Angelica had a pretty good idea what each Skill did, but it would be good to have it spelled out for her, starting with the Active Skills. The section header itself didn’t have a box, probably too obvious to question, so she got right into it.
[Transfiguration Lv.5 | Completely change your body to a different form. The difficulty of taking on and maintaining specific forms relates to the Familiarity with the form. Cost: MP Drain based on Familiarity. Accuracy of forms scales with Skill Level, Familiarity, Beguilement, and Competence. Chance of successfully changing into unfamiliar forms scales with Skill Level, Beguilement, and Creativity. Growth scales with Beguilement]
There was some good information there that also further broke down how all the other stats affected the ability. Could she really change her body into anything she was familiar with, though? It also sounded like she could possibly make up things to morph into, but she was less interested in that. A cat, could she become a cat?! Live out idle fantasies of being a witch who could turn into animals?
Angelica honestly really wanted to try, but she’d wait. She imagined that if she changed into anything that wasn’t her Demon form, she’d likely lose her invisibility effect, like when she became human. If it worked, and she suddenly became a cat stuck up on a roof, it could cause unwanted attention, leading to people trying to help get her down. But she’d definitely need to try soon.
Also, it said MP Drain was the cost, assuming it meant the longer she used it, the more MP it used up. However, she had been a human for a week straight and her MP had definitely recovered during that time. Was her familiarity with it just so great that it was practically nothing? Maybe the Skill in general just barely used any.
[Stab Lv.1 | Stabs forward toward the target with equipped weapon or selected body part to inflict Damage. Automatically adjusts aim to desired spot based on Skill Accuracy. Cost: 5MP. Damage scales with Skill Level, Might, and Destruction Attunement. Accuracy scales with Skill Level and Competence. Growth scales with Might and Competence]
She could really perform Stab with anything, by the sounds of it, even a finger. The automatic aim adjustment was definitely nice, too. The only thing she wasn’t sure about was the MP cost. Five felt like a lot to use it a single time, especially when she currently only had eighty.
Well… if she couldn’t defeat or maim something in sixteen stabs, assuming they all connected, it was probably not something she should be facing off against, anyways. And if she was really ambitious about it, she could increase Destruction Attunement to make it cost less, perhaps down to even a single MP? Maybe her MP capacity would eventually reach a point that five felt like nothing.
[Order Rejection Lv.1 | Attempt to reject an Order. Successful rejection reduces the count for the Contract without requiring completion if there is a set amount. Cost: Variable MP. Amount required depends on master’s Summoner Rank, complexity of Order, and Demon Obstinance. Chance of success scales with Skill Level, master’s Summoner Rank, complexity of Order, and Demon Obstinance. Repeated failure increases Cost and reduces chance of success. Growth scales with Obstinance]
Nothing too surprising there, though it was nice to know that the Summoner Rank and complexity of the Order were factors. Did her own Summoner Rank matter for the Orders she gave herself? It sounded like Obstinance was ultimately rather important if she decided to take on more tasks in the future as a Demon. Angelica always hated confrontation, but at least she could reject Orders without having to justify herself.
[Reprint Lv.2 | Recreates previously created works automatically. Cost: 1 MP. Detail and methods of recreation increase with Skill Level. Lv.1: Perfect recreation of base shape. Lv.2: Color and shading will match original. Growth scales with Creativity and Competence]
It would be nice if it told her what the future level-ups would provide to know if it was worth investing her time. Though the Lv.2 perks were honestly pretty great compared to the base ability, so she might try leveling it more just to see what becomes of the skill.
[Scrying Eye Lv.2 | Reveal information about any target within visible range. Cost: MP Drain. Amount of information scales with Skill Level, Lucidity, and Gnostic Attunement. Information is increased when used on self. Growth scales with Lucidity]
Obviously, the “increased information” was being able to see the Demon Growth System sheet, but that reminded Angelica that she hadn’t actually tested the Skill out on anything or anyone else. A woman was out walking her dog before it got too late, so she tried it on her.
[Human | Tarcy Wickouse]
A fittingly prissy name for someone living in a rich neighborhood. So at Lv.2, Angelica could learn the species and the name of her target. Just to confirm that, she tested it on the dog, as well.
