A tear opened in Outerspace, the size of Jupiter, and out stepped a malicious invader. Before him were three gods standing between him and his target, Earth.

The battle that followed was devastating. It sent cracks through universes. 57 Earths, 18 gods, 10,000 Judges, 150 Leviathans class ships, almost a hundred DT winners, a truly uncountable number of soldiers and civilians, and 1 invader god all perished from the multiverse.

Every once in a while, an invader shows up. An evil god that cleaves through universes wiping out all life. Simply because of the scale, they are the worst [Natural Disasters] to exist, but this one sowed more devastation than any other.

It only was put to an end when a single God Child defeated the invader after it accidentally broke into a non-Newtonian space. The rogue god was unable to adapt to the new rules, a system called [Chemturgy] and even with it’s [Cheat], he was defeated by the man calling himself Out God, Creator of Space-Time.

Of course, with a name like that, it’s obvious that he would lose without a single skill. His infinite HP and Mana wouldn’t save him from being bound and sealed for all eternity. The strange thing was that during the fight, he was happy even while losing and also another unfamiliar sensation that continued to nag him.

The invader knew nothing about [Chemturgy] or how to break out of its confinement. A thousand years of probing and attacking the barrier yielded no results. It had no idea about the rules of this system, the best guess it had was [Chemturgy] had to do with chemicals, but no chemical could ever contain a god. Gods could toy with fundamental forces, tearing chemicals apart. It literally wasn’t possible.

Is this system more powerful than the invader’s system?

There it was again, that strange sensation. The invader had no idea what it was, and it was incredibly irritating. Even after another thousand years, it still did not know what the sensation was. Then after two thousand years of solitude, a voice was heard.

“Do you wish to know?”

The invader doesn’t respond to her voice.

“I’ve been watching you for over a hundred years; I can tell you what it is in exchange for something.”

The invader has no idea who this is. If they are a god, such a deal would be dangerous and if they are mortal, the deal would be insulting.

“Who are you.”

“You shattered our world. My ancestor and her descendants have been trying to save it ever since. That’s who I am to you.”

A descendant of…. She’s probably related to the God Child that sealed me. That would be how she found out. A deal with her would be neither dangerous nor insulting.

“Can I leave here without your help?”

“There is no way for you to break free without a single skill. It’s like you’re bragging about your gigantic muscles when you don’t even have arms to swing a punch.”

That confirmed the invader’s suspicions about the system. It’s heavily rule-based; simple power can’t overwrite the rules.

“What do you want in exchange?”

“I’ll explain the sensation to you and in exchange, I get a portion of your power. Do we have a deal?”

This person will have to manipulate the seal to do that. While the invader gets little out of the deal, creating cracks in the seal could pay off in a few millennia.

“I’ll accept your deal.”

“Alright, then, let’s begin.”

The invader could somehow feel her wicked grin and then a large amount of his “mana” being drained away.

“What you’re feeling is nostalgia. Your situation reminds you of something important from long ago. I guess that makes you a human and not some natural disaster.”

Ahh, so that’s it. Not having skills, a battle it couldn’t win, the desire to learn. It all reminded the invader of long ago, when he first awoke, when he was first learning about a new [System].

The invader’s thoughts then drifted back to long-forgotten memories. Fueled by a desire to reminisce and a sense of drowsiness, it slowly let its mind drift.

—   —   —

“Hello? You still there?”

Hmm, it seems he died. Well, at least his body still retains all the mana I need. The young dark elf woman was glad beyond belief. She had just taken the first big step to saving the world her ancestors loved so much. The extra [Fame] wouldn’t hurt either. She might even get more than the Outer God had.

How nice.

“Wait, what is this…? He had this skill! If he had used this, he could have escaped with ease. Damn, aren’t we lucky he didn’t know about it.”

The skill the invader had was legendary and needed no levels. It would have let loose a disaster on the world once more. That skill was [Reincarnate].

—   —   —

Batch: 9#V Y1G O1Z BY& @JU #!P $Nl 95D

Entry #: 998,721

Congratulations on your entry into the program. We will now begin in-processing.

Randomizing Character Creation Seed. Please wait.

Finished.

The story [Child of Retired Adventures Living in the Countryside] has been selected. We hope you enjoy this critically acclaimed story.

ERROR. Intense Curiosity Anomaly detected in personality seed.

Searching for countermeasure

No countermeasure detected

Creating countermeasure

The countermeasure “Auto-Pilot” has been developed.

Initiating [Auto-Pilot]. Countdown 6 years

Welcome to the God Development Program. We pray your journey be perilous for the glory of Mankind.

—   —   —

The golden hills are famous for the poppies that cover them and the apple trees at the top of each hill. Today a young child, Areli Tariel, is napping under these trees. A strange thought comes to her mind. Isn't the sky kind of weird?

