I gave myself a sharp pinch. A phantom jolt zipped up my arm and fizzled out.
Hmm.
Tried again.
Hmm.
“Will you stop that?”
“Just checking if I’m still alive!” I retorted, giving my other arm a good squeeze for balance.
“And for the hundredth time, you are!”
I threw my doppelganger an exasperated glare. She, as per usual, was perched against her favourite table, fiddling with something caustic and far too smug for my liking. I was half-dead out here, and she had the audacity to smirk.
“You’re infuriatingly composed for someone meant to be me,” I muttered, collapsing onto the cold marble floor like a sack of regrets. Oh, Thalador, I was knackered. After dodging that bastard’s attacks with all the grace of a drunken lizard, nothing had gone right—escape, fight, survive? Absolutely none of it.
“I’m not you.” She raised a brow with that patronising air she’d perfected. “Not entirely, at any rate. Surely, that’s sunk in by now?”
I knew it, of course. Didn’t mean I wasn’t going to keep this conversation rolling. After that debacle of a fight, this banter was practically medicinal.
“Right. You’re just some conjured figment of the system, sent to keep me company at these riveting afterlife soirées.”
“Oh, please. If this were the afterlife, they’d have chucked you out already—for atrocious manners.”
“And you for being utterly useless!”
She clutched her chest in mock offence. “Oh, the sting! Truly, I am undone!”
I groaned, flopping onto my back again before deciding to slither along the slick floor instead of walking. Why bother? It was shiny, slippery, and my legs were done. “I’m half dragon, half corpse, and completely out of patience. This time, I mean it.”
“And yet, here you are, having a lovely chat with yourself.” She chuckled, swirling some dubious liquid that released a tang so sharp it made my mouth water. Not that I’d show it. “Let me guess. You want me to help with whatever harebrained scheme you’re cooking up for when you inevitably face that bloodthirsty elf waiting outside your evolution chamber. Or perhaps you’re after some reassurance that you’ll pull through. Maybe you want confirmation that your wings and legs will grow back. Or is it that you’re not entirely useless without them?”
I shot her a sour look.
Well, yes, I was curious about what evolution might do to mortal wounds. I’d only ever seen something similar happen to that blasted feathered snake when those elves ambushed. So close to seeing the answer for myself before—bloody elves. Always ruining everything.
But I didn’t care for how she’d framed it.
“I don’t need reassurance,” I said, with a tone that would’ve been convincing had it not betrayed the slightest wobble.
“Don’t you?” She chuckled, because of course she did. She was me, after all—she knew exactly what strings to pull. “Because let’s face it, the last thing you remember is dying.”
With an infuriating nonchalance, she swirled the tangy liquid in her flask and strode towards me, heels tapping a rhythm on the floor. She lowered herself to sit beside my pathetic, sprawled form.
“You’ll be fine.”
I shifted upright, leaning against her without even thinking about it. “I wish,” I muttered, staring blankly at the endless white that was the roof of this weird lab. “I got ahead of myself. Thought I could outsmart an actual red core. Too cocky for my own good. And now? Now I’m basically tied to that guy till I’m done.”
“It doesn’t change what you did, though,” she said, swirling her potion as it shimmered and changed colour. “You fought—for yourself, for this dungeon you’ve started calling home. Maybe for a bit of petty revenge against those cultists. But for the first time, you had power, real power, to do what you thought was right. And you almost pulled it off.”
“Almost,” she giggled.
“Yeah, almost,” I echoed with a sigh. “Doesn’t change the fact that I nearly got my head chopped off. Hell, maybe I still will, once I wake up. Although…” I sat up straighter, frowning as a thought struck me. “It was weird, fighting that guy.”
“Oh?” she prompted, all faux curiosity.
“Yeah,” I said, thinking back to the battle. “It was like he was tripping over his own feet—or his mana. He was still leagues ahead of me, don’t get me wrong, but half the time it felt like his body wasn’t listening to him. Do you think the poison worked on him too?”
“Would it now?” she asked, her tone light.
“I don’t know,” I admitted, shaking my head. “He was a red core, already through the body reconstruction phase. My poison shouldn’t have done anything, not to someone like that. But it doesn’t explain why he fought like a drunkard. Kept yelling about some mysterious benefactor, demanding they stop messing with his body and mana.”
“Maybe your incessant lies summoned a benefactor from thin air,” she smirked, far too pleased with herself.
“Oh, gee, thanks,” I shot back, rolling my eyes. “As if anyone would help a random monster like me. But… first there was something messing with their divinations, and now this. Maybe someone else is out there, pulling strings. Then again, divination’s always been the unpredictable sort, hasn’t it? You’d have to be mad to base a plan on a hunch.”
