Vivi's presence came to the forefront at the mention of an evolution, the display lighting up with her options.

  

  I would ask if you're alright, but you're both in pain and frustrated. On the positive side, you gained two levels in the past couple of encounters; you were already close on the first one before this. Would you like to see the summary–

  I already have a choice. I need to spend a point on [Prehensile Tail.] Neska let out an internal sigh. Sorry. That was a bit snappy of me.

  

  What matters is you recognize that.

  Evolution in progress. And...quite a useful one, in my opinion.

  She felt the itch and discomfort as her tail scales reformed in real time, growing coarser. After a few seconds, she tested her tail motion; not only did it feel more flexible, but her level of fidelity was different; she felt as if she could flex and contract the individual scales, like tiny scaly fingers, even.

  Juni stared at the subtle transformation. “Did you evolve just now?” she asked, surprised.

  Neska nodded and gripped the charcoal, her motions feeling far more precise. Her grip on the charcoal no longer felt stiff. She could handle the implement with a level of finesse she'd been incapable of before, and scribbled down as fast as she could. Her writing speed and accuracy had significantly improved. She focused on the important messages, given that the wolves could return anytime.

  {Seekers are compromised. Some are mimicoids. Attacked at night. Risha killed them.}

  The second sentence drew a gasp from Jurik, and Juni’s ears trembled. “Jurik, do you know a Risha?”

  “I…” He trailed off. “In person, no. I have heard of her, but only in passing; I thought the name sounded familiar. I think she was a witch at the Academy. Something about rituals and detailed knowledge of monsters. Certain roles within the academy and their exact work are considered sensitive information; that is, we were told on a need to know basis. Primarily to avoid being targeted by infiltrators."

  Neska continued. {Marikand led them. Ornate snake helmet. An entity tied to the Interface directed him. Dangerously strong.}

  This second message left them silent. Dead silent. Then, with her tail trembling, she wrote down the last words.

  {Risha died to save me.}

  The charcoal dropped to the ground. The reality of everything that happened came crashing down.

  Writing those words made it real. Too real.

  Juni put one paw gently on Neska’s neck, all her energy gone. “It was worse than what you said to me.”

  Jurik broke his own silent spell a moment later. “I…am sorry for your loss, Neska. I truly am. I don't know what other words I can offer that can soothe such a terrible thing. But I will not let this go unanswered. For Risha--for any academy member, or yourself."

  His voice took on a new urgency. "Juni, we need to keep moving. Those wolves could be back if they gather the rest of the pack.” The veteran was already in motion, strapping on a travel pack. “They’re Tier ones, but numbers do count for something.”

  “We’re not going to–”

  “Juni…if the Seekers are compromised? This is troublesome. The amount of damage they could cause if they can successfully mimic people to this level, now? It’s incalculable. I'm not sure if it's a learned behavior or some new evolutionary variants. We’re making all haste to the Academy; I need to know how deep the rot goes, and I can't do that until you two are safe. Neska, I presume that’s your goal, too?” he asked.

  Juni handed her the charcoal expectantly. The weight of the drawing implement felt heavier in her tail as she wrote another short message. {Need answers. Risha had a plan. The Academy is my aim. Find people to trust. Write more when we rest.}

  Juni gaped at the message, but slowly, her expression changed to one of determination. “You can count on me. You saved my life, and Jurik’s. It’d mean the world to me if I could somehow do the same for you.”

  “Then we should move. The nearest village is still several miles away.” Jurik wasted no time, aside from completing the field dressing of his wounds, and cleaning himself up as best he could. “I can see well enough in the dark, it’s worth the risk–”

  Neska tapped his leg with her tail and pointed to her last message.

  {Will grow strong. Finish Risha’s work. Stop the monsters.}

  {And avenge her.}

  He spent a few seconds on that and gave a slow, knowing nod. "I can understand that rationale. Let's get there first."

  The wolves never followed them. They moved until late in the night, with Jurik finally having to admit he needed to slow down. He was still recovering from his injuries, even if on the surface it appeared they had healed. An internal fatigue, Neska speculated.

