The dungeon was just as it always had been—an endless tunnel unfurling before me, branching off into countless more as one delved deeper. A maze, truly. Perhaps Stephan had been right to dub it a Labyrinth. After all, wasn’t that the very heart of a dungeon? Even as one descended further, the ground could open up into all sorts of peculiar biomes—swamps, forests, even hidden glades—all tucked away underground. How it all worked, and why, remained a mystery. I really should have taken more interest in dungeon lore.
But that was a matter for another time, as a more pressing concern stood directly in my path. It was yet another of Barn’s bone trees. Twisted, gnarled branches of ivory gleamed in the hues. This time, however, instead of thirty rat-beasts tangled in its grasp, there was only one.
It hung there—suspended. Jet black.
Long, sinewy limbs. Too long. Joints bent at impossible angles.
Slick. Shining. Like oiled leather stretched tight over bone.
A skull. No, a head. Smooth. Elongated. No eyes. Just sleek, unbroken blackness.
Teeth. Too many of them. Serrated, jagged, interlocking. A maw gaping wide, dripping—acid? Saliva? Both.
Body taut. Coiled. Muscles rippled beneath the surface.
Tail. Barbed, segmented. Twitching. Waiting. The tip slick with poison, or so I assumed, the way it glistened in the hues.
A nightmare. Caught in ivory.
It reminded me of those lesser creepers, but this was on an entirely different scale. Every inch of it was impaled, held fast by Barn’s bone tree, cocooned so thoroughly that escape seemed impossible. Yet, even so, its presence was suffocating. My skin crawled merely at the sight of it. Though eyeless, I could feel its focus on me. The head, the only part with any semblance of freedom, was turned in my direction, its maw poised to open at any moment. And it simply… observed.
Where a mindless beast would thrash and recoil, this creature exuded a disquieting awareness. Monsters gained intelligence as they evolved, that much I knew, but to what extent? This one—it was cunning, perhaps even more so than I.
A small part of me recoiled inwardly. Here was a creature that had clawed its way to this strength by playing the dungeon's game, while I… I was cheating, wasn’t I?
I squeezed my eyes shut and drew in a steadying breath. No, it would be fine. Once I unlocked my magical evolution, all of this would be worth it. Just one last push. GET A BLOODY GRIP, JADE!
Shaking off the doubt, I got to work. First order of business: Stealth. I needed it at its peak.
I closed my eyes and initiated it.
Every muscle tensed, then loosened. Breath—shallow. No noise, no movement.
Heart slowed.
Breath controlled.
Scales shifted. Flattened, soft against my form, colors dimming, no longer catching the hues as bright. The ridges smoothed out, and the contours blended into the shadows. I could feel my body shrinking, pulling inward. Limbs coiled close. Muscles wound tight, ready to spring. My wings tucked in. Silent.
Wasn’t that what stealth was? Becoming less. Less than solid. Less than seen. And right now, I was just that.
[Stealth has reached level 4]
[Stealth has reached level 5]
...
BLOODY HELL, THAT WAS QUICK!
My stealthy façade nearly shattered as I lost focus. I had expected to stay like that for a while, creeping about while my stealth skill gradually leveled up. But the very moment I slipped into the shadows—it happened?! Just like that? Cranked up to the max?
WHAT IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT'S UNHOLY HAD BARN UNLEASHED ON ME?!
Slowly, ever so cautiously, I lifted my gaze to that eyeless head, now trained squarely on me. Once again, it wasn’t as feral as one would expect from a creature bound like this. Yet, I felt… something else. Amusement? Nah. Hostility? Perhaps it was just my nerves talking, but honestly, what monster wouldn’t be miffed at the sight of a mere ant like me scuttling about?
Oh, sweet Thalador, I nearly wet myself right there and then.
But I gave my head a quick shake. No time to dawdle—I needed to wrap up all this skill tomfoolery.
I edged closer to the creature, watching as the bone branches cocooning it shifted, revealing just a sliver of its form. Barn was still perched atop the creature’s head, watching me with that adorable wide-eyed, gleeful expression.
Ah, his presence brought a bit of comfort, but only just. Really, barely at all.
