He scribbled in the notebook, while the others watched. “Tier ones. Essentially, monsters just out of their eggs, or fresh from the rift. We treat the two the same. For the former of the two, they can represent a variant of the natural creatures of the world. Wolves, deer, mice, livestock, and various others.” He drew a triangle showing the tally marks. “Most monsters reside here or at the low levels of Tiers, and are manageable by First or Second-tier humans with training. But the challenge is their numbers, as you saw a few days ago.”
He drew a few more tally marks and sketched out something that looked like Felix–the wolven humanoid. “When a monster accumulates enough essence points, it will transform from the concentrated essence of mana in its body, forming an evolutionary cocoon between forms.The base of the creature will also determine its maximum tier.”
“I thought any monster could reach a high tier,” Juni interjected, raising one paw slowly.
The veteran shook his head. “I can get to that in a moment. The wolves could have evolved into something like Felix, a Second Tier; his seemed to be a rarer variant. From there, there are a few variants they can evolve to, again, with enough essence points. The monsters and the Awakened can’t evolve into just anything."
“Feeds,” Hadley murmured. “Monsters eating humans? They get the maximum essence. Killing a human does nothing for them.”
“Incorrect. It hastens the process, but like our training, they can evolve without such means, and not all monsters eat meat. But some do provide…” Jurik halted, as if searching for a word.
“Snacks for the road?” the mouse asked anxiously.
“That’s unfortunately the truth–a food web they sustain. The Awakened gain essence by defeating other monsters, using their abilities, or through other means of exerting themselves in the world, similar to how classes work. Eating a monster doesn’t have an effect except for sustenance.”
Neska hadn’t given thought to consuming Zhuren, other than wasting the meal. “We instruct the newly Awakened never to eat a humanoid. It…it’s not a good image," Jurik concluded.
“No, it’s not,” Juni added, shaking her head. “So, how high a tier can I reach?”
“For a terramouse? Fourth Tier. If other, higher tiers exist for that particular species, they are not documented.” Jurik sketched a mouselike humanoid, and sketched another human for scale. They appeared almost the same height. “Third tier is when the monsters or Awakened start resembling a humanoid in appearance, or can take that shape. Some choose not to. Some evolve to become more monstrous.”
{How many tiers?} Neska wrote down.
Jurik sketched out a few more lines through the triangle. “The highest that we know of, between classes and monsters respectively, is the fifth tier. Very few examples exist of either. It may surprise you, but dragons are native to the world. And they are classified as fourth tier already, possibly fifth.”
But my core has potential for sixth. Was the Interface wrong? Or, is this something that isn't widely known? She also pondered that dragons were not technically monsters. They didn't originate from the rifts. Did they?
{Or, were there monsters already in the world, and not acting with malice?} Neska tapped out the question, with Jurik leaning back, rubbing his chin.
“This is where there is some debate. Some monsters did and do exist in the world, and they did so before the rifts. Tiers assigned to them are…subjective, since I don’t believe they evolve as the riftbound ones do. It's likely tied to the Interface. But they are creatures obsessed with decimating humanoid locations. The natural monsters formed a balance with the natural world, in a way, a stable ecological web. Goblins are just unnatural,” he muttered.
“They’re so…revolting,” Juni gagged. Hadley couldn’t help but chuckle softly at the mouse girl’s reaction. “They’re just a step below humanoid smarts, but they’re so gross.”
“They shit and piss everywhere. Or worse, coat their weapons in them. So revolting. It’s why a healer is mandatory when fighting them,” Hadley said, wearing a contented smile. “At least they’re not smart enough to duck when arrows start flying.”
“Yes, and fortunately, they don’t evolve. I don’t believe they have an Interface. Though there are a few reports of unusual goblins with physical or even magical traits," Jurik surmised. “Another example: there have been dragons that have turned to monsters. No one knows exactly how the process works when converting a native species. They’re…dangerous, regardless.”
Neska had a funny feeling that Jurik’s war wounds might have resulted from a close encounter with a dragon, or maybe some other fire-aligned creature. “What matters is that you should know your monster. An equal-tiered monster means you’ve got a good chance of beating it, or a great chance. Monsters often lack the training to use their abilities efficiently. This is less so for those closer to a humanoid shape; it’s possible to battle a tier higher by yourself…but two tiers? You would need a dedicated team.”
The discussion continued intermittently, with the wagon stopping intermittently to feed the horses. Neska also had to go hunt up some food afterward. Maybe it was a subconscious thing: hunters preferred solitary conditions. To be seen was to fail in your hunt.
