《Razag: [A Dragon LitRPG] (Rewrite)》 Chapter 1 Darkness. My eyes open, yet nothing changes. Complete, abyssal darkness. Where am I? What¡¯s happening? My limbs extend, shoulders broadening as they move outwards. Yet, they¡¯re stopped by something. A wall. A rounded one, but a wall nonetheless. What? My limbs push against the wall, but nothing changes. Strange sensations meet my attempts at stretching. Limbs bending awkwardly, and a whole new something behind my hips. Or¡­ what I think are my hips. My knees¡­ my elbows¡­ why are they bending so strangely? Pushing against the wall, the strangeness becomes more and more noticeable. The new sensations on my lower body feel natural, yet alien at the same time. What is this? What could it possibly be? Trying to control whatever it is should be a futile effort, but somehow, it works. What? How is this even possible? After controlling the thing, making it do simple motions, an explanation comes to mind. Do I¡­ have a fifth limb? What? Focusing on the strange sensations only makes the truth clearer and clearer. Why do I have a fifth limb? I shouldn¡¯t have a fifth limb¡­ right? My mind instinctively goes for something I can¡¯t consciously access to explain this strangeness. My memories. Except, the only response is emptiness. A fog of nothingness. Where are my memories?! Shouldn¡¯t they be there? How am I even thinking without them? Panic wells up within me, and my limbs mirror my emotions. All five of them splay out, pushing desperately against the wall. My distressed flailing is met with a resounding *Crack*. The seemingly unbreakable wall that¡¯s surrounding me develops a crack where some small amount of light peeks through, dispelling the all-encompassing darkness. The wall¡­ broke? Does that mean¡­ it¡¯s possible for me to escape from this place? Shaking my head a little, or what I think is my head, I try to focus myself. Focus! Ok, ok. I need to figure out what¡¯s happening. Something must¡¯ve happened that took my memories away from me. The panic tries to rise once more, but this time, it is forced back down. What could even do that kind of thing, though? Maybe something outside of this space will be able to help me remember? Or maybe it could explain what happened to me. But that would mean that I have to leave this thing. How? Thinking back to how the crack of light appeared, I realize what I have to do. I have to hit the wall even more, don¡¯t I? Or at least I have to push on it. I begin to push my limbs against the wall. The crack grows bigger quickly. The wall goes from being seemingly impenetrable, to breaking and cracking the moment even the slightest amount of pressure is applied. No more than a couple of seconds after I begin pushing, the whole wall splits in two. I tumble out of the space. Not braced for the thing to split in two, the motion of my body is left to the whims of gravity. Luckily, the rolling barely has a chance to begin before I collide with the ground. The force and the blinding light makes me close my eyes instantly. The cold floor beneath me is uncomfortable, with small, jagged mounds poking into my soft skin. Or¡­ is that on my skin? It doesn¡¯t feel like my skin is actually touching the floor¡­ The chamber, or whatever I¡¯m in, smells of dust, and feels stifling. It¡¯s a bit difficult to breathe. Is¡­ there anyone there? Opening up my mouth to ask the question out loud allows dust to enter. My immediate and instinctive response is to cough.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. My eyes open again, and I¡¯m blinded by the light once more, but I force them to stay open regardless. I adjust to the bright light remarkably quickly, and a whole new world is revealed to me. The first thing that meets my gaze is the red stone covering the floor. Forcing my body to move, I lift up my head a little to get a look at the ground I¡¯m lying on and am met with more red¡ªbut also a light coating of green liquid. Why is there green liquid? Is it¡­ coming from me? As I push myself up, I realize that the feeling of all four of my limbs touching the ground feels both alien and natural. What is happening? It feels like there should be another thing I¡¯m meant to do, but this feels so¡­ comfortable. Looking towards the ground on instinct, I¡¯m shocked by what I see. Are those¡­ my hands? No, they can¡¯t be mine! What meets my eyes are what look like the feet of a lizard. Feet that have four toes and end in ebony black claws. The rest of the parts of my feet that I can see are covered in crimson scales. Those definitely can¡¯t be my hands, right? My hands look like something else! Yeah, they have to! Unconsciously, my mind reaches for the memory of what my hands look like. Yet all it is met with is a blank. My mind goes back to that empty space, looking for the rest of my appearance. Again, it is met with nothing at all. I don¡¯t even know what I used to look like! Panic wells up within me once more. Calm down! I need to focus! Focus! ¡­Ok, so now my hands look like this. What does the rest of me look like? My head doesn¡¯t turn. I¡¯m kind of afraid to find out¡­ but it has to be done. With an unsteady breath, I turn my head to take in the rest of my body. A reptile. A lizard. Those are the first thoughts that cross my mind upon seeing it. My body is reptilian and covered in crimson scales. The only thing that dissuades me from thinking that I¡¯m a lizard are the small wings sprouting from my back. Wait, reptiles don¡¯t have wings, right? My mind pulls something from that blank space, unlike before. Not a picture, but words. Crocodile, Alligator, Thorny Devil. A list of reptile names, and their descriptions. What? I actually have some memories? Wait, no. These are just words, and they don¡¯t have any pictures associated with them. But, regardless, none of those reptiles have wings¡­ Wait¡­ could I be¡­ a dragon? That¡¯s the only kind of reptile I can think of that has wings. But that makes no sense. Dragons definitely don¡¯t exist¡­ Right? My eyes begin to roam the chamber that surrounds me. The walls are the same color as the floor, and look to be of at least a somewhat similar texture, rough and rocky. Lining the edges of the chamber are small piles of gold. My eyes roam higher and towards the ceiling. It looks as if it is made of the same material as the floor and the walls. A roughly hewn, red something. In the center of the ceiling, there is a hole¡ªa large one that allows the light from above through, like how a hole in the clouds lets the light of the heavens through. Then, I turn around. A pile of large spheres with a silver sheen lies against the wall. What are those things? Are they¡­ eggs? My body begins to move, to allow me a closer look at what must be eggs. I collapse to the ground, but I quickly pick myself up. Standing still, I look more closely at the pile of silver spheres. It doesn¡¯t take long for one that¡¯s close to the top to catch my eye. It¡¯s split in two, and leaks a green liquid that is suspiciously similar to the one that was coating my skin, or scales, earlier. Is that¡­ my egg? Does that mean that these are all dragon eggs? A dragon laid all of these? I look at the pile in a whole new light. As if something is triggered by my investigation, the wind begins to pick up behind me. I carefully turn around, so as to not trip and fall. What meets my eyes is two massive creatures descending into the chamber. They¡¯re bathed in the light, and they would look like angels descending from heaven, if not for the fact that they look like me. Chapter 2 The arrival of the creatures surprises me, locking me in place. As they descend, the winds they create allow me to get a whiff of the scents coating their bodies. They smell of something more vibrant than anything I¡¯ve found in this chamber; something deep and earthy. Yet, they also smell incredibly sweet and succulent. Or maybe more accurately, whatever¡¯s coating their scales smells like that. The one on the right is completely covered in crimson scales, with the only breaks being their ebony black horns and claws, their burning orange eyes, and their shining white teeth. The rolling motions of their wings are beautiful, a model of perfection and efficiency. My eyes are drawn back to their horns and eyes when the creature snaps its head to look at me. It lands on the ground with a thump, the other following soon after. The second one looks almost the same as the first, except for its eyes, which are a furious red¡ªthough they don¡¯t seem to hold any malicious intent towards me at the moment. The creatures look down upon me with an intensity growing in their eyes, as if they were judging a criminal. Bathed in light as they are, they look like the arbiters of heaven. Have I done something wrong? I don¡¯t think I have¡­ ¡°Well, this is unexpected,¡± the one with red eyes says. Strangely, its mouth barely even opens as it speaks. ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone expected one to hatch so soon.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ that¡¯s quite strange,¡± the one with orange eyes replies, turning its focus back onto me. Something changes in the way they¡¯re communicating, and they begin to look meaningfully at one another, almost as if they¡¯re conveying their intentions through facial expressions alone. No, that isn¡¯t possible¡­ is it? Their conversation becomes audible to me once more. ¡°We should check to see how much mana it has in its body. That will decide what we do with it.¡± The creature with the orange eyes turns towards me. Something about those eyes makes me want to stare into them forever. Suddenly, the orange gives way to a deep ocean blue. Whatever entrancing effect was in action before instantly disappears. What was that? I shake my head a little, breaking eye contact. ¡°It has far less mana in its body than I would expect from a baby dragon. I would say that it came out of the egg prematurely. But¡­¡± The creature shifts its head slightly, almost as if pointing towards me. ¡°Its scales are as developed as they should be. That makes me think that it was always meant to have an underdeveloped mana pool.