Serene notes—these were the tunes I was playing whenever I stroke my bow along the strings of my instrument. My fingers weaved on them, applying pressure on the strings to control the flow of music while the vibrations stimulated the feelings in my fingers. From larghissimo to prestissimo, from slowest to fastest, whichever tempo I wanted, I could play.
I was the maestro of this small sonata. My body, my mind, my soul; all three knew exactly what they had to do as I flawlessly played the violin as if it was just another part of myself. Even if I became deaf now, my muscles could still create art.
Hmm hmm hmm la la la la hmm.
… W-wait, I-I don’t remember this.
Not this scene at least. Considering how modern the room looked, decorated with high-end technology, a black piano, and huge glass windows to stare at the city below, it should be impossible to witness such a sight in a small village like Carine village. Instead, looking at the clean, light brown wooden flooring gave me a sense of nostalgia, even longing.
A shadow in the form of a girl played her violin in front of a towering shadow with the form of a man. I couldn’t see her expression but from how she swung her body hither and thither in a small dance before the sitting man, I could understand she was enjoying it from the depths of her soul. As the music resonated in her ears, my soul felt her excitement.
No melody came from the shadow. It was as if a mime was playing the violin, staying completely silent as she went through the proper movements. It was eerie that I could perfectly guess and hum the melody, but it all became clear once I asked myself one single question.
Is this a memory of my past life?
A sense of kinship swelled inside my chest, compelling me to jump into the taller shadow’s embrace. A desire to feel his warmth, to be protected by his strong arms, and to hear his voice once more.
However, while those feelings filled me with longing, so did darkness. Envy. Jealousy. Anger.
Look at me too. Why are you only looking at her? I’m also here. I miss you.
But my silent thoughts never reached the shadow, his attention completely focused on the violin-playing girl, the source of my pain.
… Was this the first time I’d ever been this lucid in a dream? Well, I couldn’t remember if it ever happened before. Most of the time, I would dream about what happened during my days with Saori and Tasianna. Sometimes it would involve past battles, allowing me to reflect on them after I woke up.
Those were new memories. This was an old one, definitely. The last time a memory actually resurfaced was after my near-death experience when I had my first meeting with the garms. It was a totally rude awakening, honestly. Nevertheless, that was the last time that I remembered something that I didn’t know beforehand.
Was this the second time … or had it happened before but I couldn’t remember them? I had quite a few questions I wanted somebody to answer, but unfortunately, nobody could do it. If that was the case, then I should just try my best to remember this dream.
I might not be able to talk, but it seemed like I could walk around the scene.
Hmmm …
The shadow of the girl really seemed like she was having fun. Frankly, I kinda wanted to shove her a bit so she would fumble, embarrassing herself before the tall shadow, but any attempts were futile. My hands would just pass through her. Whoever said that you were the master of your dreams, must have smoked something ‘cause it honestly felt like I was a passenger in this memory.
“Bravo.” While I was being mischievous, the man suddenly clapped his hands, standing up to speak to the girl. “This really hurts to say, but you are so much better with your mother’s instrument than mine. Your movements are so much livelier with the violin, **k***.”
“Hiehie, thanks Papa,” the girl said, acting all cutesy and stuff. “Honestly, you don’t have to feel that bad. Mama gave me my own violin and I would always play it if I needed to express myself. If I want to play the piano, I have to go outside my room and into the living room. It’s just a difference between convenience.”
The man stroked his shapely chin, showing no signs of a long beard. “Then, how about I buy you one now? Your Papa does feel a bit jealous that your violin skills are improving while your piano skills are stagnating, mein Schatz.” (my treasure/my dearest)
‘Mein Schatz?’ Kuck, that really stings … I want you to call me that again, too …
“Oh, jeez, you say that all the time, Papa. It might work with a digital piano, but you always want a classically made one. As if a grand piano would ever fit into my room!” the girl rebuked, shaking her head in exasperation. “Besides, I appreciate the thought, but training comes first. With schoolwork and practice taking up most of my time, playing the violin and piano is more of a hobby now, just like playing video games. We might be well-off but that still would be a big waste of money, Papa.”
“‘Big waste of money,’ huh?” the taller shadow muttered, suddenly turning silent. “… **k***, then why haven’t you given up on the ‘idol’ stuff yet? If you ask me, that is a real ‘waste of money.’”
The girl shadow looked at the taller shadow in shock, shivering as she shouted out an ear-piercing, “PAPA, WHAT THE FUCK?!”
However, instead of flinching backward or even reciprocating the girl's anger, the man calmly stayed seated. “It's true. Neither your Mama nor I ever really wanted to say this to you … but we really do not think that you should pursue your ‘idol’ goals anymore.”
“W-wha-!?” the girl stuttered, unprepared for the revelation from the man’s mouth, a man she had trusted since her birth. “Y-you, but-WHAT THE FUCK?! But you two told me that you’re gonna support me! Mama and Papa, both of you promised me that I was allowed to do this. You told me that you believed in me! You fucking LIAR!”
“**k***!” the man shouted, loud enough to make the girl shriek in fear. “Watch your mouth while you’re speaking with your father.”
He paused to look at the girl, placing his hands on his knees as he let out a sigh. “Don’t think that we haven’t noticed it yet. Putting up a fake smile as you keep yourself from crying. It’s one thing if you don't want us to see you cry, I get it, but it’s a problem for us if you aren’t even willing to do it inside your room. Your Mama especially is worried.”
The girl stayed silent, looking downward during the entirety of the man’s lecture. Not knowing if his words were going into one ear and then out the other, the man continued, “As your Papa, I love you dearly, mein Schatz. You and your Mama are my two most important people in my life, so it breaks my heart—my soul—whenever I see you depressed after a failed audition. You aren't even willing to express this sadness through your music … That is what it is for!”
Even with those words, the girl didn’t raise her head nor did anything flow down from her face, simply staying still to continue being confronted by the man's words.
“Before this ‘Idol dream’, we honestly thought you would follow in our footsteps. You are a natural with the violin and piano and, despite neglecting your daily practice, you still were able to perfectly play whatever sonata I asked you to play. You could easily enter whatever university you wished to further your musical education, and I could then pull some strings to help you after you graduate.”
But that’s not what I want …
“But that’s not what I want …” the girl quietly mumbled, looking like a pouting kid.
“I know. That isn’t your dream, after all,” the man agreed, soothing the girl enough for her to raise her head. “Even if you don’t want to become a violinist or pianist for an orchestra, then why don't you become a singer? It surprised us, but you have a talent for singing. I don’t even know who you inherited those vocal chords from; not from me, at least. Compared to your dancing skills, which you had to work extremely hard to improve, singing seemed almost natural to you.”
The man then released his hands from his knees, using them instead to massage his temples, “Classically, an opera singer; but I know you don’t want that. You’re influenced by modern media. Something like those fancy popstar artists that only do it for the money and fame, instead of furthering the art of music as true musicians do. You’re good enough of a singer to embarrass the majority of them, and that profession isn’t anything different from your idol dream.”
“N-not different?! Y-you just can’t tell me that after you admit you don’t believe in me!” the girl rebuked, having found her rebellious attitude back. “Papa, do you know how much bull-you don’t understand. An idol and a popstar are two completely different professions, two different niches.”
