Quick Dash

* Increases velocity over brief intervals at the expense of Stamina.

[Upgrade 1: Variable Sprint. Allows user to adjust dash distance. Short dashes conserve stamina; long sprints consume more but grant more dash distance. Enhances overall maneuverability by adapting sprint to tactical needs.]

[Upgrade 2: Rapid Recovery Dash. Reduces cooldown between dashes, enables for faster follow-up movements. Trades maximum distance for smoother, sustained mobility, improving evasion and repositioning during combat.]

Once again, two options flashed before my eyes. Both upgrades for Quick Dash looked tantalising in their own right. Useful, no doubt. But… which one had the edge?

[Variable Sprint]: Adjust dash distance. My current dash range was already a hefty 7.5 metres, give or take, up from the basic five. It was no small distance, of course, but being able to tweak it on the fly? Short sprints to conserve stamina, long ones when I needed to make a break for it, at the cost of burning through more of my reserves. Tactical flexibility at its finest. I liked it. Quite a bit, actually. It’d pair nicely with the upgrades to my eyes—capturing every inch of the battlefield—and skills like Air Sense.

Sometimes, a tiny hop could be the difference between life and a nasty surprise. Slip in, slip out, and barely scratch my stamina pool. Which, frankly, wasn’t much of a concern given how high it was and I had a way to replenish it mid-fight.

But then there was the second option…

[Rapid Recovery Dash]: This one tackled the single, glaring flaw in my current Quick Dash—the cooldown. Every time I dashed, my limbs needed a split second to recharge, a measly second, sure, but in the thick of battle, that second could be an eternity. This upgrade promised shorter cooldowns. I could dash faster, more often. Granted, it’d gulp down my stamina quicker, but by Thalador’s beard, was it worth it. A proper upgrade for a speedster.

Sacrificing a bit of max range for smoother, quicker dashes, lightning-fast dodges, and rapid repositioning. No more getting pinned down. After that creeper skirmish, I knew I needed this.

Oof, just thinking about it was glorious. Zipping left and right, turning my legs into blurs. If I’d had this for the last fight, I wouldn’t have needed to think—just dash, dash, dash, out of harm’s way before the enemy even blinked. The decision was made. I needed this.

Flexibility over distance? Nice. But a reduced cooldown? A bloody game-changer. And it wasn’t going to drain much stamina either.

With the decision made, that icy flood of knowledge washed over me, sinking in like a cool, soothing wave. So satisfying. And just like that, my Quick Dash was better, faster, deadlier.

But I wasn’t done yet. I pulled up my stat screen and went straight to Air Sense. That skill had potential, and I was itching to see what kind of upgrade it held. The excitement simmered, because I knew… it was going to be big.

Air Sense

* Increases sensitivity to wind pressure and direction.

[Upgrade 1: Gale Whisper. Expands user’s ability to interpret distant wind movements. Detects environmental shifts, or approaching flying creatures well before visual confirmation. Useful for planning maneuvers, tactical evasion, or anticipating environmental changes.]

[Upgrade 2: Breath of Shadows. Increases sensitivity to air currents in enclosed spaces or tight quarters. Detects breathing patterns, subtle movements, or the approach of hidden enemies. Optimized for ambush detection and locating concealed foes in complex environments.]

The moment my eyes landed on the options, I did a double take. Were these really Tier 2 upgrades? Because they looked downright delicious.

First up, [Gale Whisper]: it would boost my awareness of distant wind movements, if I were up in the open air, under the sky. I’d be able to sense flying creatures before they even crossed my line of sight, pick up on environmental shifts—whatever that meant. Maybe it was like some sort of weathered predator reading the breeze? Perfect for evasion and planning ahead, spotting enemies long before they swooped in to tear me apart.

It sounded powerful, no doubt about it. But the problem? It was limited to open spaces, wide skies, and well… that didn’t scream "me." I wasn’t exactly planning on taking to the skies and announcing to the world that a dragon was here for a casual flyabout. A terrible choice for someone like me, which was a real shame. I actually liked it in theory.