¡± The creature¡¯s head moves side to side, almost as if shaking in disapproval. What does that even mean? It sounds really disappointed. Is there any way to fix it? Or do I have any advantage that negates that? The creature made it sound really important, though. But I should still be fine, though. Right? The creature with the red eyes speaks in that anomalous way where its mouth barely moves. ¡°What should we do with it? I don¡¯t think we should just kill it; we might be wasting some potential.¡± What?! Kill me?! Why?! My body begins to unconsciously back away from the two creatures bathed in light. They look far more sinister now than before, with the light highlighting their glowing red and orange eyes. ¡°Yes, killing it would be a waste. How about we just put it into the forest and see if it survives? If it doesn¡¯t have any potential, then it¡¯ll die on its own. If we just pick up the egg shell and get rid of it as well, no one will have to know. And if it does end up being a prodigy, well, we can just pretend we ended up rearing it ourselves,¡± the orange-eyed dragon proposes to the red-eyed one. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Trying to say something to dissuade them from going down this path only makes my body let out a *Squeak!* Squeak? I can¡¯t speak? No, that can¡¯t be right. Let me try again. *Squeak!* They both turn to look at me. ¡°Why is it squeaking like that?¡± The orange eyed one asks. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ and I can¡¯t think of anything that would cause it. Unless¡­ Did you step on it?¡± the red-eyed one theorizes. ¡°No. Of course not. I¡¯ve been standing here the whole time,¡± the orange-eyed creature replies, rolling its eyes a bit. ¡°Although¡­ Maybe it can understand us? That would certainly explain its reaction.¡± ¡°No. That makes no sense. This hatchling was born mere minutes ago! Just look at it; it¡¯s still covered in amniotic fluid! No dragon could understand language at such a young age,¡± the orange-eyed creature responds, turning to glare at the red-eyed one. Yes, of course I can understand you! My mouth almost opens, before it snaps shut. No, I can only make squeaks right now¡­ How are they talking, anyway? They¡¯re barely even moving their mouths. How am I understanding them? The thought swirls, before a reasonable answer comes to mind. Are they putting words in my mind? If they are¡­ could they take them away? Could they have taken away my memories? Could they put them back?! That seems like such a large stretch, though¡­ But even if they could, there¡¯s still no reason why anyone would do that to me. At least, none that I know of¡­ But that doesn¡¯t matter right now. Because these¡­ dragons want to throw me out into the wilds! How am I supposed to survive that if I can¡¯t even walk properly?! ¡­At least I know for sure what I am now. A dragon. But¡­ aren¡¯t those creatures of fiction? ¡­Well, that¡¯s clearly a mistaken presumption, since I¡¯m here right now, and those creatures sounded pretty confident about their analysis. I¡¯m broken out of my thoughts by the sound of claws scratching against stone. I look up and see the red-eyed creature begin to walk towards me. My body automatically takes a step back, and I somehow manage to stay steady. But the dragon just walks right past me, its smooth movements almost mesmerizing. The motion of the red-eyed dragon distracts me from my surroundings. One moment I¡¯m standing, watching it practically slither by, and then suddenly the ground is falling away from beneath me. What¡¯s happening!? Panicking, my body¡¯s response is to flail around wildly. But that does nothing to break the iron grip something has on me. Defiant squeaks escape me as I struggle to break free. A low rumble has me looking up at my captor¡ªthe orange-eyed dragon. It¡¯s holding me and walking back to the sunlit spot. What is it doing? Where is it taking me? I try to squirm out of the dragon¡¯s hand, but quickly feel it growing tighter against me. Ow, ow! Okay! Okay, I¡¯ll stop. My body falls limp at my command, and the tight grip loosens a bit. The orange-eyed dragon reaches the sunny spot and stands in the center of it. We are both bathed in the warm light, and I begin to feel myself lose tension in the dragon¡¯s increasingly comfortable grasp. However, while my body relaxes, my mind stays sharp. Or at least, as sharp as it can be. Suddenly, the dragon that¡¯s holding me extends its wings. My eyes widen upon seeing them. They¡¯re huge! They looked way smaller from a distance! Then the dragon leaps into the air, lifts its wings, and flaps down powerfully, propelling us into the air. As the wind begins to pick up around me, I only have one thought on my mind. What the heck am I supposed to do now?! Chapter 3 We begin to rise out of the stifling chamber, and I begin to register the first traces of the outside world. A faint earthy smell. The red, stone-like substance morphing into a softer looking brown. Dirt. The slight sound of something buzzing. These small things occupy me until we reach the surface. That¡¯s when we shoot out from the hole in the ground, and the world above is truly revealed to me. A world vibrant with life. The ground is covered in a vibrant blanket of grass. Small patches of flowers dot the carpet of greenery, breaking up the otherwise monotone field with small bursts of color. My eyes wander to the edges of the clearing surrounding the hole, where massive trees rise from the ground. I follow one up with my eyes. And up. And up. They widen more and more as the tree just keeps rising. Only when I¡¯m looking almost straight up can I see the top of the tree. Woah¡­ My other senses are just as inundated with stimuli. The clearing smells so powerfully of wet earth that I can almost taste it. My ears are nearly overwhelmed by the bustling sounds of life, from the shifting of the grass, to the animals tromping around. It takes a moment for me to even register that the ground is still getting farther away. What? We¡¯re going higher? The red-eyed dragon continues flapping its wings gracefully, pushing the both of us higher more and more quickly. Mere minutes after we start our ascent, we fly through a hole in the canopy, and into the open sky. In the distance, there are mountains that dwarf the forest. Some are jagged peaks reminiscent of massive, curled teeth, while others are enormous ridges with snow dusting the tops. The red dragon¡¯s flying skills make the experience feel even more surreal. The movement upwards is smooth, contrary to the bumpy ride I expected. My eyes wander over the forest, using this unique vantage point to take in the sight of what must be hundreds of miles of forest. Suddenly, the red-eyed dragon turns around, disorienting me in the process. It beats its wings and begins to fly forward again. It speeds over the trees, making everything around us turn into a blur. The speed makes me want to vomit, but I somehow keep all of the stomach acid where it belongs: in my stomach. My eyes close, and the whole experience becomes a lot less nauseating. The experience actually becomes almost peaceful, allowing me to ruminate on what just happened. So¡­ I broke out of an egg, was found by these dragons, and now one of them is taking me somewhere. To be thrown in the wilderness to ¡°see if I have the talent.¡± What even is the talent? The talent to survive? The talent to become smart? Do I even have any way to find out? I can¡¯t ask, and this red eyed dragon doesn¡¯t seem inclined to tell me on its own. Well, I think I should leave that train of thought for now. Wait¡­ train? Oh, I bet it¡¯s another one of those words. My mind goes back to that space again, searching for the definition. And, once more, it comes back with a blank. Well, I guess that¡¯s one more word to add to the list¡­ which only consists of one word right now, Surgery. And now Train. I wonder just how long it will end up getting. Well, it¡¯s pointless to speculate. My musings cease as I sense the dragon slowing down. My eyes slowly crack open, the nauseous feeling having mostly gone away. What I see surprises me.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. We¡¯re in¡­ a clearing? The red-eyed dragon is flapping its wings to keep us in place, holding me above the ground. That¡¯s a long fall¡­ It starts to bring us down from our place in the sky. In barely any time at all, my feet are touching the ground. My stance is stable, and a couple of test steps reveal that my body now knows how to walk. It¡¯s so easy now¡­ The red-eyed dragon speaks up, after letting me walk around a bit. ¡°If you really can understand me, then think [Status]. It will give you an advantage out here.¡± The red-eyed dragon shakes its head. ¡°Thinking that a hatchling can understand me¡­ I shouldn¡¯t tell Maria.¡± Maria? Who¡¯s Maria? Forgetting that I am unable to speak, I try to ask the question. But all that comes out is a squeak. The red eyed dragon chuckles. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as an affirmative.¡± Well, what about the other thing he said? Saying a word? What was it? Status? No, I remember! It was [Status]! A wall of information bombards my mind the moment I think the word. Razag: Level: 1 Species: Crimson Dragon Hatchling General Skills: [Passive - Dragon Scales] lvl 1 Skills: Unused Skill Slots x 5 Stats: STR: 10 END: 14 VIT: 10 WIS: 15 INT: 15 The moment the word of power crosses my mind, something changes. It¡¯s almost like my mind unfolds, expanding into a larger version of its previous self. Multiple instincts and pieces of information are added to my mind. How to open the Status. How to level up. How to increase my stats. How there was more to the System than just this Status screen. Bombarded by all this new information, my mind can¡¯t keep my body upright. I collapse to the ground. Slowly, I sort through this information. The Status opens up the same way a memory would? So when I reach for it in my mind space, it will actually come? Okay. Next, leveling up. Killing other creatures seems to level me up. My body shivers slightly. I don¡¯t want to kill other things, though. But¡­ the definition of dragon said carnivore, not herbivore. So I have to eat meat. The topic changes quickly, for I don¡¯t wish to dwell on it. And lastly, there¡¯s more than just the Status. The Status seems really useful already, but there¡¯s even more? Well, I can¡¯t say if it¡¯s useful yet, since I haven¡¯t actually done anything with it. But still! It does seem useful. My musings are interrupted when the small gusts of wind coming from the red-eyed dragon stop. My eyes are drawn upwards and are only met with the sights of the forest, and the sky. No red-eyed dragon. Where did it go? Chapter 4 ¡­ it just left, didn¡¯t it? I mean, it did say that it was going to abandon me out here. But¡­ I don¡¯t know, I guess I didn¡¯t really expect it to follow through. