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: +5 (+)

* Claws: +5 (+)

* Scales: +5 (+)

* Wings +5 (+)

* Legs +5 (+)

* Fire Gland +4

Resources:

* Skill Points: 2

* Morphogens: 0

I wheezed like an asthmatic accordion, my chest puffing up and down in a rather undignified manner. The stomach ache still loitered about, but that was just the warm-up act—what really had me cringing was the encore of phantom pain. Torture, that was, in every conceivable sense of the word.

Imagine thousands of needles deciding to redecorate the insides of one’s eyeballs—yes, precisely as delightful as it sounds. Then, just when one thought their legs and wings were safe, something tore through them, shredding them to pieces from inside, only to rebuild them into a new and improved model.

The claws grew out, painfully of course, sharper and deadlier than ever, and don’t even get me started on the fire gland—it was as if my very heart had decided to stage a melodramatic exit.

And this delightful process? Not once, not twice, but five agonising times I had the pleasure. This pain, this unwelcome pain, still lingered in the recesses of my mind, a part of me terrified it might pop in for a surprise visit. But no, I shook my head and closed my eyes. Best get used to it.

Because, this wasn’t going to be the last time, was it?

Barn was off on the task I’d sent him on. Time wasn’t exactly on our side, so he’d be assisting me in battling through the inevitable weakness that came with my second evolution. The aim? To push through and finally reach that coveted third magical evolution.

I eyed the tunnel I’d unceremoniously sprawled myself across, like a bloated turtle on its back, belly bulging. The hues danced around me lazily, like a rainbow-coloured fog mocking the chubby dragon flopped on the floor.

Good heavens, this was mortifying!

If only I could just hurl up the contents of my stomach—since I’d already gained Morphogen, after all. But who knew if it would still work? Would I even manage to vomit at all? It felt like it, but frankly, I wasn’t in any rush to test the theory.

Yet, there was progress! My wingspan had definitely increased, though I doubted I could fly, or even move, in this rotund state. Even my leg muscles had tightened; they felt stronger. And those claws—oh, heavens, they were terrifyingly sharp! I had to keep them well away from myself, lest I accidentally skewered my own hide.

Ah, there were their advancements too—brilliant! All except for the odd one out, the Fire Gland, still lagging behind.

Hmm. My gaze shifted.

I couldn’t help but cast a glance at the final creeper’s remains.

No, Jade, don’t even go there!

But then again... what if there was an achievement for advancing every single one of my organs as well? Besides, I’d keep accumulating Morphogen with each tasty morsel, so perhaps just a nibble here and there would grant me the five Morphogens I needed.

With a clench of my claws, I shoved the ground to one side, attempting to flip over, but the moment my bloated belly smacked against the earth, a searing pain shot through my innards. Yet, I kept my eye on the stat screen hovering beside me. Ah, I must be losing my marbles, but I didn’t hesitate—I began crawling towards the last creeper with a manic fervour. Just a few more bites, a smidge more Morphogen. Haha..

This time, I kept the notification screen open, ready to witness my progress. Every three massive chomps into its torso triggered a delightful series of pop-ups:

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

[Morphogen source assimilated.]

[Morphogens acquired: +1.]

More bites!

[Morphogens acquired: +1.]

Yes, MORE!

[Morphogens acquired: +1.]

[Morphogens acquired: +1.]

[Morphogens acquired: +1.]

By the time I’d practically devoured its entire torso, I’d gathered all five points. Hah. Hahahaha—ouch! Even laughing felt like I was being trampled by a herd of particularly vicious Rustanges.

I flipped back over, settling into the far more comfortable position of being upside down. Now, time to give that Fire Gland a proper upgrade too.

[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. (Advancement Unlocked.)

Wings +5: Reinforce wings to enhance flight performance. (Advancement Unlocked.)

Legs +5: Augment leg power and maneuverability. (Advancement Unlocked.)

Claws +5: Upgrade claws for increased lethality. (Advancement Unlocked.)

Scales +5: Fortify scales for superior defensive capabilities. (Advancement Unlocked.)

Fire Gland +5: Enhance fire gland for elevated internal mana input. (Unlocks Advancement.)

Aha! Just as I suspected—I couldn’t pour any more Morphogen into my body parts before unlocking their advancements. But first things first, I needed to max out that Fire Gland.

Would you like to use 5 Morphogens to upgrade your Fire Gland?

With a mental nod of assent, the torment began. The agony was exquisite, deep within my throat yet somehow above my stomach, as if a thousand tiny blades were shredding my insides, only to stitch them back together in the most excruciating fashion. But, as always, the torment subsided soon enough. I let out a deep sigh, craning my serpentine neck to survey my surroundings.

Barn hadn’t returned yet, and in my current state—where even breathing was a Herculean task—I wasn’t exactly in danger, not with the knowledge that I could summon him at a moment’s notice. Thankfully, no monstrous intruders had appeared in this little tunnel, and I hoped it stayed that way. Barn had important work to do, after all, and his time was precious.

I decided to fix my gaze on the screen once more. Every single organ now had an advancement option available. Marvelous! Time to go through them, one by one.

First up: the eyes. A brand-new screen flickered into view...

