Kara pulled out her blade, its edges sliding out cleanly. She moved around, avoiding swords and spears aimed carelessly at her. A sidestep here, a sidestep there, a small cut to the throat over there. Just enough action for her name to grow, but not enough to crack knees again.

Gluing the splinters back is always a chore.

It irritated Kara that she had to waste in the civil war. She gained nothing beyond a little recognition, and had to deal with the constant recovery of her bones and muscles. The pay was fine 10 gold a week, allowing her to buy stocks of crystal for emergencies, but it was nothing significant.

In addition, she always had to watch out for killing too many low levels. There was a nasty penalty for that. She let off most with non-fatal injuries, hoping the system would be a bit understanding.

It did not take long for their side to break. The Animus had the number advantage, but the level advantage was theirs.

Through Kara's Web, she estimated the enemy force to be at least at a thousand against the meager force of five hundred. Neither factions controlled either districts, making the fighting occur all over the city.

Well, not any of this matters.

In the end, this round will be decided by how the faction leaders will kill or force a the surrender from the other. The longer the fighting went on the larger the casualties, and every death on either side would mean that Dlair would become weaker, and neither leaders wanted that.

Not only could they not let themselves fall behind the two other human kingdoms, but there were also two other races to watch out for--Vandrans and her own kind, the Lordans. Rounds in which kingdoms and races were bidded against each other were common.

Knowing this, her current commander, Ronald The Bright, made certain skirmishes occurred in small quarters which allowed only for a limited amount of simultaneous quarreling, greatly impairing the enemy force’s numerical superiority. It made fights last longer and reduce the chances of someone dying.

He was an Ascended, but was of the lesser kind, and did not possess much combat capacities much like Caldain.

Which reminds me, what has he been up to? Caldain had yet to return from training camp with his forces, and word had not yet come of his condition. How did he fare in the First Round?

As much as she worried about him, she had troubles of her own. The constant fighting began to wear down on her body by mid-day, dropping her Energy below a thousand. The fights were within corridors and she had partners to switch off every so often, but it was still not at a rate in which her regeneration could keep up. Even as she fought warriors half her level, her Energy sunk at a horrifying rate.

She, of course, could not reveal that she was using both Life Force and Energy. In addition, she was avarice to carrying a piano around the battlefield in order to practice her Siren skills, but she did use the opportunity of a relatively safe battlefield to experiment.

Without some type of skeletal system, her Web's range and quality were greatly reduced. She needed something to play it through

Instead of a musical instrument as her foundation, Kara instead used the drumming of feet and the clashing of blades as her web. It was difficult, but humming alongside it made the skill easier.

No buffs or debuffs resulted from her humming, or occasional singing, other than the few starry eyes she received from her fellow soldiers, but she did begin to feel her senses expand.

Death Siren gave her two core skills, and one she had attained through using Death Siren's Notes.

Death Siren’s Song

Active

There is power within your voice. Sing with your Soul for powerful effects to occur to those who listen.

Death Siren’s Notes

Passive

Notes are an extension of your senses.

Gain one Note every hour.

The duration may be reduced if you harvest Notes from recently departed Souls.

Death Siren's Web

You may move your Notes within a 500-meter duration in a circular manner.

Balance must be maintained, and you may only sense what is inside the encirclement of your Notes.

It didn't help that the information was sparse.

Records had shown that Sirens were a race, not a profession, but it wouldn't be the first time they were mistaken. It was a powerful thing capable of unique buffs and debuffs, but that was the extent of her knowledge. It was unique to humans and Vandrans, which means that her human blood allowed her to gain it.

From what she gathered, Notes are the most important aspect of it. Like Energy or Life Force, they're a Source. They are the cost to Songs, and it was something she instinctively knew how to use. While there are no limits to the number of Notes by the skill itself, Kara could only control up to 10 of them at the same time. It was all she could manage while she maintained her other mandatory skills.

Whenever she would lose focus on either her Notes or the skills maintaining her body and soul, something would on the other side.

On her breaks, Kara sat behind the lines and experimented with her skills. Her skills were much more effective when she didn't have to worry about dodging swords and arrows.

The first thing she had done was combining her skills--it was the quickest and most reliable way to open up new skills, and was especially more when it came to profession skills.

It took a day or two until she figured out how to use Death Siren's Song while using Death Siren's Web, and that resulted in a new skill.

Death Siren’s Soul

Active

Your Soul may leave your body. In Soul form, you may only cast Siren skills. The range is equal to the range of Death Siren’s Web.

If you have contacted Dancers before, you will be able to travel towards them for a range 20 times the range of Death Siren’s Web.

