She gave herself some credit. The root traps had worked better than expected, but the execution of the technique needed better timing. As for her mana bolts, they weren't strong enough to deal substantial damage. She needed to practice with those a lot more.
She doubted the hawk…she doubted Zhuren was the most dangerous creature in the forest or the skies. She would have to move more carefully.
In the meantime, she examined the fallen creature. Scavengers would get him eventually and pick the bones clean. Nature was unwilling to let such rich scraps go to rot.
She felt utterly ravenous right now. I shouldn’t let him go to waste. Vivi, can I…fit him into my mouth? She opened her mouth and closed it, and tried to size it up.
Barely. The talons will be a problem, as it were.
Risha would likely be frowning, deciding how to tackle this problem. Trying to take a meal this big carried risks, and other predators could try to grab her while she was sitting around, digesting a meal.
But the odds of her finding more prey in her weakened state, and catching it? Not likely. She grabbed the hawk by its legs and dragged it over to a cluster of alluvial boulders by the edge of the meadow, after a minute or two of effort.
Her teeth were not designed for dragging things like this. After a minute, she tried hinging her jaw up and over, and then stopped.
The talons would cut her from the inside if she tried that. She chose something a little less risky and used her tail to conjure up two more mana bolts. The slight discovery surprised her--she could prime two at once? It was still the same energy draw, but it would allow for faster fire. In theory. But do they cut better?
As she suspected from the proficiency increase, the flesh seemed to have less resistance now. Soon, the removed talons lay discarded on the ground. She glanced around to verify she was alone, then stretched her jaw wide. I should not make a habit of eating my foes if I can help it, for the record, Vivi.
Noted.
This had to be the biggest prey she’d ever attempted to eat. Luckily, she was a little bigger now, but…it proved not so easy, as she had to angle on how to do this pragmatically.
You know, this wouldn't have bothered me not that long ago. But now, Vivi? Now I’m constantly thinking of what I’m stuffing down my throat. She had to take the hawk head-first, and slowly began stuffing him down, one muscle clench at a time.
You are a predator, though. It is the natural order of things.
Even so. I think the human part of me might be disgusted by this. The sight of her would have looked comical to any onlookers. Then again, if any human saw a giant magical snake inhaling a predator that should have had no issues eating her? They would hopefully scurry in a different direction.
She still had not gotten the meal down after several minutes. It was a lot more feathers than meat, and she shook her body to try to get this feast down. Get. In. My. Belly!
She was slowly making progress. The bones flexed and broke enough that she finally got the hawk in, legs last. But she was still sitting there with a feathery tail sticking out of her mouth.
It didn’t feel very dignified at all. There were those strange thoughts again–a fragment of herself coming through, from before? Nothing’s changed. I’m just more aware of my world. My perception is clearer. But I had an awful thought. What if part of my personality was permanently changed by becoming a snake? Will I ever get the old me back?
What happened, happened. Are you sure the old you is what you want? You don’t even know it.
I’ve seen glimpses. I saw Risha…being happy. Actually happy. When she thought I wasn’t around, after I became a snake, she’d cry in her room.
That’s another thing I noticed, Vivi, when it was just the two of us. She shoved away her past. She kept no portraits. No paintings. She never mentioned her family. Or a husband. Or, how I ended up in her care. I think they--either the Seekers, or the Academy-- deliberately place the Awakened with someone who isn’t a family member, to avoid…conflict.
That is speculative. But your logic may be correct on this.
All I know is she was there. I don't have context yet. But I’m sure other people knew her. And me. The academy is my best lead, and I was headed there anyway.
A short while later, there was no more Zhuren.
She felt utterly bloated and felt her stomach working nonstop to catch up. She sank into the hollow between the exposed roots and rocks and felt exhausted. A glance at her body revealed her wounds had already scabbed over. Then again, were she a normal snake, she would have stood no chance in that battle.
She curled her body as best she could into the hollow, her head sticking out, noting the sun setting slowly. No one would dare mess with her if they’d seen that spectacle play out.
I need a status update. Expand on the details from the last…event. The text popped up on demand.
Level Increased: Witch 2 → Witch 3
Ability Proficiencies increased
Rooting Hex 2 > Rooting Hex 4
Coiled Strike 2 > Coiled Strike 4
Venomous Bite 1 > Venomous Bite 3
Mana Bolt 1 > Mana Bolt 3
Title Gained - Merciful: You saw a foe defeated, and gave them a dignified end. +1 Endurance, + 1 Soul. This Title may evolve depending on your actions.
1 Essence Point added
3 Attribute Points added
She studied the information for a moment, noting the increase in her abilities. The abilities had increased not just numerically but also felt different. The mana bolts now dealt a little more damage and burned brighter. Though her [Spring Scales] had not changed. She likely needed more practice with it.
A rather amusing idea of her bouncing like a spring from here to the Academy now lived rent-free inside her head. There's no way I could level an ability like that. Probably. Actually, Vivi? What does the level of an ability or evolution impact?
Each evolution or ability starts with one rank. Each rank increases the base properties of the skill. There is a maximum cap for each Tier of evolution, or Class, in the case of a human.