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s much I can do about it... yet. The Status did say that killing other creatures will make me stronger, and I¡¯m probably going to have to do that anyway to survive. Maybe if I get strong enough, I can go back? The two dragons did say that if I survived out here, they would pretend that they raised me. I don¡¯t think they ended up saying who they were doing this for, but even if they did, it doesn¡¯t really matter right now. I still have to survive to get to that point. What do I need to do? Hunt, look for shelter, and find water? Some instinct deep within me disagrees with the last of the three needs. Okay. I guess I don¡¯t need water then. Wait. How can I not need water? Every living thing needs water to survive. That¡¯s an undeniable truth. ¡­ Right? Unless¡­ dragons don¡¯t? But that would only work through¡­ magic? Magic would explain how I woke up in that egg¡­ and it would explain the existence of dragons. And the Status! That¡¯s definitely magic! Magic is real! That¡¯s kind of crazy... But that doesn¡¯t really matter right now. I still need to hunt and find shelter. My thoughts are interrupted by a *Grumble*. What was that? I search my surroundings for whatever made that noise. *Grumble*. The second grumble allows me to pinpoint the location of the sound. It¡¯s coming from my stomach. Oh¡­ I guess I¡¯m really hungry¡­ I wonder if the grass will fill me up? Maybe the depictions of dragons I know are wrong, and we¡¯re actually herbivores. I bend down and take a bite out of the grass. *Chomp*! I chew it once before spitting it out. Eww! It tastes bitter while feeling scratchy on my tongue and the roof of my mouth. There¡¯s no way I can eat that. I guess we are really carnivores. Well¡­ I¡¯m still hungry, and I don¡¯t know what to do. Maybe I should hunt? But how? I don¡¯t really know how to hunt, so¡­ I guess I should just look for tracks? It¡¯s not like there is much else I can do¡­ I look towards the ground, scanning for footprints. Nothing stands out to my admittedly inexperienced eye. I guess there¡¯s nothing on this side of the clearing. I turn, running over the rest of the clearing with my eyes. Nothing¡­ nothing¡­ still nothing¡­ Just as I¡¯m about to give up, indentations in the ground resembling hoofprints appear. Or at least they become visible after a more careful inspection.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. I¡¯ve found tracks now¡­ should I follow them? And then what? Hide? Be quiet? I¡¯m really not sure what I need to do here. I¡¯ll just follow them until I see whatever made them. Yeah, that sounds good. I crouch and crawl forward, staying lower than the top of the underbrush. I hope this is enough to keep me from being seen. Following the trail as quickly as possible, I try to avoid any dry-looking twigs or leaves. . . . I stop walking. What was that? I thought I smelled something¡­ An incredibly sweet scent wafts over to my nose. Wow. That smells really good. I wonder what¡¯s making it? Only a moment later, the sound of crunching leaves and sticks becomes audible. What¡¯s that? Is it the creature I¡¯m tailing? I continue moving, changing direction to head towards the sound. My head pops up above the bushes and I finally catch a glimpse of the creature I¡¯m hunting. It seems to be almost as long as the trees are thick, and only a little bit shorter than it is long. Massive antlers sprout from the creature¡¯s head. They look sharp, and dangerous. And they almost look as large as I am. The creature is also covered in green fur. Another glance doesn¡¯t reveal any more distinct features. It almost looks like a deer but¡­ bigger. And green. My examination ends prematurely when the creature disappears behind a tree. So I¡¯m hunting a deer? Ok, that¡¯s good to know. I start to follow the trail of hoofprints once more. What am I even going to do when I catch up? Ambush it? No, that wouldn¡¯t work. I have to get in front of it to be able to ambush it. It¡¯s easy to tell how much closer I¡¯m getting to the deer. The sweet smell gets stronger and stronger while I continue to catch glimpses of it between the trees. I should get ahead of it. That would give me an advantage if I do end up ambushing it. Knowing where the deer is allows me to circle around it. So I was right¡­ I quickly confirm my suspicion that the deer is following a path. I thought the ground looked well trod¡­ This is amazing! Now I can just follow the same path as the deer and set up an ambuscade farther along! Speeding up, I survey my surroundings for an ideal spot to attack the deer. Not that much farther up the path lies the perfect place. Wow! I can definitely work with this! A low canopy of branches hangs down over the trail, with a convenient gap in the center and openings where the branches connect with the trees. I can jump right through the center and land on the deer! Then all I have to do is kill it! Now I just need to find a way up¡­ There! A brief examination of my surroundings reveals a tree that I can scale. I race towards it and dig my claws into the thick bark. Hefting myself up, I pull my claws out and quickly jab them towards the wood above me. In this manner, I scale the tree. The higher up I go, the calmer I feel. Once I reach the net of branches, my mind is completely without turmoil. I hoist myself atop it, and it creaks a little. It doesn¡¯t show any other signs of strain. Ok. Now I just have to wait for the deer to get under me. Then I leap onto it, kill it, and eat it. Hopefully I get stronger somewhere in that process. Chapter 5 Just as I settle into a comfortable position, the sound of crunching leaves and sticks reaches my ears. That was fast. A moment later, I see the deer casually strolling down the path. Ok. All I have to do is jump down, slash its neck a bunch, and then it¡¯ll die. All of my insecurities and anxieties are quelled by¡­ something¡­ as the deer grows closer and closer. By the time the deer¡¯s right beneath me, all my emotions are fully suppressed. It¡¯s time. I slip right through the net of branches. As I fall, I aim my claws at the back of the deer. The moment I land, I slash. My claws dig into its flesh with a wet, squelching sound. The deer lets out a pained shriek at my attack and starts bucking and kicking. Its wild movements only serve to make my claws dig deeper into its back. This puts the creature in even more pain, which makes it want to flail harder. It''s a vicious cycle that leaves the deer exhausted in almost no time at all. It stops, likely to try and reduce the pain. I yank my claws out of its back and launch at its neck, talons extended. They are met with minimal resistance. It¡¯s obvious when the deer¡¯s spine is finally sliced, as it immediately collapses. It lets out its last breath soon after. I crawl off of its back, almost to the ground, before something interrupts me. What¡¯s that feeling? It¡¯s like¡­ something¡¯s prodding my mind¡­ I respond, and am met with notifications, like that of the Status. Defeated [Green Stag - lvl. 6]. Experience is awarded for defeating an enemy. Learned skill [Slash]. Experience is awarded for the learning of a skill. 3 levels gained. level advanced from 1 ¡ú 3. Obtained skill [Spark]. Is this what the Status meant by growing stronger? But¡­ I don¡¯t feel anything- A massive surge of power and clarity interrupts me. My muscles suddenly feel stronger, my scales more durable, and my mind clearer. My whole body feels more limber, and on the whole, everything just feels better. Woah¡­ is this what those dragons were hoping for when they left me out here? For me to level up? It must be, otherwise they wouldn¡¯t have given me the Status¡­ But there must¡¯ve been a better way! They didn¡¯t have to throw me out here to level me up, right? They couldn¡¯t have just let me kill this, and taken me back afterwards? They must have a good reason for it¡­ right? Maybe I have to level up more? I search for a logical solution, but no feasible explanation comes to mind. I don¡¯t think I have enough information to make any definitive conclusions. Or really any conclusions at all. ¡­How will the Status reflect the changes to my body? They shouldn¡¯t go unnoticed, and maybe it will provide more insight on the situation? [Status]. Razag Level: 3 Species: Crimson Dragon Hatchling General Skills: [Passive - Dragon Scales] lvl 1 Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Skills: Unused Skill Slots x 5 Skill Bank: [Spark] lvl 1 [Slash] lvl 1 Stats: STR: 16 END: 20 VIT: 16 WIS: 21 INT: 21 Skill bank? What¡¯s that? An answer quickly surfaces, originating from the wave of information I received along with the Status. It¡¯s where unassigned skills go... Does that mean that there are assigned skills? How would I assign them, though? Maybe just say to assign them? Assign [Spark] and [Slash]. I don¡¯t feel any different¡­ but I should probably check to see if it worked anyway. Skills: [Spark] lvl 1 [Slash] lvl 1 Skills assigned to the active skill list can not be unassigned until one hour has passed. What does that mean? Again, an answer surfaces from the wave of knowledge. So a skill that is unassigned goes back to the Skill Bank, but reduces to the last milestone level. What¡¯s a milestone level? No answer comes to me this time. No explanation, huh. Does that mean that it isn¡¯t important right now? It¡¯s not like I have any real way to tell¡­ I do wonder though¡­ What do these