Day 61

Waking up to new instincts filtering into your mind was something you expected, it happened every time you'd eaten something outstanding after all.

What wasn't expected was for you to be unable to move.

Or rather, not being able to move, as doing so could result in your den collapsing

Fortunately, a quick transformation into your smaller hybrid form freed you. But just because you were free now didn't change the fact, that you were officially too big for your den under the castle.

It… wasn't a pleasant discovery.

[Inherent understanding charge refreshed]

[Grand ascension] achievement upgraded to (Plus) 1

Grand ascension(Plus) 1: You gained an ability that you should never have been able to.

Focus: [General evolution quality up (large)], [Absolute prodigy], [Resources up (large)]

Causality worth: 10


Bio-shrink (stat-offset) (Intermediate)

Reduce the size of living things you touch by 60%. Reduce their stats by 2%.

Can be stacked up to 3 times

Lasts until you dismiss it

Can be resisted (dc dependent on your magic stat and recipient spirit stat)

Cost: 5% MP


Eventually, you decided to put off expanding your den for a later time. Until then?

You were going to the academy.

Thankfully, the issue from yesterday didn't affect the lessons today, with you learning at your usual rate. Slightly faster even, since it turned out that the academy had 'optional days' in which they taught more stuff than usual.

You hadn't known that, though you weren't complaining.

[Neutral] (Plus) 5 Level's - [31]

[Enhancement] (Plus) 5 Level's - [10]

In fact, you took advantage of the 'spell creation period' that was only held on optional days to try and create a little solution for your size problem.

One that wouldn't weaken you a ridiculous amount when you used it.

The result of this was you, with a little help from a teacher, fusing some of the concepts of neutral magic enhancement into the bio-shrink spell. Making it so that you essentially had a bio-shrink spell that weakened you less than half as much as the normal one did.

It did weaken you more than just turning into your smaller forms would… but it was several times more comfortable and a decent half-measure.

The only other thing of note that happened was that there was a different woman teaching alchemy. Apparently, Isla needed to do something important… she told you that you only needed to take your clothes off if you were wearing something made of 'volatile' materials. Your academy clothes did not count.

It was a bit annoying having to put the clothes back on at her request, if only because she let you start experimenting before she asked.

[Alchemy] (Plus) 3 Level's - [40]

After that came cooking club… which was completely empty when you arrived. Something that remained the case even when you waited for a while.

It wasn't until you'd started just randomly experimenting with things that Mina finally ran, or more like walked with how slow she ran, into the room and finally explained what was up with the lack of people here.

Turns out, clubs are closed on optional days.

You would have liked to know that earlier… still, you guessed the cooking practice was good enough.

[Cooking] (Plus) 2 Level's - (29/30)


Your return to your den was done under a single cast of your freshly created spell…

It had been a while since your den had felt so roomy.

But anyway, once you were settled into your den you began poking at the thing that had popped up in your head this morning. The one you put off so since you wanted to go to the academy first.

Well now you had the time, and if you had to guess this was probably those lessons Fortisax talked about.

You guessed right as, the moment you mentally prodded it, you found yourself back in that place, apparently your soul, with Fortisax waiting right in front of you.

"Hmph, took thy time didn't thee?" were the first words out of his mouth, "perhaps thou wish to learn more mortal magics more than the far superior magics of the dragons?"

Well, you wouldn't mind learning more about neutral magic or alchemy. But wasn't he going to teach you about being a dragon?

"… that was my fault. I should not have expected thy mind to suddenly comprehend the nuances of satire," you look at him confused. What satire was he talking about? "… just show me thy progress with the lightning of ancient dragons."


"Thy lightning is lacking will," that was the observation of Fortisax, after he'd seen you use the red lightning in every way you could. Which wasn't all that many ways, "from what I can observe? It is being manifested purely through thy power."

You'll admit, you didn't quite understand how that was a bad thing. Shouldn't the lightning be from your power if you were the one making it?

To your question, Fortisax just shook his head, "that is only to manifest the first sparks, which thou must then fan, as if it were a flame, with thy will. Thy current methodology, to forcibly use power in place of will, not only wastes thy fortitude and lowers thy control of it."

Alright, you understood that… you think. So what do you do to fix it?

Fortisax momentarily pauses, a thinking expression on his draconic face. Then he finally speaks.

"Use thy power to summon a spark, only a spark," he instructs. You do so, summoning tiny sparks that arc between your claws and onto scales, "now, keep doing that and focus thy mind on thy self. Imagine floating within a river, following a current."

It takes you a moment, with the occasional need to resummon the sparks when you get distracted, but soon you manage to do so. Almost feeling the sensation of floating along the river…

"Now, imagine floating across the surface of the river… and then imagine planting thy feet into the riverbed."

… and suddenly the image in your mind warps, and with it the sparks burst into a massive lightning storm within your claws.

You can't help but look at it in fascination, surprised at the sheer… control you suddenly had over each spark, with a simple mental nudge letting you turn a spark into a shape that vaguely looked like the river in your mind.

