Chapter 82 – Berries!

I take a blueberry.

And eat it.

…

The reference does not work nearly as well when the object in question is not a potato chip.

Tragic.

I eat another anyway.

Then, for the sake of academic certainty, a third.

My tail swishes in quiet satisfaction behind me, brushing dust from the stone I am currently seated on.

At this point, I am forced to conclude one of two things.

Either becoming a Foxkin instilled within me a deeply rooted and instinctive love of berries—

—or the fruit in this world are cultivated using deeply unethical mind-control tactics.

Both feel equally plausible.

The Beastkin adventuring party—whose names I just recently learned—is scattered loosely around the cavern while we recover, the firelight painting warm orange across the rough stone walls and broken crawler corpses alike. Shadows sway overhead from the hovering flame near Zeke’s shoulder, softening the sharpness of the ruined battlefield into something strangely calm.

Avelyn sits beside me on the same rock, currently annihilating a plate of strawberries with single-minded dedication.

The rest chose their places just as naturally.

Marek and Zeke both sat on the ground without hesitation despite other options being available. Rin claimed a separate elevated rock nearby, almost exactly level with ours, while Sylrae opted for the most dramatic possible solution and simply blasted a hole into a stalactite above us before nesting herself in the resulting alcove.

There is clearly an entire layer of social interaction happening here that nobody consciously acknowledges.

I glance sideways at Avelyn.

As much as I dislike admitting it, those instincts seem to affect me just as heavily as everyone else.

If my earlier behavior can be considered admissible evidence, anyway.

The urge to pat her ears had felt identical to my tail broadcasting emotions without permission or my ears adjusting themselves automatically to reflect mood. There had been no real conscious thought behind it.

I simply moved.

As if some deeper layer of myself decided the action was correct before I had the opportunity to examine the social implications of aggressively petting another person five minutes after meeting them.

Mildly concerning.

And now that I am paying attention to it, I realize it extends much farther than that.

There are multiple behaviors I exhibit now that human-me simply… would not have done.

I naturally seek elevated positions whenever possible. I prefer sitting where I can observe everyone present without obstruction. Roofs, fences, ledges, walls, I use all of them instinctively during movement without ever consciously deciding to.

Even now, I apparently sat beside Avelyn without actively choosing to do so.

I bundle blankets excessively when sleeping, usually ending up wrapped into something vaguely resembling a fox-shaped burrito, and I fully curl up when unconscious, tail wrapped tightly around my body every single time.

My eating habits changed too.

Large meals have become uncommon compared to constant snacking, and some irrational part of me derives noticeable emotional comfort from simply possessing an excessive amount of food at all times.

Not only that, but giving food to others had felt… satisfying.

Especially giving it to Avelyn.

Sounds matter more now.

Smells matter more.

The presence of people matters more.

And at this exact moment, I am having to physically restrain myself from absentmindedly brushing Avelyn’s hair out of her face.

…

I am beginning to suspect that even hunting is not entirely my own desire.

Not fabricated or forced.

Just… nudged.

Lightly influenced by instincts that feel natural enough to seamlessly blend into my own thoughts.

I am still myself.

Fundamentally, unquestionably myself.

But I am becoming increasingly aware that there are now additional layers attached to that self. New instincts. New impulses. New defaults. As though someone quietly installed a fox-shaped operating system into my brain without asking permission first.

The worst part?

Despite the mild humiliation attached to the realization—

It is useful.

Incredibly useful.

…

I abruptly become aware that I have stopped breathing automatically.

At some point during this spiral of introspection, I apparently began smiling.

My posture is rigid.

Too rigid.

I exhale slowly, deliberately forcing tension out of my shoulders as I calm myself.

I am fine.

There is no need to control everything anymore.

“Are you… okay?”

The soft voice pulls me from my thoughts.

I turn slightly.

Avelyn is watching me now, concern visible in her hazel eyes as the warm firelight dances across her expression.

Right.

Hiding internal turmoil has become… difficult.

“I am fine,” I say automatically.

…

Then I sigh softly.

“Mostly.”

The correction leaves my mouth before I can stop it.