“How so? A popstar is simply somebody who encompasses a generation’s or era’s most influential genre. The most ‘popular’ music. Mozart was a pop icon when he lived because of how progressive his music was, to the point he was called one of the best during the classical period,” the man lectured with an extremely familiar enthusiasm. “Ein koreanisches Idol oder ein westlicher Popstar, wie unterscheiden sie sich? Sie singen, tanzen, und beide werden von Fans verehrt. Schatz, eine Opernsängerin kann das auch, das weißt du.” (A korean Idol or a western popstar, how are they different? They sing, dance, and fans idolize both of them. Honey, an opera singer experiences that too, you know that.)
“Stop speaking German, Papa! If you start this argument in English then finish it in English, that habit of yours annoys me!” the girl complained vehemently. “They are different, okay? I don’t want to argue with you about that. Anyway, if you really think those three options are all the same then why do you care that I’m choosing to become an idol, huh?!”
“Because your mother and I can actually help you in two of those cases,” the taller shadow stated. “Besides your trainer, we don’t know many people in the idol industry in Japan or Korea. However, if you want to stand on stage, bask in the spotlight, and touch people’s souls with music then we have connections to help you enter the western music industry. It might surprise you how many music producers love classical music.”
Papa was a really successful conductor and the main reason why our family had so much money in the first place. If he said he had or didn’t have certain connections, then you could believe him. He could be as stubborn as a bull, but he wasn’t a big liar.
“No,” the girl refused. “This is my show. I appreciate your support, but I don’t want your help with this, Papa. If you help me by using your influence, then it would only prove those idiots correct that I’ve been born with a golden spoon in my mouth. I want my success to come from myself, and only myself. My talents, my skills, my hard work.”
“Those girls, your ‘future co-workers,’ only say that because they are jealous of your talents. You’ve changed yourselves for others for the entirety of your trainee years, instead of impressing people for how you truly are,” the man remained steadfast, trying everything to persuade his stubborn daughter. “**k***, even with my connections, I wouldn’t recommend you to any of them if you didn’t have the ability to back it up. I don’t want to give my associates the impression that I’m a nepotist. You’re nearly 15, mein Schatz. We will still support you if you won’t give up on your dream, but give it some thought, ok? I have somebody willing to record you.”
He then pulled something out of his pockets, seemingly a phone from its size and form. He clicked a few times on its smartscreen before showing it to the girl. “Or, try streaming or making videos of yourself. I’m not that old-fashioned to underestimate modern ways to spread your talents. Don’t follow just one path; diversify yourself, commit yourself.”
Videos … Right, it was such a good idea. Why did I tunnel vision myself into the ‘correct’ way instead of taking the ‘better’ one?
With that said, the taller shadow stood up and walked away, leaving the girl shadow behind as she held onto her violin.
“… It’s cool that I’m starting to remember things again but …” I mumbled now that the memory had ended. “Is this my subconscious telling me to quit being an idol? To stop dreaming just ‘cause of the shit I experienced on Earth? Well, too late. Should’ve made me remember before I made my promise to Saori and Tasianna and began all that prep for the concert.”
It was honestly nice to hear my Papa again. I would lie if I said I wasn’t missing him and Mama. It would be so much better if I could remember his appearance, but I guess all that shadowy vagueness was telling me how broken my memory was. Only his silhouette was visible.
It was also kinda weird that I couldn’t see my past life’s appearance nor hear my name. Her voice was 100% mine, which was a good thing, I guess. I didn’t know if my current looks resembled hers at all or if the System had constructed a new, different looking me. Then again, I had horns, a reptilian tail, and crimson hair, so I couldn’t match my past self 100% any longer.
It was nice. Just hearing Papa’s voice once more made my chest feel so much warmer; I had so much I wanted to tell him. Still, even if Papa’s advice was technically correct, I would never change my course, again. I couldn’t second guess myself, any longer. What happened in my past life should stay there, so I could fully commit my full passion to myself, my new life.
Danke schön, Papa. Ich liebe dich. Du und Mama, ich vermisse euch so sehr. (Thank you, Papa. I love you. You and Mama, I miss you two so much.)
Wiping away my mental tears, I turned around to a nearby staircase, which I remembered led to my room on the second floor of our penthouse. I didn’t know how long this lucid dream would last, so I wanted to embrace everything I could and keep those memories close when I woke up. Fond or painful, these experiences were mine.
“Can’t remember anything about my room. Well, I guess it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to—huh?”
Before I could walk off, a large shadowy arm grasped my shoulders, surprising me even more when it forcefully pulled me around, making eye contact with me.
“Forget it all … Hestia,” Papa said.
Heilige Scheiße, this is honestly the worst part about evolving. Ow, ow, ow, ow. I didn’t even dream of anything this time! What a waste of good sleep, urgh…
“…sh, the cocoon! S..ri! Tasi….! The ….. scale is waking up!” somebody shouted, loud enough to reach my ears.
Krim-Slak? Sounds like him. I can’t open my eyes yet but, if I can hear them now, then the process should be done anytime now.
As more seconds passed, the darkness surrounding me slowly disappeared until my body began sensing the sun again.
Ooh, w-what is this? This is, uh, well it feels good but weird.
The last time I really felt so good after taking in the sun rays was when I hatched out of my egg, I believe. The energy of the sun seeped into my body, energizing each cell while it slowly streamed towards a singular point—a center.
It was gathering in my chest. The warmth coming from it felt satisfying, like filling your stomach with delicious stew. The heat was addicting, honestly. The sun—I wanted more. I needed more.
But before I could, another desire was calling for me. An insatiable desire that would haunt me until my grave if I didn’t do it now!
Air Shield!
“Huh?! Oi, young scale, what are you doing?!” somebody sounding like Grazlahta shouted in confusion.
Opening my eyes the moment my spell was complete, letting light dissolve the darkness in my vision, I stood on my hind legs and ROAAAARED!
“KRAAAAAHHHHHH!” I roared with all my might, producing a sound so loud that my [Air Shield] was quivering. [“GOOOOOD MOOORRRNIIINIIING! I HAVE REACHED RANK B!”]
Having taken a moment to let everything out, I dispelled the wind barrier where I was quickly welcomed by the complaints of a tiny, red lizard being, “Oi, young scale, that honestly scared us, okay! Don’t just stand up and roar like a wild monster the moment you wake up! We thought you were about to rampage!”
[“Krim-Slak?”] I asked cautiously, literally looking down on him.
“Huh? What’s with the questioning tone, Hestia? Did that evolution mess up with your head?” an equally small, but green, lizard questioned, holding his head in exasperation. “You gave us old scales a huge shock, young scale.”
Grazlahta?
“Drag … oness … has gott … en taller. She tall … er than Akasht.” I turned around to the short, deep, and gruff voice, greeted by a sarcosilian around my size … Hold on, it was Akasht?! How was I able to look at his eyes without looking up?
“W-wow, Hestia, you have really grown. That evolution was a huge change … Literally.” Appearing from the woods, a female wolfkin wearing a full black outfit with a red scarf waved at me, showing me a thumbs up the moment our eyes met.