"Good," Fortisax nod, approval audible in his voice as he looked at the palm top storm you held, "that is passable enough… now, let us see if we can teach you about using it to strengthen thyself."

[Red lightning] (Plus) 7 Level's - [12]

[Strengthen attack aspect added to red lightning]


Some time later, your experimentation with the red lightning was stopped by Fortisax, with him deeming the current progress sufficient enough to move on… or well, in his words it was 'adequate, if barely'.

Which is why you were sitting and listening to Fortisax explain what you would be learning.

"Now, I know that thy body isn't quite as… ideal, as mine, in shape," he gestured to his body and yours, " but thy wings are not thy arms like those soft-scale mockeries… which means that the art of combat I have created should be beneficial for thee."

There's a pause in which you think about it, then you tell him you understood.

It was something Fortisax did, pausing after everything to get you to tell him if you understood. It gave you time to think about questions you otherwise wouldn't have considered.

It was rather helpful when it came to learning.

"Good," he nodded, "now, I shall begin by showing thee some basic ground combat forms, ones that utilise thy wings and tail to restrain."

He then proceeded to do just that, showcasing in detail how you should use your wings to put pressure on specific joints so you can make it harder for the, imaginary, enemy to exert force through those joints… then he asked you to use what you learnt on him.

"Of course, I shall escape from thy hold easily enough. A mere whelp can not overwhelm a true master of the art after all."

Those were the words he gave you when you asked him when you should let go of him. Specifically, if he'd say some words or tap on you, or something similar, as a sign for you to let go.

… you shrugged and then proceeded to do as he asked.

In fact, you went even further beyond. Shifting your wings into hardened rods that locked limbs and wings, while your tail easily wrapped him up… frankly, your claws weren't even needed at that point, but you still used them.

Then you waited for Fortisax to break free like he said he would.

Then you waited some more.

Then some more.

You ask Fortisax if he's going to try to break free. Only to realise that you had actually wrapped his maw closed too. You consider it for a bit… and then decide to release your fellow dragon.

"I was almost free," those were the first words that he said after being released and collapsing onto the ground.

You ask him, since you released him early, if you should do it again so he could properly demonstrate.

"No, that is quite alright," he said, still on the floor and breathing heavily, "I swear to Placidusax's sixth head, how is it that the only thing he retains is strength?"

You tilt your head, not quite hearing the words he mumbled under his breath.

Still, it didn't matter as Fortisax soon got up an began teaching again, showing you various other stances for different situations and even showing you how to translate skills from human form to draconic form.

This time he did not do any demonstrations with him as the target… you also herd him mumble about his back hurting a few times.

[Claw combat], [Tail combat], [Fang combat], [Breath weapon combat] combined into one skill

[Draconic body combat] skill gained

Draconic body combat [Experienced] [Passive] (5/15)

(Plus) 18 to combat rolls when using drconic methods (claws, tail, wings, breath, etc) in melee

Allows usage of other combat skills (up to beginner rank)you learnt as a human in dragon form


Shifting from two feet to all four you pivot your shoulders, wings shifting into a spiked pauldraon, as you charge and skewer the air in front of you. Then the ground cracked as your claw slammed down and, with a pivot on it, you sent your tail whistling through where the imaginary opponent's head would be.

"Alright, thy mastery of combat is good enough for now," Fortisax's voice called out, causing you to stop your fight with the air, "now, I believe it is time to teach thee about one of the most important aspects of being a dragon."

Within moments you are seated in front of the older dragon, ready to learn these really important things.

"I see thy eagerness in learning these things," he looks at you approvingly, "good. Thou must learn this after all… now, I shall start this by asking a simple question. What is a dragon? What makes a dragon a dragon?"

A dragon is… something that can fly and breathe fire?

Oh! They also have to have scales too.

"Hmm, all true statements. Yet they miss the true essence of dragonhood… in fact, look at this," he raises a claw, and with a wave a screen of light forms.

It shows… a dragon?

Well, it shows a winged and scaled creature breathing fire onto some animals. So a dragon by your description, even though it only had two legs and its wings replaced its front claws.

"Incorrect, these are not dragons," Fortisax shook his head, denying your observation, "look closer at them. Look at their soft scale, look at their deformed body, how even a human born of a whore would have a purer bloodline then these witless lizards, how-"

You continued listening as Fortisax continued to insult the not-dragon he had conjured the image of… and got the distinct impression he didn't like them.

"-mere limp-winged worms that need to be cleansed… oh, where was I?" finished with his prolonged insulting session, he realised that he had gotten off-topic, "ah, that is I right. What distinguishes dragons from these common winged lizards, aside from our sounder physical form, is that we are simply superior."

You contemplate that.

Though the idea resonated with your thoughts you couldn't help but have questions… specifically how exactly dragons were superior.

"In every way."

Oh well, that made sense…


… but in the end, while it made sense, you couldn't fully agree with it.

Of course, it was obvious that dragons were superior in certain aspects compared to every other species. After all, you had really hard scales, could fly, and your breath could kill most things easily… but that was the thing.

Your breath could kill most things easily, but not all.