High above her, she can see the several suns at different points. The "mini-worlds" that float high above the ground. To the south is the sky-sea; since it's visible, the rainy season is fast approaching.

Why is the sky the way it is?

No one explained it to her before and now she suddenly wants to know. Strange memories flash in her head but quickly disappear and Areli can't remember them. Each time it happens, she desires to know more about the world stretched out before her.

She wants answers to questions like, what's below the world, what's beyond the ice wall, where do dragons go for the winter?

While lost in such thoughts, the child hears her parents call for her to go inside. The family is currently living in a tent as they travel. Areli's father sold the farm and decided to take them all on a journey through the country. The current destination is a world tree at the center of the fields. It can easily be seen from here, but it's still three days away by horse.

Areli hops up and starts to run toward the tent.

Disengaging [Auto-Pilot]

The family tent is large for just three people. It's a deep red with yellow and orange embroidery. Outside the tent is a wooden post with 5 brown horses leashed to it. A large fire pit has been dug a little ways away from the tent. Mom just finished cooking a stew over it and the smell of the squirrel meat, apples, and wild herbs is intense but not off-putting.

"Mom! Dad!" Areli runs to her parents as fast as she can and shouts for them while out of breath.

"My, my. Areli, whatever is the matter?" Areli's mom, Matreya, is a very short woman with black hair and blue eyes. Her pale skin and fangs are from her status as a vampire. Her 4 cat ears and powerful nose has meant that Areli has never been able to hide something from her. She would never let him get away with bad behavior, but she was also very nice.

"It can't be so important that you can't catch your breath first." Arelis's father, Phaedra, is a lot taller than Matreya but is very skinny. Phaedra's race is Snake Elf which gives him slitted eyes, pointed ears, poison fangs, and scales. He's always been very strict, but he also was supportive, so Areli isn't afraid to ask.

"I want to go to school."

Her parents gave weird faces and stayed silent for a moment.

"Let's go inside and eat dinner first, then we can talk about that."

The inside of the tent is furnished with lots of carpets and pillows. It's very comfy to relax or rest inside. The thick tent and hanging cloth also keep it warm inside. The only pieces of furniture are a chest and a heater. Dad's sword and mom's staff rest against the chest in the corner, along with their armor.

There are no beds or chairs. Sleep and relaxation are done on the pillows, and when one sleeps, they pull a blanket over themselves and lie down on the floor.

As for the bathroom, you go outside, far from the tent and dig a hole. It doesn't compare to when Areli lived in an ordinary house in the farming village they left for this journey.

Father clears his throat with a cough. A sign that we're going to be talking about something important.

"I won't tell you no without knowing your reasons first. Do you know what school is?"

Of course, I do. It's where we grow as people by learning and experiencing.

"Isn't it a place to grow?"

"It's a place to grow your skills, not a place for children to play."

"I know that. I want to learn about the world."

"You can do that with us."

Areli shakes her head at her father's words. In her memories, she saw a young boy learning with many friends and an older man teaching kids and supporting their growth. Areli knows that if she went to school, she would grow much faster than staying here.

"The world is so amazing. It's not enough to walk a little bit of it at a time. I want to learn as much as I can."

Phaedra's determination faulted a tiny bit at his daughter's determination.

"You're still only a human with no class. You're not ready for school."

"I'll get some evolutions then." Areli responded as quickly as she could.

"You're almost 6 and haven't gotten any evolutions yet. I don't think school is right for you."

"It's not like she's a late bloomer. If she gets an evolution or two now, she'll catch up soon. Areli, you don't have to go to school right now. We'll prepare you to go in a few years." Matreya finally speaks up to support her daughter.

Areli's shoulders dropped at her mother's words, she wanted to go sooner, not later. Phaedra instead gave a deep scowl.

"Matreya..."

"Oh, it's fine, honey. We'll prepare her ourselves, and maybe after a little training, she won't want to go."

—   —   —

After a few days of traveling, Areli’s family made it to the World Tree forest. The forest covered a single large hill that rose up like a mountain range. The tree grew between the roots of the World Tree that wound through the forest like mountain peaks. They have to make it to the shrine in the center of this forest, a journey that could take days.

It’s customary to wait a couple days before going into the forest and before moving between the outer and inner forests. Legends abound about forest spirits that aren’t too happy with unexpected guests. To cure her boredom, Areli decided to take one of the horses for a ride through the forest.

“Be careful, don’t get off Sunshine and follow the setting sun to get back.”

“I will!”

Areli rode through the forest chasing foxes for most of the morning. She eventually came upon an open glade. It was a great chance for a picnic, so she hopped off and set up a little picnic.

While eating her sandwiches and frozen fruit for dessert, she enjoyed the sights and sounds around her and wondered about how to get an evolution. She had the feeling that this was the perfect place to become a [Dryad].

“So you want an evolution, do you?”

“Eek!”

