This Is What You Look Like?
Pel lunged forward unleashing a speed that caught Tulip off guard for a bit but he wasn't ready to hold back at the same time he didn't want to hurt her...that if he could.
Tulip started increasing the power of her punches and Pel replied with the same intensity...only Tulip's defense was impregnable like a full-blown tank. That was way too abnormal and he was curious...
"Ito show me her stats!"
[Host is not strong enough]
"Damn at least show me her defense then"
[...]
"F*ck!" he was again sent flying and sustained injuries despite the hardening.
He didn't notice Ito's strange gaze on Tulip or he would have realized that there was something wrong.
Though he couldn't show Pel the stats because of the restriction he could see it and he dropped every former evaluation of the female, she was far from normal.
And as they continued fighting Pel's condition grew worse and Tulip behaved as if she was possessed.
Pel barely made it to the 20 minutes time limit and when he finally heard a ding, he fell unconscious without even checking what the notification entailed.
"Pel!!" Crista immediately rushed to where he was and she was glowing like the sun. She has been holding herself back for fear of hurting Pel but seeing him fall unconscious she felt her heart skip a beat but she bit her lip hard until it drew blood.
She had to prevent herself from causing another explosion. She turned to Tulip with red eyes but she knew she couldn't do much in this situation.
She knew how Pel respected the girl and did not know for how long they had known each other and she couldn't afford to do things she could regret later.
"Ito please transfer energy to heal him, I might blow up any second"
Ito did not say anything but Crista's light started to dim and then he activated emergency healing for Pel.
Kingsley slowly walked to where Tulip stood with her fist clenched. "You almost..."
"I know...I'm not much better than him at controlling my temper but he destroyed my house...I might never be able to contact her again" Tulip said before going back to the ruined house.
Beating Pel up was just to regain her thinking ability, she had to find the box...it was crucial.
Pel regained consciousness not long after but he was exhausted, he hadn't even slept for a long time and today he exerted himself.
When he tried to open the system panel, the first thing he saw was:
—YOU HAVE DISCOVERED A NEW RACE
—Congratulations you have leveled up
—Congratulations you...
—Congratulations you...
He leveled up ten times...but that was not his focus at all. 'A new race...you said she was a hundred percent human'
[She was...well she is right now and will not be considered a different race unless she activates her bloodline]
Pel felt like his brain was flooded...he couldn't understand what was going on and he did not want to communicate with Ito in the open but he felt telepathic messages were taxing and he needed to find Tulip, she wasn't there.
"Where is Tulip?"
Kingsley turned in the direction that used to have Tulip's house. Wasting no time, he stood from the ground.
"You just got better" Crista said feeling slightly annoyed.
"I have to find her" Pel did not explain further but when his eyes landed on Taxao he sighed. "Don't be upset" after that he kept the latter in the system space...he still had things to take care of.
* * *
After reaching the ruins he found Tulip kneeling while picking up shattered glass. Her nightgown or what was left of it was barely covering her up.
Pel did not know what to say, at that moment he felt bad. "Was it important?"
Tulip shot him a glare which made him feel even more embarrassed.
"I'm sorry"
She did not reply but continued picking up the piece. There was an uncomfortable silence and non of them wanted to break it.
At loss for what to do, Pel got closer and helped her pick up the remaining pieces. "It was an accident"
"I know, that is why you're still breathing" Tulip said emotionlessly.
"So you're just like me..." Pel uttered while staring at her face. Seeing her not responding he knew she was not in a condition to answer but he didn't feel like he had that much patience either.
"What is this?" he changed the subject.
"Just leave it...it's ruined anyway, I just hope she doesn't go crazy after not being able to reach me"
"Who is she?" Pel muttered confused.
Tulip sighed. "My sister"
Silence returned once again. Pel looked at the pieces with complex emotions. Following what she said, this is a communication tool she used to contact her sister.
He had already found out that the majority of humans communicated with phones but judging by the fact that she was using this strange tool then her sister's situation might be special.
Pel did not even try to place himself in Tulip's shoes, he had killed those instructors because one of them tried to destroy the last shield he had of Krent...imaging that if he found a way to contact his elder brother only for that meant to be destroyed, he couldn't even estimate the scale of destruction he would cause and that is if he was able to snap out of it.
"I'm really sorry..."
"Yeah...and I almost killed you so we're even" Tulip stood up.
"Not really I was still..." he paused after seeing Tulip's death glare. "Right...you almost killed me"
"What the heck were you even trying to create in my basement?" Tulip folded her arms. One would think that she had reverted to her usual self but Pel could see her clearly she was forcing it but he didn't call her out.
He summoned Taxao who upon arrival glared at Tulip with unbridled hatred.
"What is this?" Tulip asked looking confused and ignoring the glare of the weird-looking creature.
"My pet evolved and decided to take the form of a Kerki" Pel explained, even though he was feeling embarrassed about it.
"This is how you look...it's cute"
"..."