Which means it's multiplicative. Increasing the ability or evolution rank and increasing the scaling attribute will result in a significantly more powerful effect than either one alone. And you said some abilities evolve.
This is true. Some may have additional utility added to your evolutionary path--either they evolve naturally, or with an Essence Point upgrade. Theoretically if you were to focus on your venom bites, additional options may be proposed over time as upgrade purchases.
Conversely if you use your hexes frequently, some may receive additional utility suggestions. Some may also be proposed to synergize between your evolutions and hexes, even. Or other aspects of your witch class.
But if I’m the first this has happened to…how does the Interface even begin to give out these options?
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
The Interface simply is. It facilitates what is possible, it doesn’t necessarily make anything possible.
Neska sighed internally. This was going to get complex, fast. The more options she had, the more wary she would be about committing to a path that might prove poor for her in the long term, unable to make progress. She needed a robust build to handle most threats, but allow for specialization in one or two areas of expertise. Currently, it looked like disabling foes and dealing damage, with high mobility to cover her weak endurance. Assuming she lived that long.
Finally, she focused her attention on the last unknown: The titles. Merciful. What does that mean, Vivi?
Your actions carry weight. The growth of a person is not always in physical strength, but your soul and your influence. In this instance, you chose to end your foe’s life swiftly, rather than let the toxins do their work over a longer period. Mercy can mean many things. It may also mean to stay your hand, when you have every right to use your power on someone. To forgive them, even.
Mercy is a concept I understand. Can monsters also grant…mercy?
Mercy is a construct of the sapient and enlightened.
So is that a ‘no’ from you?
Perhaps it’s better to frame it as they cannot understand the concept. Zhuren, your foe was sapient. But under the control of someone else, directed and guided.
Like the voice? Marikand answered it. But I don’t know if it was a choice…or a compulsion. Her head perked up lightly when she saw small lights blinking in the forest. She was relieved when she saw it was merely fireflies, bobbing and weaving randomly through the air. Their dance with one another was… mesmerizing.
I have no more knowledge than you. I am only going by your observations. Do you find it curious that the monsters view you as an…aberration?
I find it unusual that humans willingly chose this. Or I did. Stranger still, Zhuren did not know what had happened at the cottage. That means they must still communicate physically. The Voice…likely broke a rule. As if this Interface has rules of what can and can’t be done.
Inconclusive. I cannot not affirm or deny that theorem.
She set her head down on a coil of her body–she didn’t have all the information she needed to assess this. Not yet. The Awakened are made. Like Risha’s alchemy products. She…made Awakened. A lot, apparently.
And she hated herself for it. But why? She knew she wouldn’t find that answer here.
So, what comes next?
Digesting this giant bird. Then we’re moving out, Vivi. On that note, did I acquire any additional evolution abilities?
No. It would seem that not every level grants new options, but previously offered ones remain. I expect there to be more coming up. Tier two and beyond is more open-ended to allow specialization.
Then I’ll sleep on it.
A mana bolt shot through the air, piercing a brightly colored bird perched on a tree branch. The force of the impact knocked it off the limb, where it tumbled to the ground, much to the delight of now rested, and well-fed Neska. The extra bird on the ground in front of her was a snack for the path.
I've upgraded from a lizard noodle to a danger noodle. Hah! Oh, wait, this is the kind of thought that would get the heroes an instant dose of hubris in Risha's books. She still allowed herself a small coiled leap of celebration, however.
It didn’t take much effort to swallow this much smaller prey. However, she didn’t get any additional ability improvements. This aligned with what Vivi had indicated–low effort exertions wouldn’t improve them. Not that she was counting on eating and killing everything in sight; that would likely get her noticed.
In the meantime, she slithered along the forest floor, looking skyward for the sun. She knew that Risha had navigated in her travels by charting the sun during certain times of day. She knew she needed to go south, and the Academy was a considerable distance away.
What she needed was a point of reference. She needed to reach the main road and find a village to get information. Unfortunately, the Academy of the Awakened wasn’t a place she remembered how to get to. Risha had taken great care never to mention it…until Marikand revealed they’d known all along.
All she knew was that she needed to get to the southern road.
Risha, what secrets do you have in the crystal placed in my care? The invisible bracer weighed on her, even though it wasn’t physically present. Am I supposed to give it to Serkin? Am I supposed to be the only person who can see it? I don’t know who I can trust with it.
…You must have been afraid of your knowledge finding its way to the monsters. That can be the only reason why.
Even as much as she realized Risha had cared for her…she couldn’t help but be frustrated that she’d have to figure this out on her own, hoping she made the right decisions.
She passed along a forest glen, with a small series of hills now visible off to her right. Water cascaded off a short cliff, pooled at the bottom, and a stream continued at a more gentle pace. The water itself formed a mist in the area, giving it a feeling of mystery, amongst the evergreen trees around her.
It was quiet. The only sounds she heard were the low rustle of a breeze and the occasional chirp of birds. Once she looked for where the sun was highest in the sky, and got her bearings, she saw no living being aside from a few squirrels. This trip to the south would take time.