She kept swirling her concoction, a smile tugging at her lips that practically screamed mischief. She was itching for me to bite the bait, and I was knackered enough to oblige her.
“What’s that, then?” I gestured lazily at the flask, the very picture of deadpan curiosity.
Her grin broadened, all teeth and Cheshire charm. “Oh, this?” she cooed, holding up the flask like some mad alchemist unveiling their pièce de résistance. The liquid inside churned between a chipper, sunshine yellow and a deeply ominous black.
“Just a little something I threw together while you were wittering on. Tetrodotoxin cocktail—neurotoxin extraordinaire. One of nature’s nastiest little numbers, courtesy of some cheerful sea critters with murderous intent. A splash of cyanogenic glycosides for depth—you know, the cherry-pit poison. And for a touch of flair, microdoses of aconitine. That’s monkshood venom, love. Heart-stoppingly lethal and just the right amount of spicy. Oh, and it boosts your maximum mana by ten. Brilliant, innit?”
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
I blinked at her. “Right. So it’s bottled death. With… spice and a mana upgrade?”
“Not just any death,” she leaned in with a mad glint in her eyes. “This beauty has the rare distinction of being absurdly toxic and tasting absolutely sublime. Sweet, with citrusy undertones and a kick that’ll leave you breathless. Literally.” She cackled at her own joke, clearly chuffed. “Shame most people only get to drink it once. For obvious reasons.”
“Oh, hysterical,” I deadpanned, though my gaze remained fixed on the flask. “Although, the mana boost does sound pretty lush. Can I have it?”
“No.”
“Then why on earth are you carrying it?”
“For science,” she said primly, giving the flask another swirl as if it were a fine vintage. Then, in a conspiratorial whisper, “Actually, now that I think of it, you’re in luck. The System’s eyes are elsewhere.” With a sly flourish, she slid the flask toward me, as if avoiding detection by some omniscient overseer. “Go on, then. Drink up.”
My stomach betrayed me with a growl before I could retort. Of course it did. And, well, I was poison-proof now, wasn’t I? Besides, every poison had its… distinctive charm.
“You’re not seriously considering it, are you?” she teased, handing me the flask with all the gravitas of a queen bestowing a royal sceptre.
Oh, I absolutely was.
Rolling my eyes for good measure, I grabbed the flask and gave it a sniff. A sweet, intoxicating aroma wafted up—candied lemons with a tantalising edge of something wilder, sharper. My mouth watered despite the very loud, sensible part of my brain screaming objections.
“Well, bottoms up,” I muttered, and took a swig.
The taste hit me like a lightning bolt. First, a flood of sweetness, rich and golden, followed by a tangy zip that raced down my throat like a live wire. Then the spice—sharp, biting, and utterly electrifying. For a brief, glorious moment, I felt as if I’d swallowed pure, unfiltered energy. My entire body thrummed with it, every nerve alight.
I lowered the flask, blinking as the surge of vitality coursed through me. “HOLY SHIT! THALADOR’S BEARD! WHAT WAS THAT?!?”
I leapt to my feet, energy practically bursting from my seams. Jumping around like a deranged jackrabbit, the SHEER vitality surging through me—not just physical energy, but a mental sharpness too. It was as if a switch had been flipped and every neuron in my brain decided to show up for work.
“Whoa,” I exhaled, half in awe. “That’s… that’s insane. Feels like I just drank sunshine. And maybe chased it with a thunderstorm.”
She leaned back, arms folded, looking altogether too smug. “Told you. A little death with a side of zing. The ultimate pick-me-up for a dragon running on fumes.”
I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, the energy coursing through me making it impossible to stand still. Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined drinking poison could feel this good. Then again, maybe I had. I’d always craved those wild, dangerous flavours, hadn’t I? With my half-human limitations, I’d been cautious. Too cautious. But alchemy? Oh, alchemy was a siren call to madness, ....and that was completely normal… Totally normal!!
“I think,” I said, bouncing on the balls of my feet like an over-caffeinated lunatic, “I might actually be going mad.” My gaze darted to the bookshelf in front of me. Evolution manuals. Finally, I had the mental energy—and none of the existential gloom—to strategize how to survive the rather furious elf I’d recently annoyed. “But… thanks, I guess.”
“Don’t mention it,” she said, her grin sly and insufferably self-satisfied. “Or do. To that elf, perhaps. Let him know you powered up on something capable of wiping out a village. Should make for smashing last words.”
“Noted.”
I handed the flask back as I reached for the first manual on the shelf, already flipping it open. “Dying is officially not on today’s agenda.” I glanced back at her with a grin, defiant for the very first time. “Watch me get out of this in one piece.”