A tall man dressed in blue with blue hair and silver eyes sprang from the trees behind Areli. His twisty horns and slender, long, black tail gave Areli a weird feeling, but his eyes and grin gave a different feeling entirely.

“Who are you?”

“Just an adventurer. If you want an evolution, you should look at your profile. Just think about yourself and it will appear.”

Areli felt weird about this man, but it couldn’t hurt to try. She thinks about herself and her profile appears in her head.

Areli Tariel

Unknown, Human

An average human child. There isn’t anything special about them.

What’s the unknown for? Well, I already knew I was just a normal human, unlike mom and dad.

Body 21

Mind 22

Soul 22

I somehow doubt that’s a lot, but just how little is it? Hmm. It seems they break up into sub-stats. I’m not gonna bother looking. It’ll probably just make me feel worse.

Personal Skills

Adventurer’s Health - Level 1 Physical

Being raised by adventurers gives you a boost to your body stats.

Woah! This one is great. I should level this up as much as I can.

Auto-Pilot - Level 1 Mental

Sealed Skill.

How did I get this? What does it even do?

Inquisition - Level 1 Mental

Allows deeper analysis.

I don’t like that name, but it seems it’s a learning skill?

Reincarnation - Level 2 Magical

Sealed Skill.

Another sealed skill. I can kind of guess what this will do. I’m not going to try to test it, but why is it level 2?

Averagization - Level 5 Neutral

As long as there isn’t a large difference between your stats, you gain a stat boost.

Another stat boost! Am I a genius?

I have a lot of personal skills. At least, I think that’s a lot. Obviously, no race or class skills.

“So? You didn’t see any evolution options, did you?”

He’s right. I didn’t see anything. So how do I get the options?

“The thing about evolutions is they have requirements: Stats, Skills, and Feats. Feats will open the most options for you. If you want an evolution, you have to do something amazing.”

I can’t think of anything amazing to do. How can I get a feat if I don’t have any skills or evolution? It’s a catch-22!

“Hehe, don’t worry about it that much. Early evolutions don’t require too much. What do you think about those birds? Isn’t it amazing how they can fly wherever they want?”

Flight? I can fly with an evolution?

Areli’s face lights up with expectation.

“Go and catch one with your own hands.”

What!? How is that even possible? Whether it is or not, she’s going to have to do it for that evolution. Areli tried all day long to chase or trap the birds, but couldn’t do it.

“Can’t I use a bow?”

“Sorry, no can do. It would be impressive if you did that.”

The man gave Areli a pat on the head and a smile.

“My name is Dolos. Come back tomorrow and I’ll continue to help you. I can’t go into the deeper forest for a few more days.”

Yes! Areli hasn’t failed just yet.

“Now, don’t tell anyone what you’re up to.”

“Why not?”

“Your parents don’t want you going to school, do they? They’ll definitely stop you from getting an evolution. They don’t expect you to do it on your own. Wasn’t their condition for you going to school that you became a lot stronger?”

“How did you know that?”

“You were talking to your horse. Letting loose your woes to him. I heard them too, of course. I just couldn’t let a child’s dreams be crushed. It’s much more fun to see them struggle and eventually accomplish them.”

Dolos kept giving Areli a bad feeling, but this was the only way she had. There was something pulling at her will, she wanted to continue getting help from him.

“Okay. I’ll come back tomorrow.”

Even after 6 full days of chasing birds, Areli had still failed to catch a single one. The day the family moved into the outer forest came and went. Luckily, they chose a glade that wasn’t where Areli was training. She only had 6 more days to get that evolution and she was no closer to it.

“Welcome back. I think today’s the day you catch that bird.”

“How do you know? I haven’t gotten any closer to them.”

“It’s just how these things work. I’ll sit here like always and watch you.

That day went the same as all the rest until the sun started setting. It was her last attempt before heading home. A little white bird was perched on a log, that would be her target. As she snuck closer to it, she felt something inside. She felt time slow down and all the sounds vanish. She was suddenly right behind it and the birdy still didn’t notice her presence. She reached out and that was it.

“Congratulations! You finally did it. How did it feel?”

“I’m not sure. Incredible, I think.”

“Good, good. Now eat the bird.”

“Wha...”

“Eat the bird alive. You need to incorporate the bird’s essence into you.”

“I don’t know.” Areli was really hesitant to eat a bird alive.

“Don’t you want to evolve? How is it any different than the meat your mom cooks? You had bird last night that your father hunted, right? It’s not any different from the wild animals that hunt and eat. It’s normal.”

Areli can’t hesitate. She spent half a week doing this, and who knows when the next person will come along and offer a nicer way to evolve. She bit the bird’s head off; she wanted to make it as quick as possible, but the bird still struggled and it wasn’t easy to kill it like this. Eventually, the bird died and Areli ate its meat. 

“Here.” Dolos handed her a cloth to clean her face. “You can’t go home like that.”