skills do? I should definitely test them out. Willing Spark to activate seems to trigger something. A surge of knowledge flows into my mind; instructions on how to use the skill. I begin to absorb the knowledge almost instinctively. I refocus on the instructions so that I understand how to use the skill. About half a minute goes by before the instructions stop coming. I think I know how to use Spark now. That was strange though. It was pretty similar to how the information from Status came, just a bit less intense. Anyways, I should definitely try this skill out for real. I follow the instructions, opening my mouth wide before hacking out. What comes out is a few really hot sparks. They fly and twirl in the air a little, looking like dancers, before falling to the ground and being extinguished. That was a bit¡­ underwhelming. Probably not all that useful, either. If it gets stronger it might be, though. I hope the next skill, Slash, isn¡¯t as disappointing. I activate the skill the same way I did Spark, and the expected flood of knowledge comes. It recedes in half the time that Spark took. Wow. Slash is very different from Spark. I wonder how different it will look? I pull my arm back, and direct a little bit of something towards my claws. I swing, clawing the air. Three streaks of white light subsequently launch in the direction I swung. They tear through the air at the same speed my arm was moving, but they slow down quite quickly. However, right before they stop moving completely, they hit a tree. They put a small notch into the tough bark before dissipating. I wonder how those work? I¡¯m pretty sure that they¡¯re extending the force of my normal swing. And since I didn¡¯t swing all that hard, it probably could¡¯ve been stronger. Before I say that for sure, though, I should definitely try it again. I move closer to one of the trees, until it''s almost within striking distance. I pull back my arm again, then swing as hard as I can while using the skill. The arcs tear through the air and into the bark of the tree. A wave of exhaustion pushes through my body the moment the arcs leave my claws. I stumble slightly, but quickly recover. What the heck was that?! Why did I get tired all of a sudden?! I search for an answer. Is it possible that it was because I used that strange energy? Maybe I used too much, and overexerted myself? But I have no way to confirm that. I really do need to find someone who can answer all these questions. Speaking of questions, I need to check the results of my Slash. Checking the results of the Slash reveals gouges in the wood that look about as long as my claws. So that basically confirms my theory. It¡¯s just extending the force of my swing. Now¡­ I¡¯ve tested out everything I needed to. What do I do now? My eyes are drawn to the corpse of the deer. Chapter 6 My stomach lets out a grumble the moment my eyes land on the deer. I still need to eat¡­ and I¡¯m ravenous. I start walking over to the deer. Do I have to cook it, or something? Probably not¡­ animals don¡¯t have to cook their meals. They just eat them raw. And I probably count as an animal. Well, there¡¯s no way that one single bite can kill me, right? I bend down and take a large bite out of the deer¡¯s midsection. My taste buds are hit with an intense sweet and salty combo. What would normally be really chewy meat is completely cut through with each grinding motion of my jaws. This¡­ is amazing! I bend down for another bite the moment I swallow the meat. This time, however, I catch a bone. It doesn¡¯t prove a problem, and I crush it almost as easily as I do the meat. Woah. I absolutely tore through that bone. And I guess that I can eat the meat raw. I mean, I didn¡¯t even think about taking a second bite; it just happened naturally. I guess it¡¯s time to dig in. I lean down for another bite. Time almost seems to speed up while I devour the deer. Once I¡¯m done, all that¡¯s left are some bone shards and a bit of blood staining the grass. What happened? It was like one moment it was there, and the next it was gone¡­ It was really good while it lasted, though¡­ that could¡¯ve been really dangerous. I wasn¡¯t paying attention to my surroundings at all¡­ I should probably make sure nothing snuck up on me. My eyes begin to scan the underbrush around me for any signs of an animal. I slowly turn around to allow them unfettered access to the surrounding area. I don¡¯t see, smell, or hear anything that would reveal a creature waiting in ambush. Okay. I think I¡¯m safe. The moment the thought comes to mind, I¡¯m hit by a wave of exhaustion so intense that it staggers me for a moment. It passes quickly, but instead of disappearing entirely, it¡¯s replaced with a bone-deep exhaustion that weighs far more heavily on me. What the heck was that?! Quickly, my mind runs through the day¡¯s events. I guess I did do a lot of things today¡­ And that must¡¯ve consumed a lot of my stamina. If that¡¯s the case, then I definitely need to sleep. My eyes begin to roam the area around me. Why is it so dark? Did it really turn to night so quickly? I look upwards, my gaze traveling higher and higher, until it reaches the sky. That is when I¡¯m met with a beautiful sight. A sea of stars. Within this sea, there are thousands and thousands of celestial bodies. Together they make what could only be called a work of art¡ª the centerpiece of that work being a kaleidoscopic line of stars that splits the sky in twain. Small strands of the blackness of space cross over the line, and make the whole thing look like a wound in reality that has only been partially healed. I¡¯m struck speechless by the sight above me. The sheer scope of it all ends my previous trains of thought. It¡¯s¡­ beautiful. I shake my head a bit and look away from the mural of stars above me. I need to find somewhere to rest. It¡¯s not that dark, and I¡¯m exhausted. This is top priority. I start examining the area around me again, looking for a good burrow, or something of the sort, where I could sleep. It doesn¡¯t take me long to spot a hole in one of the massive trees. It¡¯s just a little bit off of the ground and looks big enough to fit me. That¡¯s perfect. I stumble towards the base of the tree and dig my claws into the bark. I hoist my body up and over the lip of the hole. I quickly pull my claws out of the bark and fall into the hollow. The moment I land, my consciousness recedes, and I pass out. . . . Pain. Everything hurts. My body is broken. Some sounds break through the oppressive pain. A high pitched shrieking sound, before a quiet, distorted voice speaks. ¡°We got ''em, boss.¡± . . . What¡­? Where am I? My eyes open blearily, but I see nothing. I move to uncurl but am stopped by something hard. What¡¯s happening? My arms, my legs, everything is pressed up against hard walls. Suddenly, the memories of yesterday¡¯s events come rushing back to me. Oh¡­ I¡¯m probably in the tree still. My head tilts upwards, revealing the entrance to the hollowed out space in the tree. That was a really weird dream¡­ But I can¡¯t remember what happened¡­ anyways, I need to get out of here. I reach up and pull myself out of the hollow before falling to the ground. I catch myself and begin to search my surroundings for anything resembling a threat. My eyes land on the bloodstains that are all that¡¯s left of the deer. Did I really eat that much yesterday? Wow. That thing was way larger than me, and I ate all of it. I guess I really was hungry. My musings are interrupted by a sound from one of the nearby bushes. My body quickly turns, and my eyes narrow, trying to spot the source of the sound. They catch a flash of brown and white, before something enormous bursts from the bushes. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. The creature has thick brown fur, with a white V-shaped crest on its chest. It stands on four legs, like me, but has more of a hunch to its back. Its head reaches the height of the canopy where I ambushed the deer from. It almost looks like a bear, but it¡¯s significantly larger than a normal one¡ªand then the intimidating creature lets out a deep growl as it scans the clearing. Its eyes land on me, and it lets out a substantially louder growl. My body starts to move back instinctually. I scramble backwards until I¡¯m far enough away that I don¡¯t think it could easily chase me, then I turn tail and run. There are no sounds of the creature pursuing me. I only run for a little longer, before slowly coming to a stop. I pant. What the heck was that thing?! It was most certainly not a normal bear! Why did it even come over to the area I was in? My breathing and thoughts begin to slow down as the adrenaline fades away. I don¡¯t think I can answer any of those questions¡­ Dang it! I really need someone to just tell me all about this place! And I should definitely get away from this area. If I stay away from that creature, then I¡¯ll definitely be safer. I have a feeling I won¡¯t get away so easily next time¡­ The feeling that has been helping me out wells up and seems to agree. Next question: What the heck is this weird feeling? The weird feeling doesn¡¯t give any response, and there is nothing I can think of to explain it. It must be coming from somewhere¡­ No answers come to mind. A sigh escapes me. Of course nothing wants to get explained. And there¡¯s nothing I can do about it right now. I turn until my back is facing the direction I came from. Then I start moving. Away from the strange and powerful looking bear, and away from this dangerous area. My speed slowly increases, until it¡¯s at the pace of a brisk walk. Okay. Now I just need somewhere to go. If I get far away from here, I should be safe from that massive creature. Such a beast surely wouldn¡¯t chase something as small as me... But where should I go? My thoughts wander as I try to figure out an answer to the question. I can¡¯t think of anything yet¡­ Maybe an answer will come to me soon? ¡­ I look upwards after hours of walking. It''s already getting dark, and I still haven¡¯t found an answer¡­ or have anything interesting happen. No creatures at all. Anyways, all I know on the topic of shelter is that I need some proper