Chapter 166
Shaking off his initial surprise, Draco scrolled through his options, determined not to make a hasty decision.
The ability that had caught him off guard was called "Monster Affinity."
This skill increased the chances of taming a completely subdued monster by forming a connection between him and its magic stone.
While it wasn't the most powerful taming skill available, it was a rare one.
Taming a monster without a special skill typically required a long and arduous process involving a carrot-and-whip method.
This meant beating the monster into submission and then rewarding it, repeating the process until it became obedient.
Even after this lengthy ordeal, there was no guarantee that the monster wouldn’t rebel later on.
However, with a taming-related skill, there was a certain assurance of a connection between the tamer and the tamed.
The reason that Draco was taken aback by the taming skill was because, he had only recently developed an interest in taming, and acquiring such a skill—especially after gaining his Mystery development ability —felt overwhelming.
‘Ugh, I feel like I’m branching out too wide. I should be focusing on my personal strength, yet here I am trying to delve into taming as well,’ he scolded himself before returning his attention to the list of skills.
Monster Affinity: Enables the user to tame a completely subdued monster by forming a connection with its magic stone.
Abnormal Resistance: Negates the effects of abnormalities such as poison.
Mage: Creates a magic circle under the user that improves their magic power, widens its effective range, and enhances mental efficiency.
Elemental Claw Attack: Allows the user to imbue elemental properties to a limited extent when using their natural claws to attack.
Melee Fighter: Provides a slight boost to the user's strength, agility, and dexterity when unarmed or using natural weapons.
Spirit Healing: Replenishes a small amount of mind automatically after each magic use.
Elemental Enhancement: Creates a passive magic circle beneath the user. When actively using an individual element, the user gains one special elemental buff based on that element.
Multi Elemental Enhancement: Creates multiple passive magic circles beneath the user. When actively using multiple elements, the user gains several special elemental buffs based on the elements used.
Flight: Increases maneuverability and reduces air resistance when flying.
Kanabo User: Increases strength and dexterity while wielding a Kanabo.
After going through the entire list, Draco was even more amazed by the variety of abilities offered.
He felt a bit disappointed that there were no speed-boosting or purely defensive abilities available, but he still had plenty to choose from.
Draco was familiar with many of the options, some of them were available during his previous level-up were, but there were also new skills that piqued his interest.
‘All the abilities are good, but by process of elimination, my real options are Monster Affinity, Mage, Melee Fighter, Kanabo User, and Multi Elemental Enhancement,’ Draco concluded.
These were the skills he considered the most useful at present.
With his useful options narrowed down, Draco embarked on another process of elimination.
Monster Affinity presented a promising new path to power, but it wasn't immediately useful until he could subdue or had access to many stronger monsters.
Upgrading his firebirds was already costly enough and would also require much time.
Currently, he was mixing crushed magic stone powder into their food, but he hadn't seen any significant changes yet.
Given that the intervals between his level-ups we’re getting longer, and the impending Evilus all out attack on the city being so close, he needed a source of immediate strength.
As a result, he decided to eliminate the taming skill for now.
Next, he considered the Mage development ability.
This skill would significantly ease his use of magic, potentially enhancing the effects of his Dragon Mind Arts.
However, he hesitated, wondering if the two abilities would interfere with each other.
It was possible that their effects would stack, especially since the Mage ability was passive.
‘It's more likely that they would complement each other rather than clash,’ he reasoned, deciding to keep Mage on his list of options.
The Melee Fighter ability was exceptional, but it came with a significant drawback: he would have to forgo using any external weapons to keep its effects active.
Switching back and forth between armed and unarmed, while incorporating magic in the mix, seemed like a very tedious combat style, at least for him.
Additionally, there was the possibility of some extra strict requirements, like not being able to keep any external weapons on hand, which raised concerns.
If he found himself in a situation where his claws were ineffective, he would be at a disadvantage by not being able to use a weapon.
The stat boost would also be lost if he then wielded a weapon, increasing his disadvantage.
There was no guarantee that he wouldn’t encounter an opponent where such a scenario would occur, which made him a bit hesitant.
‘Ugh, I should put more faith in my claws. Plus the skill boosts around three stats, so it would be foolish to ignore that,’ Draco concluded, elevating Melee Fighter to the top of his list.
The Kanabo User option was quickly dismissed.
While it offered some benefits, it was similar to Melee fighter, but even more limiting compared to the versatility of his natural weapons.
Blunt force wasn’t always the most effective strategy, and versatility was crucial in combat.
Draco's gaze then fell on the Multi Elemental Enhancement skill.
This option was a step up from Elemental Enhancement, but he found it puzzling that both were available.
The ability seemed to function as described, but he believed he could replicate its effects through the Mage development ability.
Therefore, he decided to eliminate it for now.
Now, only Mage and Melee Fighter remained on his list of potential skills.
One offered a physical enhancement, while the other focused on magic.
Draco planned to eventually acquire both, but determining which one to choose first was vital, as it would influence his overall strength during the Evilus event.
‘Which path will serve me better?’ he pondered.
‘In the chaos of the Evilus event, will I need to rely more on my magic or my physical abilities to be deeply involved in events?’
As he contemplated, memories of details concerning the evilus event flashed through his mind.
He recalled the parts where the evilus turned themselves into living bombs, killing themselves, their children, innocent civilians, destroying homes and killing adventurers.
A flash of rage momentarily overcame him imagining such an intense scene, especially when the image of his family mixed in with it, but he quickly calmed down, feeling Bahamut warm fingers on his back.
‘What is he thinking about that suddenly made him so emotional’ Bahamut wondered, gently caressing his back to calm him down.
She was currently seated on his back, waiting for his decision, so she could feel the violent movement of his body.
After much deliberation, Draco made his decision.
The upcoming Evilus event would be chaotic, filled with uncertainty and danger.
While having a strong physical foundation was essential, he realized that if he wanted to save himself, his familia, allies and people lucky enough to be around, magic was the way.
He needed a means to defend against suicidal explosions, especially since he could face overwhelming opponents.
Melee combat was not going to be effective in avoiding damage from suicidal maniacs with cursed weapons, and protecting others.
“Alright then, Mage it is,” Draco said, convinced in his reasoning.
He could always focus on honing his physical skills later, but for now, he would enhance his magic abilities.
“Are you sure” Bahamut asked in confirmation.
“Yes” Draco replied resolutely.
Bahamut nodded her head, not saying anything more.
She then updated his status, upgrading Draco from level 3 to 4.
Now Draco was officially a level four adventurers, just one level away from becoming one of the few first class adventurers in Orario.