She spoke to me with [Telepathy] in Japanese, instead of Common tongue. [“Ohayou, Hestia-chan~”]
Walking beside her, a blue-haired elf girl began clapping, energetically shouting out, “Good morning, Lady Hestia!” before running towards me to greet me with a maid bow. “Is there anything you wish to eat?” she asked.
“Ha ha ha ha! What a magnificent sight! I have finally learned how monsters evolve to the next rank! Glorious knowledge!” a lanky raptorsilian suddenly shouted out joyously while I was greeting the elf. “So when a monster evolves, the mana inside their body gets released outside for the sole purpose to wrap the monster in a large mana cocoon. The change will then happen for a day. How exciting to know."”
Oh yeah, evolution did work like that, huh? Funnily enough, I wouldn’t have learned this fact if I hadn’t traveled with Saori. I was always there to watch her evolve, after all. It was quite mystifying the first time I saw her evolve, to be honest, as I didn’t expect it to happen like that. Just like when a caterpillar would transform itself into a beautiful butterfly.
… But that was not important. The important part was that everybody was there to greet me after I evolved. Damn, I kinda wanted to roar again just to release this soothing feeling in my chest, hiehie.
Well, after everything calmed down a bit, I took the chance to check out my body, considering how everybody commented on that fact. I thought they were exaggerating a bit but after carefully measuring myself with the nearby trees and Akasht, the results were undeniable. Everybody didn’t get tinier, I just got a lot, lot, lot, lot taller and bulkier.
My previous height in my dragon form was a bit taller than a horse, or maybe a small elephant. Now, if I stretched my neck a bit, even while walking on all four legs, I was taller than a grown elephant, probably the size of a mammoth now. Now, if I were to stand up on my hindlegs, then yeah, it felt like looking at everybody from inside a large building.
Aside from my height, the next biggest change was the glowing “boss weakness” mark in the center of my chest. Considering the sun rays were congregating in that spot, this had to be a feature of evolving into a [Young Sunfang Dragon]. Thankfully, it seemed that the area was protected by pretty thick scales as even my claws were having trouble scratching through this core-like thing.
While my body was still covered with bone spikes and carapaces, they now shimmered even more crimson, as if somebody had raised the saturation slider. I thought a “Sunfang Dragon” would be more yellow or white in appearance, but at best, they had gotten slightly scarlet in certain areas.
My wings also benefited from the evolution, having grown longer and larger, hopefully enough to at least glide. Unfortunately, it seems they still weren’t strong enough to carry my even heavier body up into the sky, meaning that flying still was a no go.
“If I could repair ‘Damaged Mana Paths,’ you ask, young scale?” I asked Mister Kushlek’zar as he was examining my body with the enthusiasm of a mad scientist.
[“Yeah, you’ve seen me try to fly, right? Well, the reason why I can’t fly in either of my forms is because I damaged the mana paths in my left wing. I can’t pour mana into them nor are they large enough to support my body,”] I explained to him, reserving a bit of hope that he could help me solve this problem of mine.
“I am no mana surgeon, I wouldn’t risk further injuring you with my insufficient knowledge about a dragon’s body, young scale.” He looked at Tasianna, just to see her shake her head in denial. “If not even your fairy companion can do it, a being of pure mana, then you require a professional. Unfortunately, the surgeons I know are in Caedhul.”
“I have suggested going to the elven kingdom for the procedure, but through circumstances, we’ve reached this kingdom," Tasianna commented. slightly peeved we had to change course due to the wyverns.
Well, I guess that didn’t work. Verdammt.
Aside from all those details, my body was actually pretty similar to my former one. Just imagine my [Young Spark Inferno Dragon] form but bigger and with a glowy “magma or sun” core in the middle of my chest.
With that done, let’s see my status board! Profile!
SpoilerName: Hestia Atsuko Level: 0 Race: Young Sunfang Dragon
Age: 7 Month
Status: Health: 9302/9302 (+3438)Mana: 32453/32453 (+13169)
Strength: 4796 (+1943) Intelligence: 7896 (+2435)
Vitality: 2735 (+1289) Wisdom: 3846 (+2065)
Agility: 8000 (+2100) Stamina: 678/5432 (+2481)
Effects: [Damaged Mana Path [Left Wing] (Minor)]
Skill Points: 5350
Unique Skill: [Dreadflame Dragon Lv. 2] (New) [Hellblade Dragon Lv. 2] (New)
[Solar Core Lv. 1] (New) [Venerated Saintess Lv. 1] (New)
Skill: Magic skills and related:
[Lava Magic Lv. 3] (+1) [Lightning Magic Lv. 2] (+1)
[White Flames Lv. 1] (New)
[Corrosive Fire Lv. 1] (New) [Sacred Magic Lv. 6] (+1) [Earth Magic Lv. 10]
[Earth Amp] [Earth Magic Efficiency] [Terra Magic Lv. 3] (+1)
[Wind Magic Lv. 10] [Wind Amp] [Wind Magic Efficiency]
[Storm Magic Lv. 1] [Space-Time Magic Lv. 4]
[Space-Time Magic Efficiency] [True Draconic Lineage]
[Synergist’s Oath Lv. 6] (+1) [Draconic Barrier Lv. 6] (+3)
[Silent Casting Lv. 7] (+1) [Magic Power Enhancement Lv. 7] (+1)
[Long-Range Spell Enhancement Lv. 1] (New)
[Mental Stability Lv. 6] (+1) [Mental Warfare Lv. 4] [Fluid Cast Lv. 1] (New)
[Delayed Cast Lv. 1] (New) [Mana Eyes Lv. 2]
Physical skills and related:
[Unarmed Technique Lv. 7] (+2)
[Draconic Roar Lv. 4] (+2) [Sundering Enhancement Lv. 5] (+1)
[Piercing Enhancement Lv. 5] (+1) [Crushing Enhancement Lv. 3] (+1)
Senses and movement skills:
[Silence Lv. 1] [Accuracy Correction Lv. 6]
[Concentration Lv. 4] (+2) [Foresight Lv. 1] [Danger Perception Lv. 4] (+1)
[Probability Correction Lv. 5] [Detection Sensor Lv. 3]
[Enhanced Auditory Sense Lv. 3] [Enhanced Olfactory Sense Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Vision Lv. 5] [Tracking Lv. 3] [Night Vision Lv. 8]
[Odorless Lv. 1] [Evasion Lv. 10] [Acrobatic Lv. 10]
[Air Walk Lv. 3] (+1) [Terrain Maneuvering Lv. 4]
[Mid-Air Maneuvering Lv. 1] (New)
Resistances:
[Physical Super-Resistance Lv. 4] [Absolute Pain Tolerance]
[Mental Corruption Resistance Lv. 3] [Mind Protection Lv. 3]
[Mana Leak Resistance Lv. 2] (+1) [Abnormal Status Nullification]
[Fear Resistance Lv. 2] [Lava Resistance Lv. 2] (+1)
[Lightning Resistance Lv. 2] (New)
[Holy Resistance Lv. 8] (+4) [Inferno Resistance Lv. 3] (+1)
[Terra Resistance Lv. 1] [Wind Resistance Lv. 2]
[Water Resistance Lv. 2] (+1) [Dark Resistance Lv. 1]
Stat growths and related:
[Enhanced Strength Growth Lv. 6] (+1)
[Enhanced Strength Enforcement Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Vitality Growth Lv. 5] (+1)
[Enhanced Vitality Enforcement Lv. 4]
[Speed of Sound Lv. 1]
Others:
[Singing Lv. 8] (+1) [Dancing Lv. 6] (+1) [Musician Lv. 4] (+1)
[Stage Fever Lv. 2] (New) [Handicraft Lv. 2] [Woodworking Lv. 4] (+1)
[Trap Creation Lv. 5] (+1) [Identity Blocker Lv. 10] [Identify Lv. 10]