“So, when do I evolve.”

“That was only the first step. You’re going to have to do it many more times before it becomes a feat. If you don’t think you can handle doing this again, then give up. School isn’t for you.”

No! Not after coming this far. I must go to school.

“I’ll keep going.”

“Good.”

That night, Areli didn’t say a word to her parents during dinner, she went straight to bed and cried herself to sleep. Areli didn’t know it, but her parents were very worried about her. They knew she went out to train every day, you can’t miss the dirt and scratches. Today though, she came home covered in a bit of blood. She must be trying her best, they thought, but is frustrated she wasn’t making progress. They felt bad that they were happy to hold her back, to stop her from going to school.

For the rest of the week, Areli hunted and ate bird after bird. She devoured a staggering 80 birds, but it still wasn’t enough. Dolos kept telling her she was so close. At the end of the week, she still didn’t get the evolution. It was time for her family to move from the deeper forest to the heart of the forest where the shrine was located. Then they would only be in the forest for one more day before they left. Dolos, though, seemed to expect it to work on the final day.

That night, they stayed in a cabin near the shrine. Her parents wanted to talk.

“We know you’ve been trying to get an evolution. We want to help. The forest isn’t a good place to train, so we’ve decided to change our travel plans. We’ll head to a special place where you can get a good one.” 

Her father was suddenly so supportive. Areli couldn’t believe it. The joy on her face was reflected in her parent’s smiles.

“Yes! Thank you so much. I love you!

The next day, she traveled to the glade to thank Dolos and apologize. She was going to get an evolution with her parent’s help.

“Why, that’s a splendid idea, but you’re already so close to this one and there isn’t a limit on how many you can get. Being on your second evolution means it will be stronger if you get this one first.”

If that’s the case, it would be a shame to waste all of my effort this past week. But, I want my first evolution to be with them.

“Why don’t you try catching a single bird and then see how you feel.”

“Okay, but just one.”

Even though she said just one bird, she caught it within minutes. It was incredibly easy, so she tried again and then again. She had caught a dozen birds so quickly. It filled her with joy, so she kept going. 

Then she saw it, a prideful bird with feathers of gold and scarlet sitting on a branch high in the sky. She climbed up the tree and snuck up on it, but it noticed her and unfurled its wings to set off for freedom. Areli wouldn’t let it. She charged forward, running on the branches, almost running on air. The bird flew away from the tree and Areli leapt off after it. The gold and scarlet wings fluttered as hard as they could, but Areli had caught it. She devoured the whole bird, leaving not a single feather before she fell to the ground.

New evolution is available.

When she awoke, her right leg and arm were broken and in splints. Dolos was sitting beside her. She had caught the pretty bird before noon, but it was already sunset.

“Congratulations. I am sure you have an evolution available now. You don’t have to select it if you don’t want to. If that is what you want, then go to sleep tonight under the World Tree’s branches and wish with your heart to fly through the sky.”

Dolos got up and, with his typical smile, wished me good luck and goodbye.

“Get home safely now.” Then he disappeared into the trees.

That night when Areli got home, her parents were both shocked and furious.

“I fell from a tree. A passing traveler set the bones for me. I’m sorry.”

“From now on, no more training without one of us. You could have died. You would have died if not for that traveler. He could have been a bad person even. What were you thinking?”

“I’m sorry, but I got an evolution option.”

“Really? How? What is it?” Matreya’s worry turned to curiosity and excitement. Areli is lucky her mom has the fickle personality of a cat.

“I’ve been... chasing birds for a week. Today I flew with a beautiful bird. That’s how I fell.” Areli certainly didn’t want to tell what she did after chasing a bird.

“Wow. Well, that would certainly get you an evolution. So what’s it called?”

“I haven’t looked at it yet. Since I got hurt, I haven’t had a chance.”

Roc Child

Having flown and lived with the birds, this human has gained their wings and talons.

New Race Skill: Flight - Level 1

The Roc’s wings allow her to soar through the sky with freedom.

New Race Skill: Scratch - Level 1

These talons can cut through flesh and scale with ease.

Amazing! I’ll get wings.

“It’s called Roc Child. I get wings!” 

“Oh my, that is amazing.” Areli’s excitement and her parent’s joy overridden their worry and anger. The kid had gotten hurt, that’s true, but she got an evolution all by herself. This was a thing to celebrate. They can punish her recklessness later.

That night, the family had a big dinner and partied with the other travelers late into the night. When her parents had gone to sleep, Areli snuck out to go sleep under the burrows of the World Tree. The roots and leaves were warm. Crawling into them made her feel like a bird that had found a lovely nest.

Just like Dolos said, she wished for her evolution and went to sleep.

Evolution [Raptorian] selected. Beginning transmogrification. 