Or, maybe it was because she didn’t want Juni to see her making short work of a couple of forest lizards for a late lunch. Juni had nibbled on dried grains and fruits from what she had seen on the wagon.
She returned a short while later, her belly no longer full. It annoyed her that she didn’t feel the fullness of the meal for long. Maybe it had been some subconscious assurance that she wouldn’t need to eat for a while, and now, her new biology just absorbed it quicker.
One thing she could take comfort in was that she wouldn’t be eating humans, even if she wanted to. She’d never get one to fit in her mouth.
She froze as that uncomfortable thought sank in. I don’t like the idea of eating humans, right? No, no, definitely not. I definitely would not like the wriggle of their limbs as my body slowly broke them down inside me.
She didn’t know what this thought was, but she could do with a whole lot less of it. And preferably never again.
She hoped Felix was lying. She hoped this thought was merely that, and not an infectious desire that would grow. I'm stronger-willed than you, Felix. I won't ever give up my humanity.
No matter what.
As the sun neared the horizon, they set up camp. The remainder of the evening dwindled to idle talk between each other. Neska’s handwriting slowly developed as she practiced, and they discussed their plans once they reached the academy.
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Jurik had vowed to stick close to Juni and Neska until he was needed at the front again. Hadley would return with the escort once they had done their business, though based on her demeanor, Neska imagined she was in no hurry to return to fresh graves and grieving widows.
As for Neska, she still had only two clues: get stronger and find Professor Serkin and Professor Melissa. The crystal around her nape was a mystery for another day, for now. Eventually, Neska grew restless and withdrew to practice more. It wouldn’t be easy, certainly not for testing her venom. But the hexes and a few of her other abilities were doable.
The evening air was soon filled with the high-pitched hum and audible crack as mana bolts shot through the air, each one leaving a crack in a thin tree trunk. She was getting the hang of aiming with her tail as the evening continued, and she used her extra Soul to pace herself to replenish her mana at a sustainable rate.
Using her ability left her feeling empty, not in the physical sense. She could gauge it by the chill that settled in along her scales and spine that grew more numbing, even rising to a biting pain, as she reached her limit.
Vivi, any chance we could guess what my mana reserves are? Numerically speaking?
It is not possible. Physical and magical reserves vary greatly due to too many factors. Your 'capacity' for mana on a good day under optimal conditions may be statistically different compared to if you are exhausted, or your mental willpower is sapped.
So, go by my gut instinct. Learn the feel of my limit. I can push myself here, safely.
More [Mana Bolts] sailed through the air. She varied her attack routines while pacing her fire rate to avoid slipping into deep exhaustion. First, she tried to cluster her shots at the same location. At first, her bolts still had an inaccurate spread.
After firing five volleys of five, her grouping was improving a little. She pictured a circle that could contain all the impact points, and it was getting a little smaller. If she needed to hit a specific target area, that might be possible at a decent range now.
But still no skill increase.
She needed to push harder. Push her to the limits of her mana reservoir, maybe? She didn’t like that feeling of cold and numbness, but…if she could keep pushing, perhaps those limits would loosen?
She kept going.
Bolt after mana bolt drove deeper into the trunk. The cold seeped into her scales, numbing her. This was now an endurance firing rate. Consistent fire, to maintain pressure.
She kept firing, dodging against a presumptive foe who wouldn’t stay still or let her get off that many attacks at once. A massive crack split the trunk from top to bottom.
She pictured Marikand, the demon in the armor, each blow driving through him.
Your day is coming, monster.
The last bolt sailed through the air and split the tree down the middle, bark flying off and the halves crashing to the ground.
Her breath came in tiny gasps, and she felt lightheaded. However, there was one small detail that brought an internal smile.
Ability Proficiency Increased
Mana Bolt 6 > Mana Bolt 7
She felt like she might faint, but seeing that number go up, pushing herself in this way? It felt good. She’d do whatever it took to stop the monsters.
She heard a soft cough behind her. Jurik and Juni were standing there calmly, with Juni’s tail wrapped around Jurik’s legs. She waved at her.
Jurik sighed and wore a wry smile. “Now, what in the world did that tree do to you?”
Neska motioned to Juni, still clutching her pad, and wrote something.
{We needed firewood.}
This brought a laugh from both of them, and Jurik posed casually, waving to the field. “How about we do some real practice?”
After a short breather and a conveniently timed snack in the form of a chicken egg, Neska was back to training, testing other abilities while jotting down notes and theories on her hexes.
