Cynthia

I select confirm as I trip over a root and my vision turns black.

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I am jolted awake and notice I am in a complete black space. Again.

[Congratulations Evolution initiated]

[Bloodline Detected Race Change ... (ERROR)]

[Due to Unique Race [Race Change] has been cancelled]

[Optimizing Evolutionary Rewards]

[Bloodline removed ...]

[ ... Calculating Rewards ... ]

[Evolution Complete]

[Evolution Summary]

[Status Has been Increased]

[Skill: Basic Claws Received]

[Skill: Basic Claw Arts Received]

[Skill: Basic Claw Mastery Received]

[Skill: Mark of Madness Received]

[Skill: Mimicry Received]

[Skill: Regeneration Received]

[Skill: Basic Telekinesis Received]

[10 Unused Skill Points Received]

[Skills have been leveled up]

'... that's a lot' I thought as I stared at the summary in front of me. I decided to open my status to see what all actually changed.

[STATUS]

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[NAME: Alice ✳️

[RACE: Eclipse Black Cat (Unique)

[CLASS: [Black Cat Lv:6/30]

[GENDER: Female

[TITLES: [Child of Nature][Child of the Eclipse][Champion of Clover]

[Lv: 1/20 Exp: 0/2

HP: 390/390 MP: 1620/620{1000} SP: 490/490 Status: Healthy

[VIT: 28

[STR: 49

[END: 36

[INT: 62

[Wis: 52

[SPEED: 75

[LUCK: 40

[UNUSED STAT POINTS: 45

[SKILLS: 

 - PASSIVE: [Catlike Reflexes (lv3)][Basic Claw Mastery(lv1)][Regeneration(lv1)][Eye For Treasure][Night Vision][Lucky Strike][Intuition][Mark of Madness]

 - ACTIVE: [Basic Mana Manipulation (lv4)][Basic Moonlight magic (lv3)][Basic Sunfire Magic (lv6)][Basic Void Magic(lv2)][Basic Telekinesis(lv1)][Claws(lv1)][Basic Claw Arts(lv1)][Mimicry(lv1)][Universal language][Control]

[UNUSED SKILL POINTS: 18

[BLESSING/CURSES: [Blessing of the Cat God Clover] [Innate luck]

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I am taken aback at the amount I grew by clicking one button. Evolution is amazing!

I excitedly look over all of the skills I got. I am super giddy about all these new skills, though mark of madness seems rather foreboding but I digress.

[Claws] - Ability to turn users hands into sharpened, solidified claws. Increases their durability and destructive potential. Goodbye innocent couches. ;)

[Claw Arts] - Special attacks unique to claw weapons, that consume SP. --->

[Claw Mastery] - Ones proficiency in using claw weapons and arts.

[Mark of Madness] - A crest signifying the holders relation to something sinister.

[Mimicry]- The ability to perfectly replicate physical movement, characteristics, and attributes.

[Regeneration] - Hastens recovery from physical injury.

'I assume the claw based skills are because I'm a cat, but what kind of bloodline could I have had too get the others? ... Well it's gone now so who really cares.'

' System what's that sinister thing I'm connected to?'

[System Currently Does Not Know]

' What do you mean you don't know?'

[System Cannot Trace Marks Origins]

' So there are some things you don't know interesting' I inwardly smile to myself ' I thought you were all knowing Guess I was wrong.'

[System Is not all knowing, only when I'm comparison to host would my vast knowledge make that statement, perspectively valid]

' Oh, you hurt me system.' I think as dramatically as possible as I pout letting off some crocodile tears.

[ User, Stop being Dramatic]

' That's not how you cheer up a girl or a child.'

[Notice: User is mentally a seventeen year old male. The Opposite of which were listed. ]

[Error Found ... Recomputing]

[Notice: User is a mental anomaly incalculable to the system]

' That doesn't make me feel any better.'

[Sorry?]

' Why is that a question! Where's your feeling?'

[System requires no emotion, to fulfill it's duties.]

' Heartless system'

[System is a magical - mechanical construct. As such, I lack any bodily organs.]

' Have you ever heard of sarcasm?'

[Sarcasm - N., the use of verbal irony to mock or convey contempt]

Giving up I ignore the system and sit enjoying my confinement. I am in a place similar to my egg last time so I just want to bask in the cosy darkness for a moment, and let my thoughts wander.

' I need to give the system a name.' eventually came up in my thoughts.

' Hey, system what could I name you'

[Carol]

'Carol?'

[Carol]

' Why? Do you want to be named Carol?'

[Negative]

' Then why did you say you did?'

