- Snake me home
The mamba crashes by me at insane speed! As it passes I hear a whistling noise then milliseconds after,
*BOOM!*
I instinctively dodge while slashing at it with my claws. However; they can't penetrate it's scales! I reach back and try to punch forward with my fingers out.
*CRACK!*
"FUUUUCK!"
My claws break on impact on the serpent's scales!
*WHIP*
I feel a crushing impact on my side as I'm hit by the tail and flung into a tree. I feel my arm break along with a few of my ribs.
"COUGH COUGH!"
I don't get much of a chance to recover as the monster charges towards me with its fangs barred. As it gets closer, I use my breath attack and shoot it into its throat! It seems to notice this as it shuts its mouth at just the right time. I still bake its face though! I guess it didn't expect much to come from me as it roars out in pain, attempting to use its tail to wipe the napalm-like fluid off its face. While it's preoccupied, I change back into my drake form so that my attacks have some weight behind them. Right after I get changed, it gets the flames off of its mouth and starts charging again. I dodge to the left as it stops in its tracks and just sits there staring at me.
I get myself into a lowered stance, waiting for it to charge. Then, my 6th sense picks up something from behind me.
"SHI-"
*BAM*
Its tail comes from behind and slams into my head. It completely dazes me, making me see double. I bring a spikey Earth wall up around me, creating a sort of dome.
"I barely even have time to react to this thing!"
[That is because it is a B-rank monster.]
"THANKS CAPTAIN OBVIOUS!"
[Are you re-naming me?]
"NO JUST TELL ME WHAT TO DO!"
[I'm afraid that I'm of no use in combat.]
"OF COURSE YOU AREN'T!"
I use my Earth magic to try and sense the vibrations of where this mamba is. I feel it moving around me, coiling itself up! This is… PERFECT! Maybe if I didn't have magic I'd worry, but obviously I DO! I start cooling down the air around me extremely fast! The serpent seems to realize this and starts trying to get away, but it's too late! The snake starts to slow down as the cold overtakes its body. Luckily I'm not the same kind of reptile as this overgrown snake! After a few more seconds, the snake falls asleep!
I bring down my dome and walk up on top of the mamba.
"BRUMATION, BITCH!"
I yell out and stomp its head with my foot. Obviously, this doesn't do much but it gives me satisfaction. I bare my teeth and bring them right up to the sides of its head, and…
*SMACK!*
"Huuuurrrrgh…"
I feel something smack me right on the spine, knocking the wind out of me.
FUCK! Of course that thing was playing dead! I didn't check it's heartbeat! The beast wiggles me off of its back and bites my leg with its flaming fangs. They have some trouble at first, but eventually work their way through my scales and into my leg.
"RRRRRRG!"
I yank my leg forward and bite down on the side of the creature's head with all my strength!
*SHK*
"ROOOOOOAR!*
The creature roars in pain, and lets go before biting down again on my side! I use my water magic to take some of the blood from my wound and create a ball, sending it into the creature's mouth. When It reaches the center, I make icey blood spikes come from the ball, piercing the creature's mouth in multiple spots. I put the most power into the one heading towards where I think its brain is. I miss the brain, but now I have access to this creature's blood as well! I use my magic and make the blood from these wounds pour out incessantly!
The mamba senses this, and backs away. But not before I pull out a good bit of blood! We go back to squaring each other up, moving around in a circle looking for openings. Then, the creature casts some fireballs and flings them at me. I cast my own as well, but twice as big! I send them crashing towards the other ones, crushing them instantly and sending my own towards the mamba. It easily dodges those, but doesn't notice the trap I had laid for it! As it dodges forward, an Earth spike comes crashing out, forcing itself through the already open wound on the side of its head! The spike enters on the middle left side of its head and explodes gloriously out the top, bringing parts of its brain out with it!
[Mountain Mamba (B-rank) killed!]
[Level up x 14]
[Level 48 / 50]
"FINALLY!"
[You got rather lucky with this one.]
"Lucky? LUCKY?! That thing nearly killed me!"
[You did get lucky, here is that mountain mamba's status.]
-----------------------
[Status:]
[Name: Unnamed]
[Race: Mountain Mamba]
[Title: Runt]
[Level: 12 / 30]
[Class: B-rank]
[Mana Heart: 1st - 5 Life rings, 1 Fire ring]
[Inherent Magic: Camouflage]
------------------------
"Okay? And? I still fought a B-rank monster!"
[Yes, however this monster was the runt of its clutch. Also, it seemed to have focused on life magic. Had it focused more heavily into other elements, you would have lost immediately. Did you notice how it was only capable of physical attacks and extremely weak fire attacks? It's fire wasn't even strong enough to cauterize the wounds it left on your body. All in all, you got very lucky during that fight.]
"H-holy shit… That was a runt? THAT THING?"
[Yes.]
"Mountain mamba, snake me home…"
[Take*]
"Anyways, I need to start healing up."
I cast my Life magic on myself, rapidly healing my wounds. It seems like I'm not able to utilize it very well during combat, but it does have a passive healing effect. The ribs and arm that the creature broke healed extremely quickly. As I'm healing, I begin to have some questions about my mana heart and rings.
"Hey, Ellie. Why do some creatures have multiple of the same type of ring?"
[You could too. You would just have good evolutions blocked off for you, hence I decided not to give you the option. Having multiple of the same type of ring makes you have to sacrifice other types as you can only have a total of 7 per heart.]
