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Chapter 40: The Maiden Flight!
🕑 Added 2024-09-16 00:30:02 +0000 UTCSo, what now, eh?
Hah... Even Barn was sticking around for a few more hours, and then, well, I’d be left all on my own, wouldn’t I? Ha! I really needed to calm my nerves. Alone. What a notion! I’d spent my entire life chasing this elusive solitude, and now, here it was, staring me square in the face. Trouble was, I didn’t fancy it anymore. Not one bit. Funny, that.
Perhaps it was Yaroslav’s influence. There was ...something about talking to another beastkin—someone who didn’t gawk at me like some rare oddity the second they saw me. Sure, he was a bit of a liability, but I rather enjoyed his company. It was, after all, the first time I’d met another of my own kind.
I might even take him up on his offer to visit Vlaan'kor one day. But not now, not yet. As tempting as it sounded—even after regaining my human—err, Drakkari—form, I had more pressing matters gnawing away at me. Father. What was he doing to find me? Did he even know whether I was still alive? The uncertainty gnawed at me. I longed to see him, to embrace him... and say my goodbyes properly.
I no longer belonged there. That suffocating town, those selfish humans. That rotten society. I’d never forget what they put me through. The least I could do was scarper while I still had the chance, because if Lotte was right, and the system dished out missions and rewards based on the chaos I could stir up... well, giving that place its just desserts was definitely on the cards.
Yes, yes... that part of me had changed too, hadn’t it? A simmering fury had taken root, itching to rip apart anyone who dared to trample on my pride, anyone who dared lay a finger on me. To show them. To dominate them. To...
No, no, best not tread that path. Perhaps it’s just a side effect of power, not just this knack for changing forms. Could be that. But it wasn’t worth losing sleep over right now.
I had more pressing matters to handle!
I cast my gaze around the dense forest, my eyes still sharp as a razor. Despite my disdain for those blasted shadows, with a bit of focus, I could slice right through them. Ha! Enhanced vision, love! Those eye upgrades were worth every last morphogen.
No monsters lurking about, unlike that panther beast from earlier. Splendid. Right then!
"System! Shift your virtual backside over here, sharpish! Let’s have a gander at what tasty upgrades are waiting for me!" I was pretty sure two of my skills were on the verge of an advancement!
Name: Jade
Level: 10
Species: Hungerborn Hatchling (Draconis) (II) (+)
Attributes:
Strength: 15
Durability: 32
Intelligence: 40
Will: 27
Mana Points: 0/0
Stamina Points: 29/29
Species Skills:
Claw Swipe: Level 5 (I) (+) (Advancement Available)
Tail Whip: Level 1 (I)
Roar: Level 1 (I)
Scale Harden: Level 2 (I)
Stealth: Level 3 (I)
Crunch: Level 5 (I) (+) (Advancement Available)
Quick Dash: Level 2 (I)
Exclusive Skills:
Transformation: Level 1 (I)
Mutations:
Eyes - Focusing Lenses (II): +0
Claws - Claw Flexibility (II): +0
Scales - Colour Adaptation (II): +0
Wings - Hollow Bones (II): +0
Legs - Joint Flexibility (II): +0
Fire Gland - Mana Reservoir (II): +0
Macro-Trophic Sac: +0
Resources:
Skill Points: 11
Morphogens: 186
And lo and behold, it appeared!
I grinned at the screen like a Cheshire cat. Morphogens aplenty, a shiny new organ ripe for an upgrade, and evolution was on the cards.
This time, though, I planned to go the whole hog and max out everything before taking the plunge—more achievements up for grabs, of course. The evolution books didn’t exactly spell out how to unlock each one, but that was a riddle easily solved. I’d just have a chinwag with my doppelganger about which achievements unlocked which evolutions. A little insider knowledge on how this whole malarkey worked.
Ah, but what a bungle! I'd missed the chance to ask if skills factored into the achievement system too. If that was the case, then for this evolution—oh yes, a magical evolution at that—I might as well be prepped to the nines. All advanced skills and all.
