Mato We’re not out yet. Keep alert.

  Mato held his emotions in check as he followed Ali out of the shattered stone doors of the ruined underground city, heading towards what she assured him was the forest cavern above. She was clearly emotional as they left the dark Kobold-ied ruins behind, but he remained vigint, keeping an eye on the shadows just in case.

  He limped a little as he walked, pain throbbing through the partially healed muscles that had been shredded by the bone sword of the Kobold Swordmaster. I didn’t wait long enough in Ali’s restoration circle, he thought, but he didn’t feel a. Ali had seemed eager – b on desperate – to leave the dangerous ruins, and he couldn’t say he didn’t feel the same way. The remaining injuries would heal in time – he had his regeion aura now.

  They followed the broad, rocky tunnel for what seemed like ages, but despite his vigint gnces into every shadowed nook, all remained quiet, save for the soft trickle of water seeping through cracks in the rod the sounds of their own footsteps. His fears that new monsters might leap out to front them began to disperse as the passage slowly broadened and fttened out. Eventually, he stepped out into a broad, familiar underground cavern, filled with the mind-bogglingly enormous, bed tree trunks that supported the untable tons of rocky roof far above his head.

  Never in his life would he have believed he’d be so happy to find himself in a dark hole underground.

  Ali’s excitement was growing with every step, and it was hard to not be pulled along with it. As she led the way around a rge trunk, he suddenly found himself standing at the edge of the a Grove. Ali’s moss carpeted the ground, lit by the tiny glowing mushrooms lining the stohway and surrounding the looming dimly glowing mass of the shriself. Strewn across the open space were the still-glowing golden shards and fragments – remnants of the magic Ali had said preserved her through the ages.

  Ali let out a whoop of joy and grabbed his hand, drawing him to the ter of the moss-covered clearing to sit beside the shrine. His heart nearly stopped at the electric jolt of her touch – a spontaneous e, pure and unmarred by fear and terror. The surge of relief he felt as he lowered himself to sit – safe now in the familiar Grove – was so powerful it made him lightheaded.

  Or perhaps I’m just dizzy because we haveen for over a week. I could eat this moss!

  He sat quietly on the springy moss, enjoying Ali’s joyous smile.

  We made it.

  The thought slowly percoted through his mind aled in as he finally let himself rex. We really made it out, somehow. He struggled to fully accept the truth after so long being trapped down there.

  They had very nearly died. Many times. Mato reflected on their ordeal, as his eyes roamed around the safe space, still half expeg to see the shadows move or hear the chirping calls of Kobolds or the g ungainly movement of a skeleton. He knew he preferred to take life as it came – and liked to say it would all work out in the end. But…

  I almost killed her down there.

  This thought weighed on him, refusing to let go. All through his childhood, he had looked out for , proteg him from the bullies who wao prey on the slender Half-elf. He was big and powerful, and was smart – it was only natural that he would take the punches and fight back, while would look out for him when they o think their way out of problems. It wasn’t really a sideration; it was simply how things were.

  When he had first seen Ali, he had followed his instincts, jumping in to protect her from the wolves. It had felt natural and right – and somewhere along the way she had bee a friend. But he had lost trol of his power down in the darkness, and he had hurt her. The sound of her bones g in his jaws, her screams, the blind fury of his rage, and the taste of her blood filling his mouth would haunt him for the rest of his life.

  He didn’t know how to be anymore. His instincts told him he should protect her as his friend. But down in the ruins, she had looked at him with the same terror she looked at the monsters.

  I am a monster.

  He shook his head, trying to dismiss the deeply disturbing thoughts. Thoughts that had been easier to suppress while they were in danger, fighting for their lives, now gushed up inside him and threateo overwhelm his heart.

  She got a new skill at level tehought, sudden hope shining through the dark turmoil weighing on his heart. Maybe I fix this? Their st battle had been hard, unbelievably so, and he had been level eight when they had engaged. Ali and her minions had dohe bulk of the damage, but surely he must have earned something from the fight?

  With an equal mix of hope and trepidation, he approached the glowing tree in his mind and asked it for the notifications he had suppressed earlier.

  Yroup has defeated Fire Mage – Kobold – level 17.Yroup has defeated Dagger Rogue – Kobold – level 14.Yroup has defeated Warrior – Undead Skeleton – level 11.Yroup has defeated Slinger – Kobold – level 11-13 x2.Yroup has defeated Swordmaster – Kobold – level 21.