But then… [Breath of Shadows]. Now this was what I needed. It fine-tuned my sensitivity in tight, confined spaces, or even in more complex terrain. And it wasn’t just about reading the wind anymore—it was more like a full-blown detection system. Breathing, tiny shifts in movement, hidden enemies. It screamed "I dare you to sneak up on me," and that’s exactly the kind of tool I needed down here. Practically everything in this place loved sneaking up on its prey, and I wasn’t above doing the same. The perfect ambush-evader turned hunter.

I’d already been using Air Sense as a detection tool of sorts, catching those subtle changes in the air to gauge whether my surroundings were safe. It wasn’t super clear, but it worked well enough. Now, the thought of upgrading that into something even more powerful? Hell yes, I wanted this.

This option felt downright devious. No more surprises, no more sneak attacks. As long as I kept my wits about me—and I liked to think I wasn’t a fool—I’d be able to detect any hidden foe by the sound of their blasted breathing.

So, the choice was obvious: Gale Whisper was great for wide fields, but Breath of Shadows was tailor-made for close combat, ambush-proofing, and enemy-tracking in tight quarters. Perfect for my situation.

Without hesitation, I picked Breath of Shadows. No point in procrastinating. And, as always, that cool rush of new knowledge poured into my mind, settling in like an icy stream down my spine.

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I lifted my head, sucking in a deep breath, and—by the Thalador—it was as if someone flipped a switch in my brain, opening a door to senses I hadn’t known existed. Suddenly, the air around me was giving up secrets—patterns, signals, little whispers in the wind I’d never noticed before.

Granted, I was holed up in my cosy little hideaway, so there wasn’t much air to work with, but even the scraps that trickled through the branches carried stories. A tree nearby, just to the right—16 metres, give or take—a soft, warm breath. A monster. Lovely. More patterns fluttered into focus, like guests I hadn’t invited.

But, of course, nothing is ever perfect, is it? My shiny new ability came with a glaring flaw. A creature with a decent Stealth skill might just slip past my radar. Why? Because I had Stealth too, and the first thing I noticed when I unlocked it was how I didn’t even stir the air around me. I gave it another test just to be sure, and, yep, if someone was using my trick, I’d struggle to detect them too.

That’s the system, of course—no matter how strong an ability, there’s always a catch, some built-in flaw that leaves one vulnerable. Honestly, the sheer scope of this system, with its monstrous intricacies, never failed to baffle me. It made you wonder why it was so hell-bent on stomping out the humanoid species. Not that I’d be solving that mystery any time soon. And frankly, I couldn’t be arsed to care right now. Both of my missions could be declined without consequence, so that’s what I did. Cheers to small mercies.

With that sorted, I had a single skill point left to play with, but I stashed it away for later. Now came the fun part—mutating my new organ. I glanced at the screen and couldn’t help but groan. Seriously, Thalador, why must every bloody mutation feel like I’m being dragged through the seven hells? And this one? I’d have to endure it five sodding times.

Fifteen morphogens. The prize might be worth it, though—a possible boost to my mana control. The organ itself had to be rare, something like a macro-trophic sac, which would definitely up its value. I swallowed hard.

Would you like to use 1 Morphogen to upgrade Mana Conduit Vasculature?

Before I had a chance to second-guess it, the adrenaline kicked in. Right, screw it! Let’s just get this torture over with.

And so, the agony began anew.

***

Ah, finally it was over! That pain, bloody hell, it was like each mutation had a fresh, unique brand of torment, as if the system was playing some twisted game. Imagine having your veins set ablaze, roasting you from the inside out. Worse than anything that could wound you on the outside. My breaths came in ragged gasps, and one would think with all the sophistication of the system, it might have a built-in feature for easing pain. But no, clearly it’s got a sadistic streak.

My body was still trembling, protesting from enduring that torture not once, not twice, but five bloody times! Yet there wasn’t a second to rest—not if I had any courage left to scrape together. I had to push forward, secure the advancement before I lost my nerve. One more round of hellish agony, and then I’d be done. The next upgrades were a long way off, mercifully,

[Mana Conduit Vasculature +5: Advancement Options]

Choose one of the following:

• Mana Flow Optimization: Enhances circulation speed within conduits, enabling faster activation of mana-based abilities and quicker recovery of mana post-usage.

• Micro-Mana Control: Grants precision manipulation of minute mana quantities, allowing for intricate spell formation and mana management in confined spaces.

• Mana Surge Dampeners: Implements control systems to stabilize mana surges, preventing overload and damage during high-output spells or abilities.