Areli woke up the entire shrine with her screaming. Scarlet wings had ripped their way through her back and talons and torn her shoes to shreds. Her skin felt like it was melting, while her eyes and scalp felt like they were burning. When the transformation was done, Areli was covered in blood and could barely move her head. No more screams left her throat which had filled with blood. 

The entire shrine was awoken by the screaming, including her parents, who came running as fast as they could. Matreya didn’t wait for the much slower Phaedra and got to her daughter before anyone else.

“ARELI! What have you done!?”

—   —   —

Areli woke up in a bed with her father and someone else besides her. Her entire body was bandaged and she was lying on her stomach. Her back and feet felt itchy, but she couldn’t move to scratch them.

“Areli. Tell me, what does your race say?”

Her father’s face was unlike anything she had seen before. She must have done something really bad, so she did as he asked.

Raptorian

A desire for freedom drove humans to devour birds until they became birds themselves.

New Race Skill: Flight - Level 1

The Raptorian’s wings allow her to soar through the sky with freedom.

New Race Skill: Scratch - Level 1

These talons can cut through flesh and scale with ease.

New Race Skill: Sin - Level 1

Her Body had also increased by 2 while her Mind dropped by two.

“Areli. This is very important. You NEED to tell me everything that happened while you were training.”

So she did, every last detail, including about eating the birds alive.

“First off, what you thought your evolution was is called a [Nature Evolution]. They are gained by living with animals as one of them. Me and your mom both have that kind. What you have is a [Forced Evolution]. They are more powerful but are unsavory to get and may have a downside. Otherwise, it’s not the end of the world.”

Areli took in every word her father said. She’s relieved that she didn’t ruin her evolutions at the very least. Her father’s silence, though, had her worried. 

My downside is probably that stat penalty to Mind. Makes sense, I did savagely eat a bunch of birds afterall. 

“What you met was a [Deceiver]. They try to trick people into ruining their evolutions and skills. He’s also why your race option appeared as Roc Child. Since this is the start of your evolution tree, you’ll be fine. He couldn’t do too much damage to you, but you are locked into [Raptor] now. Deviating from it too much will hurt you in the long run.”

I don’t mind this tree too much. I still got the wings, but I do feel bad there was a better version of it.

“As for the Sin. You’ll be fine. They don’t make you evil, but you’ll need a virtue or two to balance it out. They do affect your personality. Focus on getting a virtue and minimizing Sin.”

The doctor spoke up to issue his own warning.

“Your sin skill has a chance to evolve into [Gluttony], so you need to be on a diet from now on until it turns into a sin you actually want. [Gluttony] will cause your evolutions to start chimeraizing. It’s powerful but requires a strict diet that’s hard to maintain because of [Gluttony]. The end result is that you become what you eat.”

Yeah. I am definitely going to avoid that. Who knows what kind of grotesque creature I could end up as.

“I know you’re tired, but there is one last thing you need to know. You can view your possible evolutions. You can also check logs to see which options you didn’t take. Go ahead and see what you missed out on.”

Well, that’s cool, but it’s probably gonna make me feel bad. I doubt Dad will let me go if I don’t look though. All I have to do is think about it and it appears.

Cyborg

This human has used Auto-Pilot for years. As a result, they have mechanized their brain and parts of their body.

Race Skill: Electricity Absorption - Level 1

Electricity is absorbed as nutrition instead of dealing damage.

Race Skill: Electrostatic Discharge - Level 1

Shocks nearby lifeforms with intense voltage.

Race Skill: Alternative Nutrition - Level 1

Removes the need to eat or sleep when supplied with enough electricity.

“NO!!!”

—   —   —

I still don’t know what Auto-Pilot does, but I really missed out on an incredible evolution. If I also learned lightning magic, I would have been incredible!

While sulking about her missed opportunity, her family took her not to the promised special place, but to the [Highlands]. A mountain zone known for its several training grounds for warriors.

Areli didn’t start training right away. She had to get used to her new body. Her hair had turned red with gold highlights. The eyes were the same, with gold specks scattered on them. 

Her wings were pure scarlet, while the tips were gold. They weren’t so hard to deal with just pull them in and they don’t mess with her balance too much. Trying to fly though, always ended with her getting hurt. 

The worst were the talons. Her favorite pair of shoes were ruined, but it’s not like it mattered as she couldn’t wear any shoes anymore. Areli kept tripping over her talons and it was only after she could walk like normal, that her parents started the training.

“We don’t want you being tricked again, so you’ll be getting a class right now under our supervision. Now choose, what do you want?”

Her parents stood in front of her with their armor and weapons. They both looked so cool in her eyes. The choice was obvious.

“I want to use swords and magic.”

“No.”

“What? Why not.”

“No one starts with a hybrid class. It has to be worked up to and is very hard to achieve, especially hard to get a good one.”

That’s just a big letdown! The old demon man in my memories used everything. The kid dreamed of swords and magic. Everyone in my memory was into using both.