Eyes +5 Advancement Options

Choose one of the following:

* Sharp Vision: Increases visual acuity and distance, enabling the user to detect details from extended ranges. Suitable for scouting or precision targeting.

* Adaptive Sight: Automatically adjusts the user's vision to varying light levels, from complete darkness to intense brightness, without delay or discomfort.

* Compound Eyes: Incorporates additional lenses into the user's eyes, improving depth perception and expanding the field of view, beneficial for detecting movement.

* Focusing Lenses: Enhances the user's ability to quickly transition focus between near and distant objects, optimizing reaction time and precision in dynamic settings.

Oh, yiss, four upgrades to mull over—this ought to be fun!

I sifted through them one by one, noting that none seemed to address those peculiar hues that danced about in my vision. Strange, that. These upgrades appeared more on the… biological side of things. So, those hues weren’t part of my biology? How curious. I must remember to ask Lotte about this later—tsk, can’t believe I let that one slip by!

But no matter, I had choices to make, and all four upgrades were rather tempting.

Right-o, time for a proper chinwag with myself about these upgrades. Each one had its own little sparkle, but I needed something that would give me the upper hand when the fur started flying. I gave them a good once-over while I still had a tick before Barn came back.

First up, Sharp Vision. Ooh, now that’s a bit tasty, hehe. Spotting the teeniest of details from a distance? Absolutely smashing for scouting out enemies before they even caught a whiff of me, or nailing a bullseye from miles away—if I ever picked up a ranged ability or spell, that is.

But umm, how often would I be perched up on a hilltop, squinting at the horizon, especially when I was usually mucking about in these dungeon tunnels? Most of my scrapes had been more up-close-and-personal, so perhaps this one wasn’t quite the ticket.

Next, there was Adaptive Sight! Now, this one had me intrigued. My peepers had already been getting used to those hues around me. At first, I could barely open my eyes, but as they upgraded, I started seeing clearer. Now, at Eyes +5, those hues were barely more than a mild bother. But oh, I still remembered that run-in with the Sap river—good heavens, that had been brighter than a whole sun during midday, even for my +4 eyes at the time. The hues could still trip me up, but choosing this might just put that to bed. I mentally flagged it as a top contender and pressed on.

Then there were Compound Eyes. Hmm, adding extra lenses to my eyes? Boosting depth perception and widening my field of view? I mulled it over for a bit. It could be cracking for spotting sneaky shenanigans from all directions. It was like having eyes in the back of my head—well, almost, but that was the gist of it! But with most of the action happening right in front of me, did I really need to see everything all at once? Might be a bit much for the old brain box to handle in the thick of it.

And lastly, Focusing Lenses. The moment I read the description, I knew this could be a real lifesaver in a fast-paced brawl. Being able to snap focus from what was right under my nose to what was further off? That was proper nimble, that was. Well, not that I was exactly sprightly at the moment, but it was perfect for timing a Quick Dash—dodge a close-range attack while keeping an eye on the bigger picture. This one was all about reaction time and precision.

In the end, it was a tight race between Adaptive Sight and Focusing Lenses. Adaptive Sight would sort out the only real drawback these hues had, while Focusing Lenses would make me sharper in combat.

But, with each eye upgrade, my eyes were already getting more adaptive to the hues, so maybe future upgrades would keep that ball rolling without needing to commit to it now. And I wouldn’t be gaining anything truly new.

Right, decision made—Focusing Lenses it was. I couldn’t pass it up. It sounded like just the ticket, especially if I got mobbed by monsters; it could be a real game-changer, might even save my bacon in a pinch. With a quick mental command, I locked it in.

Oh bollocks, I forgot about the pai—NAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

***

As soon as the pain fizzled out and I dared to crack open my eyes, I knew something had changed. The irritating hues had mellowed out even more, thanks to this nifty upgrade, but it was the way I could focus that truly blew my mind! I shifted my gaze around, peering into that pesky tunnel hole up in the top right corner, and then straightened my sight to my claw at the other end. My eyes were constantly on the move, but the transition was smooth! Oh so smooth!

All in all, I was chuffed to bits. Brilliant!

Right then, onto the next upgrade!

I still had four organs to tinker with!

Next on the list, I pulled up the wings upgrade.

Wings +5 Advancement Options

Choose one of the following:

* Feathered Wings: Modifies the user's wings with feathers to increase aerodynamic efficiency, allowing for quieter and more controlled flight.

* Hollow Bones: Lightens the structure of the user's bones without reducing strength, enhancing agility and reducing energy expenditure during flight.

* Improved Membranes: Enhances the flexibility and durability of the user's wing membranes, improving maneuverability and resistance to damage.

* Air Sacs: Develops additional air sacs in the user's body, improving air storage and reducing fatigue during prolonged flight.

* Wing Muscles: Strengthens the muscles attached to the user's wings, increasing wingbeat power and endurance for longer, sustained flight.

Honestly, I’d yet to get a taste of the joys of flight, and I was absolutely itching to give it a whirl. I could already feel the raw power humming in my upgraded wings, far from the feeble things they used to be. But, it seemed a tad premature to take to the skies with my poor, sore, bloated belly still in a state.

Ah well, soon enough.

Ahhh, the very thought of soaring through the sky!

Now, which upgrade to plump for?