tried to summon other creatures he’s defeated and seems to have no option for it. He’s beginning to think summoning the dead isn’t the primary function of his magic.

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General Information

Name: Kinkaru

Level: 10

EXP: 15000/20000

Affinity: Neutral

Dark/???

Skill Points:0

Class/Job

Magic Swordsman

HP: 1500

Mana: 600

Stamina: 2000

Status Information

Stats

Spells

Skills

Strength:22

Shock

Reading: 4/4

Agility: 20

Shadow Summon

Speech: 4/4

Wisdom: 30

Scan

Wisdom of Another Life?

Endurance: 15

Critical Thinking 4/4

Dark Manipulation

Blunt Weapon Mastery 1/10

Sword Mastery 5/10

Sneak 2/10

Shadow Extract

The remainder of his time is spent training with Sir Michael learning how to use swords and better tuning his mana use. Kinkaru has learned through various lessons that magic can be used for things other than spells. For instance, if you allow yourself to expend 1 mana an hour you can essentially stop aging. The more mana you allow yourself to use passively the stronger the effects. Also, you can enhance your physical body using magic as well. A person burning mana and allocating it to his arms can swing a blade harder and faster. This is what he suspects Garth has been doing since he met him. Garth always seemed to be ridiculously strong. He also learned there are multiple types of mages. Typical mages usually only master magic manipulation and fulfill a caster role in battles. While others specialize in augmentation type magic and battle in the front lines. Both have their perks however it can be argued that augmentation is more practical unless you are a part of a group.

The school has been frantic this year and Kinkaru is beginning to be glad that his time in school is almost up. Security officials have been frantically combing every inch of the campus. The monster has been attacking much more frequently and has even killed a few second years. Kinkaru is confident that the monster is focusing on easy targets as the gap in power between a 3rd year and a 4th year is pretty significant. So the difference in the 2nd and 3rd is also significant. This must mean that the creature is very intelligent. The ranking system that the school is so very proud of has become virtually useless as everyone is distracted. New enrollments have been on a decline as the school struggles to ensure the safety of its weakest students. It’s better to be a farmer than dead I suppose.

Kinkaru spreads his legs in a wide and deep stance. He had already summoned Fraper across from him on the plains ground. The monsters in this area knew they were too weak and therefore avoided Kinkaru especially with the very imposing looking Fraper around. The 4 armed creature slammed its arms into its chest and began to charge kinkaru. He closed his eyes and allowed his mana to radiate out of his body like a bubble. His sword hand ready to swing the instant his aura detected the Fraper. The shadow sped forward at top speed its arms prepared to pummel its master. It leaped into the air bringing down its fists in a hammer motion. Kinkaru sensed the moment the first hair of the monster touched his aura and he dodged left rotating around to the shadows blind side. The Fraper became enraged with its attack missing and began to grow in strength as it frantically thrashed about aiming at Kinkaru. Kinkaru continued to dodge every attack waiting patiently for a chance to counter strike. The creature spun around like a battle top and attempted to break the apparent speed difference. Kinkaru ducked under the fist and drove his blade into the creature's arm pout and pushed it through the neck. The shadow vanished as quickly as it was summoned. Await timer appeared and Kinkaru sat down waiting so that he could summon his shadow again.

Kinkaru was now in his 4th year and every day he struggled to try to figure out what exactly his magic was used for. Every time he thought he had an idea it would be a one-off or not work at all. He was super let down when he discovered he wasn’t a necromancer. In comparison, both Sarah and Garth were superior in their magic use. Both could be considered geniuses in their respective fields and if the ranking system wasn’t falling apart they would likely be in the top 5. In comparison, Kinkaru was likely still somewhere in the middle to the bottom middle. His swordplay was the most advanced in his class but his magic was the worst. All of the students in his art lessons could easily one-shot he summon and a weak tier-one spell of any element would just waste mana at this point. Kinkaru stretched out and closed his eyes.

