Even though I received the quest to advance, I didn’t jump at the first creature I saw. Instead, I went back to my hole to rest and contemplate my gains. No need for unnecessary violence on my birthday.

The thoughts of advancement weighed on my mind. Unfortunately, System Grandpa was as elusive as ever in giving more than a run-down version of what I needed. I had no clue if it was even possible to reach level 25 in thirty days. Well, considering I gained two levels just today, perhaps it won't be difficult...

But I wouldn’t gamble my fate on "perhaps" and "buts."

This brought me back to the status page again, mostly staring at the 3 unallocated attribute points. Where should I invest them?

The answer wasn’t simple. All attributes seemed useful. Physique would make me stronger, faster, tougher, and harder to kill. Mind, perhaps, would make me more intelligent? Or cognizant? Soul was the most elusive.

I wondered if Soul was the attribute my magical power depended on. However, even after leveling up twice—which increased my Soul by two points—I didn’t feel much increase in my energy reserves, which dismissed that idea. I urgently needed more magical energy. Not just so I could protect myself better, but also to train. More energy would make me more efficient in training.

I had a sinking suspicion that either Soul or Mind influenced the total amount of energy I could draw upon.

It takes Insight points to gain new skills, so I couldn’t ignore that as well. Evolution sounded important. Grandpa Darwin would approve of it. Fortune is good luck, probably.

Lastly, Recovery could help me recover energy quicker. Perhaps even my physical needs as well.

In the end, I decided more magical energy would be the biggest help. Perhaps more skills too, but I didn’t know if Grandpa would give me chances to learn more skills or not.

After staring suspiciously at the status page for what felt like forever, I invested 1 point into Soul. I waited to see if there was any increase in my energy reserve.

The calm stream of energy within me stirred up, but then within a couple of seconds, it all calmed down as though nothing had happened. I spent a good few minutes retracing the feeling and trying to understand what actually transpired. Perhaps the total amount within me had risen, but it was at a minuscule level, 1 to 2% at best. However, the 1 point of investment seemed to change something in the energy.

The density perhaps?

I invested another point to trace the sensation again, fully committing to the visualization state.

It wasn’t simply density or viscosity... more points into Soul changed me to a deeper degree... I didn’t have the right words to describe it.

I kept the last point, just in case, and checked my status page one last time before moving into deep meditation.

----------------------------------------

[Shai]

Rank: Foundation (F)

Path: Favoured Hatchling Lvl 3

Laws: None.

Mark: Fatemarked. Blessed by Kismet (Lesser)

Attributes:

Primary Attribute: Total

* Physique: 8

* Mind: 10

* Soul: 18

* Recovery: 9

Special Attributes:

* Insight: 5

* Evolution: 11

* Fortune: 12

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Unallocated points: 1

Aspect:

Golden Eyes (Dormant) | Poison Affinity (D)

Skills[3/8]:

Basic Meditation (F) - 89% | Bestial Instinct (E) - 3% | Arcane Shot (D) - 7%

Boon:

Inventory | Lingual Comprehension

Remark:

I was only a Level 1 Hatchling.

[System Log] [Active Quest]

----------------------------------------

I was in a deep meditative state well past midnight, circulating my energy to the best of my abilities. It helped my mastery of [Basic Meditation (F)] reach the 90% mark.

With that accomplishment putting me at ease, I slept like a newborn baby. Despite the frequent howls of wild animals unnerving me, I was too tired to care and dozed off.

As a snake—a newborn one at that—I required a lot of rest, possibly more than half of the day. As far as I was aware, I was certainly not a normal hatchling. Hopefully, putting some points into Mind would diminish the need for sleep.

When the first rays of the sun dawned on the looming darkness of the wilderness, I didn’t feel that rested at all. It had only been about five hours since I slept, which wasn’t nearly enough.

I would’ve slept longer, but a disturbance bothered me enough to prevent me from sleeping soundly. I wasn’t certain if it was due to my reptilian form or [Bestial Instinct], but I could perceive these kinds of anomalies more easily, not that I had any clue what was happening, other than a disharmony in the air. Not just anomalies, somehow I'm intuitively aware of the sunrise as well.

The disturbance rose to its peak and finally calmed down. I perked my head up from the hole to sense the disturbance was about fifty feet away. Whatever caused the ruckus wasn’t progressing toward me. Whatever they were, they weren’t after me.

