NOTICE: … Augmented … has … [02/07]
—
'Come on, you can do it!' I think as I pant heavily and cast the spell.
Your attack against an [Undead Zombie] was a success!
Light damage has decreased its health by one point! [00/12]
Congratulations-You have defeated a stronger opponent!
I fall into a sitting position, breathing quickly from effort. Although Sacred Light is a basic cantrip- the most simple type of spell, casting it repeatedly is draining.
"You're not done yet." Sam says while sitting on the limbless body in front of me, pointing his thumb over his shoulder where his shield rests on top of another limbless zombie, keeping it from wiggling close to us.
Tongue hanging from my mouth while panting I nod in recognition, moving towards my next target.
We've been "power leveling" my Cleric skills at every opportunity and got lucky finding a cluster of zombies. Severing their arms and legs doesn't reduce their health, making them easier target's for me to finish off while keeping them alive as long as possible.
Cantrips are the base ability of any magic class and are used to help the person become acclimated to having Mana in their body; each time a spell is cast it draws Mana out of the casters body which is then reabsorbed slowly from the environment. Cantrips, requiring the least amount of Mana, can be cast near continuously– but the act will drain your stamina and leave you feeling exhausted. Right now if I were to cast both of my Level One spells back to back I wouldn't even be able to move for a minute after, so we're working hard to be sure I'll have enough Mana to use cantrips after doing so. The last thing I want is to be useless when we reach the Boss Chamber!
—
WARNING: Your body is being overwhelmed by Mana!
WARNING: You are being subjected to Mana Poisoning and your Health has been reduced by one point! [01/07]
NOTICE: Your Skill "What doesn't kill you…" will be augmented until the consumed Healing Mana is depleted. This effect cannot negate the effect of Mana Poisoning.
NOTICE: Your Skill "What doesn't kill you…" will be augmented while in the presence of the Sanctuary Aura.
NOTICE: Your Augmented Skill "What doesn't kill you…" has healed you for one point. [02/07]
NOTICE: Ability "Consume and Devour" will create a new organ "Monster Core [Fire]" from consumed Fire Crystal. This action cannot negate the effect of Mana Poisoning until complete.
WARNING: You are being subjected to Mana Poisoning and your Health has been reduced by one point! [01/07]
NOTICE: Your Augmented Skill "What doesn't kill you…" has healed you for one point. [02/07]
NOTICE: Fire Crystal to Monster Core [Fire] Conversion: 01% Complete
WARNING: You are being subjected to Mana Poisoning and your Health has been reduced by one point! [01/07]
…
Minutes, hours, days? I drift in and out of consciousness through an unending cycle of pain as the world burns around me. In me. Through me. Sometimes I hear demons screaming at me, other times they're laughing at me. Rarely are they silent.
—
NOTICE: Fire Crystal to Monster Core [Fire] Conversion: 99% Complete
WARNING: You are being subjected to Mana Poisoning and your Health has been reduced by one point! [01/07]
NOTICE: Your Augmented Skill "What doesn't kill you…" has healed you for one point. [02/07]
NOTICE: Your Augmented Skill "What doesn't kill you…" has depleted stock of Healing Mana but will remain Augmented due to Sanctuary Aura at a rate of [One] point per day.
NOTICE: Fire Crystal to Monster Core [Fire] Conversion: 100% Complete
NOTICE: You are no longer affected by Mana Poisoning.
NOTICE: New Class available!
NOTICE: You have Leveled Up! Your health has been reset and all injuries healed!
ERROR: Creature abilities exceed Level Maximum!
NOTICE: Seeking solution to excessive abilities for Level.
Updating… Update Complete
NOTICE: Creature Level increased to Young Adult Mimic [1]
* [8] Leveling Point Awarded
* Health increased to [15]
* Weight increased to 5lbs (80 oz)
* Size increased to Small
* [1] Monster Fire Skill Available
*
I wake taking a deep gasp of air to the sounds of celebration, only to cough out a lung worth of water as I discover everything but a tip of my body is underwater, a small nasal passage opening above the water being the only thing to have kept me breathing.
Pulling myself out of the stream I cough up the remaining liquid, a moment of fear crossing my mind as I make sure I'm the only person in the room.
I feel surprisingly well, considering it felt like I was being ripped apart for… the "augment" was one point per hour, so 100 hours, a little over four days?
I can't believe I can't drink a Healing Potion, the stupid Skill trying to "incorporate" it instead. I guess I should be thankful it used it to augment another skill instead of adding it on top of the Fire Mana.
