Lukas wasn’t sure what changed, but after a few days of very little going on, his egg was suddenly very busy. Yes - egg. He had come to the conclusion that that was what he was bound up inside of. It was curved, easy to move, and hard. That meant a couple of interesting things:

He was tiny.

He had to break the egg to get out.

How was he supposed to know when to break out or what sort of environment he’d be thrust into? There were clearly people around, but either because of the muffling or more likely the change in native language, he couldn’t understand what they were saying when they messed around with his egg.

They had been busy messing around with his egg, too. It felt like he was constantly in motion. He assumed they were trying to figure out what he was or how to hatch him perhaps. Was he not a common race? If he was surrounded by giants that could move this container with ease, then perhaps he wasn’t common at all. That could very well pose its own problems… something to concern himself with later, however. If they were going to eat him and make an omelet, they likely would have already. Meaning this was probably a research facility of some kind.

Feeling out his body, his anatomy was certainly different than normal. He had wings, a tail, and what felt somewhat like scales. Some kind of dragon, perhaps? His fingertips had claws… was he quadrupedal? That’d be… interesting.

He was not fond of the idea of becoming someone’s pet.

Lukas’s first introduction to magic was an intriguing one. It seemed there was a slight sensation when someone used appraise on you. In reality, that wasn’t magic at all, just a skill, but Lukas didn’t know any different yet. He knew that it was called “appraise” as when he wondered what in the world that feeling was, his own text box appeared.

It was black with white text, somewhat translucent, and it had a dim backlight to it so that even he, in this complete darkness, could read it. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough light for him to see anything else by.

“Ohhhh my,” he thought to himself, “Aeva would love this world.” She’d be head over heels for not only an isekai world like this, but for one with skills and abilities like some rpg.

Likewise, there was another instance of “magic” that he experienced. Telepathy. Once more, a fantastical discovery.

In his mind, he heard a cautious female voice, young and uncertain, “Test T1. Can you understand me?”

Something else interesting! Telepathy didn’t matter the language? How wonderful. That meant he could converse! “Yes! Yes I am here!” he shouted mentally, and he felt the woman recoil from the sound. There was more chatting in some muffled language he couldn’t understand. Perhaps they were taking notes? It was what he would do. What any proper researcher would do. This boded well.

A male voice spoke to him next, “What is your name?”

What was this? An interview? Whatever. Didn’t matter. He answered enthusiastically, isolation wasn’t good for the mind, and he was eager for any interaction, “Lukas Ruiz.”

…

“Well, they’re definitely intelligent,” murmured the green robed avariel elf, her tanned skin and dark eyes standing in stark contrast to her robes and bright, multi-colored hair. Her hair was done up in a bun held together with brilliant emerald hairpins that sat above wings equal to roughly her arm-length and a half with similarly bright and varied feathers. She was leaning over and closely examining the egg, looking like it was made of mercury, like it would turn it to a puddle at any time.

“They’re an outsider! Of course they’re intelligent. No outsider picked would be an idiot,” chimed in a Moon elf, his quicksilver skin and jaw length grey hair slightly reflecting light around him unusually much. A solid sign that he was excited.

“Do you think the fae are gonna want to know about this?”

“Oh you know they already do.”

“Well duh! The fae seem to know such weird things. The lord probably even knows who brought him here! Besides, look at the thing, it HAS to have something to do with them, right?”

All of this was being said by a gaggle of green-clad students crowding around the mysterious egg.

“I heard it was some drow.”

“A drow?”

“No way it was a drow. Why would a random drow even be around here? Maybe it was just a strong fae or something.”

“Hey, there are caves and cities around here, dungeons too. You never know,” protested a drow student who contrasted their robes with nearly solid black skin, with eyes and hair nearly as dark with a blue tinge.

“I bet Lady Sar knows.”

“I bet Lady Sar knows lots of things. She’s got that robe for a reason, dummy,” scoffed another high elf with skin closer to the brown side of the gold spectrum, despite hair that practically shined golden in the light and eyes nearly closer to platinum.

“Rude. Whatever, we all know you just have a crush on her.”

“H-hey...! That’s… not true, and beside the point anyway! Ad hominem much? She’s brilliant and we all know it!”

The avariel elf laughed and shook her head. “Oh come on, you practically worship the ground she walks on. I bet you envy the flagstones for being under her boots,” she teased, grinning as the high elf flushed a deep yellow.

“Look, you rooster, just because I can recognize-”

This procession was cut off by a loud, wary sigh from right behind the two arguing elves, making everyone in the circle jump. A signature disruption technique of Professor Rasdogir vas Gromin Wratu, a very long name said professor made them all say every time in its entirety for their own enjoyment, usually accompanied by an incredible act of stealth. Such a thing was to be expected from a shadow golem, no matter how much their appearance seemed no different than anyone else there. Just a typical Fire-Opal human, looking absolutely ordinary with their honey colored skin and dark brown eyes, shorter in height than the elven students by nearly a foot, even so unremarkably androgynous that no one had a solid guess as to what they leaned towards. They were aggressively common looking, extraordinarily forgettable in minutes if you don’t interact, or if they don’t interact in any way of note.

The only wee little difference was that they were barely tangible enough to fill out their black robes, and only if they wanted to be. It was speculated if they even were robes at all or just elemental energy made to look like it.

“Students, quiet down. Rumor monger later. I know you’re excited, but this isn’t some pet. This is an outsider. It's our honor to make the first impression on them. This could be very big for the school. We cannot afford to mess this up. Sirana, what did your appraise say?” Even their voice was oddly normal, utterly lacking in characteristics that would make them stand out except when they decided to add a tinge of authority to it. This unfortunately made them seem somewhat aggressive even though they were never truly mean outside of menial and generally light hearted ways, and did an excellent job educating the students, leaving positive if confused impressions by the time one left their class.

“He’s got… crazy stats… isn’t he like an infant or something? How’s that even possible? I mean, he hasn’t even hatched yet and he’s not far off from a normal ten year old!” cried the moon elf, practically radiating his own light at the idea of what such a being might accomplish.

“That’s what outsiders are like, I hear. It’s best not to question it too much. The techniques involved in bringing them here and making a body has baffled our brightest for this school’s entire lifetime. For now, just make notes. Does it… he have taboo? Heresy?”

“Yes sir,” several students answered at once.

The golem nodded, studying the results of their own Advanced Appraise lvl 9, “That confirms it then. He’s an outsider from an admin. Who here knows what the admins are?”

A boy raised his hand, “Strange unknown powerful beings. They tend to be against the gods and bring outsiders here for their own tasks. They also don’t seem to use any presently known powers and seem to be particularly adept at absorbing and redirecting magic.”

“Correct. It is important to note, however, that most who they bring do not end up in their employ. Those two skills give them an edge on the divine or the protections they provide should they choose to be a pawn for their war. This is all the more reason to befriend them early. Do they seem to have an affinity for magic?”

“Yes sir. Life, illusion, and mutation. They also have alchemy at level 6.”

“No wonder… Well with that in mind we certainly want them to become a student here. No pressure, class. Don’t screw it up.”