Chapter 94 – The easy way, the hard way, or the Kori way. (Patreon)

Voices drifted in and out the same as Kori drifted in and out of consciousness. Never quite awakening, simply brushing against the world around her for brief moments.

“I’m honestly not sure what she did this time… if Plk hadn’t sensed something wrong with the mana we probably wouldn’t have found her in time.”

A familiar aged voice spoke the next time she heard “Mana corruption? I’ve never heard of…”

A parade of voices passed through over time; each one she knew she should recognize but could not place in her current state.

“My matrons found record of it from two hundred years ago. Anything beyond moderate severity is always fatal.”

“But her status was at…”

“…Know.”

She slowly became aware of herself as time passed, though she might wish otherwise. Every fiber of her body felt like it was dipped in a boiling pot, each nerve aflame, each scale raw. And worst still, she was trapped within her flesh like a cage of scale and bone.

“Scale damned fool. And us none the better.”

“You’re blaming us for this?”

“Of course I am! Most promising young kobold in my entire scale damned life and we let her run too far too freely, now look at her!”

For a time, the voices quieted and the world around her stilled. It was almost as though the entire clan held its breath waiting for something to happen.

“Kori, I know you’re still in there. You were always too stubborn to let it end like this.”

Time and again the voices came and went. Occasionally she felt the scales of another gripping her hand or the cool touch of a cloth upon her brow. Once she even thought herself drowning, only to realize that someone was slowly pouring a fishy broth into her mouth.

“… Doesn’t make sense.”

“That surprises you? She’s never made sense.”

“She should have been dead a week ago. Every treatment record ends the same, none of them make it more than a few days at high, hers was at cri…”

More time passed, and as gradually as her awareness had come, it once again faded. Not into the numbing pain, but into a near blissful oblivion.

“Go fetch the Elders; her status condition finally faded.” The somewhat familiar young kobold who had been watching over her called out to someone unseen.

She leaned in to check on the youngling laid out before her. “Imagine my surprise when I ended up watching over you yet again young one. Not nearly as benign as that poison you came in with last time though.”

She continued her examination, using her claws to open one of Kori’s eyes to see the eerily purple hue had completely faded from the bloodshot lines that still wove their way across the sclera. “Good… not gonna lie deary, that was making my scales crawl.”

While her body was poked and prodded, her mind slept like it was the first time in months. There were no dreams, no glimpses of the world around, simply blissful, peaceful, sleep.

It was hours beyond her status finally clearing when she stirred for the first time. When she slowly opened her eyes, she saw a dozen faces all staring at her. Any lingering grogginess fled in the light of those intense stares faster than she could try to sit up. An action which only prompted a groan of discomfort at the stiffness of her muscles.

Many voices rang out, all of them in varying states of relief with a tinge of anger or exasperation here and there. But one voice rose above the rest and was aimed not at Kori, but those vying for her attention.

“I told you not to crowd her!” A young female voice hollered. “And no disrespect Matron, but you of all people know better!”

The familiar laugh of the ancient matron barked out as the others silenced. “That I do, Erc, that I do.”

As Kori stared at the assembled Elders slowly backing away to give her space, the light of a notification blared angrily at her in a way she’d never quite seen before. Almost as though it were tired of being ignored.

Before she could sate her curiosity, the chieftain approached with a grim look on his face. “Youngling… Kori… how do you feel?”

She checked over herself slowly before responding. “Sore… tired… a bit confused… where am I?”

“You’re in one of the healing wards. Matron Erc, as well as many others, have been watching over you while you recovered.” He spoke slowly, the look on his face making it clear he was leading up to something. “We heard from Kora, she told us how you had overused your mana the day of the incident and were feeling drained. Can you tell us what happened after you reached your den?”

“Incident?” Kori repeated. “What do you mean day of the incident?”  

“That was twelve days ago. You were barely hanging on when your clutchmate, Plk, alerted us to your condition.” Ortik explained, trying to speak calmly and not upset her. “Were it not for your recent advancements in Vitality, you may not have lasted long enough for us to lend aid.”

Kori glanced at Blonc, knowing exactly what she’d see but looking anyway, and saw the smug grin he wore. Their eyes met briefly and the Elder, though she was reluctant to use that title in the circumstance, went so far as to stick his tongue out at her before giving her a wink.

She dismissed the warrior’s antics and returned her attention to Ortik. “Twelve days?” Her thoughts were jumbled and somehow it felt like it should have been both shorter and longer than that.

“Yes.” Ortik nodded before trying to return her to the subject at hand. “Please, what do you remember from before this began?”