shelter where I¡¯ll be safe from ambushes. I need to find somewhere to sleep for the night again. My gaze drifts throughout the area around me. My eyes quickly land on a hole in one of the trees. These things are everywhere¡­ I wonder why? It¡¯s not like it really matters, since I can¡¯t really sleep anywhere else. This time after I climb through the hole, I land on a soft pile of wood chips instead of a hard floor. My eyelids begin to droop the moment I touch the ground. I didn¡¯t realize I was so tired¡­ My eyes fully close, and my consciousness recedes. . . . My peaceful slumber is interrupted by a high-pitch shrieking sound. My eyes shoot open, and I¡¯m standing before I know it. My legs sink into the squishy wood chips beneath me. What¡¯s happening? What¡¯s that shrieking noise? I¡¯m still groggy from my rest, so it takes me a bit to realize that the sound is coming from above. I look up and finally see the source of the horrid noise. A small creature hangs at the top of the hollow. It¡¯s covered in black fur and has beady eyes to match. Its mouth is stretched wide open, and it almost looks like the air surrounding it is distorted. Why is this squirrel so mad? What did I ever do to it? Whatever, it¡¯s being aggressive so it needs to di¡ª The squirrel¡¯s tail hits my back with a slam. I¡¯m forced to the ground while the creature retreats back to its perch. Owwwww! The sudden burst of pain distracts me. I start to push myself to my feet, but I¡¯m quickly forced down by another lash of its tail. Owww!! My arm shoots forward, and I try to slash it while it¡¯s close. But the creature jumps away before my arm can make contact. What can I do¡­? Maybe Slash? My scheming is interrupted with another smash of the creature¡¯s tail. Luckily, it doesn¡¯t hurt as much. My arm draws back, before I slash at it as quickly as I can. Three waves of light emerge from the tips of my claws, drawing on that strange pool of energy. The waves of light tear through the air and towards the creature. The creature clearly tries to dodge it, but it¡¯s already far too late. It is quadrisected by the waves of light and falls to the ground in four pieces. I wonder why this squirrel even came here¡­ Well, at least I¡¯ll know what it¡¯s called when I open up the notification. Defeated [Black Squirrel - lvl. 3]. Experience is awarded for defeating an enemy. 1 skill level gained. Advanced [Slash] to level 2. So it¡¯s called a Black Squirrel¡­ What a creative name¡­ Anyways, it seems my assumption that skills level up was correct. My stomach grumbles. Oh¡­ I guess I have to eat, then. And this corpse is just sitting right here, waiting for me. I bend down to take a bite of the quadrisected squirrel. One chomp later, I dispense my expert opinion. It¡¯s¡­ fine, I guess. It¡¯s kinda bland, but whatever. Food is food, and I didn¡¯t even need to hunt for this one. I lean down again and take another bite. After only a couple more bites, it¡¯s completely gone. Well, I¡¯m full now. And I need to find a safe place even more than I did before. After all, if I can still get ambushed in these little tree hollows, then I¡¯m not really that safe, am I? I peek out of the entrance to the hollow and notice something in the distance. It¡¯s a truly massive mountain, larger than any of the other cliffs. Even at this huge distance, I can¡¯t see its peak. Some feeling deep within me urges me to go to that place. It hasn¡¯t led me astray before, so why not? I slowly climb out of the tree. Once I reach the ground, I turn and face the massive mountain. I begin to move towards it and, hopefully, to a place where I can be safe. Chapter 7 Time passes quickly as I move towards the mountain. Yet even as I traverse what must be miles and miles of forest, it doesn¡¯t look to be growing closer. Even when the kinds of trees inhabiting the forest change. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m reaching the mountain today¡­ but I also don¡¯t want to be ambushed again when I go to sleep. Although, I suppose that it won¡¯t happen every night. Some faint tingling at the edge of my senses causes me to stop. What¡¯s that? Something seems off¡­ but I can¡¯t tell what. I focus intensely. The grass is swaying in the wind, the strange needles on the trees barely moving due to their stiffness. The smell of plants is just as strong as when I first left that hole in the ground, with a side note of something syrupy. The distant chirping of birds that has been omnipresent throughout my journey through the forest is even still there. Wait¡­ No it isn¡¯t. I focus even harder, and am met with almost complete silence. There are no birds chirping¡­ So why did I think there were? Something¡¯s wrong here, but¡­ that feeling is telling me that I need to go to the mountain and I don¡¯t know if there are any other paths. I stand still and come to a decision. I think I should go through this stretch of forest. There¡¯s no guarantee that this area is dangerous and a detour would certainly take longer and give other creatures more chances to ambush me. The more time I spend sleeping in the trees, the higher the chance something that can actually kill me will attack. I carefully begin to creep forward. My eyes scan the area around me as I strain to hear anything that could signify something dangerous. I periodically pay attention to what I smell, searching for a sign that way. The hours pass by as I move uneventfully through the forest. . . . The faintest sound becomes audible. I instantly stop moving. What¡¯s that? ¡­Birds chirping? The high-pitched tweets seem to echo in the forest around me, giving the whole place an even more eerie feel. Where is it even coming from? I slowly turn and pinpoint the origin of the sound. It¡¯s coming from my right. But¡­ What should I do now? This whole situation feels incredibly ominous¡­ I start slowly creeping backwards. The moment my back foot lands on the ground, the echoes stop. I freeze in place at the abrupt silence. Something deep within me tells me to leap to the side. My body moves on its own and shoots into a nearby bush. A blast of air hits the ground behind me. I feel something tear a gash in my tail. A split second later, I¡¯m inside the bush. What just happened? My eyes are drawn towards my tail. A black, viscous liquid leaks out of the gash but it quickly congeals. The bleeding ends within a dozen seconds. What..? What is that thing leaking out of my tail?! What attacked me?! Just what is going on?! I-I don¡¯t have time right now to think. I need to know what attacked me. My eyes shoot towards the creature that attacked me. They widen at what I see. A massive bird has its claws dug into the ground and is standing exactly where I was a moment ago. It has raven black feathers covering everything but its head and neck, where it¡¯s colored an ugly pink. The bird¡¯s claws are huge¡ªat least the size of my horns. The creature is so large that it looks like it could swallow me whole. A small breeze blows my way, allowing me to catch a whiff of the bird. It reeks of death and decay. This must be the thing that attacked me. But how do I escape from it? The creature suddenly looks up, its eyes narrowing as it scans its surroundings. I shiver. If that thing catches me, I¡¯m dead for sure. It tore through my scales as if they weren¡¯t there at all! The creature keeps examining the bushes and trees around it, oblivious to my introspections. I turn and, quietly, begin to crawl away from the bush. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. There¡¯s a stick right there¡­ I have to avoid it. My feet continue to pad softly on the ground as I circle around the stick. However, in dodging the first stick, I don¡¯t notice the second one! *Snap*! The creature¡¯s head turns at an impossible speed. Oh shit! I throw caution to the wind and begin to sprint away. A blast of wind hits me from behind and pushes me forward. The sudden burst in speed almost makes me crash into a tree. That was really close! And where did the creature go¡­? That strange sense from earlier signals that I need to dodge. Now. My muscles tense before I leap forward. The sound of something massive hitting the ground resounds through the air. I stumble on something, but quickly pick myself up and keep running. I¡¯m already starting to feel tired¡­ I look around me while dodging the bushes and trees that get in my way. The instinct inside me makes itself known once more. I jump to the right this time, changing my movements to be less predictable. The massive bird slams down right to the left of me. That was close¡­ again. If I had waited even a split second more, I don¡¯t know if I would have gotten out of there in time¡­The creature directs its baleful gaze in my direction, following my every movement. It pulls its talons out of the ground, and leaps back into the air soon after. I force my body to move faster, faster than I even thought I could go. However, nothing comes. No more tells of danger, no more attacks from the bird. It just¡­ stops. I begin to slow down before finally coming to a halt. Why did it leave? Some notifications appear at the edge of my mind and I allow them in. Learned General skill [Passive - Danger Sense]. Experience is awarded for the learning of a General skill. 