You'd experienced that already, with the occasional need to run away from things you'd hit during hunts. Many of them were certainly not dragons.

The same could be applied to all other aspects.

Even humans, the tiny useless beings that they were, tended to have something they were better at. Like how there seemed to be so many of them and how they always seemed to look the same.

So yes, you wouldn't say that dragons were superior in every way to other species… just in most ways.

"Well, while thy opinion is clearly wrong, but it is thy right to hold it I suppose…"

Except for butterflies. Dragons were thousands, millions, of times better than them in every single aspect.

"Wha-"

Really, it'd be better if they were wiped out from existence. Would really improve reality in every single way.

Actually, if you could? You would gather up all the butterflies in one single area so you could kill them in a way that would inflict the most suffering upon them before they died.

"I see," you nod at Fortisax, glad that he understood that, "… I can not believe that such discrimination… well, I suppose I shall have to teach him to be better."

[Votusax personality more or less stays the same]


Day 62

By the time you had finished your lessons with Fortisax it was a brand new day.

The sun had come up, the sound of humans in the city above was beginning to become more frequent, and the academy had probably opened for you to go to.

Except you didn't really feel like going to the academy.

Which was… a new thing for you.

Causality: 8/17


Of course, since you didn't feel like going to the academy, you didn't go.

Instead, you decide to just… go and hunt some weak prey. Training your senses as you do so by trying to find any particularly powerful weak prey, possibly one that may have a nice core for you to eat.

After all, just because you weren't going to the academy didn't mean you were going to stop trying to improve.

And as it turns out? You succeeded greatly.

In improving your senses and, much more significantly, in the hunt itself.

Quite frankly, it felt like everything was just lining up for you to kill them and take their bodies when you got into the black of the skies.

Not to mention that you just found, or rather ripped out, a total of four different cores. On top of that, most of the bodies you took some bites out of also tasted pretty good. Even if you channelled the devoured flesh into the rune of consumption, what with you not wanting any power from such weak beings.

And, as if to cap off the great hunt with even more good news, your Thief job class also reached the max level. Something you knew because of the mental notification it gave you upon doing so.

… maybe you should find out what to do to further that. Because, from what you could tell, there didn't seem to be any way for further progress.

Maybe ask Lysha?

Well, you'll figure it out. But for now you'll just return to your den.

… you had to cast the bio-shrink spell twice to get into your den comfortably. Turns out, you were about twice as big now, judging by your size in comparison to the mouth of your den at least.

4 [t4 cores] gained

[Rune of consumption] Charge gained

[(Plus) 60 to all stats]

[(Plus) 15 agility]

[(Plus) 50 Strength, Constitution, Spirit, & Magic]

[Primeval senses] (Plus) 1 Level - (2/6)


Primeval senses (changes only)

You can see far better (Plus) 35 to applicable rolls requiring heightened sense (i.e. hunting, ambush, tracking)

?


[You've reached the maximum level for this Evolution]

[Thief class reached level 35 (MAX)]

[Target] and [Pinpoint] active skills gained

[Sneak] active skill upgraded


Your return to your den was a quick one, with you not going as far out as you normally would due to the abundance of prey coming at you.

This meant that, once you returned, you had time to think about how things had been recently… which is how you remembered that you still hadn't seen Myra for a while.

Since that weird talk the two of you had, if you remember correctly.

She hadn't come to tell you about the metals herself either, sending that maid with the information instead.

Maybe you should check up on her?

Yes, you should do that. It wouldn't do if Myra was in trouble after all.

So, getting up, head towards the exit of your den… right after you munched on the four weaker crystals you had, the ones your instincts told you wouldn't send you to sleep like the better one.

After that yo- oh hey, why is the floor coming up to your face?

You wake up with a jolt, rapidly looking around at your surroundings and the entrance, only to see that the sun outside has moved further along the sky.

Did… did those crystals send you to sleep?

That only happens with the better crystals, the ones that strengt- oh. You see.

As you questioned the situation, more information just popped into your mind through your instincts. Of how you now had a new ability, explaining why you had been sent to sleep.

In fact, if you concentrated, you could almost feel the little extra section that had been added to the edge of your consciousness by those crystals.

[Inherent understandings] upgraded due to the allocation of cores to mental


Inherent understandings [Unranked] [passive] (changes only)

Subconscious innovation: When you sleep you can set this to focus on training a single magic skill. That skill will improve slowly with background learning rolls, that have a massive malus, from then on. Regardless of if you're asleep or not.

(Current focus: None)

[(Plus) 5 to all stats]


But anyways, putting that out of your mind for now, you went back to what you were doing before you were put to sleep.

That is, you left the den in search of Myra.

It took a while, and a lot of questions asked from anyone you saw in the palace, but you eventually figured out where Myra was.

"Ah, lady Myra? She is currently in her room," by which you mean you found a maid, the same one who brought you the metal locations, pushing a trolley of food who knew where she was, "if you want to meet her I could take you to her, I need to bring this food to her anyways, and well…"

You nod and thank her for the help… and she's turning red. Truly, you could confirm with certainty that she is Myra's maid.

