The idle tap of claws on stone echoed through the cavern. Blackthorne, tiny little terror that he was, could not find anything to do to pass the time. His lack of life force disallowed any attempts to synergize rocks or cast spells. The need to heal his wounds while in the confines of a reasonably safe area would normally cause him to simply go to sleep. Unfortunately, his little plateau was not quite safe enough. Though, nothing came up there to bother him so far that did not mean that some creature or other might not manage to climb up to snack on him while he wandered around on Earth. Thus, he was forced to wait out the entire length of time that he spent waiting for his body to heal.

Nothing better to do, he allowed his mind to wander. There were many things to think about, most notably the goddess and her their weird conversation.

"She seemed different before, more mature somehow despite the playful ass-grabbing." He drummed his claws on the ground then released a mighty yawn.

"Not now, you stupid Earth body," said Blackthorne. For the last while he had grown increasingly more tired. He knew the signs well. His body was trying to wake up back on Earth.

Sudden weakness stole over him, and his head dropped to the ground with a light smack that woke him slightly. "Dammit," he hissed.

Thinking quickly, he looked around the area. Nearby he noted several stalactites and a few rocks. The closest thing to a hiding spot he was likely to find, he staggered over with the intent to at least try to avoid catching the attention of any passing creatures that might come along and take a nibble while he was gone.

He barely made it to the rocks before he collapsed in a heap. Tail curled near his body, Blackthorne lost all conscious sense of himself and the dark underground world became an even darker void of nothingness.

Scott opened his eyes with a start. His phone was ringing loudly nearby, the obvious source of his disturbance. He grunted in annoyance then blinked. "The hell?"

The room was ablaze with rainbow fire. Everything from his phone to his nearby door glowed brightly in his vision. Suddenly, he realized something else. He could not see his body under the sheets!

A clawed hand came into view and he gasped. "No!"

Scott flailed around under his sheets then fell out of his bed with a loud thump. Scrambling free of his bedding, he rushed to the door then craned his neck back to look up at the door knob overhead. "No. No..."

He sprang upwards like a cat and gripped the knob in both paws. With a twist and then a kick against the doorframe, his bedroom door came open. He raced to his bathroom and leapt up to grab onto his sink. He pulled himself upward and stared into the mirror.

Reptilian eyes blinked owlishly as he became aware of himself. Rounded triangular head mixed with horns and bright red eyes to reveal his draconic visage. "Holy shit!" he cried aloud before he lost his grip and fell comically to his bathroom floor. Scott kicked spastically, like a dying rat, while his mind attempted to comprehend what was happening to him.

There was only one obvious truth. When he changed his race, the change carried over to reality. He truly was a dragon now.

"How? Why?" he asked in confusion. Nothing ever carried over before! What did this mean?

Once he stopped flailing around like little reptilian weirdo, he decided to try to only logical thing that he could think to do at the moment. He made the attempt to call out his status screen. Surprisingly, it did not appear but something else did.

Greetings, Scott Blackthorne!

You are one of the first among the people of your world to cast aside their base humanity and achieve a new state of being. Many have done it before you, but none have done it in quite the same manner that you have done it.

Somehow, you have acquired a race that is completely unknown to our system. It is a racial profile that we can only partially view, while we are simultaneously locked out of accessing it. In all fairness, you should not be allowed to retain it. Barring its removal, you should be deleted as a corrupted element. Due to a combination of system errors that we have no capacity to address by any means at our disposal, we seem to be unable to rid you of that racial profile or the system of your profile in general.

Honestly, it is quite concerning to some of our senior staff members. However, there is little that can be done on our end to attend to the matter short of a full system reset to alleviate those concerns.

Since we appear to be stuck with both you and your new racial choice despite our efforts to remove the corruption from the system, we welcome you to the elite both as a new race-shift and as the world's first chosen divine champion! While there are others who have obtained a race from the proper list that you had to choose from, they each did so not as a blessed chosen of the dark. They did so through random chance or through perilous adventure.

Now that you are among the elite, there are two things to know. On Earth, as in the dream, you are in fact a Mahorela Abaivonin. However, due to the nature of what you are there is a penalty.

Your level and skills on Earth will remain tied to their current state in the dream world. If we cannot discern any wrong doing on your part, or on the part of the goddess who blessed you, we will allow your penalty to be lifted. Until that time, your skills and attribute growth are locked when you are on Earth. You may not increase them on Earth outside of one exception, though they are yours to utilize as you see fit. If any other situation arises which may be a cause for concern, the matter will be decided upon at that time.

Please note: Your human appearance while on Earth is tied partially to your original Earth appearance. Until the time of the relevant major world update, your human form will change in accordance to your actions. If you wish to become grotesquely fat, or take on the appearance of a Greek statue, only your personal efforts will change your appearance for now. Your stats will have no bearing on your human appearance until such time as the appropriate update and official revelation of race-shifting options.

