Syl: Chapter 85 - 92 (Patreon)

Chapter 85: Orcs

While my first thought was to create an ice debuff, I was too excited to finish tinkering with the [Poison Mist] spell and replace it with fire. [Mana Conception] made my previous efforts feel childish, a success only earned through sheer stubbornness. I was nearing completion of the spell when I overheard voices nearby.

"I'm telling you, I saw lots and lots of mana go into the sky!"

"Don't think you smart now just because Big Bro taught you a few tricks."

"Smarter than you, at least!"

I looked towards the source and saw two orcs bickering amongst themselves, heading towards the farm. I cursed under my breath; obviously, what I did would have potentially attracted anyone with [Mana Sight]. I was so distracted by my spellwork that by the time I noticed them, it was far too late to try to use [Vanish], not to mention that I currently held a significant amount of mana between my palms.

"Look, a pretty lady! Lots of mana. Told you I was right."

"You didn't do anything! It was all thanks to big bros help."

<Murk; Orc LV 6; Barbarian LV 18.>

<Zook; Orc LV 11; Shaman LV 14.>

While I usually overlooked their levels as no big deal, I noticed the shaman was increasing his racial levels, unlike the humans and the goblins. I understood they felt no pain, but blindly attacking humans just seemed suicidal. Now, they had incurred the wrath of the guild and had an unlimited kill quest assigned to them; what were they thinking?

"Honestly, do you orcs want to die? You all seem suicidal..." I asked, my curiosity burning, "You attack the humans relentlessly."

"Pretty lady asking the same question as Big Bro." The shaman commented.

"Answer is simple! Humans give the most levels." The barbarian stated proudly.

It was a surprising answer, but I agreed a little. Monsters didn't usually have classes; an equivalent amount of experience would lead them to evolve, while humans would just progress in their classes. Evolutions seemed like a far more substantial power jump than I had seen from class levels.

"Yes. But humans coordinate together, and you've attacked too many, and now they've set out on a quest to kill you all."

The shaman seemed worried at my response, but the barbarian only gave a guttural and mocking laugh, "Girl, like you try to scare Murk, but Murk is one of the strongest. You are only level one! Weak!"

I knew where this was going; I had three cores cast [Erode], [Flammable], and [Permeable] while the rest joined me in completing the spell. The debuffs landed on the charging barbarian without any issue, and he didn't even notice.

"So many spells..." The shaman muttered, although he made no effort to assist.

I dodged blows from the barbarian's large club while we finalized the spell, and after confirming its completion, I cast the unknown spell at the orc. A red powder erupted from my palms and coated the orc before his body rapidly burst into a conflagration.

<[Burning] 100%: 7min remaining.>

'Strange. I've cast fire spells before, and they've certainly set things on fire, but they've never left an affliction like this.'

The duration started to tick down when the powder dissipated, like [Poison Mist]. I tried casting other fire spells, like [Fire Arrow] and even [Nova], but neither seemed to affect the affliction. I was surprised the shaman was not assisting, especially as I kept dodging in circles around the barbarian. Without much fanfare, the orc eventually succumbed and collapsed unceremoniously to the ground.

<Orc LV 6; Barbarian LV 18. defeated. Experience gained.>

<Racial Experience threshold reached. Chimeric Mimic Slime (Blue) is now LV 5.>

<5 Trait Points are now available.>

<Class Experience threshold reached. Sorcerer is now LV 2.>

<8 Skill Points are now available.>

"Murk never listens to anyone... So stupid." The shaman said, shaking his head.

"You're not going to attack me? Isn't he like family or a friend?" I asked curiously.

"Orcs believe strong survive. If you want something, you prove you are stronger and take it. You proved you're stronger than Murk, and he was weak."

"I see..."

"You use magic so good. Like big bro." He commented, "Also, you say the same about humans wiping out us orcs for revenge."

"If someone else is saying the same thing, why aren't you listening to him?"

"Big Bro is smart but not strong. Nobody listens to him because he loses fights." The shaman answered, "You should meet Big Bro."

Now, that was undoubtedly an unexpected suggestion. Even if it was a trap, I felt confident I could likely deal with whatever they threw at me. If I used something like the [Inferno Sac], I could wipe all of them out, solving the problem and rewarding myself.

"Sure. I'll meet your big bro." I replied.

"Great! Follow Zook." The shaman said and started leading the way.

I wondered how the orcs hid from the adventurers, as the goblin cave was found rather effortlessly when the extermination quest was issued. But judging by the lack of a location in the quest and its broad nature, the adventurers needed to figure out where the orcs originated.

"Zook never seen an elf before. You look like humans, but you don't attack right away. Did you evolve from a human?"

"No... I didn't."

"I thought maybe you are like Big Bro since you think similar. He is also strange and evolves weirdly."

It took a while, but when his statement sunk in, I thought, 'Is this possibly someone like me?'

When Zook led me to a relatively open location and stopped, I wondered if he was lost until, with a wave of his hand and some minor amount of earth mana, an underground tunnel was revealed.

'They're living underground... No wonder nobody could find them.'

"If anyone asks, I will tell them I claimed you. Then we can get to Big Bro."

"Alright..." I agreed skeptically.

I followed closely down the tunnel. It kept heading quite deep until it opened into a large opening and a collection of earthen structures. In the distance, I could see a network of tunnels branching out into other areas.

'They've made an entire network down here. Assuming they survive their raids, they can quickly retreat to one of the tunnels. It seems far too organized and unexpected from the orcs I encountered. No wonder the guild can't find them; they were expecting regular orcs.'

"Zook made a claim!"

"I can't believe it!"

"Maybe we should start listening to Big Bro more..."

"Yes! It's all thanks to Big Bro." Zook replied, sticking out his chest.

I kept silent but made sure to coat my body and limbs under the robe with draconic scales, forming an [Inferno Sac] hidden within my torso. Of the orcs I identified, all their class levels stayed within level twenty, and I didn't see anything I could assume was an advanced class. The vast majority were barbarians or the occasional shaman, and I spotted one hunter. Even the other shamans had low race levels, unlike Zook.

"Zook too weak to claim something this good." One of the barbarians declared and started to approach me. I had already begun to fuel the [Inferno Sac] with mana when Zook stopped him.

"That would be a bad move, Terk. I'm giving this claim to Big Bro."

There were murmurings from the orcs that overheard that, and the barbarian seemed to ease up.

"Yes... Big Bro deserves something good. Fine, as long as weak Zook isn't keeping the claim."

I had to hold back on my killing intent until we arrived at a stone structure notably taller than the others.

"Big Bro! It's Zook!"

I followed after him, and seated on the floor was a tall and lanky-looking creature. It also had the greyish skin of the orcs, but its limbs looked almost artificially elongated. It was gaunt, and its tusks were notably larger. It held a spell construct of crimson-red mana I did not recognize between its hands. It looked up with a smile to greet Zook until it spotted me, and its face turned into one of confusion.

<Odark; Troll LV 4; Sanguimancer LV 14.>

"A human? No wait... An elf?" The creature questioned, "How Zook? She's far higher level than you..."

"You misunderstand Big Bro. This one talks like you, also warned us that humans will work together to kill us."

A great look of concern overcame the strange creature.

"I told them to stop... They won't listen."

"If you can't stop them, the Adventurer's Guild will hunt you down until there's none left. I've seen them do the same to an entire goblin tribe."

"Ha! Goblins are weak," Zook swiftly replied.

"Who are you? Why have you come here?" Odark questioned, giving me a questioning glare.

"Does the term [Experiment] mean anything to you?"

Odark was so shocked by the question that the spell he held immediately collapsed, his eyes wide as dinner plates.

"Zook. Can you let me speak to her privately?"

"Sure, Big Bro," Zook replied and left us.

Odark stared at me long and hard before finally speaking. "I knew I wasn't the only one, but how is this fair? Look at me and look at you. How is an elf a monster?"

I couldn't help but laugh at his first question, although I'd probably also complain if I didn't have all the facts.

"I'm not actually an elf if that's what you think. Although I won't reveal the truth for my own safety." I stated, "But if you started as an orc and were surrounded by other orcs, then I think you had a far more forgiving start than I did."

"Being attacked for stepping out of line or beaten for questioning dumb decisions. You're sadly mistaken if you think this is a happy community." He retorted.

"From the very moment I was reborn, I had to fight for myself—alone. I couldn't even speak to anyone. It was kill or be killed." I said, shaking my head, remembering my early days of fighting wolves and boars, "Besides, you're the highest level amongst the orcs I've seen, not to mention you've evolved. I'm sure you could win and take leadership."

His face contorted into a pained expression, "I could. I did. It wasn't for me. When you're at the top, everyone challenges you to take your place; I had to kill so many, too many, who refused to surrender or back down. I just stepped down and hope they occasionally take my advice."

"I'm guessing this underground tunnel network was your idea?"

"Yes... I knew the humans would come for us; the orcs refused to stop attacking, so I thought at least I could hide us away."

"I don't think hiding away will solve the issue. The adventurers will find you eventually. I'd suggest convincing them to leave or leaving by yourself."

"I can't just leave them... They're basically my family... A really shitty dysfunctional family, but still. There are good ones like Zook."

"Well, anyway. More important for us is discussing Gramps and this experiment."

Chapter 86: Claims

"Your stupid slime killed my salamander." A disgruntled youthful boy said scornfully.

"It ate him and harvested him for parts, too. Quite pathetic," a womanly voice, filled with amusement, said with a chuckle.

"Now, now. There were no rules against the experiments killing each other; the only thing was preventing any of us or our staff from directly interfering." An elderly voice replied, trying to defuse the situation.

