After a fair bit of dithering over what to pick—or rather, what not to—my patience was wearing thin. Honestly, why must it always come down to just one choice? Two options stood out: the Toxicity Neutralizer and the Mana Feedback Loop.

The Mana Feedback Loop would be a game-changer for sustaining my mana reserves once I started flinging spells around. But then again, the Toxicity Neutralizer... well, that would grant me outright immunity to poisons, whether ingested or inhaled. A gift that would stay useful forever. Just think of the mischief I could cause with it! If breathing in toxins could convert them to mana, I could whip up some deadly concoction, slap on a mask, and inhale my way to a full mana bar. The potential there was simply too much to brush aside.

As I simmered in quiet frustration, the little badger scurried off. I didn’t think much of it—at first. But soon enough, it came bounding back, dragging a freshly killed mouse between its teeth. With a rather smug look (as much as a badger can manage), it nudged the limp thing toward me.

“Huh?” I blinked, thrown by the gesture.

“Oh?”

It seemed the little creature knew I’d just mutated, and after the whole body-altering, morphogen-draining affair, it was normal for a bit of hunger to kick in. Clearly, the badger reckoned I’d need a snack. There was something oddly shy about the way it looked up at me, almost sheepish, as if it wasn’t sure whether I’d appreciate its offering. Its body tensed, claws shifting nervously, ready to bolt at the first hint of rejection.

I stared at the dead rodent for a moment, emotions I couldn’t quite name swirling inside me. Eating it wouldn’t do much for me—too small, little to no morphogen. But for the badger? It was a token, a gesture of sorts. Some primitive instinct whispered that refusing it would be akin to rejecting the creature itself, and for reasons I couldn’t fully explain, that just didn’t sit right with me.

A faint tug of... something settled in my chest. Perhaps monsters weren’t all about endless hunts and ravenous devouring. There was something more to it, a deeper thread.

With a sigh, I pressed a claw against the mouse’s chubby form, slicing it cleanly in half. The badger’s eyes widened as I nudged one half toward it and popped the other into my mouth.

Juicy. Rather like a tomato—if tomatoes had an earthy, peppery kick.

“Hmm, not bad,” I murmured, chewing slowly.

Then it hit me—could I ever go back to human food after this? The thought stirred a flicker of revulsion. Ugh. Probably not.

The badger, still uncertain, stared at its half of the mouse until I gave it a little prod. “Go on, that’s for you.”

It hesitated for a moment, then let out a pleased grunt and wolfed down its share. Ah, I had half a mind to pat it on the head, but my claws weren’t exactly made for affection. Pity.

Odd, this strange warmth creeping in. Perhaps I was going mad—or perhaps I was beginning to understand this whole monster business more than I’d thought.

With that, I turned back to my options, stifling a yawn. Right, time for another round of scrutinizing the fine print. After all that fuss, I’d finally reached a decision.

The potential that the Toxin Neutralizer offered to someone like me was simply too good to pass up. Apologies, Mana Feedback Loop—no matter how powerful you seemed, I couldn’t overlook the sheer possibilities with Toxin Neutralizer on my side. Decision made, I confirmed my choice. Another round of searing agony followed. But at this point, I was getting used to it.

Ah, the raw, delicious thrill of these upgrades—pain was just a passing sensation.

Once the ordeal subsided, I turned my focus to practicing the Mana Manipulation skill, pushing until my core was entirely drained. No notification for an upgrade yet, but I could feel it—I was close. Almost there. Once Lotte taught me anything, even the basics, I knew I’d be flinging spells in no time. The badger watched with wide eyes as the entire nook shimmered in electric blue, sparks crackling in the air. I was just brute-forcing the lightning mana, really, but it certainly put on quite a show for the little thing.

I stifled another yawn, and the badger seemed to notice. There was a curious gleam in its eye as it twirled around and settled near the entrance, keeping a watchful eye out. I couldn’t help but question its intelligence again—did it really think, from my yawns, that I was about to sleep and had taken it upon itself to stand guard? No matter. I was too exhausted to entertain the thought.

I let my eyes drift shut, and sleep claimed me the moment they closed.

***

I didn’t fall—again. Just like last time. Ever since I became a dragon, my days of dropping out of the sky seemed to be behind me. Hilarious, really, when you think about it.

For a while, I just sprawled in the soft grass, watching the clouds drift lazily by. Same as last time. Only this time, I was different. No longer a pudgy little hatchling. I’d grown—a bit longer, a bit more graceful. My tail, once stubby, had stretched into something sleek, serpentine, and oh yes—deadly. Very deadly.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

No more stumbling over my own limbs. My body obeyed with the fluidity of a serpent’s dance, every claw and fang sharper, every motion refined to a lethal edge. Built to kill. Made to carve and cleave with chilling efficiency.

Then came the rumble, as the ground trembled beneath the weight of a massive shadow. Lotte loomed over me, still as ridiculously enormous as ever. One of her claws alone could probably crush me in an instant.

Honestly, the thought crossed my mind—if she ever had access to the kind of skills I’d picked up, she could probably reduce cities to rubble with a flick of her tail. A single dash would level the place. A flamethrower? Everything as far as the eye could see would be scorched to ash.

“You return sooner than I had anticipated,” her voice purred within my thoughts. Was that a hint of sarcasm laced within her tone?

I flashed a cheeky grin. “Aww, did you actually miss me this time?”