“We’re offering you swords or magic. Get the other one later. Your race is physical. You can either build on that or balance it out.”

“Honey, we should take this a bit slower.” Matreya stepped in to slow Phaedra down.

“Eli, take a look at your class options. It’s the same as looking at race options. You might have something available already.”

I didn’t think of that!

Hunter

The first class. The first humans were top predators and hunted their prey relentlessly.

I already did some athletic feats, so I can get a physical class easily. 

Class Skill: Stalk - Level 1

Your prey won’t notice you until it’s too late.

Make sense. That’s how I caught those birds.

Class Skill: Ambush

Increase damage from hiding to stalked targets.

Seems like I’m an ambush predator.

Class Skill: Sin - Level 2

Oh no. It’s that one again.

From there, you can evolve it more toward magic later.

Areli tells her parents about the Sin skill. Their solution is simple: hunt in the mountains the right way until Areli can unlock the class without the bird feat. Her mom let her know that if she takes [Hunter] now, it will work really well with her race and she can evolve it into a magic class later. Her dad didn’t forget to mention that physical classes are much safer during low levels.

For the next entire month, her father pushed Areli to hunt every day, from dawn till dusk. The [Highlands] were huge, so there was plenty of game to hunt and then they sold it to the towns they passed. Each week resulted in Areli catching bigger game and more of them. It was near the end of the month that she would have her final test.

“Areli. Hurry! If you don’t, the tribesmen are going to get your prey first.”

Today, a [Grand Mammoth] was spotted. The entire town we’re staying in began preparations immediately, but dad and I rushed out ahead of them.

[Grand Mammoths] are true giants, bigger than buildings. Areli was going to hunt and kill one by herself. After a month of practice, she could fly as a horse. This time, she’ll be pushing herself to her limits and flying far faster than her dad’s horse could run. She planned to get there long before anyone else.

Areli found the beast after only a few minutes, wandering the peaks, leaving craters in its wake. She let loose several arrows as fast as she could. It’s difficult for her to fire a bow while her wings are flapping, so she instead furls them and while falling, fires the arrows, then unfurls them before falling to her death. If she knew magic, it would be so much easier.

Not a single arrow missed. It wasn’t because of any skill, but because of the sheer size of the target. Areli shot volleys at the mammoth another five times before she was out of arrows, yet the creature barely seemed to notice.

It was time for the spears. It was going to be dangerous no matter what, but it would be safer to use the spears with her talons. The extra reach would be great, but she wasn’t dextrous enough for that. Instead, she had to fly in and slash at it, then fly away.

That was barely doing any more damage than the arrows. There was only one other option. She dove down and grabbed the mammoth’s back with her talons, then started stabbing and slashing its neck. The beast howled and reared back, trying to shake her off. When that failed, the burly beast ripped a tree from the ground and swung it over its back.

Areli was sent tumbling by the force. The tree had cracked several of her bones and the fall cracked several more.

“Areli!”

Her dad came galloping in and ripped her out from under the log and onto the horse’s back, then rode away from the [Grand Mammoth].

“When did you get here?”

“A while ago. I didn’t want to get involved. That was until you decided to pull that stupid move.”

Suddenly a horn blew in the distance and the two could see the town’s hunters on horses come galloping through the valley. One of them dressed in fancy garb came their way.

“We saw you fight with bravery and recklessness. My scout said after you ran out of arrows, you charged in. Child, that was foolishness.”

The man that looked like the chief motioned his head to the warrior, who was probably the scout. She handed me my bow and a quiver of arrows.

“The beast hates you now. We will give you arrows. Harry it and keep its attention on you.”

“Thank you, sir. I’ll do my best.”

Areli took the bow and arrows and then flew off, ignoring her father’s complaints about her injuries. She stayed in front of the mammoth, shooting at its face, while the warriors struck at it from behind. Every time she ran out, a horn would blow and the warriors would back off as she got more arrows.

It was surprising how well organized the hunters were when the entire plan was based on a girl that had no idea how to hunt in a large group and no idea what the plan even was. 

Eventually, the beast slowed, that was when the rest of the hunting party charged in and everyone slashed at it until it finally dropped dead. The pelt was clearly ruined, but the meat would feed the town for several months. 

While the warriors were dismembering the giant corpse, Areli was busy being thanked by the chief and being put on horseback and taken to the town to be cared for.

That night, when everyone had gotten back to town, there was a great feast and celebrations. Areli was the guest of honor. The town’s people came up and placed flowers on her, by the time it was over, she was more flowers than feathers. They also cut a piece of meat from their dinners and gave it to her. She was expected to not get her own food, instead, she ended up with a bowl as big as her full of meat.

The chief wouldn’t let her go until she ate every bite and then told her to check her evolutions.

Hunt Leader

Early humans were hunters. Later humans developed better methods of hunting. This hunter has proven herself as a great hunter in her clan.

