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CHAPTER 8

I scrubbed the crud out of my eyes as I rolled out of bed. My body took me to the bathroom and I let out a warm one. Mornings weren't my thing and Wednesday mornings were the same as Mondays. I washed my hands and then threw cold water on my face and was barely awake after all that.

Grunting, I stumbled to the dresser and put on joggers and a tee. I dropped heavily on the bed with socks and my sneakers.

The Goth girl had the nerve to sit up and yawn like she was about to go back to sleep.

"Get up and dress for a morning workout." I slapped her thighs to emphasize my point.

"Mmm."

I slipped on one of my socks but the other just didn't want to go on. Wait, wrong end. My feet slid into the sneakers and I stumbled downstairs to the kitchen to grab a pre-made smoothie.

That half helped me wake up more but not enough to open my eyes. After all, I not only help Cambria become a shifter but also Gothy. I needed a lot more sleep but it was best to help them accommodate their new soul.

Gothy came down with something that resembled her usual clothes. I wondered when she would realize that this wasn't a school gym session.

Shaking my head, we headed to the circle where several groups were already broken up and doing stretches.

Rubbing my nose, I spotted Cambria and a few new people standing side by side gossiping.

"Cambria, bring your skinny ass over here." I didn't speak loud but I knew it spread because everybody turned to look at me walking up.

When my feet touched the track, I started jogging. The two dumbasses didn't follow me, I could tell by the sound of only my sneakers slapping at the track. When I did one lap, I stopped in front of them with my eyes still nailed shut.

"Let me ask you a simple question. What was I just doing? And why aren't you doing the same?"

I didn't wait for a reply, I just started running again. But this time I heard the discordant sound of them running. Not even 250 yards when I picked up Gothy heavy bleeding. 750, Cambria joined her. I jogged off the traffic after the second lap for me and led them through stretches. Right after that session, right back onto the track followed by the same routine. Only when both fell down on the third lap, did I stop and drag them off the track and then finish my lap and stretch.

After that, I slowly moved through martial arts routine but unlike before, where I didn't use magic. I allowed fire to follow my fingertips as I went through a few dance-like routines. When I came to a stop, Cambria and Gothy were standing in front of me.

"Finished your lap and routine."

"Are you serious? I'm not the physical type. I am more.."

I interrupted gothy with a simple sentence. "The method of reversing shifting is not that hard to do."

She grumbled something not pleasant to the human body but she did go finish her lap. I focused on controlling fire into different shapes then transitioning into different elements. It was extremely taxing and took me just as long as it took the girls to finish their routine for me to go through the six elements.

"When can we do that?" This doesn't sound like women who are sweating and mouth breathing.

I opened my eyes to see a skinny girl who I wasn't familiar with. A sniff let me know she was just a feline, not anything special.

"I don't know. Why don't you go ask your team leader?"

My eyes closed again and I turned to my girls. "How do you feel now? Any feeling like being distant?"

Cambria nodded but gothy gave me that suspicious look. So I made gothy run another lap while me and Cambria practiced moving chi through our bodies. Well, she watched me while I did so butt naked so that she could see the illuminate meridians without obstruction.

Gothy came later and I explained while continuing to showcase a method of chi utilization that grows chi.

I didn't expect them to get it for the next three hours. So I continued practicing elements which I had to stop every ten minutes. However, I knew that commanding the water elements was more draining than fire and dark elements. Same with light but wind and earth was only slightly more taxing than fire and dark.

"Are you at hundred percent completion?" Zach voice interrupted my fourth round.

"Yeah but I could do this before. Yet my recovery wasn't as great as it is now."

"How did you pass the gap? I feel like I need something but don't know what it is."

"Just go bite someone. The first one is enough. The rest is actually wasting your energy and will degrade your previous effort."

Zach nodded and walked out. I sighed as I opened my eyes to see if any of them completed a cycle. Actually they surprised me as I could feel their souls fitting their bodies more and more with every breath.

This was the one downside to becoming a shifter through such a bite. Not only was it painful but there was a possibility of your spirit beast taking over. Whereas we get to understand and conquer our spirit beast through a slow integration process.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"Good job. Keep practicing this and you guys will slowly but surely feel more complete. Then you won't have to run as much."