Avelyn hesitates slightly, ears twitching as she studies me with visible uncertainty.

“…Do you want a strawberry?”

…

I stare at her.

Then at the strawberry she is offering me.

Then back at her again.

…

I accept the strawberry.

Avelyn visibly relaxes afterward, apparently deciding that if I am still accepting fruit offerings then my emotional state has not yet reached catastrophic levels.

A reasonable conclusion.

Rather than pressing further, she pivots the conversation entirely.

“By the way… how do you see so well?”

I blink.

Around us, the others subtly quiet down, attention drifting toward our conversation with varying degrees of curiosity. Even Sylrae leans slightly over the edge of her stalactite alcove high above, white wings shifting faintly in the flickering firelight.

The question takes a second to fully process.

Then realization dawns.

Right.

There is a reason Zeke has been maintaining that floating flame this entire time.

Without it, the cave should be completely pitch black.

And yet—

I can still see perfectly.

The darkness exists. I can tell it does. I know that without the flame, this cavern is submerged in absolute blackness.

It just…

Doesn’t seem capable of affecting me.

As though my eyes regard visual impairment as more of a polite suggestion than a physical reality.

I pause mid-thought.

…No.

That description isn’t quite correct.

I am not seeing through the darkness.

It feels more like the concept of darkness itself simply isn’t functioning properly around me.

Which is… strange.

I have absolutely no idea why Starborn eyes would come with this feature pre-installed. Seeing through darkness feels like a rather dramatic departure from what the Star aspect should logically be capable of.

…

Although now that I think about it, my flashbang has the exact same issue.

I can perceive the brightness perfectly fine while simultaneously deciding that blindness is distinctly not my problem.

Useful.

Therefore—

I refuse to question it further.

“I have a trait,” I answer simply.

Rin snorts lightly from his rock.

“Lucky. A trait like that is insanely useful.” He pauses, ears flicking thoughtfully. “Wait, lemme guess. Darkvision? Unblinded? Maybe… True Sight?”

I give him a smile carefully calibrated to communicate even if you somehow guess correctly I still wouldn’t tell you.

He immediately gives up.

Wise decision.

Avelyn perks up again.

“That really is useful though! We can barely see anything when it’s just Zeke’s fireball lighting the cave.” Then her voice softens slightly. “If only Tali was still here… she had all the lanterns…”

Ah.

The dead Catkin.

The large backpack makes more sense now. Likely a porter of some sort.

No wonder the group ended up trapped down here with such meager preparations after the ambush.

They were not incompetent. Just catastrophically unlucky.

Well…

Mostly not incompetent.

I do feel compelled to question the strategic wisdom of bringing both a fire mage and an aerial combat specialist into a cramped underground cave system.

A mildly questionable team composition.

Still, that is beside the point.

This is a legitimate issue.

I am already expecting to contribute the overwhelming majority of the combat output during this dungeon clear, but if the rest of the party can barely see during the fights—

Yes.

That will become deeply inconvenient.

…

A pain in the tail.

That phrase appears in my head unprompted.

I pause briefly to evaluate it.

Accurate.

I’ll allow it.

Guess that means Avelyn’s aspect is likely Holy rather than Light.

I have learned that directly asking people about their aspects is considered impolite. Therefore, naturally, I simply guess instead.

Everyone else’s is fairly obvious anyway. Gravity. Fire. Frostfire.

Marek remains the exception, though considering his class and the fact he is built like a heavily armored siege weapon, I suspect his aspect is something durability or force related.

Still, Sylrae’s gravity manipulation interests me the most.

I will need to study it carefully during the coming fights.

Just in case I can quietly steal—I mean learn—something useful from it.

…

I tilt my head slightly.

Wait.

I technically possess a Light-adjacent aspect.

Prismatic is a fusion of Light and Crystal, meaning basic light manipulation should be entirely possible without revealing anything particularly uncomfortable about my actual capabilities.

My illusions remain off-limits, naturally.

I would rather avoid questions like “why does your light magic appear sentient?”

“…Huh.”

The group collectively looks at me.

I ignore them completely.

Instead, I stretch out my hand and allow Astral Energy to flow into my palm.