No way. This has to be a good one.

Class Skill: Harry - Level 1

Your attacks leave your prey unable to act with clarity. Low-intelligence creatures focus on you.

Sweet. This sounds like it could evolve into a confusion effect.

Class Skill: Stalk - Level 2

Your prey won’t notice you until it’s too late.

I still have this one, but [Ambush] is gone.

Class Skill: Pack Hunting - Level 1

When hunting with others, the pack’s stats are all increased.

Areli is too stunned to think. This last skill is incredible. Right now, it’s just her and her family, but in some of the old man’s memories, he fought with a lot of people. If Areli makes a lot of friends at school, then this would be incredibly helpful.

“So, how is it?”

The chief seems to know that this hunt gave me a new evolution.

“It’s amazing. Truly. How did you know?”

“During these kinds of hunts, it’s not unusual for someone to get an evolution when they do something like you did.”

That night, I went to sleep after wishing for [Hunt Leader].

—   —   —

Areli Tariel

Unknown, Raptorian

A desire for freedom drove humans to devour birds until they became birds themselves.

I still don’t know what the [Unknown] is for. Well, that’s something to learn at school.

Body 45 +2

Mind 22

Soul 23

My body went way up, but my mind hasn’t increased at all! It’s probably because of that curse. 

Flight - Level 10 Physical

The Raptorian’s wings allow her to soar through the sky with freedom.

Level 10 flight! I’m gonna keep leveling this till I can fly anywhere.

Scratch - Level 1 Physical

These talons can cut through flesh and scale with ease.

Haven’t been using my talons, so of course, they haven’t leveled up.

Sin - Level 1 Magical

Marked with Sin. Be careful of sinning further.

Yup, there it is. I have to do the opposite of Gluttony or else. 

Hunt Leader

Early humans were hunters. Later humans developed better methods of hunting. This hunter has proven herself as a great hunter in her clan.

I worked hard for this. Thanks, dad.

Harry - Level 1 Physical

Your attacks leave your prey unable to act with clarity. Low-intelligence creatures focus on you.

Maybe if I level this up, I can get a magical version that inflicts confusion. 

Stalk - Level 4 Physical

Your prey won’t notice you until it’s too late.

It’s only level 4. I guess the hunting I did in the mountains didn’t count that much toward stalking.

Pack Hunting - Level 1 Mental

When hunting with others, the pack’s stats are all increased.

I’m going to level this one right away. I won’t waste it.

Personal Skills

Adventurer’s Health - Level 5 Physical

Being raised by adventurers gives you a boost to your body stats.

I don’t know what determines how much it gives, but I bet it’s the + next to my Body score.

Auto-Pilot - Level 1 Mental

Sealed Skill.

Still level 1. Still don’t know what it does.

Inquisition - Level 3 Mental

Allows deeper analysis.

It leveled up. I’m not sure how, but I bet it will help in school.

Reincarnation - Level 2 Magical

Sealed Skill.

Skip.

Averagization (Inactive) - Level 5 Neutral

As long as there isn’t a large difference between your stats, you gain a stat boost.

It’s inactive? My Body stat must be too high.

Degradation - Level 1 Neutral

Decreases Mind score by 10% and increases Body score by 10%.

So this is what’s causing my stat drop. Is there a way to make it better? My mind would probably drop even more if I level it up. I think it is also different from [Adventurer’s Health] and impacts my averagization.

Unique Skill locked

This is new. I wonder how this works and how I can unlock it?

—   —   —

Areli trained with her dad until it was her 6th birthday. Just before her birthday, the family used the World Tree to travel to the [Springs of Rest]. Areli trained without rest for the past few months, preparing for school. For her birthday and until she leaves for school, she’ll be recovering here.

The springs had many hot and cold springs. Some of them were too hot for most people to survive. Areli spent most of the day floating in the hot baths, sometimes falling asleep. Her wings kept her afloat and from drowning.

The day before she left, her parents threw her a big going-away party and invited all the guests at the springs. Both her parents were crying all day, but still, they smiled and congratulated her. The party lasted most of the night. Areli woke up in the morning tired, but had to get dressed and ready for school. Memories of the boy’s mom pulling him out of bed and putting him into a uniform before shoving him out the door ran across her mind.

“Areli.” Her parents gave her hugs and warnings.

“Please be careful. You got accepted with a scholarship to the school in the capital. It’s a nice school, but it’s also far more dangerous than any other.”

“How can school be dangerous?”

“We told you, it’s a place to train.” Her parents gave her bad looks. If she says something wrong, they might stop her from going.

“I know it is, but how much more dangerous is it than what I’ve already been doing.”

Matreya pulls Areli into another hug and doesn’t let go until she finishes what she has to say.

“Please, do your very best to not die. We would be devasted if you didn’t return to us.”