Neither girl bothered to respond but I knew they heard me. Plus I was feeling chilled after draining my poor brain energy. So I put on my clothes and walked towards the new people who had been standing around gossiping.

"Nobody will instruct you what to do. Definitely, those of you who are young and stubborn. Or well, you weak feds who became shifters through a half-assed method." I ignored some of the protest and pointed at the group's training. "Each group is a type of animal. They are led by a group leader or alpha, whichever lame ass term you prefer. You only have to find your matching group and follow along. Someone will then assist you but if you stay standing around like a sore thumb. Then you can just pack your bags, we will deposit you in another region. So you can bring down their quality."

My eyes flashed by Agent Palmer who followed me back to my group. I stared at her and the three girls that followed her who were all feds and cat shifters.

"I am sorry but do I smell like your kind?" I folded my arms across my chest but I could see confusion on their faces.

"I think there might be a misunderstanding. We apparently can't smell what you are talking about. Maybe it has to do with the half-assed method you mention but you guys all feel the same to me."

"What kind of spirit beast do you have?"

"Orange tabby."

"Have you not begun the integration part or better yet, tell me what makes the feds think you are shifters?"

Tinashe Palmer looked at her fellow comrades before speaking. "Well, we can no longer summon our animals which is what made the Scientists think we succeeded."

My mouth dropped open because it sounded like they were stuck at one percent. What a doozy.

I stuck my hand into a shadow and pulled out my phone. Handing it to Palmer with a slight push.

"Okay, it's simple to help you out. One percent to Twenty-four percent means that you can adapt the basic characteristics of your animal. When I say basic, I mean like their physical capabilities. For instance, my spirit beast was the dragon. I possess the strength, the senses, and the endurance."

I took my phone back after they input their numbers. I created a membership account for them on the forum and sent them a copy of how integration works, just up to 24 percent.

"25 to 49 percent gives you the ability to transform part of your body or multiple at once. 50 to 74 is a complete shape-shifting. With the higher you go, the longer you can be in the unfamiliar form. After 75, it's all about the mystical aspect of your beast. Everybody has one but it manifests differently. Instead of casting flames, you might only use the symbolic aspect of it to enhance your physical performance. Any questions?"

One of the other girls raised her hand, "what happens after 100?"

"That is for you to find out."

"Why is the guide only to 24 percent?" The other asked.

"Because I don't like you. Last set." I glanced at the sun starting to rise on the horizon. My body was itching to go back inside.

"Will we get more than just this guide?" Tinashe asked.

"Possibility. It all depends on your actions. Also don't share that guide with anyone. It's your first and most simple test."

I waved my hand as I started to head home with a fervor. Cambria and Gothy appeared right behind me which probably meant they were dark aligned drakes. Or they were feeling comfortable and didn't want to lose the benefit of being a shifter.

***

Second time awaking and I didn't feel as drained as earlier. Though fatigue still sets in my bones. Yawning and walking downstairs, I practice changing the shape of two different elements. My strongest two, fire and dark elements.

It wasn't necessarily fast or very stable but hopefully with practice that might change. Plus I remember Remy saying he did something very similar to improve his control. So I had to follow such an expert.

Someone was knocking on the front door, well the glass part and not the wood part. It was like they had no common sense but the flat footed steps sounded out to let me know it was probably her brother. Considering she played such a useless game like dota, it's understandable that her brother was a fool.

I crept over to check out the guy only to have my eyes glued to black shorts that really clung to gothy wide hips. If I had known that glute workout was enough to shape her ass, I might have extended the lessons. She actually looked like she was curvy instead of just stacked like pancakes.

Her brother, though, had typical build of a shifter. After all, it wasn't hard to bulk up during the first two days of being a shifter. Then it was just a matter of keeping up with the workload.

I jumped forward and grabbed the box before she dropped it. What her brother could pick up didn't mean she could as a fresh shifter. Strength doesn't just come from nothing. It comes from the muscles which were mostly fat on her.

Lily gave me a look like she had it but I kissed her forehead and turned around.

"This is my brother, Alan. He's bringing over my clothes and stuff."

I shrugged and disappeared around the corner. Dropping her pc on the floor, so I could make room on my desk for her. It only took me a few minutes to hook her pc up and connect the wifi before I searched for a rolly chair.

Lily came down from the stairs with her brother and gave me a look as I put the chair down.

