I, of course, squashed my wanderlust as best I could immediately. It helped that it wasn’t a very strong instinct, but I was glad that my Willpower was growing enough for me to get something of a hold of myself. Just barely, anyway. I doubted I’d be able to stop myself from wandering off for all that long.

However, there were really obvious things that I just hadn’t done. My Analysis was probably so low because I have barely even examined my menu. It occurred to me that I barely had any idea what my Skills and Abilities did, and it was clear that my Skills were very important for me to get better Evolutions.

How much had I missed because I hadn’t tried to raise the Skills I have or gain new ones? If I was going to have an instinct to explore I might as well try to channel it into exploring my own Skills! I mean, if Sprinting and Swimming were Skills, then practically anything could be, right?

I was an expert in dancing and singing in my last life, were those Skills I could gain? Admittedly, I currently was a lizard - I probably should have tried to get Singing as a toad and Dancing as a newt - and that made it a bit strange for me to try and dance, but it wasn’t like I couldn’t arrange a dance for my new body. A shame I didn’t have Youtube to upload to, a dancing lizard would be pretty popular I think.

My low Acuity made it a bit rough to try and arrange, but half an hour of steps and twirls later…

“[You have learned the Skill: Dancing! Dancing is now Level 1!]”

I also took the opportunity to Analyse my new Skill and see what it actually did. I would have to examine all my other Skills at some point soon too.

“[This Skill improves your ability to dance!]

[For every Level of Dancing the amount of effort and resources required decreases by 2.5% Additionally, for every Level of Dancing you have your effective Agility, Dexterity, and Charisma improved by .5% while Dancing.]”

Oh, wow. That is actually one hell of a useful Skill. In my last life I had worked dancing into my everyday movements, so presumably if the System had worked like this in my past life it would have improved basically everything I did. I doubt I can really do the same as a lizard because of how the body works, but it definitely is something for me to remember in the future.

Singing was much harder for me. The Komadus Lizard species did not apparently have a large vocal range. Their range was basically from “hiss” to “HISSSS” and that didn’t leave a lot to work with. Funnily enough, I got a completely different Skill before I got Singing.

“[You have learned the Skill: Composing! Composing is now Level 1!]

[This Skill improves your ability to compose music!]

[For every Level of Composing you have your effective Perception, Acuity, and Willpower improved by 1% while Composing!]”

That was… Far less useful for me. I suppose it would be useful to a composer, but it does make me wonder why there wasn’t a Skill for dance arranging. Did the System just not have one or did I just not earn it? I guess I’ll have to try again later and see if I get a Skill for it. I suppose it did help me finish my new song which I titled, “hiss hiss hiss.” Truly, I could have been a social media star.

“[You have learned the Skill: Singing! Singing is now Level 1]

[This Skill improves your ability to sing!]

[For every Level of Singing your lungs hold 1% more air and your body requires 1% less air at all times. For every Level of Singing you have your effective Perception and Charisma improved by 1% while Singing.]”

To my surprise, Singing came with a passive that worked even when I wasn’t using the Skill. It was a useful one too, not just for singing but for daily life. My daily life, anyways. Fighting involves some heavy breathing, so this is a serious improvement. It makes me wonder if people - wherever they might be - train Singing even if they plan to be [Warriors] of some kind.

Probably not. They likely had more important Skills to train, but I would think that the most serious and dedicated of the lot would try and train the Skill. Maybe people just had the Skill; what child hasn’t sang at some point in their life? I would think they reached their personal limit in childhood and probably couldn't go much further without professional help, but that is just conjecture.

Given that surprise passive, I think I should check my other Skills now. Who knows what I missed?

“[This Skill improves your ability to ambush your foes!]

[For every Level of Ambush you deal 1% more damage and take 1% less damage for an amount of seconds equal to the sum of your Ambush and Stealth Skills when you Ambush a foe who is unaware of you.]

[This Skill allows you to analyze the world around you!]

[For every Level of Analysis your effective Perception and Acuity are improved by 1% at all times. For every Level of your Analysis Skill you receive more information about your target.]

[This Skill improves your ability to charge at your foes!]

[For every Level of Charge you move 1% faster, take 1% less damage, and deal 1% more damage while Charging.]

[This Skill improves your ability to craft things!]

[For every Level of Crafting anything you make takes 2% less effort and time to make, is 2% more durable, and is .5% more effective.]”

What does “more effective” mean in that context though? If I craft a basket with Level ten Crafting, does it hold five percent more? How would that even work? It probably is just added to the durability in that case, but I can’t help but wonder if I could make a bag that would hold more than its size. Probably not, although maybe if I knew more magic…

“[This Skill improves your ability to dig!]

[For every Level of Digging it takes 1% less effort to dig and you dig 2.5% faster.]