Fraper sat across from him in the abyss. Looking at his master struggling with his internal thoughts. When in the dream world he could always tell if his master was distraught. Ever since he was first summoned he would always be in Kinkaru’s dreams watching and attempting to communicate with him. This has built their bond and made them grow closer through their time in his dreams. Kinkaru went from considering him a monster to considering him more along the lines of a familiar. Kinkaru allowed his body to melt into the void and he reappeared next to Fraper. Kinkaru noticed that his time in a dream state moved munched slower than before he learned his affinity. While dreaming he could virtually control everything around him and he would spend this time mulling over homework assignments or hatter was plaguing him. Kinkaru melted into the abyss again this time appearing back in his original spot. He threw his sword into the black ground and held his hand out catching it as it fell from the sky above him.

The headmaster sat at his office desk. Ever since the trials 3 years ago he’s had a consistent and nagging headache. This monster that hunts his new students is getting bolder and braver. The last group of students it killed it managed to drag their body and place it directly in the center of the courtyard. Everyone heading to early morning classes was treated with the sight of a 1st year's head and limbs casually in the pathway. Donations to the school are drying up as the government is increasingly putting more stress on the school to resolve the matter. The issue that is perplexing everyone is that the school's barrier is up and the monster is not from the training center. That means it slipped through the barrier and somehow is escaping in and out every night. This made it virtually impossible to catch. They tried setting a bait false student out and it completely ignored them. The monster is smart, cautious, and brutal. If these events don’t stop soon the school was on the brink of becoming a target for the government to flex its power and take control.

*Pant Pant* narrow red eyes lay crouched in the grass. Its eyes watching a student fight a faux monster. The eyes knew its target was weak in magic. It was apparent by the lack of any significant spells begin used. Every day these red eyes stalk him and every day he narrowly escapes. The eyes saw a potent magical field around its prey but unused one. Does this mean he can’t use it or because he chooses not to? If the beast could figure this out it would know if it has a good meal lined up or not. It paces back and forth in frustration as it watches the boy sleep in the grass. “How easy would it be to rip his sleeping throat out,” The creature thinks as its bloodlust escapes its body for a brief moment. It takes one step forward lowering its body in a crouching manner. In the dream world, the Fraper’s eyes jolt as it senses an approaching foe. It alerts Kinkaru but it was too late. Kinkaru already felt a sinister aura touch him and he sprang up with his sword ready and looked frantically around trying to figure out where it came from.

Kinkaru’s sword glistened in the sunlight. His body appeared stiff but his stance was loose. The creature he saw in front of him did not belong to any part of the training center that he had seen previously. His mind jumped to the conclusion that this was the monster that had been terrifying the entire school. The monster's breath reeked of death. It was as if the people it had eaten over the last few years were rotting in its mouth. The beast lowered its body into a crouching stance then backed slowly into the tall grass. Kinkaru carefully followed its movement with his gaze until it vanished. He wondered if he should pursue or not. He determined not to do so, because it could easily be an ambush. Where he’s standing now he has open flat land all around him and the beast would have to cross that to get to him.

Kinkaru pushed his mana outside his body forming an aura around him. Although he knew he could see if the beast approached he was fearful of it having some type of camouflage or invisibility ability. Kinkaru had never heard of these spells but he also couldn’t rule out their existence. Minutes passed by and Kinkaru stood completely still. The sun bearing on the exposed areas of his body began to make him sweat. Kinkaru let out a sigh as he used one of his arms to wipe the sweat from his forehead. As Kinkaru’s hand moved across his face his aura began to send shocks to his body. Something was coming from above and quick. He instinctively rolled to the right and felt the ground shake violently. Kinkaru’s eyes met with the beasts. It was a large creature that seemed as if it was multiple beasts put together. It had the head of a wolf and its body was covered in scales. On its hands were long claws that were like cats but much bigger proportionally. It looked as if something had made this thing out of all the best parts of other things.