A thought worth chewing over. And let's not forget, I'd got Barn in my corner too. So, I decided to use those precious few hours with him to train my skills to the absolute max. Yes, a cunning plan! The perfect evolution!
Right, steady on, Jade! Let's see what’s up for grabs in the skill advancements!
I zeroed in on the little "+" next to my Claw Swipe skill, and voilà, another window popped open.
[Claw Swipe has reached Level 5.]
[Maximum Level Attained: Advancement Available]
Show me!
Claw Swipe (I):
Enhances the efficiency of executing a swift and forceful slash with claws. Optimized for close-quarters combat, delivering significant damage to adversaries. Ideal for rapid, decisive engagements.
Advancement options (Requires 1 SP):
1) Controlled Claw Swipe (II): Cost 1 SP. Moderates swipe force, enabling rapid cuts or heavier blows based on the situation.
Oh? So, it would cost me some SP to advance these skills! Hmm, well, worth every penny, I suppose. I’ve got enough skill points, after all.
Hmm, so a more versatile skill? Oh, I’ll have that, thank you very much! Always been a bit of a fan of... umm... flexibility, haven’t I? This upgrade was absolutely spot on. Being able to fine-tune things on the fly? That's the bee’s knees for me.
YES! I accepted without a moment's hesitation.
And just like that—aww yiss!—the familiar rush of knowledge surged through me. So soothing. So sharp. As usual, it wasn’t confined to my noggin either. I could feel it, this newfound knowledge washing over me, a tingling sensation sparking in my claws. It was as if they suddenly remembered movements they’d always known, tucked away in the dusty corners of my mind. This feeling. The new mechanics of the skill embedding themselves within. I stared at my claws and slashed through the air—ahh, this control! I could feel the change. More precise, more instinctive. Light. Delicate. Quick.
I shifted my stance, leaning into it. Muscles coiled and then snapped forward. Claws arced in a sweeping slash. Different. Heavy. Forceful.
Two swipes, two entirely different outcomes. My claws themselves knew the distinction. I knew I could fine-tune it even more, but this little experiment would do for now. Plenty on the docket, after all.
Just you wait, dungeon! Let me prepare myself properly for you!
I pulled up the Crunch upgrade.
[Crunch has reached Level 5.]
[Maximum Level Attained: Advancement Available]
Yes, yes, I know! Get on with it!
Crunch (I): Passive enhancement that increases bite penetration and retention.
But this time, two options were laid before me:
Advancement options (Requires 1 SP):
Forceful Crunch(II):
Increases bite power for greater damage to armored or larger opponents.Crushing Crunch(II):
Applies targeted pressure with bite, maximizing structural damage to bones or weaker armor.
Two options! Splendid! But which to pick? Forceful Crunch sounded like the brute's choice: raw power, perfect for taking on those hulking, heavily-armored types. Quite handy if I fancied a scrap with something more... gargantuan. Hmm.
Then there was Crushing Crunch. A more refined approach. Targeted pressure? Snapping bones and shattering those annoying protective shells with surgical precision? I hadn’t come across any exoskeleton-clad creatures yet, but I knew those creepers had something tough on the outside. Not raw power in this case, but finesse. An elegant solution to a rather messy problem.
Sooooo... did I want to smash through or did I want to dissect? Well, I already knew in my heart—Crushing Crunch it was!
Yis! Hand it over! As soon as the knowledge flooded in, I felt it—my bite, now stronger than ever. A couple of test snaps, and ooh, the difference was delightful. Would’ve been even better if I had something to chomp on. I glanced around at the trees—hmm, nah. Didn’t fancy turning into a beaver today. Plus, there was something off about these shadows... they felt all wrong, like they had a grudge against me or something. Odd.