[Dog | Barkelby]
Okay, Tarcy apparently had decent taste, at least, because that was a fantastic name for a dog. Interestingly, it just said “dog,” instead of the breed. Maybe such a distinction came at a higher level. What would the equivalent be for humans, though? Race or heritage, maybe? Angelica also tried it on a few inanimate objects. Pleasantly, for houses, she got both a confirmation that it was a house, but also the address; that’d be useful when signage was poor. For the mailbox she’d been spotting though, it just said that it was a mailbox, and whether or not anything was inside. Well, at least she’d know when the money was there if she missed the drop-off.
Now, on to Passive skills.
[Cold Resistance Lv.2 | The effects from Cold are reduced. Amount reduced scales with Skill Level and Glacial Attunement. Growth scales with Vigor]
[Hunger Resistance Lv.1 | The effects from Hunger are reduced. Amount reduced scales with Skill Level and Famine Attunement. Growth scales with Vigor]
The description for both resistances was worded exactly the same, just with different names and Attunements. Angelica definitely wouldn’t mind more resistances. Not being bothered by the world around her and her bodily needs sounded amazing. But both obtaining and levelling them up likely meant she’d have to subject herself to unpleasant situations.
Maybe that’s where spending Growth Points on pre-existing skills became useful. Previously, she hadn’t thought of a single reason why someone would spend them on anything but new skills, but increased comfort or removing an annoying aspect of life could potentially sway her. Also, with how it emphasized both Cold and Hunger, it further verified her suspicions that they were classified as status effects.
[Tongues Lv.3 / 5 | Decipher and communicate with unfamiliar languages. Amount of vocabulary translated scales with Skill Level, Lucidity, Gnostic Attunement, and Familiarity with the language until Skill Max. Growth scales with Lucidity]
Wait, it has a max?! And it was just two more levels as well. Now that she thought about it, when Angelica used the skill currently, it was roughly about 60% of words translated. Did that mean at Lv.5 she’d be able to perfectly understand all languages from then on?! Oh, that would definitely be a priority, then.
If it wasn’t the case, and it maxed out without being fully useful, then she’d need to lodge a formal complaint with the Demon who made the System. The more she studied it, the more obvious it became that the Demon Growth System had to have been made by a Demon. It focused too much on what they cared about. By Demons, for Demons. If humans had made it, the stats would have been far more generic.
[Order Resistance Lv.2 | The gnawing effects from Order Obligation are reduced. Amount reduced scales with Skill Level. Growth scales with Obstinance]
The first part was worded a bit different from the other resistances. Maybe it couldn’t be classified the same. Definitely another one Angelica would be happy to see boosted, and this one would probably increase on its own, regardless. Now that her Order was complete, she didn’t feel the effects anymore. Actually, thinking back on it, after she put the booby-trapped shaker in the fridge, it had stopped then and there. Perhaps Order Obligation faded when there was nothing more that could be feasibly done, or the Demon genuinely believed they’d played their part.
[Bind Resistance Lv.1 | Reduces the chance of being Bound when summoned. Chance of Bound is variable depending on Demon Rank, master’s Summoner Rank, and Circle used. Strength of resistance scales with Skill Level. Growth scales with Obstinance]
Circle used, huh? Since Garvin’s circle had been so sad, that was probably why the bind failed. Why was he surprised that it had, then, if it was so bad? Maybe it should work fine on Imps, and she just got lucky? Should she be wary of more intricate circles?
Angelica still wasn’t entirely sure what “binding” was. Maybe it was proper to say “Bound,” like the description, treating it like it was a status effect? She did know that she was Bound, Soulbound. Were there different types of bindings? Almost certainly, since almost assuredly, most Summoners wouldn’t tie their lives to Demons.
Now, finally, her one Hybrid Skill.
[Inspiration Lv.2 | Grants artistic inspiration, providing Drive and Clarity. If triggered passively, skill will continue to operate until Inspiration wanes naturally. If triggered actively, consumes MP to provide artificial Inspiration. Passive Trigger: Passionate Artistry. Active Cost: MP drain based on mental state. Drive increases with Skill Level, Creativity, and Fabrication Attunement. Clarity increases with Skill Level, Creativity, and Lucidity. Growth scales with Creativity and Lucidity]
That pretty much matched up to her experience. The times it had just happened on its own had been very beneficial, but when she forced it, the results were subpar, comparatively. There likely wasn’t much point to using the Active version unless she was just so close to finishing a piece or stuck with immovable artist’s block. Maybe she’d use it if she had MP to burn and just wanted to train the skill.