[Battle Mind Lv. 7] (+1) [Cooking Lv. 7] [Benevolent Aura Lv. 2]
[Draconic Aura Lv. 1] (New) [Royal Prescence Lv. 1] (New)
[Dismantle Lv. 7] [Solar Energizer] (New) [Thought Acceleration Lv. 2]
[High-Speed Calculation Lv. 1] [Multi-Thought Processing Lv. 1]
[Parallel Thoughts Lv. 9] [Core Regulation] (New)
[Humanize Lv. 10] [Pyrokinesis] [Aerokinesis] [Telepathy]
Ability List: [Dreadflare Aura] [Hellblade Edge] [Scale-Dust Veil] [Hellflame Breath]
[Solar Beam]
Spell List: Custom Magic:
[Symphonie des Feuergottes] [Prayer]
Lightning Magic:
[Lightning Bolt] [Purple Flash]
Lava Magic:
[Lava Ball] [Lava Stream] [Molten Guard]
Holy Magic:
[Sacred Smite] [Sacred Veil] [Sacred Field] [Banishment Beam]
[Major Heal] [Omnictus]
Earth Magic
[Earth Wall] [Rock Blast] [Earth Strike] [Rock Bullet] [Sturdy Earth]
[Earth Spears] [Earth Crash] [Earthen Shackles] [Terra Wall]
[Bedrock Blades] [Rumbling Might]
Wind Magic:
[Wind Bullet] [Wind Cutter] [Air Shield] [Wind Slash]
[Swift Winds] [Wind Blast] [Featherfall] [Aerial Blitz]
[Tornado Bullet]
Space-Time Magic:
[Haste] [Storage Magic] [Warp Point: Entry]
The Light Magic:
[Shine] [Sanctuary]
Titles: [The Light] [Bearer of Kargryxmor’s Blood] [Divine Inferno] (New)
[Otherworldly Reincarnator] [Princess]
[collapse]W-wow, dude. Guess that System message didn’t lie at all. Additional 300 stats points in everything but 3000 extra SP? Daaaamn! This is a real jackpot!
I might as well check out my new unique racial skills, I guess.
I revealed everything that I inspected to everybody involved, aside from the more confidential information as I didn’t want the saurians to know them. This included my age, SP, and that I was a reincarnator. I would also leave the fact that I couldn't evolve anymore until I can speak about it in private with Saori and Tasianna.
As much as I trusted Master, there was still a bit inside me who was wary of him. Scared, really. I was frightened by how powerful he was and how his skill set and elemental magic could counter me pretty well, and it seemed my draconic instincts were still too “feral” to just trust stronger people. Pretty dumb, but I just had to unlearn being too cautious.
With this done, it was finally time for me to turn back into a dragonewt.
Mana mist escaped my body as I activated the skill, covering my humongous body and blocking my view. I could feel my body becoming lighter as seconds passed by. My long neck and tail shortening, while my spine corrected itself to allow me to stand up on two legs.
At this point, I thought I’ve gotten used to the sensation of transforming into a humanoid but doing it with this new body felt weird. There was something crazy about a dragon larger than an elephant transforming into a small little girl, right? I mean, where did all that mass go? I wasn’t exactly bulky, so it was likely all of it was just compressed. Mana and physics really didn’t mix well inside my brain.
As the mist dispersed, I opened my eyes and gazed at the people before me, all retaining the height I was used to before my evolution. I looked at Saori and asked her, “How do I look? Any changes?”
“… Disappointingly, no. Your dragon form definitely has changed, even if it’s just the color of your scales. Your dragonewt form … is exactly how I remembered it,” Saori earnestly told me.
Looking down, the scales on my hand did look more crimson than scarlet. Maybe the claws had gotten a bit longer and sharper, but that would only be a minor change. My hair and horns still had the same length and shape; nothing to comment there.
However, what felt different was a heat coming from my chest. My clothes recovered after my transformation so I couldn’t just undress and reveal my bare chest to see it. At least, not before the men.
“Saori, Tasianna, come over here please,” I called them over, constructing a square to block everybody’s sight of us while explaining to Master that we had to check something “private.”
Now amongst us girls, I told them of my thoughts and undressed myself to see if what I assumed was true. And there and behold, a large glowing crevice similar to the one in my dragon form was in the spot where my cleavage was. Instead of pink human skin, the area was instead protected by thick crimson-scarlet colored scales, just like in my dragon form.
Honestly, it was weird that my body now had a “glowly spot” like a video game boss monster. “Hit this, it's my weak spot,” kinda deal, you know? The only difference was that my “weak spot” was probably one of the hardest areas to attack.
After putting back on my clothes, our party said goodbye to the saurians and returned back to the village. As we entered the village, I heard from the guards that Saori and Tasianna told everybody that I was spending the night with the saurians, and that I would come back the next day. It seemed like those two took care of everything.
As I entered our house, I noticed a very major difference between the furniture we once had and the ones we now had. Our former furniture was crude, a result of being hastily made by village craftsmen. I honestly could make better ones after the lizardmen taught me, frankly.
But the furniture now was beautiful. All the wooden furniture was covered in resin, giving it a soft touch, while showing clear signs that it was made by experts with care and precision.
Our beds now had soft mattresses with pure white bed sheets, contrasting extremely against the dirty, brown walls of our house. “A rich girl’s belongings inside a farmer's house,” essentially. That had a certain charm, I guess, but not something I ever thought could be possible …
“Well, it is a present from a Count. I personally expected a noble’s taste to be too refined for our humble accommodation,” Saori commented. “I could not find any manatech bugs, but could you make sure the Count did not put a trick to spy on us?”
I nodded and used [Mana Eyes] on them. Fortunately, none of them had any magical traces. Once I thought we were safe to talk about it, I sat on our new comfy chair and told them about what the System told me after my evolution finished. About the fact that I could still level up but would now receive reduced experience per kill, and also how I was barred from evolving into a rank A before fulfilling the requirements.
Five years. I had to wait five years for my evolution and to lose the “Young” prefix in my race name. At least that was what I concluded when it said, “maturation requirement.” It would be a while, but five years shouldn’t be too long … hopefully.
After our small discussion, the three of us then went to do whatever we wanted for the day. Saori had some stuff to do in the village and Tasianna hadn’t taken care of the plants yet. I personally jumped on my new bed, enjoying the soft sensation of a finely made bed. I could just fall asleep now, but Saori would lecture me if I just took a nap now.
There are still five days left until my meeting with Count Helvas. Better start the prep~
AbyssRaven Here we go!