Still, you followed behind her as she, very slowly, made her way to Myra. Going through various halls, corridors, and up some ramps, until she finally approached some large wooden doors with roses engraved into them with some purple metals.

Even before the maid had confirmed it, you knew that behind those doors was Myra.

"-he can't just keep getting away with it!" mostly because you heard her shout from inside the room, "it doesn't even make sense for him to get this upgrade without all the other ones!"

The shouts were faint, even to your senses, and they ended the instant the maid knocked on the door.

"Lady Myra? I've got your dinner."

There's silence inside, then the sound of paper shuffling and what you recognise as the movement of books. Then you saw something shift around the door and Myra's voice came through, "come in, the door's open."

The maid did so, and you walked into the room behind her. You look around, examining the room you stepped into.

It was pretty spacious, compared to your current human form's size, with furniture that even you could tell was just better than anything you'd seen before. It was also pretty lit up, with natural light coming through the four large windows, all with imagery of flowers on them, as well as the light from the chandelier hanging from the roof.

All in all, you'd say that Myra's den was actually pretty good.

Especially that huge, in comparison to your human size again, bed. That looked relly comfortable. As for Myra herself…

Well, you see Myra sitting in a chair. Her head is on the table in front of her, face down, and pile of books next to her. Some of the books, from what you could see, even had their names on the spines facing towards you.

'Monsters and their biology', 'Effect of levels on monsters', 'Monstrous growth' and various other books on similar topics.

"Just leave the food on the table," she tells the maid, gesturing to the table with two seats off to the side. Not lifting her head from its current position as she did so.

"Of course, my lady," the maid bowed, "I just wish to inform you that I have brought your patron as you instructed to do if he were to appear."

"Wait, my patr-" Myra begins speaking, before abruptly going completely still. Then, she stiffly sat up straight and slowly turned to look at you and… you were, of course, not surprised at all at what happened next.

She turned bright red.

The prolonged and high-pitched sound that escaped her was a tad bit more surprising, but that wasn't too out of her usual behaviour either.


It took a while for Myra to be able to speak normally, after which she immediately did three specific things.

First, she sent the maid out of the room. Then, she put away all the books in the pile on the desk. Finally, after telling you to sit and eat the food, she disappeared through a different door before returning a bit later, now wearing different clothes, slightly damp, and smelling completely different.

Then she just sat down on the other side of the food-filled table and just watched you finish the last of the offered food.

But eventually she did speak, "So… what brings you around here?"

To her question you gave an honest answer, that you were here because you wanted to make sure she wasn't in trouble or anything. Since you hadn't seen her for a while.

You then ask her if everything was fine, just to be sure.

You didn't really want a good source of things you like like Myra to be harmed or go away after all… plus you did like her, and she was yours anyway.

"Ah, well…" she scratched her cheek while looking away from you, "thank you for worrying I guess, and sorry for just disappearing. I… needed to figure out some things, which I've more or less done now."

Oh, well that's good.

"Yep," she agrees, blowing a stray hair out of the way, "actually. Votusax, could I ask something of you?"

You look at her, humming in question.

"I have this little test I have that, well," she's fidgeting now, "I just need you to do it… and if you pass it you'll even get something special!"

You perk up immediately at the mention of getting something, asking her what the test was. To which she just hands you a couple of sheets of papers, with questions at the top of each one.

You ask her if this is it.

"Yep, all you need to do is answer these and…" she trails off, but you get it.

You'd get something she considered 'good'. Considering all the stuff you've already gotten from her, that's definitely going to be good.

So, taking the implement she offers, you begin the test.

Most of the questions are simple, merely asking what you'd do in scenarios.

Things like what you'd do if someone you didn't know stole something you liked—you'd kill them—or how you'd put a giraffe, whatever that was, into a small room—you'd open the room door and put it in before closing it—and other such, simple, questions.

But you soon hit a question that you actually had to think about.

One that came with some pre-written answers to circle too, or write your own one in if you wished to.


How would you deal with conflict, that isn't violent, with an ally or friend?

You consider it, mentally creating a scenario where that would be the case. Maybe Lansseax said she wasn't going to let you go eat something she said was dangerous?

Yes, that seemed like a fitting scenario.

In that case you would…

Well, you wouldn't care. Right?

Actually, no. She would be stopping you eating, there's no chance that you wouldn't care.

Maybe use violence?

Again, no. You didn't want to do that, both your instincts and conscious mind finding that thought… distasteful.

Maybe you could bribe her with some of the soub you make?

You shake your head after thinking about it for a moment. You instinctively knew for a fact that there was no way that Lansseax would be bribed, not if she wanted to stop you from eating something dangerous.

… eventually, you just sigh and circle the premade option of trying diplomacy.

Trying to convince her seemed like the best option. Plus, you could always just sneak away and eat something if she disagreed anyways.

After that question, it was back to the simple scenarios.

How would you put a large elephant in the room—you'd open the door, take out the giraffe if there wasn't enough space, and put it in before closing the door—which of these patterns fits into this sequence—that one—and more.

Then came another tough question.

