Chapter 16: The Return of An Old Enemy

As the sequence continued I began to feel light headed, as this feeling began to heavily push my energy reserves I instantly collapsed on the floor.

As if no time had passed I quickly opened my eyes and jumped up. Hmm... it seems I had fallen asleep, and as I checked for wounds to my surprise I couldn't found any...

It was then that I remembered what had happened to me, quickly I began looking around my surroundings... but... there wasn't a sign of life to be found... other than my own of course.

Another thing that I realized was the fact that even though I found myself in a room without a light source... that I was still able to see everything!

Curious to see why this was, I opened my skill window and indeed the skill <Night Vision> had been unlocked. As I looked further I noticed some skills which I didn't previously had popped up in my collection as well. Such as <Aura Body>, <Telepathy> and <Heat Vision>!

As I looked at all these skills, I realized my encounter with the Shirrochi couldn't have been a dream, better yet! It had all happened in "reality"!

I tried to stand, but, since I was still groggy ma legs gave in making me fall to the ground just as quick... Curious if others skills might have been unlocked, I quickly returned to the skill window.

There I saw something peculiar...

Hmm... I knew something must have happened while I was dozing off, because the system announced to have made me the most ideal choice for me... but...

Was this really the choice that had been made?

Carefully I checked my skills one for one, thankfully enough all the skills which I had unlocked previously were still present, as wel as those bestowed upon me bij "Shiro". I chuckled a bit remembering the celestial beasts nickname.

But then... I arrived at skills I previously didn't have. Could these be because of my "chance?"

As I closed the window I needed to make sure,

looking at my basic information it became clear I had gained a bit more health, armor, mana and stamina. As I looked at my name it became clear something must really have happened as the information beside my name said "Tier I".

Wait... no... no, no, no... No!!! This can't be true...

can it?! Shit... come on... no...

Worried about what the system might have done to me I quickly opened my status window.

[Species: Baby Ragnoss 

Tier: I

Name: Mira

Title: <Messenger of The Celestial Beasts> 

Attributes:

HP: 200

MP: 210

SP: 117 (recovery rate 4,56 sp per second)

Armor: 27,5 (+5) (11% damage reduction)

Physical ATK: 32 - 39

Physical DEF: 32

Magical ATK: 10,5

Magical DEF: 10,5

STR: 22 (+10)

DEX: 29 (+10)

VIT: 15 (+24)

INT: 11 (+10)

WIS: 11 (+10)

LUK: 15 (+19)

Attribute Points to spend: 40

Skills:

Offensive Skills:

<Acid Conjuration lv 1>

<Bite lv 5>

<Bloodlust lv 4>

<Elastic Tongue lv 3>

<Fire Conjuration lv 6>

<Petrification Gaze lv 2>

<Scratch lv 5>

<Stealth lv 5>

<Tail Swipe lv 5>

Defensive Skills:

<Acid Resistance lv 5>

<Aura Body lv MAX>

<Hard Skin lv 1>

<Poison Resistance lv 7>

Enviromental Skills:

<Climbing lv 4>

<Cold-Blooded lv 3>

<Heat Vision lv 1>

<Jinsokku lv 2>

<Jump lv 3>

<Night Vision lv 1>

<Observation lv 8>

<Over-Eating lv 1>

<Survivor lv 6>

<Telepathy lv MAX>

Skillpoints to spend: 0]

"This... this can't be..." I looked at my species name which had changed. "Ragnoss". "This is different than what the evolution tree had presented to me.

Hmm... maybe I should examine this a bit further, shouldn't I?"

I used my <Observation> skill to get an detailed description about the "Ragnoss" species.

A window popped up explaining what I had focussed on. *ping*

[Baby Ragnoss:

A perfect blend between the Ragnaa and Seathrios evolutionary tree, these predators are masters of camouflage as they blend with their enviroments while keeping their more sturdy scales, as they are able to full master the talents of both the Ragnaa and Seathrios. The Ragnoss tribe has to be a challenging foe for all sizes within the lands of Yggdrasil.

Their vulnerable white skin are heavily plated with black scales, as these scales are carefully stacked over one another, the Ragnoss is able to spread and utulize all three talents throughout their bodies.

So attacks from underneath could cost them heavily.

Their claws are sharper allowing them to gain the advantage while climbing steep walls as well as catching themselves with their spiked tails.

