My claws danced along the riverside, tracing out a peculiar little doodle that Lotte had shown me earlier—a doodle that, apparently, was my golden ticket to sprouting mana veins, even as a monster. Lotte, meanwhile, had wandered off for a chinwag with Barn. Poor snake looked like he was about to shed his skin—or, um, bones—from sheer terror when Lotte plucked him from the waking world and plopped him straight into dreamland.

I almost felt bad for him. It would’ve been nice to give him a heads-up, not that I had the foggiest idea Lotte could pull off a stunt like that. Still, what on earth was all that about? I would’ve given my left claw to eavesdrop on that convo.

But no, it was probably one of those “off-limits” chats I wasn’t supposed to hear.

Ugh, it was driving me absolutely barmy! The suspense was practically gnawing at my scales. Mark my words, one day I would grow so mighty that Lotte would spill all her secrets to me!

But first things first. Lotte had already shown me this image, but I always found that scribbling things down helped cement them in my memory. Old habit. That’s how I managed to recognize most of the basic spell structures of the Winter Salamander Path, even though I’d never had the chance to actually use them.

I squinted at the doodle of the creature I was sketching. Hmm, the clawed fingers were slightly bent at the tips, ending in a sharp slash. Yes, that seemed about right. I carried on, letting my thoughts wander.

Mana veins—well, as the name suggests, everyone’s born with them. Everyone except us monsters, that is. Humans, by cultivating mana through these veins, gradually nurture their cores. At first, this core was as black as pitch and not much sturdier than a wisp of smoke. But as they delved deeper into their chosen [Magic Paths], their core grew with them—denser, more vibrant, shifting colours from black to grey to yellow, to red, and finally to the grand mastery of gold.

As their cores matured, not only did they become more potent, holding more mana, but they also sharpened their spellcasting prowess. Their bodies got a bit tougher too, though not by much if they were sticking strictly to a magical path.

The [Path of Winter Salamander], practiced in Randall and Alcoa, was an illusion magic path, but it didn’t stop there. It was a mixed path where one not only refined their mana veins but also built up their physical strength, creating formidable battle mages.

On the other hand, the [Path of the Flame Vixen] was a purely magical path, where practitioners couldn’t bolster their physical strength, leaving them rather frail but with magic so powerful it could leave you breathless. They were pure casters, through and through.

The crux of the matter was that this was how humans grew, becoming more powerful and precise in their spellcasting as they evolved. I’d always fancied that sort of thing. Not just blasting out mana for various effects like us monsters did, but actually crafting spells, fine-tuning them, exploring different magical paths. Sure, it was practically impossible to master more than one path, but a dragon could dream, couldn’t she? My curiosity was insatiable, and honestly, it still is—but that’s neither here nor there.

I put the finishing touches on my doodle—perfect! Lotte had called this creature a Valar Rat, one of the rare monsters that had something akin to mana veins. These little critters boasted a second set of physical veins that circulated mana instead of blood. These veins were smaller and connected to their core after their third evolution, giving them the ability to wield magic in a more refined way, rather than just spraying mana around like a fire hose.

As I devoured more and more monsters, there was a chance that some part of their anatomy—an organ, a feature, what have you—might be offered to me during my evolution, depending on how well it meshed with my own body.

Lotte was dead certain that if I gobbled up enough Valar Rats, I’d almost certainly be gifted these mana veins. After all, a dragon’s body was meant to be the most adaptable of all. The more I feasted on their kind, the better my chances of acquiring this precious organ. And of course, I needed it.

Just as I was getting lost in my thoughts, I felt a familiar scuttle on my wrist. Ah, finally! Whatever chat Barn had been having with Lotte seemed to be wrapped up. I glanced at him—still trembling like a leaf caught in a gale, his wide, fake eyes pleading with me to get us out of here pronto. Poor Barn, Lotte must have been his personal bogeyman.

And right on cue...