Maybe I should check them out? A dangerous thought, but I was curious. Without a proper assessment of the dangers, how could I be wary of them? Besides, I would only look from afar, hiding in the bushes.

Making my decision, I continued along the grassy path, adopting a more stealthy approach. Only then did I notice my speed had risen a little, and I had... grown? Well, it was only by a couple of inches at best... but that was fast. Magic makes everything weird, I guess.

In a matter of moments, I found out who was behind all the ruckus. It was, after all, humans.

By the time I reached the area, the battle had reached its conclusion. However, it could hardly be called a fair fight, with five individuals ganging up on a lone younger man. All of them seemed to have magical powers like me. The reddish-orange halo of power around them proved that easily. I wasn’t that special to have magical power after all, but I doubted if any of them were reborn like me.

The band of five had a more condensed halo about them than the captured youth, but clearly, they seemed to be nothing more than a group of mercenaries, hired goons. But they looked strong... The deep orange halo around them looked dangerous.

Concealed within the hedge, I carefully eavesdropped on the group of humans before me. The captive's hands and legs were securely bound, and they latched a collar around his neck. Instantly, the yellow halo of power around him was suppressed.

Is that metal collar something that can nullify magical power? I felt a sudden chill in my core.

Regardless, something significant must be unfolding for these five to gang up on a seemingly weaker and younger man.

"They shouldn’t have gone far," said a man who had some resemblance to a monkey. Half beast? He was positioned on the left side of the group’s apparent leader. The deeper shade of orange halo gave evidence of that.

"I’ve already sent Lashin to search for them," replied the leader, a broad man who towered over the others by at least a head. With an unsightly scar stretched from his right cheek through his hair, along with a massive bastard sword on his back, he exuded a formidable presence. "It won’t be long before we capture that elf and the bloody witch."

Elf? Witch? I pondered from my hidden spot. While I was familiar with both terms, I’d never met any. Witches were super old grannies who couldn’t stop themselves from seeking ways to retain their youth. On the other hand, elves naturally possessed long lifespans, highly talented in all sorts of spirit arts according to the lores of D&D.

An elf and a witch—a rather suspicious pair indeed.

"Boss, would you mind if I had that elf?" inquired the monkey guy once again, his lascivious grin betraying his intentions. He held a bloodied mace in his hand. "He seemed quite formidable to me, you know how—"

"Haha, we’re all aware that you’re a sadist, Mikel," interjected another man with animal features, unable to contain his snickers. Unlike the monkey-man, this fella had scaly reptilian skin. I didn’t know how he came to be, but he was definitely not my kin.

"Shut up, Dock," Mikel retorted sharply, watching his boss warily.

"You’ll have plenty of time to indulge yourself, but first, we must capture them," the boss declared, shaking his head disapprovingly at his crew. He directed their attention toward the captive practitioner. "These three are dangerous. Have you seen any Copper ranker like him challenging us head-on without fear?"

"He’s a lunatic," Dock provided. "Maybe they all are."

The boss nodded, his gaze focused on the captive, who had murder in his eyes, completely silent even though his mouth wasn’t muffled.

"The witch will be tricky," the boss said. "We need to hurry before the poison wears off." Pausing for a moment, he raised his eyes toward the canopy of trees. "Huh, looks like Lashin’s here."

I had assumed Lashin to be another member of their group, but to my surprise, it turned out to be a bird—a marvellous golden-tailed eagle, to be precise. Lashin gracefully descended, landing on the shoulder of the towering male as the boss affectionately stroked its neck.

"Did she find them?" Mikel inquired anxiously.

The leader shook his head. "Lashin did not," he replied, "but she did discover some traces of their presence. Let’s move."

The group swiftly departed, carrying their captive along with them, while I let out a breath of relief from my concealed position. It was evident that something dubious was afoot. Sadly, it was of a magnitude far beyond my capabilities to get involved. Not that I would like to. The guy mentioned Copper rank—it is likely something after Foundation.

Just as I decided to abandon any involvement with these dangerous humans and beastmen, transparent texts materialised once again in my mind's eye, as System Grandpa presented me with a new quest.

[Quest: Unveil the Secret of the Land.]