Choose one of the following schools of magic:
* Abjuration: Protect yourself and ward off harm
* Conjuration: Conjure objects and creatures into existence
* Divination: Reveals and foretells information
* Enchantment: Influence the minds of others
* Evocation: Create and manipulate energy
* Illusion: Beguile, confuse, and terrify your enemies
* Lore: Learn dark secrets and unlock hidden powers
* Necromancy: Manipulate the forces of life and death
* Theurgist: Cast both arcane and divine spells
* Transmutation: Manipulate matter and shape the elements
* War Wizard: Train for the battlefield
Suddenly, I felt like I was back in my old body, sitting in front of a game where I had to decide how I would play my character. Many of my current choices seemed great, but a few of them stood out to me. Protecting myself was always a good idea so that was a definite possibility.
Divination might also be good, but only if I received enough information about the future. Necromancy also sounded amazing. I might even be able to heal myself using its control over life. None of the schools of magic really stood out as better than the others. I could easily imagine benefits and drawbacks for each school.
However, since I was going to pretend to be a god, I probably needed the ability to cast divine spells. In fact, that might open up healing spells which I might only get from being a necromancer. With this in mind, I didn’t even consider any of the other options and directly chose the theurgist.
Choose one of the following domains:
* Arcana: Manipulate the raw power of magic
* Darkness: Attack from the safety of darkness
* Death: Control the power of death
* Knowledge: Secret lore and knowledge
* Mind: Unlock the mysteries of your mind
* Shadow: Hide within the safety of the shadows
* Twilight: Straddle the worlds of light and darkness
I frowned when I saw the choices. I had really expected more choices. For example, what about the light domain? Or even the life domain. I had enough ancestral memories to know that there were many divine domains that were not on my list. Did it just give me the option of those domains for which I shared some type of affinity? While I was definitely tempted to choose the mind domain, I made a quick decision against that impulse. I was the god of twilight, so of course I had to choose the twilight domain.
Abruptly after making that decision, a vision swept over me once again. Now I was a young drow mage who often visited the surface world. She traveled between the two worlds, using her abilities to make the journeys easier. She was fascinated by the dichotomy of light and darkness. The drow wizard explored the world, hiding in the darkness when necessary.
Suddenly, in the middle of an adventure, she smelled something delicious. Sniffing, I opened my eyes and looked around, confused when I found myself in an underground cave in the body of a winged kobold. Wondering if I had actually learned any of those skills, I opened my information screen.
image [https://i.imgur.com/yYsAmEK.png]
The first thing I did was look around for the delicious smell. Since it was dark, I cast the Light cantrip on the bed so I would be able to see better. On the table was a bowl of soup, a plate of meat with undetermined origins, another plate of mushrooms, and some type of moss. The fragrant smell was coming from the soup and meat, both of which had been heated.
Unfortunately, I was starting to regret casting the Light cantrip since it allowed me to see what I was eating. I actually didn’t want to know what was in the soup or what animal the meat came from. However, that didn’t stop me. I dug into the food. I was starving, and decided not to think about such things. Instead, I concentrated on the amazing metabolism of the kobold body. It certainly didn’t seem normal.
“Interesting,” I muttered after taking a bite. By then, I was too busy eating to talk to myself. Still, I was pleased. Instead of having to learn one step at a time, when I had enough experience to level-up, I could gain the knowledge in my dreams. I was definitely happy with that situation. I had accomplished more in one day than what others would have to struggle for years to achieve. More and more, I was really starting to appreciate the system.
I was amazed at my new abilities. However, I also knew that I needed to write down the spells and rituals in a spellbook before I forgot them. I was worried about losing the spells. In fact, I could already tell that the three new rituals would fade away from my memory the moment I fell asleep again. After finishing the food, I decided to take care of that problem.
Remembering the bookcase, I looked to see if there was ink that I could use to inscribe the spells I had learned into the wizard’s book I had looted. Luckily, there was some ink. Not wanting to waste a minute, I started writing down the rituals in my new spellbook. After I was done, I also wrote down how to cast the spells. I was a little worried that I would forget the wizard spells as soon as I cast them.
I had just finished when a thought hit me. I hadn’t noticed at the time, but compared to when he left me, Dróttinn didn’t seem quite as tall as when he came to pick me up. It made me wonder if I might be growing much faster than the other kobold wyrmlings. While it might just have been my imagination, it could also have something to do with the system.
Another thing that bothered me was the fact that even though my “nap” had been short, I actually felt like I had taken a long rest. Perhaps it had something to do with leveling up. In fact, I was fairly certain that was the reason. Since I was awake and wasn’t sleepy, I decided to examine the spells the wizard had already inscribed into his spellbook. Hopefully, it would have some useful spells.
I was lucky. There actually were some good spells. Since I had the time, I decided to see if there were any changes I wanted to make to the spells I had memorized. Another stroke of luck was that the spellbook contained spells all the way up to fourth level spells. However, after looking through the book, I actually didn’t see any that I wanted to change.
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Sighing, I was just reaching out to grab another snack when a knock abruptly disrupted my thoughts. I was surprised the person didn’t enter immediately. Afterall, kobolds weren’t known for their worries about privacy. However, my new status had obviously changed things. “Come in,” I said.
Dróttinn entered the room. Several other kobolds stayed outside, obviously not intending on entering my room. The chieftain appeared serious as he closed the door. He turned to look at me, and paused before saying, “As a gothi of the tribe, you must meet Einvaldskonungr. Unfortunately, you must face him without me since I need to be here to deal with any unexpected surprises.”