Nevertheless, I steeled myself and approached the exposed bit of the beast. The smooth, leathery skin of its hind leg peeked out from the tangled branches. Despite still being ensnared, a small patch was left open for me, and I could see the holes in its body where Barn’s skeletal tree had pried it apart. But even as I watched, the wounds sealed up right before my eyes.
Well then, let’s get down to business! Without further ado, I swung my rear around.
Erm…
TAIL WHIP!
SMACK!
[Tail Whip has reached level 2]
SMACK!
[Tail Whip has reached level 3]
SMACK!
[Tail Whip has reached level 4]
SMACK!
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[Tail Whip has reached level 5]
It was like whacking a bloody anvil. Didn’t so much as leave a scratch on that leathery hide. Not even sure if my feeble attempt managed to tickle the blighter.
But that was quite enough for me. My mind was racing, trying to make sense of whatever unholy creature this was. Welp, not that it was needed—whatever it was, it was well and truly out of my league. Needed to keep my wits about me!
Apologies, oh random terrifying dungeon beast, but I’m in a bit of a pickle here. And, terribly sorry to the inner dragon who's fuming at her own shortcut decisions, but I was determined to make the most of the precious few hours left with Barn.
Next on the menu: Roar!
Funny how I’d never really bothered with some of these skills. Roar, for instance, wasn’t exactly the best fit for my sneaky-dragon style. But in a pinch, when cornered by nasties, it might just prove useful.
It came naturally, like all my skills do. I just... knew.
I inhaled. Deep. Felt my lungs swell, stretching like bellows. Throat tensed, muscles coiling, ready to unleash.
And then I let it rip.
A sound. No, not just sound—a force. It tore from my very core, a raw, guttural blast that rumbled up through my chest and roared out of my throat. My whole body shook with the intensity of it.
Yet, the beast before me remained utterly unbothered. Just… watching.
But never mind that—the upgrades were rolling in.
[Roar has reached level 2]
I kept at it.
[Roar has reached level 3]
Didn’t take long at all.
[Roar has reached level 4]
Faster than a thought could flit through my mind.
[Roar has reached level 5]
And just like that, it was ready for its next advancement.
I scanned the stat screen, flicking through each newly upgraded skill. Upgrades used to crawl, creeping in so slowly I barely noticed them. But now, with each one hitting instantly, the change was obvious. The jump between level 1 and level 5? Huge. Tangible.
I rolled my shoulders, feeling the difference in my body. Everything tighter, sharper. More controlled. My vocal cords? They’d adapted. And before I knew it, I wanted to try them. Just once. A single time.
Scrunching them, I prepared for another roar. This time—so easy. Smooth. The muscle memory was there now, ingrained. Where before I had to strain, now it was like a simple flex. The cords responded instantly, no tightness, no resistance. The vibrations deeper, fuller.
The roar surged out—stronger, clearer. Less forced. Like my body understood exactly what it needed to do and simply did it. The gap between level 1 and now? Vast. But there wasn’t time to think on it.
Next up: Scale Harden. This one was a bit fiddly, wasn’t it? I was well aware that if this creature so much as sneezed on me, I'd be brown bread. No sense in Barn untangling the mess afterward. Hmm, I just needed to trigger that built-in reflex for my scales to toughen up.
A lightbulb flicked on above my head. Why not just bloody charge at the thing? I mean, it's not like I'd make a dent, but smashing into it would be like ramming a brick wall. I instantly used Quick Dash to put some distance between us.
[Quick Dash has reached level 3.]
Bloody hell! Anyway, focus.
My eyes zeroed in on the spot where I’d been whacking my tail earlier. Right then, three, two, one—CHARGE!
I let the momentum gather, hurtling into the beast’s impervious hide. Just as predicted, the scales hardened in defense, absorbing the blow. And…
[Scale Harden has reached level 4.]
One more charge should do it.
[Scale Harden has reached level 5.]
I kept at it, same process, rinse and repeat. Even brought out my fancy moves. Controlled Claw swipe? Not a scratch. Crushing Crunch? Not even close. Crushing Claw? Well, seemed like ‘crushing’ was more of a hopeful description. The only thing getting battered was my skill levels, soaring like mad.
Flight? Yep, swooped around its bound form. Quick Dash? Zipping here, there, and everywhere. Deep Breathing? Even just inhaling in its presence gave me a boost with every breath. Air Sense to feel the currents around it. Climb skill to scale its hulking frame.
