When the pain receded, there was another system alert.

〚Skill『Pain Toxin: LV1』has been acquired〛

This skill seemed to be the by product of [Stinger] since there was no option to accept or reject. And I would not object either.

What was the point of having a stinger without being able to inflict pain?

With the new changes I was excited to test its effects!

But for the moment, I continued to eat the wasp and was surprised to hear another alert.

〚You have consumed low grade core〛

〚Status: Incomplete〛

〚Magic Ability: +5〛

Really?

I quickly checked the improvements on my stats.

----------------

Name: Aurelia LV8 [Neonate Snake]

Specie: Cerastes Vipera

HP: 91/92 Defence: 74

MP: 59/60 Intellect: 64

SP: 84/85 Magic: 33>38

Attack: 88 Agility: 81

----------------

It seems eating a core could grant stat points.

I unexpectedly gained a lot from this quasi evolved wasp. Feeling cheered up and a little more motivated, I decided to appraise the dead wasp too.

The results were as follows.

--------------

LV 12 Melior Hesperia

Specie: Ailith Vespoidea

HP: 000/112 Defence: 82

MP: 00/64 Intellect: 35

SP: 00/76 Magic: 39

Attack: 73 Agility: 74

Skills:

[Sting: LV4] [Scent: LV5]

[Compound Eyes: LV6]

[Razor Claw: LV1] [Grip: LV8]

[Perception: LV1] [Claw: LV10]

[Lift: LV10] [Pain Toxin: LV4]

[Bite: LV7] [Chitin Armour: LV2]

[Ultraviolet Vision: LV8]

[Paralysis Venom: LV4]

[Exoskeleton: LV10]

[Mana Sense: LV2]

Title:

[Hive Builder] [Kin Eater]

Attributes:

[Directional Stability: LV1]

Resistances:

[Pain Resistance: LV5]

[Fatigue Resistance: LV4]

[Piercing Resistance: LV6]

---------------

Its skills were very impressive!

So this was the difference between a normal creature and a semi evolved one. It's skills were all mostly high level.

Compared together with mine I still had some ways to go. With my current status, my highest skill [Heat Sense] was LV5. I had to get my skills up to LV10, all before reaching LV12 if I wanted to evolve any further.

Judging from the wasp's skills, I needed at least three skills at LV10, while the other conditions were still unclear. I had more skills than it but they were all improving at an even rate and if it stayed like that, I won't be able to get any skill to LV10, much less three.

New attributes like [Stinger] and [Mind Chain] were interesting, but to survive I had to focus more on strength and effectiveness, particularly, of [Stinger]. Adding to that I had to increase my agility and my current skills until most of them were LV10 at least.

To achieve this, testing them to their limits was necessary and for that I needed to spar! But with whom?

I looked around me.

Unfortunately, my only opponents were one cowering wasp and an unconscious lizard. Things already weren't looking good.

Releasing the wasp from its binds would just set it free, so that was not an option. I would have to make do with testing my skills on the cell's other occupant. But after approaching the lizard I felt it would be too terrible to use my skill to harm the it while it slept, so I let it be.

It would be worth it to invest in a sparring partner in the future.

One of the nestlings, perhaps?

I opened the store again to look at the skills available and I appraised each one now that [Appraisal] was LV3.

--------------

[Mana Sense] - A spatial skill that allows the bearer to observe the mana around them. Subsequent level increments increase the bearer's capacity to manipulate their own mana and the range of their ability. [+4 INT]

--------------

The wasp also had [Mana Sense] as a skill, and from inhabiting it, I was able to observe the energy changes within its body which I would not have been able to do myself.

I deemed it extremely important. My magic had also increased quite a bit after eating the wasps quasi core, so with enough practice I should be able to use it like the wasp.

I decided to purchase it.

〚Confirmed『Mana Sense: LV1』has been acquired〛

〚Activating status effect. Success〛

All at once I felt an intense ache in my head and suddenly the vision around me changed. The lights in my eyes went dark and everything grew numb. My surroundings became a layout of silhouettes, much like a 3D projection where everything, except for some exceptions, was inky black shadow.