Missing those blasted hues again, aren't I? I glanced up at the moon—bah, still the only thing glowing with those strange colors. What’s up with that? A dungeon on the moon, perhaps? Who knows. Another one for Jade's never-ending list of questions for Lotte. Honestly, they piled up quicker than I could keep track. Pretty sure I’d forget half of them by the time I met her again, but that's future-me’s problem.
Right then, focus, Jade! Next on the list—prepare for the new evolution! I pulled up the screen again, scrolling down to the resource section. Time to see what shiny new skills were up for grabs!
[Skill Points may be allocated to acquire new skills or enhance existing ones.]
[Morphogens may be expended to mutate physical attributes.]
Skills available for acquisition:
Crush Claw: Requires 1 SP. Augments claw precision and impact force.
Flight: Requires 1 SP. Optimizes wing muscle strength and coordination. Improves control during takeoff, mid-air maneuvers, and landing.
Deep Breathing: Requires 1 SP. Enhances lung capacity and breath control. Increases Stamina regeneration.
Air Sense: Requires 1 SP. Increases sensitivity to wind pressure and direction.
Climb: Requires 1 SP. Enhances claw grip strength and limb coordination.
Select a mutation:
Eyes - Focusing Lenses (II): +1
Claws - Claw Flexibility (II): +1
Scales - Colour Adaptation (II): +1
Wings - Improved Membranes (II): +1
Legs - Joint Flexibility (II): +1
Fire Gland - Mana Reservoir (II): +1
Macro-Trophic Sac: +1
Hoh, I finally snagged that flight skill! Woohoo! Now we were talking! But let’s see, what else did we have here? Four shiny new skills all queued up—lovely. Obviously, flight was the star today, but wait a tick... Why hadn’t I tried flying before this? Surely, I could’ve at least attempted it. I mean, birds did it all the time, didn’t they? No skill required for a test flap, right? Just one little lift-off to feel the difference. It couldn’t hurt.
The thought simmered in my mind, and yep, it was decided. A quick test flight, that’s all. How hard could it be? Birds had tiny brains, after all, and they managed just fine!
I was already in the perfect spot—a clearing beneath the open night sky. Oh moon, be my witness, as this dragon took to the skies for the first time! I spread my wings wide, the wind giving them a gentle rustle. First flap. Oof, the tendons pulled tight, but they felt strong, powerful even. Surely these were made for this! Deep breath—right, flap again. Second one. Third one...
Flap, flap, flap... Huh? Nothing much was happening. A couple of leaves stirred, some dust puffed up around me. Right, right, I see—clearly not flapping hard enough. Obviously!
So I flapped again, with all the gusto I could muster. WHOOOSH! My wings caught the air, and for a split second, I felt it—a bit of lift! Ha! THIS WAS IT! More! HARDER! AAAAAAA! I WAS AIRBORNE!
...And then I promptly tipped forward like a sack of potatoes, crashing nose-first into the dirt. Brilliant.
Right, lesson learned—more force, Jade! I stood up, dusted off my serpentine snout, and stretched out my wings again. “Round two, here we go!” I muttered to myself, crouching low. I was going to give it a proper go this time—start with a jump for a bit of momentum. Ready... FLAP FLAP FLAP!
I managed to get a few feet off the ground! WOOHOO! Wait... What’s happening now? LEFT WING?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!! My left wing started acting a bit wonky, and I veered sideways like a tipsy pigeon. No amount of flailing could save me as I spiraled down in a glorious display of chaos... straight into a tree trunk.
As if the universe wasn’t satisfied with just that, the system decided to chime in right then:
[Scale Harden has reached level 3]
Graceful, Jade. Just... so graceful.
I groaned, lying in a heap at the base of the tree, staring up at the sky. So, yeah, maybe flight wasn’t as easy as it looked. This was going to take a lot more practice. Or, hehe, I could just spend those sweet, sweet SPs and get it instantly. The absurdity of it just hit me again—just using skill points to download flight into my brain. Seriously bizarre when one thought about it... so I didn’t!
Now gimme all those skills!
Comments
Zerith
Is it wrong I kinda want Jade to renact Tarzan more?