"It feels unfair that your slime has class levels." The boy complained.

"My demon has class levels." A voice countered.

"My subject does as well." Another added.

"Even my moping sack of shit has one. Who cares?"

"You're all so lucky... Mine still hasn't even left the ocean... Just keeps hiding in its shell." A dismayed voice replied.

"Well... Still, you gave it too many traits!" The boy swapped his form of attack.

"Bah! All of those traits existed before it was even born. The only trait I've created since is a simple fusion trait."

"Indeed. I've confirmed as well. There is no foul play." The womanly voice responded.

"Also, with how lost he was to his instincts, adventurers would have dealt with him anyway. At least this way, he got to grow another experiment." The elder pointed out.

"You bastard..." The boy muttered in outrage through gritted teeth.

"Besides, I'd sooner complain about the literal dragon than a little slime." Another voice added.

"Don't mock my slime. You should see how much it's got stored away. I'd hardly call it little."

"Yes, yes... I'm sure it's quite the glutton."

"Remind me why we agreed to allow a dragon?" A voice interrupted.

"I believe the argument was that it's starting as a baby, which should be enough of a handicap."

"Really? In adventurer terms, even a baby dragon is a Silver-rank threat. That hardly sounds like a handicap."

There was an awkward silence before someone cleared their throat and finally responded, "In our defense, when we accepted the condition, none of us had worked on dragons before or in a very long time."

"You know... There was a saying in my old world: ignorance of the law excuses not."

After that statement, there was a loud kerfuffle and plenty of shouting and curses before a loud whistle broke the chaos.

"Look. What's done is done." The elderly voice said, "If you want to prevent the likelihood of our experiments killing each other, I believe I have a solution. I believe the mistake was not giving them [Universal Language] at the start. My own subject was extremely upset about that."

"You have a point. We originally excluded it to prevent contamination, but the experiment has been going on long enough that giving it now shouldn't interfere."

"I mean, they could just work to get a class. It doesn't feel right to give the slackers a free skill."

"Do you honestly expect his crab to ever get a class?"

"Hey... I'm sure he will eventually stop collecting shells."

"Look at it this way; it might prevent your subject from becoming dragon food in the future."

"You raise a point... But I still don't think it should be free."

"What if we give the ones who earned it beforehand a skill point?"

"I guess that's fine."

"Agreed."

"Same."

"Likewise."

"Approved."

"I bet my slime will freak out at randomly gaining a skill point."

"Is it really that neurotic?"

"You have no idea..."

"Gramps?" Odark asked.

"Yeah, Gramps. The voice that speaks to us when we evolve? Probably asked you to join this experiment?" I asked, curious about his unique experience.

"I didn't know his name was Gramps..."

"Well, I don't know if that's actually his name, but he sounds like a Grandfather, so that's what I call him," I stated, my voice filled with a mix of uncertainty and conviction. "He's never corrected it, so I assumed he was happy with it."

"Wait. My voice doesn't sound like a Grandfather at all." Odark objected, "If anything, mine sounds like a raging drunk. He's always whining that I'm losing him bets."

"I guess you got a different God. I usually complain about Gramps being cryptic, but judging by your situation, I suppose it could have been worse," I mused, acknowledging the stark contrast in our experiences.

"I'm surprised you can even converse with yours. I just get shouted at." Odark said dejectedly, his subtle demeanor betraying his monstrous appearance.

"Did you get given any instructions or goals? I got told to explore the world."

"It's been a long time since I spoke with him, but he only said I needed to level up quicker."

"Well, if you want to do that, you should try to find a dungeon. That's where I gained the most levels in rapid succession other than finding and fighting a big evolved monster."

"Is that why your race level is so high?" He asked.

"Partially... I was born without a class, and it took ages for me to acquire one."

The shock and surprise on his face were palpable. "That's... Wow..." He struggled to find the words, "I'm honestly surprised you even survived. That's like missing half of yourself."

Maybe he was more trusting than me because he opened up after I told him that. He told me how he was born an orc shaman, which was vital in keeping him alive from the other newly spawned orcs trying to prove their worth. Unlike the others, the chieftain couldn't change his experience distribution, so he was forced to gain more race levels than class levels and always felt like he was falling behind the others.

I told him it was due to the experiment and that I couldn't change my distribution either. His reaction to this information was like being forced to swallow horrendous medicine. Since he was forced to gain more race levels than his brethren, he had no choice but to try to train his skills as much as possible manually, as he didn't have the excess skill points from class levels to excessively spend. However, things changed for him when he reached twenty and evolved. He had a few orc mutation options but picked the troll evolution, which, from the description, was a higher-tier species.

His evolution gave him new strength, and when he seized leadership, he entered the period of his most explosive growth. He was constantly challenged and forced to kill, which led to him gaining many levels until he grew tired of it all and forfeited his position. It sounded absolutely barbaric, and he would even be attacked in his sleep by the more conniving orcs. I was staggered by how much he poured out on me; he seemed desperate for someone to vent his frustrations.

"I'm surprised you've stayed with them."

"Where else would I go, looking like this?"

I tried to answer him, but I couldn't think of anything. The best he could maybe do was hope for an evolution or mutation that would allow him to change form, but I didn't know how feasible that was, and I didn't want to give him false hope. Regardless, if he stayed with the orcs or couldn't convince them to leave, the adventurers would slaughter him with them when they were eventually discovered.

The awkward silence was interrupted by screams and wails echoing through the underground tunnel complex. Odark's mood plummeted, and he stared at the ground.

"Oh no... Not more..." He muttered under his breath.

"More what?" I asked.

"Claims..."

I remembered what the orcs said about me and how the ones on the road had tried to capture me. A horrid feeling welled inside me, and I sprinted out the door to the source of the cries.

"Hey! You can't!" Odark tried to protest.

I ran unimpeded through the crowd by either dodging or simply sliding through the gaps with my malleable form. I hoped my gut was wrong, but I couldn't help but feel dread as I got closer and heard sobs and pleading amongst the cries.

A group of women and children were tied up and looking beaten. [Identify] showed them as merchants or crafters, none of their levels above single digits. A guttural feeling of hatred swelled inside of me. Maybe it was hypocritical since I had killed humans before, but those were adventurers seeking battle. I didn't mind the orcs fighting adventurers, as they would naturally conflict, but these were defenseless noncombatants.

"Hey, it looks like one of the claims escaped!" An orc said and grabbed my shoulder from behind.

I spun around and reflexively transformed my arm into a blade armed with [Acid Slime], [Blaze Slime], [Mana Reinforcement], and the highest compression available. The orc had no time to react as the blade cleaved straight through his neck, sending his head careening through the air. There were gasps, shocks, and even chuckles from the orcs. Some mocked the orc for dying so pathetically.

One of the captured women spotted me and, with tears in her eyes, pleaded, "Please save my children!" before one of the orc capturers backhanded her, and her body crumpled into unconsciousness.

Some of the orcs laughed at her final cry, but I was already churning mana through the [Inferno Sac]. One of the orcs ordered me captured, although the nearby crowd was already approaching me before the order even arrived, each one with a glint of desire in their bestial eyes. With the roiling flames built up in the organ from my rapidly available mana, I opened pathways along my torso and limbs and vented the blue flame around me.

The orcs immediately around me were vaporized in the intense flame, while the others nearby were charred lumps. While the orcs didn't have high levels, the startling ease at which they fell to the blue flame made me realize why Luke and Lisa were so worried about me fighting the salamander. Unfortunately, my robe was lost to the attack, revealing the draconic scales that coated my form, which, now that they were shown, I spread to cover the rest of any exposed skin.

"Release them, and I'll let the rest of you live!" I demanded, pointing towards the orcs that held the prisoners.

"That's no claim!"

"It's some lizard thing!"

"Kill it!"

The orcs started shouting, completely ignoring my demands. Some threw weapons at me while the shamans cast spells that launched rocks at me. While keeping them distracted with spells and weapons forming in my hands with help from Epsilon, I dedicated Alpha to control tendrils and snake them along the ground to attack the orcs holding the prisoners. Meanwhile, I had Beta, Gamma, and Delta coordinating to empower a [Bubble] spell on the prisoners once the orcs were removed from their vicinity.

When Alpha sent the signal, we all coordinated together. Tendrils grabbed the orcs by the legs and dragged them toward me and away from the prisoners. Ropes and bindings were cut with tiny and well-placed shots of acid slime to prevent the captives from being dragged with them. Then, the water barrier was cast and rapidly formed, the speed and complexity easily overshadowing my work on the caravans. I hoped it would be enough to protect them from any collateral damage, but I dared not go too overboard with the [Inferno Sac] or pull off the explosion I did in the mineshaft. Releasing poison gas through [Vaporize Slime] was another option I considered, but the threat to myself didn't warrant it right now, and I didn't want to gamble [Bubble] being able to stop it or not - even though I was confident it would.

"Stop!" A voice shouted and pleaded throughout the din of battle, "Stop fighting!"

But the orcs just continued attacking. Despite the deaths and the grievous wounds, they all seemed elated and reveled in the thrill of battle. If their weapon broke on my mana-reinforced scales, they instead used their fists. If their dominant arm was limp and broken, they'd effortlessly swap to the other and continue. If their legs were crippled or severed, they would crawl towards me. Their shamans launched rocks at me, often hitting an orc if I dodged or causing minor lacerations on them from the shrapnel burst from the rock rupturing on contact.

'What a terrifying race. Sadly, I don't think this will end no matter how much you shout and beg, Odark.'

