"What... Is it?" Elisa asked, puzzled by the Monster's reaction.
"It uhhh... What is it...? That's a good question." Mark nodded.
"What?"
"What?"
Elisa clicked her tongue.
Trying to steal information from someone under the influence was unbecoming for a Princess.
"Nevermind."
"Yey." Mark celebrated quietly as he let his back hit the ground.
The Moonlit Feline affectionately licked the Monster's cheek as its head went back to the ground.
"So... What happened?"
"When?"
Elisa sighed internally.
"With the Spirit. Did she let you go? Or did she disappear with dawn? What happened all this time?"
Mark's nose twitched.
He clenched his teeth for a second.
"Anything wrong?" Elisa asked.
"My throat is dry."
"Anything else? Something of importance?"
"Well..." Mark scratched the side of his head. "I can't remember the whole encounter. I hate that... It's the same as with Zephyr. Somehow, there are more holes in my memory about my time with the Spirit than about my fight with Zephyr, yet the latter annoys me way more."
"You can't remember?"
"It's like... I can remember some things. But... Portions I just... Can't. Guess I should get used to it."
"To not remembering? It happens that often?"
"It started on the First Floor, I think."
"That Dungeon's?"
"Duh, what else? Think Elisa, think!"
She rolled her eyes.
"So the Spirit hit your jaw so hard you started forgetting stuff?"
"No. I mean... Perhaps. No. Mmm..." Mark scratched his head. "Against... Mm...After the Berserker, against Zephyr, and against the Spirit... I got beat up during those three encounters, so I guess it's not impossible for that to be the answer. But there's still... Something missing."
"Doesn't it have to do with your Berserker Skill?"
"It probably does? But I wasn't told about it activating by the System."
"Not all Passive Skills let their presence be known."
"True... I don't get notified after throwing a 'Tail Flick', but I do when'"Combative Eyes' activates... Why? If they're both Passive Skills...?"
"Categories?"
"Categories that the System doesn't... Show?"
"I guess. Or perhaps your Understanding is too low to get it."
"To get what? The categories? Why wouldn't I have them"
"No, haha. I mean... Too low for you to understand. You know... Get it?"
"Oh. Haha. Yeah. Got it."
"So you were saying... You don't remember your fight against... That Armoured Man?"
"It's weird. Too weird."
"The fact that you don't remember?"
"Partially but... It's mostly that..."
"That...?"
"I wasn't... I wasn't fighting alone. That's what it felt like."
"Well, except if you called out your-"
"I didn't call them out. And yet, even though I was alone the whole time, at one point... I didn't feel as alone."
"What do you mean feel alone? You had my Wind with you. Well... Mmm... Only for a short while."
"Yeah." Mark chuckled. "That was really cool. And it saved me too."
"It didn't do much..." Elisa ran her hand on her nape as she looked away. "I really... Can't do much these days." She whispered.
"Yeah. You're getting more and more useless."
"I ought to slap you in the face."
"I'm joking."
"It's not funny."
"Okay..."
"So why did it feel like you weren't fighting alone against Zephyr? Is that the thing that annoys you?"
"Yeah. Yeah, it is. I don't understand it."
"Are you developing some kind of mental disorder?"
The monster stared silently for a bit before,
"PFFFHAHAHAHAHA! Mental disorder! HAHAHA! Actually, yes. Maybe? Hahahaha!"
"Huh... Really?" Elisa's tone didn't match Mark's at all.
"Well... It's not all that. I can tell that it's not. But it's... A magical mental disorder."
"Since when?"
Realizing that Elisa was taking his words seriously, Mark scratched his head for a bit and thought silently.
"The Dungeon. Although... I'm mostly over it now."
"You are?"
"Yeah."
"That's good to hear. I'll keep an eye on you though."
"Thanks."
"Uh... I meant that I'll keep an eye on you for my and Krista's protection."
The Monster turned its head towards the white-furred cat that was nibbling on his left hand.
"Thanks for always thinking about her."
"Ugh..." Elisa let out a sigh. "You're sooo annoying at times."
"How so?"