I also order breakfast and lunch to be delivered. What a good man I was.

"Why are you walking around nude?" She asked while dropping into the chair.

I look down at myself before dropping into my chair and turning it on.

"What's wrong with my body?"

"You're nude. Like all the time. Don't you get cold?"

"No."

"Okay, can you put on shorts or something, my brother is right there." She pointed as if to emphasize his presence but why should I care?

I pulled up the forum and stared at a list of tasks for a level four member. Why did the number of superhero tasks rise? Why would I want to save people thinking they can fuck these evolvers but find out they are possessive and not as good as they thought.

Tsk, this is why I created my trick. Can't call me bad no matter what now.

"Ugh, sorry. There is apparently a reason he is inside all the time. Lacking manners."

I put my hand on my chin and slowly turned to her with a smirk. "You want me to give respect to your brother in my house when you guys can go outside and talk? Have you lost your damn mind?"

Her brother growled and I jumped over the desk, my left foot connecting with his strong jaw. His whole body lifted up off the ground as I touched down. My fist followed his arc and knocked him out of my gaming room slash lounge.

"First of all, this is my house. Allowing him in without seeking my approval is already pushing it. Him not showing proper respect to someone stronger is straight disrespect."

I grabbed my phone and called Zach. "One of your boys decided to disrespect me in my own house." I hung up and dropped back down.

"Have you always liked this?" She asked as if she did not expect an Alpha not to be a badass.

"Yes. You will understand half my emotional responses after you fully settle down. What he did is a newbie mistake. As a beta bitch, he can't even intimidate his wolf leader, how is going to growl at the Emperor of all Alphas? That's an outright challenge which says I want your spot at the top of the food chain." I leaned back into my chair and stared at her.

"But.."

"No but.. I am a dragon and he is a freaking grey wolf. A wild dog dares to bark at me? What next, he thinks he can order around the entire community?"

She huffed and threw on her headphones. "Dont come to me for sex today."

Did she forget that women were still trying to gain the secret to anti-aging from my sperm? I didn't need to just go to her. Shaking my head, I dove into these hero tasks. Partitioning them out to the relevant pack leader by animal type.

Halfway through, Zach, Evie, and the ebony goddess walked in. Zach looked like he swallowed a jalapeño as he grabbed the moaning joke. I knew he jerk the guy swollen neck because the scream was like a murder turkey. He dragged the lad out with no mercy.

Evie waved her hand in front of me and I sighed as I leaned back.

"What the fuck do you want?" I snapped as I still had more than several tabs to sort through.

Evie raised her eyebrow, "who the fuck are you talking to?"

My head snapped up and my ass almost flew out of the seat. But my anger went back down my throat. While I was definitely capable of killing her with magic or combining magic and physical but just physical. I was going to wuss out.

"Sorry, that kid pissed me off. Plus the org sold the shifter method, just the first half but that created more problems. A couple small little clubs have pop up in our region due this shit. Not only that but they are being a little disruptive." I explained my anger.

Evie nodded as she pointed at Tinashe. "I want to make her a team leader of the.."

"No. I want have any weak as fuck pet as my Alphas."

"The rest of us agreed that she understood…"

"You aren't hearing me. It isn't happening."

"You know what, I am tired of your shit!"

I interrupted her yet again, "do you want to challenge me?"

Evie backed down quicker than I did when thinking of sparring. "Fine but they need someone to guide them without messing up our formation. We already have our bands full with more than two dozen shifters per group."

"They are only going through the basic shit. Plus they are still feds, send their ass back to their jobs. Let the feds feel like we are supporting them." I shrugged, not caring at all about that small group.

"If you aren't going to promote her then you handle her group. You only have two to worry about."

"I'm not getting up that early again. Shit has my head splitting."

"If you want me or jade in here, you have to take care of this." Evie folded her arms over her small breasts.

I swish to the left and right as I watch her nose flare. She was really fire. I, honestly, liked it when we had points of contention. Sadly, she was playing with my desires.

"Fine. Have them out on the field around 9."

Evie flipped me off all childish-like as she turned around.

"I better see you today or I'll drop by your house a little miffed. Don't disappoint me." I chuckled as I pulled the headset back to my ears.

Angry foot falls were the only thing that answered me. I turned to look at Lily who was ignoring me to her best ability.