Chapter 87: Blood

As one of the more giant orcs charged at me, I instinctively raised my scaled arm to block. The axe, infused with mana, flashed with deadly intent. With ferocious speed, the axeblade hurtled down and sliced through my arm. The orcs, sensing victory, cheered out. But I wasn't done yet. I swiftly grabbed the falling arm, temporarily reconnecting to it before triggering [Slime Burst]. The limb burst and spread adhesive acid slime on the nearby orcs. Despite the orcs' resilience to pain, the flesh-melting acid was a testament to my determination, often incapacitating weaker opponents immediately.

With a quick mental calculation, I reformed the arm, now equipped with a mimicked shield. I used it to block an incoming blow, anticipating the orc's move. Then, I countered with acid-laced spikes that emerged from the shield in retaliation. My [Sub-Cores], always at work, filled the air with multiple magic circles, firing multitudes of [Acid Dart] spells. This was my most effective magic against the orcs since any blocked spell would damage or destroy their equipment, further weakening them.

Like a beating heart, a building pulse of mana began to fill the air. It washed over the entire area, its power palpable. The magic rippled over me, but I seemed unaffected. However, the orcs seemed to freeze in place, their movements halted by an unseen force. Looking towards the epicenter of the spell, I saw Odark leaking a vast quantity of that strange red mana.

"I said stop!" He screamed.

Odark didn't have an absurd quantity of mana like myself; in fact, he had less mana than Dewi or Evan, by my estimation, but when his mana dimmed, it seemed to pulse back to life abruptly with the rhythm of a beating heart.

"You traitor!" One of the orcs shouted.

"You should be working with us! Kill our enemy!"

What started as a few individual complaints soon took over the collective. Odark seemed shaken but recollected himself.

"I haven't betrayed anyone! I stopped her, too!" he declared, and then, looking at me, he witnessed that I was moving unimpeded. He looked startled, "How did you resist my spell?"

I could only shrug, as I had no idea what he was talking about. One of the most giant orcs I had ever seen seemed to be forcing his way through the crowd, his muscles straining against whatever magical spell Odark had cast.

"Odark! Cease this foolishness at once! You will be banished forever if you don't destroy this foe right now!" He screamed with guttural fury.

"The chief has spoken!"

"Big Bro must fight!"

"Kill our enemy!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The orcs seemed overcome by the declaration of the orc chief. Odark was frantically rubbernecking at all of them before his gaze landed on me, and he uttered a breathless apology. Whatever spell held the orcs had vanished, and the orcs erupted in elation.

"Big Bro is going to kill you!"

"You're done for!"

"Let the blood flow!"

They all chanted. I readied myself, prepping all my debuff spells. The unknown mana swirled around Odark, and he thrust his hand forward with a crushing motion and shouted, "[Blood Boil]!"

At the same time, I cast [Erode], [Flammable] and [Permeable]. All three debuffs were successfully applied. His mana coalesced around me and focused down, I braced for whatever the spell would do, but nothing happened, and the spell suddenly fizzled out. Odark and all the orcs seemed shocked at this predicament.

"How do you keep resisting my spells!?" Odark demanded as he drew a blade across his arm, spilling purplish blood that erupted from his arm and formed into three lances. They momentarily hovered before he thrust his palm forward and then launched at me.

'He controls blood!' I realized. This explains why his earlier two spells did not affect me—I don't have any! But if he can control the blood in monsters and people, that's terrifying.'

His blood lances actually penetrated me; their purpose must have been to invade my body from the inside, but the blood was rapidly dissolved away by my digestive acid slime. This only further unhinged Odark, who kept muttering how repeatedly to himself.

Even if he was currently ineffective, I wouldn't sit around and take it. Odark had picked his side, so I had a job to do. I rushed forward to him and cast my [Burning] affliction spell at him.

<Unnamed custom spell has been cast repeatedly. Please name spell.>

'Not now, Gramps!' I shouted mentally.

Odark tried to swat the red dust away with his elongated arm, but that only applied the affliction to himself. "[Burning]?" Odark questioned and jumped backward, "That's inconvenient. It's not going away... But it doesn't outdo my [Regenerate]."

I launched [Fire Arrow] spells at him now that he had a weakness to fire from the debuff. He blocked them with his body, and I witnessed how the burnt flesh rapidly reconstructed itself in front of my very eyes. Despite how unfazed he was from taking the spell directly, he seemed to have a new caution in his eyes. Perhaps he hadn't expected to take as much damage as he did, as [Flammable] likely was applied through [Subtle Afflictions].

"Brothers! Bleed for me!" He suddenly shouted, and the orcs cheered. They all thrust their arms up into the air and sliced their own flesh. With barely a chant, the blood seemed to pool towards Odark and floated around him like a sentient cloud.

More spells were launched, but now, instead of using his body to block, the floating blood shifted and shaped into a barrier. I could only chuckle as it vaguely reminded me of how I could fight with my slime. Now armed with his arsenal of blood, Odark actually charged toward me and, with a sweeping motion, directed the blood to form a massive scythe-like blade. I tried to jump over it, but I was not fast enough, and it cut through my legs surprisingly easily.

Again, the orcs whooped and hollered like Odark's personal cheering squad. But when I landed on newly formed legs, their jubilations abruptly ended.

"It looks like I'm not the only one with [Regeneration]..." Odark muttered. "You must be some kind of lizard monster pretending to be an elf; those scales are your true form. Judging by your regeneration and camouflage, you're some lizard mix between an axolotl and chameleon."

'Should I feel insulted that he thinks I'm a lizard... Is that more believable than being a slime? Well, I could just lean into it; if he attacks anything that isn't my core, it's to my benefit..'

"Close!" I said mockingly, building up a collection of blue flames in my chest, "You're forgetting salamander!" and blue flame erupted from my mouth.

Odark shielded himself by forming a wedge of the blood, redirecting most of the flames, and removing some surrounding orcs. Odark's pool of blood was significantly diminished, and he couldn't block all of the fire; his one arm was utterly burnt into a charred husk. With a quick mental command, he sliced his own arm off with a blade of blood, and a new, fresh arm erupted from the stump shortly after.

'If that's his level of regeneration, it's no wonder he thinks I have something similar.'

"Salamander? More like a dragon. How is this fair..." Odark said in disbelief.

"Big Bro you can do it!"

"Take more of our blood!"

"Kill it!"

Again, the orcs sacrificed their blood to replenish Odark's supply. He also cut his own arm again, as well as his torso, to add fresh new blood of his own to the mixture.

'If he can keep regenerating his own blood, he's formed quite an exploitative loop with his class and race. My slime is self-synergizing, but my exploitative synergy is that emblem combined with [Mana Slime].'

Unfortunately, once again, my spells seemed insufficient. I had endless mana, but my lack of skill levels against an opponent who was also built to endure meant that I needed to resort to using my slime.

One thing bugged me: where was Odark getting the mana from? His aura would diminish and then suddenly flood with more life; surely his regeneration didn't include mana, too? The lack of his mana aura being replenished while his wounds were closing finally gave me a clue. Did he have a way to convert blood into mana? I could convert mana into slime, so why couldn't he convert blood into mana? Or perhaps health into mana? That would explain why he wasn't continuously replenishing his blood weapon pool with his own blood; he needed it primarily to replenish his mana.

While we traded blows, I considered how to deal with the situation. My immediate thought was to build up enough blue flame to obliterate him in one go. I formed three [Inferno Sacs] inside my chest and started to fuel them with mana, ensuring my attacks kept him distracted while I built up for my finishing move. Abruptly, I received a prompt that I could not ignore.

<Quest received: Defeat Odark and spare him.>

'What? Gramps? Since when can you give me quests? Why should I risk sparing him? I know he's a fellow experiment, but he's trying to kill me.'

<Quest received: Defeat Odark and spare him.

Reward: Skill revelation.>

'Sure... Twist my arm, why don't you? I'm assuming I only need to spare him, not the orcs. This had better be useful.'

<Quest received: Defeat Odark and spare (only) him.

Reward: Skill revelation (useful).>

'Fine!' I relented, wondering why Gramps was suddenly interfering. I know he prevented Simon from killing me, but that was partially Gramps's fault. This seemed different, and I was surprised he would deny me so much experience and, no doubt, a decent profile, too.

I mimicked [Elemental Amalgamation] and confirmed I could control the blue flame, which was drenched in my mana. I erupted the blue flame from multiple newly formed exits and formed a ring encircling Odark and myself. The orcs surrounding us were likely quickly dispatched by the intense flame, and any survivors were surely not long for the world. I couldn't imagine many things surviving that. Odark stared at me, a mixture of rage and horror at what I had done.

'I need to beat him but not kill him. But he can regenerate like crazy... Don't I have something to stop regeneration?' I thought rapidly, then recalled something I had previously forbidden myself from using, 'Bloodrot!'

Chapter 88: Anger

"There! I can't believe I agreed to this. He should have just become slime food and expedited the next evolution," a disgruntled elderly voice complained.

"The others would have complained if your subject had ended not one but two others in such a short time, even if it was unguided." A motherly voice replied.

"They left their starting regions; don't blame my slime for their actions," the elderly voice retorted, the disagreement clear in his tone.

"Yes, that's why I've allowed you to compensate it. It's a stroke of luck that it's registered in the adventurer system. Otherwise, we would not have been able to communicate with it without major interference."

"Yes. Masquerading as an adventurer has definitely been an unforeseen boon."

"Besides. I'm curious if this will positively affect the orc subject's growth now that he will be forced out of hiding behind his brethren. If it does, I'm sure you could use the fact to gain a favor or boon."

