When I awoke for the millionth time I was greeted by a non amused face. It belonged to my companion whom, I had not known for long, but grown to appreciate. I thought that emotion might be greeted in kind, but I was sorely mistaken. For only a moment later that non-amused face broke into a scowl.

She sat atop a tree branch minding her own business, eating away at its hanging red delicacies. Her mouth opened as if to say something aloud, but despite her lips moving I could not hear the contents of her voice. The distance might have been too great to carry it. Alas, it did not matter, as she soon closed that distance.

Jumping down and leaving the hanging orchid of vegetation, crossing the dirt-paved ground, she appeared right before me. Mouth opening yet again, I thought she might repeat herself. Perhaps noticing my lack of aural faculty to her previous statement. But yet again she subverted my expectations and said O' so much more.

First came the complaining, then the exclaiming. She went on a tantrum about how I did not even know what my class did, and a bunch more jargon I could not comprehend the meaning of, before suddenly calming down. After a few seconds of silence, she decided to apologize, her sharp eyes appearing less intense. What she specifically apologized for I did not know, though I honestly did not care. For despite all her berating, non of them were necessarily wrong. The recent victories had definitely gone over my head. And furthermore, I knew she did not voice them with malicious intent. This one was entirely on me and my lack of common knowledge and humility. And, for better or for worse, after having absorbed all of the given information, I ended up cringing a bit myself. Feeling my pride hurt.

I tried to remember what I felt at the time, that despite it being her plan, I had considered no backup options. Only focusing on the experience before me. Hunting my pray, forgetting they outnumbered me. I never even tried to scout them for information, looking into their nature; for weaknesses to exploit. Instead, I took it all for granted, thinking my flames would evaporate those insects from the face of the earth, yet my prided flames could only defeat a single one from a number I was too full of myself to count. And now I was here left in defeat. Lacking the strength for a rematch.

Yesterday, I was weaker than today, and a day before that, even weaker than a newborn. So as logic would stand, if I were to continue on my path of collecting experience, strength would follow.

But I could have been stronger.

I have been at an edge of life and death for so long since I emerged from my prison, but in the rare moments of peace I was graced, I hadn't committed any effort to plan further ahead. To prepare for my inevitable next bout with death. To use my resources to gain more. More power, wealth and self-actualization.

I have non of it, despite the fact that I could have it all. Despite the fact that I want all of it.

My body seemed to agree with my mind's lament, as I could feel a void in my lower stomach, making me contract my spine and bend my body. My vision grew sharper and foggier in response the increasing puls in my chest.

It screamed at me for more, to sate its hunger for power.

And I agreed with its wretched desires.

I had grown too complacent in my newly found power to even try to understand it, to make the best use of it. Well, that changed today. Or at least, that is what I would have wanted to say, if not for the clear lack of a starting line, of where my strengths lay.

My understanding of how the world worked remained at zero. However, I knew nothing, therefore any new knowledge would be an improvement. Thusly I attempted to make that zero a one. And the method of doing so just happened to be in my grasp.

Status:

Level:(4)

Name: ???

Species:(Heavenly Draconic Hatchling)

Bloodline:(The Holy Draconic)

Class: (Warrior)

Sin: (Greed)

Birthplace:(Divine realm, Mortal realm, Demonic realm)

Affinity:(Sancta, Helios, Holy, Fire, Ignis, Spīritus, Arcana)

Status points: (20)

Skill points: (33)

Skills:

Personal skills:

Divinity()

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Demonic essence(lesser)

Mortal climb

Weapon arts

Greedy Expedite

Viril Disposition

Combat skills:

Holy magic(lv.1)

Elemental magic(lv.2)

Demonic magic(lv.1)

[Holy fire] (lv.2)

[Egg Cracker]

[Dandelion Sweep] (lv.1)

[Reaching for the stars](lv.1)

[Enhanced Vitality] (lv.1)

[Sancta Scale Mail] (lv.1)

[Heavenly Smite] (lv.1)

It was a charter consisting of me.

Taking a moment, for the first time, to properly inspect this "charter", I began scrying its contents. Specifically, on what had "leveled" recently.

One thing made itself apparent very quickly: Namely, my ability to further inspect this charter.

[Holy fire]:

A flame not born from fire, a light that burns away darkness. Consisting of both Holy and Fire, it eliminates all impurities that crosses its path, burning brightly all the while. Even its users might fall victim to its purity.

