So I'm a Bat, Big Deal

 As I struggled to navigate back to the maze and confront the boar, I did my utmost to ignore the distractions around me. Each flap felt like I was pushing through a dense ocean, and fatigue was weighing me down, making me feel like I could drop at any second.

I stumbled upon the adventure party locked in a fierce battle with a massive boar, where Herald was desperately trying to conjure shields that kept shattering like glass. The clocktower gonged in the background as I soared above the fray, positioning myself to flank the brave adventurers as they fought. With a mischievous grin, I reached into the base of my wing and pulled out a colossal lion-scorpion, like a magician revealing a grand trick. It soared through the air, roaring with its claws extended and mouth agape in surprise.

It landed squarely on the boar's back, its claws sinking in with a satisfying grip. The boar let out an indignant roar, abandoning its assault on the adventurers. It tilted its head back, trying to shake off the startled lion-scorpion and goring it in the side, but the creature wasn't having any of it. In retaliation, the lion-scorpion began to bite the boar on the back of its head, causing the boar to screech and leap around wildly. The lion held on for dear life, its claws digging in deeper, resembling mechanical bull riding. Then, with newfound stability, the lion-scorpion swung its tail and stung the boar with its scorpion tail.

With a thunderous screech, the boar rolled over, finally tossing the lion off its back. The two beasts completely ignored the adventurers and me as they circled each other, sizing up their opponent. In a flash, the boar lunged, aiming its tusks at the lion, but the lion skillfully dodged, retaliating with a strike from its scorpion tail. The boar, quick to react, evaded the attack as well. Annoyed, it stomped its hooves into the earth, swinging its head in frustration. The scorpion tail lashed out again, but the boar expertly shifted to the right, then to the left to avoid the blows. Then, with a fierce charge, the boar lowered its head and used its mighty horns to scoop up the lion, flinging it high into the air. It spun around and used its hind legs to kick at the falling lion sending it flying into the carnivorous thorn-covered bushes that wiggled and happily stabbed into the lion's side, sucking the blood out of it.

The lion kicked violently at the hedge, smashing part of it into the earth. With its body marked by thorny holes and bloody gashes, the lion finally broke free and resumed its tense dance with the other creature, both sizing each other up. As they locked their gazes, I began to extract the cut leaves from my storage. "Leaf Snipping," I declared, and the leaves obeyed my mental commands, moving as I directed. The leaves sharpened into deadly blades, cascading down upon the two monsters, who were confused about the origin of the attack. Each thought the other was responsible, which only fueled their ferocity. I continued to unleash the leaves until they were soaked in blood and too damaged to be effective, at which point I switched to a new batch.

The fierce confrontation was on the brink of resolution, with both sides inflicting damage upon one another, thanks to my involvement. Just then, the ghostly toll of the clocktower resonated, and an odd fragrance filled the surroundings. It carried a musty quality that caused the two monsters to cease their battle at the very moment it appeared to be concluding. They turned their attention to the entrance, cautiously retreated, and then dashed away in haste.

[Well, look at you! You've managed to off a Poison Basilisk. Bravo! You've scraped together enough experience points to drag yourself up to level twenty. What an achievement!]

[Congratulations! You've just been gifted three hundred points to squander in whatever categories you fancy. Go ahead, make your poor choices!]

After I was done distributing my points it looked like this. 

Aerial: 50 Allows you to fly more easily and do fun tricks

Bind: 50 Unlocks abilities that cause binding

Ninja: 50  Unlocks movement skills

Observation: 50 Increased your ability to notice things

Reasoning: 50  Improves your ability to think

Mana: 70  Increases the amount of magical power you can use

Armament: 40 Makes your body tougher against attacks

Luck: 50  Can go both ways 

Charm: 50  Makes it easier for you to negotiate

Yeet: 40  Makes you stronger

I realized I had to amp up my charm game to take charge of the shrubs and manage other plants with ease down the line. Boosting my magical prowess felt like a solid plan, along with enhancing my bind, aerial, and movement skills. I cranked up my luck mostly out of sheer curiosity—who knows, maybe a higher luck stat would unlock some awesome good fortune ability? That sounded like a winning strategy!

[Well, well, well, look who decided to play the charm game! Buffing up your luck, huh? Tired of being the social equivalent of a wet sock? Time to reveal the three types of Second Step evolution options you've managed to scrape together. Just a little heads-up: your precious points are the bouncers to your evolutionary fantasies, but those unlocked evolution trees are just waiting to crash the party. Ding! Ding! Ding! Feast your eyes on the evolution options that fate has so generously dropped in your lap!]

[Tree Hugger Level 2: You'd rather cuddle with a fern than deal with actual humans, and guess what? The plants are totally into you! Explore the twisted evolutionary path of Tree Hugger. You can control plants from further away. (Tree Hugger Level 1.)]

[Mimic: Oh, look! A monster with a shiny ability that tickles your fancy? Go ahead, steal one of their features for a full twenty-four hours! Just remember, you can't hit the off switch until the time's up. So, make your choice like your life depends on it—because it kind of does! (Highest Mana, High Luck, High Ninja.)]

[Mana Whip: Forget traditional weapons, subtlety is overrated; just channel your mana into a whip and start flailing around. It's perfect for both attacking and restraining things—because who doesn't love a good bind? (High Mana, High Bind.)]

[Ninja Nut: Who's that shadow lurking in the corner, swiping someone's black pajamas? You blend in so well that even your enemies might mistake you for a shadow. Plus, you get to unlock some thrilling movement skills—Because nothing says "ninja" like sneaking around in someone else's sleepwear. (High Ninja, High Observation.)]

[So, you've opted to tempt fate with Mimic. Just hold on tight for those ability choices—this is going to be a laugh and a half! 1000 points available.]

[Gotcha Gain: Shell out 500 points. Hit that gotcha gain button once a day, or if you're feeling particularly adventurous, throw more points or complete some goals to snag a delightful assortment of random items, some of which might even be seasonal. How thrilling!]

[Roulette Wheel: Fork over 500 points. Give the roulette wheel a spin once a day, or if you're really desperate for excitement, complete some goals or toss in more points to see what kind of points you can win. It's like gambling, but with less chance of losing your shirt!]

[Shield Surprise: Drop 500 points. Sometimes you'll conjure up a mighty shield, and other times, you'll get something that wouldn't stop a sneeze. The fun is in the mystery—good luck figuring out if you're protected or just playing with cardboard!]

I'd love to get my hands on a shield, but I can't risk relying on one that might let me down. So, I'll have to skip it for now and keep my fingers crossed for something even better next time. Now, about that Roulette Wheel—could this be my ticket to leveling up quicker? Back in my human days, I enjoyed collecting items in a monster battle game. Maybe this is similar? It could definitely spice things up!

[Kudos! You've gone for Gotcha Gain and Roulette Wheel. Skipping out on Shield Surprise, huh? What a pity, that could have been a real hoot. Prepare for an evolutionary change that's about as exciting as a flat tire. You're still a pint-sized sensation, but now your colors will reflect your mood—how utterly fascinating! When you're not feeling particularly chipper, enjoy the return to your original gray fur and peach wings. Congratulations, you're officially a mood ring with a side of mediocrity!]

Gotcha Bat: Level 20

Powers: Poison Fang Level 2, Swift Wings, Flesh-Eating Flora Control, Leaf Snipping, Gotcha Gain, Roulette Wheel

Purchase Points Remaining: 0

Level-up Points Remaining: 0

Coming Next Time: Horror of the Hollow