***
I began leafing through the tomes, one by one. Even the drab grey and jaundiced yellow ones, belonging to the fourth stage of evolution, had a surprising weight to them. Yet, no matter how much I tried to focus, my gaze inevitably drifted to the five rainbow-bound tomes. A single glance at my smirking doppelganger—already busy concocting yet another potion—reminded me why I shouldn’t even entertain the thought of those forbidden fruits of power. And yet… the curiosity gnawed at me.
Why were they off-limits? What about the power of sun and light was deemed so perilous for me? What hidden snares lay within their promises? I’d pondered it often, but as usual, I found myself staring at the same brick wall of ignorance.
Still, times had changed. I had changed. My view of the world had grown sharper, more daring. The world itself, vast and writhing with danger and possibility, hadn’t grown any kinder—but I had power now. Enough to seek my own answers. My little quest for understanding was far from over.
I pressed on, flipping through evolution options.
The grey-covered tomes held a few promising choices, though none that truly sparked my interest. The yellow ones were marginally better—there were a few standouts, true—but nothing that felt me. But some good options nonetheless.
[Stonebark Sentinel]
Description: Stalwart defender, emphasizing durability and defense, rooted in the strength of the land.
• Stat Bonuses per Level: +8 Durability, +2 Strength.
• New Organ: Geostructural Core – Absorbs mana to reinforce skeleton and scales with mineral density, enhancing physical resistance.
• Ability Unlock: Immovable Bastion – Temporarily anchors user, increasing defense, reducing knockback, and boosting regeneration.
• Affinity: Earth Affinity Unlocked.
• Mana Core: Intermediate Monster Core – Increases mana storage capacity.
• Skills: Available for acquisition.
The cover featured a colossal dragon, its scales massive and impenetrable. Yet there was a sluggishness to its design—none of the sleek, sinuous grace I admired. It screamed of endurance, but I couldn’t help but wonder if it might weigh down my agility. Not that it mattered; I wasn’t about to pick it. Still, I was surprised to see such a defense-oriented evolution. I couldn’t recall earning any achievements in that vein.
The next few entries, however, were far more intriguing.
[Wraithwing Stalker]
Description: Stealth-focused evolution blending dark mana manipulation with aerial precision.
• Stat Bonuses per Level: +4 Intelligence, +1 Will, +1 Durability, +4 Strength.
• New Organ: Umbral Membranes – Wing and body tissues infused with dark mana for silent flight and temporary shadow cloaking.
• Ability Unlock: Phantom Strikes – Stamina-based attacks may echo into the Shadow Dimension, creating delayed impacts.
• Affinity: Dark Affinity Unlocked.
• Mana Core: Intermediate Monster Core – Increases mana storage capacity.
• Skills: Available for acquisition.
Something about this one caught my eye. The abilities hinted at interactions with a “dimension,” and it wasn’t just this tome. Several other options in the yellow section whispered of a “shadow dimension,” with my attacks subtly affecting it. Most seemed tied to unlocking dark mana, but things got properly bizarre when I ventured into the red-bound tomes.
First one was something called a [Veil Warden]
Description: Predator thriving at the boundary between the physical and the intangible.
• Stat Bonuses per Level: +4 Strength, +5 Intelligence, +3 Will, +2 Durability.
• New Organ: Shadow Tendons – Specialized connective tissues laced with mana-reactive fibers. These tendons can temporarily phase into the Shadow Dimension, enabling user to execute follow-up echoing strikes that bypass physical defenses and barriers.
• Evolution-Exclusive Ability: Shadow Dimension Attunement – Heightened sensitivity to disruptions in the 4th dimension, enabling detection of hidden and incorporeal entities, energy fluctuations, and structural vulnerabilities in the environment.
• Affinity: Dark Affinity Unlocked.
And
[Riftweaver]
Description: Manipulates dimensional boundaries for advanced offensive and defensive capabilities.
• Stat Bonuses per Level: +7 Intelligence, +7 Will.
• New Organ: Shadow Membranes – Thin, translucent layers beneath the scales that link the outer epidermis to the Mana Conduit Vasculature. These membranes emit faint dimensional ripples, making user harder to detect with physical senses. Additionally, they stabilize dimensional stepping, reducing resistance when phasing through the Shadow Dimension and extending phase distance.
• Ability Unlock: Distortion Veil – Creates an aura of dimensional distortion when channelling mana, reducing enemy targeting accuracy.
• Affinity: Dark Affinity Unlocked.
I frowned. There were thirteen tomes in the red section this time, and nearly a third of them made mention of this “Shadow Dimension” or a “Fourth Dimension.” Flipping through them left my head spinning with questions. Before I could stop myself, I turned to my doppelganger, annoyance bubbling over.
“What the hell is this ‘Shadow Dimension’? And why do half my options have something to do with it?”