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Serene notes—these were the tunes I was playing whenever I stroke my bow along the strings of my instrument. My fingers weaved on them, applying pressure on the strings to control the flow of music while the vibrations stimulated the feelings in my fingers. From larghissimo to prestissimo, from slowest to fastest, whichever tempo I wanted, I could play.
I was the maestro of this small sonata. My body, my mind, my soul; all three knew exactly what they had to do as I flawlessly played the violin as if it was just another part of myself. Even if I became deaf now, my muscles could still create art.
Hmm hmm hmm la la la la hmm.
… W-wait, I-I don’t remember this.
Not this scene at least. Considering how modern the room looked, decorated with high-end technology, a black piano, and huge glass windows to stare at the city below, it should be impossible to witness such a sight in a small village like Carine village. Instead, looking at the clean, light brown wooden flooring gave me a sense of nostalgia, even longing.
A shadow in the form of a girl played her violin in front of a towering shadow with the form of a man. I couldn’t see her expression but from how she swung her body hither and thither in a small dance before the sitting man, I could understand she was enjoying it from the depths of her soul. As the music resonated in her ears, my soul felt her excitement.
No melody came from the shadow. It was as if a mime was playing the violin, staying completely silent as she went through the proper movements. It was eerie that I could perfectly guess and hum the melody, but it all became clear once I asked myself one single question.
Is this a memory of my past life?
A sense of kinship swelled inside my chest, compelling me to jump into the taller shadow’s embrace. A desire to feel his warmth, to be protected by his strong arms, and to hear his voice once more.
However, while those feelings filled me with longing, so did darkness. Envy. Jealousy. Anger.
Look at me too. Why are you only looking at her? I’m also here. I miss you.
But my silent thoughts never reached the shadow, his attention completely focused on the violin-playing girl, the source of my pain.
… Was this the first time I’d ever been this lucid in a dream? Well, I couldn’t remember if it ever happened before. Most of the time, I would dream about what happened during my days with Saori and Tasianna. Sometimes it would involve past battles, allowing me to reflect on them after I woke up.
Those were new memories. This was an old one, definitely. The last time a memory actually resurfaced was after my near-death experience when I had my first meeting with the garms. It was a totally rude awakening, honestly. Nevertheless, that was the last time that I remembered something that I didn’t know beforehand.
Was this the second time … or had it happened before but I couldn’t remember them? I had quite a few questions I wanted somebody to answer, but unfortunately, nobody could do it. If that was the case, then I should just try my best to remember this dream.
I might not be able to talk, but it seemed like I could walk around the scene.
Hmmm …
The shadow of the girl really seemed like she was having fun. Frankly, I kinda wanted to shove her a bit so she would fumble, embarrassing herself before the tall shadow, but any attempts were futile. My hands would just pass through her. Whoever said that you were the master of your dreams, must have smoked something ‘cause it honestly felt like I was a passenger in this memory.
“Bravo.” While I was being mischievous, the man suddenly clapped his hands, standing up to speak to the girl. “This really hurts to say, but you are so much better with your mother’s instrument than mine. Your movements are so much livelier with the violin, **k***.”
“Hiehie, thanks Papa,” the girl said, acting all cutesy and stuff. “Honestly, you don’t have to feel that bad. Mama gave me my own violin and I would always play it if I needed to express myself. If I want to play the piano, I have to go outside my room and into the living room. It’s just a difference between convenience.”
The man stroked his shapely chin, showing no signs of a long beard. “Then, how about I buy you one now? Your Papa does feel a bit jealous that your violin skills are improving while your piano skills are stagnating, mein Schatz.” (my treasure/my dearest)
‘Mein Schatz?’ Kuck, that really stings … I want you to call me that again, too …
“Oh, jeez, you say that all the time, Papa. It might work with a digital piano, but you always want a classically made one. As if a grand piano would ever fit into my room!” the girl rebuked, shaking her head in exasperation. “Besides, I appreciate the thought, but training comes first. With schoolwork and practice taking up most of my time, playing the violin and piano is more of a hobby now, just like playing video games. We might be well-off but that still would be a big waste of money, Papa.”
“‘Big waste of money,’ huh?” the taller shadow muttered, suddenly turning silent. “… **k***, then why haven’t you given up on the ‘idol’ stuff yet? If you ask me, that is a real ‘waste of money.’”
The girl shadow looked at the taller shadow in shock, shivering as she shouted out an ear-piercing, “PAPA, WHAT THE FUCK?!”
However, instead of flinching backward or even reciprocating the girl's anger, the man calmly stayed seated. “It's true. Neither your Mama nor I ever really wanted to say this to you … but we really do not think that you should pursue your ‘idol’ goals anymore.”
“W-wha-!?” the girl stuttered, unprepared for the revelation from the man’s mouth, a man she had trusted since her birth. “Y-you, but-WHAT THE FUCK?! But you two told me that you’re gonna support me! Mama and Papa, both of you promised me that I was allowed to do this. You told me that you believed in me! You fucking LIAR!”
“**k***!” the man shouted, loud enough to make the girl shriek in fear. “Watch your mouth while you’re speaking with your father.”
He paused to look at the girl, placing his hands on his knees as he let out a sigh. “Don’t think that we haven’t noticed it yet. Putting up a fake smile as you keep yourself from crying. It’s one thing if you don't want us to see you cry, I get it, but it’s a problem for us if you aren’t even willing to do it inside your room. Your Mama especially is worried.”
The girl stayed silent, looking downward during the entirety of the man’s lecture. Not knowing if his words were going into one ear and then out the other, the man continued, “As your Papa, I love you dearly, mein Schatz. You and your Mama are my two most important people in my life, so it breaks my heart—my soul—whenever I see you depressed after a failed audition. You aren't even willing to express this sadness through your music … That is what it is for!”
Even with those words, the girl didn’t raise her head nor did anything flow down from her face, simply staying still to continue being confronted by the man's words.
“Before this ‘Idol dream’, we honestly thought you would follow in our footsteps. You are a natural with the violin and piano and, despite neglecting your daily practice, you still were able to perfectly play whatever sonata I asked you to play. You could easily enter whatever university you wished to further your musical education, and I could then pull some strings to help you after you graduate.”
But that’s not what I want …
“But that’s not what I want …” the girl quietly mumbled, looking like a pouting kid.
“I know. That isn’t your dream, after all,” the man agreed, soothing the girl enough for her to raise her head. “Even if you don’t want to become a violinist or pianist for an orchestra, then why don't you become a singer? It surprised us, but you have a talent for singing. I don’t even know who you inherited those vocal chords from; not from me, at least. Compared to your dancing skills, which you had to work extremely hard to improve, singing seemed almost natural to you.”
The man then released his hands from his knees, using them instead to massage his temples, “Classically, an opera singer; but I know you don’t want that. You’re influenced by modern media. Something like those fancy popstar artists that only do it for the money and fame, instead of furthering the art of music as true musicians do. You’re good enough of a singer to embarrass the majority of them, and that profession isn’t anything different from your idol dream.”
“N-not different?! Y-you just can’t tell me that after you admit you don’t believe in me!” the girl rebuked, having found her rebellious attitude back. “Papa, do you know how much bull-you don’t understand. An idol and a popstar are two completely different professions, two different niches.”