How would you plan for future events or tasks?

The reflexive answer that comes to you is to circle the option that says you should take as much of your time as possible to plan as meticulously as possible. It made sense after all, that the more of something there is the better.

So if you spent more time planning it'd, obviously, be better. Right?

That idea was dismissed as soon as it came to you. What was the point of meticulously making a plan if things changed and it became useless?

No, it was much better to have a vague plan and an end goal. After that you could just go ahead and adapt as needed, the same way as you usually did things… that is, when you weren't just using your instincts.

Still, you write down that answer and move on.

Why did a human get crushed when he stepped into a room—probably because he stepped into the room where you put the elephant and humans are weaker than elephants—what makes two people out of one—magic probably—and so on, until the inevitably happened.


If someone tells you that you are doing something wrong, and tells you the right way of doing it, what would you do?

The immediate answer to that question, that pops into your mind, is to simply write that you'd ignore it. After all, if you were doing something, and it was working, there wasn't a need to stop doing it like that.

Then a memory came to you, of a specific flame that you ate while thinking that what you'd always done would also work this time.

You remembered the pain from that… misconception.

Then you just circled the option that said that you'd correct yourself and moved on.

How did the human woman husband die mysteriously—he was probably the human who stepped into the room you'd stored that elephant in— and what is the day before two days after the day before tomorrow—it's tomorrow.

Then, you were on the final piece of paper and, predictable, on the last difficult question. One with no pre-written options.

This one… confused you quite a bit.


You understood, objectively, what love was. You knew the definition of it.

That being an intense feeling of deep affection, fondness, attachment, and whatever other similar concepts there are.

But what does it mean to you specifically?

That was a head-scratcher, primarily because the question itself implied that there was an actual difference between the two definitions. Which was a worrying thing, since, you didn't know that at all and you were rather hoping to get the things promised in exchange for the test.

So you thought, and then thought some more. Running scenarios and trying to use already answered questions to try and figure out some context.

You didn't get much, and time only continued passing as you did so.

Until finally, with your head feeling warm from the sheer effort you put into coming up with an answer, you figured out something satisfactory.

The logic was simple.

You knew that the objective definition of love was attachment, fondness, and whatever. You also knew that the objective definition of hate was an intense dislike, abhorrence, and such.

They were the opposites… and thus, by that logic, the subjective definition of love for you would be the opposite of your subjective definition of hate. You hated butterflies, not eating, and wasting time.

Lansseax and Fotisax, who taught you in the most efficient ways and provided the strength to kill butterflies, Myra, who provided good food and teachers, and soub, the best thing you'd eaten in your life. Those three things were what came to your head when you wanted the opposite of the three main things you hate.

Thus… for you, they would be the subjective meaning of love.

"Ah, are you done?" Myra asks as you hand her the papers with the answers on them, to which you just nod, "okay… now, just let me look this over for a minute."

You let her, watching as she pulls out a book and starts going through the test. Occasionally comparing the papers with what she had in the book…

Then she reached the last page and paused, staring at it. Her aura went through so many colours that you had no clue what she would actually be feeling.

Then she slowly put down the paper and closed her eyes, leaning back into the chair and facing the ceiling.

A moment passed.

Then she sat up straight and looked at you again, "uh, well… you passed? Yeah, you passed," she nodded to herself, "I'll bring you that promised prize like normal…"

There's silence as you continue looking at her, with it being clear that she wants to say more.

She soon does, "hey, there's going to be a little… function, I suppose you could call it, in nine days. Do you, maybe, want to go to it with me?"


Nine days… nine days…

Mentally, you do a quick count… and instinctively begin to say no as you realise that the time given was after you'd be using that ability. The one that took you to other places rich with good foods.

But then your thinking mind caught up with your reflexes and you remembered that, last time, time hadn't passed at all while you were away.

Meaning you could go with her… assuming time didn't pass.

You couldn't remember if time had passed the first time you'd used that ability, so you weren't exactly sure right now… oh well, she could summon you anyway.

Still, you informed her that you would go with her, though she may have to summon you if you weren't there on time.

"Great!" the smile she gave was… notably different from any she'd given before, "I'll make sure to summon you a bit before the function starts so you can prepare properly, if that's okay with you?"

You agree readily, it didn't really make much of a difference after all.

"Great! " she repeated herself, before getting up and wrapping her arms around you, "and thank you, Votusax. For everything," then she has let go of you, "now, is there anything you need from me?"


Hearing her question, the cloud of desire, that had clouded your mind upon the promise of rewards, cleared and you remembered a couple of things that you did, in fact, have to ask her.

Specifically some things about the job classes and what to do when you reach the limit of one. So you ask.

"Eh?" Myra blinked when you asked that.

"Eh?" Wide-eyed, she just stared at you and continued to make the questioning sound. "EH?"

You decided, seeing that she kept making the one sound, to repeat your question. How do you progress the job class after it tells you that it's reached the peak?

"I heard you the first time… but what the hell! When did you get a job class system?" she pauses, "how did you get the job class system?"

