I gazed once more at the skittering shadows as Stephan hoisted me up, their creepy-crawly forms darting away in the dim light. "What do you reckon these blighters are?" I whispered as he gently set me down.

Squinting into the gloom did little to help; my eyes still couldn't fully open thanks to the blinding hues that lingered all around me.

"They seem like spider-like monsters, but I've never seen any this size," Stephan remarked, peering into the darkness. "They're swarming the place! One even tried to give chase, so I had to squeeze myself into a narrow gap in the wall. Lucky for me, it couldn't fit, so it ran off."

Monsters, out of the blue, swarming the whole joint. It sounded utterly bonkers for a place that might very well be the headquarters of an entire cult. Their resources, their formidable warriors, their numbers and power, it made little sense that the security of their base would be this lax.

I had my hunch. The same pesky shockwave of white magic had to be the culprit once again. Ever since it hit, none of the enchantments had been working. Maybe whatever spell kept the monsters out had fizzled as well. But where in the devil's name was this base located that it would be overrun with monsters the moment the protection spell broke?

Hmm.

"Can you handle yourself in a scrap?" I inquired of Stephan. "I know we're both in the same woeful predicament, mana-less as a dried-up well. But did you, by any chance, take up some good old-fashioned fisticuffs training to compensate?"

He was sporting a grey tunic, but underneath, I could spy some well-defined muscles. His hands were rough, bristled with callouses—quite the labourer's mitts. As for me, in my usual guise, I could land a decent punch or two. But now, in my current, more diminutive form, I felt more agile. My claws were sharp as a barber's razor, and my teeth—oh, what a set of gnashers! I clicked them together, made me feel rather pleased with myself.

Hmm, I had to admit, I was perhaps more capable in this form than in my human one. I was light, nimble, and if only these blasted wings weren't so useless! One could only hope these scales were more than just decorative.

"Umm, I… do have some mana in me," Stephan muttered.

That brought my musings to an abrupt halt.

"What?" I asked, quite incredulously.

He sighed, dramatically, quite the shift from his earlier frightened demeanour. "Well, I suppose you'd make that assumption based on what they had said," he began, giving his neck a good old scratch. "I was born with about as much mana as a damp sponge, practically a trickle, if that. But that's just how people are; rumours spread faster than a lizardman's sneeze, and soon enough, the word on the street was that I was magically impotent."

He continued, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. I had to admit, he cut quite a dashing figure, almost roguish, if one could look past his initial crybaby impression. "It wasn't easy, growing up with everyone thinking I couldn't muster a spark of magic to save my life. My family, bless them, tried to keep it under wraps, but there's only so much you can do when the whole village is whispering behind your back."

"Oh, the things I tried to prove them wrong. I'd sneak off to the old leader's tower, even pinched a few of his tomes, hoping to find some kind of secret that would unlock my hidden potential. It never happened."

He held up a hand, and with a concentrated look, summoned the tiniest flicker of light at his fingertip. It was barely brighter than a matchstick's flame. "This, my friend, is about all I can do. No fireballs, no lightning bolts. Just this …pathetic little glow."

He extinguished the light with a quick flick of his wrist and shrugged. "I did train with a sword, but right now I have no sword, and my fists, it seems, won't be much use against those monsters. So, in answer to your question, I'm afraid I won't be much help in a fight," he added with a sad smile.

Well, someone I could relate to. He wasn't completely magically impotent like me; he had a smidgen of mana, unlike my complete lack of it. So those cultists had been wrong. He was indeed touched by worldly magic. Would their patron have been angry at them for pushing him towards sacrifice?

I glanced to the corner of my vision, where a timer was steadily counting down.

[27:19]

It had been at 30 when that ominous message first appeared, and it had been ticking away ever since, a rather constant reminder of the time I had left to live. Oddly enough, I didn't feel particularly hungry, but there was a strange sense of hollowness inside me. It was as if something vital was missing, a void I couldn't quite identify.

It wasn't the familiar gnawing of hunger. No, this was something more subtle, more fundamental, far more elusive.

I stood before the wall, digging my claws into it. They pierced through remarkably, considering my diminutive size and featherweight. This gave me just the right hold to ascend. Perfect.

It was now or never.

