Controlled Loss of Control

"Hey, system, does skill activation have to be through voice command?"

[Affirmative, the input by means of thought is not operable at this moment]

"That's plain stupid. I'm alerting my prey before I get to it. Shouting an attack's name is reserved for anime protagonists!"

"Didn't I input my acceptance of the system at the very beginning just by thinking about it?"

[Affirmative. This was the cause of the initial problem with user's confirmation. The feature has been withdrawn in response]

After mulling over her options for a moment, Riva decided on a new approach.

Thankfully 'Self Control' is a passive skill. I won't need to run around shouting 'Self Control' like a mental patient.

Not that there is much of my image left to be salvaged. I look plenty crazy and me being crazy isn't that far from the truth, all things considered. To onlookers, I have been talking to myself like a fool for the entire time. And I'm about to add more to the pile of crazy behavior - not that it matters.

She sneered at her thoughts and began fully utilizing the 'Self Control' skill. She piled all her focus into 'hunger'.

It took a lot of concentration but she was successful in focusing enough on the detached state of observing herself, that her mind split into two.

Her mind simply diverged using the two contrary mindsets as a knife making a clean cut.

The first part went and controlled her body. It had been consumed by the instinct to hunt and was already utilizing 'Craving for Life' even without prey as it was fully focused on fulfilling its desires.

The other part entered her mind and took on the task of monitoring the other's actions. I utilized the 'Self Control' skill in order to control the other part's point of focus.

Riva's 'control self' observed the scene seen through the eyes of her 'instinctual self' through a type of screen while she sat on an endless black tile floor within her mindscape.

The floor was covered with a thin film of water. Not enough to submerge anything or get considerably wet, but enough to show obvious ripples whenever something disturbed its surface.

Both the screen displayed by the 'instinctual self' and the 'control self' that sat on the floor created ripples around themselves.

Back on the outside Riva successfully approached a family of boars. They weren't monsters but they also weren't far from evolving into them. They looked stronger and their tusks were longer than your typical forest boar.

This was the first time that Riva attacked a group of prey. It was likely to become a tough fight. But the 'control Riva' was too late to prevent the 'instinctual' one from attacking.

She was worrisomely low on life energy. Using 'Haste' twice would practically condemn her to eternal sleep. She had to make it count.

The 'outside Riva' was ready and set to pounce. The boars didn't notice her yet. At this exact moment, the 'control Riva' used the waves inside her mind world and controlled them in such a way, that she could interfere with the outside and mutter a single word.

"Haste!"

The skill activated and propelled her body forward in a straight line.

Before this action had alerted her prey. The difference this time around was the boost provided by her racial skill.

She reached her target at a speed that looked like teleportation to the naked eye.

The 'instinctual Riva' didn't falter even though she didn't know about the sudden burst in speed beforehand.

She utilized it expertly and turned sideways so that her elbow rammed into the back of the head of the targeted boar. Her force was enough to make it lose consciousness on the spot.

She didn't pause there.

The red glow in the depths of her eyes left behind red glowing streaks in the darkness of the night. A half-circle was drawn with her quick turn when she focused on her next target.

The remaining boars were also turning to face the bold predator.

Their movement looked as though in slow motion to Riva.

Her body's speed couldn't keep up with her perception.

The closest boar charged towards her.

The enhanced Kinetic perception helped the 'instinctual Riva' perceive the best means of evasion. She easily sidestepped the incoming attack.

While the 'instinctual Riva' evaded, the 'control Riva' once again took over a part of her physical body.

This time she controlled her arms grabbed the unconscious boar and swung it along with her evasive motion. Her actions caused the charging boar, to miss her body, and ram full force into the unconscious boar which suddenly obstructed its path in her stead.

The boar met the other's tusks with its own and because of their elongated form got tangled in them for but a moment.

This moment was enough for 'instinctual Riva' to sink her teeth into the boar's neck, taking out a huge bite together with one point of life energy. This meant that she now had 3 points. Enough, to barely execute another 'Haste'.

Surrounding her were three more boars. They were charging towards her from different sides.

She jumped at the last moment and exclaimed "Haste" at that very second under the 'control Riva's' influence.

Her jump propelled her unnaturally high.

She adjusted her body elegantly like a cat right at the highest point of her ascent.

Below her, the boars missed their target. It had vanished in the last second and to their dismay, it was too late for them to change directions. All three crashed together.

It didn't wound them much, enough to confuse them a short while.

This was when Riva descended as if a falcon diving for prey.

She crashed her heels into a boar's neck, directly fracturing the spine, killing it on the spot.

She used her momentum to jump once more and land on one of the remaining two boars which couldn't reorient itself in time.

It squealed in pain as Riva sank her teeth into its flesh.

The last boar was so frightened, it simply watched Riva suck out the entire life energy of its companion.

To her glee, she consumed a total of 5 points before the body crumbled and disintegrated.

She licked her lips in satisfaction and turned her gaze towards the last remaining one.

It shook with horror.

It could physically feel the fierce gaze of its predator having locked onto it. It wanted to run. Its instinct was screaming for it to flee, yet it stood motionless as if rooted to the ground.

This was when a window popped up inside the mind space.

The 'control Riva' didn't react.

She was unable to.

Her gaze was empty. Her face only displayed horror.

She was no longer projecting any waves. She remained perfectly still as though literally frozen in fear.

The 'instinctual Riva' on the outside used her chance and finished off the last boar and began ravenously feeding on their life energy.

It would quickly escape from the body once a being died. Only special rituals could trap it within the body even after death. This was necromancy, the art of creating undead.

In Riva's eyes, it looked as though golden smoke was coming from the dead boar, killed by her drop attack.

She pounced at it and enjoyed her meal without holding back.