“Finally a hunt I can enjoy. Try to make it entertaining human”

The beast withdrew its claws from the cratered ground. Kinkaru had never seen such raw destructive force. It was like an explosion had occurred where the beast had landed. This “thing” is smart. It waited patiently for Kinkaru to block his vision for a split second and then leaped with great speed for a sneak attack. Had Kinkaru not been using his mana aura to sense his surroundings he would surely be dead. Kinkaru saw that Fraper still had a good 10-second cooldown left before he could be summoned. Kinkaru thought hard on how to beat this monster in front of him. His heart was racing and his mind was going into overdrive. The beast began to crouch again this time it darted forward towards Kinkaru and began swiping its long claws at him. Kinkaru used his sword to parry all of the monster's ferocious attacks. He was losing ground as the beast stood on its hind legs swiping and walking forward. It had a twisted smile on its face as if its victory was assured. Kinkaru luckily had his memories of the previous world. He knew how certain things worked and how to combine certain elements to make new results. If he had been a normal human in this world he might just be doomed. He determined his plan and put it into motion. Kinkaru used his left hand to shoot water into the air allowing it to fall like rain. He then jumped back separating himself from the beast.

Kinkaru used his brief escape moment to launch a small fire projectile into the sky. It collided with the water making a mist-like substance fill the immediate area. It wasn’t very thick but it was thick enough to limit the visibility the beast had. Kinkaru then combined that mist with his dark magic to create a black mist that seemed to block all light out of the sky. He expended a good portion of mana to do this, but there was a reason behind this. The beast attempted to locate its prey but could not see him through this dark mist. It began to get frustrated as it swung wildly in all directions. Kinkaru used his aura to locate the beast and then summoned Fraper to the field. Since Fraper was already a black shadow of a creature it would blend completely into the mist. He used their connected minds to launch an assault on the beast with the summon.

Fraper rushed forward ducking under the beasts wildly swung claws. He plunged his fist into the chest of the unsuspecting monster and scored a clean hit on it. Fraper went into a full frenzy as it rapidly attacked the beast with all of its strength. All 4 of Fraper’s arms were finding their target on the virtually blind monster. The more hits he landed the wilder he became. His enraged mode was triggering and increasing his strength. Kinkaru became confident in his ability to win as Fraper went into an enraged mode and began to physically dominate the monster. The beast let out a roar as it began to fight back. Launching calculated swipes in the direction it was just attacked from. Kinkaru noticed the more enraged Fraper became the weaker their link was. This process continued until the link between the two was severed and Kinkaru was left only with his aura as an indicator of the battle. He could tell the creature was landing hits on Fraper based on the amount of mana being sucked from his body. It was apparent the creature could adapt quickly.

Kinkaru had forgotten to monitor is mana throughout this wild encounter and was shocked to see the rate it was declining in. This meant that Fraper and the mist were draining him dry and quick. He wondered how much damage his summon had done and if it would be the right time to pull the two spells at once. After some consideration, he determined it was his only option and he canceled the two spells. He knew better than to pull his aura, however. He wanted to be cautious as he did not know the strength of this beast and did not want to be a dismembered body in the square. The mist began to recede and the darkness faded into the light. Kinkaru was not excited about what he saw in front of him. The beast was covered in minor scuff marks but had virtually no noticeable damage. Fraper failed to secure any meaningful hit on the beast and wasted a ton of Kinkaru’s mana in the process. The beast glared into Kinkaru’s eyes. It was not happy with the trick that he had pulled and the area filled with an evil vibe.