"Yes, yes. I know. I also know he's one of the few remaining monstrous humanoid subjects, so his data is valuable. That is the real reason I listened to your request. Certainly not to keep the drunk from throwing another tantrum."

"It is strange that most of them died." She said, trying to change the topic of conversation, "The goblin subject, for example, did much worse than an ordinary goblin spawn. The wild goblins your slime lived with were much more impressive in terms of accomplishments."

"Perhaps it's our fault for not cleaning them enough?" He postulated, "Most of those deaths could have been avoided if they weren't so deadset on trying to reintegrate with humanity."

"Too much, and they might as well be wild spawns. Too little, and they get themselves killed by stupidly approaching humans or become mentally unstable with their situation and fail to adapt to their new body. It's a good thing we tried differing amounts amongst the subjects."

"Indeed. Funny how I'd say the salamander was cleaned too much while the orc was cleaned too little."

"I'd be most interested in seeing what parameters you set on your slime subject."

"Perhaps after the experiment is completed, we can share notes." The elderly voice responded, the tiniest sliver of worry in his voice, "More importantly, I have a new trait I've been working on that I'd love to show you."

"Y-you killed them all!" Odark shouted, frantically looking around in the burning circle.

"I'm sure they've done much worse, what with their claims." I spat.

Odark was taken aback at that response, staring at the ground in denial, "That may be true... But they didn't deserve this!"

I felt anger building up inside of me that I struggled to suppress. The orcs believed in being strong, and enough strength justified any action. Odark obviously holds some fairytale morals from his previous life, where the strong can resolve problems without any loss of life. I couldn't even call it hypocritical; it was plain stupid. Moments ago, he had decided to kill me to satisfy the orcs so he wouldn't be exiled. Why was my life less than theirs? Less than his? What about the human captives? If I had died, they would have died or worse.

"Didn't deserve this? I can only imagine how many humans the orcs had killed or captured before this, especially to have an unlimited extermination quest against them. I didn't see or hear any captives since my arrival, so I can only imagine why they didn't survive."

"I know that! But still! They were like my family!" He protested.

For some reason, that just angered me more, "So your brother is a murderer, and you let him get away with it because he's family."

Odark was trying to make some responses and excuses, but I wasn't hearing any of it. Blue flames roared inside me; my mana roiled angrily, fueling the still-formed organs.

<Quest received: Defeat Odark and spare (only) him.

Reward: Skill revelation (useful).>

"Yes! I know!" I screamed at the forced notification, causing Odark to flinch and surround himself with a wall of blood.

I blasted at his floating blood pool rather than him directly; he immediately reacted by shielding himself, thinking it was aimed at him. When the blue flames ran out, I dismissed the organs as it was too tempting to tap into them and turn him into nothing but a scorch mark.

I formed slime bullets armed with Bloodrot and started to fire them rapidly at him. He shifted his diminished blood shield to block them, and what happened was fascinating. I saw the blood mana corrupted with blackened coloring, similar to how freezing corrupted my water mana. As the segments of his blood shield blackened, they would droop and fall to the ground, no longer in his control.

"What?" He tried to question and then started trying to counterattack.

He already knew his blood lances were ineffective and stuck only to blades and scythes of blood, trying to dismember me. It was frustrating that despite all my efforts to raise my defense, some things could still get through, so I had my [Sub-Cores] handle dodging and maneuvering themselves and my own core out of any attack's trajectory. At least I knew with each swing of his blood blades, they would be partially eaten away by the acid as they passed through.

When I finally landed some shots into his arm, he quickly noticed the spreading infection, severed his own arm, and threw it at me before casting a spell that exploded the arm into a shower of blood. He now seemed extra cautious in ensuring I didn't land any shots on him.

When his blood pool was sufficiently diminished, I thought he'd give up, but instead, a spire of rock erupted from the ground, attempting to pierce through my torso. [Mana Conception] thankfully gave me enough early warning for the gathering earth mana, and I managed to dodge out of the way.

'That makes sense... He did say he started as a shaman, and this tunnel system was his idea.'

Despite his impressive earth magic, it was a significant downgrade in power from the blood. He was in for a rude awakening if he hoped to go into a battle of attrition against me. When he raised walls of rock to block my shots, I maneuvered tentacles along the ground, camouflaged as rock, and fired at him from impossible angles, but as soon as he noticed the Bloodrot, he would rip the contaminated flesh from his body. I tried briefly to use paralysis or sleep poison on him, but with [Affliction Tracker], I saw the percentage of infection rapidly tick down before my very eyes.

'His regeneration is insane. If he refuses to give up, I need to overtax it with continual damage so he will either run out of mana or succumb to poison.'

I swapped to a mixture of Bloodrot and Paralysis, hoping it would counteract his regeneration. With hidden tendrils spread out across the field, I started rapidly firing at him from any direction. Unable to protect himself entirely with walls of earth, he chose to cover himself in a dome of earth, but that only trapped him in a confined space, and with a tendril invading inside by drilling through with acid, I could release my poison inside with [Vaporize Slime].

When the dome exploded violently, and I saw him in a coughing fit, I could only smile, especially since the paralysis was no longer rapidly ticking down. For the first time ever, when his mana started to dim, he didn't immediately replenish it. His face was twisted, the horror of his mistake dwelling on him.

He no longer tried to launch rocks at me, trying purely to deflect my hidden poisonous attacks from seemingly nowhere. He was frantically looking around, trying to find the source, but the tendrils were far too well hidden thanks to a combination of [Vanish], [Morph Slime], and [Chroma Shift]. When one of his arms took a series of shots, he ripped it off again as per usual when the infection was too much, only this time - the arm was far too slowly regenerating. Seeing his situation, he collapsed to his knees.

"Stop toying with me... Just kill me already!" He demanded.

"Part of me really wants to. But Gramps, or maybe one of the others, has asked me to spare you."

"Why?"

"How should I know? Evolve again and ask your one. It's probably all part of this experiment."

"What am I supposed to do now?" He asked.

"How should I know? But if you continue attacking and capturing humans, expect adventurers to show up and exterminate you."

"I di-"

"Yes, you did! Maybe not directly, but you could have led these orcs, tried to change them, or at least not cooperated with them. You made this entire underground network for them to raid and pillage from. Don't act like your hands are clean."

"...I just wanted them to be safe."

"And they used this safety to attack civilians. You run into an adventurer who tries to kill you? Defend yourself. I don't care. But attacking noncombatants is another whole story."

"I won't attack civilians..." He muttered.

"Good. I suggest heading north and away from civilization. The adventurers will continue searching for orcs, and I will tell them about this underground network, just in case stragglers return."

"I under..." He started and then collapsed. His eyes were wide in confusion as his body refused to move.

"It looks like the paralysis finally took hold. I finally overcame your regeneration," I said, walking over to him. I could feel the fear in his unblinking eyes.

"Stop panicking. I already said I wasn't going to kill you, but I got civilians to get out of here. I will put you to sleep, and when you wake up, I'll be gone. I suggest you immediately leave before the adventurers come. Nothing will stop me if I see you or any orcs here again." I warned.

He tried grunting, but other than his erratic breathing, it was like he was dead. I closed his eyes and covered his mouth and nose with a slime mask emitting the sleep gas. There was evident reluctance from him trying to hold his breath, but he was helpless, and eventually, he was forced to breathe it in. I watched as it overcame his resistance, and eventually, he was unconscious. I covered him in some light dirt and walked away.

<Quest complete. Skill revelation: [Identity Fabrication].>

"Right... I'll look at that later... Along with all the other notifications I've been ignoring." I muttered to myself.

I looked at my state and sighed, equipping my leather outfit. I needed to, at some point, just buy a bunch of clothes to devour for backup outfits. I approached [Bubble] and, momentarily grateful that it held, dismissed it with a light pop. The humans inside were shocked at the sudden dismissal and stared at me with shock. The woman who got struck was still unconscious, but the other was holding the three children tightly. I withdrew one of the health potions I still had and handed it over to the lady.

"It's over. You're safe now..." I said, trying to sound reassuring.

The woman broke down into tears as she accepted the potion; she took a small sip herself before portioning it out to the children and then giving the remainder to the unconscious woman.

The two girls looked terrified, but the boy seemed to have overcome his fear and now had a spark of life in his eyes.

"The Dragon Knight has saved us!" He shouted proudly, smiling through his previously tear-stained face.

'Dragon, what now?'

Chapter 89: Dragon Knight

"Honey... Calm down." The woman tried to calm her son down, but now he was practically bouncing.

"But it's the Dragon Knight!" He protested.

"Dragon Knight?" I asked.

"It's a hero in his favorite story..." She answered, looking apologetically.

"Oh? Could you tell me more about this Dragon Knight? I'm curious."

"Because you have the power of the dragon!" he said dramatically. He gestured wildly with his arms and ran his hands down them, making sound effects with his hands before finalizing his performance by pretending to breathe fire.

I was silent. I didn't know how to respond. I had hoped that the barrier and all the orcs would have been enough to block most of what I did from view, but this child saw me using draconic scales and erupting in flame.

"Sorry miss... My son is too excitable." The mother apologized, sensing my discomfort.

"No... It's fine." I said, trying to dismiss my discomfort while searching for a solution. As if being thrown a lifeline, I felt my [Acting] skill was prodding me to lean into the Dragon Knight facade.

"I just need you to keep my secret," I said, holding a finger over my mouth. "I need to keep my power as the Dragon Knight hidden from my enemies." I winked and transformed scales over my single finger.

