Ah, this decision was a tricky one, no doubt about it. I knew the third-tier advancement was where the real magic brewed. Spectral Crunch and Echo Claw – both dazzlingly powerful. But alas, this was merely a second-tier choice, meaning whichever skill I picked now would be the first to cross into that tantalising third tier.

Of course, I’d upgrade the rest eventually, but I had to be strategic. Which of these darlings would I be using most often? Which had the best chance of rapid upgrades? Tail Whip – serviceable, no complaints there. Roar, on the other hand, was deliciously tempting. Something about the way it rattled those revolting rat-critters to their very bones had me utterly intrigued. Oh, to witness its tier-three form! Scale Harden as the sturdy defensive choice – can’t argue with a bit of extra protection, can one?

And then there was Quick Dash, Flight, Air Sense, Climb—gahh!! Why was I cursed with so few skill points? Next time, I swear, I’ll have my doppelganger whip me up a batch of skill point potions! Hah, calm yourself, Jade. Steady as she goes. For now, the wisest course might just be to opt for stealth. Yes, stealth – a skill that would see far more frequent use, especially down in the depths where not just beasties, but delvers, prowl the dungeon for treasure.

Always in Stealth Mode, always levelling it up. The most efficient choice for both present and future me, if I say so myself. And, if my calculations are right, this marks my evolution at level 20. Which means another sweet stash of 18 skill points, plus whatever strange techniques that mysterious system message hinted at. Something about merging skills when they reach certain conditions and mutations. I’m itching to see how that unfolds.

Right then! Stealth upgrade it is! Ah yiss, System – hit me with those glorious upgrades! I could practically feel my scales tingling as I licked my chops in anticipation. Sneaky dragon mode, here we go! Let’s see what marvellous choices this brings!

Two options appeared before me...

Choose one upgrade:

[Silent Movement: Requires 1 SP. Refines user’s physical movement, reducing noise to near silence. All actions, including movement across difficult terrain, are executed with minimal sound. Optimized for stealth, reconnaissance, and evasion without detectable auditory traces.]

[Shadow Blur: Requires 1 SP. Enhances user’s ability to merge with low-light environments. Generates subtle visual distortion, reducing detectability while in motion. Optimized for operations in dimly lit or shadowed areas.]

Oh? I mulled it over like a cat at a cream-tasting party, both options for this tier 2 upgrade were, frankly, cracking good. Each had its merits, no doubt about that. So, which would prove more useful? I began mentally ticking off each feature, determined to make a rational choice. This wasn’t about what was flash or sneaky-dragon cool—this was about survival, efficiency, and adaptability. Priorities, right?

Silent Movement promised a rather... complete command over my physical presence. Seriously. Not a peep, not even the faintest scuffle would give me away. I'd be a wisp in the wind, perfect for sneaking up on prey or dodging dangerous predators. It worked everywhere—over loose rocks, through dense underbrush, even when tiptoeing past over-enthusiastic delvers. Silence was its trump card, ideal for any scenario where a stray noise might spell doom. But sound wasn't the only thing that could betray me. Oh no, there was scent, heat signatures, even mana trails now that I had magic under my belt. A whole bouquet of ways to be found.

Then there was Shadow Blur, which was a different beast altogether. Not so much altering me as it was fiddling with how I meshed with the environment. I was surprised to see it pop up, honestly. It promised to cloak me, subtly distorting how I’d be seen, but only in dim light or shadow. Now, the forest below might glow like a rainbow rave to me, thanks to those hues, but to others? It’d be a shadowy murk with dim light with just those fluorescent trees, perfect for a sneaky creature like me. I’d see them clear as day, but they? Not a chance. This upgrade would push my stealth game up a notch, adding that nifty distortion effect, even if I had to make a quick exit. The big drawback was light—any strong illumination would render it useless. But honestly, down here, underground, bright lights weren't exactly a concern.