She huffed, shifting her massive hood with a casual grace. “Certainly not. It was rather serene without you incessantly probing me about herbs and enchantments.”

“Oh, I tried,” I shot back. “But even then, all you gave me were cryptic hints. I had to piece it all together on my own! The only time you really helped was when I was on the verge of getting myself killed!”

“I stand by that,” Lotte retorted with a snort. “Learning through direct experience is the most effective means of ensuring it sticks.”

Her eyes glinted with curiosity. “But I’m certain a wealth of intriguing events unfolded during your absence. You're simply itching to share, so out with it.”

I felt a spark of excitement—of course I wanted to tell her. It had been an eventful time, to say the least. But first…

With a gleeful laugh, I unfurled my wings and shot into the air. Lotte’s towering form dwindled below as I climbed higher. Her laughter echoed in my mind, and I heard the earth shudder as she too took flight.

I tilted my gaze skyward. In the real world, I’d always been too afraid to fly—afraid of what might see me, or what I might see. But here, in this dreamscape, I wanted to test my limits, to see how high I could soar. There was something about the sky—about the way the air curled around me. I felt each shift in the wind as I angled my wings to catch it just right, balancing lift and drag, pushing to the edge of a stall but never quite falling.

Every beat of my wings was precise, every breath of air a challenge I embraced with a wild, reckless joy.

My eyes snapped open, reaching instinctively for that endless, elusive sky. I was lost in the symphony of flight, wings beating in perfect rhythm, the sky’s embrace vast and eternal. I didn’t know how long I had been soaring, and I didn’t care. I just flew—lost in the motion, wing after wing carving through the air, the world below fading into a blur. My focus narrowed, the beat of my wings sharp and precise, the rush of the wind a song I could never tire of.

Higher, I climbed. Through the clouds, tearing right through them. Each beat a pulse of strength. Lift. Drag. Speed. Endless. The sky’s call just beyond my reach. The air grew thinner. The pressure dropped. But still, I climbed. Nothing but the sky to hold me.

Then, abruptly, it all stopped. A familiar force snatched me mid-flight.

"LOTTE!" I shouted, indignation flaring as I glared at her massive silhouette, which hovered calmly behind me.

“Don’t ascend any higher,” she said, her voice composed, almost too calm. I just stared at her, defiance simmering under my scales.

"Is it because of the thinning air?" I shot back. "I know it’s getting harder to breathe, but I can handle it! You trust me, Lotte—I know I can reach just a bit higher!" I pleaded, my gaze drifting upward. "Besides, it’s a dream, isn’t it? It’s not like it could actually hurt me… It’s strange, though. It feels like the sky is calling to me..."

Yes… just a little more. I could feel it wrapping around me, coiling like something alive, whispering, twisting, waiting—ready to embrace me, to welcome me. The sky itself was inviting me in, and I was ready to give in—

But Lotte’s eyes remained fixed on me, her hood shifting as she let out a low, rumbling growl, her gaze flicking sharply to the sky above.

“Head back. I’ll return shortly,” she said, her voice warm but carrying a dangerous edge. She kept her glare locked on the heavens, and before I could protest, I felt a force launch me downwards.

AAAAAAA—

The scream tore from my throat as I plummeted, the ground rushing up to meet me. The last thing I sensed was the beat of Lotte’s wings, climbing higher and higher, leaving me to fall.

***

Well, that was a bit of a head-scrambler. Not that I was hurt or anything, just this odd feeling that came over me the higher I soared. It was like my urge to reach out and touch the sky multiplied tenfold. Bloody strange. Really bloody strange. And unsettling, to be honest.

Not long after, Lotte made her appearance in the sky once more, and naturally, I had to ask her what in the hell just happened. Some kind of bizarre dream phenomenon, perhaps? And the way she snarled at the sky with that look in her eye... I had a sinking feeling I already knew the answer.

“Nothing that concerns you,” she said, a warning edge to her voice. “And heed this: even in the waking world, never surpass a certain height in the sky.”

Well, that made it plain enough—I wasn’t meant to know whatever it was. Off-limits. Forbidden knowledge. I just stared up at the sky and asked, "And what would’ve happened if I’d gone through with it?"

She paused, weighing her words. “Something terrible awaits beyond.”

"Even in a dream?" I shot back. This place had always been my refuge—a sanctuary, or so I thought. But recently, I'd come to realize it was more than just a dream. The way Lotte could reach me outside, that odd metallic plant, Barn’s sudden appearance here—it was all adding up to something else entirely.

Lotte gave a curt nod, not inclined to elaborate. Typical.

Anyway, enough of the creepy sky nonsense. I shook my head to clear it. Focus, Jade. Lotte was here, and there wasn’t a sky in the world, or dream, that could harm me while she was around. Right.

So, I launched into the tale I’d been dying to tell her, recounting every detail since we last spoke. The frenzy, the rush, the thrill of the hunt. My evolution, encountering my doppelgänger, the scheme that obliterated an entire dungeon section, Barn’s battle with the Queen. Every little exhilarating bit.

Lotte listened with rapt attention, throwing in the odd quip, laughing here and there. It felt like it’d been ages, and maybe it had. No way to tell time there. A week, perhaps? My life had never been this full of madness.

But before we wandered too far off track, I had to get down to brass tacks. Lightning spells and Path were on the agenda, but there was one matter I’d neglected to bring up earlier.

"Lotte, first things first—what in the blithering fuck are these hues that’ve been haunting my vision ever since I became a dragon?!"