Well, you followed these white-dressed people, who gave you some food, into this weird building a couple of days ago—your explanation is momentarily interrupted by Myra slamming her head into a wall—and then you were transported to this weird place where this weird, seemingly bird obsessed, lady gave it to you in exchange for agreeing to let her see you.

What follows is Myra hitting her head into the nearby wall a few more times, before calmly walking up to you and grabbing your shirt and shaking you, or trying to at least, while making random noises.

Eventually though, she stopped and, after a deep breath, began speaking actual words instead.

"Alright, I'm a mature adult. I can ignore the meeting with the gods for now, it's fine," the words, while said aloud, seemed more addressed to herself than anyone else, "so, Votusax, you somehow have job classes now and you want to know what to do when you max one?"

Well, yes. But you didn't get it 'somehow', you got it from th-

"So! To progress in the job class system you somehow got," she interrupted again with a wide smile. Not that you minded, since she was answering the question you had, "you need to get a new class from one of the class giver orbs in the churches. Those would give you a new class that'd go over your old, maxed, class… and speaking of which, what is it?"

Oh, so you have to go to this church… and the job you have now is called thief. That Lysha woman—Myra's whole body twitches—told you it'd help you get cores without destroying them, so you chose it.

"I see. Thief. That's… not bad I guess?" she asks, to which you shrug, "well, not like you need any more power, so it's good… though I'd like to ask you not to take another class even if you levelled thief to the max now. Not before I do my research at least."

Tilting your head in curiosity, you ask her why.

"Ah, well. Some classes work really well together, and if you wait I could come up with a class map for the future…" she placed a finger on her chin, a thoughtful expression on her face before suddenly blinking and wearing an expression of realisation instead, "of course I'm not forcing you or anything! You're free to do whatever you want, I'm not trying to be controlling or anything."

For some reason, she seemed particularly worried when she talked about being controlling.

But, again, you just shrugged and gave your acceptance.

"Right, well. I'll be sure to explain the intricacies of classes at a later time," you could see relief clearly in her aura, "…any more bombshells to drop?"

… but you didn't drop any explosives he-

"I meant to ask if you wanted to discuss anything?"

Oh, in that case… you contemplate the answer to that.

You had wanted to ask for more information on job classes, but she was going to tell you about that later anyway. Was there anything else?

Well, you could show her the new ability you just got thanks to the metals she pointed you to.

"Ah new ability, is it the on-" a flash of golden filaments and shining particles and your human form is clad in the golden armour, that your scales turned into when you were human. No sooner had you done so that you felt a pulse of weak magic washed over you, coming from Myra, giving off the feeling of… information, "-ah. I see."

You wait for something more to be said, but that doesn't happen. Instead, Myra continues to stare at you.

Until she abruptly turns around, opens a drawer, retrieves and orb, and then returns to you, "hey, I know this is out of the blue, but could I see your status sheet? I'll show you mine in exchange… honestly, I'll show you that anyways if you want. But can I just see yours for a second? Please?"

Outstretched is her hand, holding the orb she'd retrieved. The intent from her, to have you touch it, was clear.

It was probably a way to see your status…


… so you just touched it readily, feeling a pulse of… something, pass through you as you did so.

Then you, without conscious input, found the orb being chewed in your mouth… maybe those magic control training classes had more of an effect on you than you expected. Yet, Myra didn't react to the disappearance of the orb like the neutral magic teacher.

In fact, she didn't react at all.

All she seemed to be doing was just staring into the air in front of her while mumbling under her breath, low enough that even you could barely catch every other word.

"What the fuck is this… the fuck is that… the fuck is all this… what in the picklehumping hell is this?"

You didn't even understand some of the words, the ones that just seemed like mixtures of random other words. But on and on she went, until you had to interrupt her yourself.

"Huh? Oh right, I, uh… I got distracted… I…" her eyes unfocused momentarily again, staring into the distance, before looking like she wanted to ask something. Only to then shake her head, "I've got some… questions. Actually, no. I've got a lot of questions. But I'll ask them after I can actually sort through… this. But that's for later. For now, here's my status sheet."

Once again, she held out a hand. This time in a way that made it clear that she wanted you to shake it.

You did so, and found information flooding into your mind.


Species: Human ((Plus) 1 to all stats every 10 levels)

Bloodline: High human [Light/death] ((Plus) 3 to all stats every level)

Level: 12

Class: Grand herald SP: 65 ((Plus) 518/turn)

MP: 62 ((Plus) 277/turn)

Strength: 53

Constitution: 43

Agility: 73

Spirit: 76

Magic: 78

Abilities

Patron bond (Level 150 Astral dragon):

Regeneration (Mythic) SP recovery (Elite) MP recovery (Elite) Conditional immortality Semi-total biological immortality Affinites: Fire, Lightning, Ice, Poison, Wind, Origin, Entropy Abilities labelled with ࿂ symbol are affected, or even granted, by this ability

Death and light affinity [Advanced] ࿂

Additional 10 points when creating death or light spells

Death spells are ?