"Stephan, hoist me into that hole in the wall?"

"You've got a plan, then?"

"Indeed I do. Assist me in tallying how many of them are lurking about. My vision's rather compromised."

"Oh damn, I just thought your eyes were rather …peculiar."

"No, I just have to squint to see properly."

Naturally, I had a plan. If I couldn't gallivant off in search of a morsel, why not coax the feast to me? Ingenious, heh! Stephan obligingly lifted me up. The wall was broad enough that the hole provided sufficient footing for me to stand. Peering through narrowed eyes, I spotted the critters scurrying about below. There weren't many, but each one was about the size of a hefty Labrador, and I swear they'd outgrow me if we stood side by side. Their shapes were hard to make out, but Stephen had already told me they were something… spider-like, skittering a bit too quick for comfort if one asked me.

Stephan assisted in the headcount. One of the blighters was creeping around the nearest pile of rubble, while two more loitered just behind. Another five were milling about a bit farther off. His commentary hinted that they might be searching for something. Or was that what arachnids did? Sniffing about like they were on a treasure hunt? Who knew? But no matter—I shot Stephan another squinty-eyed look.

"Right, no daft questions, just grab me by my blooming tail and dangle me—" But before I could finish my command, a sudden screen flashed before my eyes, startling me into shutting them tight. But oh, it was a screen I recognized.

Lotte!

Curiously enough, even with my eyes clamped shut, I could still see it.

Notification!

Message: One last note, Jade. If you haven't yet, do take a moment to access your capabilities by summoning your [Status]. It reminds me of instructing a fledgling all over again, heh. However, heed this caution: under NO circumstances should you initiate an [Evolution] without first consulting me.

As for your eyes, I recommend using the [Morphogen]; the [True Vision] of a Dragon Hatchling can be rather unsettling, especially in a place where the mana has become erratic.

Lastly, with your initial [Skill Point], I would advise acquiring either a [Stealth] or [Flight] skill.

I could've sworn I heard Stephan mutter something like a befuddled "What?" but honestly, my entire focus was glued to that glowing screen. I held up a claw to signal him to pipe down for a sec. Blimey, some of this was going straight over my head! Whispers of things from my dream world tickled the edges of my memory, but I couldn't quite grasp them without more context.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Well, no sense in dilly-dallying. I decided to summon this... [Status], just as Lotte had suggested. Felt almost natural, really. Just had to think the word, and voilà, another screen popped up right in front of Lotte's message.

Name: Jade

Level: 1

Species: Dragon Hatchling (I)

Attributes:

* Strength: 15

* Durability: 12

* Intelligence: 30

* Will: 17

* Mana Points: 0/0

* Stamina Points: 14/14

Species Skills:

* Claw Swipe: Level 1 (I)

* Tail Whip: Level 1 (I)

* Roar: Level 1 (I)

* Scale Harden: Level 1 (I)

Exclusive Skills:

* Transformation: Level 1 (I)

Mutations:

* Mutation: N/A

Resources:

* Skill Points: 1

* Morphogens: 1

I didn't have much time to even go through it all; it suddenly felt overwhelming. It was as if my very being had been reduced to mere numbers and statistics, each one laying bare my strengths, abilities, even my mana—seeing that 0 stung.

It almost echoed those memories from my dreams, this 'game-like' sensation. But this wasn't how games worked, was it? I might get another answer if I dug into this thought, but I had no time. My eyes immediately went to the Skills section.

Skills, as the name rather unoriginally suggested, indicated what I could do. Some deep-seated instinct whispered that I should focus on these. And so, I did, gaze darting from one screen to the next as they popped up in rapid succession, each one offering descriptions of said skills.

OVERVIEW

Claw Swipe, Level 1 (I):

Enhances the efficiency of executing a swift and forceful slash with claws. Optimized for close-quarters combat, delivering significant damage to adversaries. Ideal for rapid, decisive engagements.

Tail Whip, Level 1 (I):

Enables a powerful tail lash, effective for disrupting and inflicting damage across a wide area.

Roar, Level 1 (I):

Augments vocal output to produce a powerful roar, inducing fear in enemies. Temporarily reduces enemy capabilities.

