Draconic Ascension - System Apocalypse Isekai LitRPG

[Heritage

Blessing of Light – Cleansing: the cleansing light belonging to the Light Dragons holds untold power. As much as it can be used to destroy, it can also be used to heal.

Effects: improves your body’s natural healing powers, cleanses poison and disease, and dismisses negative effects upon activation. Higher proficiency and a higher Level result in greater results.]

Michael’s gaze was focused. It was nice to have a Skill that helped him against poison and disease, but it was also the first Skill he’d seen that directly scaled with his Level. He turned to the Skill description itself. He assumed it meant that his Dragonheart’s regenerative prowess would increase, but the same could not be said about Minor Heal. “Negative effects” was also awfully vague; he didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Does it mean it can get rid of any debuff or that the System just decided to be cryptic?

The former would be a stretch, but this was draconic magic, directly inherited from his blessing. Maybe the number and type of debuffs it could remove depended on his Level. In general, he didn’t think too much about the fact that these Heritage Skills had shown up in his selection window. He assumed that it was a measure to keep Dragons in check, as he had deduced before.

At that moment, he felt Tairy’s impatient stare and was reminded that he couldn’t get lost within these special Skills. Silently, he spent the necessary three Skill Points for all three Heritage Skills. He heard his teacher’s voice.

“So?”

Michael’s thoughts raced. He replied.

“There are six Skills. Mana Empowerment, Alacrity, Clarity, Force, Agility, and Mana Blade.”

He decided to name three Skills he had already learned to complete the list. Tairy would have been suspicious if he said only three Skills were available for acquisition. The latter three were the true ones remaining on the list. Michael looked at each of their descriptions. He started with Force.

[Passive Skill

Force (E): you have demonstrated great physical and mental prowess. The power that fuels them will only grow greater.

Effects: increases the effectiveness of Strength and Constitution. Increases the effectiveness of Intelligence. Increases the power of your offensive Skills.]

Is this because I increased my physical stats to be capable of facing the Mushroom Warriors?

It also improved his Intelligence and offensive Skills, however, so that wasn’t entirely it. Either way, it seemed like a great Skill. It went beyond simply strengthening his body. Even if the effects weren’t too large, it was still something. It was definitely deserving of it’s E-Rank. If his guess about his physical stats was correct, the next Skill should be in the same vein, especially given its name.

[Passive Skill

Agility (E): the quickness of your feet hasn’t gone unnoticed. You have proven your ability to outspeed your enemies.

Effects: increases the effectiveness of Dexterity. Increases the power of mobility Skills.]

It was a simple description and exactly what he expected, although he was intrigued by the part about “mobility Skills.” He didn’t have any of those except for Lightspeed, and none were offered in the previous Skill selections. It was something to question Tairy about. He moved on to the last Skill.

[Active Skill

Mana Blade (F): some Mages are more than willing to contend with their enemies in close quarters. This is the most basic Skill of those Battlemages.

Effects: creates a blade made of pure mana. Higher proficiency and a higher Intelligence stat result in greater effects.]

The description wasn’t elaborate, but it told Michael everything he needed to know. Based on his experience so far, the length of the blade and its cutting power would depend solely on his own ability. The Skill would do the bare minimum, but he was responsible for everything else, as was the case with the other Skills.

Finally, his eyes left his Skill descriptions and looked at Tairy, who seemed to be in deep thought. The old dark elf spoke with a helpless tone.

“Damn it, if only we had more Skill Points.”

Michael held his tongue. He had already decided to get all Skills in the selection window before he had even opened it. His Race’s most powerful boon continued to be the abundance of Skill Points that it granted him. But there was no need to say all of that. He patiently waited for Tairy to wrap up his thoughts. He heard the dark elf’s voice.

“Alright, we’ll do it like this. Choose Clarity, Mana Empowerment, and Agility. Clarity and Mana Empowerment are essential, and Agility will help your survivability. Losing Alacrity and Force is a shame, but we can only hope that they appear again at the next selection.”