  They didn’t dare risk a fire. Instead, they sought cover in a cluster of boulders that kept them out of sight of wary eyes. Jurik tossed a camouflage net from his pack over it, providing cover. Then, he dressed it up with a noxious-smelling flower and vines from nearby.

  “Gods, Jurik, what is that?” Juni gagged.

  “Rotmusk tulips,” he answered. “Most monsters can't stand it. You’ll get used to it in a few minutes.”

  “I might die in a few minutes,” she retorted. Neska smelled it; worse, she could taste it, and it was awful. This was one scent she could do without.

  Internally, she rejoiced at having allies, even if only temporarily. She knew Jurik and Juni likely had their own goals, but for now, it was nice not to be alone. The problem down the road was the Seekers, figurative and literal. Marikand had gone toe-to-toe with Risha and survived her attacks. That must have meant he was a powerful individual.

  But, she didn't want to focus on that. She couldn't. Not if she wanted to stay focused. I need to rest my mind, too.

  She took her cue when she saw Juni resting against Jurik’s side, looking tiny next to the veteran warrior. Judging by the look of it…they’ve been through quite a bit, already.

  Morning brought a little more sense of safety. Neska slipped out of her torpor, taking in the sights and hearing a labored squeak.

  Squeak? What mouse would dare come close to me--oh no!

  She turned her head to see Juni wrapped gently in her coils, looking panicked when she realized the snake was awake. “Neska,” she whispered, practically shaking, “You are a little clingy.”

  I am not! She immediately loosened her grip so Juni could wriggle out, currently wheezing rapidly. Neska bowed her lower body as an apology.

  Juni looked at her and let out a soft sigh. “Well, on the other hand, I wasn’t eaten in my sleep either. Oh, that sounded insensitive, didn’t it?” She wrung her paws gently, and Neska shook her head.

  Jurik chucked softly behind them. Neska saw he looked less ragged today, and he stretched lightly. “I wasn't worried. Now, for our current predicament. Since we’re rested, and the wolves haven’t found us…”

  He opened his pack and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He took the nub of charcoal from earlier, then pulled out a metal and glass device he used to peer toward the sunrise, and again with a small, circular dial suspended in a small glass case of fluid that always spun to point in one direction.

  After a moment, he scribbled on the paper. “That lumber yard is five miles from the nearest village, an outpost town called Bregin. It's a bigger place, with armed guards patrolling for monsters. What we saw yesterday was a big pack, but not the biggest I’ve seen. They must be sending scouts for a probing attack. And, likely snuck past the front line, because they're too far south right now."

  He pointed toward the main road. “We’ll risk the road. Wolves aren’t as active during daylight, so I find it odd they attacked the mill during the day. At least with the opening of the road, we’ll see or hear them coming. We shouldn’t waste any time, either. If the village doesn’t already know about that pack killing the lumber yard workers, they will soon.”

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “What about the cart?” Juni asked.

  “We’ve got the essentials, and our priority is the Academy now. Did you get any evolutions from that encounter?” he asked, and Juni shook her head.

  “Not enough essence pulled. Using skills and training your body is one way, but…it’s slower,” she admitted. She turned to Neska. “What about you?”

  She wagged her tail twice to indicate as such. “Okay, good. I’m not sure what you’re planning for your Tier Two, but…you might want to start giving it some thought. Oh, wait, this probably is not familiar to you, is it?”

  Neska took the charcoal from Jurik when he offered it. She scribbled in the paper, the muscle memory of the process making this much easier to use her tail.

  {No. Tiers?}

  “A rough measurement of the threat of a monster. For humanoids, it’s the tier of class they attain,” Jurik explained. “We all connect to the Interface, even the Awakened. But they tap into monsters' abilities, which seem to follow their own slightly different rules. Though you access…both?”

  {Interface offers options of evolution and hexes. Choices are limited until the first evolution.} Her writing was picking up pace a bit, but a snake was never meant to write, in her mind.

  

  Ability Proficiency Increased

  Prehensile Tail 1 > Prehensile Tail 2

  Well, that’s a plus. She didn’t feel any immediate change in her writing speed. Maybe the letters were a little less sloppy? It was probably incremental, rather than a dramatic change.

