But all she felt was the agony of her burns, the saliva and acid she'd braved. She sagged to the ground, barely able to lift her head. Juni wasn’t in much better shape.
Hadley was the first to reach them, dumping her pack and fumbling with one of the pouches. Her hands shook as she extracted a small vial filled with a glowing red fluid. “Jurik! I need help over here!” she screamed.
The veteran warrior hobbled over, gasping as he finally saw their injuries, and dropped his satchel to grab a waterskin, dribbling the fluid over Juni, then herself. Neska felt a relieving cooling sensation on her scales, dulling the pain of the burns.
But the pain inside was worse. She had used up far too much mana in that effort, and her insides were slowly catching up to the imbalance.
Jurik steadied Hadley's hand, and her hands stopped shaking. “Hadley, take care of Juni. Use half a dose of the recovery potion, and bandage the lesser wounds.” She nodded and took a shaky breath, curling her fingers into fists before uncurling them; her hands were now steadier.
Jurik, meanwhile, attended Neska. “I see signs of mana poisoning on her. Her scales are glowing faintly, too; she must be able to evolve.”
Hadley looked at him in dismay. “How do you know so much–”
“I've worked a lot with the Awakened,” Jurik responded calmly. “You pick up things. Things you wish you'd known sooner,” he added in a lower tone. “Neska…Thank you.”
Don’t thank me yet. I hurt all over. Inside and out. She was still reeling from what the serpent…what Tanileth had said.
Who was she? And who was Ouroboros? Academically, she knew Ouroboros was a divine beast, nothing more than folklore to explain cataclysms and major world events...
...And yet, even the Interface recognized it.
Since she was otherwise in pain and not going anywhere while Jurik patched her up and fed her part of the red liquid potion, she reviewed the updates. Jurik kept giving her a grim look, leaving her feeling concerned.
Vivi, I need a sum-up. Full details, please.
Certainly.
Level Increased: Witch 7 → Witch 10
Level Cap reached. Major Evolution Available
Ability Proficiencies increased
Rooting Hex 10 > LIMIT BREAK
Coiled Strike 6 > Coiled Strike 7
Venomous Bite 5 > Venomous Bite 7
Spring Scales 3 > Spring Scales 5
Mana Bolt 7 > Mana Bolt 8
Ember Hex 4 > Ember Hex 5
Baleful Eye 1 > Baleful Eye 2
Prehensile Tail 2 > Prehensile Tail 4
New Abilities and Minor Evolutions available - Major Evolution Override, Essence Points Retained
New Witch Hexes available - Major Evolution Override, Essence Points Retained
Title gained: Shatter the Ceiling - Break a limit on an ability or evolution. + 2 Intelligence, + 2 Perception.
Title gained: Kinslayer - Kill one of your own kind, regardless of circumstances.
Title gained: Enduring Bravery - Be the victor in a battle you had a low chance of winning. +2 Endurance, +2 Agility.
Major Title gained: Unbreakable Bond - Save a friend in dire need, at great risk to yourself. +4 Vitality, +4 Endurance, + 4 Soul.
3 Essence Points Granted (Unused Total: 3)
9 Attribute Points Granted (Unused Total: 9)
Warning: Major Evolution is available. The evolution will begin in 24 hours, unless manually triggered by you, Neska. In addition, if an evolution is not selected, one at random will be assigned.
Neska had so many questions, but the pain was only worsening, bleeding her focus on the information. Jurik’s growing concern drew her attention away from the notifications. I don’t feel good. Even with the potions.
“Why isn’t she healing?” Juni asked, sitting upright while Hadley bandaged her wounds. “The potions…is it not working? Why did it work for me?"
“Your stone form protected you against most of it, and those with earth affinities resist venoms and toxins.” Jurik’s words brought little relief to Juni. "But Tunnel viper venom inhibits healing, and Neska was practically swimming in it. On top of mana exhaustion, it’s not good.”
Juni dashed over to Neska, despite the obvious pain etched in her face. “You’ve got to hold on, you hear me? You’re going to make it through this!”