Their fangs are made to break most kinds of hard shells as their jaws pack some extra punch in them.

But... the most paculiar about these creatures are their heads as the scales which protect their heads arn't black like the rest, but white as bone instead.

At the back of their heads short horns grow allowing them to hold back their enemies if they would be tempted to try and attack their shallow plated necks.]

As I read the description patiently it became clear what had happened to me, yet there was something deep inside that kept on bugging me.

Wanting to make sure, which is why I tried to find an explenation about the evolutionary tree.

As I did... and looked at those options a forth was mysteriously added to the roster.

[Evolution Tree Scalus:

Tier 0: Baby Scalus;

Can evolve into the following:

Lesser Scalus

Baby Ragnaa

Baby Seathrios

(?) Baby Ragnoss]

Unsure what to think of this, the only thung which came to mind was the fact that the system couldn't have possibly read my mind, could it?

The other thing I found worrying was the fact that, as I was now able to see things clearly around me...

That I wasn't at the place where I had fallen asleep at... well... lucky for me nothing had happened...

Yet... Still... this fact worried me, almost as if everything I had experienced never really happened... As I slowly tried to get up I heard a familliar sound.

As I looked underneath me in the direction from which I thought that I heard the sound,

I noticed my skin had changed color,

what once was pink, now was a bright white.

Not to mention the fact that I had actual scales!

Scales with the opposite tone as they were jet black.

As the noises slowly closed in on me,

the realisation hit that I had indeed undergone a "Transformation" or "Metamorphosis".

Curious about the familiar noises I moved towards where I thought that it originated from.

But... before I could close in...

One of the previously encountered Scarlet Scavengers turned around the corner, we found ourselfs in the depths of darkness as I thought it would look straight over me with my newly acquired appearance.

Slowly I tried backing away as our eyes met face to face. Thinking I was done for I held my breath in the hopes that it would leave me. While doing so I slowly backed away from the jem-eyed creature, but since I wasn't yet used to my size, my tail gently touched one of the boulders that lay in the grounds in the area.

As it dragged across the boulder it slowly began to turn, slowly but surely it gained momentum,

as it slammed against the wall next to the creature.

The impact echoad throughout the area and the creature jumped in the air as the unexpected sound started it. Alert its eyes shifted in different shades when we met face to face once more...

This time I knew it was to late, as the creature had spotted me. Quickly it began screeching as if sounding an alarm.

*Screeeeech*

And when it did, quickly back-up arrived. As I could clearly see the surrounding area it became clear that I was now heavily outnumbered and needed to find a way out. But as I tried to quickly back away, the only way out seemed to be, behind those creatures...

The thing that struck me as odd, while I tried to find a save way through. Was that I had the feeling some faint light got projected around the corner where the creatures came from...

Unsure about my powers I knew this was the best time to test them out. And as one of the scavengers rushed towards me, the only thing I needed to do was to think about the skill I wanted to use.

Wanting to try out one of the new skills I had only one thing to do. The system immidiately reacted to what I was planning to do and allowed me to utilize <Acid Conjuration>.

I had to admit that the Acid got summoned in a different way than I expected as balls of Acid got summoned and shot at lighting speed towards those little bastards!

My strenght seemed to have effecfively doubled as the Acid quickly melted throughout their flesh,

only leaving their hard crystallised eyes behind.

That, and I was able to conjure two orbs at the same time. 

At the same time, the numbers of the Scarler Scavengers increased by the second as more and more screeched for help.

I tried fighting my way through, but quickly got outnumbered and surrounded. Every singel of of them showed their teeth as they closed in on me,

As they now could be found in the proximity in which I was able to use Aura body, there was only one thing I could do to clear a path and secure my safety.

First... for it to work it was crucial that they closed in on me and blindly kept attacking. The first group of Scavengers readied themselves in attacking range as they closed in on me from all directions.

And just when I thought I was done for the passive defensive abillity of the

<Acid Conjuration> began to ooze...

from between the openings within my scales.

As this was a passive ability I did not think about what was happening as I was to focussed on what was happening around me.

When one got into close-combat attacking range there was only one thought in my head, that I had to survive no matter what...

When I did, the system read my mind and reacted by activating <Fire Conjuration>.

And as soon as its activation happened the room instantly got lid by a massive explosion incinerating everything in its wake...