Michael’s curiosity was piqued.

“I didn’t think you would pick Clarity, since it’s only an F-ranked Skill.”

“A Skill’s value isn’t determined solely by its rank. Clarity will help you keep calm and collected enough to cast spells even in desperate situations. It’s an essential Skill that is often overlooked by those without guidance. Just like Meditation, it is a cornerstone of all casters.”

Of course, Michael knew firsthand just how effective Clarity was. It was likely one of the best F-ranked Skills, especially considering that it was a Passive Skill, not one that only worked for a set amount of time during activation. Silently, he picked the three Skills remaining. He felt bad for tricking his master, but it was for the better. He needed to play it safer. Both Tairy and Sullivan already knew there was something different about him. He shouldn’t stand out even more. He had no desire for fame or popularity. That only brought forth risks.

Tairy spoke.

“Now, for the troll in the room: you have reached Level 25.”

As expected, the old man had used Analyze on him.

“Yeah, but I didn’t get the Meditation Skill like you told me I would.”

“That’s for the better. It comes immediately after Class Evolution, but we shouldn’t rush it. As I’ve told you, it’s better to learn it on your own. That’s why I would like you to delay your Class Evolution.”

He spoke with a serious expression and a heavy tone, as if he were demanding too much. Michael found it slightly amusing.

“Sure. I’ll delay it.”

“Don’t think little of this decision, kid. Immediately evolving your Class would grant you power much greater than your current self. You are safe for now, but I’m sure Sullivan has already warned you. Things will start getting much worse soon. I can’t say more than that, but-”

“Don’t worry, old man. I’m already plenty powerful for the current situation. I managed to solo clear a Dungeon you didn’t think I was capable of facing, remember? I’ll delay the Class Evolution. And yes, Sullivan has warned me. I’m aware of it.”

“…Alright.”

The dark elf nodded with a solemn expression, then got up and pointed to the stone dais. He spoke.

“Since you lost your bag and the heads Sullivan requested, there’s nothing you need to report to him. Let’s begin immediately. The sooner you properly acquire the Meditation Skill, the better.”

Michael complied, sat on the dais, and closed his eyes. After a few mere seconds, he was struck by that same feeling. The wondrous feeling of discovering himself amidst impenetrable darkness, of finding long-buried treasure in an undiscovered land. He saw his spiritual self, with its horns and scales. The horns seemed to have gotten a bit longer, but not by much. He had only noticed because he always paid so much attention to this different self of his.

As he had been taught, he started to breathe deeply and rhythmically. His spiritual self did the same. He observed his inner workings at the same time that he drew mana in. The way his mana revolved around his Heart, the way his lungs expanded when air entered them, the way blood filled every corner of his body. As usual, he stared at his mana with unrestrained curiosity. It was a wonderful thing. He was glad to be a Mage. Having such a close relationship with mana was a reward in and of itself. He observed his single Circle. It was beautiful.

Slowly, his awareness expanded. He could “see” Tairy standing next to him, patiently waiting. He felt the titanic amount of mana that the old man possessed, and how it clung to him. He couldn’t even picture himself becoming that powerful. It expanded further. The grass on the ground swayed, not because of any wind, but because of the mana that swirled around him. Tairy’s prized tree stood strong and eternal. Michael finally realized that each of its leaves possessed mana. His perception extended itself to the small house behind them. It touched the wood and furniture, then went further.

At the moment that he was about to leave Tairy’s house’s grounds, he felt the feeling break. Once lost, it could not be recovered. He returned to himself, opened his eyes, and looked at Tairy, who spoke.

“That was a lot longer than I expected. Your battles must have changed you somehow. We’re close, very close to acquiring the Skill. I suspect it will happen in only a few days. Good work, kid.”

Michael smiled and nodded.

Making progress was intoxicating.