With his improved Strength and Dexterity, Malik made quick work of gathering the remaining stones for the Incubation Chamber. He knew he had reached the limit because that full feeling in his chest burst, flooding his veins with warm ecstasy. The buildup and wait between leveling made the sensation more pronounced than the previous two experiences.

Although the sun had drooped behind the mountain peaks, Malik’s eyes were stung by the sudden brightness of the world. The sky was still dark, but the trees, water, and the mountains themselves, all seemed to be blanketed in a new source of light. The colors were less vibrant than what the wonderful sun could provide, but the details around him were all visible.

Racial Skills Unlocked:

Nightvision:

75% increased visibility in low light

Malik exposed his fangs with a grin. It was good to be a Gargoyle.

Now, he needed to allocate his Free Points. The temptation to put them all in Dexterity was strong. He knew that he was close to taking flight and wanted to master it above all else. But, he held off. He still wanted a taste of the other stats after all. This time, Malik wanted to feel the surreal sensation of Energy, so he placed a point there, bringing it up to three.

Much like the first time, reality bent around Malik, and his senses heightened. There were answers to questions he didn’t know he had at the tip of his brain. If he had more Energy, perhaps the answers would reveal themselves.

After savoring the feeling for a few minutes and pondering the secrets of the universe, Malik moved on to putting the rest of his points into Dexterity, giving him a whopping twelve. This time, not only did he feel faster and more balanced, but both his wings and claws grew slightly.

Excited, Malik flexed his wings out and stretched them. They moved more naturally than before. With a deep breath, he crouched a bit before springing into the air, fervently pumping his wings. A rush of air pressed on his face as his wings propelled him higher, giving his stomach an odd feeling.

Malik was elated as he continued to press upward, nearing the tops of the peaks. His elation quickly turned into nervousness when he realized that he was already becoming exhausted. He would never be able to keep this up and hadn’t thought about how to land safely. Tilting his body more horizontally, he stretched his wings out without flapping them.

This turned out to be a remarkable sensation for Malik. He glided through the air, slightly tilting his body to the right, avoiding the mountainside, and began to circle the water below. The sight of his valley below gave him hope. It was large enough to grow a settlement and expand past the treelines or even among the mountaintops.

He envisioned tall spires piercing through the highest clouds above the mountains where gargoyles could fly to and from, calling it their home. They would rule the skies and hunt for food from above, taking their meals by surprise.

These thoughts inspired Malik to activate Camouflage. His skin turned as black as the night sky above him. His golden eyes, allowing the light to bend through the darkness, were the only thing that would give him away.

He continued his slow descent, gliding in a circle around the water. Once he got closer to the ground, he had a primal instinct ingrained in him to swing his feet forward, landing into a walking stride. Malik vowed to strengthen his wings and master the art of flight. Perfectly contented, he took a look at his full stat screen.

Name

Malik

Race

Gargoyle

Class

Founder

Level:

4

Vitality:

2

Strength:

6

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Dexterity:

12

Energy:

3

Skills:

Camouflage II (Active):

15% chance to remain undetected.

Traits:

First Child - As the first of your kind, you have been granted building plans for a Level 1 Incubation Chamber

Racial Skills:

Stone Skin I:

50% faster skin regeneration

Rake I:

5% piercing damage with claws

Nightvision:

75% increased visibility in low light

Malik marveled at all he had accomplished in just a few short days. He yearned to share these types of moments with someone else. Perhaps he could wake up Zahid, but it didn’t feel right. Zahid couldn’t be trusted and the thought sapped some of the joy out of him. This did, however, motivate him to go hunting for beast cores and finish the Incubation Chamber as soon as possible.

Making his way toward the trees, Malik paused as he looked at the fissure marring his old cave and worried about what could have caused it. Shaking his head, he put the concern aside for now as there was nothing he could do about it.

Activating Camouflage once more, Malik looked and felt like a creature of the night. His heart started pumping at the thought of hunting. He wasn’t ready to fly through or above the treelines just yet, so he practiced running without making too much noise. With his improved Dexterity, Malik could make his footfalls softer, but it didn’t mask all noise. Sweat soaked his skin from the run, but it paid off. He felt the same surge of energy and tightness in his skin in the same way as when he added a point in Vitality. Without needing to check, he knew he gained a point in the stat, bringing it to three total.

Angry snarls ahead stopped Malik from celebrating the gain and forced him to slow to a creep. As he moved toward the growing sounds, he realized that he was listening to a battle of some kind.

Soon, Malik found the clearing where the battle was taking place. He wasn’t surprised to find beetles, but he was surprised at their size. There were six of them, all nearly as large as Malik.

Race: Beetle

Class: Soldier

Level: 6

Vitality: 8

Strength: 15

Dexterity: 3

Energy: 3

Their Strength was a staggering fifteen, but they still appeared to be at a stalemate against their enormous opponent. The creature was twice the size of Malik, covered in thick brown fur and paws the size of Malik’s head.

Charles

Level 7 Shape Shifter

No other information was made available, leaving Malik to wonder if the creature knew of his presence.

Charles, the Shape Shifter, swatted at the bugs with his large paws, pushing them back. The beetles showed uncanny patience to dance in and out of its way, wearing him down. Malik didn’t know whether this creature was good or bad, but he knew the beetles were horrible creatures and decided to help him.

Still hidden, Malik flanked the beetles and jumped onto the back of the one furthest away from the fighting. The improved Strength must have reinforced their armored shells. His claws didn’t pierce them as easily as before, but he was still able to sink them in enough to cling on. These beetles didn’t have such an easy spot for Malik to reach their soft bodies like their lower leveled kin.

The one called Charles saw that aid had come and let out a deafening roar before charging into the lead beetle, crushing it beneath its paws. Another beetle charged at Charles and the beast swatted it to its back.

Malik released one hand and activated Rake as he ran his claws along the side of the insect. It had the desired effect as his 5% piercing boost was enough to cut through the shell. The beetle hissed and ran towards Charles and the other beetles.

Rather than letting himself be led into the fray, Malik released his other hand and quickly sprung off of its back, then flapped his wings, bringing him ten feet above the action. He saw a beetle that had managed to get behind the large Shape Shifter and tilted himself toward it, closing his wings. Gravity did the rest of the job as Malik crashed into the beetle, Raking it along its back. The attack cut through the shell easily with the extra momentum. The beetle fell, leaking a milky fluid, and twitched.

Charles had single-handedly killed two of the beetles as well, then smashed the one Malik had first injured, bringing up his tally to three. The remaining two beetles tried to flee. Charles grabbed one by the sides of its back and lifted it into the air. Malik took the opportunity to dart below in and disembowel the softer underside. Charles chucked it to the side and bounded after the last one, ending its life quickly.

The two victors panted in the aftermath, letting their adrenaline dissipate. They were predators and the beetles mistook them for prey, paying the price. The Shape Shifter gave Malik an appraising look — then bounded off without a word.

Malik had desperately wanted to ask him questions, but let the creature go for now. He was, after all, more interested in a quick meal and collecting the beast cores.