Luckily, she remembered a trick from Risha when clouds drifted over the sky. Moss tended to grow on the northern side of trees. Risha had mentioned it once. That was a helpful memory, though not necessarily a guarantee. Moss did grow in more than one direction.
She pondered what to do with her next upgrade. Holding one in reserve might not be a bad idea, but there might be some abilities that she wouldn’t be able to use right away–or proficiently. Her [Spring Scales] could have been the wrong play in that last encounter, especially untested.
[Ember Hex] looked like it could be useful. Igniting surfaces could help me deal with challenges I can't deal with up close. Even better, if I entangle them with the [Rooting Hex] and let that surface get really hot, that's a great combination. If the roots hold, however.
Or, use [Blinding Venom] to limit their vision, allow me to land a hex easier? That one’s less useful if my aim is bad. [Bad Luck Hex] seems strange. I'm not sure if it’s worth the extra essence yet, but it works without me needing to hit the target.
These abilities might not be usable in every situation. Then again, getting something to catch fire? That could be useful to cause some chaos at great speed. The [Prehensile Tail] ability was probably the most underrated item on the list. Not immediately useful, but if she were to make contact with the academy, and possibly become a student? She’d probably need some means to manipulate things, objects, or grab books to read.
Her aiming difficulties with her tail were a good area of improvement for interacting with her world. That was going to take some more practice than blasting a few birds. What was stranger was that the colorful birds had mercilessly pecked some of the normal birds adjacent to them to death, without warning. Violence for them almost seemed an inevitability.
She hoped they weren’t all like this. Zhuren was capable of thought. It opened the gate to possibilities of reasoning. Maybe. Assuming the monsters weren’t all enslaved to this Voice, the presence that Risha had seemed familiar with.
What is the Voice? Risha knew them. It was as if they were a person. How did a witch…No, I don’t have nearly enough information to conjecture. I have to get to the academy first, and in one piece.
I hope that Voice can't control me. That would be terrifying. Then again, if it did have that power, wouldn't the best place to use it have been at the cottage?
She shook the thoughts clear. She had to remain focused and find a way back to the main path. If she kept going south, she should intersect it at some point. She just needed to keep the warmth of the sun on her face and keep an eye on its position as the day passed, as it set lower to the horizon. It was a bit of guesswork, but better than nothing.
She heard a commotion up ahead, shouts from a considerable distance. She darted to the nearest patch of undergrowth. Slowly, she slunk to a position where she could look outward, with low risk of being spotted herself. It sounded like a high-pitched, squeaky voice, screaming, just past a bend between a small pair of hills with rocky outcroppings.
She poked her head up, straining to hear. It was…a human voice? Screaming for help.
“Help me! Someone help me!”
Neska couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw a large furry creature that looked almost like a mouse rounding the corner. But there was something strange about it. This mouse was larger than any mouse she’d ever seen, even bigger than the biggest rat she’d seen. It was the size of a small human child. It had a coating of long brown fur and large ears flattened against its skull as it ran, its pink, wormlike tail whipping furiously behind it.
Wait. Where are the humans? She heard the barks before she saw them–two doglike creatures with sharply shaped ears and short, slick fur bounding after the mouse, spittle frothing from their mouths as they gave chase. Their bright color banding on their flanks and their speed suggested they, too, were monsters.
“Help me, anyone!”
Neska stared wildly at the mouse. There weren’t any humans nearby–it was the mouse thing! It talked, and not in that strange thought speech, but actual words!
She saw the hounds were closing the distance between themselves and their quarry–that mouse wasn’t going to outrun them forever. Neska saw the pursued mouse panting heavily, almost stumbling as it leaped over a small set of jutting rocks. All three of them were sprinting roughly in her direction. Neska pondered what she could do.
She could do nothing, and let them pass. Neska was a snake and ill-suited to fighting two beasts at once. Engaging in direct action would put her at risk.
But…
That lingering vision, of the person she was, who had stood stoically against that shadowy feline beast, persisted. Instead of choosing to retreat…she chose a dangerous move. Why had she done that? Why had she not done the safe thing and retreated with her friend? Or sat in the tree silently, waiting for the predator to pass?
And this mouse…it was calling for help. If Neska did nothing...the mouse's last dying thoughts would be that nobody came.
Her mind churned at the possibilities–Risha had mentioned the monsters didn’t always work together. Did that mean they could become adversarial to one another? Could alliances of convenience be formed? Or was this another Awakened like her?
All she knew at present was that this mouse was doomed without outside help. And that bothered her immensely.
She studied their projected path and put together a plan. Well, here’s to a possibly bad idea, Vivi. She felt a trickle of power across her body as she selected her new ability with a glance at her evolutions. Her mouth felt all tingly, and it itched with an intensity she hadn’t felt before.
Now was a moment of action. Neska needed to feel those feelings of the person she was, who had chosen to stand firm, rather than retreat or do nothing. She waited until the hounds were in range and mentally cast out the roots, feeling their tendrils take hold in the soil, ready to spring forth.
[Rooting Hex Activated]
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What do you think happens next?