  He stared at the st kill notification as a torrent of emotions and memories of the fight coursed through him. He, a level eight Druid, should not have survived against a level twenty-one Swordmaster. A dungeon boss, if his guess was correct. He knew just how close it had been. So many times, he really had lost trol to the rage, and it was only his armor and the fact that his healing magic restored his health over time that had dragged him back from the brink again and again. He had no idea how he had even remembered to use his Brutal Restoration skill in the haze of his mindless rage – perhaps Ali’s voice screaming for him to use his heal would haunt his dreams.

  Druidic Shapeshifter has reached level 11 (+3).+30 attribute points.

  The st, simple notification truly underscored the incredible risk and danger of the fight for him.

  If Ali hadn’t been there with her mosquito bolts and shouts …

  After learning to make Kobolds, Ali’s summoner css had really begun to reveal its power. If she hadn’t been able t five strong Kobolds and empower them with her new minion damage skill, they would be slowly cooling corpses down there in the darkness right now. And even then, she had still lost most of her creatures, and the two of them had barely escaped with their lives.

  Arboreal Sanctuary has reached level 7.Swipe has reached level 7 (+2).Brutal Restoration has reached level 9.Bear Form has reached level 8.Primal Rage has reached level 8 (+2).

  Identify has reached level 6.

  Css skill slot unlocked.

  There it is. Yes! The notificatio a ripple of plex emotion through him. Just like Ali, he had unlocked a new css skill slot upon reag level ten. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, daring to hope. Many people believed that the skills offered were reted to your achievements, natural aptitude, or even your needs and desires.

  He desperately hoped the tter was true.

  I will do it regardless, he vowed, resolving to repce Primal Rage with anything he was offered, no matter how bad. I just hope it’s not too terrible.

  He opened his eyes ahe first skill.

  New skills are avaible for Druidic Shapeshifter.

  New skill unlocked.

  Css level has reached 1th has surpassed 35.Defended against multiple higher-level melee attackers simultaneously.

  Bestial batRequires: Shapeshifted form.You are profit at fighting while shapeshifted, using natural ons and forms.Stamina: Block a Melee attack, redug damage taken proportional tth and skill. Blocked attacks ot cause critical damage. Physical, Melee, Defense, Mastery, Strength

  He could scarcely believe his eyes as he read through the Bestial bat skill a sed time, verifying that yes, his css was him a different dire. A physical bat mastery skill focused on shapeshifting instead e and the amount of damage he took.

  Do other people get more thaion for this? Or was it offered because of what happened? He doubted he would get an answer any time soon.

  It seems … perfect?

  The passive proficy with fighting in shapeshifted form sounded entig. Sounds like it might be a skill-based improvement. It had the Mastery skill trait, so he might o practice the same way trained with his bow. Blog melee attacks sourong – perhaps a bit on the defensive side, but right now he was willing to accept anything to repce Primal Rage. Again, something he would o get a feel for, but nowhere in the description did it even hint about losing trol of his mind – and that made the skill perfect.

  Obviously, the loss of Primal Rage would severely impact the amount of damage he did, but if he never had to see the fear on the face of his friends again, it would be more than worth it.

  New skill unlocked.

  Css level has reached 10.Killed more than ten enemies above your css level.Wrath of NatureMana: Fire a bolt of nature magic to strike your enemies. Range: 30 yards.Nature, Ranged, Intelligence

  Wrath of Nature seemed to be a pure damage skill, w from the safety e. I don’t have any ratacks, he thought, with the teical exception of his bear-form charge.

  Is ranged damage a smart choice? He repyed the fights against Kobolds in the darkened ruins. Nowhere in any of their fights could he think of a pce where the range might have made the difference. , I wish I had your advice right now. His friend always came up with smart dedus, excellent insight, and saw the details that Mato often missed. He loved to read up on this kind of stuff too, and Mato simply never had the patience for that. And now he was forced to front the decision on his own.

  I’m always ihick of things, he finally decided. His ret traumatic experieh Primal Rage notwithstanding, Mato knew he enjoyed being up in the front of the battle. He mentally noted Wrath of Nature as his backup in case there was nothier.

  New skill unlocked.