The boy's face lit up with unbridled enthusiasm. "Of course! Otherwise, dragons will come for you if we don't keep your secret." He said as if it were common knowledge, "We will keep your secret just like Squire Clyde and Princess Leanne."

"That's right, Hayden. You girls agree, right?" The mother said. The girls quickly agreed with her, while Hayden went on a little tirade about keeping secrets for the greater good to defeat the evil dragons. Internally, I sighed in relief that the boy was so impressionable.

I carried the unconscious woman on my back while the others followed closely behind me. Thankfully, we escaped the tunnels without any trouble. However, seeing how late it was in the day, I realized we couldn't reach the city before twilight approached. 

"I don't think we can make it back in time. While I have some minor camping supplies, I don't know how safe it would be."

"There are some farms nearby. Perhaps one of them would be willing to help us," the mother suggested.

I brightened up at the suggestion, "Excellent idea. I know just the place."

Before heading towards the farm I had helped earlier, I distributed water to all of them. The minor display of magic seemed to brighten up the children a little from their unfortunate situation. About halfway to the destination, the unconscious woman finally awoke and was startled until the other woman settled her down. We took a short pause for water and for her to regain her bearings before we continued the journey. The girls were quiet, but the boy was still enthused and asked many questions about adventuring and some of the monsters I had fought.

While it was a bit tedious, it seemed like a good distraction for the victims, as even the silently crying girls were listening to the tales. I obviously avoided mentioning any orcs when retelling my escapades. By the time we reached the farm, it was well past sundown, and everyone was highly exhausted. One of the farmhands must have spotted us approaching as a group came to investigate, armed with farming tools; when they recognized me, they had a bright smile.

"Good to see you so soon again, ma'am." The farmer replied cheerily before glancing at the rest of my group.

"Orcs captured this group," I explained. "I freed them, but getting them to Kaerlin in their condition wasn't feasible. They had some minor injuries, which a healing potion fixed up, but they were tired and quite traumatized. I had hoped we could stay for the night so I could return them in the morning."

"Of course, ma'am! You can stay for a whole month if you like! You saved my farm." He replied and bellowed for his wife to help. 

When his wife arrived on the scene and was brought up to speed, she immediately got to work organizing food, clean clothes, and sleeping arrangements for everyone. I turned down the offer of a bath, as I said I could clean myself with magic, but I partook in the humble dinner to not trample over their goodwill. 

I was given a cot to sleep in, but I excused myself and went outside to clear my head. [Perception] was making it exceedingly awkward for me, as I could hear the quiet sobs of the two widows and children as the reality of their situation was sinking in. I clambered up to the barn's roof, and while lying on my back staring at the stars, I finally opened up the notifications I had been ignoring until now.

<Orc LV 6; Barbarian LV 18. defeated. Experience gained.>

<Orc LV 5; Hunter LV 12. defeated. Experience gained.>

...

<Orc LV 2; Warrior LV 8. defeated. Experience gained.>

<Class Experience threshold reached. Sorcerer is now LV 3.>

<9 Skill Points are now available.>

<Your class has revealed the following skill: [Magic Efficiency]>

...

<Proficiency gained. [Corrosion Magic LV 3] improved to [Corrosion Magic LV 4].>

<[Corrosion Magic LV 4] spell [Decay] learned.>

<Orc LV 11; Shaman LV 14. defeated. Experience gained.>

<Racial Experience threshold reached. Chimeric Mimic Slime (Blue) is now LV 6.>

<6 Trait Points are now available.>

...

<Orc LV 18; Warlord LV 4. defeated. Experience gained.>

<Emblem Usurped: [Chieftain].>

<Error. You do not meet the requirements. Emblem Lost.>

...

I scrolled endlessly through the notifications until I finally reached the end and summarized my final gains. I had killed well over thirty orcs, although many were basic classes and relatively low-level. I had gained four race levels and six sorcerer levels.

<Racial Experience threshold reached. Chimeric Mimic Slime (Blue) is now LV 9.>

<9 Trait Points are now available.>

<Class Experience threshold reached. Sorcerer is now LV 8.>

<14 Skill Points are now available.>

<Your class has revealed the following skills: [Mana Efficiency], [Meditate], [Multicast].>

I had three new skills revealed to me from my class, and the skill revealed to me for sparing Odark. I'd read their descriptions afterward. Speaking of skills and traits, I gained quite a few proficiency increases. 

<Proficiency gained. [Corrosion Magic LV 3] improved to [Corrosion Magic LV 4].>

<[Corrosion Magic LV 4] spell [Decay] learned.>

Between me and my [Sub-Cores], we flung endless [Acid Dart] spells, so this was an obvious increase. The new spell was mesmerizing. It would remove all afflictions on a target and deal necrotic damage per afflictions removed. The damage inflicted seemed to scale with a combination of remaining duration and infection level.

<Proficiency gained. [Sub-Core Alpha LV 4] improved to [Sub-Core Alpha LV 5].>

<Proficiency gained. [Sub-Core Beta LV 4] improved to [Sub-Core Beta LV 5].>

<Proficiency gained. [Sub-Core Gamma LV 4] improved to [Sub-Core Gamma LV 5].>

<Proficiency gained. [Sub-Core Delta LV 4] improved to [Sub-Core Delta LV 5].>

<Proficiency gained. [Sub-Core Epsilon LV 4] improved to [Sub-Core Epsilon LV 5].>

My hardworking [Sub-Cores] finally progressed. I mentally apologized to Alpha, who had been stuck at level four for far too long. Speaking of which, I had forgotten to give Delta the new core coloring courtesy of the white slime core, so I gave it the pale turquoise color. Now, I just needed a new color for Epsilon, who was still sporting my glorious crimson coloring. I looked over my final two proficiency gains.

<Proficiency gained. [Poison Slime LV 5] improved to [Poison Slime LV 6].>

<Proficiency gained. [Dark Vision LV 4] improved to [Dark Vision LV MAX].>

Mixing poisons proved more effective than I thought, making me wonder if I put too much concern in the skill description, mentioning mixing reducing overall potency. Also, my [Dark Vision] was finally maxed out thanks to all the underground combat, benefitting my full maximum vision. 

<[Magic Efficiency]

Spellcasting speed increases by 5% per level.

Mana usage is reduced by 2.5% per level.>

'Wow... Since when are skill descriptions so specific? Whoever created this must have been bored or tired of writing long-winded descriptions.'

<[Meditate]

Enter a trance to increase your natural mana flow and mana regeneration.

Meditation can be used to stave off the effects of sleep deprivation, but it is not a true substitute.

Beneficial effects scale exponentially the longer the trance is maintained. This skill has no levels.>

'Well... I would have ignored this because I don't need mana regeneration, but the sleep part is interesting. Could I meditate and have my [Sub-Cores] continue my activities? They already can do work while I sleep.'

<[Multicast]

Cast and maintain an additional spell per [Multitask] level.

Thoroughly complex spells may require more than one level per spell.>

'Ugh... I totally forgot about this skill. I don't even try to cast multiple spells alone when all my helpers can easily assist or cast independently. I wonder what counts as a complex spell to take up more than one multicast slot.'

<[Identity Fabrication]

Allows detailed creation of fake profiles that can greatly obfuscate attempts at identification.

The more believable the profile through physical features or closer to reality, the harder it is to pierce, and it is directly aided by traits or skills that provide shapeshifting or illusion.

Displaying a mismatching race, an unearned emblem, or a locked class will lower the success chance of obfuscation.

Adjusting levels to higher than earned will also lower obfuscation.

Can still be used as the basic [Identity Block].>

I had to reread the description a few times before it finally sank in. Gramps wasn't kidding when he said it would be a useful skill revelation. This was a massive upgrade to [Identity Block], perhaps an upgrade I would have received if I had taken the Doppelganger mutation or possibly earned through an advanced rogue class. Finally, I had a solution to a problem: my name.

A typical monster would be unnamed, so a mimic pretending to be something else would go undetected. However, despite my near-perfect disguise, my name would still be shown whenever I transformed. I could block my name, as Simon had shown me, but that still added a level of suspicion in myself that I didn't want. Also, if I tried to pretend to be anyone other than my Syl persona, I would be forced to block my name, which, if someone had a higher level of identification, would immediately rat me out. Of course, I could be wrong; I didn't know how often people blocked their profiles in public, as Simon was the first one I had come across, but asking the adventurers guild that question wasn't a path I'd like to tread.

The other immediate benefit I could think of was if I manually set my race to elf in my profile, then I could risk being a little more generous with my transformations if I mixed parts. While I didn't expect anyone to constantly have me under [Identify] surveillance, this way, if I slipped up, my race wouldn't suddenly change without my knowledge. Syl the elf suddenly changing into Syl the chimeric monstrosity because I reflexively borrowed a trait in an emergency would have been horrible.

I decided to buy everything except [Multicast], which I was determined to earn eventually. This still left me with many skill points, making me very tempted to purchase a skill upgrade.

<Skill [Identity Block LV 5] upgraded into [Identity Fabrication LV 5]. Skill Points remaining 13.>

<Skill [Meditate] obtained. Skill Points remaining 12.>

<Skill [Magic Efficiency LV 1] obtained. Skill Points remaining 11.>

'Should I try brute force [Water Magic] to level five and immediately upgrade it? Or Should I do the same with [Ice Magic] and bring it to the same levels as my other elements?' I pondered. My reluctance to do anything with my points was becoming a rather recurring anxiety about making the right choice.

'I'll ask someone at the guild tomorrow. Lisa might be a good option since she's the highest level I've seen. Then there's Thern, who is knowledgeable, and there's Dewi if they are finally back from their quest. Well, let's look at [Identity Fabrication].'

