The echoing silence of the King Slime's demise still lingered in the damp air as Bathilda returned to the chamber. Her triumphant consumption of the core had showered her with a cascade of skills and a dizzying number of level-ups, a reward for her tenacious survival. Yet, the true prize, the tantalizing escape, y just beyond the shadowed mouth of the opposing tunnel. A beacon of natural light, unfiltered and vibrant, pierced the darkness, promising a world beyond the cave's oppressive confines.

  Bathilda and Hiro halted at the threshold, the transition from artificial gloom to sun-drenched vibrancy a stark contrast. Before them unfurled a tapestry of verdant forest, a symphony of green hues stretching as far as the eye could see. But a sudden, sharp pang of self-consciousness halted Bathilda's eager advance.

  "I... I can't go out there," she stammered, her voice barely a whisper. "I'm completely exposed." Despite her diminutive form, resembling that of a child, she was acutely aware of her nakedness. "I have some sembnce of dignity, you know."

  A flush crept up her pale cheeks as she mentally berated herself for forgetting such a basic necessity. Trapped in the cave, the prospect of venturing into the unknown in her "birthday suit" was mortifying. Desperate, her mind raced, dredging up a forgotten skill from the depths of her vast, ever-expanding repertoire.

  During her arduous journey through the cave, in moments of backtracking and evolution-induced downtime, Bathilda had become a reluctant schor of the skill list. A vast, sprawling catalogue of abilities, most tantalisingly out of reach due to their exorbitant cost. Now, however, her desperation focused her search.

  "Please, please, please," she muttered, her fingers flicking through the ethereal pages of her skill interface. "Where is it? Where is it?" Her scarlet eyes darted from one entry to the next, a frantic search amidst a sea of potential.

  "Thousands of skills," she sighed, exasperated. "And I barely scrape together enough points for the essentials, let alone the luxuries. But this… this will have to suffice." With fifty skill points burning a hole in her metaphorical pocket, a hard-earned reward from the King Slime, Bathilda felt a twinge of resentment at the meager sum. Still, needs outweighed wants, at least for the moment.

  She invested a small portion of her points into a skill that, while not strictly necessary, addressed her immediate predicament.

  Spell: Illusion

  - Conjure visual and auditory illusions within 20 feet to deceive and distract. Illusions ck substance and cannot physically interact with the environment.

  MP Cost: Scales with the complexity and size of the illusion

  Immediately, the knowledge of the spell flooded her mind, a comprehensive understanding of its capabilities and limitations. It was a simple spell, but perfectly suited for her current needs. With a flick of her wrist and a quiet incantation, a shimmering, white summer dress materialized around her, settling gracefully upon her form.

  "It's not perfect," she murmured, admiring the simple elegance of the illusion, "but it's… adequate." A pyful twirl sent the frills of the dress swirling, a surge of renewed confidence filling her. "Alright, Hiro," she decred, her voice regaining its usual bravado. "Let's go!"

  Emerging from the cave's mouth, Bathilda was immediately struck by the sheer scale of the surrounding environment. Towering trees, their leaves a dense canopy overhead, dwarfed her diminutive frame. The lush, vibrant greenery felt overwhelming, a stark contrast to the custrophobic confines of the cave.

  "It's like… the Land of the Giants," she joked, turning to Hiro, only to find him rooted to the spot, still stark naked. "Jeez, Hiro," she excimed, her ughter echoing through the trees. "Put some clothes on! You're giving this pce a bad reputation."

  A blush crept up Hiro's face, his irritation palpable. "I can't!" he retorted.

  "What do you mean, you can't?" Bathilda asked, her brow furrowing. "You're a clone, you should be able to do anything I can."

  "I don't know!" Hiro snapped. "You're the main body, you should know!"

  Bathilda traced a finger along her lip, her fangs glinting in the sunlight. "Hmm," she mused. "Is it a restriction on clones? No, that doesn't make sense. It's only an [Illusion], barely any MP cost. Maybe… maybe it's because he was summoned before I learned the spell?"

  "I've got an idea," she announced, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Though, this might be a little… drastic." Without warning, she unleashed a [Wing Bde+], channeling all her newfound power into the attack. The wind whipped around her, a ferocious torrent aimed directly at Hiro.

  The clone was obliterated, as intended, but the sheer force of the attack exceeded all expectations. The entire mountainside, including the cave entrance, crumbled under the force of the bst. The top half of the mountain teetered for a moment, suspended in midair, before crashing back down, leaving a gaping, uneven scar on the ndscape.

  Bathilda's jaw dropped. "Oh… oh dear."

  She quickly recreated Hiro, testing her theory. "God damn it, Bathilda!" he screamed, his voice echoing through the newly formed chasm. "You're doing this on purpose!"

  "Well," she admitted, a sheepish grin spreading across her face. "Partly. I wanted to test my strength. And, well, it was the quickest way to test my theory."

  "I'm real!" Hiro protested, his eyes wide. "There's only so many times a soul can be shattered!"

  "Paradise awaits," Bathilda offered casually, knowing full well that Hiro dreaded the prospect.

  "Fine," he grumbled. "What now?"

  "Try [Illusion] again," she instructed. "If you can conjure some clothes, you can stop fshing my bits to the wildlife."

  Hiro, after a momentary pause, successfully cast the spell, conjuring a sunflower-themed dress. "Hey, I can do it now! How did that happen?"

  "I think you were restricted because you were summoned before I learned the spell," Bathilda expined. "You need to be recreated to gain access to newly acquired skills."

  "You could have just canceled the [Clone] spell," Hiro muttered, still slightly miffed.

  "But where's the fun in that?" Bathilda countered, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Besides, I wanted to test my power. Anyway, let's get out of here."

  With a surge of newfound confidence, Bathilda took to the air, rising above the towering trees. Hiro followed suit, his own sunflower dress fluttering in the gentle breeze. "Let's get a good look at where we are," Bathilda decred, her eyes scanning the horizon, eager to explore the uncharted territory that y before them.