The Tree of Ascension: A LitRPG Apocalypse (Peril's Prodigy Book 2) by Craig Kobayashi (ebook reader 7 inch TXT) 📕

tendrils of the blue aura at her core move upward into her chest then splitting to move down her arms as she directed them delicately. Finally, when she could feel a tingling sensation in her fingers, Daisy pushed the Mana out of her body to form a brilliant blue orb the size of a marble between her hands. A system prompt distracted the little girl from her intense concentration, and she lost hold of the Mana ball. The tiny blue pea vanished instantly. Daisy growled in frustration as she maximized the message to see what had been so darn important.

Congratulations, Daisy! You have unlocked the non-Class Skill, Mana Manipulation.

At Rank 1, you can create a Mana Battery capable of containing up to 300 Mana (maximum: 1 battery). Mana Batteries can be stored harmlessly within your body to be activated at a later time. Funnel Mana into a Mana Battery to store Mana. Practice your new Skill to improve Mana Battery capacity and increase your maximum number of allowed Mana Batteries.

Congratulations, Daisy! For acquiring the prerequisite non-Class Skills, you have been awarded the title: Archmage.

Would you like to add the title Archmage to your moniker?

Yes or No

***Note: Each title provides a unique bonus, but you may only have one active title at any given time. The title ‘Archmage’ provides the following unique bonus:

+10% damage to all Skills and Abilities

-10% Mana cost of all Skills and Abilities

The grin spreading across Daisy’s face threatened to tear her lips as she excitedly chose ‘Yes’.

Chapter Ten – Always a Bigger Fish

Atop the roof of the old school building, Garath sat next to the Ice Drake, Aldrasyl. Stars sparkled brightly in the night sky and a light breeze gently ruffled his mop of black curls. It had been a long day and the back-to-back dungeon runs had taken a lot out of him, but he was too excited to sleep. With only several hours until he could water his egg for the final time, Garath could hardly sit still. After writing meticulous notes covering the first round of tryouts, he got bored and decided to sit on the Guild Hall’s roof until the Dragon woke up for his evening hunt.

*Hey Al, can I ask you something?* Garath asked in the silent language of the Dragons. He’d seen the Ice Drake stirring in his peripherals and was sick of waiting for him to wake up.

*Haven’t we spoken before about the shortening of my name, human?* responded Aldrasyl, his still-sleepy voice booming into Garath’s mind.

*I’ve been thinking about that, actually. If you stop calling me ‘human’, I will gladly stop calling you Al. Deal?* Garath countered.

*Your terms are agreeable,* Aldrasyl replied after considering the proposal. Then the faint hint of a draconic smile played briefly across his cobalt eyes. *Earthling.*

Garath looked at the Dragon flat-faced, then the hint of a smile crept across his own, slightly demonic features. *I’m glad you think so, Ally ol’ pally.*

Aldrasyl’s upper lip raised just enough to reveal a mouthful of traffic cone-sized teeth. Garath chose to take that as a smile and flashed in response.

*Is that a yes on asking you a question?* Garath repeated his request.

*You may ask.*

*It’s about the Dungeon south of here. Did your home world have anything like it?* Garath asked.

*Indeed, it did,* Aldrasyl replied, a look of disgust crossing his draconic features. *The introduction of Dungeons on Thylsandra is what gave the Sandrani the strength to slay Dragons.*

Garath remembered that Aldrasyl had mentioned the Sandrani hunting Dragons for sport during their little bonding experience in the Glade of Rebirth at the culmination of The Culling. He took a moment to process what Aldrasyl had just told him, and then his mouth formed a delicate “oh” as he put it together.

*The Dragons weren’t able to claim Dungeons of their own to even the odds?* Garath asked, hoping the question wouldn’t offend the touchy Dragon.

*No,* Aldrasyl answered. He paused for a few seconds to consider his next words. *Dungeons were, and remain now unattainable to the Dragons. The Entity must believe we do not need the resources or power of a Dungeon to remain relevant.*

*I guess that’s reasonable,* Garath said, eyeballing the massive reptile sprawled out on the roof next to him. *Your species is plenty capable as it is.*

Aldrasyl nodded in sage agreement.

*Well my focus right now is on organizing a group to claim the Dungeon south of here for humanity. I know you have as many questions as I do about the Fatalistic Accord between us, but considering I might not ever make it out of there, I figured you should know,* Garath said. He paused and looked into Aldrasyl’s eyes before continuing. *Neither of us has said it directly, but I get the feeling that if one of us dies the other will as well. Did I misinterpret the information we were given about the accord, or do you get that feeling too?*

Aldrasyl was silent for a moment. *I am almost certain that is the way of it.*

Garath nodded. *I thought so. Well, no pressure or anything but if you want to make sure I don’t die in the Dungeon I’d be more than happy to add you to the team.*

*Your species confounds me, hu-* Aldrasyl caught himself before calling Garath ‘human’ again. *Garath. Each time you ask me a question, I tell you the answer and then you immediately ask me the same question in a different way. Dungeons remain unattainable to Dragons. Perhaps I should choose my words more carefully. I cannot accompany you into the Dungeon.*

Garath chewed his bottom lip for a moment, knowing Aldrasyl would be frustrated by his next question, but asked anyway. *Is that because you are a Dragon?*

Aldrasyl looked to the sky as if praying for strength. Garath loved the fact that this enormous, powerful, mythical creature would continually suffer his impetuousness. Without the knowledge that, if Aldrasyl were to kill him, the Dragon would die as well, Garath never would have