『Evolution Available』

I stared at the information box. At the feature that laid at the bottom of the updated information for my body, underneath one final level locked feature.

The newest addition that was as persistent as a salesman, by the way it refused to be closed or hidden. It stood now at the edge of my vision, blinking every so often to remind of the possibility of evolving.

Everytime I gave it a full glance, by way of magic or instinct, a certain white-feathered guardian of mine would crane her neck and glare at me.

I huffed, scratching the itch born out of frustration in my mind.

Glancing back towards Mother, I gave her a questioning look. How much longer must I stay in the remnants of my eggshell? I completely understand the importance of not evolving, so the lack of trust here is really painful.

I took the moment to consider the hows and when I should jump out. Yet experience reminded me of the dozen times she would catch me the very moment I moved for even a slight bit.

It’s like she has a third eye behind her back, but in reality, it’s just the ever-present glimmer of mana in her glowing eyes. Ever since the moment I was eligible for a level-up, she had never let them return to their dull brown color.

Something to remember for the future: never become a helicopter parent.

I felt something nudge my head from behind. Glancing back, I saw yet another cocoon of a Horned Jade Worm suspended in mid-air. This one, like the rest, was Level 50, and marked the 10th time she wanted me to consume them.

Just like the previous times, her expression did not allow any room for discussion.

『Level 50. Horned Jade Worm devoured』

『Bonus EXP for devouring a species mid-evolution』

『EXP + 15000』

『Level Up! Lvl. 38 Infant Roc -> Lvl. 39 Infant Roc』

Since level 30, my feathers have all stopped molting, my body turning pure white. Every other level afterwards helped improve other parts of my body. My claws were now as polished as jade, all 4 talons curved and capable of piercing through the wood beneath with ease. There was a singular jade claw on my wingtips and wrist joints, poking out as if they were spurs. The nub of a jade shard was poking out from my shoulders.

I was slowly living up to the appearance of a Roc, an apex predator that spits at the concept of stealth and camouflage. There is nothing to hide; my enemies will be the one doing the running as I overwhelm them with ease.

If I had any, that is.

I looked back to see Mother’s swiveled head as she attended to my siblings. With a gleam of jade and a swirl of darkness, a green noodle appeared in the air for a second.

My wings unfurled by itself, and not a moment passed before her head snapped back at me, a grim expression on her face. But instead of jumping out of my eggshell jail or pretending to have done nothing wrong, I willed my core to channel mana towards my eyes.

I jumped towards Mother, and having landed with a natural grace in front of her, I matched her glowing eyes with my own.

Observe returned nothing new that I’ve not seen before, so I dismissed the information box with a simple thought in my head. I focused instead on not letting the connection break; unlike Farseer or Mana-sight, where the process was automatic, the connection kept fighting against me. It was like trying to scoop sand onto my palm and having it slip through my fingers.

I bent my right wing and pointed at myself with the claw on my wrist joint, then at the flying Jade Worm.

I pointed at my eye, where I am certain she could see me channeling mana. Then, again, I pointed at the recently summoned Jade Worm.

Mother’s eyes clouded for a moment as I could feel her consider the proposal. It was clear that she didn’t trust me to be alone. In that case, instead of sitting around and doing nothing but having food shoveled down my throat, having her train me would be the best of both worlds.

It’s also high time I have some answers regarding magic.

Mother’s reply came in the form of a deep emerald light flaring from within her shoulder claws.

A second later, I could see a ring of swirling wind in front of my eyes. It was the same kind that she used to shackle Jade Worms.

My eyes focused on them as Observe attempted to unravel the spell. Mana surged, and gold flashed through my vision.

A second later, an information box appeared in front of my eyes.

『Spell: ???』

『???』

My mistake. A completely useless information box appeared in front of my eyes.

Shaking my head, I focused my sight until all I could notice was the swirling ring of wind in front of me. I whispered the spell inside my head, the same soft voice from before coming out clearer this time.

Observe.

A torrent of mana crashed into my eyes and colored the world a deep gold. At the same time the information box was updated, my world exploded with a storm of pain and nausea.

I didn’t pass out, but the recoil knocked me down on my back.

Colors pulsed and danced, a veil that dropped over my eyes and blurring my vision.

I blinked my eyes as fast as I could, hoping it would clear the colors. Slowly, the blinking colors bled away until there was only one remaining: a pure gold.

Mother’s eye was staring at me from above. A dark pupil surrounded by a lake of gold, it held within them a mix of apprehension and uncertainty.

For a second, I imagined a flash of resolution forming in her face. Then her head pulled back, just far enough so that her beak was in front of my face.

She opened them, and I got an uncomfortably close look at the insides of her mouth. There were rows upon rows of razor-sharp fangs lining the inside of her mouth which, in all honesty, looked more at home on a shark than a bird.