The second aspect of this change is related to your status as the 'Bride of Darkness.'

Upon review, we have found this to be an inappropriate and assumptive designation. However, as the goddess' chosen you are considered a member of the Nobility of the Dark, a [Dark Lord] in fact. Your proper title is 'Gentleman of Darkness' as you are a lower-echelon noble, and not yet royalty.

Your Earth home is now considered to be your estate. The title of your estate is [Blackthorne Manor] despite its... true appearance. View your [Estate Menu] in the same manner that you view your status.

You may spend jerin to upgrade your facilities as befits your noble house and station. Utilize the [Facilities Management Menu] to do so.

Despite misgivings by our staff, it is also your right as true nobility to pay transference fees in order to transfer appropriate goods, material, and livestock between the dream world and Earth.

As the transference feature was not supposed to be provided until the final quarter of the World Update, there may be glitches and bugs. Please try not to abuse them heavily if they prove useful. We dislike that. However, fixing negative glitches and bugs are a low-priority. Please make due if any such situation does occur.

Scott stared wide-eyed at the message screen for a moment. Not only was it hovering before him in the waking world, but it showed some pretty astonishing things! He did recall that the real world was supposed to someday be upgraded. The dream world was designed to allow for humans to prepare for that, but seeing the first real hint of that being true was bizarre.

Tiny reptilian paws came together and he bowed his head. "So, I'm some sort of nobility now."

Curious to see if he could actually look at his status window at the moment, he attempted to call it up. Another message appeared. It demanded that he spend his attribute and skill points within one minute or lose them forever as part of his penalty. A one-time special dispensation would be granted which would allow him to use them on Earth.

"Shit!" snapped Scott. His status window appeared before him and he growled at the realization that he had no choice but to make a rushed decision. Did he raise strength to twenty? Did he increase his base vigor to nineteen? Agility was discounted automatically. If he increased that, he would have a left over point and ultimately lose it. He squinted and nearly put the points into strength, but then stopped himself. Something Sonja said previously came to light. With a decisive nod he put all four points into his chosen attribute, luck. It was the one attribute that he could not train in any shape or form, after all.

STATUS [Lightly Injured]

Professional Title: Gentleman of Darkness

Name: Scott Logan

Dream Form: Blackthorne

Race: Mahorela Abaivonin

Age Category: Hatchling

Level: 1

Ability Points: 4

Talent Points: 0

Skill Points: 5

Life Force: 0/137

Armor Class: 11 [21]

Strength: 19

[+6]

Agility: 13

[+3]

Vigor: 18

[+7]

Intellect: 15

[+4]

Charisma: 21

[+7]

Luck: 16

[+5]

He immediately brought up his skill list and looked through it. Five points to spend, but only fifty seconds remained. None of the options were optimal. In the end, he merely chose to increase his Draconic Combat skill to rank nine as it was the skill that he could bring closest to a milestone ranking.

MAHORELA ABAIVONIN RACIAL SKILLS

Mana Sense

Rank: 13

- Sub-Skill: Life Sense

Rank: 4

Mana Manipulation

Rank: 10

- Sub-Skill: Draw Mana

Rank: 1

Mahorela Abaivonin Magic

Rank: 32

- Sub-Skill: Draconic Racial Ability Mastery

Rank: 21

- Technique: Aura of Terror [LVL 1]

***

- Technique: Breath of Darkness [LVL1]

***

Metamorphosis

Rank: 30

- Master Form: Midnight Shadow

Rank: 1

- Master Form: Human Form

Rank: 20

- Technique: Mana Manipulation [LVL 1]

***

- Technique: Mana Sense [LVL1]

***

Draconic Combat

Rank: 9

PRIMARY SKILLS

Dark Magic

Rank: 20

- Sub-Skill: Basic Dark Lightning Mastery

Rank: 10

- Technique: Imperious Jolt! [LVL 1]

***

- Sub-Skill: Basic Dark Fire Mastery

Rank: 1

Conjuration Magic

Rank: 1

Synergy

Rank: 20

- Sub Skill: Improved Synergy Refinement

Rank: 10

- Technique: Metal Salvage and Refinement LVL 1

***

- Sub-skill: Improved Low-Grade Material Synergy

Rank: 1

[Empty]

[=]

SECONDARY SKILLS

Heavy Armor

Rank: 1

Blade Mastery

Rank: 20

- Sub-Skill: Basic Longsword Mastery

Rank: 1

- Sub-Skill: Basic Shortsword Mastery

Rank: 1

Arcane Ring Mastery

Rank: 1

[Empty Slot]

[Empty Slot]

[Empty Slot]

[Empty Slot]

TERTIARY SKILLS

Jewelry Crafting

Rank: 1

Enchanting

Rank: 1

Alchemy

Rank: 1

[Empty Slot]

[Empty Slot]

[Empty Slot]

[Empty Slot]

[Empty Slot]

[Empty Slot]

[Empty Slot]

[Empty Slot]

[Empty Slot]

[=]

Scott sighed after he made his choice. Point expenditure guilt, as he called it. Whenever he spent his points it would grant a momentary elation then a time of crippling doubt. Did he make the right decisions? In the end they were made, and he would need to move on. The boost in his Draconic Combat skill would no doubt be small, but if he could manage to elevate it to the next milestone rank he would be able to get a sub-skill. Such a thing could help tremendously.