Hah! Both upgrades were tasty, but I had a soft spot. Shadow Blur promised to turn me into a ghost in the shadows, or something very close to it. A proper phantom dragon of the dark! Sneaky as sin.

And, well, Lotte always told me never to let anyone know I was a dragon. Not that I thought your average bloke would know what a dragon even looked like—honestly, I barely did—but caution was king. Shadow Blur would help with that, blurring my appearance too.

Decision made. Locked in and confirmed. And soon, a rush of new knowledge coursed through me.

***

I thought I was in a hurry. Well, who was I fooling? Not really. No, the key here was preparation. Perfection, even. So there I was, tucked away in this little corner, fine-tuning my Mana Manipulation. Oh, I didn’t just like it—I loved it. Needed it. CRAVED it. That rush—ah, feel it—mana surging through me.

I sat, still as a statue, eyes wide, heart drumming. The mana? Oh, it burned. Alive, ravenous, thrumming through my veins. It didn’t just want release—it demanded it. Crackle. Twitch. Jolt. Yes. YES. Feel it. Let it flow? No. Bend it. Twist it to my will.

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Surge. Throb. Burst. Too much? Ha! Not nearly enough! My fingers twitched, claws itching for more. Hold it. Release it. Again. And again. And AGAIN. It tore through me like fire—no, lightning. Violent. Addictive. Unforgiving.

Thalador, I could bloody taste it. Sweet, scorching power. I’d longed for this, fought for it. Now, I owned it. Every nerve, every sinew tangled in its ferocity. Faster. Faster! Push it till it snaps!

Mana veins? Forget that—raging rivers, exploding inside me. Consume me.

Every cell screamed. YES. More. MORE! MOOO—

[Mana Manipulation has reached level 3]

Ahhh, yesss! Too easy! Soon to be Tier 2 without breaking a sweat. A quick glance at the stats and—oh, brilliant. One mana left. Bloody hell, I’d overdone it again. The rush was just too intoxicating, too deliciously addicting.

But there was something else—subtle, but I felt it as I manipulated and expelled the mana. My affinity, creeping in. Also one more thing, The affinity was upgradable now, an exclusive skill, no less. I wasn’t entirely sure how it worked, but I had a hunch—channel the lightning magic and it’d level up on its own.

The feeling though—that zipping sensation in my nerves—different. Faster. Wilder. Lightning magic wasn’t for the faint of heart. It was volatile, much harder to control, they said, but therein lay the thrill. And I was more than ready to bend it to my will.

I rammed the mana through my veins, that electric hum sparking beneath my skin like a live wire. This wasn’t the usual soft, steady mana flow—oh no, this was sharper, quicker, angry as hell. Pure, unfiltered lightning magic. Unpredictable. But I’d handle it. I would handle it.

With a breath, I shoved it forward.

The mana shot through me, faster and faster, like it had somewhere to be. Too fast. My fingers twitched, claws all but begging to tear free, but I held back—barely.

Focus, damn it.

Streamline it. I crushed the surge, forcing it into a thin, deadly line straight to my claws. My arm jerked—twitching, ready to tear loose.

Control.

I exhaled, slow and steady. The mana coiled behind my fingertips, vibrating against my skin like it couldn’t wait to burst out. Then—snap!—I let it go.

Puff.

The air crackled, little arcs of electricity dancing from my claws. Not a spell—not yet. Just raw lightning mana, unleashed in a flash. Bright. Brief. Gone.

Hah. I was on the right track. Soon, I’d bend this lightning to my will, launching spells like there was no tomorrow. But for now? Too drained.

One more round of mana recovery, and I’d be ready. Ready to descend into that damned forest below.

***

I was in the midst of replenishing my mana when an odd noise tickled my ears. What now? My eyes snapped open, not from sleep but from the briefest of reprieves. Stealth instinctively engaged, and I slunk back, pressing myself against the wall like some cornered beast. There it was again. From… above me? Bloody hell, was something crawling down? Please don’t be those verminous rats again. I glanced upward.

