Chương 14: Euphoria

Daelynn felt satisfied as she observed the results of her tax collection. The humans had, unsurprisingly, attempted to resist, but the effort had been absolutely futile. The disparity in power between even the most lowly elf and the average human was beyond massive. Mere village peasants had never stood any chance against a Warden such as herself. Walking beside her were several arboreal creatures, beings of bark and twisted roots, their elongated limbs resembling gnarled branches.

Their wooden faces remained utterly expressionless, while thick vines extended from their bodies, coiling around the wrists, ankles, and throats of their captives. The human prisoners stumbled forward in silence, some weeping softly while others stared ahead with vacant expressions. A few bore injuries from their resistance, though Daelynn had ensured none of them were severe enough to diminish their value too much.

The previous village had failed to meet its tax obligations and, according to law, forfeiture of human lives was an entirely acceptable substitute. There existed a proper conversion chart detailing precisely how many bodies equated to the unpaid sum, though she had neglected to bring it with her. That was an oversight on her part, one she reminded herself not to repeat. As such, she had simply taken additional prisoners.

Excess tribute could always be redistributed or sold elsewhere, whereas an insufficient collection would require tedious paperwork and unnecessary explanations. And Daelynn would rather not risk the wrath of a Magister if she could help it. Naturally, she had also indulged herself during her brief stay at the village. The venom from the spines of that caterpillar proved to be remarkably useful. It induced excruciating pain under lower doses, making it an ideal instrument for experimentation.

She had her fun with the villagers using this venom, but of course, the end result was no surprise to anyone. That said, amusement could only occupy so much of her attention. Another human village awaited, another settlement that had somehow neglected to pay the taxes owed to their betters. Humans possessed such short memories, so they required periodic reminders of their place in the natural order. Fortunately, Daelynn was more than willing to provide that kind of service.

There had always been few things in this world that I enjoyed more than the acquisition of greater power. And this glorious evolution promised power in abundance.

[Evolution Completed] [Your new Species is: Imperatrix Caterpillar] [Strength +8, Agility +2, Vitality +31, Mana +75] [Trait Lost: Venomous Spines] [Trait Lost: Spinecrown Venom] [Trait Upgraded: Spinecrown Poison >> Imperatrix Poison] [Trait Upgraded: Basic Mana Sense >> Mana Sense] [Trait Upgraded: Lesser Mana Core >> Mana Core] [Trait Upgraded: Latent Psionics >> Psionics] [Trait Upgraded: Basic Mana Circulation >> Mana Circulation] [New Trait Acquired: Psionic Resistance] [New Trait Acquired: Improved Mana Control] [New Skill Acquired: Psy-Push] [New Skill Acquired: Psy-Crush] A delightful sensation washed over me as I read through the notifications.

The sheer euphoria brought about by evolution was almost intoxicating. Eventually, however, the initial excitement subsided enough for me to examine the changes properly. The first thing that immediately caught my attention was the sheer increase to my Mana. Evidently, this new form had been designed almost entirely around magical and psionic development, which suited me perfectly. I also noticed the disappearance of my venomous spines and the venom they had once carried.

I would be lying if I claimed I felt nothing regarding their loss. My spines had served me well in the short time I had them. Even so, the disappointment was relatively minor, since exchanging a few poisonous needles for overwhelming psychic power hardly seemed like a poor bargain. And on the bright side, I still had my poison, which had improved from the looks of it. Also, every mana-related Trait I possessed had undergone improvement along with me acquiring Improve Mana Control.

Even my previously dormant psionic potential had finally evolved into genuine Psionics. The ability to manipulate my growing reserves of mana with greater precision would undoubtedly prove invaluable moving forward. Yet even these remarkable improvements paled in comparison to the true gems of this evolution, my two new skills. Psy-Push and Psy-Crush. I didn't need the System to explain what those abilities did, since their names were self-explanatory.

Besides, I much preferred uncovering the strengths and limitations of these particular abilities through direct experimentation. The thought of hurling enemies through the air without so much as touching them was already immensely satisfying. The notion of simply crushing troublesome individuals through the power of my mind alone was even more appealing. How many arrogant nobles from my previous life would have conducted themselves considerably better had I possessed such abilities back then?

Quite a few, I suspected. The thought of effortlessly silencing troublesome nobles through sheer force of will brought me no small amount of satisfaction. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. But, before allowing myself to indulge in such pleasant fantasies any further, I turned my attention toward the descriptions of at least some of my newly acquired abilities. [Psionics] Your mind has been touched by an otherworldly force and forever changed.

You can now acquire and learn other additional Psionic Traits and Psionic Skills. [Psionic Resistance] Your affinity for psionics has strengthened your mind, making it considerably more difficult for others to manipulate you through magical means. Additionally, you now have an enhanced ability to see through illusions. [Improved Mana Control] You can now wield magic with far greater efficiency, carefully regulating the amount of mana invested into abilities to alter both their potency and effectiveness.

Well, these descriptions were all quite straightforward, though Psionics itself was maybe a little too vague for my liking.

