บท 323: 17
I glanced at my stats since I was already thinking about the system, and the thought of the reward I was supposed to get popped into my head. I noticed that I didn't get any increase in stats or the bonus levels I was promised. The flashing light in the corner drew my attention. I focused on it. Two pending notifications popped up.
The first was one that asked if I wanted my rewards. The second was an optional quest. Yes of course I want my rewards. I need those three levels. I guess I really shouldn't have jumped on the additional three levels right now.
I forgot that leveling up cost me mana as well. Just not in the same way as when casting spells. My body felt as if I'd just rammed a stake between my lungs just below my heart. The surge of mana added more size to my body like usual. Only this jump in size was three levels worth.
I hadn't had a growth spurt like this since I was a hatchling. My shoulder height was only seven or eight feet before, but now my body was ten or eleven feet at the shoulder. My neck length put my head fifteen feet in the air before. Now my head was nearly twenty feet in the air. My tail's length now passed the fifty foot mark.
My wings had a similar boost in span. My bulky body was nearly fifteen feet long if you didn't include my neck or tail. My scales shuddered once the growth spurt was over with. Falling out in bulk like when I aged up. My dull teeth popped out of my gums to be replaced by stronger sharper ones.
Mana surged through my talons. Sharpening them beyond the sharpness I'd grown used to. I'd have to be careful with that. I didn't want to accidentally cut any of my allies because of foolishly forgetting how sharp my claws were. Ethan opened the door when he noticed my pain.
Giving everyone there a free look at me shedding my scales, and losing my teeth. As soon as the pain ended I eyed Ethan angrily with a growl.
{What are you doing Ethan?} I snarled mentally.
My anger was mostly from them seeing me in a weakened, and vulnerable state. I didn't mind my bonded seeing me like that while I was conscious. It was different when I was completely out of commission. I couldn't be angry if I was blacked out. My muscles trembled as steam poured out through my nostrils.
My internal organs felt as if they were heating up like a furnace as my rage boiled beneath the surface. I huffed out a plume of steam. Snarling slightly. Ethan closed the door. I exhaled slowly releasing a massive amount of pent of heat.
Talk about a hot temper. I found that a little humorous. Not enough to get rid of my rage, but enough that I no longer felt like acting on my anger. My wings twitched as I relaxed back down onto my belly. Letting my body relax as the pain faded.
Did that at least help my core heal a little?
No. Core sustained minor damage. 1 hour has been added to recovery time.
That's not to bad actually. My body doesn't seem to be allowing mana to flow freely right now. My mana being restricted was actually helping me at the moment. Spell casting being difficult, and painful was a really good deterrent. Now about that second notification.
An optional quest. Wait two optional quests bundled into a single notification.
Optional quest
Killer Queen
The Arachnid queen has awoken. Kill the queen, and her nest will crumble. Bonus XP for killing female offspring, and mature males.
Reward - Reward is based on contribution
Penalty - Quest optional. No penalty.
Advanced Bonded
Ethan Burk is ready to advance his bond. Aid him in advancing his bond.
Reward - Bonded Ethan will gain advanced rider bond, and all the benefits that come with advancing. Maximum bond level.
Penalty - Bonded Ethan's bond will not advance unless quest is completed.
There's nothing wrong with accepting both quests. I was thankful for the little bit of leeway. The Killer Queen quest was particularly enticing for me. Nowhere in the quest did it say I had to land the final blow. All I had to do is exactly what I planned to do in the first place.
For now rest was my best option. Now that I was full I had no reason to go hunting. Patience is my best option for now. My tail lashed back, and forth impatiently. I didn't want to sit on my ass anymore.
I'd been doing that for months now. I didn't want to wait around anymore, but I could handle three more days of lazing about, and if the need to fight did come then I could always use my muscles. Destroying them with my two hands was always an option. I didn't know what had happened on the outside since I'd been out. I'd have to ask Savannah about the changes had happened to the nest when she came back.
My motivation had skyrocketed now that I had a quest to destroy the queens nest. As much as I hated getting wounded, I needed the levels. I had a feeling that reaching adulthood was going to benefit me greatly. Especially when I returned to earth. Now that I was only five levels away from becoming an adult dragon it seemed like it was possible I'd make it.
Ironically I was close to reaching adult age according to my human birth date as well. The fact that I'd grown a new set of horns when I gained the time element meant the completed crown would indicate affinities with all the earth elements. I guess I had time to mess around with this inspect skill. I looked down at the map on the floor. What would happen if I scanned the map on the floor?
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