(Plus) 60 to rolls when learning death or light spells

Bloody grit [Intermediate] ࿂

SP recovery can be boosted via the consumption of HP for 2 hours per sacrifice. Each 1% HP sacrificed boosts SP recovery by 1 per turn

Evolved epicure [Advanced] ࿂

Allows the consumption of any food, even those otherwise harmful to eat.

Massively mitigates negative effects of harmful foods eaten.

Allows permanent boost from high-quality meal

Type 4c-beta-pneuma connectors [Artificial]

Allows connection of "Pneuma" type devices directly to soul

Current attachements (1/5)

Feric-2Ω Cataphract: Redistribute energy intake to physical capabilities multiplier

Repressed breakdown [Advanced] [Unique]

Massively boosts the ability to learn and improve while trying to hide. This boost is increased further if the user is hiding from something that will end her, subjective, life upon discovery.

Hardened mask [Intermediate] [Unique]

Large boost to resisting unwanted external influences.

Enables suppression of mental injuries/instabilities

Fiber-laced skin [Lesser]

Provides a small boost to physical and magical resistance due to skin being laced with fibres of golden metals.

Skin possesses minor physical force reflective properties and has a light white shine

Mystic mind [Unranked] ࿂

Enable learning of a wider range of magic and sensing of various mystical energies

Massively increase the ease of learning magic

Active skills

Call patron [Unranked]

Use a complex combination of spells from several schools to summon your patron to your location.

Patron bond [Unranked]

Use the principles of causality, and various spells, to form a bond with a willing being of a higher level. Many things can be shared through this bond.

Send offerings [Advanced]

Send unresisting items, up to advanced rank, directly to your patron with a magical packet that informs them that it is from you.

Magic Light [58] Death [72] Neutral [39] Curse [ 41] Fire [15]


It takes you a moment to interpret the information you'd gotten, and another to have an opinion on it… that being that this was just, really bad for someone who had access to all the good food.

Myra evidently needed to eat and hunt a lot more than she was doing now.

"Alright so, I know I'm gonna regret asking this, but…" she hesitated, before sighing and continuing, "do you have anything else you need to do?"

Hmm, you don't think so? Yes, you'd more or less talked and shown anything you would have wanted to… oh wait, actually-

"Oh sweet merciful budha no."

-wait, no. She'd already told you about how to upgrade your job classes, or rather, that you didn't actually upgrade them and only replaced them… yeah, you think that's pretty much all you came here for.

So you suppose you'll be going now.

She give an audible sigh of relief, before smiling as she sends you off… you hear the sound of someone flopping onto the floor when she closes the door. Then there's just a long, keening, sound that seemed to be brimming with the concept of 'somewhat happy, but also really concerned' suffering.

…it was a weird sound to hear, and you didn't really understand it. You kind of just… knew to describe the feeling you got from the sound as that.


With the confirmation of Myra's well-being gained, there was really only one thing you felt the want to do for the rest of the day.

Learning some more.

And since the academy was closed what you did, upon returning to your den, was close your eyes and poke that spot in your mind… and so you were once again in front of Fortisax.

Why was he looking at you like that?

"Explain to me, what did thou understand the… implications behind that human's words?" he asked, instead of telling you what the look was about.

Myra?

"Indeed. Her."

Yes? You did understand what she said… why? Was there something else?

"… explain what they were."

She wanted you to go to an event, maybe another tournament or something, with you. Right?

You keep getting that look from Fortisax… before he suddenly just raises his head to the skies, "how! By Marika's gaping cunt, how! From manwhore to- to- to this!"

He waves his claws wildly in your general direction.

Then his head just falls limp, hanging so that it's aimed at the floor, as he sighs, "… my regret for that jesting vow is immeasurable," finally, he raises his head and addresses you again, "very well, if that is thy belief of what that woman wished it seems that I shall have to honour an ancient vow and teach thee certain… manwhoring ways… after the actually respectable lessons. Now come, we shall start with thy lightning."

You… just ignored that whole first thing and nodded, letting red sparks form across your claws.

"Again," Fortisax demanded sharply.

You complied, forming another bolt of red lightning as he wanted.

The core of the lightning was, like the previous three times you'd summoned it, a degree brighter than before. On top of that, there was now also a warping effect right at the edge of the lightning.

You didn't exactly know why, or even how, but you had just been doing the exercises he'd told you to and something had just… clicked. Then the lightning you formed had visually changed to what it was now, on top of becoming a lot more potent.

"Hmm, thy progress is… admirable enough I suppose," Fortisax eventually states after some time of staring at the lightning, "about on par with one of the younger dragons… hmm."

You watch as Fortisax sinks deep into thought, before deciding to ask him what he was thinking.

"I am considering the merits of guiding thee into forming thy own, personal, weapon formed of thy lightning. Certainly, the potency of lightning is enough…"

You tilt your head. Personal weapon?

"Ah, of course, thy memory is lacking about that," he says… before smirking. It looked like a smirk, though it was hard to tell with how weird it looked on a draconic face. But the thought of its weirdness is blown away as he raises a claw, reality seeming to warp above it, before deep red lightning begins gathering…

It's like a bolt of lightning, though longer and with one side being split into two prongs. Yet the feeling of danger that radiated from it contradicted that.