Chapter 90: Fabrication

When I opened my basic profile, I was introduced to a very different interface from the one I was familiar with. I could mentally select a portion of the profile and had the option to edit it directly. I removed my name.

<Elf LV 39; Sorcerer LV 8.>

I changed my name.

<Yuzz [Dungeoneer]; Elf LV 39; Sorcerer LV 8.>

I created an entirely different identity.

<Bob; Human LV 12; Scout LV 15.>

The most fascinating part was that I could instinctively tell when a particular section of my profile aided or hindered the disguise. Changing my name seemed neutral unless I removed it, and then it was a hindrance, but if I morphed into a monster, it was seen as a boon. According to the system, hiding my currently equipped emblem was seen as neutral, but I knew socially it would be strange for me not to have it equipped—so many people had seen my [Dungeoneer] emblem.

Driven by a sense of curiosity, I embarked on a journey of experimentation with different emblems. I tried my hand at faking some, such as [Chieftan], [Guild Master], and [Guild Staff], all of which were classified as massive detriments. The only other emblem I knew of was [Bonded Companion], which was a penalty until I transformed into a monster, and then it became a benefit.

'I could pretend to be a companion. That's interesting. If I was roaming around in a dungeon, it would prevent me from being attacked if I was spotted by another adventurer.' 

'I should try to find more about companions. Sylthaeryn's class was Tamer, if I recall correctly... I've not run into any in the guilds yet.' I continued to ponder before having a small epiphany, 'Could I pretend to be my own companion?'

I reverted my profile to normal but manually set my race to elf. Then, I formed a ball of green slime in my palm and had Alpha maneuver into the blob. Visually, it now looked like I was holding a small green slime. I tried to apply the profile multiple times, but it kept just overwriting my own.

'Come on, if it's possible to [Multitask] spells, then surely it's possible to fabricate two profiles...' I complained. In hindsight, I should have thought of it sooner, but in a moment of frustration, I shouted at Alpha to use [Identity Fabrication].

<Alpha; Green Slime LV 5.>

'Well done, Alpha! Although I think you're being a little too humble by saying you're only level five!' I laughed with glee at the success, 'Actually, can you add [Bonded Companion] too?'

<Alpha [Bonded Companion]; Green Slime LV 15.>

Despite it being technically Alpha's profile, I could feel a penalty on the level because it was my skill. Green slimes would evolve at ten, so it made sense why it was complaining about it. I repeated the experiment with my other cores one by one. Beta, disguised as a purple slime, and Gamma, disguised as a red slime, could go up to level twenty without penalty, while Epsilon, as a white slime, could only go up to level nine. At first, I thought something was wrong, but then I recalled that white slimes were technically the same tier monster as myself, which meant that Epsilon was being limited by my own level limits.

Speaking of level limits, I could freely swap between Warrior and Scout up to level eleven without any detriment, which meant that my class qualification was enough to satisfy the system, and it was using my Mage level as the reasonable limit. As if that wasn't enough, whoever created this skill must have also worked on [Equipment Swap] as I could save ready-made profiles for quick application. All my experimentation even increased my skill level, much to my satisfaction.

<Proficiency gained. [Identity Fabrication LV 5] improved to [Identity Fabrication LV 6].>

I was feeling rather shitty about the situation after Odark, but this definitely brightened my mood. Everyone was asleep when I silently returned to my cot and quickly joined them in slumber.

The following day, it was decided that the owner and some farmhands would travel to the city proper to get tools and hire additional hands for the replanting of the fields. This meant the two widows and children could be carried in a cart pulled by a donkey, and I offered to escort them just in case.

To keep myself occupied, I worked on creating a new debuff spell with my newly acquired [Ice Magic]. Due to [Mana Conception], this was far simpler than ever before despite the much more complex mana. I was a little hands-off on the spell creation and left it primarily to my [Sub-Cores], which allowed them to flex their new level and processing power. This allowed me to instead entertain the children with [Kindle] and [Water Orb] by shaping both into various patterns or shapes.

While the children laughed and giggled at the silly shapes, they had no idea about the intense mental battle I was having to try to actively hold more than a single spell. Thankfully, by the time we reached the city gate, problem-free, I still hadn't received the [Multicasting] upgrade and instead gained a different prompt that caused me significant emotional damage.

<Proficiency gained. [Multitasking LV 1] improved to [Multitasking LV 2].>

The worst part was that this new skill level gave me no benefit or ease in holding my two individual spells. I had to fight my inner demons to not just buy the upgrade then and there out of spite, and I wondered if Dewi had pranked me about telling me not to buy it. After a quick explanation to the guards, I parted ways with the group to head toward the adventurers' guild and report on the situation. Before I left, there was a tug on my clothing, and I saw the boy giving a friendly smile.

"Thank you for saving us. You're a hero! When I grow up, I also want to be an adventurer." He said, trying to give his best dazzling smile. He then placed his finger over his lips and winked. It seemed like he was more than happy to keep my secret.

I returned his smile, giving him a quick ruffle on his head. "If you do, I'd recommend the Stantondale branch. That's where I started my adventuring career."

The boy nodded excitedly, and after some thanks from the mothers, I finally left them. I hastened to the guild and requested to speak to Luke upon entering. I noticed more odd looks and glances than usual, and only when I overheard some murmurings did I realize why.

"What the hell is she wearing? Is she going to swap to a barbarian or hunter class?"

"She's a Sorcerer now."

"That's a lot of levels. What quest did she go on?"

I ignored the rumor-mongering and patiently waited, although I felt a tinge of anger at the disparaging remarks made against the armor Yuzz had made for me. Although I had to admit it starkly contrasted my simple robe. The wait wasn't long before I sat at our familiar booth.

"Good to see you again, Miss Syl." He replied, then scratched his cheek nervously, "I hate to ask, but what exactly are you wearing?"

"Hey, Luke. It's my backup armor. My robe, unfortunately, was burnt to cinders while I was fighting orcs."

"So you did run into orcs..."

"A lot of orcs. I found their underground lair, killed a bunch, and took down their warlord chieftain." I answered.; Luke's eyes were as wide as saucers, and when I noticed he wasn't going to interject, I continued, "I also rescued two women and three children from capture; they are currently with the gate guards. Oh, and I did kill the Plant Horror, but unfortunately, it didn't have anything harvestable."

"I..." Luke stammered.

"Sorry, it must be disappointing that I didn't bring back any materials."

"I-I need to contact Master Lisa!" Luke blurted out and left me sitting speechless at the table.

After awkwardly waiting, Lisa's secretary eventually came to fetch me, and I was ushered to her office. I wondered if I would get scolded again, like with the Salamander quest, but they had explicitly said mass extermination quests were generic. To my surprise, Lisa had a big smile on her face instead.

"Thank the Gods you didn't wear that to your dinner!" Lisa said, almost bursting out in laughter. She eventually calmed down from her laughter and continued speaking.

"Well done, Syl. We just confirmed over thirty dead orcs from the quest tracker. The majority were low-level but confirmed that a warlord was among them."

"No problem. The underground lair was to their detriment; if it had been an open area and they had been spread out, I wouldn't have been so lucky."

"Speaking of which." Lisa said, pulling out a map of the local area, "Can you point to the entrance you discovered? Then we can confirm it's cleared out and destroyed; perhaps deal with any stragglers."

I nodded and, using my own mental map, pointed to the entrance I had used. I also encircled the area where the main complex was situated.

"Sneaky bastards, no wonder we couldn't find them. I'd expect this level of cunning from goblins or kobolds, but not orcs."

"Kobolds?"

"They are little lizard monsters, like a goblin mixed with a dragon. They mostly live underground; if you go with Thern, you'll see plenty." Lisa replied, rolling up the map and handing it to her secretary, "Send a team of scouts to confirm."

"I must say your successes are remarkable. I know all adventurers hide a trick or two, but you keep overachieving. You've also gained many levels rapidly, exploiting the risk bonus factor to the maximum."

"Yes, although the downside is that my skills are falling behind my class levels, or at least that's what it feels like. I'm tempted to change my experience distribution."

Lisa frowned, "I would say I don't do that, although I know we humans are biased because we don't have many good traits to choose from. I know dwarves have some enviable traits, and I can only imagine what elves get."

"I hope you'll mind the frankness of my question, but how do you spend your skill points? I've saved a large amount in case I want to purchase a lot of skills, and I've never touched upgrading."

"Never?" Astonished, Lisa replied, "I know some diehards do that and try to earn every skill proficiency, but the Gods gave us these points to spend; it feels foolish not to."

"My concern was buying the wrong thing, especially if I knew I could upgrade it with some effort."

"That's a good mentality, but what if having an extra level is the difference between life and death? Especially, as a spellcaster, getting another new level opens many doors to new spells or components."

"That's a really good point. Then do you recommend prioritizing my highest skill or bringing up my lower skills to match?"

Lisa sighed with great exaggeration and rubbed her temples, "Now that is the question everyone asks, and nobody knows the right answer. Raising your minimums gives you more flexibility and could unexpectedly save your life while raising your maximums gives you trump cards that could solve a situation effortlessly."

"Now you understand why I didn't want to spend any," I replied, frustrated.

Lisa laughed, giving a knowing smile, "Fine, fine. I'll tell you what I did, maybe that will give you some ideas. I focused on my highest skill where possible unless I unlocked a vastly more powerful skill. For a relatable example to you as a spellcaster, I focused a lot on my [Air Magic], but I immediately swapped my focus when I unlocked [Lightning Magic]. It was a higher tier of magic, and I felt it had more opportunity."

