WHUAH! I'm up!
I get up too fast and bonk my head on the roof. Ow...
My head is spinning. I shake it off and start looking around. Okay, I'm pretty safe up here. Time to think of what to do up here. I'm too weak to really do much.. Appraisal.
[Status appraised.
Snake (Cycotus) OVERLV1
Name: (unnamed)
HP: 19/20
MP: 2/2 (Base Crystal)
STA: 19/20
Stat Chart < STR:7 FOR:8 (Developing) INT: 60 DEX: 10 >
Enhance Points: 7
Skill Points: 4
Enhancements: Eyes <2>
Skills: {Knowledge LV1} {Appraisal LV1} {Mental Haste LV1} {Raging Bite LV1} {Fang LV4} {Constriction LV1} {Detection LV1} {Grip LV1} {Tail Swipe LV1} {Air Propulsion LV1} {Pain Resistance LV1} {Hunger Resistance LV2} {(0) Base Magic LV1} {(X) Glacial Magic LVMAX}
Appraisal end.]
I have Enhance Points and Skill Points unspent.. I should probably use those for a bit more strength. Let's see.. I'll start with enhancing.
For starters, I could just go all in on my eyes, but right now they won't be helpful in a fight. If possible, could I strengthen my scales?
[Prompt: Speed up Cycotus bodily maturing? This will cost 3 Enhance Points.]
Uh.. Sure.
AFFNGG! Not again!
The feeling of my entire body shifting occurs yet again. Will I have to go through this every time I enhance?!
It continues for a while and then stops, my body having matured past my original age as a snake. I turn to look at myself and notice my entire body is covered in a glistening red, with just a little bit of white peeking out between my scales. Talk about a big difference!
I immediately check back at my status to see what changed.
[Status appraised.
Snake (Cycotus) OVERLV1
Name: (unnamed)
HP: 19/20
MP: 2/2 (Base Crystal)
STA: 19/20
Stat Chart < STR:7 FOR:14 (87% Developed) INT: 60 DEX: 10 >
Enhance Points: 4
Skill Points: 4
Enhancements: Eyes <2>, Scales <1>
Skills: {Knowledge LV1} {Appraisal LV1} {Mental Haste LV1} {Raging Bite LV1} {Fang LV4} {Constriction LV1} {Detection LV1} {Grip LV1} {Tail Swipe LV1} {Air Propulsion LV1} {Pain Resistance LV1} {Hunger Resistance LV2} {(0) Base Magic LV1} {(X) Glacial Magic LVMAX}
Appraisal end.]
Hmmm.. So enhancing my scales raises my Forditude stat? And it costs a whole lot more Enhance Points than my eyes, which don't come in large amounts.. I think I'll spend my rest of points sparingly, and save for something big if necessary.
What other aspects do I need to improve... I've covered defense, now I need more offensive potential! I need something else if my physical attacks and venom don't work. I was thinking magic, but it spends a lot of time and effort to complete one spell..
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Hold on, are there skills that make magic easier to use? Let's see! I open up the Skill Menu and start scrolling through it. It takes a while, but eventually I come upon a few that catch my eye.
[Magical Support: Supports the user while completing a magical construct.]
[Mana Transformation: Allows the user to shift mana easier from sources into constructs with specific elements.]
[Mana Compiling: Enables the sorting of mana into different essence groups, increasing the power and stability of elemental constructs.]
[Mana Regeneration: Allows the user to absorb mana from the surrounding environment. If the user has a mana crystal, the effect will be increased.]
The first two will make using mana easier, the third for increasing effectiveness, and the last for being able to use magic more often, as I have a measly 2 MP. Let's get these!
[Confirmation: Acquire <4> skills? This will cost 4 Skill Points.]
Yes!
[Acquired: <4> skills LV1 have been gained.]
Okay! Let's test out some basic magic!
Huh, this isn't what I expected.
Base magic has constructs you need to create, but they are simple and don't do much else other than puff out some mana from you. I guess it's going to get more useful the more I do it, so it will stand as a kind of practice, not really the kind of spells I hoped for, but who cares. As long as it makes it easier to use magic later on, I'll take it.
I practice for a while until my mana runs out. Jeez, this is exhausting even if the constructs are as simple as a sphere or square. Let's relax for a bit, I have the time to since I'm not getting chased by an entire army of ants or some giant lizard. I am getting pretty hungry, except I can't get down without Air Propulsion. I'll wait for my mana to replenish.
It doesn't take long for enough mana to gather for me to get down. I start creating the spell, struggle a bit, but eventually succeed and control myself downwards to the ground. Halfway while floating down, a bat creature detects me and starts flapping its way over to me. It lets out a few squeaks, which unfortunately alerts me of it's presence.
I immediately change directions on the construct, which jerks me upwards and makes me dizzy for a bit, but now I'm ready to fight. I slow down the construct's power for a bit and turn it in the bat's direction, and then throttle it up to near max for a short period. The bat hears this and unexpectedly dodges it. It's fast! The bat suddenly launches a bright white blade at me, which I narrowly avoid. What was that?! Before I have time to think, two more are headed my way! I dodge one but the other one scrapes along my side, cutting into my flesh, but not causing anything severe. I hiss in pain and almost fail to keep the construct stable. Keep it together, I don't have enough time to heal up!
I go in for another attack, but the bat seemingly predicted my move and launched more blades at the spot I was going to fly into. I swear, this little bugger is annoying the heck out of me! I jerk out of the way of the blades, and then I pay attention to the way he is moving. It seems like he wants me to attack him, but he will dodge out of the way and counter it with his own attack. Ugh, one of those "baiter" types. Anything for survival, I guess. This isn't a game.
I try to go in by moving in random directions, but eventually I will have to go in for an attack on his location. He knows this, and is readying for another blade attack at the place he was, and I go in, but feint back. The bat fires at thin air, and I am in his face now, ready to bite. The monster flies upwards, but my fangs still manage to pierce it's leg, unfortunately letting go moments later. It screeches, but is still alive and can still fight. I swear to god...
Okay, let's try something he won't expect. While using my current construct, I start to create another one. This is so hard to do! My brain feels like it's going to split in two.. Eventually, after a bit of pain, I finish it. I had placed the construct behind where the monster is. The monster, gotten tired of waiting for me to attack him, instead attacks me first with more wind blades. I dodge them and start changing the construct behind the monster's direction.\
3... 2... 1... now!
I will the construct to come full force at my own construct. This pushes the bat at insane speeds towards me, knocking it off what remained of it's stability in the air. It did not expect to get thrown so suddenly, unable to react in time.
Chomp. The fight is over.
[Level Up: Air Propulsion leveled up LV1 >> LV2.]
I carry the body over to the cave with the leftover power from the construct and start swallowing the bat's body. Big, but not troublesome. Whew, I didn't know I'd be back in my roof cave this soon. Ah, well.
I have nothing to do to pass the time, so I try some new things. I flung a rock using Air Propulsion and I gained a new skill.
[Acquired: Force Bullet LV1 gained.]
[Force Bullet: Allows small objects to be launched at high speeds in a specific direction by inserting mana into them.]
So you can learn skills by buying them, doing specific activities and discovering new things? That's a first. Let's just find something else to do...