Areli was about to say she won’t die, but memories flooded her. Memories from the old man, of friend after friend being killed. It made her worry, the old man also didn’t think school would be dangerous. She suddenly didn’t want to go, but other feelings also pushed her further.

“I’ll be careful, mom. I won’t die, I promise.”

“Thank you.” Matreya let go of her daughter and Phaedra pulled her into another hug too, then let her go and pushed her toward the World Tree.

“Just wish for the [Capital of Black Sun]. The tree will take you there. Good luck.”

Areli did as her father suggested, her view went black like it always does, but then it was filled with the sights of thousands of corpses, of worlds burning, and of the sorrow that followed. Then it was all black again until the sight of the capital filled her vision.

—   —   —

This was Areli’s first time in a large city. The World Tree here was just as large as the one in the forest, but there were still buildings going up and down the roots. Thousands of people were busy in the streets, including hundreds of kids like her that were likely also new students.

Areli flew toward the largest group of children, nearly all of them were girls. As she got closer, and adult called out to her.

“Are you a new student too? What’s your name?”

“Areli Tariel, sir.”

“Hmm, yes, your name’s right here. Allright, join the group; we’re still waiting on more students.”

The group of girls was big and everyone was chatting in their own groups. There was nothing else to do while waiting for the remaining students, but Areli never spent much time with other kids, so she had no idea how to make friends.

“Hello, your wings are very pretty.”

A girl my age with large fox-like ears and eyes, with blue coloration everywhere, comes up to me, eying my wings.

“Uh, you can touch them if you want.”

“Can I really?” Before I can even tell her it’s okay, she starts stroking my feathers. It feels weird to have someone else touch them.

“Oh my god! I’m so sorry, my name’s Amity. It’s nice to meet you.”

“It’s fine. I’m Areli.”

Before we can start chatting, the teacher’s voice is heard.

“It’s time to go. Anyone not here missed the entrance period.”

“Looks like we didn’t get much time to talk, sorry.” 

I really wanted to make friends, but we ran out of time.

“It’s okay. Let’s be friends, that way we can talk more. Maybe we’ll share a dorm.” Amity noticed Areli’s wings a while ago, but was worried about asking to touch them. She’s a bold and friendly girl, but also considerate of others.

“Everyone, stand in this circle. We’ll be teleporting to the campus.”

The teacher had everyone stand in a magic circle. It was a lot like using the World Tree, but instead of darkness, it was like the entire town moved under them very quickly. When it stopped, the kids were in the school plaza. 

The oohs and ahhs could be heard from everyone. The place was amazing. Tall, clean, and modern buildings were everywhere. It was just like the capital, except even better. So many different races could be seen among the thousands of students that went past them. Unlike all the simple race evolutions in this group, the older students had more exotic evolutions like Areli’s parents. Also, the older the kids got, the more boys there were among them.

Areli’s attention was drawn to all the other flyers in the sky. None of them had wings like her, then again, only a few of them had feathered wings. Most of them were leathery. The students weren’t alone in the sky, plenty of magical creatures were being ridden by students and staff alike.

“That’s enough gawking. You’ll have time aplenty to look once the entrance ceremony is over.” 

The teacher pushed the students toward a large auditorium building. The kids poured inside and once everyone was inside, the doors were shut and the new students were silenced with magic. An old man that looked painfully familiar to Areli walked up on stage. He gave a long speech that felt like it lasted hours.

“This school was built to nurture the future. Those who can not keep up, drop out. You all are here because we see potential in you. This is the place to turn that potential into power.”

A sick feeling of dread consumed Areli. She barely swallowed down the disgust rising in her throat. 

Dark memories entered her mind. She saw the girl next to her, Amity, being swallowed by light and turning to ash. There was nothing she or Areli could do. Areli was left alone in a large pile of ash.

Can I save her? How do I save her? No. I don’t want this.

[Auto-Pilot] activated.

“Watch out!”

Areli shouted at the top of her lungs. The silence spell was unable to stop her. She grabbed Amity and pulled her close to her, away from the descending light. It wasn’t just Amity that was saved. Areli’s shout alerted several students to the dangerous beams.

Areli was supposed to barely survive school. Only doing so because none of the teachers gave her a second thought. That attack was supposed to kill half of the students. Those with the lowest luck. Because of her warning, only a third of them were killed. Every teacher was now looking at her intently.

It wasn’t just the teachers who noticed her. In the shadows were a bunch of kids, none of which were hit by the disintegrating light. A quarter of the class didn’t show up on time, but that wasn’t true, they had been hidden with powerful magic. The leader was a stylish girl that was now glaring at Areli. This girl was supposed to be an ally to Areli, but now, she was becoming a rival.

“Areli... you saved my life. Thank you.”

Amity’s eyes filled with tears as she held tight to her savior. Unknown to both of them, Amity’s life came at a steep cost. A normal school life.

If Areli is going to survive, she’s going to need to find out what these memories mean.