I paused for a moment, as epiphany hit me. Not sparing a moment to further look into the newly gained information, I instead "focused" on the rest of my "status". After a few minutes, however, I could not help but be a bit disappointed.

[Heavenly Smite]:

Information non-available.

Some of my skills had no description. No, that consensus was a bit wrong. The description probably existed based on the wording. The more likely answer would be me. As in me not having full access to the charter. Which too would be ridiculous considering it was a "charter of me".

If true, it meant I had been denied information regarding myself, by some sort of higher power. I felt a bit annoyed by that prospect.

Regardless, it was only a random hypothesis, and I'd prefer it to stay that way. Thusly I decided to ignore the disturbing thoughts regarding it. After all, there was much more information I had received than been denied, so it was probably better to just focus on that for now.

It still irks me though.

[Sancta Scale Mail]:

A sanctuary of holy, crystalised in mortal scales. A defense that wards off harm, an armor to protect the weak.

...that last part somewhat annoys me even more. Having the world recognize me as weak all of a sudden...

Still, I decided to swallow that pill. My purpose for doing this, to properly analyze myself, was in order to get stronger after all. And a search for strength implied a weakness to be covered, as well as a weakness to be defeated.

Having a sudden inducement of conviction, I decided to continue on. However, as I committed that conviction to action, I began seeing a pattern.

All the Skills I could peer into had one thing in common: I had used them before.

Be it against the Wonderbeasts or the Wasps these were the Skills I had used against them at one point or another, or rather skills I had used at all. On the other hand, the Skills that had refused to share their secrets with me were ones of a non-acquaintanceship status. In other words: I had not used them at all.

'Then will their description change if I were to use them?', such a theory emerged.

But alas, it remained but a theory... that is unless I were to confirm it.

Luckily, as things stood, I could do just that.

Having found my starting line, I began my preparations for this experiment. By that, I mean moving to a more open space where I would not hit anything. You can never be too precocious when it comes to weapons testing, after all.

...

Standing in the middle of the circular clearing, my heart began beating loudly in my chest. Unknowingly, I was a bit anxious. I could feel a tinge of phantom sweat trickling between my scales, leaving me even more unsettled. Somehow I knew this wasn't a case of sudden stage fright, rather this was a warning sign. My body was instinctively readying itself for whatever came next. What that something was, I remained oblivious to. However, I decided to move on anyway.

Regardless of what may come or may not come, the prospect of it got me excited. After all, If my body created this much tension over a Skill, it must be quite powerful right?

Definitely.

Thus my anxiousness gave way for an unexpected feeling; instead of trembling in fear, I trembled in excitement. Noticing this change, I began my move and faced against an empty spot on the ground.

Heavenly Smite

Despite voicing the Skills name in my head, no devastating attack occurred. Not even a cloud of smoke or a speck of dust, or anything at all for that matter. No proof existed, not because the attack had obliterated the air and ground it stood on til nothing was left, but rather because no attack existed in the first place. The attack had failed, just as in the previous instance when I had almost died fighting against the flok of Wonderbeast. Just remembering it added to my already building frustrations. On the other hand, it also left me confused.

Feeling the wind leave my sails at this failure, I decided to give it another try. This time, however, I chose to use the other Skill, the one from my memory.

Taking a deep breath I closed my eyes and ceased my movement. The wind whistled past my resting self as if I were one with nature. This fleeting moment only lasted a short while, however.

"Dandelion Sweep"

I struck out, my claws seizing the air, ending the silence. The silence returned soon after, however, as if it had never left. The only proof of its abruptance being my outstretched form, locked in place as if stuck in time. Though that moment ended too, lasting but a moment.

I retracted my forearm, sizing it up, admitting defeat.

It had refused me yet again. I even went to the extent of calling out to it; calling upon its power. Yet it remained as silent as this forest; refusing to respond.

"..."

Suddenly feeling a change in the atmosphere, I turned my head towards the disturbance. In place of an empty forest, I found my companion. Her visage had improved from the last time I saw her...is what I'd liked to be the case. Instead, she had the same frown glued to her face.

Hmm, or was it the same?

It was still a frown, but it had a different feel to it. As if she had gone from one frown to another, trading her angry visage for one of disturbance. At least I thought she looked disturbed. Or perhaps, disgust might be more correct? No, that did not feel right either. Regardless it could not be healthy.

Reason for the expression was left in the open. It sparked a bit of curiosity in me. However, that curiosity was immediately subsided by the opportunity to fulfill another. One that was currently plaguing my mind to a much greater extent.

"What are you doing"

There is no shame in asking others.

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