“You might want to hear this, Jade,” Lotte’s voice echoed inside my noggin.

Something was off in her tone, so naturally, my curiosity was piqued. “Alright, spill the beans,” I said, standing up from the riverside and turning to face Lotte, who was lazily sprawled out on the grass like she owned the place. Which she probably did.

“Barn’s time with you is running out,” she declared.

I… wasn’t exactly gobsmacked. After all, there was a reason Lotte insisted on that clause, and I’d let Barn break it. Still though.

“What happened?” I asked. I was curious.

"The timeline I initially provided was predicated on how long Barn could sustain his presence by depleting his chaos reserves. However, when he devoured those souls, his body instinctively initiated the metamorphosis process. He was teetering on the brink of a breakthrough, and that small indulgence you permitted him provided the impetus he required."

“I’m guessing he ended up burning through more chaos than planned?”

"Precisely."

Well, at least I was mostly out of mortal peril. Still, it had felt pretty darn good to have him around, all powerful and whatnot.

“How much time does he have left?”

"Approximately half a day, more or less."

A smidge less than I was hoping for. But well done, Jade! That’s how you flushed your own blessings straight down the loo.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

"He’ll exert every effort to assist until the moment he makes his exit." She shot a sharp look at my wrist—was that a stink eye aimed at Barn? He trembled and slithered further up my leg, trying to avoid her gaze. "And do not overlook what I mentioned regarding evolution."

Oh, I hadn’t forgotten. My first evolution needed to be a bit of a sacrificial lamb, but blimey, the perks it would bring!

"Bear in mind, if any evolution option even alludes to the Sun or Light, it will be immensely powerful—lethally so. But do not allow yourself to be seduced by its allure."

“Ay ay, Captain Lotte!” I chirped, giving a cheeky clawed salute as the dream world began to fade, reality’s pesky tendrils pulling me back. My eyes fluttered open to a riot of obnoxiously bright colours. Good grief! I squinted, ever so slowly, letting my eyes adjust to the blinding brilliance.

I spotted Stephan curled up in a corner, fast asleep—bless him, he actually took my advice. Best to let him catch some well-deserved Zs.

Barn scurried up my wrist, his tiny beady fake eyes twinkling with all the relief of a pint-sized gremlin.

“Shall we begin, then?” I whispered, careful not to disturb Stephan.

Barn’s reply was the faint sound of bones knitting together. “Let’s.”

***

Step one was a doddle, really—just gorge myself until I could barely move! The more achievements I had, the more evolutionary options would pop up, like some kind of reward system. Lotte had mentioned there’s a specific achievement for eating so much that I’m teetering on the brink of bursting like an overinflated balloon.

And that's exactly what I needed.

[Morphogen source assimilated.]

[Morphogens acquired: +18.]

Just a little perk of the process.

I flopped back with a rather unceremonious thud. I simply couldn’t continue. My stomach was stretched so taut, ah, it felt as though the seams of my very being were threatening to unravel, leaving me in a grotesque explosion of scales and innards. Oh, the horror.

But alas, four more of those ghastly creepers remained. I cast a wary glance at my bloated, scaly belly—dear heavens, this had better be worth it.

With a resigned sigh, I reached for another severed limb, this one from the second creeper’s clawed hand. The mere thought of it made my insides revolt. I didn’t want to do it, I really didn’t.

SHUT UP, JADE, DO IT FOR THE MAGIC!

So, with a face twisted in a snarl, I bit down viciously. More. I had to consume more.

The discomfort was a mere hiccup, a fleeting nuisance compared to the everlasting glory of magic—oh, the magic.

Then it struck me—I’d gained 12 morphogens from just one creeper! Normally, I’d only get 2 from a first-stage evolution creature, then 6 from that pesky beetle bug in its second stage. Three times the increase with each stage, I reckoned.