"Impressive, is it not?"

Very impressive. You wonder if you could just- oh wow that stings.

"… why must thou ruin this every time?" Fortisax asked with a completely flat tone, dissipating the lightning with a wave of the claw holding it, "even without thy memories thou insist on sticking thy hands in the, clearly dangerous, spear of lightning."

Oh, so that's meant to be a spear.

"Yes," is the reply you get, this time through gritted fangs.

… but it's shape is a bi-

"We are not starting this argument again. If thou wish to learn how to form thy own thou shall accept that it is a spear!"

Well, you can accept that it's a spear…

"Good, now w-"

… it's a weird spear though.

Fortisax inhales sharply, before looking up at the skies again.

[Red lightning] (Plus) 4 Level's

[Red temporal lightning] (Plus) 1 Level's

Red temporal lightning (changes only)

(Plus) 10 to learning Paradox (soul) skills/magics

Red lightning attacks have a (Plus) 20 to damage rolls

Signature weapon (red lightning) progress (1/7)

What followed after the lessons on lightning, in which you felt you'd made quite some progress, was learning more about how to fight as a dragon.

How to use all the parts of your draconic form in harmony to cause the most damage, and more specifically how to apply what you knew about fighting in human form to your dragon form.

"- and that is how such an extension of the arm in your human form would translate to your dragon form," Fortisax demonstrated, his single claw extended and wings arrayed around that outstretched claws, "do you understand that?

You nod, doing the mirroring him to confirm it. Though maybe you should try and use it on him to be s-

"No."

[Draconic body combat] (Plus) 3 Level's - (8/15)

[Draconic body combat] upgraded

Draconic body combat (changes only)

Allows usage of other combat skills (up to experienced rank)you learnt as a human in dragon form

Eventually though, even the draconic combat lessons had finished, and so you were left sitting there for a bit as Fortisax just told you to wait.

He needed to 'make peace with what he was about to do.'

You didn't get what he meant, nor did he explain what he was going to do that was so bad, but you just did as he asked and waited.

"Very well, I am ready," Fortisax, after apparently having made his peace, spoke up, his voice flat and an aura similar to tiredness hanging around him, "better the pain be swift than slow… now, for this next lesson thou must be in human form."

His words cause immediate curiosity as you wonder what he's about to teach you, even as you transform and turn to him again. But you did not see a dragon as you'd expected to.

No, in place of a dragon, there was instead what looked like a long-haired human, roughly a head shorter than you, with dark skin and hair. He also seemed to have familiar-looking horns sprouting from his head…

You didn't know Fortisax could also take human form!

"Of course, I am capable of taking human form," Fortisax grumbled, adjusting the black cloth wrapped around his new form, "even if this form is so… sad."

Yeah, it's significantly weaker compared to your true form, but it does make getting into a small place easier. Humans also tend to make a lot less noise when they see you like this, rather than as you naturally are.

"I do not hear many advantages."

… so what was he going to teach you?

"Ah, that," he pinched the bridge of his nose, "before anything else, I will like to state that I only do this due to my vow to thee. The one where I shall remind thee of thy…" he paused, almost chewing the next words, "game, should a time come where thou forgets it…"

Oh… you don't remember ever asking him that?

He looked pained for a moment, "… I know."

Well, alright then. You're ready to learn this game that he'll be teaching.

"Every day I feel we stray further from the greater will," he murmured something you didn't hear under his breath, "alright, pay attention. I shall be teaching thee of the ways of swaying the hearts of women. I will not repeat anything… "

"-then thou must bring down thy chin a bit, raise thy eyebrows slightly, and then focus thy gaze so that thou stare deep into her eyes… the gaze needs to be a bit more intense… yes, just like that. Now cease.

"-then thou must place a hand on their shoulder and give your best casual greeting. So, as an example, you put your hand on that human woman's shoulder and say 'hey'… remember to do the the look wh- no! I did not tell thee to do it now."

"-I would say be… let's call it oblivious. But it seems that is covered."

"-saying something funny works, but telling a woman about that time that thou accidentally stabbed thyself does not… avoid the woman for whom that works with."

"-if she asks about thy willingness to experiment, say no."

"-remember that kicking women in the crotch is also painful for them and can serve as a way to stun them."

"-don't let her stab thee, no matter how attractive she is, or how easily thou can survive it, or whatever kinky shit she promises. Just… do not."

"-always check if the woman is actually thy brother in disguise. Always."

"- and above all, ensure that these 'techniques' are only used when thou absolutely must use them… and for the love of all that is good and properly draconic, try not to start an entire dynasty," with that, the long list of 'do and don't' finished, "do thee understand?"

Well, you don't exactly understand when these teachings would be applicable…

He stared at you, "no."

Wha-

"I have taught thee what I vowed to. The rest is up to thee. Never bring this up again."

-and then you were back in your den.

[You have learnt the art of swaying (certain) women's hearts]

[You may use them on women at your own risk]

[By default you won't use them… for now]