  Css level has reached 10.Wisdom has reached at least 20.Fought and survived in multiple shapeshifted forms.Natural ProwessThree of your attributes appropriate to your form are increased by + [40 + skill + base wisdom / 10] %. Mana: Wisdom, Intelligence, and Perception are increased. Beastkin, Reserve: 20%Stamina: Endurance, Vitality, and Strength are increased. Bear Form, Reserve: 20%Stamina: Perceptioerity, and Strength are increased. Wolf Form, Reserve: 20%Nature, Buff, Wisdom

  As soon as Mato read his third and final skill , Natural Prowess, his decision was made. A straight-up boost to his attributes would suit him perfectly. Both and Malika already had a simir skill, and he had seen just how effective they were. And this skill would have made a big differeo every fight in the ruins – which passed his test.

  Cautiously happy, he selected Natural Prowess for his newly unlocked skill slot.

  You have gaihe css skill Natural Prowess.

  Now for the real test.

  He called up the list of skills avaible to him and chose Bestial bat from the two remaining options.

  No free skill slots avaible, choose a skill to repce.

  He selected Primal Rage.

  Primal Rage will be repced with Bestial bat, all skill levels will be lost.

  He firmed the rept without hesitation.

  You have lost the css skill Primal Rage.You have gaihe css skill Bestial bat.

  Immediately, he felt a lightness suffuse his entire body, as if a heavy weight had been dropped from his shoulders and the terrifying skill was relegated to the list of unchosen skills, o be touched again.

  He let out a deep sigh and just sat there for a few moments.

  I think I have enough vitality for the moment. He sidered his thirty attribute points. He spent a few points to increase his lowest attributes, and then split the remainder among strength, wisdom, and endurance. He switched to his Bear Form and enabled Natural Prowess to check his bat status.

  Name: Mato BahrRace: BeastkinBuffs: Bear Form, Natural Prowess

  Css: Druidic Shapeshifter – level 11- Arboreal Sanctuary – level 7- Swipe – level 7- Brutal Restoration – level 9- Bear Form – level 8- Wolf Form – level 2- Bestial bat – level 1- Natural Prowess – level 1- [Locked]- [Locked]- [Locked]

  General Skills- Identify – level 6- Cooking – level 4- Wilderness Lore – level 5

  Aptitudes- Languages: o- Mana (Affinity): Nature- Strong (Racial): +7 Strength- Tough (Racial): +10 Endurance

  Attributes- Vitality: 86 (+26)- Strength: 60 (+18)- Endurance: 61 (+18)- Dexterity: 8- Perception: 7- Intelligence: 9- Wisdom: 28

  Armor: 289Physical Damage Redu: 48.4%

  Health: 860/860Stamina: 488/610 (122 Reserved)Mana: 280/280

  He had lost a lot of skill levels by removing Primal Rage, but he was relieved to have made the ge.

  I just level up the new skills, he thought, sidering the ges carefully. It might take a little while, but the time ied would be a small price to pay for peaind. Oher hand, Natural Prowess had just boosted his vitality, strength, and endurance signifitly. His body felt powerful, just standing there. On bahis ge looked like it would improve his bat abilities more in the lohan his old skill, and it would tio get better as he developed his two new skills.

  He released his Bear Form feeling a strange snap as Natural Prowess switched over from reserving stamina to mana, and his attribute enhas ged to match his form. He breathed deeply, surprised by just how much tension had simply evaporated with the ge.

  “It’s gone,” he said to Ali who was sittio him, looking somereoccupied. Presumably, she was busy with her otifications just like he was.

  “What is?”

  At her puzzled look he eborated, “I repced Primal Rage. I won’t lose trol again.”

  She stared at him for a long time before speaking. “Thank you, Mato.” She let out a heavy sigh, and the tension in her shoulders and face visibly melted away.

  “I’m really sorry,” he apologized once more. “I came very close to losing it during that st fight, too. Thank you for staying with me, I would never have made it out alive without you.”

  “I was terrified.” Ali spoke quietly, staring off into the dark cavern. “Not just of you. The Kobolds, the rogues in particur, and the withdrawal. Thanks f to keep my spirits up even when I had lost hope. I would have given up without you.”

  Mato sat quietly for a moment, slowly realizing that Ali didn’t actually hate him. She is much more fiving than I would have been.

  “How long do you think your domain withdrawal will take to heal?” he asked eventually.

  “It’s already gettier,” she answered, smiling. “Probably a couple of hours.”