[This Skill improves your ability to dodge blows!]

[For every Level of Dodging your effective Perception and Acuity is improved by 2% in combat. Also, for every Level of Dodging your effective Perception, Agility, Dexterity, and Acuity is improved by 1% while actively dodging.]

[This Skill improves your ability to jump!]

[For every Level of Jumping you are able to jump 5% higher and further. For every Level of Jumping it takes 1% less effort to jump.]

[This Skill improves your ability to meditate!]

[For every Level of Meditation your effective Perception, Acuity, and Willpower is improved by 1% at all times. For every Level of Meditation your Perception, Acuity, and Willpower is increased by an additional 2% while actively meditating. For every Level of Meditation your Mana restores itself an additional 10% faster, your Health and Stamina restore an additional 5% faster, and your body requires 2% less resources while meditating.]”

Well, now I feel like an even bigger idiot. My old newt instincts didn’t want me to move, so I could have easily Leveled Meditation. It was way more useful than I thought with several effects, one of which worked even when I wasn’t meditating! It wasn’t a big improvement, but every little bit helps.

[This Skill improves your ability to sprint and run!]

[For every Level of Sprinting your effective Agility is increased by 1% at all times. When actively Sprinting your Agility and Dexterity are improved by an additional 1% per Level and Sprinting requires 5% less effort.]

[This Skill improves your ability to swim!]

[For every Level of Swimming your body requires 1% less air at all times, additionally it takes 5% less effort to swim and you swim 5% faster per Level.]

[This Skill improves your ability to use stealth!]

[For every Level of Stealth your effective Perception, Agility, Dexterity, and Acuity are improved by .5% at all times. When trying to hide, you are 5% harder to detect per Level of Stealth.]

[This Skill improves your ability to taunt your foes!]

[For every Level of Taunt your effective Charisma and Willpower are improved by 1% while taunting your foe.]

[This Skill improves your ability to throw things!]

[For every Level of Throwing your effective Strength, Perception, Acuity, and Dexterity are improved by 1% when throwing things.]

[This Skill improves your ability to build traps!]

[For every Level of Trap Making your traps are 2% harder to detect, 1% more effective, 1% faster to build, and .5% more durable.]”

I might as well check my new racial abilities too. Although I am not sure how useful they will be. After all, [Toxic Skin] and [Toxin Control: Minor] provided immunity to any poison I could make and resistance to any poison related to the ones I could make, so I wasn’t sure if having [Poison Resistance: Major] mattered much.

[Disease Resistance: Minor] also seemed fairly useless. After all, I had the [Healthy Thoughts] Incarnator perk and I was aware that the best way to avoid disease is to improve my Vitality. Still, it was probably more useful than my [Poison Resistance: Major].

[Scale Armor: Minor] I was also skeptical of. After all, I had been killing monsters with that ability for the majority of my experience, so how powerful could it actually be? The only ability I was really happy to have was [Envenomed Bite] because that meant that I didn’t have to rely on my skin to deliver toxins to my prey. Now I could just bite them and they’d be screwed.

“[Poison Resistance: Major]

[You strongly resist damage by poison!]

[All poisons deal 80% less damage to you, all poisons spread throughout your body 66% slower, and all poisons are removed from your body 200% faster.]

[Disease Resistance: Minor]

[You somewhat resist disease and infection.]

[You are 15% hard to infect with disease. Disease symptoms are 10% weaker and your body adapts to and fights off disease 10% faster.]

[Scale Armor: Minor]

[You are covered in tough scales!]

[You have an extra 10% effective Endurance against all attacks and 15% against cutting attacks. You take 10% more damage from frost and cold but resist fire and heat 10% better.]

[Envenomed Bite: Hatchling Komadus Lizard]

[You can inject venom through your bite! You have access to immature Komadus Lizard venom!]

[This ability is modified by the ability [Toxin Control: Minor] allowing you to use a wider range of toxins.]”

[Scale Armor: Minor] isn’t even wholly good! Weaker against frost and cold, does that include winter!? Did I just screw myself over in my last Evolution? Probably not, otherwise the Green Lizards wouldn’t live here, I presume. Other than that my abilities weren’t particularly interesting, but they certainly were useful.

I wonder what other Skills I could get though? Thinking through my past lives, one of the first that comes to mind is Cleaning. That should be easy to get, I would have thought I would have gotten it removing the bodies from Newthome. A quick look around makes it obvious why I hadn’t though.

The ground was stirred up, there was blood everywhere, and I hadn’t done a thing beyond fixing my stick palisade! Using a piece of moss as a cloth I started trying to clean up the blood, and it really was not easy to do! Letting blood set into things makes it a pain in the ass to remove, and I should have known better. I used to be a maid; thinking about how I have been living recently is a blow to my pride as a former servant!

