Tenebrous Wolf
Chapter 80: Establishing Relationships

Chapter 80: Establishing Relationships

What was the best way to have an honest conversation with another person? Naturally, it would be a conversation in the dark. In such a situation, where one couldn’t see the other person’s face or expression, they would inevitably relax and lower their guard.

This was just common human psychology, not that Klaus was an expert or anything close to a psychological thinker. It had already been proven correct by many wandering and curious researchers.

A great example of this was confessional booths, where people found it easier to reveal their sins when shielded and protected by a barrier of anonymity. Another would be late-night conversations during gatherings or perhaps camping trips in the night, where darkness seemed to dissolve inhibitions, allowing people to speak more freely without the weight of judgment in another’s gaze.

Truthfully, nobody needed to be a psychological expert to know that people found solace in the unseen and comfort in the absence of watchful eyes.

Perhaps, in this moment, sitting in the suffocating void of the Shadow Realm, this principle would work in his favor. If they wanted to build a connection, then this was the best time to start.

After all, they were going to fight side by side from now on, so knowing each other’s strengths was more or less vital. That meant they would have to reveal their abilities to one another.

And what better way to encourage openness than by taking the initiative himself?

However, by doing so, he was also putting himself at a disadvantage. Of course, he wouldn’t reveal all his secrets at once. That would be too reckless. Simply put, he had to share information in a controlled manner while simultaneously trying to be as sincere as possible.

But how much information was he willing to give? And to what extent? That was the real question.

With that in mind, Klaus took a deep breath and spoke in an audible whisper:

"My attribute makes me sensitive and resistant to external factors with a faint trace of divinity. More than that, I’m extremely unlucky so many unfortunate things happens around me."

He said the last part in a low voice, as though he were embarrassed.

Needless to say, he was still bound by his so-called Soul Name. But how exactly was he supposed to explain his misfortunes without sounding like a fool? If he wasn’t careful, he would come across as lazy, untrustworthy, or even pathetic, losing credibility with his words and lowering his social standing.

Ultimately, this was his greatest weakness. But he didn’t receive the condescending reactions that he expected.

Adrian, who had been listening with great intensity, suddenly raised a question:

"What do you mean by you’re sensitive and resistant to external factors? Can you elaborate more than that?"

Klaus smiled, choosing his words carefully.

"Ah, of course! It’s a bit complicated. You see, it’s like this; My body reacts differently compared to most people’s. When exposed to extreme conditions, whether it’s temperature, pressure or toxins, I don’t suffer the same immediate effects as others. Instead, my body grows resistant to those external influences and slowly adapts over time."

Adrian frowned slightly, clearly processing the information.

"So, does that mean you’re immune to poison and extreme environmental conditions?"

Klaus shook his head.

"Not exactly. I don’t start off immune. If I get poisoned, for example, I’ll still feel the effects at first, but instead of dying or getting permanently affected, my body will gradually resist it until it stops harming me. The same goes for temperature extremes. You can say that my attribute simply gives me a higher resistance."

Seraphim, who had remained silent up until now, turned her head in his direction and finally said:

"That sounds... incredibly useful. If what you’re saying is true, you could theoretically survive in conditions that would kill most people."

"Yeah, in theory," Klaus muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "But it’s not that great really. There’s a reason I was graded last on the ranking list."

Seraphim looked at him. It was as if she could actually see him. Then, she explained calmly:

"The academy’s ranking system isn’t always accurate. Or rather, it simply prioritizes offensive and defensive potential over survival utility. Someone with high attack power or speed enhancement will naturally rank higher than someone who can clone themselves but lacks the ability to augment their strikes. You fall into the latter category... Your ability is far more valuable than you realize."

Hearing that simple explanation, Klaus became a little embarrassed and perhaps felt a bit relieved. What she said was just information that he already knew, but hearing someone else acknowledge the value of his [Adaptation] made a surprising difference.

A small, unexpected warmth settled in his chest.

Even so, he let out a quiet sigh, already knowing the truth.