• Mana Conduction Reinforcement: Strengthens conduits for higher mana transfer capacity, supporting more powerful outputs and extended ability usage.

Then the options blinked into view. Well, blow me down. These upgrades were leagues above what I’d expected, but then again, this was a rare organ I was mucking about with. The system wasn’t pulling any punches.

[Mana Flow Optimization], eh? Essentially, once I started slinging spells around, even just recharging the fire gland, this would give me faster activation and a quicker recovery time. It meant my base mana regen would get a nice little boost. So much more efficient than how humans faff about increasing their mana regen. Having mana veins as an upgradable organ was a right gift from the gods. This upgrade would be like strapping a turbocharger to my system. Spells fired off quicker, mana recovery in record time—oh, this was definitely a goodie, no matter the situation.

Then we’ve got [Micro-Mana Control], finer manipulation of mana, down to the smallest thread. Can’t go wrong with that! Being able to weave mana through the eye of a needle. Neat. Granted, I had no clue how precise my control was at the moment, but I could feel it. By human standards, I was practically a mana prodigy, not to toot my own horn too much. Mana Manipulation had already set me miles ahead of them, and the more I used it, the sharper it became. Every time I worked with mana, I came out stronger.

With this upgrade, I could form intricate spells with deadly precision, control the tiniest amounts of mana, and create formations even in the tightest spaces. Spells I’d only heard whispers about were already bubbling up in my head—ones that demanded absolute mastery. I might even rope Lotte into teaching me some once my skills were up to scratch. It was very tempting—a delicate touch that could open up a world of crafty spellwork. And me being me, the finesse of it all was hard to resist.

But still, I wasn’t about to rush things. I had to weigh every option before making my choice. No room for foolishness now!

[Mana Surge Dampeners]—the contraption designed to stabilise mana surges. Now this, this was actually worth the time. Honestly, it was a no-brainer that anyone flinging magic around like a toddler with a crossbow was bound to tear up their mana veins. Or worse, attempt spells well beyond their pay grade. Every year, without fail, some imbecile at school would get their grubby hands on a grimoire meant for someone with ten times their core capacity and decide to "give it a go." Result? A one-way ride on the back of a Quilidar to Thalador’s church. Idiots.

So yes, a safeguard like this was appealing—if I ever had the desire to fling high-output spells without blowing myself into next week. A built-in insurance policy. After you’ve had one or two explosions detonate inside your chest cavity, you tend to appreciate that kind of thing. But I wasn’t stupid enough to mess with spells beyond my level in the first place. That never ends in anything but a lovely evening in a healer’s tent, and frankly, I wasn’t interested. I knew my limits. I’d only cast what my mana veins could handle, and I’d always have an oblivion rune in spell-matrix, sapping off excess mana before anything got truly dire.

Now, moving on to the next: [Mana Conduction Reinforcement]. More power, plain and simple. Strengthening the mana conduits, increasing their capacity. Longer casting time, more oomph. Couldn’t argue with that. Everyone knows there’s a limit to how long you can sustain spell matrices before your veins throw in the towel, demanding a break. Essentially, this was stamina for magic. Definitely something to have in the toolbox.

They all had their perks.

[Mana Flow Optimization]? Speed. Oh, and how I loved speed.

[Micro-Mana Control]? Every detail-oriented mage’s dream, especially those who walked a pure magic [Path]. The sheer finesse you could achieve was intoxicating.

[Mana Surge Dampeners]? Well, practical, sure—safe, even—but hardly exciting.

And then [Mana Conduction Reinforcement] for a marathon of magic, letting me keep the spells going longer.

But deep down, I knew exactly where my heart lay. Actually, it was torn between two. [Mana Flow Optimization] would be BIG right from the word go—speeding up casting, faster mana channeling, faster recovery. An immediate edge. But then, [Micro-Mana Control]—oh, that was the golden ticket for the long game. I’ve spent my life thirsting for mastery over mana. The finer the control, the more intricate the effects. The sheer precision it would offer, especially for something as unruly as Lightning magic, was going to be mind-blowing.

So, did I want something that would deliver right now, or did I want the long-term investment, the key to unlocking the hardest magic known to man?

I didn’t want to choose. Damn it, I really didn’t.