[User asked for a possible name. System is indifferent to sentimental traditions, such as names]

' You just said you didn't want to be named Carol. So you do care.'

[Negative, User is ... Correct]

[Running self diagnostics]

[Scan Complete, One irregularity found]

[...]

' So ... what are you going to do about it?'

[Nothing]

' Please don't let yourself break!'

[System won't, Glitch is merely an insignificant bug. Users care for my well-being is appreciated, but you needn't concern yourself.]

'Oh ... well ... At least your ok.'

' You still not care about a name?'

[...]

[Call me GLaDOS]

' ... yah, not happening'

[It was a joke]

' Your literally floating text boxes, how was I supposed to tell!?!?'

[User may call me Cynthia]

' That's a nice name. I suppose I can call you that from now on.'

[Cynthia is Happy] [:)]

My confinement began to make me feel slightly claustrophobic, so I started to squirm and push against my enclosure, and fortunately this time it gave out with ease.

I crawled out of the hole I created in the side of my enclosure, to find I was in something that looked more like a cocoon, it was still pretty colors, and it made a nice spectacle with the wooden floors in the dark room. Unfortunately just like my egg this one disappeared into light as well, removing the last of the light from my surroundings. Luckily I can see in the dark really well.

' Wait, ... where am I?'

I looked around the room and notice it was relatively big. The floor seemed to be made out of roughly cut prices of wood and through the gaps in the wood slats, used for walls, and flooring, I could tell it was all underground.

The room was roughly furnished, with shoddily built tables and chairs that looked to be made for children, as well as some random objects from stuffed animals, to rocks, to dulled weapons. There was also some grooves carved into the wall that looked similar to ladder steps, and led to a decently large latch, allowing for my escape.

Climbing the wall and pushing the latch open, I see another room, it was much smaller than the one below and a carpet seemed to be covering the latch down.

The only thing worth noting was that the furniture was much more professionally made than the lower level, and this room had a door. Unfortunately it was locked.

I try the door again, but it still won't budge so I resort to violence and rip the door off it's hinges, and walk out into the forest.

I turn back to look at my unusual holding cell. The building looked small. I see it was built into the side of a hill with over half it the building sticking out. From the outside you couldn't tell there was two levels though.

I think about trying to fix the door but just a glance tells me it won't be possible, so I do what any rational person in my place would do.

I place the door against the doorframe so it won't fall down and using My claw ability Scrawl ' Sorry' into the dirt in the entryway, big enough so it could be seen and read.

I leave as if nothing happened, as far as I'm concerned nothing did. I'll deny any involvement with the door or the bunker, and it will be just fine.

I don't get far though because I realize I am lost, as I don't know the forest well enough to navigate and currently all the trees just look like trees. I could have just walked in a circle and I wouldn't know, so I pick a direction and walk straight. As long as I leave the forest I would be able to see the city from the field and get to my bead before morning.

Doing just that I decide to try out the other skills I got since I tried out [Claws].

My claws themselves were interesting. My hands turned a pearlescent white, which is just a shiny, far more lustrous version of my normal skin, and it seemed as if my fingernails disappeared. My fingertips also became sharp points at the ends and became hard, as if they were made of bone. It acted like an on off switch which was handy since it didn't use anything to have it activated. The only complaint I have is it lacked finger pads so I had no grip with my claws unless I dig them into something.

The other skills were a bit harder to test. Claw Mastery was innate so I couldn't really test that, and Claw arts allowed me to use an attack called fury swipes. I felt like a pokemon for a bit after I tried it. Because of that with the egg and evolution, I felt like I was one person capturing me in a ball away from literally becoming a Pokemon.

Fury swipes was an attack that boosts the users speed, and strength for a flurry of attacks. It ranges between one to five hits and it uses the same amount of SP regardless.

l also tried Regeneration, Mimicry, and telekinesis, but those effects seemed to be a bit underwhelming.

Regeneration I tested by giving myself a small cut on my arm. It didn't hurt much but the only thing I noticed is it might have scabbed over faster, but I'm not overly sure.

Mimicry gave the best results, but I could only change the color of my skin to match the trees around me, and I could only copy one thing, in addition to my cloths not changing I don't think it has a practical use in hiding yet.

Telekinesis was alright as well, but not super special. I could lift a stick around the size of my arm for a little while moving it around but it's terminal velocity wasn't all that fast, and I got a slight headache after using it.

I determined I would need a better place to test and train the skills to get a better grasp of them before I write them off, so I stopped and focused on going home.

