"Instinct is an advanced and specialized form of Inspect. While other skills use logic and reasoning to understand things and form observations, Instinct is far more emotionally driven. It is the act of being aware of the danger around you, of possible threats, of noticing that something doesn't add up due to physical indicators. What we discover, often can't be proven to others since it is a gut feeling and knowledge. It is usually seen as more primitive or animalistic compared to other Investigation skills, but it has its uses." ~ Moon-kissed Marama

Serena stared at the grinning woman who didn't seem to understand what she unleashed. The reborn girl was curious about this Instinct thing that had revealed her so quickly. Partly it was due to her own desire to learn it or similar skills, but the risk of being found out by others with a brief time of knowing her managed to scare the girl.

The inability of moving freely or speaking was truly displeasing. Never had Serena felt so imprisoned, and she had lived in a functionally golden cage all her life.

Arima seemed to notice her distress so he brought up something she hoped there would be answers for. "What is Instinct?"

Marama tilted her head, considering the question. "It's an Investigation skill that mimics the natural world. Your mind and body slowly adapt to being aware of potential threats and can get gut reactions to words and gestures. Often those with occupations and classes that tend to work better in the wilderness acquire the skill. Of course, assassins and other criminals, along with mercenaries work well with it. It's one of the favorites for adventurers, explorers, and bodyguards."

Investigation Skill? That would imply there are many manifestations of some kind of ability to get a reading on something beyond mere observation. She also mentioned skills? What are they? How do they work? What is their function?

Ever since she was reborn, Serena had been in a near-constant daze trying to piece together the information. Nothing made sense, but people weren't talking either. All she had learned was the day-to-day life in a backwoods village and how mundane that was. It was so boring, she fell asleep listening to Arima's reminiscence.

It would be a lie if Serena said she felt nothing for him. The betrayal of family, of one's most treasured bonds, cut deep for them both. It would take years for them to start to recover and trust others again, if ever.

Such trivial details would limit what potential resources and allies she would have in the future. Her best chance is to befriend him, stabilize his mental state, or at worst have Arima depend on her more than was wise, and train him to be a wonderful ally and companion. Serena wasn't sure how long it would take, or the needed steps, but conditioning would be needed regardless.

"Investigation skills are the collection of skills born from the basic Inspect. Other common types include Appraisal, Insight, Identify, Analyze, and Truesight. You can learn more than one Investigation skill, but there can be trouble if it tends to go against the way you think, your needs, your wants, and your class," Marama continued, and Serena knew she had missed a question from Arima.

Much to Serena's relief, Marama went into a breakdown of the most common types.

Appraisal was a rather rare investigation skill for those who fought. It was often used by merchants, traders, craftsmen, and the like. It worked in conjunction with affinity, knowledge, and experience. Based on the person's field of expertise and experience, it became easier to judge the value and provide information about resources and materials. These worked on magical and non-magical goods, along with created items that didn't have magical effects like weapons and armor. The user can only appraise what is in their field of expertise. A blacksmith could not see the value of an alchemist's potion and so on.

Serena felt the example used there didn't make sense. She was a royal alchemist, one of those that served the courts directly, among her other duties. She created countless weapons, armor, accessories, potions, tools, and everything else. She even dabbled in rune carving and enchanting. Even a rank and file alchemist was expected to be more than a pill maker, rune engraver, or potion pusher!

How far did alchemy fall that they could not judge the value of materials and finished projects to this degree? She shuddered at the possibility of her way of alchemy being a lost art.

Insight was more a divination ability. It differed for each user but was tied to affinity, knowledge, and experience like any other skill it seemed. It didn't give crystal clear images of things to come, or even ideas, since the future was changing at any possible time. It could also be tied to the celestials.

Celestials?! Serena breathed in deep, hope swelling in her heart as true life colored her once more. There were other survivors? Who? Where are they?

Logic, that cruel master, soon shattered her delusional hope.

If there were members of my kin who survived, they would be in hiding at best. At worst, they had mated with lesser species and that was their sole legacy. If even I, who was a noncombatant, was slain then normal civilians are as good as dead.

Ghostly embraces of the flames teased at her mind, but it could never match the growing rage inside her being.