The energy gathers slowly at first, a faint kaleidoscopic radiance bleeding into existence between my fingers. Then the glow intensifies, the aurora hues compressing inward as threads of pale luminescence spiral through the forming sphere.

The more power condenses, the more the shifting colors collapse toward a cold silver-white.

I focus carefully.

This needs control.

I guide the energy delicately, forcing it to radiate steadily rather than erupt violently while simultaneously preventing it from crystallizing into solid form.

The sphere brightens.

Then brightens further.

The cave walls begin reflecting soft silver-white light as the growing orb quickly outshines the small flame floating above Zeke’s shoulder. Shadows retreat outward across the cavern floor, stretching and warping as the darkness is steadily forced back.

I continue feeding energy into it.

Not denser.

Larger.

The sphere swells to the size of a baseball, then a softball, its glow intensifying with every passing second until entire sections of the cavern become brilliantly illuminated. The rough stone walls gleam faintly beneath the radiance, every crack and groove suddenly visible in sharp detail.

Crawler blood sparkles wetly across the floor.

Crystalline frost left behind by Rin’s aspect catches the light and scatters it in glittering reflections.

The cavern transforms.

Warm firelight gives way to something colder. Cleaner. Almost celestial.

Step one complete.

Unfortunately, a floating orb of light is aesthetically underwhelming.

So—

Step two.

I adjust the flow of energy again.

The sphere begins to deform, light shifting unevenly as I compress some sections while stretching others thin. Petals unfurl one by one from the glowing core, each formed from translucent layers of silver-white radiance, edges tinged with the usual aurora-hued color of my energy.

A flower blooms in my palm.

A dahlia.

Naturally.

Those flowers are poetic enough to justify repeated usage.

The completed construct floats above my hand, petals overlapping in luminous layers while soft motes of drifting starlight spill from its edges like glowing pollen.

Step two complete.

Now for step three.

Hands-free functionality.

The construct still requires a steady flow of Astral Energy to maintain itself, which means it needs a connection point somewhere on my body if I want sustained use.

A vine manifests silently along my thigh.

A moment later, another dahlia of pure light blossoms from its surface, petals opening slowly as the original construct in my palm dissolves into drifting particles.

The new flower hovers beside me, anchored on my vine.

I move it experimentally.

Closer. Farther. Higher. Lower.

It obeys perfectly, gliding through the cavern like a miniature artificial star tethered to my vine.

The others stare openly now.

I ignore that too.

Instead, I nod solemnly to myself.

Portable light source acquired.

A strong one.

Mobile within roughly one hundred meters.

Highly convenient.

The stamina drain is present, but against my deeply unreasonable reserves, it barely registers at all.

The adventuring party stares at the floating dahlia in outright disbelief.

Soft silver-white light spills across the cavern from the hovering flower, washing the rough stone walls in a pale celestial glow while tiny motes of drifting kaleidoscopic radiance float lazily through the air around it. The harsh, flickering shadows created by Zeke’s fireball are gone now, replaced by something softer and strangely dreamlike.

Zeke chuckles first.

Not bitterly.

Just… tiredly.

Then he extinguishes his fireball with a flick of his fingers, orange flame collapsing into sparks before vanishing entirely.

The light dahlia barely notices the loss of competition.

Marek speaks a second later, voice caught somewhere between impressed and mildly resigned acceptance of reality.

“Did you just… create a manipulation technique on the spot?”

I tilt my head slightly.

“Yes.” A pause. “Is that not normal?”

The entire party goes quiet.

Marek blinks once.

Then mutters something under his breath about how unfair prodigies are compared to regular people.

My tail swishes smugly behind me.

This one understands the situation correctly.

Though admittedly, I disagree with the idea that “normal” people are somehow lesser. Hard work is a universal concept, and the system very clearly rewards it.

I simply happen to also be absurdly talented.

Both things can coexist.

Still, I don’t bother voicing the opinion.

People tend to interpret statements like that as patronizing when spoken by someone they already perceive as monstrously gifted.

Which, considering recent events, is probably understandable.

Instead, I redirect the conversation entirely, clapping my hands together lightly.