  “Will you be ok by yourself if I go report and Malika missing to the garrison ander and see if there’s any news?” he asked. “I’m worried about them.” It had been over a week. I hope they’re still alive.

  “Yes, I have my rogue,” she answered, pointing to the dark Kobold standing guard. “And I make another one just in case. It will be good to figure out if they need help. e a me when you find out anything?”

  Nodding, Mato got up and headed to the town above. I o swing by the house. Mom will be worried sick. And Ali is probably starving.

  Aliandra

  Ali sat cross-legged on her moss carpet o the shrine, sav the sensation of her domain withdrawal slowly dissolving. She wouldn’t be able to do mutil she had fully recovered from her withdrawal, so she had watched Mato head up to town on his own to see if he could discover what had bee of Malika and .

  Aloh her thoughts, and in her familiar space, the panid fear of the traumatic days in the underground ruins of her old city slowly began to fade.

  When did this new Grove start to feel like home? It had certainly featured regurly in her dreams while she was struggling to survive. At first, she had grieved for the loss of her parents, her city, and particurly the Grove as it had been before. But now she felt like this new pce was hers. Perhaps it was the familiarity of the shrine, but there were also the small details of her moss and the tiiful glowing fairy rings of mushrooms she had created from her own magic.

  Ali had told Mato she had been close to giving up. She hadn’t told him just how close she had e.

  I am weak.

  She recalled her terror as the rogue ambushed her. Her fear of the fire-wielding Kobold mages. Her fear of running out of health due to her domain. Ali had been so deathly afraid of everything that was happening to her, that often she had been ready to lie down in the darkness and simply wait for it all to end. As she sat in quiet ption, she realized that she had been carried along by the tide of events ever sihe day Nevyn Eld had destroyed Dal’mohra. The only real decision she had made was her css choice. Even the choice of her level ten skill, Martial Insight, had been dictated by circumstance, rather than her own preference.

  I o start making more active choices. I’m weak, and if I ’t y own path, I will stay weak.

  She opehe description for her skill.

  Martial Insight – level 5Your mana emp your summoned creatures now carries your accumuted experience. Your creatures gain +46.1% [40 + skill + perception / 10] to bat abilities. Martial Insight only gains experience when you observe your minions’ bat.Nature, Minion, Mastery, Perception

  Even just at level five, her skill had already begun to show its power. The growing bonus to bat abilities had been vastly more effective than she could have hoped for. Her Kobolds’ damage and defenses had been inparably stronger, and it was abundantly clear that this skill had saved them. There really hadn’t been enough time to find another exit, and Martial Insight had been the key that allowed them to pass the Kobold Swordmaster guarding the exit. And his skill, she thought. If she were ho, the sheer power of Mato’s Berserker rage had been just as crucial to defeating the monsters.

  I wanted Are Insight.

  The thought popped unbidden into her mind. It seemed like a silly thing now, perhaps a little petunt, but the ability to see mana and magi a had always captured her imagination and her heart. Somehow, she couldn’t let go of it. If she hadn’t been in dire circumstances, she would never have picked Martial Insight over Are Insight, but now that she had experienced how powerful the skill was, she couldn’t discard it in good sce. Maybe I repething else, like Mato did?

  My two least used skills are Runic Script and Sage of Learning, she thought, sing through her skill list. She was at least moderately annoyed with Sage for ing her mana at the most inopportune moments – including in the middle of a life-or-death battle – but she was simirly relut to part with either of them.

  They’re both a part of who I want to be.

  She sidered Barrier and Are Bolt briefly, but they were her bat mainstays. I definitely ot afford to give up these. No way. What would Malika say?

  Her gaze settled on Grasping Roots. This was the skill that locked dues from getting to her once she entahem. And Ali was still traumatized by those dreams ues hiding behind her in every shadow, daggers ready to stab.

  But I really want to see magic…

  Ali agonized over her skills, vacilting fes.

  What if I ?

  But… mana sight!

  Eventually, she sat bad sighed. Mato sed his skill out, she thought, suddenly remembering that he had said his Primal Rage hadn’t gone away – it had simply been relegated to his list of ued skill s.

  That means I should be able to s it back if I o… I think.

  She immediately selected Are Insight from the list of avaible skills.

  No free skill slots avaible, choose a skill to repce.

  Choosing Grasping Roots in respoo the prompt, her notification chime sounded again.