Neska dragged her tail slowly over the dirt, trying to get out a word. {Evolve. Heal?}
Jurik let out a gasp, then snapped his fingers. “It might work. If you’re at your level cap, you can initiate your major evolution! It’s not about healing so much as restructuring your body. Neska, you should hurry and pick a new form. I can’t guarantee the potion will work, and you’re in bad shape.”
“Listen to the Interface. When it starts, you’ll form a cocoon, then you’ll go to sleep.” Juni set one paw on Neska’s snout, running the claws over her scales gently. “When you wake up…your mind will be intact. But the rest of you will be a new you. A new body, almost.”
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She nodded her head gently. She could feel herself getting weaker. Vivi. I need my options. Will I heal if I evolve?
Possibly. I don’t know the specifics, other than there is a substantial change to your body. And, that you are vulnerable when in between forms. Fragile.
Juni leaned in, eyes dimmed. “Please, Neska. You have to do it now. Because…I…we…we’ve never met anyone like you before. And we want you here, with us. There are too many Awakened that never even make it as far as you have.”
She took that as her sign. Vivi. It’s time. I need to evolve to survive. To honor Risha’s last request…and to continue my journey with them.
Vivi seemed to take an unusually long time to respond.
There are a few choices. This is a substantial change to your body and soul, Neska. This can’t be undone. You understand this, yes? You’ll no longer be just a snake.
I was already something more than that. I need to be more, to find answers. And I have to be something more than that to be there for them.
The words felt right to her. She just hoped that she made the right choice.
Major Evolutions available for selection, based on Attributes and Titles:
Tunnel Viper (Uncommon): Take the form of a tunneling serpent with significant size increases. Gain tunneling capability and primitive forearms. Gain resistance to physical damage and earth affinity.
Attribute increases: +8 Vitality, +2 Agility, +8 Endurance, +2 Intelligence, +4 Perception, +4 Soul
Sea Serpent (Uncommon): Traverse the great water medians of the world. Gain the ability to swim underwater with size increases. Gain water-breathing capability, stabilizing fins, and increased magical resistance. Gain hydro and lightning affinity.
Attribute increases: +4 Vitality, +8 Agility, +2 Endurance, +8 Intelligence, +4 Perception, +2 Soul
Wurm (Rare): The common ancestry between dragons and snake species. This evolution increases size. Gain resistance to physical damage. Gain the ability of speech, fire, and ice affinity. Gain a fire or ice breath attack, and corresponding resistance, and add new corresponding spells to Witch Hexes/Blessings.
Attribute increases: +10 Vitality, +6 Agility, +10 Endurance, +6 Intelligence, +6 Perception, +6 Soul
Lamia (Legendary): The bridging gap between snakes and humanoid species, the Lamia is considered an inferior naga, but still deserves to be respected for their utility and subtle deadliness. Gain the ability to speak, grow arms, and gain increased magical and mental resistances. Increases all venom potency and adaptability, and enhances magical casting ability effectiveness.
Attribute increases: +6 Vitality, +12 Agility, +6 Endurance, +12 Intelligence, +8 Perception, +8 Soul
If Neska were capable of speech, she would be screaming in joy at the choices before her. These changes were…immense, to put it mildly.
Vivi...what drives these options?
Your experiences and actions imprint on your soul. I cannot say I fully understand what goes on behind the Interface...I cannot dissect my own instructions to that level.
She nodded weakly. All of the choices seemed strong in at least one way. But some were nowhere near as strong as others. Her body shuddered when she thought of taking the same form as the Tanileth.
There were some benefits: tunneling underground would allow her to ambush foes. She could even synergize with her [Rooting Hex] abilities, or the venom currently affecting her healing.
It was also a nonstarter. One had almost killed Juni. She'd never take the form of something that terrified Juni. Not willingly. Why would I want this one?
To be everything he was. All his power.
It sounded like a twisted version of his own words. Definitely not that one.
She took a much closer look at the sea serpent. It seemed highly specialized for aquatic environments. If she were to make adventures to islands or into large bodies of water, it might be useful. I did love to swim. I guess that one fits...even if its not pragmatic.