But what truly caught my attention was the size of her mouth. I’ve always only ever looked at her from afar, and though I had a rough estimate of how huge she was, I’ve never felt how stark that difference was until now.

It was a reminder of how pitifully small I am, that despite my recent level ups and growth, she could still fit at least a dozen of me in her mouth.

Which brings to another uncomfortable question: why is she doing this?

Is this a threat? Is she tired of my failures? Of me wasting the resources she collected without anything to show for it?

I felt a chill grip my heart as a familiar wave of mana washed over my body. It clamped horizontally on my body, encircling me in a ring made out of jade wind.

No way. Eh? This is not happening, right?

The wind lifted me up, allowing me to hover right in the middle of an eager cave made of fang, flesh and darkness.

I struggled with all my might.

My talons slashed at the shackles around me. My beak pecked forward, and every inch of my body was pushing my wings to unfurl.

I failed to puncture or leave even a scratch, while my beak was clamped shut in a wind vice. Not a single feather in my wing made even the slightest budge.

I saw Mother’s golden eye staring at me with nothing but a firm resolution in them. Like an executioner excised of their emotions, there was only cold logic held inside their being.

A shiver ran down my body. Is this really it?

I knew Mother’s control over her spell was absolute. That the amount of mana I have was laughable compared to what she had. But is this really the end? Just like this?

I doubled my ineffective struggle, which only seemed to spur Mother’s decision. Her spell carried my body inside her mouth and over rows of jagged teeth.

My body was left floating on top of her wiggling red tongue. I tried kicking at it with my talons, but her wind had now enveloped my body in a bubble. There was nothing I could do; even the air around me was going thin.

She’ll knock me unconscious before swallowing me whole.

I was trapped. Finished. Kaput.

It made sense, right? She has 12 more children. The weak will be culled. It’s all my fault. To be so useless as to not instantly understand a new system of power on the first try.

Nevermind that it was my idea in the first place.

Nevermind that I could’ve been way more powerful if she would just let me evolve. But if I did it now, all it’ll serve to do is add more experience to her.

Is that her whole point? Fatten me up with experience, then push me into a corner so I would panic-evolve? All for maximum experience gain?

That line of thought lit a fire within me. Emotions I have not felt in a long time mixed together with this body’s sense of self-preservation.

Shards of memories filled my body in the form of emotional remnants of a previous life. Anger and anguish over being used and thrown aside by those I trust. Frustration and despair over a life repressed by those more powerful.

A cold fury burned through my body.

I forced my core to work overtime, unleashing its full capacity of mana to crash through the pathways in my body. I let it roam wild and free, piercing into my bones and worming onto every inch of muscle.

A notification appeared in front of my eyes.

『Skill Unlocked: Mana Reinforcement - Level. 0』

A soft film of jade blanketed my body. From the tips of my wing to the edge of my talons, I felt every part of me thrum with power.

I swiped my mana-clad wings, and it shredded through the bubble of wind around me. My beak opened, breaking the vice around it. I channeled all of my anger and kicked down towards the red tongue beneath.

The force sent me jumping out of her beak as a squawk escaped her mouth.

I directed the rampaging mana to flood my wings. With one strong flap, I felt the air bend under my will, sending my body up and forward. Away from the treacherous being behind me.

Halfway through the nest, I felt it return.

A hungering, chilling desire for mana.

Cut off from its fuel, all at once, strength left my body. My wings crumpled and I plummeted down on the nest.

The edges of my vision were fraying as I fought to retain my consciousness. If I black out now, it would all be for naught.

My ears picked up the sound of hay being crushed underneath massive claws.

I raised my wing, and forced one final splurt of mana from my spent core. It was enough to let my wing feathers gleam with a soft jade edge. I pointed it at the approaching Empress Roc.

Come at me then, you murderous hag. I wouldn’t just surrender so easily!

For a second, there was only silence.

Then mana wrapped all over my body once again, and fear crawled itself into my heart.

Within a second, the wind that formed pruned all of my crooked feathers, and cradled me over towards her side.

She made a sound suspiciously close to a chuckle.

I looked up at my captor. There was a delighted smile on her face, her beak and eyes curved in a pleasant arch.

She extended a wing forward, moving it in a familiar motion. Within seconds, she was caressing my head with her claws, her brown eyes looking down with proud approval.

That’s how it is, huh. A literal push down the cliff, just in a different form, huh?!

I slapped away her claw with my wing. It took the last drop of mana I have, but the look of confusion on her face was worth it.

Just because it made me stronger doesn’t make it any better! I really thought I was going to die, you know?! That did not feel like a joke at all!

Hey, no, stop it, I don’t need your stupid hugs! Let me go!