“How so? A popstar is simply somebody who encompasses a generation’s or era’s most influential genre. The most ‘popular’ music. Mozart was a pop icon when he lived because of how progressive his music was, to the point he was called one of the best during the classical period,” the man lectured with an extremely familiar enthusiasm. “Ein koreanisches Idol oder ein westlicher Popstar, wie unterscheiden sie sich? Sie singen, tanzen, und beide werden von Fans verehrt. Schatz, eine Opernsängerin kann das auch, das weißt du.” (A korean Idol or a western popstar, how are they different? They sing, dance, and fans idolize both of them. Honey, an opera singer experiences that too, you know that.)
“Stop speaking German, Papa! If you start this argument in English then finish it in English, that habit of yours annoys me!” the girl complained vehemently. “They are different, okay? I don’t want to argue with you about that. Anyway, if you really think those three options are all the same then why do you care that I’m choosing to become an idol, huh?!”
“Because your mother and I can actually help you in two of those cases,” the taller shadow stated. “Besides your trainer, we don’t know many people in the idol industry in Japan or Korea. However, if you want to stand on stage, bask in the spotlight, and touch people’s souls with music then we have connections to help you enter the western music industry. It might surprise you how many music producers love classical music.”
Papa was a really successful conductor and the main reason why our family had so much money in the first place. If he said he had or didn’t have certain connections, then you could believe him. He could be as stubborn as a bull, but he wasn’t a big liar.
“No,” the girl refused. “This is my show. I appreciate your support, but I don’t want your help with this, Papa. If you help me by using your influence, then it would only prove those idiots correct that I’ve been born with a golden spoon in my mouth. I want my success to come from myself, and only myself. My talents, my skills, my hard work.”
“Those girls, your ‘future co-workers,’ only say that because they are jealous of your talents. You’ve changed yourselves for others for the entirety of your trainee years, instead of impressing people for how you truly are,” the man remained steadfast, trying everything to persuade his stubborn daughter. “**k***, even with my connections, I wouldn’t recommend you to any of them if you didn’t have the ability to back it up. I don’t want to give my associates the impression that I’m a nepotist. You’re nearly 15, mein Schatz. We will still support you if you won’t give up on your dream, but give it some thought, ok? I have somebody willing to record you.”
He then pulled something out of his pockets, seemingly a phone from its size and form. He clicked a few times on its smartscreen before showing it to the girl. “Or, try streaming or making videos of yourself. I’m not that old-fashioned to underestimate modern ways to spread your talents. Don’t follow just one path; diversify yourself, commit yourself.”
Videos … Right, it was such a good idea. Why did I tunnel vision myself into the ‘correct’ way instead of taking the ‘better’ one?
With that said, the taller shadow stood up and walked away, leaving the girl shadow behind as she held onto her violin.
“… It’s cool that I’m starting to remember things again but …” I mumbled now that the memory had ended. “Is this my subconscious telling me to quit being an idol? To stop dreaming just ‘cause of the shit I experienced on Earth? Well, too late. Should’ve made me remember before I made my promise to Saori and Tasianna and began all that prep for the concert.”
It was honestly nice to hear my Papa again. I would lie if I said I wasn’t missing him and Mama. It would be so much better if I could remember his appearance, but I guess all that shadowy vagueness was telling me how broken my memory was. Only his silhouette was visible.
It was also kinda weird that I couldn’t see my past life’s appearance nor hear my name. Her voice was 100% mine, which was a good thing, I guess. I didn’t know if my current looks resembled hers at all or if the System had constructed a new, different looking me. Then again, I had horns, a reptilian tail, and crimson hair, so I couldn’t match my past self 100% any longer.
It was nice. Just hearing Papa’s voice once more made my chest feel so much warmer; I had so much I wanted to tell him. Still, even if Papa’s advice was technically correct, I would never change my course, again. I couldn’t second guess myself, any longer. What happened in my past life should stay there, so I could fully commit my full passion to myself, my new life.
Danke schön, Papa. Ich liebe dich. Du und Mama, ich vermisse euch so sehr. (Thank you, Papa. I love you. You and Mama, I miss you two so much.)
Wiping away my mental tears, I turned around to a nearby staircase, which I remembered led to my room on the second floor of our penthouse. I didn’t know how long this lucid dream would last, so I wanted to embrace everything I could and keep those memories close when I woke up. Fond or painful, these experiences were mine.
“Can’t remember anything about my room. Well, I guess it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to—huh?”
Before I could walk off, a large shadowy arm grasped my shoulders, surprising me even more when it forcefully pulled me around, making eye contact with me.
“Forget it all … Hestia,” Papa said.
Heilige Scheiße, this is honestly the worst part about evolving. Ow, ow, ow, ow. I didn’t even dream of anything this time! What a waste of good sleep, urgh…
“…sh, the cocoon! S..ri! Tasi….! The ….. scale is waking up!” somebody shouted, loud enough to reach my ears.
Krim-Slak? Sounds like him. I can’t open my eyes yet but, if I can hear them now, then the process should be done anytime now.
As more seconds passed, the darkness surrounding me slowly disappeared until my body began sensing the sun again.
Ooh, w-what is this? This is, uh, well it feels good but weird.
The last time I really felt so good after taking in the sun rays was when I hatched out of my egg, I believe. The energy of the sun seeped into my body, energizing each cell while it slowly streamed towards a singular point—a center.
It was gathering in my chest. The warmth coming from it felt satisfying, like filling your stomach with delicious stew. The heat was addicting, honestly. The sun—I wanted more. I needed more.
But before I could, another desire was calling for me. An insatiable desire that would haunt me until my grave if I didn’t do it now!
Air Shield!
“Huh?! Oi, young scale, what are you doing?!” somebody sounding like Grazlahta shouted in confusion.
Opening my eyes the moment my spell was complete, letting light dissolve the darkness in my vision, I stood on my hind legs and ROAAAARED!
“KRAAAAAHHHHHH!” I roared with all my might, producing a sound so loud that my [Air Shield] was quivering. [“GOOOOOD MOOORRRNIIINIIING! I HAVE REACHED RANK B!”]
Having taken a moment to let everything out, I dispelled the wind barrier where I was quickly welcomed by the complaints of a tiny, red lizard being, “Oi, young scale, that honestly scared us, okay! Don’t just stand up and roar like a wild monster the moment you wake up! We thought you were about to rampage!”
[“Krim-Slak?”] I asked cautiously, literally looking down on him.
“Huh? What’s with the questioning tone, Hestia? Did that evolution mess up with your head?” an equally small, but green, lizard questioned, holding his head in exasperation. “You gave us old scales a huge shock, young scale.”
Grazlahta?
“Drag … oness … has gott … en taller. She tall … er than Akasht.” I turned around to the short, deep, and gruff voice, greeted by a sarcosilian around my size … Hold on, it was Akasht?! How was I able to look at his eyes without looking up?
“W-wow, Hestia, you have really grown. That evolution was a huge change … Literally.” Appearing from the woods, a female wolfkin wearing a full black outfit with a red scarf waved at me, showing me a thumbs up the moment our eyes met.