Skills done, at last. She’d gathered a bunch already, yet at the same time, it felt like she didn’t have nearly enough, that she wasn’t using the system to its fullest potential. In a way, she hungered for more. That was surely her Demon side talking and not the power-grabbing fallacy of humans, right? Now, it was time for Secrets, and she was genuinely curious what they had to say.
[Secrets are the hidden side of every Demon. Their strengths, and also their weaknesses. You would do well to keep your mouth shut. Each Secret provides at least one bonus effect in exchange for bearing the burden. Additional effects may be added if they become relevant to the secret]
Ooo, yay, there’s a reason they’re listed, after all! Angelica got a bit excited.
[Soulbound | The Summoner has put it all on the line to summon and bind you. Your fates are now intertwined. Should one perish, so will the other. Only death by natural causes will negate the Contract. This special type of Bound is virtually impossible to break by conventional means, and if it is attempted and failed, both parties will die. Special effect: As a reward for loyalty to this sole master, provides extreme additional Bind Resistance on top of the Demon’s Skill, scaling with Summoner Rank]
Ah, so that explained it. Despite being a weak Imp with only Lv.1 Bind Resistance, she’d negated the power of Garvin’s circle thanks to Soulbound. Her blunder kept providing additional benefits, all without the main drawback, so it was hard to complain.
[Humanborn | A human that has transitioned directly into becoming a Demon without first going to the afterlife. How did that happen? An anomaly in the cycle of life and death. Special effect: Since it was already you, Transfiguration does not drain MP when taking on your original human form. Transfiguring into other variations of humans will have vastly reduced MP Drain]
More answers that seemed obvious, now that she thought about them. She hadn’t been using any MP all this time thanks to this Secret. But that last part at the end, did that mean she could also just change into other people, or change her looks?! That was crazy. Still not as fun of an idea as animals, though.
[Summoner | A Summoner has somehow snuck into our ranks?! A spy, or a fluke? Did some absurd experiment go wrong? Don’t let the other Demons know, they just might want to tear you apart. Not that the Summoners would be much better. You’ll be their test subject for life. Special effect: As a welcome to the other side, increasing Summoner Levels and Ranks will also award Health and MP increases along the same scale as Demon Ranks]
That was a lovely little bonus. That meant she could earn essentially double the amount of MP and Health compared to other Demons if she raised them in tandem, right? It also meant she didn’t necessarily need to fully lean into the demonic, malicious aspect to get stronger. Maybe a bit of her humanity could hang on, too.
[Self-Summon | Bahahahahahaha, you summoned yourself?! I’ve never heard of anything so stupid. Either you’re a mad genius, or a complete imbecile. Special effect: As either a reward for your curiosity or pity for your idiocy, as a Summoner, giving yourself Orders, issuing Contracts, and any other Summoner-specific spells used on yourself will not consume MP]
Oh, was Angelica supposed to have been using MP this whole time with all her commands? If so, no way would she have been able to give herself so many Orders. Wait did that mean Summoners had MP, too? Was it still called Manifest Points, or was it the more traditional Magic Points? Did Garvin use MP to make this Contract? That made a lot of sense, now; her Summoner Secret provided MP as a bonus since she was supposed to be using double the amount if she was summoning other Demons.
They probably used MP for converting Essence, too. Maybe Return would also cost MP? That’d suck if she was in a jam. But hey, she didn’t have to worry about it! Free spell with infinite uses, heck ya.
That was it for Secrets. She still had Achievements to look through, but they provided no new information at all. It was just a repeat of when they’d initially unlocked. Right when Angelica was deciding how else to kill time, a car finally drove in front of Garvin’s old house. They didn’t even exit it, just flipped open the mailbox, stuffed something inside, and continued on their way.
[Mailbox | Partially filled]
Thanks, Scrying Eye! She was glad it told her something was inside, because her disappointment would be immeasurable and day would be ruined if she went up to it and found nothing.
Once the car was gone, Angelica got up and bounded from roof to roof until she could hop straight down to the mailbox. With eager excitement, she jumped up and pulled down the flap, eagerly throwing her hands into the dark container. It was time to get paid!