“You like to use silly tricks. Now that you are done with your foolish games I will continue my hunt”

Kinkaru readied his sword. He knew if he was going to win it would have to be with swordplay. He didn’t have any viable magic for this situation and this beast was not going to give him any more chances to surprise it. The beast jumped forward with scary speed launching its strikes at Kinkaru with renewed force. Kinkaru did all he could to defend from the monster's great speed and power. He parried and he blocked but the beast found weaknesses in his defense and would land the occasional scratch on him. The beat used both hands in a downward movement and when Kinkaru’s blade collided with its hands the beast grabbed the edge of his blade. It was holding his sword still as it drove its fangs towards his neck. Kinkaru couldn’t avoid the attack but he did manage to make it non-fatal. Instead of the teeth meeting with his artery it met his shoulder blade. Blood dripped down Kinkaru’s arm and onto the ground around him. The creature let out a grunting laugh.

“My teeth are covered in a sleep-inducing poison. In a few moments, your movement will become sluggish and you will eventually pass out.”

Kinkaru could feel the effects almost immediately. It was like a thick burning sensation was pushed throughout his body. Everything began to tingle. His body was falling asleep and he could barely grip his blade. He stumbled back onto his butt. His blade fell at his side and he didn’t have the strength or control to lift his arms. Then the beast approached his limp body licking his lips. It kneeled on him and began to speak into his ears.

“I’m going to slowly eat you. I will tear small pieces of your flesh off and enjoy the taste. You will feel everything in your coma-like state. I will get great pleasure from consuming the fear you seep into your flesh.”

With that, the beast ripped off part of Kinkaru’s leg. Not a giant piece but a fist-sized chunk of thigh meat. It slipped it into its mouth and began to slowly savor the taste. Kinkaru entire body filled with pain as blood shot out of his fresh wound. His panic drove him into a manic state as the monster tore another piece of flesh from the other side. All Kinkaru wanted was to escape from this situation. He wanted to be in his peaceful dream world where he had absolute control over everything. He thought of how he could pass through the walls of his dream world whenever he wanted and he longed for this. *New Skill Acquired* Flashed across his vision as he laid helplessly on the blood-soaked ground. *Shadow step* *When used the user can enter into a shadow and exit out of another shadow. * Kinkaru mentally screamed the words shadow step. When he did his body sunk into the creature's shadow and he vanished from the sight of the monster. The beast reached out attempting to stop him from escaping but as it did its hands passed through him.

Kinkaru fell from the air and onto a wooden table. The room he was in was dark and he could feel the gaze of a man on him. He could see the shadowy portal he had fallen from above him. The creature was still there staring into the shadow as if it could pass through as well.

“Are you all right kid?” A worried and familiar voice spoke.

The headmaster of the school stood from his seat behind the desk and looked down on the boy’s torn flesh. He opened one of the desk doors and pulled out a red potion. He poured it all over the wounds and suddenly the pain stopped. Kinkaru could not speak as the poison was still in his bloodstream but he could flutter his eyes vigorously. As he did so the headmaster looked up in the direction Kinkaru was staring at and could see what he saw. He saw the beast glaring down at them but unable to pass. The headmaster reached up and touched the dark portal with his hands. A message appeared “would you like to allow Headmaster Norris to use shadow step?” Norris looked at Kinkaru and nodded. Norris extended his arm and a golden lance flew into his hand. He then looked at kinkaru and pointed at the portal.

“Let me through the boy, this may be my only chance. “

Kinkaru screamed yes in his mind and the darkness swallowed Norris pulling him into its void. The shadow step had completed and the portal shut behind Norris leaving Kinkaru behind. Whatever was happening on the other side Kinkaru could not see. Eventually, as he lay on the table he was overcome with sleep and drifted into the black void of rest. The darkness enveloped his consciousness and spit him back out in his usual dream state. In this world, Kinkaru regained his motor functions and his ability to think clearly. He began to process all of the decisions he made and how he could have improved. He hoped that Norris would be okay but he also knew he needed to improve his strength. Then he had a brilliant Idea. He recreated his situation in the dream world. He simulated him fighting the monster over and over. Each time he tried to defeat it in different ways. This simulation was almost as good as fighting it in real life. He could feel himself improving with every run. A message flooded across his mind. *Temporary skill consumed*