She spoke to me with [Telepathy] in Japanese, instead of Common tongue. [“Ohayou, Hestia-chan~”]
Walking beside her, a blue-haired elf girl began clapping, energetically shouting out, “Good morning, Lady Hestia!” before running towards me to greet me with a maid bow. “Is there anything you wish to eat?” she asked.
“Ha ha ha ha! What a magnificent sight! I have finally learned how monsters evolve to the next rank! Glorious knowledge!” a lanky raptorsilian suddenly shouted out joyously while I was greeting the elf. “So when a monster evolves, the mana inside their body gets released outside for the sole purpose to wrap the monster in a large mana cocoon. The change will then happen for a day. How exciting to know."”
Oh yeah, evolution did work like that, huh? Funnily enough, I wouldn’t have learned this fact if I hadn’t traveled with Saori. I was always there to watch her evolve, after all. It was quite mystifying the first time I saw her evolve, to be honest, as I didn’t expect it to happen like that. Just like when a caterpillar would transform itself into a beautiful butterfly.
… But that was not important. The important part was that everybody was there to greet me after I evolved. Damn, I kinda wanted to roar again just to release this soothing feeling in my chest, hiehie.
Well, after everything calmed down a bit, I took the chance to check out my body, considering how everybody commented on that fact. I thought they were exaggerating a bit but after carefully measuring myself with the nearby trees and Akasht, the results were undeniable. Everybody didn’t get tinier, I just got a lot, lot, lot, lot taller and bulkier.
My previous height in my dragon form was a bit taller than a horse, or maybe a small elephant. Now, if I stretched my neck a bit, even while walking on all four legs, I was taller than a grown elephant, probably the size of a mammoth now. Now, if I were to stand up on my hindlegs, then yeah, it felt like looking at everybody from inside a large building.
Aside from my height, the next biggest change was the glowing “boss weakness” mark in the center of my chest. Considering the sun rays were congregating in that spot, this had to be a feature of evolving into a [Young Sunfang Dragon]. Thankfully, it seemed that the area was protected by pretty thick scales as even my claws were having trouble scratching through this core-like thing.
While my body was still covered with bone spikes and carapaces, they now shimmered even more crimson, as if somebody had raised the saturation slider. I thought a “Sunfang Dragon” would be more yellow or white in appearance, but at best, they had gotten slightly scarlet in certain areas.
My wings also benefited from the evolution, having grown longer and larger, hopefully enough to at least glide. Unfortunately, it seems they still weren’t strong enough to carry my even heavier body up into the sky, meaning that flying still was a no go.
“If I could repair ‘Damaged Mana Paths,’ you ask, young scale?” I asked Mister Kushlek’zar as he was examining my body with the enthusiasm of a mad scientist.
[“Yeah, you’ve seen me try to fly, right? Well, the reason why I can’t fly in either of my forms is because I damaged the mana paths in my left wing. I can’t pour mana into them nor are they large enough to support my body,”] I explained to him, reserving a bit of hope that he could help me solve this problem of mine.
“I am no mana surgeon, I wouldn’t risk further injuring you with my insufficient knowledge about a dragon’s body, young scale.” He looked at Tasianna, just to see her shake her head in denial. “If not even your fairy companion can do it, a being of pure mana, then you require a professional. Unfortunately, the surgeons I know are in Caedhul.”
“I have suggested going to the elven kingdom for the procedure, but through circumstances, we’ve reached this kingdom," Tasianna commented. slightly peeved we had to change course due to the wyverns.
Well, I guess that didn’t work. Verdammt.
Aside from all those details, my body was actually pretty similar to my former one. Just imagine my [Young Spark Inferno Dragon] form but bigger and with a glowy “magma or sun” core in the middle of my chest.
With that done, let’s see my status board! Profile!
SpoilerName: Hestia Atsuko Level: 0 Race: Young Sunfang Dragon
Age: 7 Month
Status: Health: 9302/9302 (+3438)Mana: 32453/32453 (+13169)
Strength: 4796 (+1943) Intelligence: 7896 (+2435)
Vitality: 2735 (+1289) Wisdom: 3846 (+2065)
Agility: 8000 (+2100) Stamina: 678/5432 (+2481)
Effects: [Damaged Mana Path [Left Wing] (Minor)]
Skill Points: 5350
Unique Skill: [Dreadflame Dragon Lv. 2] (New) [Hellblade Dragon Lv. 2] (New)
[Solar Core Lv. 1] (New) [Venerated Saintess Lv. 1] (New)
Skill: Magic skills and related:
[Lava Magic Lv. 3] (+1) [Lightning Magic Lv. 2] (+1)
[White Flames Lv. 1] (New)
[Corrosive Fire Lv. 1] (New) [Sacred Magic Lv. 6] (+1) [Earth Magic Lv. 10]
[Earth Amp] [Earth Magic Efficiency] [Terra Magic Lv. 3] (+1)
[Wind Magic Lv. 10] [Wind Amp] [Wind Magic Efficiency]
[Storm Magic Lv. 1] [Space-Time Magic Lv. 4]
[Space-Time Magic Efficiency] [True Draconic Lineage]
[Synergist’s Oath Lv. 6] (+1) [Draconic Barrier Lv. 6] (+3)
[Silent Casting Lv. 7] (+1) [Magic Power Enhancement Lv. 7] (+1)
[Long-Range Spell Enhancement Lv. 1] (New)
[Mental Stability Lv. 6] (+1) [Mental Warfare Lv. 4] [Fluid Cast Lv. 1] (New)
[Delayed Cast Lv. 1] (New) [Mana Eyes Lv. 2]
Physical skills and related:
[Unarmed Technique Lv. 7] (+2)
[Draconic Roar Lv. 4] (+2) [Sundering Enhancement Lv. 5] (+1)
[Piercing Enhancement Lv. 5] (+1) [Crushing Enhancement Lv. 3] (+1)
Senses and movement skills:
[Silence Lv. 1] [Accuracy Correction Lv. 6]
[Concentration Lv. 4] (+2) [Foresight Lv. 1] [Danger Perception Lv. 4] (+1)
[Probability Correction Lv. 5] [Detection Sensor Lv. 3]
[Enhanced Auditory Sense Lv. 3] [Enhanced Olfactory Sense Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Vision Lv. 5] [Tracking Lv. 3] [Night Vision Lv. 8]
[Odorless Lv. 1] [Evasion Lv. 10] [Acrobatic Lv. 10]
[Air Walk Lv. 3] (+1) [Terrain Maneuvering Lv. 4]
[Mid-Air Maneuvering Lv. 1] (New)
Resistances:
[Physical Super-Resistance Lv. 4] [Absolute Pain Tolerance]
[Mental Corruption Resistance Lv. 3] [Mind Protection Lv. 3]
[Mana Leak Resistance Lv. 2] (+1) [Abnormal Status Nullification]
[Fear Resistance Lv. 2] [Lava Resistance Lv. 2] (+1)
[Lightning Resistance Lv. 2] (New)
[Holy Resistance Lv. 8] (+4) [Inferno Resistance Lv. 3] (+1)
[Terra Resistance Lv. 1] [Wind Resistance Lv. 2]
[Water Resistance Lv. 2] (+1) [Dark Resistance Lv. 1]
Stat growths and related:
[Enhanced Strength Growth Lv. 6] (+1)
[Enhanced Strength Enforcement Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Vitality Growth Lv. 5] (+1)
[Enhanced Vitality Enforcement Lv. 4]
[Speed of Sound Lv. 1]
Others:
[Singing Lv. 8] (+1) [Dancing Lv. 6] (+1) [Musician Lv. 4] (+1)
[Stage Fever Lv. 2] (New) [Handicraft Lv. 2] [Woodworking Lv. 4] (+1)
[Trap Creation Lv. 5] (+1) [Identity Blocker Lv. 10] [Identify Lv. 10]