"That sounds like a very reasonable approach."

"It worked out pretty well for me," Lisa said with a smirk, "However, you'll need to tailor it to your specific situation. Undoubtedly, you have at least one form of experience boosting, and some skills are easier to level than others if you can easily exploit bonuses like risk or first time."

I nodded, "I'm also reluctant to upgrade a skill unless it had just leveled up manually or was brand new. Although... Even with new skills, I'd feel reluctant to do it; it seems like level two is so simple for almost all of them."

"I think you'd struggle to find anyone who wants to buy an upgrade midway unless you were sure you hadn't progressed it in some way. There are no refunds, and if you were more than halfway to gaining the level manually, you'd be losing a skill point!"

"Glad to hear I'm not the only one a bit panicky about spending my points."

"If you're just starting out, it can be terrifying. Also, while yours is a little extreme, it's not even the worst I've seen; Luke can't even decide on a class and keeps flip-flopping between the three starters."

Her secretary returned with refreshments, and Lisa invited me to settle down. It seemed like we still had much to talk about.

Chapter 91: Goals and Armor

"So what made you swap to Sorcerer?" Lisa asked, sipping at her tea.

"I wanted to see what magic skills I might miss out on. I had Tabitha drill into me about the theme of my class and how it would potentially limit me." I responded.

"And? Get anything good?"

"And? Did you discover anything interesting?" Lisa asked eagerly. I responded with a mischievous grin and cast [Icicle] floating above my palm.

"[Ice Magic]... Very impressive." With a pleased grin, Lisa said, "And I'm assuming you didn't spend an ascension on that?"

"Nope. I got it as soon as I swapped to Sorcerer. If not for running into the orcs, I would have practiced it a bit more."

"Honestly, I wish I could promote you to Gold already." Lisa said with a sigh, "You're punching far above your weight class. Hell, you're one level from another ascension. I can only imagine you'll pick another element."

"I was actually thinking of picking Lightning if it's available."

"Ha! Trying to butter me up?"

"Only if it gets you to show me [Lightning Magic]."

Lisa paused momentarily before nodding, "Sure, I don't mind. But why not wait for your revelation?"

"I want to swap back to Shadowcaster, which means I won't get the revelation until thirty. Also, it would be a sneak peek to see if I don't have it already."

Lisa nodded and showed me the skill, but I got the same missing affinity prompt when I tried to buy it. But now I didn't have to stay locked to the Sorcerer class and had the flexibility to return to Shadowcaster, which I hoped would lead to more exciting traits like [Subtle Afflictions].

"Nope. Missing affinity." I said, shaking my head.

"That's a shame. Well, hopefully, it'll be amongst your selections at forty. Otherwise, you can try again at fifty. I'm glad you aren't abandoning your hybrid class; I'm eager to see what you unlock once you get an advanced class."

"Speaking of classes, how come I've not seen any humans with the Tamer class?"

"That's a pretty sour spot," Lisa chuckled, "The main reason is that the time investment isn't worth it, especially if your bonded monster dies; you're immediately set back massively. It's also hard to unlock unless you're willing to pay money to buy a raised wolf or something to meet the requirement.

"Why would you buy a wolf? There's plenty in the forest."

Lisa laughed out of nowhere, almost spilling her drink. "Convincing a wild monster to assist you without the bonding skill is not easy. I have no idea how you elves do it."

"Oh, I can actually answer that," I replied, showing the [Nature Commune] trait.

"Shit. That's not fair." Lisa immediately replied, obviously reading the trait, "I guess this is why you're still dumping so much experience into racial levels rather than focusing on your class."

"Some are more practical than others. While this one can be useful, you didn't have a field of corn thanking you for fighting a Plant Horror."

"Oh Gods, the corn spoke to you?" Lisa replied, laughing hysterically.

"I guess that explains how you can easily unlock Monster Tamer. You just go find a wolf or something and overpower it with your trait to help you." Lisa stated after recovering from her laughter, "Wait. Is that why you're asking Luke to look for flying monsters? And Thern, about the floating island? Are you trying to hitch a ride on a tamed monster?"

"I guess the cat is out of the bag," I said with a shrug.

"If you're successful and you get up there, make sure to bring proof of kills. While I don't think we can give you an official quest, none that would be tracked successfully anyway, it would go a long way to speeding up your promotion."

"And earn a lot of money, I suppose."

"Oh yes. Although after that salamander, you could retire for life."

"Retire? Sounds horribly boring."

"Yeah, it's hard to give up the adventurer life." Lisa nodded along.

"What do I need to do to qualify for Gold-rank?" I asked.

After a pregnant pause, Lisa answered, "Well. If you are successful on your island escapade, the only outstanding requirement would be to prove you can work in a team and follow orders. I know you're mostly a solo adventure, but unfortunately, it's a requirement for Gold and up."

"I don't mind doing some teamwork. Would I just join a group doing quests or what?"

"You could, although you'd need to do quite a few. The quickest way would be to join a group and complete a dungeon—a real one that groups recruit for."

"I figured the one in Stantondale wouldn't count."

"Nope. No beginner dungeons; it has to be the real thing. You even benefit from being recruited as a mage or rogue—assuming you can pick locks and disable traps."

"I have the skill up to two, but I could probably get it to three if I do some shopping."

"Good. Do that. The nearest real dungeon is a week's travel away, but assuming you can hitch a ride with your flying monster plan, you could probably get there in two days. It doesn't have a city, but there is an outpost and a small guild branch. If you're up for it, I'll write you a letter explaining the situation and vouching for you."

"Thanks, Lisa, I'd appreciate it."

"No problem. It is my job, and I must one-up Harris and Roderick somehow. If I can say I got you your Gold rank, then they can't claim all the credit for recruiting you."

When our small talk ended, and I was getting ready to leave, Lisa turned to me with a rather serious expression.

"Keep doing good work, Syl. You've helped and saved lives."

I wasn't prepared for that and awkwardly stammered my farewell before leaving. I ran into Luke on my way downstairs; he must have been waiting for me to finish speaking with Lisa.

"Miss Syl, your armor is finished being commissioned. Would you like to go get it?"

"Yes, please. I feel like I need to buy a bunch of backup clothes."

Luke nodded, and we headed toward the crafting section of the guild. Luke was very upfront with his praise of me saving the woman and children from the orcs, and he seemed to be enthralled with the idea of heroic adventurers saving the day.

"Luke, have you ever heard of the Dragon Knight?" I asked.

"Of course!" Luke looked at me with such joy I could swear his eyes startled to sparkle. He must have soon realized his reaction as he seemed to choke on nothing and blushed wildly. "I mean... Yes, I have. I'm surprised you've heard of him, Miss Syl."

"The child I saved mentioned him. His mother said it was his favorite story."

"It's not just a story." Luke interrupted, "The Dragon Knight was a true hero from before the Adventurers Guild was a worldwide organization. The records prove it, and he practically saved an entire kingdom."

"Sounds like you're a fan. Did he really have the power of a dragon?"

"He had draconic ancestry. Dragon blood is powerful and can have long-lasting impacts on an entire lineage." Luke explained, "Although not everyone related awakens to the draconic bloodline, those who do gain scales, sometimes wings, and flame breath."

"Sounds like a guarantee for success and fame."

"Yes and no. Ever since the Dragon Knight, anyone with the bloodline has been viciously hunted by dragons—they refuse to allow a lesser race to steal their power. Or so they claim."

"Steal their power? Really?" I questioned; it sounded absurd.

"Yes. The kingdom used to have two dragon rulers, but the Dragon Knight grew mighty enough to slay them both and free everyone. This caused a scare amongst the other dragons, and they started slaughtering anyone holding their blood." Luke said, looking rather sad, "It's why the children's story tells people to keep it a secret; it's a warning to stem a slaughter. You never know when someone will awaken it, and if they do and the dragons find out, then an entire village could be torched from the sky."

"That's terrifying..."

"Yes. It's why the general consensus is never to get involved with dragons. Even some of the Diamond-ranks still avoid them."

'Well. At least this gives me some more reassurance the kid will keep my secret.' I thought happily.

Surprisingly, we didn't head to the armor crafter but to a small locked room filled with boxes. When we reached our destination, Luke pulled out a large locked box.

"Your completed product is sealed in this box; you just need to place your guild tag on it to complete the purchase and claim it," he said.

I nodded and placed the necklace against the box. Both objects shone briefly, and the chest unlocked with a clicking noise.

"Impressive."

"Another innovation from the Merchants Guild that we're copying," Luke explained.

I opened the chest, and inside was the blackened leather armor crafted from the salamander's hide and scales. I lifted it and couldn't help but be beyond impressed, and despite being lightweight, I could tell it was far sturdier than its appearance suggested. When I used [Mana Conception], I could only gasp as I saw the intricate runes and sigils housed within the armor. It was like a tapestry of epic proportion, far beyond my knowledge, and I couldn't even dream of how Thern had layered this into the armor.

<[Draconic Shadow Armor]

Protection, Magic Resist, Silent, Self-Repairing, Size-Modification.>

"I think Thern went a little overboard," I murmured, beyond impressed.

"I sat in on some of his work. He said he was brimming with energy, so he kept going." Luke commented, then walked towards the door, "I'll give you some privacy to change. I'm sure you're dying to wear it."

I placed the full set of equipment in my storage and started allocating it to a new equipment profile, then swapped to it. Upon equipping it, I could immediately feel its enchantments magically reinforcing me. I moved around in it and noted that the armor didn't make any noise, which explained the Silent enchantment, and even my bodily sounds were minorly subdued. I enlarged one of my arms and noticed the armor effortlessly adapted, always fitting perfectly.

