The humanoid monsters did not hesitate in the slightest as they tore through their prey. There was no decorum, let alone grace, as they ripped chunks of meat out of the carcass. The smallest of the group was impatient and rammed its canine fangs into the exposed flesh. Its face was drenched in blood, but that didn't seem all that important to any of them.
If anything, the others followed the smallest's example and feasted as if they had been starving for weeks. They ate with so much gusto I would have been impressed… if it hadn't been so disgusting in the first place.
Watching them was one of the worst experiences of my life. My stomach twisted and churned as the prey's intestines dangled from one of the humanoid's mouths. Shaking its head vigorously, the intestines whirled around without any specific target in mind. I had to try very hard not to vomit. It was almost as bad as the fall had been, and I nearly lost my early breakfast.
Alas, the humanoids ended their feast. They retrieved their weapons and walked around the perimeter, vocalizing to each other in harsh, guttural sounds. Something resembling a reversed triangle formation took shape as their noises grew louder.
The humanoids did not walk past my tree immediately. They scanned the surroundings, slashed a few flowers, and stomped on the more vibrant grass blades around them. Their path led them somewhere to my right before gradually circling back toward my position. Clearly, they were looking for something–or someone. For me? I wasn't so sure about that.
When I first saw their weapons, I naturally suspected the waterskin had belonged to them, but their bloody feeding habits quickly dissolved that notion. That didn't mean they couldn't smell me, though. I shifted smoothly into the Blue Slime form and waited a little before transforming back, realizing I couldn't follow the humanoids with the slime's meager range of perception.
But before I could relocate them, a strong musk hit me. It took a few seconds to get used to it again, but it lingered in the air.
'Is that what they're looking for? The origin of the musk?'
That could be it. Regardless, they put my life in danger. I didn't believe for a second that they wouldn't kill and tear me apart like they had done to the quadruped monster. That thought did little to calm me as the distance to my tree closed rapidly.
The plans I had devised earlier flashed before my eyes once more, putting my mind at ease. Momentarily. Until the monsters reached my tree.
Shift had already been unleashed by that point. Transformed into the Arok Serpent, I slithered across a lengthy tree branch, struggling more with my motor skills than with the fear of failing. Then, gathering every ounce of strength, I pulled back and coiled my body like a spring. My serpentine form lunged forward at a speed I had yet to learn to control. It was difficult, and for a brief moment, I saw myself failing, but I had no time to think. No time to question myself.
I was already upon the smallest humanoid, my maw wide open as it closed around my opponent's neck. My jaws snapped shut a moment later.
The monster stumbled back in surprise and fell into the thorny bush it had terrorized only moments ago. Then the poison worked its wonders.
It thrashed at first, screaming at the top of its lungs. Then its strength faded. It diminished rapidly, just like my own power did. My transformation into the Arok Serpent didn't last long. It couldn't have lasted more than ten seconds, some of which were wasted slithering across the branch. But as short as the transformation was, it was long enough to perform its part.
Hnoll has been defeated. Shift has been updated.
'Now to the difficult part,' I told myself, surprised by how calm I felt at that very moment.
My heart beat like a war drum, flooding me with the thrill of combat, yet my mind remained as calm as a still lake as I activated Shift once more.
This was all I had ever wanted. Fighting the big bad evil guys, exploring the unknown, and growing stronger.
Life hadn't been exactly how I had wanted it to be, but no matter how much trouble my Power had already caused me, it was worth it. Shift was powerful. And all I had to do was lean on it. Trust it. So I did exactly that. I shifted.
***
The Hnoll patrol turned toward one another as their fallen brethren tumbled into the Kidria bush. The youngest's screech was mind-boggling and made them freeze. The two remaining Hnolls looked at each other and then back at their fallen companion as he walked back out unscathed, their overlapping vocalizations filling the air.
The youngest walked oddly as he rejoined them. He swayed, looking like a cub once more. It was almost as if he had forgotten how to move as he approached them, his feet slipping on the wet soil. Yet, as strange as it looked, his movements improved rapidly. One moment, his leg almost gave out as he bent down to pick up his crystallized weapon; the next, his steps appeared much smoother.
He caught up to the group but did not rejoin the formation. Instead, he walked directly toward the oldest Hnoll. His blade flashed and blood splattered as soon as he reached the group. The Hnoll's eyes widened. A snarl echoed through the perimeter, filled with confusion and anger.
His gaze drifted to his abdomen. Only the hilt of the youngest's crystallized saber was visible; the rest had disappeared into the oldest Hnoll's stomach. The youngest stared at his leader with a calmness that was as surprising as the attack itself. Then he twisted the blade and ripped it downward, cutting the leader's abdomen wide open.
The youngest smiled as the strength of the oldest faded and… transformed into a human.
***
The tallest of the Hnolls collapsed to the ground, his intestines spilling out of the gaping wound. A second later, Shift ended, and I was forcefully transformed back into a human. A weak one. Essence filled my Core, yet I was still weaker than the Arok Serpent or the Hnoll.
The last Hnoll snarled at me as I ripped the saber out of his fallen companion's stomach, ready to strike the last one's heart. Alas, I was too slow. The Hnoll snarled again, blocked the attack with ease, and struck empty air when I turned into a Blue Slime.
A moment later, the System notification appeared.
Hnoll has been defeated. Shift has been updated.
Transforming into the Arok Serpent by force had been the third and final step on my list, but it didn't work. Instead, I pushed myself to transform into the tallest of the Hnolls as soon as the message appeared.
I transformed back into a Hnoll and felt the strain immediately. It was different from a regular transformation, but shifting a second time into a Hnoll, even if it was a different individual, was incomparable to any other transformation.
I screamed in pain but charged straight back into battle. The Hnoll was weaker than I was. He was slower, too, and his positioning was unfortunate. His blade was to the left, his momentum drained. I pushed one step further, knocking his arm aside while my razor-sharp fingernails tore into his neck.
Blood splattered across my face, and the pain in my Core worsened with every heartbeat. Yet before I could collapse, I had to finish my job. And that I did, stabbing the Hnoll in the throat over and over again until my claws transformed back into fingers and a notification appeared.
Hnoll has been defeated. Shift has been updated.
The Hnoll collapsed lifelessly to the ground, and I joined him. Exhausted. In pain. But alive.
Victorious.