She was satisfied with the slight change to [Mana Bolt], but needed to increase the others. [Rooting Hex], her first, was the next one she tested out. She had an inkling of an idea, having had a faint connection to the ability. No, maybe even root themselves. She tapped the pad, surprising Jurik. {Why can I sense the roots?}
“You’re already attaining manual control?” She tilted her head to indicate her confusion, while dismissing the currently writhing tangle of roots from a nearby tree. Jurik continued after the roots dissipated. “The deeper you go into an ability, the more your proficiency–the boundary between the Interface and your own abilities tends to blur, or entirely disappear. It allows for more precision and a more powerful effect. Many describe the Interface as a tool of guidance, not the source of power itself.”
{Feel roots. Collectively.} She couldn’t focus on a single root, but she could feel the tendrils digging through the earth, parting the dirt and other material beneath the area of effect. There were many variables in play, but the roots still felt weak.
If Jurik could chop through them with ease, monsters of higher tiers would certainly not have any difficulty. It scaled on Vitality, and that was far from her strongest Attribute. Which left…
{What if I used more [Rooting Hex] traps instead? Working separately?} Jurik held his sword poised gently, having decided to volunteer.
“If you can root me, I’d say that’s a good start.” He seemed to enjoy being a test subject, having also worked a few sets of practice dodging Juni’s [Terra Spikes].
So, Neska practiced her [Rooting Hex] repeatedly, trying to catch Jurik off-guard. She was tempted to combine it with multiple types of hexes, but understanding the one first was key.
What she noticed was that after a while, she didn’t need to trigger the interface to activate the Hex. It became almost a reflexive action. She felt the roots shiver under her control and sensed where there were more of them.
She kept up the effort. Jurik leaped and dodged as she tried to launch root traps from all angles, and dismissed them when they failed to ensnare him. She could get roots to erupt from earth, stone, and other existing vegetation--
Wait. That feels important. Anything that's a plant? Now that she thought about it, Risha had grown roots from the planters.
Hmm. If I want him to fall into it…I need to bait him. Force him to go in a certain direction. She had a plan, now–the veteran warrior clearly had battled against someone similar to her, or some other foe with a means of entanglement.
She reached out mentally with the roots, digging them deep, setting up a wider field, with fewer roots. She gave mental nudges to dig, and lay just below the surface. Then, she fired off the feint, with the obvious [Rooting Hex].
Jurik dodged nimbly, just as she triggered the broader field of roots that started swinging around in a wide spread, lashing and making him dodge with less precognitive grace, and more sheer reaction. She prepared another root trap, forcing him to swerve back into the widely distributed field, dodging past and cutting through thrashing vines and roots.
Then, he flicked out his blade, cutting his thumb, and aimed the molten jet at her. She was already in motion, having expected he might up the difficulty, and used [Spring Scales] to leap to safety. The patch of grass she had jumped from was now nothing but a puddle of fire.
But the move was costly. Her final hex triggered roots to burst out of the tree behind him, and she managed to loop a few roots around his legs, tripping him to the ground. He cut through them a second later, but he smiled proudly, despite the landing.
Jurik let out a slow exhale, sweat beading off his body. “Very good. Looks like I had to shake things up a bit. Against a monster, you wouldn’t be just firing off hexes one way.”
“You didn’t say anything about shooting back!” Juni shrilled, her whiskers on end.
Jurik nodded, then put away his weapon. Neska took that as her indication that training was done for now. “Correct. I did not. I commend the change-up of her tactics. I had a feeling she was testing it out.”
Neska flicked out her tongue, not even for tasting, but for mild annoyance. Of course, I was testing it. I can’t wait for arms. Or legs. She also noted an unusual message just now.
Ability Proficiency increased
Rooting Hex 9 > Rooting Hex 10 (MAX)
You have reached the capstone of this ability for your current Tier. Advance in Tier to continue leveling this ability.
Well, that’s unfortunate. I can’t increase my proficiency with it? Then again, Neska was only a snake–using hexes was already supposed to be impossible for her, yet here they were. She jotted a short note for the two of them, with Jurik nodding at the Interface display.
“I figured that might be coming. It’s getting late now, but when we rest, we should train these up, using the other abilities. It’s slower than fighting monsters, but still produces results. Juni, you too. You might be just past Second Tier, but Neska will likely catch up.”
Juni wrinkled her nose. “Easier said than done. I don’t plan on falling behind. Especially since this legless wonder does have some synergy with my abilities,” she added with a playful wink.
If Neska could, she’d be scowling at that cheeky mouse. Oh, getting bold, are you? Guess I'd better figure out what else we can combine our abilities on.
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