  Jurik mulled over his response. “Yes, first-tier restriction seems common to monsters and humanoid Interfaces. The other Awakened have observed the same, Juni included. The list of options expands…significantly at your first evolution."

  “Now, when we get to town, behind walls of stone and steel? We can talk in greater detail. Pick an ability if you’ve got leftover Essence and distribute your points. Think about what you’ll specialize in. Monsters specialize in certain abilities or develop their body in certain ways to make them very strong for particular foes or fighting styles. Classes are similar.”

  {But, if I hold a point…}

  “At this early stage, abilities cost only one point. No need to hold them,” Jurik assured her. “Plus, usage makes them stronger or easier to use.”

  She heeded his advice as they advanced toward the road, and she pulled up her interface. She’d already placed her attributes accordingly. That part was easy enough.

  The hard part was knowing which abilities to pick next. She’d been relying on her hexes a lot, but if last night's fight was just a preview of what lay ahead, she would need more than just those. She needed close-range abilities, as well as to strengthen her body, and add some evasion abilities.

  

  =Status=

  Name: Neska Aksen (F)

  Witch 5

  =Attributes=

  Vitality 7

  Agility 7

  Endurance 7

  Intelligence 16

  Perception 11

  Soul 9

  2 EP available

  =Evolutions=

  Coiled Strike (4), Venomous Bite (6), Prehensile Tail (2), Blinding Venom (2), Spring Scales (2)

  =Hexes=

  Mana Bolt (5), Rooting Hex (6)

  =Titles=

  Awakened - You are a human soul fused with a monster’s soul and body.

  Blood of Ouroboros - ???

  Witch Tier 1 - human granted class for hexes, blessings, rituals and alchemy.

  Reconstituted - your soul has been made whole.

  Merciful - You saw a foe defeated, and gave them a dignified end. +1 Endurance, + 1 Soul. This Title may evolve depending on your actions.

  Defender - You chose to engage in a difficult battle to defend someone else, without an expectation for anything in return. +1 Vitality, +1 Endurance. This Title may evolve depending on your actions.

  That made no sense. She should only have one available Essence Point. Vivi, why are there two evolution points?

  

  One Bonus EP is granted every five levels. A Prime Evolution will occur at tenth level, at this tier, and replaces the bonus.

  A prime evolution?

  

  A choice to evolve your body and soul on a fundamental level, derived from the base species of creature. You won’t need to worry about that one just yet. But it will be a choice that cannot be undone, and may exclude or modify some evolution abilities.

  At any rate, new Evolution and Witch Abilities are available. All prior options not selected are also available.

  [NEW] Luck Ward (hex, magical, blessing): the target gains unusual luck, turning glancing hits into blows, deadly blows into near misses, or other favorable outcomes. Intelligence increases the duration and chance of success. Soul increases the effect and range of luck.

  [New] Ice Hex (hex, magical, ice): cast a freezing hex on a foe, or a small target area. The ice is affected normally by heat, cold, and force applied to it, and melts after a short period. Intelligence increases the maximum area and duration. Endurance increases the freezing rate.

  [NEW] Silent Scales (stealth): You slide across surfaces effortlessly, and make less noise. Agility and Perception increase the sound dampening.

  [NEW] Powerful Constriction (physical, grapple): The coils of your body are weapons in and of themselves. This ability increases your current constriction effectiveness and damage, and increases your damage resistance to all physical blows when using such a grapple or constriction attack. Vitality increases damage. Endurance increases damage resistance and types of damage resisted.

  Neska considered these, along with the remaining growing ability options. There was, indeed, a cost to holding points indefinitely, as she could be using those abilities now and increasing their effectiveness. Vivi, how much does a rank increase affect an evolution or hex?

  

  A rank-up represents an improvement accrued from your proficiency or usage of them, increasing damage, protection, speed of such abilities or effects, as applicable. Numerically…rank (10) represents the pinnacle of what you would be capable of with such an ability, given your current physical form and soul strength.

  Can it go higher?

  

  It can. Prime Evolutions increase the maximum proficiency cap based on the Tier. However, each ability or evolution does start at rank 1.

  Some improve faster than others. My hexes levelled faster. Same with my venom. More usage, or do I pick them up quicker?

  

  Many factors go into it. The rank is a simplification of the ability or evolution.