She was still a little confused about everything, but began telling them what she could. “When I crawled into my den, I was exhausted. I laid down but couldn’t sleep… I tried to meditate again… it didn’t work.” She paused, trying to recall the order everything occurred in. She remembered a vivid dream of water and fire, but what came beforehand was fuzzy and dull. “I think I got frustrated and did… something…”

The notification blinking just beyond the edge of her vision continued its incessant pulsing, its angry red bleeding into the edges of her sight. “I think I tried to force it.” She said meekly, knowing how foolish it sounded now that she spoke it aloud. “Then it was pain and burning and drowning and a really weird dream… I think it was a dream, maybe?”

“You tried to force what exactly, Kori?”

“The mana… meditation is supposed to help you recover from using your mana, so I think I tried to just grab it directly…” As she spoke, she could feel the ambient mana around her in a way that she’d never experienced before, like it was there waiting for her to simply reach out and take it. She knew that doing so had caused whatever it was that she had just recovered from, but her instincts told her to go ahead. That it was her right to do so.

Most of the Elders saw nothing amiss, but Ortik and Ylst knew better. When they saw the mana in the room ripple and swirl as though dragged by an unseen force before it was pulled into the youngling laying before them, their jaws dropped.

“What are you doing?” They both hollered in unison.

“You just recovered from mana corruption, are you trying to kill yourself?” Ylst continued.

Kori realized then that she had given in to that whispered instinct and forcefully grasped the mana surrounding her. She also realized that as soon as she began drawing it into herself, she started to feel better than she had been.

“I didn’t mean to do that… but it feels like I’m supposed to?” She tilted her head, thinking on the persistent nagging of the awaiting notification. “I have notifications that are really insistent, maybe they’ll help figure out what I did?”

Ortik simply sighed. “Yet another new unknown to add to the puzzle that is ‘Kori’ it would seem.”

One of the other Elder’s muttered something in the background just loud enough for the others to hear. “I’m sure we’ll find out what new mess she’s created soon enough…”

Eager to sate her curiosity and hopefully unravel whatever it was she had just gone through; Kori prodded the blinking light in the same manner she always did.

Why?

Her vision was immediately flooded with more notifications than she had ever seen, her eyes going wide as she even spotted a few in angry red part way through the list.

<<Status condition applied. Mana Corruption. Severity: Low>>
<<Skill Evolution failed, precursor unavailable, Greater Meditation Tier IV, Level MAX not found>>

<<Ability Score improved. Attunement increased 45 -> 46>>

<<Status condition applied. Mana Corruption. Severity: Moderate>>
 <<Skill Evolution failed, precursor unavailable, Meditation Tier V, Level MAX not found>>

<<Ability Score improved. Attunement increased 46 -> 48>>
<<Ability Score improved. Vitality increased 31 -> 33>>
<<Ability Score improved. Endurance increased 36 -> 37>>

<<Status condition applied. Mana Corruption. Severity: High>>

<<Ability Score improved. Attunement increased 48 -> 51>>
<<Ability Score improved. Vitality increased 33 -> 34>>

<<Title Activated, Emberscale Inheritor, Effect: Unknown>>
From the smallest ember, a blaze to consume the world may be born.

<< Bonus to next daily allotment of Racial Experience gained >>
<<Skill Acquired, Racial Requirement Met, Mana Usurpation, Epic, Level 1>>

<<Skill Lost, Mana Sense>>
<<Skill Lost, Basic Mana Control>>

<<Congratulations, Title acquired. Usurper, Epic>>

<<Status condition applied. Mana Corruption. Severity: Critical>>

<<Ability Score improved. Attunement increased 61 -> 63>>
<<Ability Score improved. Vitality increased 39 -> 41>>
<<Ability Score improved. Endurance increased 42 -> 43>>

<<You have gained a Racial Level. Kobold has become Level 10>>
<<Racial trait improved, Darkvision, level 1 -> 2>>
<<You have gained a Racial Level. Kobold has become Level 11>>

<<Status condition reduced. Mana Corruption. Severity: High>>
<<Skill proficiency improved. Mana Usurpation level 1 -> 2>>

<<Ability Score improved. Attunement increased 69 -> 71>>

<<Status condition reduced. Mana Corruption. Severity: Moderate>>

<<Ability Score improved. Attunement increased 71 -> 72>>
<<Ability Score improved. Vitality increased 43 -> 44>>
<<Ability Score improved. Endurance increased 47-> 48>>

<<Status condition reduced. Mana Corruption. Severity: Low>>

<<Status condition removed. Mana Corruption>>
<<Skill proficiency improved. Mana Usurpation level 2 -> 3>>

<<Ability Score improved. Serendipity increased 23 -> 25>>

“What?!” Kori exclaimed as she read the notifications in red that said she had lost Skills. “I didn’t even know you could lose Skills!”

Before she had even finished speaking, Korse, having gotten tired of waiting, was already at her side. “Oh dear.” He attempted to comfort her. “It’s rare and usually because of something traumatic, so not surprising in this case.” He sank down onto the mat beside her, feeling awkward towering above her like everyone else had been. “Was it anything important?”