  Grasping Roots will be repced with Are Insight, all skill levels will be lost.

  She paused. I will lose all the levels I earned on Grasping Roots. Deg that the experiment would be worth it, she firmed the choice.

  You have lost the css skill Grasping Roots.

  You have gaihe css skill Are Insight. You have lost the aptitude Mana Sense.

  She heard the chime and her vision exploded as her mind saturated with a sudden, enormous sensory overload. Searing light hammered into her mind like a dense green Fireball had beeonated within her skull.

  What? She stumbled, falling to the ground.

  She squeezed her eyes shut, but the brilliance tinued unabated, projected directly into her mind by the unhinged skill. ed with fusion and pairuggled with it for a while, eventually realizing she couldn’t turn it off. She brought up the skill description again looking for anything to expin what was happening.

  Are Insight – level 1You see mana. Are, Perception

  Relieved that she could still see the notifications, she read over the text three times, but it gave her no answers. The description was simple, there was no cost to using the skill meaning it would always be on. Much like her Sage of Learning, she couldn’t trol it.

  The pain of her headache and sensory overload pounded inside her head, causing her substantial disfort even though her enduraribute was supposedly helping her ma. It’s not quite the same situation, but maybe the same approach might help? Are Insight didn’t list exactly how, but the perception trait implied that the skill scaled somehow with the attribute.

  It’s worth a try.

  Carefully, she spent a point on perception, notig that the iy of the light shifted. It isn’t necessarily better, but something definitely ged. She spent points slowly, notig how the light began to crify. When she had spent ten points on perception, she could clearly tell that the light was emanating upward from the ground.

  That’s odd. She tilted her head to gain a different angle, causing a sudden intensification of the stabbing pain behind her eyes.

  Are Insight has reached level 2.

  The distin suddenly crified dramatically. The extraordinary light emanated from the ground in viridian streamers, zily trailing upward as it flowed like a soft mist or an aurora inating from below. The intense brilliance hadn’t faded, but it seemed muanageable.

  It’s ing from the moss!

  Suddenly, it clicked. Of course! It’s my domain… A domain, by its very nature, was an intense aura of magical energy. No wo was sht. I’m doing this to myself. Genius.

  “Help me,” she said in Draic, calling her Kobue over. She made it guide her to the edge of the domain, stumbling all the way – she still couldn’t trust her vision. In the shifting brilliance of her surroundings, she noticed a core kernel of gold and green deep ihe Kobold’s chest. Ali puzzled over the effect. Is that my reserved mana?

  At the edge of her domain, she was fronted by something just as inexplicable. The entire cavern was filled with swirling streams of brilliant darkness. She deliberated on the apparent tradi in her mind, but it was the best expnation she had. Somehow, what she was seeing looked like a brilliantly intense light show, but the colors were inexplicably bd a malevolent dark purple. Watg it made her queasy i of her stomach. Corruption? A different kind of mana? Is this Nevyn Eld’s legacy?

  Ali retreated into her domain on the arm of her Kobold, who seemed worried by her strange behavior. She sat down, and then finally y ft on her back, disc that upward was the least painful dire to be looking. The moss tickled the back of her neck, a delightful remihat she was no longer down in the ruins, forced to sleep on the cold and dusty stone floors, with creepy Bone Skitterers trying to crawl all over her.

  After lying on the ground for a few minutes, Ali decided to try something. Raising her hand, she created a small barrier disk. Against the dark backdrop of the cavern roof, she studied the mana that created the golden magical struct. It glowed with far more brilliahan when she had viewed it with only her mundane senses. With her new sight, she could see how the mana structured itself within the struct – an ordered arrahat seemed almost crystalline. Unlike her moss, which ewing mana in all dires, her barrier ly straihe mana in what looked to be a much more effit arra.

  , she tried the same test with her Are Bolt skill, choosing a distant tree trunk as her target. The golden bolts appeared much like the barrier, but they maed small eddies and flows of mana around the outside of eae.

  Is that how it moves?

  Whatever the reason, Ali was fasated to see how the magic worked. Even if she didn’t quite uand how.

  My headache is gone, she realized, and slowly sat up and looked around. The mana streamers were still just as active and bright, but somehow her vision was no longer being overloaded by the sensation.

