I had made quick work of the beast, tearing off hefty slabs of meat, barely giving myself time to chew before swallowing it down. No time for pleasantries—and by the gods, Thalador’s beard—it was exquisite. The higher the monster's rank, the finer the flavour, I was certain of it. Another bite, and even that vile black ichor gushing from its wounds was bloody sweet and dripping with flavour.

What caught my eye was how fast my wounds closed up as I devoured it. A few chomps and the slash across my side vanished, leaving naught but a faint scar. Another mouthful, and my scales began knitting back together. Stamina surged like a madman, climbing higher and higher until it capped. I wasn’t even halfway through my feast, and I was already fit for another fight—physically, at least. No doubt about it, this hunger evolution malarkey was a cut above in a place like this.

Then, when my stamina maxed out, the overflow went straight into the Stamina Surge Reservoir. I could feel that filling up nicely too. Last time, it hadn’t even been half full, but now, I’d get more than a measly 5 SP when I used it. After devouring the scattered guts and leaving naught but bones and a toxic-looking tentacle—and the tongue, which I only just noticed had been severed—it seemed whatever had slashed this thing left a hell of a mark. Then came that oh-so-familiar ding in my head.

[Morphogen source assimilated.]

[Morphogens acquired: +12.]

Ahh, sweet morphogens, how I adored thee! Wait, what? I’d expected six from something a tier above me. Where in the devil did twelve come from? No matter! Who was I to argue with a bonus? If the system was feeling generous, I’d gladly take its errors with open arms.

Only one task remained. I eyed the black orb of swirling darkness lying before me, larger than the usual ones. This monster’s core wasn’t playing games—about the size of a small ball rather than a marble. Without hesitation, I snatched it up, popped it in my gob, and felt a zap as it dissolved on my tongue. A quick glance at my stats—mana up by six points! Now sitting at a neat 21.

Couple that with the morphogens, three shiny skill points, and the bonus stats from those levels—bloody hell, what a haul!

I halted, scanning the air for any signs of tomfoolery. Something could be lurking, poised to strike while I basked in my well-earned spoils. After all, a lone beast lounging on a massive carcass? That’s practically ringing the dinner bell for every scavenger and predator within earshot. But thanks be to Thalador, everything seemed peachy.

Welp, job’s a good ’un. I slinked off, quiet as a church mouse. The longer I lingered, the more antsy I became. Physically, I was ready for another round, but tempting fate wasn’t on my agenda. Plus, my mana reserves were rather… dry at the moment. That reminded me—I still had that shiny new skill waiting. With those fresh points, I could finally snag it. But priorities first.

After putting a bit of distance between me and the carnage, I scanned the glowing forest. Hah, now to find a place to rest, recharge, and have a think about my next moves. That sap tunnel from earlier had been a godsend, but out here in this wild, glowing thicket? I needed something a bit safer.

With stealth still active, I drifted through the bioluminescent foliage, not sure what exactly I was seeking—just… somewhere to hole up. Somewhere safe. Perhaps even a chance to chat with Lotte, if I fancied a nap.

After some wandering, I stumbled across a snug little nook beneath a tree—it’d do. It looked natural, even inviting, but I wasn’t about to dive in without checking. I unleashed a quick burst of flame, torching the interior to smoke out any potential squatters.

Good. All clear.

It wasn’t much, but it’d house me, and with a bit of elbow grease, I could make it proper snug. I slashed at some nearby branches and shrubs, dragging them over the entrance for a quick bit of camouflage. Not perfect, but it’d keep the riff-raff out for now. I shuffled inside, slightly disturbing my cover, but I fixed it from the inside.

Not half bad.

I curled up, finally exhaling. The earlier fight’s adrenaline still buzzed through me, making it hard to properly unwind. That monster had been a whole stage above me—an absolute brute. If it hadn’t been wounded, I probably would’ve been nothing more than a decorative smear.

And yet, even in its final throes, it tried to sucker-punch me. That’s the nasty bit about higher-stage creatures. But there was something else… something exhilarating. The fight had been real, and a bitter part of me resented that it hadn’t been at full strength. I smacked that thought down quickly—the dragon in me was clearly bonkers. Facing that thing at its peak? Have I lost my marbles?

Still… the battle's rush clung to me, burning on my tongue like hot whisky. I could see why dungeon delvers teamed up and kept going deeper, chasing stronger monsters. The thrill—the pure, raw edge of life and death—it was …addictive.

Let’s just hope I don’t get hooked.

I shook my head, refusing to let the thrill seize me by the throat. As tempting as it was, I wasn’t about to let this intoxicating rush make me think I could charge headfirst into battles with creatures far beyond my station. Sure, this creeper was a lucky fluke, already on its last legs, but I wasn’t about to let one easy win puff up my ego. Not the way.

One thing was certain, though—I wasn’t some weakling. Most monsters at my level would struggle to keep up. With tier-three organs, I had a leg up, but I’d be daft to throw myself at beasts outside my range. No sense letting a bit of adrenaline steer me into tomfoolery.