“It says I lost mana sense and control…” She sniffled quietly as she leaned against her caregiver. “But… I can still see mana in the air…” She tilted her head again, a little confused by the contradiction. “I also got some really weird messages about failing to evolve a Skill?”

Ylst had been impatiently swiping her tail as she listened to Kori’s depiction of events. She’d known from the start that whatever had happened to the youngling was most definitely magic related and now that there were details to be had, her patience had reached its limit. The mention of her loss of mana Skills just drew her forward even faster.

“You said you lost mana sense, but can still visualize the mana in the room?” She asked, interrupting whatever, likely similar, question Ortik was about to voice.

“Uh-huh.” Kori nodded. “It even seems a little easier than before.”

Ortik glared at the Arcanist before stepping in. “Could you perhaps show us the ‘weird’ notifications you received?”

Kori thought about it for a moment, she knew that she could just share the entire list wholesale if she wanted. Well, except for the one about her Title… she probably wasn’t allowed to show that one. And she didn’t really want to show them quite how many ability improvements she’d gotten, since there was a big gap in the middle from having gotten two racial levels that she couldn’t explain. In the end she decided to just show the Skills, conditions, and the new Title, and gave him a nod as she sent them.

“Greater Meditation, tier four?!” Ylst blurted out. “What scale blighted Skill needs an evolved Skill at peak tier four?” Her incredulity peaked as she continued. “I haven’t even gotten meditation to peak of tier three to even start trying to evolve it yet.”

Ortik shook his head, “Nor have I…” He seemed a bit ashamed of the fact. “Could you perhaps share the descriptions for this ‘Mana Usurpation’ Skill and the likely associated Title?”

“Okay…” She agreed reluctantly. “I haven’t even looked at them yet, was too surprised by losing Skills…”

She began with the Skill, figuring it would be the safer of the two to share.

Mana Usurpation, Level 3
Tier I, Epic

Through force of will and deftness of mind, all mana shall abide your command. Usurp control of the ambient mana and forcibly attune it to your own in order to rapidly refill your reservoir. Use of this Skill causes extreme physical strain. Overuse may cause Mana Corruption.

This Skill will gradually consume any foreign mana within the body, accelerating the process of purging mana-based effects. This does not differentiate between positive and negative effects.

Mana Usurpation scales with Wit, Cunning, Attunement, Perception and Magic.

“That’s… ridiculous…” Ylst blurted out. “No wonder it’s an evolution of meditation…” She continued to stare at the youngling, her expression something akin to hunger. “I think I can see why you lost sense and control. This,” Waving her hand in the direction of the notification in front of her that others couldn’t see. “Is just better than them. And it’s already tier one, which you shouldn’t even be able to get yet, your others were still basic Skills at tier 0.”

“Be that as it may, she has it, so it must be possible. Just improbable.” Ortik intoned, shaking his head as he tried to understand how such a thing could occur. “Perhaps the Title shall shed some light on the matter?”

Kori took that as her queue and pulled up the title. If Ylst thought the first was ridiculous, Kori couldn’t wait to see what she thought of this one.

Usurper
Tier IV, Epic

You have seized what would have been freely given. Made yours what cannot be owned. Your avarice knows no bounds and all is destined to find its place within your horde. Your hold over mana shall be second to none and your body inured to its passage as no other.

This title grants increased ability to control mana based on total mana capacity, increased effect of Vitality and Endurance in preventing physical strain of channeling mana.

Grants +100 to total mana plus an additional 100 times Class Tier each time you increase your Tier after attaining this title. Grants +5 to all Ability Scores and an additional +5 to Attunement.

It wasn’t just Ylst that was taken aback at the effects of the title, the entirety of the assembled Elders, and the lone Matron who suddenly realized she was privy to something she probably shouldn’t be, simply stared at the youngling as though she were an unknown creature invading their caverns. The silence lasted for several long and drawn-out seconds. Looks were shared between Elders, glances turned back and forth from the text before them to where Kori rested as they tried to process the information they had been presented.

It wasn’t until, of all people, Blonc spoke, that the spell was broken. “That’s nifty and all, but is no one here going to ask what the scale it meant by ‘racial requirement met’ when she got the Skill?”

Kori saw Elder Kles visibly wince when he pointed out the oddity, she’d been hoping that no one noticed that particular detail. An oddity that Kori had passed over when she was deciding what she could share.

When all eyes turned back towards her, Kori could see the question hanging between them. A question she didn’t have a good answer to. Especially given that Kles was right here in the room and she had sworn to her on the progenitor’s scale not to speak of the matter.

“I… uhhh… I’m not… sure?” Her attempt to avoid answering convinced absolutely no one.