The silhouettes were hazy, but the shape was unmistakable—hands, clutching some sort of tool that gouged into the rock as they descended, quick as a pack of rabid dogs. Humanoid. That incessant click as their gear bit into the tunnel wall... They were moving with alarming speed. Elves. I blinked. Elves??

As if the system took glee in my shock, it chimed in with its ever-enthusiastic sadism:

Mission Alert!

Ah, look at that—elves. Fancy that! What are they up to, hmm?

Objective: ELF ERADICATION

Task: Annihilate every thieving wretch descending upon you! BRUTALLY MURDER THEM!!

Reward: Permanent +2 to all stats, +1 technique recipe. The more creative the agony, the higher the chance of bonus rewards!

Progress: 0/9

Penalty: None.

Accept: Y/N?

The system's thirst for bloodshed was practically infectious. Was it just me, or did it get more gleeful when serving up these delightful "eradication" missions? Anyway, 9 elves, huh? Seemed like the reconnaissance team had arrived faster than expected. Typical. I hadn’t a bloody clue what their power levels were, and frankly, I wasn’t in the mood for a toe-to-toe scrap. Besides, I wasn’t exactly a powerhouse right now. Sod that! I legged it.

Two Quick Dashes and I darted beneath them like a phantom, nothing but a blur in the dim light of those glowing crystal flowers. Even if one of those elven bastards above spotted me, I’d just be a shadow thanks to my upgraded stealth. A quick leap over the half-constructed stairs, and there I was, standing at the edge again. Damn it. I could have used a bit more prep time before heading deeper, but the gods of misfortune had other plans.

I spread my wings and, without a second thought, hurled myself off the edge. My form blurred as I dropped, the dim light shrouding my descent like a shadow slipping through the cracks. I could see the faint distortion from my wings as I glided—damn, it looked slick. My descent was controlled, precise. The wingflaps angled perfectly to adjust my velocity, keeping me stable. With each slight adjustment of my wings, I manipulated air currents, maintaining a streamlined fall. A few beats here, a correction there. Smooth.

As I glided, my serpentine neck craned to take in the sprawling scene below. Twisted bioluminescent trees, their white barks shimmering, oversized fungi glowing like lanterns in the dark, and a thick carpet of alien flora stretched out beneath me. The whole biome pulsed with a spectrum of colours—vibrant hues only visible to my vision. It was massive. Even with enhanced eyes, the place felt endless, an eerie beauty cloaked in its bizarre splendour.

I was nearing the ground now—gliding always felt quicker than flying upwards. Spying a large, sturdy-looking tree, I prepared to land. No sense touching down on the forest floor just yet—better to scout from the safety of the trees. I reached out for a branch, purple leaves glowing beneath me, and grasped it with my claws…

…and tore through the branch like it was made of paper. AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!

Down I went, crashing through a tangled web of branches before hitting the ground with an almighty thud.

FUCK!

Right, note to self: work on tree landings! I’d been so caught up in the sheer joy of flight, I forgot that my claws had been upgraded. What was I thinking? Claw Swipe instead of Climb—hah! But hey, at least there wasn’t an audience to witness that pathetic display! Probably. Still, I’d have to nail those landings sooner or later.

With my pride a little bruised, I gave the place another look. By the holy beard of Thalador, it was even more stunning up close. The trees, with their pale bark and glowing purple leaves, the vibrant bushes speckled with neon flowers, the fungi… it was all so surreal. I bet this forest was brimming with alchemical ingredients. Someday, I’d be brewing potions down here for sure. But not today.

Focus. I latched onto another tree, letting Climb guide my claws this time. No more tomfoolery. I scaled it quickly, reaching the top in no time. Squinting up at the hole I’d dropped from, it didn’t seem that far now, maybe 60 feet or so above. Funny how small it looked compared to the vastness of the forest around me.

And what were those damn elves up to?