These creepers must be third-stage monsters, tripling the usual haul. So, with a grimace and a groan, I gobbled up each grisly piece of the second creeper. Torturous? Absolutely. But ahh, the magic... Even if I burst like an overripe melon, I’d keep going.

Magic.

Magic.

The word echoed in my mind, a relentless chant, louder with each bite. I was so close now, I could taste it. I wanted it. I needed it. So desperately, so achingly.

[Morphogen source assimilated.]

[Morphogens acquired: +18.]

At long last, the second creeper was done for. I swear, I could feel the food stacked up to my very throat, teetering on the brink of eruption. But with legs trembling like a newborn foal, I dragged myself towards the third creeper. Without so much as a second thought, I seized its severed head and sank my teeth right into its lifeless maw.

Magic.

The pain in my stomach was unbearable, a fiery inferno, but I couldn’t stop. I wouldn’t stop.

For Magic.

***

Name: Jade

Level: 5

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 4 (I)

* Tail Whip: Level 1 (I)

* Roar: Level 1 (I)

* Scale Harden: Level 2 (I)

* Stealth: Level 3 (I)

* Crunch: Level 3 (I)

* Quick Dash: Level 2 (I)

Exclusive Skills:

* Transformation: Level 1 (I)

Mutations:

* Eyes: +4

* Claws: +1

* Scales: +1

Resources:

* Skill Points: 2

* Morphogens: 73

I’d left the last one be. Oh, Thalador, I simply couldn’t muster the strength anymore. The adrenaline, which I’d whipped up for that longing of magic, had fizzled out, and now I was marinating in pure regret.

The pain was simply unbearable, and I felt like I might just pop like an overstuffed sausage at any moment. Moving? Ha! Not a chance. I was utterly incapacitated, so I resigned myself to lying flat on my back and summoned up my status screen.

I did try to use 'crunch' on their lifeless corpses, but alas, it turned out I couldn't snag any skill upgrades by using it on dead monsters.

Still, I’d managed to scrape together a whopping 73 morphogens. Quite chuffed about that, though there was a niggling sense of dread about what was coming next.

Of course, of course, I’d need to put them to good use. And as if the current torment wasn’t enough—my stomach was still waging a full-blown rebellion—I reckoned a bit more discomfort wouldn’t hurt. Well, not much, anyway. A quick mental tally revealed that I could fully maximise five body parts with the morphogens I’d collected.

[Skill Points may be allocated to acquire new skills or enhance existing ones.]

[Morphogens may be expended to mutate physical attributes.]

Skills available for acquisition:

Crush Claw: Requires 1 SP. Augments claw precision and impact force.

Select a mutation:

Eyes +5: Improve visual processing and targeting accuracy. (Unlock advancement.)

Wings +1: Reinforce wings to enhance flight performance.

Legs +1: Augment leg power and maneuverability.

Claws +2: Upgrade claws for increased lethality.

Scales +2: Fortify scales for superior defensive capabilities.

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

It appeared I could unlock advancements at +5. A bit of mental arithmetic told me I’d need 28 morphogens to bring my claws and scales to the this advancement, and another 30 for both legs and wings. If I tossed in 5 more for the eyes, that would leave me with a tidy 10 left over.

As for the fire gland, well, it wouldn’t be much use until my third evolution, so I could safely ignore it... at least for now. Still, a little voice in my head whispered that perhaps upgrading it to +4 wouldn’t be the worst idea.

Hmm, sounded like a plan.

But hold on a tick, could I just skip ahead and upgrade straight from +1 to +5? I quickly scanned the screen, hoping for some sort of shortcut. But no such luck. It looked like I’d have to endure the agony of every single upgrade individually.

With a deep mental sigh, I clicked through the options, and up popped another screen.

Would you like to use 12 Morphogens to upgrade your eyes, claws, scales, wings, legs, and fire gland?

This time, I didn’t hesitate. With a mental click, I accepted, closing my eyes and bracing myself for the onslaught of pain.