Didn’t matter what I threw at it—every skill used, every single time, they leveled up.
[Climb has reached level 4.]
And not just steadily, oh no.
[Climb has reached level 5.]
Blimey, they were leveling up like a house on fire!
***
Name: Jade
Level: 10
Species: Hungerborn Hatchling (Draconis) (II) (+)
Attributes:
* Strength: 15
* Durability: 32
* Intelligence: 40
* Will: 27
* Mana Points: 0/0
* Stamina Points: 14/29
Species Skills:
* Controlled Claw Swipe: Level 10 (II) (+)
* Tail Whip: Level 5 (I) (+)
* Roar: Level 5 (I) (+)
* Scale Harden: Level 5 (I) (+)
* Stealth: Level 5 (I) (+)
* Crushing Crunch: Level 10 (II) (+)
* Quick Dash: Level 5 (I) (+)
* Flight: Level 5 (I) (+)
* Deep Breathing: Level 5 (I) (+)
* Air Sense: Level 5 (I) (+)
* Climb: Level 5 (I) (+)
* Crush Claw: Level 5 (I) (+)
Exclusive Skills:
* Transformation: Level 1 (I)
Mutations:
* Eyes - Focusing Lenses, Peripheral Optimization (III): +0
* Claws - Claw Flexibility, Razor-Edge Claws (III): +0
* Scales - Colour Adaptation, Shock-Absorbent Scales (III): +0
* Wings - Hollow Bones (II): +0
* Legs - Joint Flexibility (II): +0
* Fire Gland - Mana Reservoir, Mana Conservation (III): +0
* Macro-Trophic Sac: +5 (+)
Resources:
* Skill Points: 4
* Morphogens: 1
I had an option. An option to spend these four precious skill points, hastily advancing any four of my skills out of a total of ten. But hold on a tick—if the next evolution unlocked more skills, and it was bound to be a magical evolution (because it absolutely had to be), there might be magical skills on offer that could help with magic. Maybe splurging all the points right now wasn’t the wisest move. ARGHHH! My lack of foresight struck again!
I should have kept more skill points in reserve, just in case. But no matter; what I had would have to do for now. The only task left was to sift through each one and pick the upgrades. Not a bad part of the job, to be fair—certainly less of a faff than choosing new organs. Speaking of which, I still hadn't gotten around to upgrading the Macro-Trophic Sac. To be honest, with Barn bringing along that formidable monster sealed in his bony tree, it simply slipped my mind. That, and...
I cast a wary glance at the bound monstrosity. Perhaps, after all that rigmarole, I couldn't stomach the idea of grovelling pathetically before it. But now, the real conundrum reared its head: what on earth was I to do with her? Don't ask me how I knew it was a 'her,' but I did—clear as day, somehow.
Cautiously, I crept closer, my mind whispering assurances that she couldn't harm me. Barn wouldn’t have lugged in something he couldn’t keep under his thumb, after all. Her eyeless head stayed fixed in my direction; she hadn’t looked away once, not since this circus act began.
And just like that, down I went, slamming my head to the ground. "I’M SORRY, OH GRAND DUNGEON BEAST! I KNOW YOU’RE LIVID, BUT I SWEAR I DIDN’T MEAN TO INSULT YOUR DIGNITY!"
She was clever—more than me, no doubt, given how many times she must have evolved. She’d earned her strength through grit and toil, unlike me, who stumbled into power like a child face-first into a puddle. Yes, Barn could snuff her out, but the mere thought made my innards squirm and wriggle in revolt. No. NO! My very being rebelled. It felt fundamentally wrong, an affront to the natural order. The dragon inside me simply wouldn’t have it.
Hah.
Only one choice left, wasn’t there? If I couldn’t stomach ending her, I’d have to pack her off to some distant pit, preferably the one Barn dredged her from. But what if she bore a grudge? What if she had some infernal ability to track me? A beast of her calibre, heaven knows what tricks she had stashed under that hide. As I chewed over the predicament, an odd, grating sound split the air. Sharp, jagged—like claws on slate.
Laughter.
Low and rumbling, it rang out like metal scraping metal.
I jerked my head up in disbelief.
The sound was coming from her.