If you have bonded with a Dancer, you will be able to travel towards them for a range 40 times the range of Death Siren’s Web.

Instead of simply sensing, Kara was able to fly within her Web. It was exhilarating, but most of all it opened new ways to use her Notes.

Instead of just using Notes to sense, Kara instead sang. She couldn't be seen, but people did hear here.

The results were...mixed. Some greatly benefited from hearing her. The successful songs were sometimes odd, such as losing a sense of pain or being able to move even when their HP struck 0. Sometimes their blood flew back and their wounds closed.

Some either resisted her song. They either got only with a scare, or had lost control of themselves and got themselves killed. The Berserk neutral debuff often resulted whenever she made a mistake after being able to inflict someone.

If truth be told, Kara had no idea what she was doing. It sounded like a song with instrumentals sometimes ringing but the words that came out of her mouth sounded like a foreign tongue.

It was hard to predict what would happen for large groups, much less predict what effects her songs had.

That was when something interesting happened when she narrowed her focus.

Instead of letting her voice spread through her Notes all over her web, Kara focused her Notes on a single person, just like she had done in the cafe, where she was able to control the Chef, and fail to control the Rover.

Death Siren’s Requisition

Active

You may battle to gain limited control over creatures affected by your Death Siren’s Song.

Only Dancers are capable of being completely possessed.

It took a few tries but it was by far the most impressive skill. If she could overwhelm someone with her Notes, she could control their bodies the same way she controlled her body--like strings on a puppet. It took little time to get used to, considering her experience.

The more interesting part, however, was the mention of Dancer. She wasn't sure whether it was her guts or her instincts as a Siren, but she wanted one. Badly. The part where she could completely possess them attracted her the most.

Could she possibly use their bodies as if her own? If that was the case, then wouldn't that be a way to escape this body? True, her Life Force deficiency was a Soul issue, but possession meant that whoever she controls would have their Soul stay intact. Could she use their Life Force? Their Energy? Or hers?

That might be her way out. If not, then she could simply relish in possibly being able to feel again.

Kara stepped back, turned sideways and bent her back, letting one spear go inches behind her hips while she caught the other with her armpits. Being Life Force Charged, both caused an explosion behind her. She swung around her upper body, using an extra dose of Kinetic Energy to twist, and lifted one of the spearmen off his feet. Before he could let go his head crashed against the other.

Is that why I'm was so fascinated with that Rover? Something about controlling him... just ticks, Kara thought, hopping backward as others stepped in for them.

Finding the opportunity to switch off, Kara tapped out, letting one of the soldiers behind her fill in the spot. She exited the melee and began to retreat towards the backline, hoping for a small nap.

"Um... ma'am?" someone said, stepping beside her.

Kara turned towards him, her Notes focusing in.

He had the look of an idiot. He wasn't unattractive, but something about the way he moved and faltered made him look like an airhead. His hands were awkward and worried, one motioning for her to stop while the other wanted to reach for her.

It was cute. All he needed was to focus only on increasing his strength and constitution for him to fit the picture Kara had in mind for a male klutz.

"Yes, soldier?" Kara replied but did not stop walking. The faster she got to the beds the more Energy she'll save.

"Your...knees," he said, becoming nervous.

"What about them?" Kara said, looking in the other direction. A large amount of Thermal and Kinetic Energy was being gathered on the enemy's side. They were planning on firing a powerful flame and have it be pushed by Kinetic Energy through the small corridors--an AOE attacker's wet dream.

A quick check on friendly mages showed that they were now focusing their Sources solely on Kinetic Energy.

Ha! Those fools won't know what hit them when their flames get pushed back.

"They're...pointing the wrong way," he said, gulping as the sweat fell down his brows.

"Oh," Kara replied, looking down. Half of her leg was facing the wrong way. The knee itself did not shatter, but it did separate from its socket. "That's funny," she said.

"HEALER! HEALER!" he yelled, stepping forward. Before Kara could say a word he lifted her into his arms and charged. He leaped through the air at breathtaking speeds, his shoulders grazing the walls as he turned the corners at hazardous speeds.

If her heart still beat it would have burst. All she could do was imagine herself crashing into one of those walls--she would turn into mush if she did not time it correctly.

Smacking him in the head is simple, but the moment she would do that the Notes she had spread out would sizzle out, reducing her Siren powers and shocking her with a large dose of pain. Every part of her focused on bringing back the Notes towards her before she left their zone, but him jolting through the backlines made that difficult.

Moments before her Notes left her control the soldier carrying her stomped into the ground in the middle of the recovery room. "We need a doctor!" he yelled, his head snapping around for a healer.