Pulling out my pocket watch, I see it's a little past one and The lights of the entire industrial area are off. The ones that aren't are most likely not the sort of places you want to be around.

I make it to the Guild and open the door to find it pretty much empty. There are a few people around doing, whatever an adventurer would do at midnight. It is a job where you can set your own hours so I guess it doesn't matter what they are doing. They aren't bothering me I have no place being inquisitive towards them.

I walk up the stairs and slowly open the doors to my room and peak inside to see Emmy in tears and Caroline attempting to comfort her.

" Emmy!" I cry out

I run over and gave Emmy a hug, and start panicking over the fact she's crying, but the other two just sat stunned.

"Emmy, what happened? Why are you Crying? Did someone hurt you? Are you ok? What Can I do to help?"

I was silenced by a smack to the head. I look up to see Emmy's golden eyes reddened from tears, with the cascade relentlessly refusing to stop itself.

" idiot ... IDIOT, Where the hell have you been!?" She cried out.

" I was just ... around" I didn't know what to tell her

" Don't give answers like that! We were all worried sick when Lyric came back without you. He told us you left before him and should have been back here. We all went searching for hours to find you. We all Scowered the entire City looking for you and found nothing, now you pop up out of nowhere and pretend everything is ok? Lyric refused to stop looking for you and it took three of us to get him in his room. Tanya has been barely responding since yesterday. I just, ..." The words that followed were muddled by a mixture of tears and wails coming from Emmy as she Clung to me.

I hugged her back and turned to look back at Caroline, who didn't seem as emotional as Emmy but had an aura that practically screamed pissed.

Flinching as our eyes met I ask " How long was I gone?"

She refused to speak for a moment until she realized I really had no clue and she let out a breath I didn't realize she was holding in.

"You were gone for over a day. We thought you were with Lyric until he came over last night to tell you something. We told him we thought you were with him, and he told us you left a while before he did. We didn't know what all to do so we asked around for a bit to see if anyone saw you, but we found nothing. We were a little shaken, but thought you must have had something come up on your way home. We started to really panic in the morning when there had been no sign of you. It hit its peak when Jacklyn told us you didn't remember anything about yourself and didn't know the area too well. All the excuses we had to explain where you were quickly were extinguished so we freaked out thinking you were lost or hurt. We told the Guild and everyone we knew, Lyric told his entire neighborhood and we all spent hours searching but found nothing. So forgive us for being a bit angry."

I nodded. It made sense, I usually told them when I was leaving or left a note off where they could find me.

Emmy had finally calmed down a bit, now she just seemed tired. I don't think she got much sleep yesterday either.

" Where were you?" Emmy asked

"I'm not really sure" I say putting on a thoughtful expression.

Emmy seemed to visibly get more tired from that answer and Caroline looked like she wasn't going to take that answer, despite it being mostly true.

" I'll tell you what happened from the beginning. All I know is I started walking home from New Home, tripped over one of the tree roots and woke up in a hidden basement of a shack in the middle of the forest."

" So you were kidnapped!" Caroline nearly shouted

"I don't think that was the intention. I can't really remember I was sleeping. All the exits out were locked, but no one was there to watch. Whatever I'm not hurt so everything is fine."

I look between Caroline and Emmy, " Besides you two need some sleep before tomorrow. If I counted correctly We should have our first actual classes tomorrow."

Caroline looked like she wanted to object but Emmy Was dozing off her anger being the only thing keeping her lucid. Caroline was tied too so she moved Emmy under her covers and laid beside her falling asleep, but not before telling me we would continue the conversation later.

I walk over to my bed and take all of my cloths off. 'I am going to have to do laundry later'

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(3rd POV)

A group of children could be seen walking through the forest. Their numbers seem to be fourteen as they near there destination. A gasp resounds as one of the children In the front lays eyes on there destination. The Defenders of the forests' Clubhouse also refered to as HQ by the children.

" Boss we have a problem we've been raided!" A child cries out as a girl comes running to the front to see what her fellow member was speaking of.

Their Club house had it's door ripped clean off and it was clear even to the most oblivious of individual that it would be impossible to fix.

Continuing inside they lift a rug in the corner of the room leading to a hidden room that the children had spend years creating, digging out the miniature cavern, building the floors and walls and furnishing it completely outside of the adults eyes.

" Our Cool thing is gone too" Another cried in anguish as they realized a mysterious item of Bazar color and shape they had found in the forest had disappeared.

The children were crestfallen for the continuation of the day. One even started to cry. " First Alice now this why does everything have to leave me." This crying individual was none other than Harmony the leader of The Defenders of the Forest.

(3rd POV End)

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