Haha! There I was, hovering with my wings beating steadily, holding me aloft. This time, I’d got it right. Truly!

The sensation was utterly mad. Downright peculiar, even. Moments ago, I hadn’t the foggiest clue how to pull this off. But now? It felt as if I’d been born for flight. My wings moved with a precision that felt instinctive, drawing in the air with each rhythmic beat. So smooth. The muscles in my back, shoulders, and wings worked in perfect harmony. Glorious.

Each movement was timed just so, creating just enough lift to keep me steady.

Before, it was all a farce—flapping about like a mad thing, every motion clumsy and strained. Looking back, I wanted to give my former self a good shake. My muscles had been pulling in every which way, a cacophony rather than a symphony. Despite having the strength and wingspan to fly, I simply hadn’t cracked the code of coordination.

But now? Now, it was second nature. The moment I’d learned the skill, it wasn’t just knowledge; it was muscle memory that slotted into place. I watched my wings adjust to the wind with ease, the tension in my tendons feeling just right. And I could sense every faint shift in pressure as I hovered—perhaps, a perk of that Air Sense skill.

My body moved efficiently, each muscle playing its part. It was so wonderfully odd, this sensation—delightfully different. The truth was plain: my earlier failures weren’t about a lack of strength; they were about a lack of understanding how to wield it.

Not just flapping harder, but control!

And just like that, I was airborne! I kept to a small radius, staying near the clearing and close to the ground. But for a moment, I dared to close my eyes. The cool night air rushed over my scales, lifting me higher. That peculiar lightness in my chest—a knot finally unwound.

I knew this feeling well.

Freedom. Pure, unbridled freedom.

My wings sliced through the air, and I felt it—every subtle shift in temperature. Every swirl of the wind that brushed against me. My heart thumped, yet not from exertion. No, it was the sheer thrill surging through me. I was gliding. Flying!

It wasn’t just about moving; it was about the sensation. Seeing the world from above, with the ground slipping away and the sky wrapping around me in its vastness. A feeling only a creature with wings could ever truly grasp.

This was my place—up in the air, gliding beneath the stars.

AHAHAHAHA!

A slight tilt of my wings, and I eased into a gentle descent toward the clearing below. No need for frantic flapping, just a subtle change in angle, letting gravity do the work. Spot on. Now, a little lean to the left, dipping the left wing ever so slightly to catch the wind just right. I banked smoothly to the side, letting the air currents lead me. Then, with a sharp beat of my wings, I soared upwards again, climbing with grace.

Once more, I dropped—deliberately this time. Adjusting my posture, I descended swiftly, yet still maintained control, pulling up just in time to skim over the treetops.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! I was flying! Truly, gloriously flying! I wished Lotte could see this. Maybe I’d show her when I returned to the dreamlands.

But before I touched down, I soared higher, pushing myself further into the sky. For a brief moment, I hovered there, suspended in the air, simply watching the world beneath me. From up here, I could see everything. The forest spread out below, an endless sea of green, marred by those odd shadows and speckled with patches of silver moonlight. But that wasn’t what I was after. In the distance, a fortress loomed, and my eyes narrowed.

It was that same fortress teeming with elves, and the proper entrance to the dungeon. Right on cue, the system chimed the moment my eyes locked onto it.

Mission Alert! Exterminate! Spare not a single soul!

Objective: Eradicate every elf within the fortress. Wipe these thieves from existence!

Task: Reduce the elven fortress to smouldering ruins.

Reward: Permanent +10 to all stats, +1 rare organ, +1 technique recipe, +1 additional Tier III skill per 100 elves vanquished. The more excruciating their demise, the higher the chance of additional rewards.

Penalty: None.

Accept: Y/N?

I simply stared at the screen, a smile creeping onto my face as I declined the quest. Relieved that I had the option this time. Unlike before, when I was shackled to it—eat or perish.

Perhaps a day would come when there'd be consequences for refusal or outright defiance, but I hoped that wouldn't be the case. With that thought, I let my wings relax and glided down gracefully, landing back in the clearing.

Lotte's words rang in my ears. The system held a particular disdain for those three races. And judging by the second part of the rewards section, that much was now clear. The system wanted me to utterly torment them, dangling extra rewards as bait. I doubted I was the first monster to receive these ghastly quests. Could this be the real reason monsters harbored such animosity towards them? Kill and be rewarded.

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And, by the glorious beard of Thalador, the rewards themselves were ludicrous. A Tier III skill? From what I understood, my skills currently stood at Tier II after my last advancement. One more upgrade, and they'd reach Tier III. And not just that—a 'rare organ,' whatever that entailed—and a +10 boost to every stat for each 100 elves slain.

But what on earth was a 'technique recipe'? I posed the question to the system, and another window materialised.

[Techniques: Unlocked upon meeting specific skill level and mutation conditions. Techniques result in the fusion of skills into a singular, enhanced skill.]

Ah, so a recipe for this sort of thing would reveal the conditions needed to unlock these techniques. Blimey. I hadn’t realised just how powerful they could be, but if they combined several of my skills, they’d likely be bloody formidable.