“I believe we are done eating,” I announce. “In that case, it is time to fulfill your side of the bargain, yes?”

Marek nods and rises to his feet with a grunt, armor shifting heavily as he stands.

Rin rises as well, tail tip flicking sharply behind him.

Slight irritation perhaps.

Not directed at me, but at the task ahead.

Reasonable.

I did technically bribe them into manual labor.

Zeke sighs dramatically before following after them, the three moving across the battlefield toward the scattered crawler corpses to begin harvesting mana cores.

Sylrae and Avelyn remain where they are.

Which—

Okay, fair.

Even dead, the vitality of these things is absurd.

The only reason I cut through them so easily is because they lacked mana armor and Astra Nocturne fundamentally does not care very much about concepts like “physical durability.”

Marek and Rin are both close-range physical fighters, while Zeke is a Wolfkin and therefore naturally strong enough to wrestle furniture into submission by default.

A Foxkin healer and a Wingkin ranger, however, would probably struggle to properly extract the cores at all.

I redirect my attention inward instead.

It has been a while since I last checked my overall progress.

My status screen unfolds before me in pale blue light, and I immediately distribute my remaining free points into Vitality in pursuit of another milestone skill as quickly as possible.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Lyn

Health: 4390 / 4390

Stamina: 13913 / 13920

Race: Starborne Foxkin (Level 55 | Tier 2)

Class: Starlit Blade Dancer [Epic] (Level 55 | Tier 2)

Aspect: Star

Traits: [Starborn] [Atrocity] [Pride] [Living Calamity]

Titles: [Apex Predator]

Stats

Vitality: 439 [+73]

Strength: 607 [+101]

Dexterity: 1392 [+232]

Perception: 1027 [+171]

Charisma: 132 [+22]

Free Points: 0

Class Skills (8/8):

[Horizon Slash (Rare)]

[Stellar Finesse (Uncommon)]

[Twin Arc (Epic)]

[Astral Veilstep (Rare)]

[Starfall Sequence (Legendary)]

[Celestial Momentum (Epic)]

[Severing Arc (Rare)]

[Starfire Resonance (Epic)]

General Skills (8/8):

[Inspect (Common)]

[Running (Epic)]

[Evasive Footwork (Uncommon)]

[Astral Manipulation (Epic)]

[Volatile Rune Crafting (Rare)]

[Blazing Star Dance (Epic)]

[Guiding Star Dance (Rare)]

[Exotic Cooking (Uncommon)]

Racial Skills:

Cosmic Perception

Silent Star

Astral Reflex

Special Skills:

[Arcana: Garden of Eternal Midnight]

[Universal Translation]

[Slipstream]

[Peripheral Continuity]

[Load Bearing]

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

My ears perk slightly.

My tail gives an appreciative flick.

Yes.

The stat scaling is beginning to spiral out of control now that my class contributes nearly as many stats per level as my race does.

Highly satisfying.

I inspect my newly acquired milestone skill next.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

[Load Bearing]

A high-level structural adaptation unlocked through extreme Strength.

(Passive) Optimizes force distribution throughout the user’s body, reducing skeletal strain, muscular tearing, and joint stress caused by extreme physical output. Prevents structural inefficiency and self-inflicted damage during high-force exertion.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Boring.

But extremely useful.

Essentially, it stops me from accidentally liquefying my own muscles whenever I decide physics is optional and attempt something deeply unreasonable.

I do not currently possess any skills designed around self-destructive overexertion, so its main application will likely be reducing the discomfort from sudden stops, directional shifts, or high-speed maneuvering.

Another “unsung hero” type of skill.

Like Slipstream.

Incredible utility. Very little appreciation.

A tragic existence.

Now all that remains is waiting for the mana cores to start rolling in so we can continue the hunt.

…

…

I quietly pull more berries from my spatial storage.

A few are offered to Sylrae and Avelyn before I settle back against the stone and begin working through my own pile consisting primarily of strawberries and the suspicious warped purple berries I discovered shortly after arriving in Asteria.

Apparently they are called elderberries.

Still sounds fake.

They taste excellent though.