Scale Harden, Level 1 (I):

Increases scale durability, enhancing defensive functions.

Transformation, Level 1 (I):

Allows the alteration of form between registered states.

Current registered forms: Human, Dragon Hatchling.

The descriptions were nothing if not vivid. Each skill seemed finely tuned for combat—offensive, defensive, even bordering on tactical, dare I say. My eyes went towards the exclusive skill in the end, Transformation.

Oh, how a part of me longed to activate it straight away! But alas, in this quaint little dragon form, I'd be better equipped than in my usual human guise.

Everything else would simply have to bide its time. Now that I had a better knowledge of my capabilities, my mind was fixated on a singular purpose: to vanquish one of these spindly spiders and make it my dinner.

My eyes darted to the [Morphogens] and [Skill Points]. Priority number one was fixing my vision, and Lotte, clever as ever, had already suggested using [Morphogens] for just that. But how exactly.. to.. go about it?

Another screen popped up.

Select a mutation:

Eyes +1: Improve visual processing and targeting accuracy.

Wings +1: Reinforce wings to enhance flight performance.

Legs +1: Augment leg power and maneuverability.

Claws +1: Upgrade claws for increased lethality.

Scales +1: Fortify scales for superior defensive capabilities.

Fire Gland +1: Enhance fire gland for elevated internal mana input.

Mutation, it declared. The options were far more plentiful than I'd anticipated. Despite that ominous threat of starvation looming, I couldn't help but feel like a child in a mage's emporium. So. Much. Choice!

But really, what on earth was a fire gland? And, as if the system could read my very thoughts, another window popped up.

Fire Gland: A gland that converts internal mana into fire mana.

Welp, that was a right letdown. My mood plummeted like a rock off a cliff. Internal mana? I had none of the blasted stuff!

With a sigh, I turned my focus to my eyes, ready to use a Morphogen as Lotte had wisely suggested. This time, a different window appeared:

Would you like to use 1 point of [Morphogen] to mutate your eyes?

Without a second thought, I accepted it. As tempting as it was to dabble in other options, the inability to see was driving me absolutely bonkers. But what I hadn't fully grasped was that this upgrade fell under the delightful category of 'mutation.' The moment I felt what seemed like thousands of needles stabbing behind my eyes, rearranging every last cell, I went into a full-on panic. I toppled right out of the little hole in the wall I'd been perched in, crashing to the ground below.

I could hear Stephan's frantic whispers, but I was too busy focusing on my own bloody eyes.

STOOOOPPPP! THIS PAINNNNNN!!!

The pain was unbearable—like a fiery need to claw my own eyes out just to make it stop. Blast it all! Damn it, damn it, damn it! Ahhhh, Lotte, you infernal daemon! A little heads up would have been smashing right about now!

I had no idea how long it went on. Minutes? Hours? Well, I was still alive, so probably just minutes.

22:07.

A quick glance at the timer blinking in the corner showed I had 22 minutes left. I cautiously opened my eyes and… Ohhh. I could finally see! The pesky colorful hues were still there, and rather vexing, but I could actually open my eyes fully! Just a tiny shift to a slightly unfocused state, and the irritation from the hues lessened considerably.

"Are you all right?" Stephan murmured.

I glanced at him, noticing the worry lines crinkling his face. "I'm fine—just had a bit of an issue with my eyes."

He looked ready to ask more, but I cut him off before he could start. "No time for that! Follow through on my last plan. Hoist me up there again, sharpish."

I knew I sounded a touch bossy, maybe even a tad rude, and I didn't like it one bit. But with a bloody death timer ticking down over my head, I'd save the niceties for later—if there even was a later. GAAAAHHH! Watching that thing count down was driving me absolutely barmy.

Stephan hoisted me up once more. I wanted to spend a skill point too, but after that whole Morphogen fiasco, I wasn't exactly chomping at the bit. I'll save it for later.

Then he went and grabbed my tail all wrong—barely holding on! "Are you trying to get me killed? Grip it tighter, for heaven's sake!"

"O-oh, right! Sorry!"

"And remember, once I give the signal, pull me up with all your strength without a second's hesitation. The window to act is going to be minuscule!"

He still looked uncertain—blimey, was I making a mistake in trusting him?