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Right then, onto more important matters—time to cash in on the spoils!

System! Get your lazy arse over here! Finally got enough to snag a new skill and give another a well-deserved upgrade. My stats blinked into view:

Name: Jade

Level: 5

Species: Voracious Manaweaver (Draconis) (III)

Abilities: Mana Devourer

Attributes:

* Strength: 25

* Durability: 42

* Intelligence: 50

* Will: 37

* Mana Points: 3/21

* Stamina Points: 52/52

Species Skills:

* Echo Claw Swipe: Level 1 (III)

* Tail Whip: Level 5 (I) (+)

* Roar: Level 5 (I) (+)

* Scale Harden: Level 5 (I) (+)

* Shadow Blur: Level 2 (II)

* Spectral Crunch: Level 1 (III)

* 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) (+)

* Flamethrower: Level 3 (I)

* Mana Manipulation: Level 3 (I)

Exclusive Skills:

* Transformation: Level 1 (I)

* Lightning Affinity: 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 - Stamina Surge Reservoir (II): +0

* Mana Conduit Vasculature (I): +0

Resources:

* Skill Points: 4

* Morphogens: 19

Hoh, look at that! Four shiny skill points. Right, here’s the plan: spend one on that skill I’d been eyeing, use two more to upgrade the essentials, and then I’d give this new mana vein a proper kick in the teeth by maxing out the morphogen on it. More pain? Oh, delightful. I couldn’t wait to see what that felt like. Truly a treat… haha…

I shook my head again, deciding to handle the less excruciating tasks first.

I summoned the skill shop, and my gaze immediately latched onto the remaining options.

[Body Slam: Requires 1 SP. Leverages user’s body mass in a rapid, forceful downward motion, delivering substantial impact to nearby targets. Effective for disrupting enemy positioning or creating space in close combat scenarios.]

[Core Stabilization: Requires 1 SP. Enables user to achieve a deep state of focus, stabilizing core functions. Increases mana recovery rate during periods of rest or concentration.]

Core Stabilization was like a magical cousin to my Deep Breathing, but for mana instead of stamina. I had so many ways to recover stamina already: the Stamina Surge Reservoir, feeding on monsters, and that Deep Breathing skill. But for mana? I had almost nothing. Its natural recovery rate was abysmally slow, at three minutes per point. If I wanted to improve my Mana Manipulation, I needed to recover faster.

So, without hesitation, I grabbed it. The instant I did, a lovely chill of newfound knowledge washed over me. Ahh, there it was—that blissful, icy flood of understanding. Nothing quite like it.

The knowledge seeped into my mind like a draught of cool air, and just like that—bang—I knew. It was as if yet another fog had lifted, clearing away the cobwebs from my thoughts. No hesitation now. I closed my eyes and delved inward, feeling my core—warm, snugly lodged beside my heart, likely somewhere in the middle of my ribcage, though I wasn’t planning on dissecting myself to check.

Focus, let the mana flow—easy enough. No fuss, no frills, just a way to line things up. The skill took over, guiding me with a deft touch, smoothing out the snags. It was like untangling a ball of cables until everything clicked into place. My core, my mana pathways—they all hummed, perfectly synchronized like finely-tuned clockwork.

The world stepped back, as if giving me room, and suddenly, the mana around me felt almost... tangible.

The skill whispered its instructions: Call it.

So, naturally, I did.

I didn’t have a clue what mana looked like or even felt like, but it responded. I summoned it like an obedient hound. I couldn’t tell what it looked like or what it felt like, but there it was—snickering, brushing against my scales like a playful breeze before soaking into the thousands of channels that ran along my veins. My head split in two: one part gawking at the sheer marvel of it all, the other coolly ticking away, counting seconds. Got to track the time, after all. Can’t be all wonder and no calculation.

It was like deep breathing but for mana, not stamina. A smooth, rhythmic pull, inviting mana from the surroundings to flow into me. I stayed in that state for five minutes, then let it go, snapping back to reality. I glanced at my stat screen. Hah! Fourteen mana sitting pretty.

I’d gained 11 mana in five minutes?! Normally, that would’ve taken me a good 33 minutes. I did the maths—one point from the natural recovery rate (three minutes per point), leaving 10 mana from the skill alone. Meaning Core Stabilization was recovering a point every 30 seconds. Definitely worth it.

Another peek at the stat screen revealed three skill points still waiting to be spent. Nice. Enough to level up two more skills with one in reserve. Not bad at all. Now... which ones to boost? Got to be strategic.

Quick Dash and Air Sense—my best two utilities. Quick Dash was a beauty: it closed gaps, let me give chase, or allowed me to scarper like the wind. Perfect for any situation.

Air Sense, though? That was the subtle killer. More than just sensing air—it was reading disturbances, tracking sneaky movements, mapping out the unseen. In this dungeon, it was priceless.

These two skills were what I leaned on down here anyway, so, with frequent use, leveling them up would be a breeze.

Right then! Decision made.

I locked in on the glowing "+" beside Quick Dash, and another window flashed up.