  Curious to see more, Ali pulled out her Grimoire, the book appearing in a riot of gold and green light. She examihe book for a while, taking time to get used to how everything magiow looked quite different to her. She flipped through the entries, studying the mana flowing within the runes inscribed on its pages.

  Finding herself examining the chapter for her mushroom imprint, she decided to give it a try. The light show of her mana flowing into the script on the pages ectacur. Each ru up in rapid succession and then the impression of that symbol rose from the pages as a floating runic structure of pure mana. Swirling together in an intricate dance, each spell structure delivered its unique payload, tributing to strug the mushroom.

  No wo’s so plex…

  The spell finished and a mushroom appeared on the verdant moss beside her.

  on Glo – Mushroom – level 2 (Are)

  Are? The mushroom was now identified with an additional Are tag she hadn’t seen before. Identify, she remembered, had some retionship with other skills.

  Identify – level 7Mana: Dis information about a creature or item up to level 19 [css + skill]. Synergizes with any relevant Perception, Knowledge, or Information skills. Synergy (Are Insight): Identify will show the type of mana for any visible magic effects.Knowledge, Perception

  This little mushroom has an are affinity? Ali spent quite some time studying the golden energy that slowly began to fill the small mushroom. After some time, the mushroom filled with so much mana it began to spill out into the surrounding air as tiny streamers of light – golden versions of the viridian mana being released by the moss.

  Ali looked around, curious to learn more about her new skill and abilities as if airely new world had suddenly opeo her.

  Verdant Moss – level 1 (Nature)

  My moss has a Nature affinity! Ali was excited by that for a while, but theopped, a strahought to her. She had found the mushrooms and the moss within teers of the shrine when she had woken up, and so far, she had fouher of them anywhere else. And they represented both of her own personal mana affinities.

  How much of a ce it really be?

  Her father had been a nature mage, and this had been his domain. Ali even reized the moss as the same as that which covered rge areas of his forest domain. But how did it survive just here, whehing else is decay and bone? She puzzled over the problem for a while.

  Maybe the shrine protected this area? It had been charged with an astronomical amount of what resumably her father’s mana. And mana, she knew, had the ability to influehings it came into tact with.

  And that would expin the are mushrooms too, she thought, her gaze resting on the shards of her mother’s magic that still glowed with powerful energy – much more visible now in her new sight.

  While she couldn’t really prove it, she was happy with her expnation for now.

  “Let’s try something a little more ambitious,” she told her attentive Kobold.

  “Of course, A Mistress,” came the soft response.

  I’m going to have to do something about that ‘a’ part, she grumbled, but the excitement of discovery couldn’t be suppressed by trivialities. She paged through her Grimoire to the Kobold chapter and began summoning a new Kobold. Mana exploded in her sight into a riot of movement and light, vastly more plex than before. Halfway through the summoning, her chime sounded, and her vision dramatically crified. She could see the strands and tendrils of mana flowing awining as it poured forth from her Grimoire creating all the parts of the summoned creature. As it pleted, the mana flows settled into a pulsing gold and green core deep within the chest of the Kobold, right around where Ali imagihe Kobold’s heart to be.

  Are Insight has reached level 3.Your reserved mana has increased by +8ue – Kobold – level 11

  Ali didn’t stop there, she tinued creating gear for her new Kobold, watg the dispy of magi a with rapt attention.

  With her improved crity, she took in the mana from her domain once more, notig something unusual he shrine. She got up to iigate. The shriself stood dark, as expected, but it was actually glowing now – just not particurly obvious against the backdrop of the magical light show created by her moss and mushrooms. All around the shrihe mana swirled, f thick streamers of magic that circled the bck stone obelisk. It was as if the shrine was the eye of a maelstrom, sug everything in toward it.

  Is it ing the mana? Filtering it? She couldn’t quite tell, but it was definitely doing something.

  On an impulse, she Identified the shrine.

  Shrine of the A GroveAn a mystical shrine of unknown in. Offers advanced css features and attu of tent mana affinity.Owner: Aliandra AmarielMana Siphon (Active)Mana: Unlock css experiena: Unlock or enhaent magical affinitiesMana: Unlock alternate cssesOwner’s Mana: Recharge the shrine’s mana reserve. 79,325/1,250,000Shrine – Artifact

  The shrine had substantially more mana in its reserve than it had when she had st checked it. As she watched, the icked up to 79,327.

  It’s recharging!