[Battle Mind Lv. 7] (+1) [Cooking Lv. 7] [Benevolent Aura Lv. 2]
[Draconic Aura Lv. 1] (New) [Royal Prescence Lv. 1] (New)
[Dismantle Lv. 7] [Solar Energizer] (New) [Thought Acceleration Lv. 2]
[High-Speed Calculation Lv. 1] [Multi-Thought Processing Lv. 1]
[Parallel Thoughts Lv. 9] [Core Regulation] (New)
[Humanize Lv. 10] [Pyrokinesis] [Aerokinesis] [Telepathy]
Ability List: [Dreadflare Aura] [Hellblade Edge] [Scale-Dust Veil] [Hellflame Breath]
[Solar Beam]
Spell List: Custom Magic:
[Symphonie des Feuergottes] [Prayer]
Lightning Magic:
[Lightning Bolt] [Purple Flash]
Lava Magic:
[Lava Ball] [Lava Stream] [Molten Guard]
Holy Magic:
[Sacred Smite] [Sacred Veil] [Sacred Field] [Banishment Beam]
[Major Heal] [Omnictus]
Earth Magic
[Earth Wall] [Rock Blast] [Earth Strike] [Rock Bullet] [Sturdy Earth]
[Earth Spears] [Earth Crash] [Earthen Shackles] [Terra Wall]
[Bedrock Blades] [Rumbling Might]
Wind Magic:
[Wind Bullet] [Wind Cutter] [Air Shield] [Wind Slash]
[Swift Winds] [Wind Blast] [Featherfall] [Aerial Blitz]
[Tornado Bullet]
Space-Time Magic:
[Haste] [Storage Magic] [Warp Point: Entry]
The Light Magic:
[Shine] [Sanctuary]
Titles: [The Light] [Bearer of Kargryxmor’s Blood] [Divine Inferno] (New)
[Otherworldly Reincarnator] [Princess]
[collapse]W-wow, dude. Guess that System message didn’t lie at all. Additional 300 stats points in everything but 3000 extra SP? Daaaamn! This is a real jackpot!
I might as well check out my new unique racial skills, I guess.
I revealed everything that I inspected to everybody involved, aside from the more confidential information as I didn’t want the saurians to know them. This included my age, SP, and that I was a reincarnator. I would also leave the fact that I couldn't evolve anymore until I can speak about it in private with Saori and Tasianna.
As much as I trusted Master, there was still a bit inside me who was wary of him. Scared, really. I was frightened by how powerful he was and how his skill set and elemental magic could counter me pretty well, and it seemed my draconic instincts were still too “feral” to just trust stronger people. Pretty dumb, but I just had to unlearn being too cautious.
With this done, it was finally time for me to turn back into a dragonewt.
Mana mist escaped my body as I activated the skill, covering my humongous body and blocking my view. I could feel my body becoming lighter as seconds passed by. My long neck and tail shortening, while my spine corrected itself to allow me to stand up on two legs.
At this point, I thought I’ve gotten used to the sensation of transforming into a humanoid but doing it with this new body felt weird. There was something crazy about a dragon larger than an elephant transforming into a small little girl, right? I mean, where did all that mass go? I wasn’t exactly bulky, so it was likely all of it was just compressed. Mana and physics really didn’t mix well inside my brain.
As the mist dispersed, I opened my eyes and gazed at the people before me, all retaining the height I was used to before my evolution. I looked at Saori and asked her, “How do I look? Any changes?”
“… Disappointingly, no. Your dragon form definitely has changed, even if it’s just the color of your scales. Your dragonewt form … is exactly how I remembered it,” Saori earnestly told me.
Looking down, the scales on my hand did look more crimson than scarlet. Maybe the claws had gotten a bit longer and sharper, but that would only be a minor change. My hair and horns still had the same length and shape; nothing to comment there.
However, what felt different was a heat coming from my chest. My clothes recovered after my transformation so I couldn’t just undress and reveal my bare chest to see it. At least, not before the men.
“Saori, Tasianna, come over here please,” I called them over, constructing a square to block everybody’s sight of us while explaining to Master that we had to check something “private.”
Now amongst us girls, I told them of my thoughts and undressed myself to see if what I assumed was true. And there and behold, a large glowing crevice similar to the one in my dragon form was in the spot where my cleavage was. Instead of pink human skin, the area was instead protected by thick crimson-scarlet colored scales, just like in my dragon form.
Honestly, it was weird that my body now had a “glowly spot” like a video game boss monster. “Hit this, it's my weak spot,” kinda deal, you know? The only difference was that my “weak spot” was probably one of the hardest areas to attack.
After putting back on my clothes, our party said goodbye to the saurians and returned back to the village. As we entered the village, I heard from the guards that Saori and Tasianna told everybody that I was spending the night with the saurians, and that I would come back the next day. It seemed like those two took care of everything.
As I entered our house, I noticed a very major difference between the furniture we once had and the ones we now had. Our former furniture was crude, a result of being hastily made by village craftsmen. I honestly could make better ones after the lizardmen taught me, frankly.
But the furniture now was beautiful. All the wooden furniture was covered in resin, giving it a soft touch, while showing clear signs that it was made by experts with care and precision.
Our beds now had soft mattresses with pure white bed sheets, contrasting extremely against the dirty, brown walls of our house. “A rich girl’s belongings inside a farmer's house,” essentially. That had a certain charm, I guess, but not something I ever thought could be possible …
“Well, it is a present from a Count. I personally expected a noble’s taste to be too refined for our humble accommodation,” Saori commented. “I could not find any manatech bugs, but could you make sure the Count did not put a trick to spy on us?”
I nodded and used [Mana Eyes] on them. Fortunately, none of them had any magical traces. Once I thought we were safe to talk about it, I sat on our new comfy chair and told them about what the System told me after my evolution finished. About the fact that I could still level up but would now receive reduced experience per kill, and also how I was barred from evolving into a rank A before fulfilling the requirements.
Five years. I had to wait five years for my evolution and to lose the “Young” prefix in my race name. At least that was what I concluded when it said, “maturation requirement.” It would be a while, but five years shouldn’t be too long … hopefully.
After our small discussion, the three of us then went to do whatever we wanted for the day. Saori had some stuff to do in the village and Tasianna hadn’t taken care of the plants yet. I personally jumped on my new bed, enjoying the soft sensation of a finely made bed. I could just fall asleep now, but Saori would lecture me if I just took a nap now.
There are still five days left until my meeting with Count Helvas. Better start the prep~
AbyssRaven Here we go!
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