"Nevermind. Continue. You weren't fighting alone against Zephyr? Are you sure your Underlings or the Fire Spirit didn't-"
"No. They didn't... But it was such a strange feeling. Hits that previously couldn't reach Zephyr started connecting. Blindspots that he previously didn't have started showing themselves to me. Openings started... Well, you get what I'm saying."
"I guess...? So it felt like something had attacked that guy from behind, which had left him open for your hit?"ραпdαs `nᴏνɐ| сom
"Something like that. Exactly like that actually..."
Elisa looked up.
The darkness of the night was slowly fading from the sky.
"Why didn't we talk about this earlier?" She asked.
"I'm uhh... I'm not sure."
"You should tell me. About stuff like that."
"I should?"
"Yeah. I can help."
"Mm." Mark nodded.
He stared silently at the dark sky above that was slowly brightening.
"It could be something like Summoning Magic. Or, more likely, Necromancy."
Mark sighed.
"Now that I think about it... This is the worst. I was already half out of it then, but additionally, that damn skill made it so that I couldn't see anything."
"What Skill?"
"Combative Eyes."
"What does it do?"
"Makes everything but the target disappear."
"Wow, that's horrible."
"I knoooow. But I developed it in order to keep up with Zephyr. My life was on the line, so... Not much of a choice."
"Yeah, yeah... So you think that Skill made... Whatever was fighting with you disappear?"
"I guess."
"Mm..."
Elisa remained silent for a bit.
"First of all, how scary is that? It makes things disappear from your field of vision?? That's sooo ominous. And scary."
"It's not all that."
"Yes, it is! Can you imagine? It's like the worst kind of Mind Control possible. Make things just pass by. You don't even know what's happening."
"Well, okay no. It doesn't make things disappear. It's just that... It helps me focus so much that the rest just..."
"Disappears?"
"Melts."
"Melts?"
"Yeah, melts. Good word, right?"
"I... I guess? Wait, what the hell?? That's definitely the kind of thing you should tell me."
"Why?"
"Well what if we're fighting an enemy together and you can't see me?"
"It doesn't work like that. If I plan on focusing on you and the enemy, I'll be able to see you both."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. Yeah... Probably... Yeah."
"Not very reassuring."
"Just gotta not forget about you."
"Shouldn't be too hard."
"Since you'll shoot an arrow through my stomach?"
Elisa pressed her lips together while Mark chuckled.
"I guess I shouldn't be the one talking about... Mental... Stuff."
"No, you shouldn't be. Still..." Mark took a short pause. "That stuff kind of brought us together. That and the Dungeon, obviously."
Elisa's eyebrows rose.
ƥαṇdαs ηθνε|·ƈθm "Hmph!" She looked away. "I wouldn't have given all that for this."
"Can't say I blame you."
Her pressed lips moved right to left, left to right.
The next second, a playful Moonlit Feline jumped off Mark's body and landed onto Elisa's chest.
The latter stared at the Moonlit Feline's eyes while holding it with her arms.
"Well... This isn't so bad either." Elisa whispered.
"Right?"
"I'm surprised you could hear that."
"Weirdly enough, I can hear really well right now."
"Whatever..." Elisa whispered as her fingers caressed Krista's fur. "This is way better than being inside the Dungeon..." A slight smile appeared on her face.
"Agreed..." Mark said before yawning.
Elisa suddenly raised her gaze towards Mark, and with a large smile,
"I'm pretty happy these days, Mark. It can't even be compared to-"
She stared silently.
Zzzz-
Snore-
The Moonlit Feline turned around.
Noticing that its Master was asleep, it immediately used its four paws to push itself off and away from Elisa.
"What-"
The Moonlit Feline hissed as it jumped away.
"Don't tell me... Don't tell me you were..."
The white-furred cat slowly walked towards it sleeping Master.
It took a seat in the space between Mark's right shoulder and ear, before curling itself up.
"You were acting for him...? You're mad at me?? Really??"
Krista let out a hiss, before closing her eyes.
Elisa let her shoulders fall in response.
"You know I wouldn't have used my Daggers. You know that, right?"
The Moonlit Feline didn't respond.
"They were a... They were just as... Dissuasion tool? Yeah. A dissuasion tool. You know that, right?"
Yawn-
