Unexpected

Soon after leaving the city, we come upon our first basher. After exchanging glances, Millie steps forward as the first to showcase what she can do. She takes a moment to think about what song to sing, then she starts.

Of course, the basher isn't just going to stand there when such a loud intruder is nearby. It starts hopping towards her, making decent progress. I keep a wind blade ready in case her song doesn't take effect in time.

"Well Tamatoa hasn't always been this glam~. I was a drab little crab once~." 'Another Disney song. I wonder what effect this one will have?'

I have my answer soon enough when balls of light start appearing around her. They're pretty small though. Barely larger than a gold piece. But what they lack in size, they more than make up for in brightness. Though considering the song she's singing, I suppose that I should say shininess.

When it's almost too bright to look at, "I'd rather be shiny~," rings out and the lights shoot towards the monster. Each spot that's hit starts to sparkle, and it's hit by about a dozen of the lights. It looks like someone threw a handful of glitter at it at this point!

All of a sudden I hear Millie abruptly stop singing and I look at her in confusion, only to see a smug grin on her face. Then I hear a small *puff* and turn back to the basher. With the song having ended, the effects it had resolved themselves.

The spots where the basher was sparkling are now little craters in its skin. Blood covers it, as well as being scattered around it. Now, each wound isn't deep, but they are plentiful. Not to mention the pain of having parts of your body basically torn off.

It screams little bunny screams and collapses, writhing on the ground. All too quickly though, we're engulfed in silence, which is soon broken by the same person who caused it.

"Oh, I leveled up!"

"Congratulations," I say. "What level does that make you now?"

"I'm level two!" And the silence returns. She looks at us in confusion, and Elva sighs, rubbing her temple.

"Why are you fighting when you're only level two? Do you not know how dangerous that is!?"

Millie's confusion is almost palpable. "But how else am I going to get experience? Skill leveling doesn't give all that much!"

Another sigh. "It's still the difference between living and dying though. Unless you trained before you got access to your karma to increase your starting values, then you're only at the baseline for your race!"

Kodian takes this moment to interrupt. "Can't forget that the lass is a transmigrator though. That flips all the rules on their head."

"Speaking of," I interject. "What's your mana at? Given the effect, it must have taken a decent amount."

She beams at my compliment. "Well I have a base of one-hundred and ten mana, and that song took half of it. Now that I have some points though, I can increase it to one-hundred and sixty!"

We all facepalm at her words, but before anyone can explain why that's a horrible idea, she's already done it.

"Now I can use some of my stronger songs! But I'll have to figure out which ones those are first. Ooh, maybe I can do Radioactive? That-"

Before anyone realizes it, I'm in front of her with my claws at her throat. My expression is blank as I look past her pale face, directly into her confused and terrified eyes.

"If you even THINK about trying that anywhere near me, or any city for that matter, I will tear out your godsdamned throat before you can get to the second lyric. Do I make myself clear?" She swallows, but nods. But that's not good enough for me. My claws break the skin and a dribble of blood flows down her neck.

"I-I understand! I understand, so please stop!" Her terror filled shriek echoes around us as I back away from her. She collapses to the ground as tears flow down her face. The other two give me wary looks, their hands resting on their weapons.

I smile at them, and they flinch ever so slightly. "Now that that's out of the way, I think it's time for a break. Let's say, twenty minutes so Millie can get most of her mana back?"

I take their silence for assent and go off to the side a bit, taking a seat. I lay my tail in my lap and stroke it, trying to calm down the burning rage I'm feeling at how stupid Millie's suggestion was.

'You want to sing Radioactive with your magic? With the possibility of actually causing radioactivity!? Hoe fucking stupid can you be!?

How*

Shut up me, I'm not in the mood.

Well I'm never really in the mood to talk to myself, but more I generally don't really mind.

Whatever.'

*Congratulations! You have advanced Acting to level 5!

XP gained: 50

Intimidation available to learn. Unless refused, it shall be added to your skill list automatically.*

I dismiss the first notification, and refuse the second one. I'm generally not one to try and intimidate someone. I'm more of the type to pit people against each other and enjoy the show. Giving me plausible deniability and all that.

Still though. *Acting* really does go up at the oddest times. What act am I even putting up right now?

𝌡𝌡𝌡

"Any idea what that was about?" Elva asks Kodian, who scowls.

"How in the abyss should I know? I've known her the same amount of time that you have." He looks at the bawling girl hugging herself on the floor. While he doesn't approve of what Seka did, he does have to acknowledge that it's probably going to be good for the lass in the long run.

Every adventurer faces death when they go into battle. He's no exception despite his relatively high level. It can only take a moment for even the most experienced person to fall to a far weaker foe.

The issue with that is new adventurers don't understand this. They'll go into a fight, full of confidence that even if they struggle or get injured, they'll manage to pull through.

They don't understand the fear of death. The fear that the next battle they fight could be their last. But judging by the state of the lass, Seka has ensured that she understands it. She might not know it, but she understands it.

"All I can guess is that it has to do with that song they were talking about. What was it? Radioactive."

Elvas rolls her eyes. "I obviously knew that. But why would she react like that? And why mention that Millie isn't allowed to use it near a city? If it makes her uncomfortable, I could understand not using it near her. But any city? There has to be more to it than that. She looked scared when it was brought up, if you looked past the anger."

"What I'm wondering is how she knows that song in the first place if it came from the lass' world."

She shrugs. "Maybe that representative told her about it? She did mention that they knew other transmigrators."

"Wouldn't explain the anger and fear though, if she only knew about the song."

She gives him an eye roll. "Maybe Seka knows a transmigrator too. And they explained it to her. Does it really matter?" She looks at Millie, who's finally stopped crying. "What I'm worried about is how this will affect the party. We haven't even known each other a day and there's already tension."

Kodian sighs. 'It really isn't a great start. I wonder how I'll put this in my report.'