I got so worked up in my thoughts and so absorbed in my effort cleaning that I forgot I was trying to get a Skill until I actually got it.

“[You have learned the Skill: Cleaning! Cleaning is now Level 1!]

[This Skill improves your ability to clean!]

[For every Level of Cleaning you are able to clean 10% faster and it requires 5% less effort. Additionally, for every Level of Cleaning you have anything you clean is 2% more resistant to becoming dirty.]”

Not exactly impressive, but I remember how I used my extra cleaning speed as a [Battle Maid]. I’m not sure how I could take advantage of this as a lizard - or even if I can do that in this world - but I wouldn’t be surprised if it worked once I figured it out. Considering how Skills were gained in this world, who knows what I could combine and use if I tried?

What else could I try from my days as a maid? Hmm…

“[You have learned the Skill: Etiquette! Etiquette is now Level 1!]

[This Skill helps you to use proper manners at all times!]

[For every Level of Etiquette you have 2.5% increased Charisma while using proper etiquette. You find it easier to remember proper etiquette and will often use proper etiquette instinctively.]”

I was actually surprised that worked. All I did was try and convert what I remembered into a lizard form and I managed to get another Skill! The Charisma bonus would actually be very strong, if I ever had cause to use it. I wonder if I could get a Skill for Cooking without using fire?

I mean, sure, Cooking implies using heat, but a [Chef] doesn’t just use fire and cook. If I made a salad, would that count? Probably not considering I can’t actually eat it, so I will leave that alone for now.

Since there was a Taunt Skill, there probably was some kind of Skills for Intimidation and Charm, but I would need to find some other monsters to try that on. Or did I? Maybe I could practice in front of my reflection in some water, but if I made my way to the water I’d run into monsters anyway.

I guess I might as well go out and try. It was only a few minutes from Newthome that I ran into a Boreal Toad that immediately squeaked its displeasure and started hopping towards me. In response, I pulled myself onto my back legs to make myself bigger and hissed loudly with my mouth open.

The toad actually stopped for a second!

“[You have learned the Skill: Intimidate! Intimidate is now Level 1!]”

Unfortunately, the toad wasn’t really all that afraid of me and resumed its attack. One swat later and I had one more point of experience. Poor little toad, they just aren’t smart enough to know better than to attack me. Sorry little sibling, but your older sister won’t just let you eat her.

“[This Skill improves your ability to intimidate your foes!]

[For every Level of Intimidate you gain 1% effective Charisma and Willpower while trying to intimidate your foes!]”

Interesting. My experience as a [Imperial Princess] makes me wonder if I can combine Intimidate and Taunt. It would be nice to goade my opponents into an attack but intimidate them at the same time so that they don’t use their full effort when fighting me.

I kept moving back to the pool, noting that Toadhome was still standing. I was oddly happy about that, even though - if there was a toad living in there now - they would try and attack me. Maybe I should make a Lizardhome, just so I can leave little habitats around every time I evolve.

Wow my mind is weird. I am pretty sure this isn’t my lizard brain, it just kind of wants to wander around and see different things, so I guess that is all me.

I had a few fights by the water, but Hatchlings are barely even worth me noticing at this point. Between my Strength, Endurance, Vitality, scales, [Toxic Skin], and venom I was practically invincible from anything I had seen so far in this forest. Minus the slimes, but they weren’t exactly dangerous to me.

There was, in fact, a Charm Skill, but it took me hours to finally get.

“[You have learned the Skill: Charm! Charm is now Level 1!]

[This Skill improves your ability to charm others!]

[For every Level of Charm you gain 2% effective Charisma while attempting to Charm others.]”

That is a pretty good bonus! I obviously don’t have any use for Charm now, but I am sure it will come in useful at some point. Even beyond helping to unlock new choices for my Evolution.

Looking at the mud by the water, I had another idea for a possible Skill. I started following one of the footprints of what I think was a Green Lizard. I’m not sure how long it would take, but if my theory is right…

It took me half an hour to gain my first Level of Tracking.

“[You have learned the Skill: Tracking! Tracking is now Level 1!]

[This Skill improves your ability to track creatures!]

[For every Level of Tracking your effective Perception and Acuity is increased by 1% at all times. For every Level of Tracking your effective Perception, Acuity, Agility, Dexterity, and Luck is increased by 1.5% while actively Tracking!]”

Another good set of bonuses, including one to Luck! I had a lot of Luck in this life, so that bonus would be even more useful for me. It probably won’t be hard to Level this Skill either, so long as I do some active hunting. Since my instincts are pushing me to see and do new things, I might as well. Maybe I could even make a map and get a Map Making Skill while I was at it?