She had a feeling most of her battles would be on land, against other terrestrial foes. Despite the ability to traverse more environments, becoming a sea serpent was not good enough to consider.
Which left her with two choices. Both of which had carried an unknown end state for their evolutions.
She examined the Lamia species first. There were numerous benefits to it, and it synergized with her Witch class. Enhanced spellcasting by itself might be the reason to take it, regardless of which hexes she took. The ability to adapt…that was a power unto itself.
Arms and speech were immense boons. The communication upgrade was well worth it, regardless of the other upgrades.
There was one flaw: it would not significantly increase her size. Based on the size of the image she saw on the Interface, it was about as tall as a humanoid, with a lengthy serpentine lower half. She would still slither to and fro, about the same size as Jurik and the others.
The wurm, on the other hand, would be a significant size increase and give her the choice to specialize in one of two elements. Venom by itself was good, but having two areas of specialization would provide her options where one or the other wasn’t suitable. She had no illusions that there might be foes immune to toxins, and even the Interface cautioned that it was almost a guarantee, the further she ventured.
There was also one subtle implication. If there were a common path between dragons and snakes…could she become a dragon of sorts, down the road? Vivi, if I pick one of these evolutions, will it exclude others down the line?
Correct. That is a possibility.
I also think, given your aptitude for incinerating or detonating dangerous compounds, that might have played a small role in this choice appearing.
Burning things? Yeah...I might be setting a bad precedent. Either way, it’s a toss-up between Wurm and Lamia. But what does this rare and legendary status mean?
Evolutions are influenced by your soul and actions–the titles you acquire. How you interact with your world affects the shape and nature of your soul. The monsters, I suspect, are affected in the same way. The evolutions, in order of increasing power, are Common > Uncommon > Rare > Legendary > Mythical > Paragon. If there are other grades, I do not know of them.
Could they become more…human?
The mimicoid would indicate as such. But that is a slime-based creature. It is imitating something else. These creatures seem to be guided by something within the Interface, or outside of it.
I... don't know what you intend, Neska. But I doubt you could ever be fully human again.
She let out an internal sigh. I figured as much. But not being human doesn't mean I lack humanity.
Juni patted her on the head as Neska’s body aches grew worse. She felt her tail twitch, and the wounds were sapping her strength. She looked at the mouse girl and let out her tongue to tickle the mouse girl's nose. Juni laughed softly at that, even as dire as the situation was. “Have you…made a choice?” she whispered.
{I have. And I hope it’s the right one.} Neska nodded softly and gazed at the others. Ragnir had patched up his worst wounds and rested his axe on the ground, leaning on the haft gently. Hadley also knelt, composed, her expression softer than she remembered. Jurik gave her a knowing nod, and Juni let out a quiet breath.
Neska etched out a short message. {Save a seat for me in class tomorrow. Be right behind you, Juni.}
The mouse girl laughed softly. "I will."
Jurik nodded calmly. “We’ll be here, Neska. It’s now or never.” He picked her up gently and set her in a small grove of trees, easily defensible from one of two directions, while the others drew close. “We’ll be here when you wake up, because I know you can make it through this.”
“You’ve saved my life twice,” Hadley said quietly, her blue eyes filled with luster. “That’s more than any one person has ever done for me. Let the monsters come. I’ll kill all of them before they get to you.”
“And I’ll be here,” Ragnir said quietly, giving one glance at the fallen foe.
Juni rubbed her snout gently. “Neska…no matter what you turn into…you’re as human as you believe you are. Don’t ever forget that.” The words resonated with Neska as she lowered her head, feeling the fatigue building. She had to do this now.
Juni...you're braver than you know.
Vivi, you know my choice. Get started right away.
Very well. Beginning evolution now…
Neska felt a sticky substance begin to seep out of her scales and slowly coat her body. Her consciousness slipped away, and the last thing she saw before darkness took her was Juni, her paws clenched tightly, standing next to a stoic Jurik.
I’ll keep my promise, Risha. I’ll stop the monsters. Once and for all.
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