"Thank you for your kind words, I really appreciate it," he said, offering a small smile. "But my point still stands. My ability can be more troublesome than you’d think. Honestly, both of you are probably better off than me."

Adrian listened carefully, and then lowered his head, as though embarrassed.

"Well... I wouldn’t say that I’m better off. I just have a more offensive ability."

An offensive ability? That certainly sounds interesting than mine at least. Klaus thought, listening eagerly.

The blonde hesitated for a moment before speaking again.

"My attribute gives me an affinity for ’Wind’. More specifically, I can sense Wind Vectors and manipulate them to some extent. I can use it for both offense and defense, but..." He paused, his expression darkening for a brief moment. "My control and power output are painfully weak, so I can only use it to slightly increase my movement speed and attack power."

That last part was said with clear frustration, but it didn’t linger for long. Adrian then forced a smile, as if brushing away his own dissatisfaction.

Under normal circumstances, nobody would have change in demeanour but Klaus was an exception.

What the hell is he frowning for? Wind Vectors?! That’s certainly several times more impressive than mine!

Striders with elemental attributes were incredibly rare, especially those who could only use their ability in direct combat. So even though Adrian had claimed his ability was weak, wind manipulation, especially at the vector level, sounded incredibly versatile. The fact that he could already apply it in battle, even in a limited way, meant it had great potential!

For example, as he stated, he could manipulate the wind vectors around his body to increase his speed and the impact of his strikes. This was definitely a great ability for maneuvering around the battlefield quickly or executing a tactical retreat when things got tough.

More than that, if Adrian could refine his control, he might eventually be able to manipulate external wind currents, not just around himself but around his enemies as well. Redirecting projectiles, disrupting opponents’ balance, even creating sudden bursts of force to throw them off guard, the possibilities were endless!!

What could he possibly be dissatisfied with when he had such an ability?! Heck, Klaus was already brimming with jealousy and envy. An ability like that would have been invaluable in his battle against the Demonic Purgatory!

Ugh. My head hurts.

Feeling his head hurting, Klaus rubbed his throbbing temple and decided to abandoy this line of thought for now. Then, he shifted his gaze to the next person.

Realising that it was her turn to share, Seraphim remained quiet momentarily. Then, she spoke:

"My attribute grants me an affinity for both light and darkness, along with a strong connection to divinity. I possess two Nightmares: a bottle and a sword. The bottle can generate vast volumes of water till an hour and refills itself over time. As for the sword, it is both exceptionally sharp and highly durable. It is also embedded with flame runes, so it allows me to augment my strikes with fire."

Klaus blinked.

Wait, did she just say that she has an affinity for light and darkness?!

His surprise was mirrored by Adrian and Briar. It was already rare to possess an elemental attribute, but having two? And not just any elements — Light and Darkness — each rare in their own right.

But this lithe girl had both at the same time. That meant she wasn’t just capable of wielding the sacred properties of Light, allowing her to heal herself and others, a rare ability that would be invaluable in battle, but she also possessed the destructive power of Darkness.

What kind of terrifying existence was that? Was something like that even allowed to exist.

Scary! That’s so scary! That is just cheating at this point!

Klaus swallowed.

Her attribute was anything but trivial. And if he thought about it carefully, why was she so comfortable sharing such important information? The only logical explanation was that this wasn’t her true trump card. After all, he had never heard of an attribute that granted affinity to both light and darkness.

There had to be more to it. Thinking about it, that was really scary.

Swallowing, Klaus forced a smile.

"You have an affinity for both light and darkness? That’s incredible! Having a healer on our team would definitely be valuable!"

Adrian chimed in, excitedly.

"Seraphim isn’t just a healer, she’s an amazing fighter too! You should’ve seen her take on multiple Scavengers by herself! It was honestly a little scary... I doubt I could beat her in a fight!"

Well, she was the same person who nearly defeated every Strider during their combat classes. Klaus hadn’t witnessed her fighting Shadow Creatures firsthand, but after seeing her and Adrian hunt down that lone Scavenger, he had a pretty good idea of her capabilities.