'If I ever run into Simon again, I must thank him for recommending that enchantment. This armor is amazing; the only downside I can see is that it's limiting easy access to slime; I'm now limited to my hands and head.' I thought while admiring it, 'Perhaps I should forgo boots or create fake boots from slime.'

I removed the boots and noted that they didn't affect the enchantment at all. The primary source of the enchantment seemed to be incorporated within the torso portion of the armor. Seeing that the boots weren't required, I decided to devour them on the spot. [Dissection] seemed to be screaming at my decision to destroy such precious resources, and it took far longer than I thought it would—showing the strength of the scales, craftsmanship, and enchantments. Then, I perfectly replicated the boots and smiled in satisfaction.

Chapter 92: Aftermath

Slowly, Odark regained consciousness. He clambered to his feet, dirt falling from his torso, and looked to see that his arm had regrown. Their underground cavern was eerily quiet, and he looked around at the massacre. Despite being healed, his body felt sluggish, a clear sign of low mana, so he activated [Blood Conversion] to burn vitality into mana and then nearly collapsed.

"Shit... I'm still infected by whatever she did to me."

He didn't understand what power she had used against him, but it drastically interfered with his [Regenerate] trait. He had dumped almost all of his trait points into improving the skill when he got it and then relentlessly trained it whenever possible, and it was currently sitting at level eight. But despite that, the poison stopped him. He cut a small gash into his arm and noticed his normal purplish blood was oozing a blackish substance.

He had thought himself invincible, [Blood Magic] combined with [Regenerate] created what he thought was an exploit to infinite mana, and never in his wildest ruminations did he ever consider something could directly stop his regeneration trait.

"I even confirmed that fire and cauterizing the wound wouldn't majorly interfere with my regeneration. What the hell did she do to me?" He asked himself. It was one of the first things he checked to ensure he didn't end up like the famous Hydra story he could vaguely recall.

He started walking towards his hut to grab his few possessions and scarce food supply. He threw all of it into the storage bag he was given, looted from a dead adventurer. He considered going to the butcher room and claiming what was there, but he knew the source of that meat - humans. It was a line he still had yet to cross due to the brief flashes of memory he still had of his past dull and ordinary life and his family that he couldn't even recall the faces of anymore.

"What the hell was she? [Identify] said she was an elf, but surely elves don't have scales, regeneration, and fire breathing. Even if this is a fantasy world, that's far too unbelievable. She even admitted to not really being an elf, so it must be some counter to [Identify], just like she countered my [Regenerate]." He started to question and ponder out loud. He always had better luck piecing things together when he used rubberducking.

He continued to throw whatever he could salvage into the bag, then started to head towards the exit. He looked back at the home he had helped create with feelings of regret and guilt. He wanted to vomit but managed to hold it back. Thoughts of revenge briefly entered his mind, but he dismissed it when he recalled Syl's genuine threat.

"Sounds like an excellent way to become charcoal. Salamander, huh? I'm guessing that's the fantasy version, not the amphibian. She's like an amalgamation of multiple things; I said chameleon because she hid her scales, and axolotl would explain regeneration, salamander for fire, and then she had poison, too. Something like a Komodo dragon or Gila monster?"

He sighed and started heading north. While he was upset at losing his family, if you could even call it that, at the moment, all he cared about was surviving another day. He knew south would lead to the city, and she had warned him that the adventurers were out for blood. He deeply regretted his decision, and ever since being reborn into this world, he felt like he had made one mistake after another. He had chosen the orcs because he knew they would have had his back and continued to look up to him, even if they disagreed with his morality. Syl was an unknown factor, and he had no assurances that she wouldn't just leave him to live or die by himself, so he had thought the orcs a safer option, but he had severely underestimated her.

"Hindsight is a bitch... I lost a possible ally because I was worried about being isolated, and now I'm truly alone."

"So? What do you think?" I asked Luke as I exited the room and showed off my newly donned armor.

"Amazing!" Luke exclaimed, eyes wide. "The best armor I've ever seen was made of Mythril, and this is my first time seeing Draconic armor."

"Lesser Draconic." I corrected.

"Even lesser Draconic is superior, in my opinion," Luke said, frowning slightly at my nitpick. "Mythril is probably slightly more durable, and they are both relatively equal in weight, but you'd lose out on the flexibility, and being from a monster, it has much higher natural mana retention."

"Mana retention... Right. I got a skill for that."

"Yes, that is one of the main benefits of getting enchanted equipment. You can strengthen the enchantment by reinforcing it with your mana, and it should prevent hostile mana from affecting it until it overpowers your own."

I trickled my mana into the armor itself, and after overcoming a small barrier, it suddenly drank in my mana like parched earth. I had to assume the barrier was either Thern's mana or the crafters, who were likely testing the armor before finalizing the product. Finally, I had found a use for [Mana Infusion] other than when I pretended to be an elemental.

"I have got to thank Thern for this," I said proudly.

"You'll have to come tomorrow. Today's his day off."

"Huh... I wonder what he does on his days off."

"Mister Thern usually goes on some small quests. He says fighting monsters gets his blood pumping after sitting still for so long reading and enchanting."

"That explains why he quit his enchanting job and joined the guild." I chuckled.

Luke returned to his duties after confirming that I no longer needed his help. I decided to head towards the crafting section and start buying one of everything for mimicry purposes. The crafters were confused but wouldn't complain about a paying customer. I purchased various sets of adventuring equipment, from robes to leathers to even some plate armor. I also asked every smith and metalworker if they had any puzzles or locks and bought one from each of them. A few were curious, while the higher-level ones gave a knowing smile.

After that and avoiding recruiting adventuring parties, I finally headed toward the inn. Upon entering, I noticed a loud group of familiar faces seated at a table.

"Never again! That was the most boring experience of my life." Dewi said, taking a long swig of his drink.

"Boring, but the pay was good, at least." Whitney chuckled.

I approached the table and smiled, "Good to see you're finally back."

"There's our wandering elf!" Whitney said happily.

"You've certainly been busy. Is that enchanted armor you're wearing?" Roderick asked curiously.

"Yeah, I had a quest to kill a salamander, and Thern and Luke convinced me to have it made into a set of armor."

"Ah! I wanted to do that quest..." Dewi complained, "It would have been an epic battle of fire versus fire!"

"Sorry, Dewi, but I think that thing was outright immune to fire." I chuckled, "I had a tough time even fighting it with [Water Magic], which I was told was its weakness."

"Well, not with that attitude. I'm sure I could have found a way," Dewi grumbled.

"I'm sorry. He's annoyed that he hasn't gotten to explode anything for days." Roderick apologized.

I chuckled and joined the group for their late lunch.

"So, what have you been up to?" Whitney asked curiously, "I can see you've progressed rapidly as usual."

"While you were gone, I cleaned out a mine of spiders, elementals, and the salamander. After that, I took on a quest to kill a plant horror, which led to me finding an underground orc burrow and killing their chieftain."

My brief explanation clearly was insufficient, and soon after, I was pressed to give more details. I entertained the group by providing a more detailed retelling of the events and what happened. Obviously, I glossed over anything slime-related and avoided mentioning Odark.

"Now that is the adventurer's life," Roderick said enviously.

"Regretting your future desk job before it's even started?" I teased.

"You've been hanging around Lisa too much," Roderick said with a chuckle.

"So, where have you been?" I asked.

"Destroying an entire smuggling ring," Whitney said with a grin. "Remember those bandits that attacked us on the way here?"

I nodded, and Whitney continued the story.

"Well, it turns out there's been a substantial uptick in banditry, but only in the south as if they are targeting only this one trade route."

"But, not only was it this one route, but only specific merchants as well," Roderick added.

"That's suspicious," I commented.

"Indeed. Which is why we investigated and uncovered a large smuggling operation for mana potions," Whitney continued.

"It was so boring!" Dewi interrupted, "The single moment of fun I had was burning down their hideout..."

"Other than the battle against the leader and his goons, it was probably something Whitney should have done alone, to be fair..." Evan pointed out.

"So? What happened?" I asked.

"Well, a particular family from our hometown wanted to monopolize the trade. If you weren't distributing through them, you'd find your goods stolen and sold on the black market." Roderick continued.

"It was a long job, but we managed to find their hideout, claim a lot of incriminating evidence, and destroy their operation." Whitney grinned. "These guys will be returning home, but I'll be sticking around to finalize some more details and eventually heading towards the capital to investigate further under an official request from the Merchants Guild."

"Yeah, Whitney has entered the big leagues with this request," Evan said, and Roderick nodded along.

"Congratulations! I hope you'll let me buy a round of drinks to celebrate?"

"Gladly!" Whitney beamed, and Roderick placed the order.

"Wait, when did you become a Sorcerer?" Dewi suddenly blurted out.

"Ha! I was waiting for you to notice, but you kept sulking." Whitney mocked.

"I wanted to see if I was missing out on anything from a pure caster class, but I plan to swap back."

"No," Dewi said, frowning. "Well, you can, but at least get Sorcerer to ten before you do. Trust me on this."

"Alright. I'm guessing you're going to be cryptic again about it."

"Of course. Why ruin the surprise?" He grinned, "So, did you get anything cool from Sorcerer?"

"So far, the best thing I got was [Mana Conception]."

"So early? You must really be tinkering with your spells a lot." Dewi said, rubbing his chin.

"I also got this," I said, casting [Icicle] above my open palm.

"Now that is cool!" Dewi said with a grin, "Pun, fully intended!"

Everyone at the table groaned.