Would Lotte know about any of these recipes? Not entirely certain, but it couldn't hurt to ask her, could it? I dismissed the screen for now. Obviously, I wasn’t about to engage in... mass slaughter. Yet, the system certainly knew how to tempt, didn’t it?

I shook my head and pulled up my stat screen instead.

Name: Jade

Level: 10

Species: Hungerborn Hatchling (Draconis) (II) (+)

Attributes:

* Strength: 15

* Durability: 32

* Intelligence: 40

* Will: 27

* Mana Points: 0/0

* Stamina Points: 19/29

Species Skills:

* Controlled Claw Swipe: Level 1 (II)

* Tail Whip: Level 1 (I)

* Roar: Level 1 (I)

* Scale Harden: Level 3 (I)

* Stealth: Level 3 (I)

* Crushing Crunch: Level 1 (II)

* Quick Dash: Level 2 (I)

* Flight: Level 1 (I)

* Deep Breathing: Level 1 (I)

* Air Sense: Level 1 (I)

* Climb: Level 1 (I)

* Crush Claw: Level 1 (I)

Exclusive Skills:

* Transformation: Level 1 (I)

Mutations:

* Eyes - Focusing Lenses (II): +0

* Claws - Claw Flexibility (II): +0

* Scales - Colour Adaptation (II): +0

* Wings - Hollow Bones (II): +0

* Legs - Joint Flexibility (II): +0

* Fire Gland - Mana Reservoir (II): +0

* Macro-Trophic Sac: +0

Resources:

* Skill Points: 4

* Morphogens: 186

Hmm, my stamina had dropped from all that flying; it was at a full 29 not too long ago. I’d been zipping around for, what, ten minutes? Yes, probably about that. So, the consumption rate was around 1 SP per minute of flight. Quite generous, actually.

And this gave me the chance to use the Deep Breathing skill. Only problem? I couldn’t use it while moving. It was more of a meditation technique—similar to what mages use to recharge their mana, only instead of mana, by calming myself and breathing deeply, I’d be regenerating my stamina. Still had some time before Barn showed up. So, I sprawled out on the floor and activated the skill.

I closed my eyes, drew in a long, deep breath. The air filled my lungs and for a moment I held it there. Slowly, I let it out. It was as if the tension in my body left with it.

Breathing became more rhythmic. Steady even. Each inhale and exhale in perfect sync with the rise and fall of my chest. My senses dulled, the world around me fading into the background. My entire focus was inwards.

But impatient as ever, I still kept my stat window open while I rested, counting each second as it passed. A full minute went by, and my Stamina Points ticked up by one. Hmm? Not sure how fast my regeneration was before, but it certainly wasn’t this quick. I dismissed the skill and got up. That should do the trick.

My eyes drifted to the bottom of the screen, to something I’d been avoiding: Mutations. I know I said I was getting used to the pain, but let’s be honest, it still affected me—so much so that I’d been subconsciously avoiding it. But for that perfect evolution, it had to be done, didn’t it? And I had enough morphogens anyway.

I glanced at the hole Barn had made—the second, unofficial entrance to the dungeon now. If I were to undergo a mutation, this clearing sure wasn’t the place for it. I'd be vulnerable during those agonising moments. I needed to retreat to a more secure location, back into the dungeon. But first, this hole needed sealing.

I surveyed the surroundings with my upgraded and keen eyes. A few well-placed Claw Swipes at the nearest trees, and soon I had amassed a respectable pile of branches. I arranged them around, layering them over the hole until not a single gap remained. A sprinkling of leaves over the top, and there we go—perfect camouflage. The green leaves melded seamlessly with the surrounding bushes and grass. I left a small opening on the side, pressed my wings tight against my body, and slithered through the gap like a snake.

My climbing skills came in handy as I gracefully descended, knowing exactly where to sink my claws, where to find my footing, and how much force to apply. In no time, I was back to where it all began, in that sticky tunnel of sap. Taking a deep breath, I opened up the resource section.

Would you like to use 6 Morphogens to upgrade your eyes?

Hmm, looks like the cost of upgrading these organs has gone up now they're on their second advancement. Six Morphogens each, with just one for the macro-trophic sac since it hasn't been advanced yet. Fair enough, I suppose.

Right then, time for some quick arithmetic. If the advancement is still at +5, it'll take about 40 Morphogens to fully advance each organ. I had 186 Morphogens on hand, so I could fully upgrade four organs. With the remaining 16, I could push the macro-trophic sac to advancement too, leaving me with a solitary Morphogen. Of course, there's the off chance that the advancement could go up to +10 like my level, but that would be absurd—105 Morphogens for just one organ? No, it's got to be +5. Trusting my instincts on this one.

Now, the real question: which organs deserved the full advancement to unlock additional evolution options?

Would you like to use 25 Morphogens to upgrade your eyes, claws, scales, fire gland, and macro-trophic sac?

My legs and wings were fine as they were for now, and if I get mana in this evolution—oh, Thalador, I do hope so—then upgrading the fire gland would definitely be worth it.

Ah, yis! The moment has come!

...

Come on!

...

Just one mental command, Jade!

...

IT'LL BE OVER BEFORE YOU KNOW IT!

...

I dug my claws into the smooth bark, closed my eyes, and braced myself.

YES!

And so, the torturous process began anew.