Meanwhile, Adrian continued in a somewhat relaxed tone:

"Like I said before, I can control the wind. Nothing too fancy. I only have three Nightmares: a compass, a spear, and a necklace. The compass automatically aligns with one of the four cardinal directions based on our position. The spear has decent attack power and can channel wind. As for the necklace, it’s of Awakened rank and carries a powerful charm, bringing good fortune. You could say it has a holy attribute."

That’s certainly useful. Maybe it can counter my bad luck.

Naturally, this was just Klaus’s wishful thinking. Could an Awakened Nightmare actually counter the heavenly defying effects of his Soul Name [Soulless]. Compared his soul name, the equipment felt much less grand.

This was just his misfortune.

He sighed.

Finally, it was Briar’s — or rather, Morgan’s — turn. Both Striders turned their attention toward the disguised succubus. Under their expectant gazes, particularly Seraphim’s, she visibly tensed.

Maybe she needs some help. Klaus considered sending a mental message through their link.

But before he could act, the demoness shifted her weight, inhaling deeply. Then, she spoke:

"My ability allows me to temporarily control the minds of Shadow Creatures. I can’t control anything above my rank, but I have another ability that compensates for that. My blood possesses a unique property, it allows me to permanently tame ’Monsters’ and bring them under my control."

Adrian’s eyes lit up with curiosity.

"Is that how you tamed the Awakened Ghoul?"

Briar nodded.

"Yes. By some miracle, I managed to feed it my blood it could vio.... Sorry, kill me. It was a particularly very close fight. I just happened to be lucky."

Adrian tilted his head.

"Would it work on Monsters above the Awakened rank?"

The succubus hesitated, then shrugged.

"Well, it’s quite complicated. Truth be told, I don’t really know. Perhaps it would work I suppose. But it would depend on several factors such as their rank, their resistance and the amount of blood they consume. A monster of higher rank would naturally have more resistance and would require more blood."

"But it still works?"

"Like I said, it’s complicated. But the short answer would be yes."

Adrian’s eyes literally sparkled.

"Really? That’s really great! This means you’re a support that can control the enemy and create confusion among their ranks. This ability has many practical uses! You’re really lucky."

The succubus brushed and averted her gaze as if embarrassed.

Klaus narrowed his eyes slightly as he watched Briar’s reaction. She was clearly embarrassed by the praise, or perhaps uncomfortable with revealing too much about her ability.

Even so, she had chosen her words carefully, choosing to say "It allows me to temporarily control the minds of Shadow Creatures" instead of "It allows me to control the minds of others". And for a neet, her acting and communication skills were going enough to sound convincing. Thinking about it, she was a member of the demon race, after all.

There were no better liars and manipulators than that.

After silently listening to her explanation, Seraphim spoke:

"Your ability is more than just useful. If used correctly, it could turn the tide of a battle. You might not be able to control creatures of a higher rank, but having an army of tamed monsters under your command could make you a force to be reckoned with."

Briar swallowed, shifting uncomfortably under the scrutiny. Then, she mumbled:

"I guess... but it’s not as impressive as yours."

Seraphim shook her head.

"You’re underestimating yourself. A single well-placed ability can change everything in a fight."

Adrian nodded in agreement.

"Yeah! Just imagine the possibilities! With your power, we could have a whole army of monsters fighting for us. That’s amazing!"

Klaus chuckled.

"Well, that’s certainly true. Your ability is really awesome. If nothing else, I’m glad I’m on your side and not the enemy’s."

Briar blinked, glancing at him. His words seemed to take her off guard, and she shifted her gaze downward. Then, a small, almost imperceptible smile formed on her lips.

The conversation had taken an interesting turn, but Klaus had learned something important. Each of them had a power that made them unique in their own way. While some abilities seemed more combat-oriented than others, they all had potential if used correctly.

For now, they had all shared enough to build some trust. That was a start.

But in the end, only time would tell how well they could truly work together.