Would it have even been able to prevent Mana Poisoning though? There's so much information I'm missing on how things work here. Like what is a Mana Crystal for? Maybe if i was an adv– wait, I DO have an Adventurer Class now! And a lot of other stuff?
I decide checking the updates to the Menu would be a good idea.
MENU°
Name: @#$%=÷
Species: Mimic [Limestone Rock]
Level: Young Adult [1]
Size: Small
Weight: 5 lbs / 80 ounces [ 2.5 lbs]
Title:
Health: 15/15
Strength: 04 [04]
Dexterity: 02 [02]
Constitution:06 [06]
Wisdom: 14
Intelligence: 16
Charisma: 00 [00]
Stolen story; please report.
Available Points: 09
Languages Known: None
Class: Mana Flesh [1],
Class Traits: Infused Offense, Infused Defense
Skills: Stealth [4], Disguise [4], Taunt [0] "What doesn't kill you…", Skitter,
Attack methods: Bite, Acid Spit, Tongue Lashing
Species Traits: Darkvision, Gluttonous Gut, Mimicry
Monster Core: Fire [1]
$%^&* Trait: Consume and Devour
So I leveled up nine times? Thats… well, I'm glad I didn't have to kill things for it, but considering how much it hurt I can't say it was worth it: that is not something I want to experience again.
I'm bigger now, and I've got 9 Stat points to spend. And I finally have a class! And a Monster Core- with its own Fire Skill available. Hua.
Well, let's start with points!
I'm still not sure how high the numbers go, but everything helps, and I don't want to leave something low to suffer from it later.
Except for Charisma; I don't care how ugly I look as a meatball.
So two each in Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution leaves three left. Let's put two more in Strength in hopes of ending fights quicker, with the spare point in Constitution. That'll also give me +1 health.
Health: 16/16
Strength: 08 [08]
Dexterity: 04 [04]
Constitution:09 [09]
Wisdom: 14
Intelligence: 16
Charisma: 00 [00]
Available Points: 09
Next let's check out that class! Finally, an actual fantasy adventurer thing!
Classes are normally achieved through the Grace of Gods, with those chosen slowly building up Mana within their body.
But either you have chosen a different path, or it was chosen for you.
You have survived having Mana infused into your body through brute force. You have received the following class:
* Mana Flesh
Mana Flesh: [1] Your body has been infused with Mana, empowering your existence! You gain the following benefits:
Infused Offense: Your attacks do an additional [+2] damage.
Infused Defense: You gain natural armor of [+2].
That's a bit disappointing; I was hoping I could've gotten some kind of magical class. You know, firing laser beams or something.
Maybe I'll have better luck with the Monster Core.
Monster Core
Fire: [1]
The following Fire based Skills are available:
* Fire Arrow: Launch an arrow made of Flame at your target.
* Explosion: Emit a minor explosion from your body.
* Infusion: infuse your attacks with a Fire element.
'Yes! That's what I'm talking about: Fire arrows! Pew pew pew!' I mentally fire finger guns off with the thought.
'Explosion hua? Guess that would be good if surrounded by enemies. Or is what the Armored Rat does considered this? Kinda weak if that's the case.
'Infusion? So I could make my "acid spit" a flaming loogie? Wait, wouldn't that make it like Napalm? And can I use that with other forms attacks? Like coat the rock with flaming spit as a Bullet Roach?
Hua… or lose the rock and fire napalm at high speeds with some extra Breaths…. Wouldn't that be the same as the Fire arrows, if not better?
'I wonder if I could emulate the "explosion" Skill with Infusion too? No- wait, I can already do that with the Iron Pill Bug in a small scale nonmagical way. So what would happen if I enhanced that with magic?'
Mentally my eyes narrow at the choices; I'm sure whoever came up with Infusion just thought of things like a fire punch or something, but if I can incorporate it into other forms it becomes very versatile.
The choice seeming quite obvious I select Infusion and find its updated Skill info interesting: it displays as "Infusion- Fire [1]", which makes me wonder if I'd have to buy the choice for other elements as well- if they're even available. How would you--
'Air pressure.'
I mentally interrupt myself, the realization of possibly being able to "infuse" Wind Mana into an attack in a similar fashion to how I use stored Breaths to launch stones faster and stronger. Or use Earth Mana to make better projectiles.
I'm suddenly having second thoughts on the "never going to absorb another Mana Crystal", but the pain is too fresh to actually consider it.
Considering I'm in a safe place right now, I should figure out if I do want to augment my forms before getting into danger.
First, Bullet Roach: I really like the idea of launching Napalm. Actually, why not add in the Iron pill bug for protection? And since I'm putting it in there, see what augmenting it's explosion effect can do.