"Ah, I see. So in the case that I fight a creature that fully focuses on one type of element, it'll be nearly invincible to that type of magic but extremely weak to others?"
[More often than not, yes. However there are creatures whose race gives them inherent strengths and weaknesses. For example, your drake species gives you a strength with and against fire while also giving you a weakness to light, dark, and wind type magic. You can still learn them, it'll just be more difficult and its effects will be weaker.]
"So, that means I only have wind, light, and dark left to go before the first one's done?"
[Exactly. After that, we will move on to the next one.]
Since I'm already trying to heal, I decide to go ahead and work on my wind ring. This time making sure to bring mana through my hearts first before sending them into my ring. The healing doesn't take long, maybe about ten minutes? During that time, I made a bit of progress with my wind ring.
However, I decided not to stay still any longer as I don't want to run into any more B-ranks. Before leaving however, I eat the Mamba's body. It tastes like the most amazing ramen noodle dish I've ever eaten!
[Mountain Mamba eaten]
[Modification points gained: 30]
I instead start backtracking, not daring to enter this forest again until my next evolution. It seems that I finally have a challenge on my hands!
I get back to the previous level of the mountain, and go around hunting for the next few days as the next two levels cost an exorbitant amount of energy. I even got to meet some new monsters and beasts! I killed some white monkey that was like eight feet tall, a boar that had horn the size of a human man, a basilisk that I luckily was stronger than, and some weird hybrid between a bear and a hawk. I've gotta say, the bearhawk tasted absolutely fantastic, like gourmet cheetos but meaty!
[Titanoboa Magica x 3 killed]
[Great Lemur x10 killed and eaten]
[Basilisk x1 killed and eaten]
[Bearhawk x 2 killed and eaten]
[Level up x2]
[Level 50 / 50]
[Extra energy converted into modification points]
[Modification points gained: 20]
[Evolution available!]
"Fuck yeah! Ellie, what are my options?
------------------
[Life Drake]
[Fire Drake]
[Magma Drake]
[Aqua Drake]
[Ice Drake]
[Earth Drake]
------------------
…
"Wait, that's it? I can't choose something else?"
[No. Once you reached Drake, you locked yourself into its evolutionary tree. However, When you unlock different types of magics and different modifications you will unlock different variants.]
"Fuck, Alright. I guess I'm gonna be taking it easy for a while. What modifications can I get?"
----------------------
[Upgrade Existing]
[Third Mana Heart - 200 Mod points]
[Flame gland - 10 Mod points]
[Venom gland - 10 Mod points]
[Acid gland - 10 Mod points]
-----------------------
"Give me all of the different glands and spend the rest upgrading my augmentations."
[Flame gland unlocked (20 MP per upgrade)]
[Venom gland unlocked (20 MP per upgrade)]
[Acid gland unlocked (20 MP per upgrade)]
I feel spots underneath my tongue start to feel like they're swelling. My instincts tell me that these growths are little sacs containing the different liquids I can shoot out. The fire gland seems to have upgraded my already existing flame gland, making the liquid more viscous, harder to put out, and hotter overall. The venom gland seems to have made my teeth have an injector in them that'll release venom when I bite something. The acid gland seems to have made a hole at the tip of my tongue, allowing me to spray acid in short bursts out of it. I feel my name is gonna change to be a pun on ants…
[Body Augmentations ranked up!]
[Body Transformation unlocked!]
[Body Transformation: You begin to transform the very foundation of your body, strengthening every tissue in your body. Each level of Body Transformation will make every part of your body more dense and sturdy. It also grants you a second brain, located near your stomach and surrounded by a bone cavity called a "skullette." (10 MP per upgrade)]
I feel an intense pain near my stomach, causing me to crawl around and writhe like a boa with napalm in its gills. As I'm on the ground, this pain is only increased as the rest of my body starts changing as well. My bones start to crack and reform themselves and my muscles start tearing themselves apart and reconnecting. My brain starts to grow slightly, causing me a massive headache that can't even begin to be described in words. Then, I hear a voice.
[Administering anesthetic.]
The pain starts to dissipate rapidly, however my body still feels incredibly weird. It feels like little worms are crawling around underneath my skin. I try to stand up, but immediately slam back into the ground.
[I wouldn't recommend trying to stand when your bones and muscles are being broken down and rebuilt.]
"That's fair. I wish you would've told me to do this somewhere hidden."
[...]
Ignoring the fact that Ellie is ignoring me, I lay there for nearly an hour before being able to move again. The second I'm able to stand up, I can tell an immediate difference. If I could be compared to an athlete before I'm more like a super soldier now! I feel like I could destroy buildings just by walking near them! My whole body is erupting in power! Not to mention, everything around me seems to be moving much slower. It starts raining and I can see the individual raindrops falling, making it possible for me to freeze each of them individually.
"I am Master Oogway."
[No you are Adam.]
"Don't ruin this."
I spend a few more minutes trying to have the noodle dream before I get bored and walk back towards my goblin cave.
The next two months are rather uneventful. I ended up spending the whole time eating, sleeping, and training. I get the wind and light rings to glowing, and the dark ring is currently on the cusp of being complete.
[Dark ring, upgraded to Glowing.]
[Mana heart has been completed. Heartstone available.]
[New Evolutionary path unlocked: Elder Drake.]