"Your mind has changed" was hardly the sort of explanation one would expect after obtaining such a magnificent power. Then again, perhaps the System simply assumed that I would eventually figure out the finer details on my own. As for my newly acquired skills, I could have read their descriptions immediately, but their names already painted a fairly obvious picture. There was only so much enjoyment to be gained from reading words, so I instead decided to test my glorious new powers firsthand.

Before I could begin, however, I shifted slightly upon my branch. My body had grown once more during evolution, not too much, but enough that my previous resting position had become mildly uncomfortable. It would have been embarrassing if I tumbled from a tree because I had neglected to account for my increased size. After making several minor adjustments, I finally settled into a more comfortable position.

Though I possessed no firsthand experience with psionics, I had done more than my fair share of reading on the subject during my previous life. Admittedly, much of that knowledge had been theoretical, as genuine psionic practitioners had been exceedingly rare. Even so, the underlying principles had been relatively straightforward. Psionics was a discipline rooted in the manifestation of one's own thoughts.

One imposed their will upon reality through the power of the mind, imagining a desired outcome and forcing the world to comply. I doubted that I could simply imagine mountains crumbling or armies being swept aside and expect such absurd feats to occur immediately. My abilities were still very new, so I'd have to make do with what abilities I had access to. The first skill that I wanted to test was Psy-Push. I turned my attention toward a nearby branch from the same tree I was on.

Then, I fixed my gaze upon the branch and concentrated. I imagined the branch being struck by an invisible force. To be more specific, I envisioned it being shoved away from me, as though an unseen hand had decided to swat it aside.. A sharp cracking sound echoed soon after. The branch violently snapped from the tree with such force that fragments of bark and splinters exploded outward.

Before I could even properly process what had occurred, the severed branch was hurled through the air, spinning wildly as it disappeared somewhere below. Granted, the branch was a thin one. But, the amount of force that I could generate from using Psy-Push had been far greater than I had anticipated. I had expected to nudge the branch, or perhaps make it sway slightly. I had not expected to snap the thing clean off and send it flying. How utterly magnificent. My next goal was to determine the nature of Psy-Crush.

Since I had no immediate access to live test subjects, another branch would have to suffice. I turned my attention toward a nearby tree and selected one of its larger branches. Unlike the previous one, this one was somewhat thicker. This time, rather than imagining an invisible force hurling the branch away, I envisioned fingers wrapping themselves around the wood, squeezing until the branch simply could no longer endure. Almost in an instant, the branch crumpled with a sharp crack and dropped to the ground.

Seeing that happen, I felt... incredible. Launching objects through the air had already been amazing, but this was infinitely more satisfying. To crush something with nothing but a thought, to watch it yield solely because I willed it to, it was intoxicating. Oh, how many times had I fantasized about doing this to arrogant fools who thought themselves untouchable? This pitiful branch was merely the beginning. I could already imagine the many practical applications such an ability possessed.

Crushing the limbs of troublesome beasts. Shattering weapons before they could be used against me. Perhaps, one day, even collapsing entire buildings or reducing armored opponents into twisted heaps of metal and flesh. But despite my satisfaction, one question lingered in my mind. Why could I not pull things toward myself? Yes, I was fully aware that no skill named Psy-Pull or anything similar currently existed within my repertoire.

However, from a purely theoretical perspective, pulling an object did not seem significantly different from pushing one. If I could apply force away from myself, surely applying force in the opposite direction could not be entirely impossible. Curious, I selected another branch and concentrated once more. This time, however, I deliberately altered my mental image. Rather than imagining the branch being crushed where it stood, I pictured it being dragged towards me.

To my disappointment, the branch simply crumpled beneath invisible pressure before snapping apart and falling to the ground exactly as the previous one had. It did not get pulled towards me even in the slightest. It appeared my abilities were considerably more restrictive than I had initially hoped. At the very least, these minor experiments had provided good information regarding the limitations of my current powers. Besides, I highly doubted that this was the full extent of my psionic potential.

Surely, as I continued growing stronger, additional psionic abilities would become available to me in the future. My future undoubtedly held far grander and more magnificent powers. For the moment, however, there remained a far more pressing matter. Finding the mysterious magical creature that I suspected was hidden in this forest was still my goal. Now that my Mana Sense had improved, it seemed only logical to attempt locating the creature once again.

Carefully settling myself upon the branch, I focused and extended my senses outward into the surrounding forest. I could faintly perceive the trees, the countless insects hidden among the leaves, and the small creatures moving quietly across the forest floor. Then I felt it. For the briefest of moments, an overwhelmingly powerful magical presence brushed against my senses. It vanished almost immediately, like a flash of lightning, but that feeling was unmistakable. The presence had been immense.

Far greater than that of any ordinary beast I had sensed thus far. A shiver of excitement passed through me, as I knew for certain now that the magical beast was still somewhere within this forest. More importantly, it was closer than before. Perhaps it had moved nearer, or perhaps my improved Mana Sense had simply allowed me to perceive it from a greater distance. Regardless of the reason, I now possessed a general idea of its location. Hopefully, I would reach the creature in time to fight and ultimately kill it.

Such a powerful magical beast should provide considerable experience, but more than that, I was eager to determine whether my newly acquired abilities would prove sufficient against an opponent that also possessed a mana core. But before I faced the beast, it was important to test my Psionics against a living target first. Perhaps a small animal would do for now.