As the first glow of dawn began to filter through the dense canopy, David straightened his posture, his wings unfurling slightly in anticipation. The swamp around him stirred to life, a cacophony of alien chirps and calls filling the air. He took a deep breath, the scent of damp earth and unfamiliar flora filling his nostrils.

"Well, here goes nothing," David muttered, his voice barely audible over the ambient noise of the awakening wilderness. "Let's start with the classics, shall we?"

He closed his eyes, focusing his mind on Screech and Moonsong. Screech had been his very first Ability, and he'd picked up Moonsong all the way back in Riverport. A twinge of nostalgia tugged at him, but he pushed it aside. Evolution demanded sacrifice.

I wish to fuse Screech and Moonsong.

David thought clearly, directing his intention towards the ever-present System.

–Confirm Fusion of: Screech E & Moonsong F?–

–Fusion will result in: E Ability–

David's wings twitched slightly as he read the notification. "Well, at least it's not getting worse," he mumbled. "Alright, System, let's dance."

Yep yep.

The moment the thought formed, David's body went rigid. The familiar sensation of effervescent pins and needles erupted throughout his form, but this time it concentrated with alarming intensity in his throat and lungs. It felt as if he'd swallowed a swarm of angry but ineffective bees.

David gritted his teeth, his claws digging into the bark of the branch he perched on. The Cuddlebugs chittered nervously, sensing their master's discomfort. One brave soul even leapt onto his back protectively, tiny claws scratching at him through his fur.

Just when David thought he couldn't take it anymore, the sensation peaked and then rapidly dissipated. He gasped, sucking in great lungfuls of air as if he'd been underwater.

"Holy... harmonizing... hellbats," he wheezed, blinking rapidly as his vision swam back into focus.

A new notification appeared before him:

–Fusion Complete–

–Received: Siren's Call E: Emit a haunting melody that can either soothe allies or inflict confusion on enemies. Allies within range experience increased regeneration and temporary empowerment. Enemies may become confused, suffering auditory hallucinations. Extended use may cause vocal strain. (80 Stamina, +X Overcharge, 3 minute duration)–

"Well, well, well," David murmured, a grin spreading across his face. "Looks like I've gone from screeching bat to sexy siren. Claire's gonna love this. Confused and Hallucinating? It's almost not fair, heheh."

He glanced down at the Cuddlebugs, who were looking up at him with a mixture of curiosity and concern. "Don't worry, guys. I promise I won't use you as test subjects. Probably."

As the swamp continued to awaken around him, David couldn't resist the urge to test out his new ability. He cleared his throat, took a deep breath, and let out an experimental note.

The sound that emerged was unlike anything he'd produced before. It was melodious yet otherworldly, a haunting tune that seemed to melt into the very air around him. The nearby leaves shimmered, and a few curious creatures poked their heads out from hiding spots to investigate the strange noise.

David cut off the sound quickly, not wanting to attract too much attention. "Okay, that was pretty cool," he admitted, his grin widening. "But let's save the full concert for when we really need it."

He shifted on his perch, stretching his wings as he prepared for the next fusion. The sun had begun to noticably brighten the sky now, a gentle glow appearing on the horizon. A soft breeze rustled through the leaves, carrying away the cool night air with just a touch of warmth.

"Alright, team," David addressed his Cuddlebugs, who perked up attentively. "One down, two to go."

As he prepared to initiate the next fusion, David couldn't help but feel a bit of apprehension. Each change brought him further from his old self, but also closer to surviving in the long term. He only hoped that when all was said and done, he'd still recognize the bat in the mirror.

A mischievous glint appeared in David's eyes as a brilliant thought struck him. "Hey," he mused, glancing at his Cuddlebugs, "I wonder if the System would let me multi-task?"

The tiny creatures tilted their heads in unison, clearly puzzled.

"You know, kill two birds with one stone. Or in this case, fuse four things with one existential crisis." David chuckled at his own joke. "What's the worst that could happen, right?"

The Cuddlebugs exchanged worried glances, the clever one looking almost panicked as it seemed to puzzle it out, but David was already forging ahead with his plan.

I wish to fuse Ancestral Terror and Apical, and Secretive and Nocturnal Strike. All at once, please and thank you!

The System, ever impartial, responded with an expanded confirmation message:

–Confirm Fusion of: Ancestral Terror C & Apical C?–

–Fusion will result in: C Mutagen–

–Confirm Fusion of: Secretive D & Nocturnal Strike C?–

–Fusion will result in: D Ability–

David grinned triumphantly. "See? No problem at all! This'll save us so much time."

Yep, let's do this!

The moment David confirmed, he realized he'd made a terrible mistake.