1 level gained. Level advanced from 3 ¡ú 4. A flow of power rushes through me as the level up registers. Wait¡­ why did I level up? I didn¡¯t kill anything¡­ and what even is Danger Sense? It says that it is a General Skill, but I still don¡¯t know what that means¡­ Maybe it just helps me sense danger? The instinct deep within me that has been guiding me so far responds with an affirmative, before seemingly disappearing once more. So I¡¯m right¡­ but how does it help me sense danger? No response comes. So I¡¯ll have to figure that bit out for myself then¡­ Well, that¡¯s not anything new. I do wonder how the changes have been reflected in my Status, though. It might even be able to provide some insight on this new skill! [Status]. Razag Level: 4 Species: Crimson Dragon Hatchling General Skills: [Passive - Dragon Scales] lvl 1 [Passive - Danger Sense] lvl 1 Skills: [Spark] lvl 1 [Slash] lvl 2 Unused Skill Slots x 3 Stats: STR: 18 END: 22 VIT: 18 WIS: 25 INT: 23 Wait¡­ why is Danger Sense assigned? I didn¡¯t do it myself, like what I did with Spark and Slash, so something must have done it for me¡­ It¡¯s also under a new category¡ªthe same as Dragon Scales. And it¡¯s not taking up a skill slot¡­ which must be a good thing. That¡¯s more space for¡­ something. And having more space couldn¡¯t possibly be a bad thing. Well, I should probably get moving again. I really don¡¯t want to stay in these woods for any longer¡­ That whole thing with the bird, and the silence¡­ It''s just incredibly creepy. I look up towards the sky and face the mountain once more. I start running, trying to get out of here as quickly as I can. Chapter 8 My body twists as I dodge a vine shooting past me. I open my mouth and hack out a Spark, setting the plant monster aflame, then I run backwards, making sure to stay away from its flailing limbs. The creature dies from the quickly spreading fire. Its death is followed with the expected notification. Defeated [Lily of the Valley - Level 9] Experience is awarded for defeating an enemy. 1 skill level gained. Advanced [Spark] to level 4. 1 level gained. Advanced from 8 ¡ú 9. Finally! Only one more level until I reach 10! And then something special will happen¡­ I think. Right? The instinct confirms my thought. It¡¯s shown itself to be trustworthy, guiding me through all kinds of dangerous situations, so I can definitely trust it to tell me the truth. My body swells with power from the level up. I make sure to keep still so that I don¡¯t lose my balance. I think it¡¯s about time to get moving again. Though¡­ I do wonder how much longer it will take for me to get to the mountain. It¡¯s been forever, and only now am I finally drawing close. It would be nice if I reached level 10 before I got there. One more thought comes to mind as I begin walking. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve checked my Status. I wonder what it looks like? [Status]. Razag: Level: 9 Species: Crimson Dragon Hatchling General Skills: [Passive - Dragon Scales] lvl 2 [Passive - Danger Sense] lvl 1 Skills: [Spark] lvl 4 [Slash] lvl 3 Unused Skill Slots x 3 Stats: STR: 28 END: 37 VIT: 28 WIS: 35 INT: 33 Wow¡­ the numbers are so much higher than when I first got the Status¡­ I remember that back then they were all almost in the single digits¡­ And now they¡¯re all, or almost all, above 30! That must be why I feel so much stronger. I don¡¯t even feel tired right now. I increase my speed until I¡¯m moving at a comfortable lope. Even running barely affects me! The minutes slip by before my senses suddenly sharpen and I realize that something is wrong. What¡¯s happening? I abruptly stop moving. My instinctual response at this point is to consult the strange feeling inside of me. It responds with a faint sense of what could only be described as danger. Danger Sense? This is a result of Danger Sense? This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. So this is what happens when it detects something? ¡­ Guess I have to be careful then. I turn my head, allowing my eyes unfettered access to my surroundings. Now¡­ where is the thing that¡¯s triggering my Danger Sense? Despite my increased awareness, I don¡¯t notice anything suspicious. The ground is as solid and unyielding as ever, the leaves rustling in the wind naturally, and the bushes moving¡­ No, wait. Bushes wouldn¡¯t move that much from a mere breeze. The moment I start backing up, the movement stops. I leap to the side right as a white blur flies past me. Turning my head a little, I catch a glimpse of the creature. It has sleek white fur and is very thin. However, it¡¯s clearly not weak. Its speed definitively proves that. The creature takes advantage of my moment of disconcertion and charges me. I try to dodge, but this time, I¡¯m too slow. It smashes straight into my side. The wind is knocked out of me and my scales crack painfully. OWW! I shake my head and run to the side. My head throbs and the pain nearly distracts me, but I force myself to focus. I need to get to an area where this creature can¡¯t use its speed against me. I scan my surroundings. Where can I go¡­? A clearing? No, that would just give it more of an advanta¡ª One of my feet gets caught in a root, causing me to tumble to the ground. The creature shoots towards me again, aiming for the spot it attacked before. I push myself up and try to dodge. I fail. The creature slams into my side again, missing the spot it hit before. I finally get a good look at it. It¡¯s¡­ a fox? The attack ends up cracking new scales, rather than pushing the broken shards further into my skin. My legs lock, keeping me standing. OWW! How does it keep hitting me? I can¡¯t let it make contact again or it will absolutely destroy my scales. And then it¡¯ll be game over. I begin to move again. I need to get into an enclosed space where I¡¯ll have the advantage. Otherwise, this thing will tear me apart. I stumble forward, frantically searching for what I need. There! One of those tree hollows! That¡¯s the perfect place to go. I run to the closest one as quickly as I can. My sharpened senses allow me to notice the creature charging towards me. I¡¯m definitely not going to make it! I leap to the right, the creature whizzing right by me. It slams straight into the trunk of the tree and is momentarily dazed. This is even better! I can just Slash it now! I divert some of that strange energy to my arm, letting it pool there before sending it out in three deadly waves of light. The Slash tears three bloody furrows into the creature¡¯s body. It shrieks in pain. Again! I let out another Slash, this one aimed for the creature¡¯s head. The Slash tears through the creature¡¯s neck. Defeated [Albino Fox - Level 11]. More experience awarded for defeating an enemy of a higher evolution. Advanced [Slash] to level 4. Advanced [Dragon Scales] to level 3. Advanced [Danger Sense] to level 2. 1 level gained. Advanced from 9 --> 10 {EVOLUTION AVAILABLE} The creature falls to the ground, dead. The adrenaline coursing through my body begins to fade away. Guess I didn¡¯t have to go into the tree after all¡­ It left itself wide open. My muscles begin to ache as the intense physical activity begins to catch up to me. And wow¡­ my back barely hurts. I would think that my scales breaking would hurt more. Although¡­ I turn my head, examining my back. Woah! That¡¯s crazy. The two parts of my back that were hit are covered in a hardened, black substance. I can see shards of my scales poking out from the hardened liquid, which I assume is blood. It looks really bad but¡­ it barely even hurts. The adrenaline continues to fade away, and exhaustion quickly sets in. I¡¯m¡­ really tired all of a sudden. I should probably find somewhere to sleep. Like, right now. My eyelids try to close, but I force them to stay open. I should also bring the corpse of the fox with me. I can eat it when I wake up. I do a quick scan of the area around me, my eyes landing on a fallen log not too far from me. That might¡¯ve helped earlier¡­ but whatever. It should be a good enough place to sleep. I lean down and pick up the body of the fox in my jaws, leaving the head behind. Wow¡­ this is heavy¡­ I should be able to drag it into the log though. After what feels like an eternity of pushing through my exhaustion, I finally pull the fox into the decrepit log. The moment the last of its tail is inside, I collapse to the ground. That was¡­ so tiring. My will to stay awake disappears, and I pass out almost instantly. Chapter 9 I force my eyelids open. Everything is blurry. What¡¯s happening¡­? Where am I¡­? Small pains radiate from places all over my body. Why does everything hurt? The memories from yesterday come rushing back to me. Did I¡­ level up to ten? Didn¡¯t that feeling say something special would happen when I got there? The moment the thought comes to mind, my Status opens up without a direct order from me. Razag Level: 10 (Max Level) Species: Crimson Dragon Hatchling General Skills: [Passive - Dragon Scales] lvl 3 [Passive - Danger Sense] lvl 2 Skills: [Spark] lvl 4 [Slash] lvl 4 Unused Skill Slots x 3 Stats: STR: 30 END: 44 VIT: 30 WIS: 39 INT: 35 {Evolution Available} Evolution? Well¡­ I guess the feeling was right. That certainly is something different. But, more importantly, how did the Status open up on its own? It¡¯s never done that before¡­ The feeling makes itself known. So the feeling opened it up? I didn¡¯t know it could do that¡­ How do I evolve, anyway? The feeling sends a sense of opening the message. The message will tell me? Ok then. Mentally, I order the bolded text to expand. Another notification pushes at the edge of my mind, which I let in. Evolution is a process that allows monsters to evolve their race and increase their level caps. This process can take between 10 minutes and 2 hours, depending on how different the new species is from the old one. Wow¡­ I really did get a notification explaining it¡­ It¡¯s pretty simple, all things considered. Mainly, my level seems to be capped until I evolve, which probably means I can¡¯t level until I do it¡­ so I kind of have to. I do wonder, though¡­ is this why those dragons left me out here? To evolve? Either way, I probably should do it, since it¡¯ll only take a few minutes and the benefits would be astronomical. But¡­ am I safe in this log? Can I afford to stay here, dumb to the world? My stomach lets out a grumble, interrupting my internal musings. Again. Before I evolve, I definitely should eat something. I turn towards the fox and crawl towards it, then devour it. It takes what feels like mere seconds to eat the whole thing. Wow¡­ I haven¡¯t been that hungry since the day I was born. Anyways, now that I¡¯ve eaten, I should be ready to evolve. But how? ¡­ Probably by opening the message again. I open up my status and will it to open. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Checking if requirements have been fulfilled¡­ ¡­ All requirements have been met. Evolution commencing. The moment the words come to my mind, I black out. ¡­ My eyes open once more and I¡¯m met with complete blackness. The only sign that my eyes are actually open is a glow at the very edge of my vision. I¡¯ve been blacking out a lot recently¡­ Where even am I? A system message pushes at the edge of my mind. You are inside of an evolutionary space. This is the place where all of your achievements between evolutions culminate into new races that you can evolve into. You must pick one of the races before you leave this space. Then, your body will be transformed into that new race. Evolutionary space? I suppose it makes sense¡­ and it¡¯s based on achievements? That sounds¡­ interesting. I wonder what options I¡¯ll have? No more system notifications come. I guess it stopped answering questions¡­ Now, what the heck is that glow? I turn my head to the side. Three pillars of light extend infinitely upwards and downwards behind me. They¡¯re huge and, strangely, glow in ways that are more reminiscent of situations than colors. The one that is farthest to the left glows a green that reminds me of sunlight being filtered through leaves. The pillar in the middle glows a deep, angry red, like that of my scales. The pillar on the right almost seems to glow clear. But how is that possible? Something about the pillars calls to me. Maybe it¡¯s the way they glow, or their anomalous size. They slowly seem to grow closer. Or¡­? I look down at my legs and realize they¡¯re moving. When did that happen? My legs finally stop once I reach the leftmost pillar of light. What even are these things? My claw reaches out and is enveloped by the pillar. A message begins to push at the edge of my mind and I quickly allow it in. Nature Dragonling - You have surrounded yourself with life essence, allowing it to inundate your body and overwhelm your fiery nature. This is the result. The Nature Dragonling is a young dragon that manipulates the foliage surrounding it. In its natural forested environment, it is never without a weapon. SPL (Stats Per Level): STR +2, END +2, VIT +2, WIS +5, INT +5. Woah¡­ that must be one of my options for evolution. I suppose those other pillars must be the other options? This one seems so powerful... Since I can¡¯t find a way out of the forest, it makes perfect sense to build my abilities around it, so this would be perfect! But this is only the first one¡­ Maybe the others are even better! I back away from the pillar of light and the knowledge fades from my mind. I can still remember the words, but they don¡¯t have the same omnipresent feeling to them. I guess I should move towards the next pillar then. I walk towards the one glowing a deep red. I wonder what the option inside of this one is? My claw extends and enters the pillar. More knowledge pushes at the edge of my mind and once more, I eagerly allow it in. Fire Dragonling - You have not strayed from the path of your ancestors, following the trail they walked. This is the result. The Fire Dragonling is a simple evolution. It empowers the Crimson Dragon Hatchling, bringing all its powers to a higher level. SPL (Stats Per Level): STR +3, END + 3, VIT +3, WIS +3, INT +3. Wow. That really was a simple description. It just said, ¡°You can do everything you did before, but better.¡± That is a good thing, though. No new powers to acclimate to, just more of the same. It¡¯ll be like a more dramatic level up. A straight increase in power. Not bad at all. Now, it¡¯s finally time to see what the last option is. I withdraw my claw, turn, and walk to the last pillar. The one that shines with the peculiar ¡°clear¡± light. I extend my claw into it, causing a burst of knowledge to push at the edge of my mind. Arcane Dragonling - You have exhibited an intelligence far above the average of your age group. You have proven yourself prepared to walk the path of the Arcane, one requiring much study and knowledge. The Arcane Dragonling is given the first tools necessary to walk this arduous path in the form of the most basic of spells. SPL (Stats Per Level): STR +1, END +1, VIT +1, WIS +7, INT +7. That¡¯s an intriguing description. ¡°Walk the path of the Arcane¡±? ¡°Arduous path¡±? Right now I don¡¯t have access to any real knowledge¡­ besides those instincts, of course. But they don¡¯t really teach me, they just take control of my body¡­ Anyway, now that I¡¯ve looked at all the options, I should probably make a choice. But¡­ which one do I choose? Chapter 10 While all the evolutions have some sort of benefit, they also all have downsides. The Fire Dragonling compounds on what I have right now, making my current skills stronger and giving me more stats per level. The Nature Dragonling lets me use nature skills, which could be really useful right now. I assume that it would be a large boost in power in the forest. But if I leave the forest, I might be significantly weaker. The Arcane Dragonling could be really advantageous, but it could also be really harmful for me. I don¡¯t have any sources of knowledge that can teach me this, and while learning magic¡ªmagic!-¨Cwould be really cool, I might not be able to do it. If that happens, I¡¯m pretty sure my advancement would stall. After all, if something is important enough to be mentioned in the description, it must be related to the advancement. So that really narrows it down to two options. But which one should I choose? A large boost to what I already have or a change that could benefit me significantly? It has to be the change, right? I guess that decides it then. I turn away from the pillar of clear light and stroll towards the green one. Now¡­ How do I do this? Maybe I poke it like I did before? I extend a foretalon into the light and am met with a notification. Would you like to evolve into a Nature Dragonling? Yes/No Yes. The moment I decide, I black out. ¡­ I open my eyes and am met with a blindingly bright light. I blink rapidly as my eyes adjust. I turn my head, examining my surroundings. I thought I evolved in a log. Why am I out in the middle of the forest? Did something move me?! Wait¡­ did my parents finally come and get me? I search for any sign of them, but I see nothing that would mark this clearing different than the dozens of others I¡¯ve seen. Why am I out here then? I look down, and to my surprise, I see that I¡¯m covered in green scales. Beneath them lie bits of red scales, shards of wood and pieces of the hardened black substance that was all over me before. Is that¡­ the log I was in? And the bits of my hardened blood from before? Those scales must be mine then. I didn¡¯t realize that evolution would change my scale color¡­ although I suppose it makes sense, since I ostensibly changed my race. Everything looks so much smaller¡­ The evolution must''ve also changed my size then. Maybe I broke the log from getting bigger? I send a glance towards the shards of wood beneath me. Yeah, that¡¯s definitely what happened¡­ Maybe I should get moving. I don¡¯t think I can fit in those little hollows anymore, so unless I get to the mountain today, I probably won¡¯t have any shelter. I push myself to my feet, and almost stumble from just how high I go. Luckily I catch myself, and it takes a surprisingly small amount of time to acclimate to the increased size of my, well, everything. I¡¯m walking towards the mountain within seconds of getting up. Every step feels like two or three steps more than what I was doing before¡­ I wonder just how quick I¡¯ll be when I¡¯m running? I start to run, my feet pounding into the ground. I run for at least a quarter of an hour before slowing down. And I¡¯m barely even winded! This is amazing! The evolution didn¡¯t say that I would be so much stronger¡­ Speaking of, I wonder what¡¯s changed in my Status? [Status]. Razag Level: 10 Species: Nature Dragonling General Skills: [Passive - Dragon Scales] lvl 3 [Passive - Danger Sense] lvl 2 Skills: [Plant Control - Minor] lvl 4 [Slash] lvl 3 Unused Skill Slots x 3 Skill Bank: Stolen story; please report. [Flora Camouflage] lvl 1 Stats: STR: 32 END: 46 VIT: 32 WIS: 44 INT: 40 A new skill? I suppose it makes sense that I would get one from evolving. I wonder what it does? Assign [Flora Camouflage]. Skills: [Flora Camouflage] lvl 1 Now I just have to test it. [Flora Camouflage]. The expected rush of information comes and recedes quite quickly, leaving behind the knowledge of how to use the skill. Ok¡­ so I just have to do this¡­ I activate it and feel a small amount of energy leaving me. ¡­What happened? Nothing feels any different. I look down at my claws and see nothing. What?! I recoil and a distortion appears, shaped like my claws. I move my claw more and it distorts further, looking like a specific pattern being moved just a few inches to the side and making its whole shape easy to see. Strange¡­ Anyway, I should probably try out the replacement skill for Spark. What was it called again? Oh, yeah, it was Plant Control. I will the skill to activate and am immediately bombarded with information. The flood of information is significantly more intense than anything I¡¯ve experienced before, including the first time I used Status. Luckily it¡¯s gone in seconds. Owww! Why did that hurt?! Do you know anything about this? The guiding instinct stays quiet. This thing never answers when I need it to! Ugh. I let out a small sigh. Well the skill¡¯s already activated, so I might as well test it out¡­ Hopefully it won¡¯t hurt this time. [Plant Control]. I feel my mind reach out and present me options for which plants I can control. So I can control blades of grass, flowers, the roots of bushes, and vines¡­ I¡¯ll just do a blade of grass for now. I take control of the nearest piece of grass. It suddenly feels like I have a third limb. I can control it instinctively and it feels completely natural, kind of like how it felt when I first walked. However, unlike back then, I don¡¯t receive any sensory inputs from it. This is¡­ disconcerting. I wiggle the blade of grass. I wonder if I can do anything else with it? I force the tip to poke the ground. Contrary to what I expect to happen, it goes through without any resistance. I didn¡¯t realize that grass was so sharp¡­ I guess that¡¯s why they call it a blade. I chuckle at the bad joke. Anyways, it seems that there¡¯s only a one-time cost to activate