It was truly horrifying to see nothing but dark and I panicked, until I noticed some light shining from somewhere. There were two figures I could make out, because their silhouettes shone internally in cyan blue rather than black. One was a perfect cut out of a silhouette in the shape of the wasp, while the other was the shape of the sleeping lizard.

The black could only be inanimate objects while the outlines in blue were things that contained mana. The wasp's has a faint blue gaseous cloud of mana blooming on the inside while the sleeping lizard's was ablaze with a much denser cloud of mana. The lizard obviously had a stronger mana signature than the wasp.

Lastly I concentrated internally on myself and saw a similar mass of cyan blue mana, circling around in my body. It was larger than the wasp's but not as dense as the lizard's.

However, something else that drew my attention. It was another mass of mana, small in size but so dense, it shone like a blinding blue light. It was nothing like the lizard's bright cloudy haze but solid blue, like a condensed ball of lightning that made me unable to observe it for long.

I could only concentrate for so long before my head started to hurt and I had to cancel [Mana Sense].

What was that?

It was fixed right next to my weaker mana signature like it was attached to me and I could only think of one thing it could be.

Sensei.

Who else other than he could be that obnoxious?

I pretended to not have seen anything and went back to the system window to look at skills.

Sensei also did not comment, so perhaps he did not notice either.

I looked at the appraisal results for [Dragon Scales] and [Mark].

--------------

[Dragon Scales] - Increases the hardness of the bearer's body to repel attacks and absorb damage. Subsequent level increments enhances the bearer's tolerance and pain resistance. [+5 DEF +4 AGI].

[Mark] - Allows the bearer to trace the location of anything containing their essence. Increases movement speed by 20% while in pursuit. [+10MP +4 AGI +3 MAG]

--------------

Compared to [Dragon Scales], [Mark] was not necessary right now so I held off on purchasing it and decided to get dragon scales because it improved my defence.

The spikes growing out of my sides might seem strong when used on flesh but I felt they were too delicate when considering the hardness of a wasp shell. So, hopefully [Dragon Scales] would make up for any weakness and increase its strength in order to pierce them. It was a long shot but it was worth an attempt.

〚Confirmed『Dragon Scales: LV1』has been acquired〛

〚Activating status effect. Success〛

I felt another wave of stinging sensations, only this time it was all over my body. My scales formed a tough barrier over my stinger spines, strengthening them, and when I moved I was faster than before.

I checked my new stats.

--------------

Name: Aurelia LV8 [Neonate Snake]

Specie: Cerastes Vipera

HP: 91/92 Defence: 74>79

MP: 53/60 Intellect: 68

SP: 84/85 Magic: 38

Attack: 88 Agility: 81>85

Experience Points: [81]

------------

My defence and agility had improved and I also gained a level in [Pain Resistance]. I should have been happy but instead I felt uneasy.

It was necessary to improve but I didn't know what changes were occurring in Sensei due to my utility of the system.

I told myself I would not use the system for skills I could get myself, yet because I barely got the chance to breathe, I was doing the exact opposite just to survive.

I knew Sensei couldn't have predicted what would come after I left the cave, but due to his quest I found myself locked in an inexplicable situation where I had to keep using the system or die.

He would not mention the effect it had on him and I'd been too afraid to ask before because I felt it was doing him more harm than good but now I wasn't sure anymore.

"Why did you become our system?" I asked Sensei.

There was a brief pause before he responded. «Isn't protecting students the duty of a teacher?»

"Protection?" I scoffed. If things were progressing exactly as he intended so far in the name of protection, then Sensei might not actually have my best interest at heart!

Still, I felt guilty. "You didn't have to do that. No one would have blamed you if you decided to live your own life."

«I didn't know I had such a good student that even looks out for me.» Sensei listlessly sighed.

It was annoying.

For someone who was not much older than I was, he was acting way too superior.