Forced point expenditure dealt with, he opened his estate menu then found that he was granted an explanation for something that he noticed earlier but did not have the time to consider.

Professional titles are descriptive terms, and specialized customization options which allow for notable individuals to further improve their capacity. There are many ways to achieve a professional title.

Dark Lord [Gentleman of Darkness]

Level 1 [0.000%]

Due to the fact that you own land, have the blessing of the dark goddess, and are an elite creature associated with the powers of darkness and the night, you have been granted the most basic title for a landholder under the banner of the night forces. You are now landed gentry.

[===]

Side Note:

- Increase your holdings and forces to rise in the ranks and become a true Dark Lord! Give ‘em hell, Scott!

- Or don't, you filthy cheater.

[Administrator's Note: I am locking this thread to prevent further argumentative statements. Be professional people!]

[===]

+ 10% stat increase when fighting at night or in the dark.

+ 10% resistance against powers of the dark.

+ 10% attack power when attacking a light attribute target.

- 10% defense when in the presence of the powers of the light.

Dark attribute abilities are much easier to learn and use now. You have access to the Holdings Transference Feature, now. Utilize the [Transfer Menu] to get started.

Eager to see what he could find in the transfer menu, he opened it. He scanned through it briefly then chuckled in a soft raspy manner.

Welcome back to stately Blackthorne manor, Lord Blackthorne.

You will find that you now have new options for your home and domain. If you should acquire new lands in the future, they too will be granted upgraded options.

HOLDINGS

Estates: 1

Primary Residence: Blackthorne Manor

Transportation: 0

Livestock: 0 [Contract Completion Pending]

WEALTH

Jerin: 0

US Dollars: $415.67

NOTABLE EQUIPMENT

Weapons: 0

[==]

Armor: 0

[==]

Accessories: 1

Crimson Heart of the Fallen Lord

"Guess I got paid at work..." said Scott lightly. The little dragon scratched his chin then considered the livestock section. The only reason for that to make sense would be if the system considered his verbal agreement to purchase Sonja as a pending livestock contract.

His phone started to ring again, but he ignored it. There were more important things to be concerned about at the moment. Notably, he wanted to check the Facilities Management Menu.

A small menu appeared before him that allowed him to choose many different options. However, only two of them were within his budget.

He could convert currency from jerin to dollars, or dollars to jerin. The exchange rate was set at forty-two jerin to the dollar currently. However, there was a ten percent transfer fee changed. He could also change jerin for other types of currency, but there was no reason for him to do that at the moment.

The remaining option was more notable. It provided a certain implication that he did not relish.

Sanctuary Zone - Class I

Prevents monsters from spawning inside the area. This field does not keep out native species or alien species that are not randomly generated.

Area: Variable by unit lots (Region specific)

Cost: 4200Je/$100 per unit area

"How long before that starts happening?" Scott could not help but be concerned when mention of random monster spawns was made.

He checked the currency exchange. One hundred dollars became forty-two hundred jerin. The system decided to take four hundred twenty jerin as a fee, leaving him just shy of thirty-eight hundred.

"Damned pirates... Still, making money in the dream and a living on Earth might become a lot more interesting in the future!" He nodded to himself, noting that it would at least let him pay the remainder off the remainder on Sonja's contract.

The loss of his items and equipment, save apparently for the ring he earned in the underground chamber, was not catastrophic. However, it was a set-back that he did not relish dealing with in the future. Now that concern was largely void.

Another two hundred dollars were spent in upgrading his stately manor. It might have been wasted money, as he had no idea when random monster spawns would begin to occur. However, it was better to be safe than sorry!

Scott's phone rang again, but once again he ignored it. He did not have to go in to work today, and there was no way he would risk it in his current state!

The little dragon yawned then toddled off to the bathroom. After a bit of trial and error, he managed to perch atop the toilet and perform a balancing act that allowed him to use the facilities.

He could not transform into his human form at the moment due to his wounds and lack of life force. They had carried over to Earth along with his status. How that would work, he did not know. He did intend to watch a little television and play on the Internet while his wounds healed, however. If the transfer went both ways he could actually heal while he did something other than tap on the ground and groan out his boredom.

A languid sigh echoed through the air after he finished his business. "I might have to get a litter box..." Self-realization could be harsh at times.