"What is it, Ron," a hunched man stepped forward, groaning as he took each step.

"Sergil! This lady has a--" the soldier began, moments before the lady smacked his face, sending him twirling in the air and crashing into the wall.

Blunt damage!

You have dealt 342 damage!

You have dealt a major blow!

"That fucking idiot over there," Kara said, running her hands through her hair as she sucked in the air sharply. He gave her a real damn fright.

The healer glanced at the wall as it collapsed on top of him. Groans could be heard under the rubble. "Nope," he replied, chuckling with a hoarse throat. "300?"

"340," Kara replied, resisting both the urge to lay down on the floor and to finish the job. That was not a fun ride.

"Nope," he said again, chuckling in the same monotone voice. "He'll be sent to the backlines to recover. You may leave," he said, and then stared blankly at Kara. "In fact, please leave."

Kara looked at him. He lacked muscle and his white skin had turned black under his eyes--signs of Life Force deficiencies. Those poor healers were always milked for every drop of Life Force in their bodies. "If you get injured, you get leave?"

"Yes, but you must be inspected by a--"

"Is this enough?" Kara said, pulling her pants above her knees.

"Yes, that is enough," the healer replied, without missing a beat.

"I'll be sleeping then," Kara said. She flicked her leg, letting the Kinetic Energy push it back into place.

"Wait," he said, sighing.

"Yes?" Kara said, turning back. Did she misjudge him? He didn't seem like the type to...care.

"Drag that fool with you," he said, motioning towards Ron, and hobbled away.

---

Kara stood overlooking the garrison, the bridge tall behind her miniature towers. The First Gate was one of the safest, and as far as she could tell was far from the central battle.

By the time she had recovered enough Energy, the Round would be over.

“Hey Kara, would you like a hot cup of tea?”

Kara tilted her head slightly, seeing Ron striding towards her. He held two cups in his hands, their steam clashing against the bitter air.

“...I could hardly say no to that, considering you have already prepared one,” Kara replied, not bothering to hide the irritation in her voice.

Ron smiled proudly, not bothering to hide the joy in his face. “How goes the night?

She'd thought things would get awkward, considering what she did to him, but apparently having half of his HP shaved off was nothing major.

She returned her gaze back to the far rooftops. Any structures built were far enough to hinder any sort of ambush. With the shortest of the walls being thirty meters long, nothing would come in without them knowing. Stationed all around were users with Detection skills, rendering most Cloaking skills useless.

“No signs of hostile activities,” she replied.

Ron paused, cup half-way up, before giggling quietly. “I meant how you were looking up."

Kara’s eye-brows straightened, compacting her shoulders. Weird kid. “Fine.”

“Careful, it’s hot."

“I can see that,” Kara said as she promptly proceeded to burn her tongue on it. Instead of nerves, Kara had begun using her Notes to feel more sensations, such as temperature. The Note itself was the size of a fist, but after some practice, Kara learned how to wrap it around her tongue.

It was not perfect, however. She had not realized how hot it was until the liquid touched it. She winced as she healed it.

“I tol-”

“Shut up!” Kara said, glad that her skin could not redden.

Sounds of battle could be heard far away. The fighting was escalating as the soldiers lost HP and resources, causing more casualties. Soon it will end.

"You have a lot of spirit, you know," Ron said.

"203 of it," Kara said, the words coming out faster than she could think."

"Huh?"

"Nothing. Why do you say that?" Kara quickly said, coughing into a fist. One day her stupid jokes will get her killed.

"You...had such a painful injury, yet you didn't make a squeal," he said, looking down. The darkness was depthless before them. "I've seen a lot of strong men collapse and quit the grind because of it."

Ah. Kara realized. There were thousands of different skills but pain reduction was not one of them. Everyone had to suffer the same.

"And you were even able to blow me away!" Excitement filled his voice as he leaned in. "To channel Energy under those conditions! And sorry about that, you must have been in shock and all but I still panicked and ran and stuff," he said, stepping back when he noticed how close he had gotten.

Kara resigned herself inwardly. The misunderstanding kept growing, and she didn't even know where to untangle it. "It's alright. I overreacted... a bit," she said. After she had calmed down, she found her actions were slightly overboard. He lost on a great number of points because he tried to help.

"I'm Ron, by the way," he said, causing Kara to pause.

Giving someone's name to the other meant something. Most Rankers were quick to perish, if not during the Rounds, then during Missions. There were a thousand different ways to die, and very few to live.

Most did not bother knowing someone that would die the next day. Few people were worth remembering.

"I'm Kara," she said.

He looked sturdy enough.