  While it had obviously been the best use of the shrine, Ali had been sad to have drai. And so, she watched it recharging from her domain mana with excitement. She had initially calcuted it would take her years to recharge it herself, but astonishingly, the shrine reized her domain mana as hers and was on traplete recharging in what looked like it might be mere weeks.

  Perhaps that’s what the Mana Siphon ability is? She experimented by deactivating the ability. Instantly, the swirling of mana around the obsidian surface ceased, returning to a calm stationary field, and the shrine’s mana reserve ceased increasing. Happy to have figured it out, she activated it again, deg to leave it on until the shrine was fully recharged.

  Synergy detected.

  Her notification chime surprised her right out of her celebration. What?

  Requirements met for skill adva.

  Able to perceive magic.Studied advanced magical systems.Directly observed at least three active plex magical systems.

  Sage of Learning gains Magical Analysis.Sage of Learning – level 8Your ability to learn nguages, magical systems, history, and simir academiowledge is signifitly enhanced. You have enhanced memory for the tent you have studied.Are, Knowledge, Perception, IntelligenceAccept this adva?

  Bitiongue iement, Ali accepted the advahout hesitation. The only ge to her skill description was the addition of ‘magical systems’ in the list of things Sage of Learning would help her uand, but it was more than enough.

  Just learning Are Insight had triggered a potentially powerful advance for her Sage skill. Ali didn’t have to think hard to figure out which magical systems had helped unlock it for her: her domain, her Grimoire and its summoning magid the shriself would all be sidered incredibly plex, intricate magical systems by all the researchers she had worked with. Notoriously difficult puzzles to unravel and uand.

  Ali had motivated her skill swit her mind as an experiment. But now she khe ge erma. There was no way she was giving up this skill. Going back would be like choosing to be blind. She was certainly not doing that to restrasping Roots.

  She spent the couple of hours experimenting with the abilities and limitations of her new sight, growing rge swathes of moss and mushrooms to expand her domain, aeriwo Kobolds for the draiames for everything she could see. She examined and studied everything, learning that the Bed Deathcap mushrooms had an affinity with death magic, watg with fasation as her domain mana slowly trickled into the moss she pnted, and even stepping outside her domain to study the dark mana that was beied from various bone piles and mushrooms.

  Ali felt happiness for the first time since she had fallen down the dark shaft. However, the memories of her experiences lent a serious cast to her efforts. She spent signifitly more time and mana expanding her domain, knowing that if she had been more diligent before falling down the hole, she would have been able to summon another Kobold or two, making the st fight that much easier. After the battle with the Swordmaster, Ali was exquisitely aware of just how important mana was to her css.

  Abruptly, she found herself rubbing the gooseflesh on her arms. Just think of how extensive a domain Dad needed… and still, it had not been enough. On that s note, she finished spenditribute points, dividing the remainder evenly between wisdom and intelligend settled in to study her domain more while she waited for the remnants of her domain withdrawal to dissolve.

  ***

  Name: Aliandra AmarielRace: FaeTitles: A

  Css: Grove Warden – level 12- Are Insight – level 3- Are Bolt – level 11- Barrier – level 11- Grimoire of Summoning – level 9- Runic Script – level 7- Sage of Learning – level 8- Martial Insight – level 5- [Locked]- [Locked]- [Locked]

  General Skills- Reading – level 7- Identify – level 7- Sculpting – level 2

  Aptitudes- Languages: A Dal'mohran, Elvish, Dwarven, on, Draic- Mana (Affinities): Nature, Are- Tiny (Racial): The effects of Strength and Vitality are reduced by 50%- Magical (Racial): The effects of Wisdom and Intelligence are increased by 50%- Domain (Css): Your maximum mana increases with the size of your domain, up to +100%- Domain: -10% maximum health per day domain withdrawal. You have Domain Seributes- Vitality: 50- Strength: 4- Endurance: 15- Dexterity: 10- Perception: 21- Intelligence: 43- Wisdom: 47

  Equipment- Body: Tattered Robes – level 7

  Resistance: 67Magical Damage Redu: 16.62%

  Health: 250/250Stamina: 150/150Mana: 611/745 (134 Reserved)

  Grimoire Imprints1- Verdant Moss2- Wood3- Crude Leather Armor4- Crude Dagger5- Starving Wolf6- Mushroom7- Stone8- Kobold9- Sword

  timewalk