Someone is making a mockery of my heritage!

Identify was worked on magical items, telling you what the magic they contained did. It was possible to use a magical item without identifying it, but since there were cursed objects, most people didn’t. It was a natural partner with Appraise, and as such was very rare for combatants.

What has happened to the world when something that should be able to be easily done is now a skill? I don't even know what a skill is, but I have the feeling I'm going to be very disappointed at this rate.

Analyze was a very advanced and detail-focused investigation skill. Like the others, it changed the mind and body to be able to perceive things differently or with better ease. It was a very logical and rational thought-driven skill, focusing on discovering as much as it could about a subject over time. The more one learned and researched, the more information that would be revealed or hinted at. It was a skill that was well-loved by those who used energy in any form, but more as mages and healers. Researchers, scientists, arcanists, and other academic professionals also used this skill.

If there were any of these investigation things Serena would acquire, it would have been this one. It would help with her passion for learning and provide enough aid in discovering more about her whereabouts.

Truesight was the rarest and the most dangerous. Those with it naturally could more easily manipulate energy and see the truth of the world and its denizens. Nothing could escape its sensing, as long as they wished it not to. Many with it often went insane.

Serena wasn't impressed. Such things should not be handed out to those ill-suited and had no proper preparation to survive it. It is why mortals have such a tough time if they ascend to being celestials. The difference between their thinking and potential in the present compared to their humble origins often had them break over time.

Marama decided to teach them how to access their History, along with using mana. For a being of magic and flesh like herself, Serena couldn't grasp the steps and preparation needed to handle energy. It was as natural to her as breathing was for others. She listened in to the discussion, but as soon as she learned what she needed to do to access this thing, she tuned out.

Serena closed her eyes and she could feel the energy all around her and within her respond like an eager hound for her command. She turned her attention inward instead of outward, entering a trance or meditative state.

"And they are out like a light," Marama said, grinning at the two babies that were fast asleep.

All it took was to talk about mana and skill theories to do it.

Arima himself was dozing off, his head lowering before he caught it happening. The child rubbed his eyes with clenched fists and struggled to hide his yawning. "Is Instinct the only reason why you knew that?"

Marama waited until he was fully asleep before answering. The bombastic young woman became serious and her expression was flinty. "Anyone with eyes could tell something was off about the twins."

Kalani was as smug as a member of the Fellowship or one of the Celestials and made her want to yeet him into the sun with the knowing way he treated things. Serena was a wide-eyed and excitable babe with far too much intelligence. She was taking things apart and trying to see how they work.

Marama knew nothing about babies, outside of them being hell to deal with, but she was pretty damn sure they weren't supposed to be smug assholes or hyperintelligent. She stood up and picked up Arima, tucking him into one of the cots first. Next, she changed the two babies, once again making her glad she never had kids.

Not like I could have them due to my work and then my hybridization.

The lack of anything soiling Serena's undergarments proved she was a Corpseborn more than anything else at the moment, and Marama wished Kalani was as well so she didn't have to deal with that.

Getting rid of the evidence with a high ranked fire natured spell, Marama redressed the two and tucked them into a smaller cot. It was touching how the two twins instinctively reached out to comfort the other, and she made sure that a Slowfall spell was activated in case they rolled out of bed.

Once that was taken care of, the former huntress began to carefully place wards and warning seals around the inside of the carriage. The reason why she had picked this caravan to take them to their destination, even if it would take six months to return there, was rather simple.

The Moira Institute had long suspected the Happy Trails Caravan of engaging in rather foul and underhanded deeds. Normally it wouldn't draw their notice, but about a dozen of her fellow Monster Slayers and hundreds of students and members of their city and countrymen had vanished whenever this Caravan was in the general location.

It was a relatively newer traveling merchant group, having only been around for a decade or two, however it was quite wealthy.

The Institute couldn't formally send someone to go undercover, so using her honorably discharged (which was a riot) identity with plans to become a mercenary or explorer would help reduce chances of discovery. It would also remove the three children from the Insitute and the Research division who were already frothing at the bit for Serena at the very least.

However, there was something about this place that truly disquieted her.

There were no children in the caravan outside of Arima, Serena, and Kalani.