The liquid snake

The blade didn't extend like the knife, as it was long already, instead the beautifully worked steel of the blade gained a slight blue glow, turning much sharper and durable than before, in fact the steel of the blade had been upgrade by Henry pure mana.

Henry closed his eyes and begun breathing steadily, feeling as the feeling like something on his soul on his cells where trying to tell him something.

Suddenly Henry felt as he was partially in the strange world of his dreams, he could feel the warm sea of pure mana beneath him, the thunder above him and the darkness surrounding him, asking him to use them.

Henry concentration reached its peak as he followed this feeling, mixing thunder, mana and darkness with the sword his two hands held.

The slight blue glow became a bit brighter and thin black lines appeared thru the blade, drawing many eyes. Finished Henry slowly opened his eyes, feeling like most of the gap of knowledge of the platform skill he wanted had been filled and he only need to try doing it to succeed.

Two screens had appeared in front of him, but his attention was quickly brought away from them, he looked around and saw everyone looking at him.

Olivia asked "What the hell was that recruit?"

"Uh, I just felt inspired after using my skill on this sword, so I concentrated for a second."

"I am was not talking about that, why did you take the sword? Did I tell you to take it?"

"Uh, sorry I just felt like I should take it. Here, I am sorry."

"You can keep it, I got the sword for you, but don't go around taking things that don't necessary belong to you just because you feel like it. Now..." Olivia started to talk about who would take the guns, but Henry completely ignored it.

He deactivated his ability, the drawing of eyes and blue shine disappearing of the katana, he sheathed it, attached it to his pants, then started to read the screens that appeared in front of him.

"Arcane blade (Rare) evolved to devouring blade (Epic)

Devouring blade (Epic)

The Dream skill of any battle mage, heard mostly in legends and myths.

Effects: Increase the sharpness and durability of the blade by 30 times, devours a bit of the aura and mana of the enemy with every hit.

Can create a mana blade extension, but loose durability, sharpness and increase consumption.

Rank increase: None.

Requirements: Be at least half devourer.

Consumption: 6 mana every minute per meter."

Before he could finish reading his dad tapped his shoulder, he looked at him them at Olivia who was giving him an angry stare.

He said "Uh, did you talk to me? I was reading the changes in my skill."

Olivia sighted "Yes, I was talking to you. That sword of yours belongs to a retired Sergeant Major, its his favorite sword he calls it his baby. Lose it or break it and he will do anything in his power to make your and my life hell, he will also wants to see it after you come back."

"You don't have to worry, if something can break this sword while in my hands I will probably get killed by it."

"I sure hope so, now go take your walk talkie and put your bullet-proof vest. And you will sleep on the ground tonight."

Henry opened his mouth to ask why, but choose not to make her angrier and walked to where his mother and Ana where.

After putting his bullet-proof vest Richard was going to pick the backpack with everyone supplies but Henry stopped him saying "You are not carrying that Dad, Mom you carry it."

"What? Why me?"

"You are the only one that is not going to fight. If there are multiple enemies Dad may have to dodge or run and gun."

"You know I have a back problem right, stop being inconsiderate."

Henry gave her a weird look as said "You have a powerful healing ability, heal yourself."

Richard said "Henry its fine, I can carry it."

"Its not fine, I am not strong enough to defend all of you right now. If you care about mom them make sure nothing that passes by me reaches her, for that you will need to move as fast as you can."

Henry looked at his helmet but felt an extreme aversion towards it, choosing to leave it on the table at a hearth beat. He took the big walkie-talkie and putting it on his pocket.

Right after Olivia shouted "Time is over, we will be moving out, follow me" scaring anyone that was having a hard time putting the vest on.

At the road, close to the gate, there was one military truck and two armed jeeps already waiting for them.

Lewis tapped Henry shoulder and said "Lets go on the jeep", Henry looked at the truck, which was going to be cramped with people and Henry gladly went with Lewis,

His parents and Ana only noticed he had walked to the side when they where already going up the truck.

Lewis, Henry, Brian and another random soldier, which would take care of the Jeep while they where out, got in one of the Jeeps.

Brian who was at the front said looked at Henry and said "Hey a lucky recruit befriend the superiors. Did you get charmed by him Lewis?

You are Henry right? Nice to meet you."

"Yeah, nice to meet you, Brian right?" said Henry as he started moving thru the roads.

Lewis said "He is making more enemies than friends, already made Olivia angry and got an enemy for life by touching that sword."

Brian said "Made her angry? He ignored her twice and she just told him to sleep on the ground, I bet she wants him to sleep on her bed."

The soldier driving the truck said "Dude, she is like fifty man."

Brian looked at him "Oh are you telling me you wouldn't hit that big hot piss of ass, she looks twenty at most now."

Not believing what he heard Henry asked "Wait, wait wait, she is fifth? Olivia is fifth?"

Lewis nodded "Yes, she got much younger after awakening and she hates it.

And don't try it, there stories about her beating a soldier half death after she heard him talking about wanting to sleep with her."

Brian said "Oh I heard that one, lucky guy."

Everyone in the Jeep, beside Lewis who already knew Brian well, looked at Brian like he was crazy.

Changing subject Henry said "Is the owner of this sword the guy you talked about Lewis?"

"Yeah, its him, talking about him, look for some quality dark chocolate while in town. He loves that stuff."

Brian said "Really? He doesn't like that type."

The soldier driving said "People that like chocolate look different?"

"Yeah, of course, they look fat and he is not fat at all, he is quite buff actually."

Lewis said "He likes hammering metal every day, of course he is not fat."

Henry said "That has nothing to do with it, there was this show about…"

They did some small talk for a few minutes, a testament of how much Henry awakening changed his personality, as he would much rather stay in silent than talk with people he didn't really knew.

They soon entered a small camp at the border of Kansas city, Henry attention was quickly brought to an orange and black cat, whose tail tip was a small flame, laying on the lap of a kid who was playing games on a portable console.

What brought Henry attention was the small glowing core inside the cat head, he could feel a tremendous power coming from it.

Henry asked "Is that cat the guardian of this camp?"

Lewis answered "Yes, his name is snowball, I know very contradictory."

Everyone gathered at the front of the gate leading to Kansas city, where Olivia said, in a tone lower so it would not bother the guardian, "Remember when going out there that this slimes are true monsters, they see you as their food. We are here to show that we won't stay quiet as they take over our cities, our homes.

We will grow strong enough to take over everything that they took from us, even if we have to kill dragons in the sky.

As we go out there we will separate and explore the city, if any of you get badly hurt, find anything unusual or find any survivors radio in telling your location first then what you found, any team near must radio in tell your location and say you are going.

Gps coordinates are not working so use the street names, if you don't know the city look for any sing or ask on the radio.

And remember the closer you get to the middle the more slimes you will find, if any of the look different be extremely careful. Now lets go."

Almost everyone felt some fear going in the city, some where like Ana that hid behind someone taller than them, others where like Olivia, Brian and Lewis, that had fought before and had a bit of confidence.

Only two didn't feel any fear, Henry, who was a bit happy he could scratch his itch to grow stronger, and Angela who was very determined, always looking like she wanted to kill as many monster she could.

You had to be very unlucky, or lucky, depending on your point of view, to find any enemies on the outer part of the city that had been cleared by the guardian yesterday as the soldier looked for survivors.

A few minutes after separating from the others, Henry team found their first monster, a blue liquid slithering thru the ground like a snake.

Henry smiled as he took his sword out of the scabbard.