I cocked my head to the side. Dróttinn obviously felt that proclaiming myself to be the reborn god of twilight was less important than being a gothi of the tribe. While that didn’t really surprise me, what did surprise me was that Einvaldskonungr was awake. Apparently, the chieftain had lied when he said the red dragon was resting in liggja, the long slumber.
“You need to meet the red dragon, Einvaldskonungr,” Dróttinn continued. “He is aware that the green dragon, Groenneitr, is up to something.” The thought of meeting Einvaldskonungr filled me with both excitement and fear. The red dragon was a being of immense power, a force of nature that had ruled over these lands for centuries. To be summoned by him was no small matter. I wasn’t sure how he would react to my claims to be a god.
Dróttinn’s expression softened slightly as he continued. “I will remain here to watch over the city, but you must go. Einvaldskonungr's message is clear. He wants to see you, and you must heed his call. It will take a day to reach the underground meeting place where he waits for you. Try not to anger him since he’s probably already upset. Patience isn’t one of his strongest traits.”
Dróttinn stepped closer and placed one of his clawed hands on my shoulder, as if to offer a final assurance before I departed. “Remember, you carry the hopes of our tribe with you,” he said. For a moment, he hesitated, as if he wanted to say more, but instead, he simply nodded, his expression softening into one of quiet resolve. With a last, lingering look, he bid me farewell before opening the door and leaving.
Beyond the door, a group of kobolds in leather armor were waiting patiently for me. I frowned, annoyed once more. Why did it seem like I was always being left in the dark? I wasn’t a mushroom. Did the kobolds who would go with me know the reason why? Would they stop at some point and send me ahead? Did they know I was going to meet the red dragon? I wasn’t sure just how much I could share with them. Because of this, I was quite annoyed.
I also realized that I was apparently leaving immediately. While I was sure that supplies were already prepared, I took a glance around the room to see if I needed to take anything. Not seeing much that I really needed, I took only the spellbooks and some snacks.
As for my familiar, I sent her an order to scout for any other intruders. I wanted Alsvartr to let me know if something happened while I was gone.
After that, I walked outside and set out with my small escort. Their expressions were serious as we descended deeper into the earth. Once we reached the edge of the city, we encountered a group of kobolds who were holding the reins to some dire weasels. Even before seeing them, I could smell them. I was a little concerned that what was meant to be a clandestine operation was being carried out using animals that screamed pay attention to me.
As I climbed onto the back of my dire weasel, the smell hit me like a wall, a sharp, earthy odor that filled my nostrils and made my eyes water. But I pushed the discomfort aside, knowing the urgency of our mission. The weasels were fast and agile, perfectly suited for the narrow, twisting tunnels that lay ahead.
These dire weasels scurried through the tunnels. Although riding them was nausea inducing, both from the smell and their gait, I had to admit that they were fast. Their sleek, muscular bodies moved with a predatory grace. As for their stench, it was just as aggressive. Their fur was slick with oil that exuded a pungent, musky scent.
As we rode, the rhythmic thump of the weasels' padded feet against the stone echoed through the caverns. The sound mingled with the distant drip of water and the occasional skitter of unseen creatures in the dark. The tunnel walls blurred past us. .
Despite their smell, the dire weasels were incredibly responsive, their long bodies weaving effortlessly through the winding passages. The tunnels we traversed became more ancient looking the longer we traveled for some reason. There were no jagged edges anywhere. Everything had been smoothed away by the passage of time.
The journey seemed to drag on. If it wasn’t for the stench and gait of the dire weasels, I would have fallen asleep. The darkness of the underground seemed oppressive at first, but I gradually grew used to it. The occasional faint glow of the crystals embedded in some of the walls was the only visible proof that we were moving.
My companions were silent. Their eyes constantly scanned the shadows for any sign of danger. The further we went, the more I felt a strange sense of calm settle over me. It was as if the darkness was welcoming me. It actually reminded me of the darkness I was within before being reborn.
Despite the breaks we took every couple of hours, I was starting to ache from the journey. My butt and back were sore by the time we finally reached the entrance to the meeting place. Of course, I had known we were getting closer when the temperature started to rise. Being a red dragon, I was certain that Einvaldskonungr would choose an open lava vent or something similar as the meeting place.
The tunnel opened up into a massive cavern with the ceiling lost in the darkness above. The underground cavern was illuminated by the glow of molten lava that coursed through a channel within the cave. The heat was intense enough to make breathing difficult. As for the air, it was thick with the scent of sulfur.
Unlike the smooth walls from before, the walls of the cavern were jagged. Their rough surfaces glistened with the heat. Stalactites hung from the ceiling like fangs, dripping with molten rock that hissed as it met the flowing lava below. At the far end of the cavern, a massive stone platform jutted out over the largest lava flow. Its surface was smooth and polished, clearly created as a meeting place for visitors.
What awaited us on the platform made everything else pale in comparison. Einvaldskonungr terrifying at a distance and even more terrifying the closer I approached. He was like a living god of fire and fury. His immense form filled the cavern.
His scales were a deep, burnished crimson that seemed to pulse with the heat of the lava flowing below. Each scale was as large as a shield. His wings were folded tightly against his body. His eyes, twin orbs of molten gold, glowed with an ancient intelligence. The horns that curved back from his head and his teeth were both as white as polished bone. His very presence radiated heat. It caused the air around him to shimmer.
My escort stopped a few paces behind me. They lowered their eyes in respect. They knew that from here on, I would be on my own. I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what was to come. My heart pounded in my chest. However, there was no turning back now. With a final glance at my companions, I stepped forward and approached the stone platform.
The moment I did so, those giant glowing eyes locked onto mine. I could feel the weight of his gaze. I didn’t let myself falter though. I had to prove myself. I was the god of twilight, and I had come to meet with the dragon who had summoned me.