23 Evolve and Control

Mike slowly shut the door to the laboratory and turned back to Lana before he spoke in a flat tone of voice

"Something definitely died in there, in fact I think I saw something die when I peeked"

Lana gave a hollow laugh before she then gestured for Mike to follow her as she spoke

"I think we better move to the courtyard for the test instead…"

Mike gave a sigh and followed after Lana but noticed Rebecca was not following him thus he turned around and saw her staring at the entrance to the laboratory for a bit before she followed after him.

Mike gave a sigh, but alas his interest at learning about his new skill was higher than his concern for other people, especially this lifeless person that seemed more dead than alive

'Well whatever… Let's just do this'

Mike, Lana and Rebecca arrived in an inner courtyard where the test would be held, Mike walked into the middle of the courtyard and called out to Rebecca

"Rebecca come over here"

Rebecca gave a small nod and walked over and stood in front of him

"Now hold out your hand"

"Okay…"

Rebecca did as she was asked and held out her hand, then Mike drew the knife and spun it around once before he ever so carefully poked her pinky just deeply enough to draw blood before he spoke out

"[Blood control]"

Mike felt a connection to two targets, one of which stood right in front of him, he quickly 'selected' Rebecca and spoke out

"[Evolve]"

And then… Nothing happened, Mike gave a sigh and was about to speak when suddenly Rebecca let out a groan and suddenly keeled over clutching her head as she stammered out

"M-Master… It hurts!"

Mike looked at her and bluntly said

"Yeah, I can see that… But you can endure it right? If you can I'll give you a gift"

"I'll try…"

Rebecca only just managed to say that before she let out a high pitched scream as she clutched her head, gradually a change happened as her pervious white hair began turning crimson red, it looked like fresh blood after a half hour of non-stop screaming from her side, suddenly she screamed out

"Master I can't take it anymore!"

A red light flashes in the bottom of Mike's eyes before he kneeled down and lifted her chin up and spoke while he looked her straight in the eyes

"If you can't endure this then I have no more use for you"

"No Master, don't abandon me!"

"Then hold out just a little longer"

"I-I'll try master, so please don't abandon me!"

Mike reached up and patted her head for a bit before he stood up again and waited a few minutes before she gradually stopped screaming and after she had caught her breath she kneeled down on one knee and spoke

"Master I have endured"

Mike gave a nod and asked her

"How do you feel?"

Rebecca looked up and gave a strangely happy smile considering what she had just been through

"I feel amazing master"

Mike gave a nod then just before he was about to speak what looked like an interface popped up in front of him

Name: Rebecca

Age: 23

Level: 1(2)

Skills: [Etiquette]

Please select a skill to evolve

Mike started at the interface for a moment before he gave a slight smile and asked

"Rebecca, you are level 1 and your skill is [Etiquette] right?"

"Yes master"

Mike gave a nod and pressed the [Etiquette] skill, then the interface changed

Evolve skill: [Etiquette]

Y/N?

Mike clicked the Y and then it changed back to the previous interface

Name: Rebecca

Age: 23

Level: 1(2)

Skills: [Etiquette of the blood soaked battlefield]

Mike's smile cramped before he muttered

"What's with that skill name?"

"Master?"

"No it's nothing Rebecca, I have just evolved you and your skill, so let's do some tests"

"Yes at once master… But what should I do?"

"Hmm…"

Mike looked over at Lana that had sat herself down in a chair at the edge of the courtyard seemingly enjoying the show, then he suddenly had an idea

"Well let's test your basic movement and strength first"

After a few tests it became apparent that Rebbecca's basic attributes had changed a lot, first off she was really fast for her level, in fact her speed could be compared with Mike's when he was level 2, which was really good for a level 1, for the strength test Mike asked Lana for some things to test with and soon a cart of old and ruined armor was delivered to the courtyard, Lana spoke

"This should be good right?"

"Yeah, thanks Lana… Now Rebecca try to lift some of the armor"

Rebecca walked over and picked up a piece of rusted armor that weighed about 20 kilograms without much to any effort on her part, then she grabbed the sides of the cart and after expending some effort she lifted the entire cart which weighed about 350 kilograms in total, which made Lana show a rather surprised expression but Mike only gave a satisfied nod before he asked

"How do you feel Rebecca, is there anything else?"

Rebecca hesitated for a moment before she answered

"Truth is there was an old injury that has been giving me trouble before… But now it's healed completely"

Lana widened her eyes slightly and fell into deep thought, Mike asked further into the injury and learned that her right shoulder had been dislocated when she was a child and never fully healed but now it seemed to be fine, Mike gave a nod, he knew that his class was able to heal himself but the fact that it extended to targets of his [Evolve] was news to him

'I could buy up cirppeled slaves and make my own army with them… While it does not seem necessary right now it would be better to have a private army and not need it than to need a private army and not have it…'

"Hey Mike"

"Hmm..? What is it Lana?"

"Come with me, I think there's a silver wolf you can have"

Mike's face lit up before he gave a nod and followed after Lana, as he did he muttered

"[Control]"

Rebecca stiffened for a moment before she kept walking after Mike, she and Lana was unaware of what had happened but Mike felt it, she was now under his control and her loyalty was set in stone

'Better keep this to myself…'

Mike gave a slight smile as he followed after Lana, soon they arrived at the back of the manor where the silver wolves had their homes, it looked like a barn with a fenced in area next to it where silver wolves ran around and played or were trained by trainers that were hired by Lana, the trainers stopped what they were doing when she showed up but she gestured for them to continue as she walked into the barn

"Now she's a little old, being 28 this year but if your skill can heal old injuries then this might be for the best"

Mike gave a nod and assumed that Lana was talking about the silver wolf she was taking him to see

"What's her name?"

"She's called Serina"

Mike gave a nod, soon they arrived in the furthest end of the barn, here in a conor lay a beautiful silver wolf with long gray-silver fur, it was big, Mike estimated that it was about 2 and a half meter high (This being paw to shoulder height) but it seemed to be listless and from looking at it, it gave an impression of a grand but old dying tree

"Hey Serina"

When Lana called out to it, it began weakly wagging its tail as it raised its head up and looked at her with aged eyes that seemed nearly blind, Lana petted Serina for a bit before she gestured for Mike to come over as she spoke

"Serina has been in service of my family since I took over the city… But alas she old now with more than one paw in the grave, if your skill can make her healthy again I have no regrets"

Mike gave a nod before he spoke

"But there's also the change that it'll kill her if she can't endure the pain"

Lana gave a nod

"I am fine with that, besides I am sure that Serina would do anything to be able to run again"

"I see, in that case I'll do it"

Mike drew his knife and poked Serina's paw just deep enough to draw blood before he spoke out

"[Evolve]"