  She briefly paused her thoughts as they got underway. Jurik took a cautious lead, now properly armed and armored. Juni didn’t have armor, but she was equipped with a small satchel of glass vials filled with the glowing fluids. The red one was a healing one. But Neska didn’t know what the blue or green ones were. They must have other effects.

  They made fast travel, though Jurik’s head seemed to be on a swivel. Juni assured him she couldn’t feel anything big with her [Tremor Sense]. Neska took the time to consider her next picks.

  She hadn’t picked many hexes yet. They were powerful, and she had certainly invested a lot of points into intelligence. But other aspects of these abilities gave her pause. She should try to combine witch hexes with her own evolution abilities to optimize, give her options to deal with wolves, and whatever else the world was going to throw at her. The Hexes had been effective, though not as damaging to the things that would hunt her.

  A casual glance at her evolutions made her realize they were more geared toward her survival capabilities and offensive tactics. And the Prime Evolution was unknown to her. She should still try to maximize using her high intelligence for hexes and other tied abilities, and work on upping the others. However, two of her Titles had given her attributes a bonus. Perhaps there were more?

  She needed a more powerful offense and chose two abilities, both with considerable flexibility.

  

  Powerful Constriction selected.

  Ember Hex selected.

  She felt the coils of her body tighten and ache dully for a moment as her evolution triggered. She stopped her motion, and Juni saw her falter, waving to her.

  “You uh…okay?” Juni asked softly. Neska nodded after a moment, then showed her new abilities on her display. Apparently, she didn't need to show the entire status screen. Just what she mentally focused on.

  Jurik paused when he saw the update. “More offense? Good. The [Ember Hex], I think, is one of the early ones. If you can hold it channeled long enough, you can burn or melt almost anything.”

  Neska scratched in words in the dirt. {Know? how?}

  He glanced around cautiously before kneeling. “The classes and their abilities are known to many. Up until the highest tiers, that is. Those are more…fluid, depending on the individual. We know less about the monster evolutions, however. The academy is both studying the Awakened and training them.”

  He rose and dusted off his knees. “We should keep moving. It shouldn’t be long now before we’re at Bregin."

  “I find it a little odd that we haven’t seen a single traveller,” Juni said, eyes glancing down the way they came. “This road should have more…right?”

  “I noticed, too.” He tapped his sword twice, then his hand drifted away. “We should approach slowly once we get within range of the town limits. Oh, one more thing."

  He knelt to direct his attention to Neska. "You understand that sharing anything on the Interface is risky. Do so only on an as-needed basis. I understand why you did it with Juni. Just remember that any insight into your abilities can be something foes can use to try and counter you."

  She nodded and jotted in the dirt. {Understood. Thank you.} Unless circumstances dictated it, she'd heed Risha's advice.

  Their wariness about their approach wasn’t for nothing. Neska sensed something was wrong when the town's barrier wall became visible around the road bend, and she saw the gate all scratched up, but still standing. There were signs of battle--arrows stuck in the ground, patches of burned grass, and, more worrying, dead wolves piled just outside the gate. Some of them were larger than the ones they encountered; much larger, and likely more dangerous. Jurik kept his hand on his longsword, jaw clenched, and eyes narrowed as he surveyed the guards moving bodies.

  “Damn. The wolves gave up on us and instead attacked the town.” The way he said it suggested he felt responsible for what happened. The town was standing, but it wasn’t all good news as Neska took a look. They were preparing a pyre for the remains, not just the wolves, either, but for ominous canvas-covered, roughly human-sized figures. She felt a trickle of emotion that froze her motion, unable to look away from the sight before her. She wanted to, but couldn’t.

  This was an uncomfortably familiar scene from only a day ago, and the image burned an ironclad resolution into her mind.

  Monsters who murder humans are on my hunting list. Let's see what we can learn here, and whether there's more to come.

  One of the guards turned, then let out a shout upon spotting the three of them. "Hands in the air!" he shouted out.

  Jurik and Juni slowly raised their hands, while Neska let out an internal sigh and raised her tail into the air, hoping this was sufficient.

  Really, now, that's just mean.

  (author scurries back into his snek burrow)

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