the skill, then I can control the plant for however long I want. I give the sky a quick glance. It¡¯s already midday?! I guess I better get going. I let the blade of grass leave my control and it almost instantly tears in half. Oh¡­ I guess the skill was also increasing its durability. That¡¯s good to know. I turn back towards the mountain, putting the blade of grass out of my mind. Then I begin to run. ¡­ After almost a full day of running, with only a few breaks, I reach the base of the mountain. It¡¯s huge! There¡¯s no way I¡¯m getting anywhere near the top without being able to fly. Luckily I don¡¯t need to get to the top, but I would still need to fly to find a good cave¡­ I probably should learn, huh? Well, I guess I can start trying right now. Looking around, I realize that this location is a pretty good testing area. I have just enough room for my wings to fully extend, which should be enough for a small bit of practice. Now¡­ How do I do this? Maybe I can copy how my father flew? I try to remember how my father launched up into the air, but the memory comes back blurry. That¡¯s useless¡­ What else can I do? Maybe I can try emulating a bird? All I know about them is that they flap their wings really quickly¡­ Hopefully that¡¯s enough. I flap my wings. This is so hard! Why does it feel like I¡¯m wading through water? I bring them up as quickly as I can and flap down again. I keep trying, flapping as quickly as I can, but I only get a small boost off the ground and by the time I¡¯ve lifted my wings to beat again, I¡¯m already back on it. Trying to move my wings so fast is also making me really tired, since it feels like dragging a net through mud. This clearly isn¡¯t working¡­ Are there any other options? Maybe I can try what that massive bird did? Which was what¡­? Oh, right! It did one really powerful flap, then beat its wings pretty slowly after that. That should work¡­ The feeling agrees despite its silence during my previous failure. That¡¯s good. Wait a second, why didn¡¯t you tell me the other method would fail? The feeling doesn¡¯t respond. Ugh. This thing is so inconsistent. Time to try the new method, then. Extending my wings once more, I lift them as high as I can. I push them towards the ground as powerfully as I can, and the strange energy starts cycling through my body. I shoot a few feet off the ground. Woah! I quickly lose control of the flight and crash to the ground. Thankfully, the fall doesn¡¯t hurt me at all. That was crazy! It actually worked! Next time I just need to control it better¡­ ¡­ I land on the ground, sparing myself a tumble. I¡¯m definitely getting better at this. It¡¯s already way easier to catch myself and I can consistently get into the air. However, I need more space¡­ I don¡¯t have any room to maneuver in this tiny clearing; I need something much larger. Maybe there¡¯ll be somewhere suitable near the base of the mountain? I turn and consider the mountain. Yeah, and I should probably get as close to it as I can. It¡¯s my final destination anyway. I begin to run towards it, occasionally flexing my wings to make sure they don¡¯t get too sore from the earlier practice. Chapter 11 After a short jog, I reach the edge of a large clearing. Through the underbrush, I can make out sheer cliffs and the mountain I¡¯ve been following extending into the sky. Finally! I¡¯ve been going to this mountain for weeks! And now I¡¯m finally here! But¡­The cliffs are a sand red reminiscent of the cave I was born in¡­ except way, way taller. They also emit some kind of aura, a feeling of danger. This thing is even larger than I thought! And that strange aura¡­ Where is it coming from? I step into range of it, subsequently leaving the underbrush, and the aura changes almost instantly. It goes from a calm, albeit vigilant, examination of its surroundings to frantic desperation. Woah! What¡¯s with that sudden change? I¡¯m distracted by the sound of cracking stone. Looking up the red cliffs, I see small rocks rolling down and falling towards the ground. Strangely, even when they look like they should stop, they keep rolling and congregate into some barebones shape. Some kind of creature?.Once the entire skeleton is complete, all the dust in the area begins shifting and swirling. It flows towards the strangely shaped skeleton and fills out the shape. In the wave of dust, I spot a flash of glowing green light. Before I can even fully register that it¡¯s there, it¡¯s gone. Now that the shape is filled out, it looks like¡­ A spider?! The rocks look like armor plating, acting as the exoskeleton, while the dust looks like it¡¯s supposed to be the flesh. The swirling patterns and constant movement belie its true nature, however. What is this thing? It doesn¡¯t look friendly, so I¡¯ll probably have to fight it¡­ but how? I¡¯m broken out of my thoughts by a sudden flash of green light coming from the spider. When I refocus on it, I see that its previously hollow eye sockets now have small green flames in them. The flames swirl around in the socket before condensing into what resembles a pupil, one for each of its eight eyes. All eight of them narrow in on me. Oh no. The spider charges towards me. I throw out an instinctual Slash to dissuade it from such an approach, but it dodges and keeps on charging. I jump to the left, narrowly avoiding the creature¡¯s lunge. I launch another Slash at the spider, hitting it a mere second before it dodges. To my dismay, the attack barely puts a notch in the thing¡¯s earthen carapace. What the heck is this thing made of?! Even these trees take more damage from Slash! And they¡¯re crazy tough! I start moving away from the spider, putting distance between us to deny it a free attack. The spider is completely still, except for its eyes, which follow me. Why isn¡¯t it moving? I run backwards for a couple more seconds before stopping and using Flora Camouflage three consecutive times. Just to be safe. The spider¡¯s eyes swirl in its sockets, looking in eight different directions at once. It shouldn¡¯t be able to see me like this. My confidence in my camouflage takes a hit when the flames in the spider¡¯s eyes shrink for a second and turn an ocean blue. I feel like I¡¯ve seen eyes that color before¡­ The spider¡¯s eyes expand back to their original size and lock onto me. It knows where I am! Danger Sense gives a warning and I dash to the right. As I move I cancel Flora Camouflage, since there is no point in keeping it active. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Danger Sense warns me again. I leap to the left, almost fully dodging the now-charging spider. However, I do brush against the creature, which puts a crack in my scales, even if it¡¯s only a slight one. OW! What the heck?! Why is it so strong?! I run backwards, keeping an eye on it while putting some distance between us. This thing needs to die now. But how? If I drop my guard and it hits a more important part of my body, it¡¯s game over. This thing has an insanely durable carapace and I don¡¯t think I have anything more powerful than Slash¡­ besides maybe Plant Control? The spider launches itself towards me again. Luckily, the space I put between us lets me fully dodge it this time. It comes to a stop behind me and stands completely still. This is my chance! I use Plant Control to scout out if there is anything I can use to try and damage the spider. The array of options unfolds before me and I quickly notice a small bush right beneath the spider. Perfect! I take control of it. All of its leaves slough off and the branches bend and coil around each other before finally meeting at a sharpened and reinforced tip. Woah¡­ That looks dangerous. For the spider, at least. I push the wooden spike upwards and into the thorax of the spider. The roots strain as they shove the spike up and straight through the membrane surrounding the parts of the spider not covered in its rocky armor. The spike goes through with barely any resistance. The spider stumbles, trying to push itself off of the spike. I untwirl the very ends of the vines and shape them like hooks. It feels strange, like bending one¡¯s fingers backwards except without the pain. The hooks latch onto the spider¡¯s dust-flesh and tear it apart further. How is it not dead yet? If this doesn¡¯t kill it, what am I supposed to do? Oh, I know! I cancel Plant Control and the snapping of the bush echoes throughout the clearing. [Plant Control]. The skill activates once more and I search for another good plant near the spider. A needle-thin root of a nearby tree lays just beneath the surface, and just beneath the spider. I hope it doesn¡¯t break¡­ Selecting the root, I launch it through the ground and curl it around the spider¡¯s head. The creature is still stunned from the damage the deformed bush caused. Now I just have to¡­ The root tightens and crushes the creature¡¯s head like a grape. Woah! That¡¯s way stronger than I thought it was! The spider¡¯s earthy body falls into a haphazard pile. The sand quickly blows away while the rocks stand, marking the spot as the location of the creature¡¯s death. Sitting at the very top of the pile of rocks is a small green stone that is shining enticingly. How did that get there? The notifications of level-ups come knocking, interrupting my thoughts on the strange jewel. Defeated [Lesser Earth Elemental - Level 14]. Experience is awarded for defeating an enemy. 1 skill level gained. Advanced [Passive - Danger Sense] to level 3. 1 skill level gained. Advanced [Plant Control - Minor] to level 5. 1 skill level gained. Advanced [Flora Camouflage] to level 2. 1 skill level gained. Advanced [Slash] to level 4. 2 levels gained. Level advanced from 10 ¡ú 12. Woah¡­ That¡¯s a lot of notifications¡­ How many levels did I gain from that? One, two, three¡­ four skill levels and two main levels?! That¡¯s crazy! Even the fox didn¡¯t give this much! My eyes turn to the shining green stone lying on the ground. And I still don¡¯t even know what this thing is! What does it even do? The instinct that stayed mostly silent throughout the battle flares up, demanding that I eat the stone. Almost unconsciously, my claws begin to extend towards it.