I'll keep the size the same as a Bullet Roach and add in a second stomach with extremely high acid production. Move the acid and air outlet between the fire glands, Then add the core effect to the fluid once launched. I'll be limited in how many times I can use it, but hopefully "liquid fire" will be a suitable distraction for hit and run tactics.
With the concept formed, I open the Mimic Modification Menu and see how the system interpreted it:
7: Fire Roach [1]
* Appearance: An Iron backed, fire infused Roach
* Size: Six inches long
* Texture: Wrought Iron
* – Force Resistance +1
* Attack Method: Explosion, Stream
* Display Information:
* – Description: "An Armored Roach."
* – Detailed Description: "An iron coated roach infused with Fire Mana.
* – Identify Spell: Young Adult Mimic
Shifting my form I find for the most part I look like a red tinted Armored Cockroach from Earth, but the end of my tail is more flexible to allow me to aim the explosion and my Fire Core is firmly embedded in my carapace. My organs are a little different than I intended, but not outside of expectation.
Aiming over the stream of water I perform an attack, mentally causing my eyes to go wide. Repeating the action I can't help but be impressed as the literal flamethrower spreads a gout of fire a foot in front of me.
Shifting gears I try my original idea and launch a stream of fluid through the air. For a moment I'm perplexed before realizing it is indeed on fire and remains so while floating on the water. Turning sideways I aim the attack at a nearby rock, the thick fluid firmly coating a small area while it burns.
I notice something else while in the Menu: in addition to "7: Fire Roach [1]": Giant Armored Rat and Bullet Roach both now include [1] to their names.
Swapping to the Armored Rat form I notice my fire core is present inside my chest. Testing the Firelight attack I can not only activate it without holding a Fire Crystal– it's also MUCH more powerful; the pure magical attack creating a three foot stream of fire in front of me. I repeat it a second time to get a feel for it, then a third time and… nothing?
Pushing for the ability, nothing happens until I'm thinking back on the weaker version I performed before, this time producing a basic version of the attack. I repeat it, then fail to do anything when pushing for the more powerful one.
'… crap.' I think before switching back to the Fire Roach form. I perform the Flamethrower like attack, then nothing until I try for a weaker version of it. I attempt the Napalm like attack with nothing happening until I try for a weaker version, this only firing a small drop of flaming liquid.
'So I can only use each Skill at its max twice, then only a weaker version. I'll have to figure out how long the abilities take to recharge; I guess it takes too much Mana to…'
My thoughts pause as information conflicts with itself; it would make sense to only be able to use a stronger ability when you have enough Mana, but if I can only use two attacks, shouldn't that be two total, not two per form?
I revert to my base Mimic form and Spit Acid, applying the Fire Infusion to it. The first two go as expected, then nothing until I try a "smaller" version, a tiny drop of burning acid flying through the air.
'So, it's a "System" limit? Even though I can feel I've got plenty of Mana, this system won't LET me do more– at least in a way it can recognize– and is applying the limit to each form.
It took trying those attacks to understand that "feeling" I have is Mana; it's like having a new muscle in your body– something that I'm surprisingly comfortable with since becoming a Mimic– and I just need to flex it. This is probably because I'm an idiot and tried to absorb that fire crystal, but that's also probably why I have enough Mana to power the Infusion Skill in each form. I'm sure there's a limit to the total amount I can use per day, but for now I shouldn't need to worry about it.
Finally I look at Bullet Roach [1]; none of its information has changed, but I have an idea how the form is intended to use the Infusion– after all, it's in the name!
Shifting I pick up a stone by the stream and inhale, then right as I blow hard behind it I activate the Skill in the air itself, creating an explosion that propels the stone at a blinding speed before it shatters upon impacting a larger rock.
Wanting to know its limit I perform it again, then a lesser version- the stone going just as far but not shattering on impact.
Satisfied with my upgrades I look around and wonder what to do next. I could investigate the Sanctuary as the notifications called it; It seems if you want a normal Class you have to get it from a God, and I've got a feeling you have to ask for it in there. I'm not sure I want to draw their attention though- especially considering I'm a monster and probably shouldn't be here, not to mention avoiding the shadowy bastard.
I could just stay here for now; I'm sure after four days I've lost the trail of whoever I was following. Despite the comforting feeling of the place I spent so long here in pain it's kind of an unnerving psychological contrast.
I can head on out and see where the exit leads, but like a fool I just wasted my big firepower spells. Though… I didn't have them to begin with and was going that way anyways. And even though I don't have the big guns, I've got a little more firepower than before. Quite literally.
'Right; head on out it is.' I gurgle out loud, shifting into the Giant Armored Rat form before waddling out the unexplored tunnel.