The familiar pins-and-needles sensation exploded through his body with the force of a supernova. It was as if every cell in his body was trying to rearrange itself simultaneously. David's eyes bulged, his fur standing on end as wave after wave of intense, almost electrical sensations coursed through him.

"Holy shi—YEEOOOWCH!"

David's yelp of surprise turned into a startled screech as he lost his grip on the branch. He plummeted towards the ground, flailing wildly, his wings refusing to cooperate as his body convulsed with the force of the double fusion.

THWUMP!

He hit the marshy ground with a wet splat, sinking slightly into soil. The impact knocked the wind out of him, but the fusion process continued unabated.

David writhed on the ground, feeling as if he was being turned inside out and back again. His fur rippled and shifted, darkening in some places and lightening in others. His wings felt like they were being stretched on a rack, bones creaking as they shifted. A burning sensation spread across his face and chest, and he cursed viciously with the little air he had left in his body.

After what felt like an eternity but was probably only a minute or two, the sensations began to subside. David lay there, panting heavily, his tongue lolling out as he tried to catch his breath.

"Note to self," he wheezed, "one body modification at a time."

Slowly, carefully, David pushed himself up, grimacing at the squelching sound as he peeled himself off the swampy ground. He blinked, his vision swimming back into focus, and took stock of his changed form.

His jet-black fur had grown thicker and shaggier, especially around his neck and shoulders, giving him a more primordial appearance. Subtle striping patterns, barely visible unless the light hit just right, rippled across his body in shades of deep charcoal.

David's already impressive musculature had become even more pronounced, his form bulkier and more robust. His chest and shoulders had broadened, lending him an air of raw, primal power.

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

He extended his wings in a slight panic, but sighed in relief as he saw the ‘fancy’ moon and swirl patterns still remained. To his pleasant surprise, his wings had grown thicker and more robust. The membranes seemed tougher, more resilient, with visible veins pulsing beneath the surface. The bone spurs at the ends of his wing fingers had elongated into wickedly curved talons, perfect for grappling or tearing.

But the most startling change was to his face, viewed through the rather shocked impressions sent from his Summons.

Oh, now that's weird. It's like watching yourself in third person. Never thought to use the little turds as a mirror before…ugh…that sucked. Never doing that again.

His features had sharpened, becoming more predatory. His muzzle had elongated slightly, and his canines now extended fully past his lips, looking more like daggers than anything else. His eyes, gleaming with their faint red eyeshine, were set deeper in his skull, protected by heavy brow ridges that gave him a perpetually fierce expression.

"Well," David muttered, examining his new look as best he could, "I guess 'bat out of hell' wasn't edgy enough. Now I'm going for 'Me strongest in cave. Ooga'. Aesthetic Refinement can't come fast enough..."

As he stood there, plastered with mud and debris, looking like something out of a paleontologist's fever dream, the System helpfully provided the descriptions of his new Mutagens:

–Received: Apex Terror C: Your mere presence instills a deep, primal fear in your prey. Attacks have a chance to trigger paralyzing terror in enemies, drain both health and stamina from the target. Your form embodies predatory evolution. (+++Control, ++Offense, +Defense, +5 Health & Stamina drain on physical attack, Physical Passive)–

–Received: Umbral Predator D: Your body adapts for swift, silent movement through shadows. Rapid strikes from stealth momentarily disorient prey, draining their stamina. (-25% Detection Range, +Speed, -6% Target Max Stamina on hit, Physical Passive)

David whistled low, impressed despite his discomfort. "Okay, I take it back. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all. Shame about the physical requirement, I should have expected something like that from Ancestral Terror."

He flexed his new form, feeling the raw power coursing through him. The Cuddlebugs, who had followed him down from the tree, stared up at him with a mixture of awe tinted by fear.

"Don't worry, guys," David reassured them, his voice now carrying a slightly deeper, more raspy tone. "I'm still me. Just... buffer. And scarier. But mostly buffer."

David couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. He was changing, evolving into something new and powerful.

It's weird how addicting this gets. I wonder if that's normal, or if I'm just a little crazy now. Probably a little of both, honestly. Nobody could survive all this wild-ass shit and come out smelling like roses, I’d bet.

"Alright, world," he grinned, baring fangs that now gleamed like polished ivory. “Time for the new stuff!"

David's grin widened as he prepared to slot his stored ability. "Alright, time for a little stamina boost," he muttered, mentally reaching for the ability and mentally rushing through the notifications that accompanied moving something from storage.

–Metabolic Surge A: Drastically accelerate your body's processes, rapidly regenerating Stamina and healing minor wounds. Minor Stamina Cost, generates 1 charge every 10 minutes. Max two charges.–

"Oh, this is gonna be sweet," David chuckled, already imagining the possibilities. "No more running on empty during—"

Suddenly, the grin slid off his face, replaced by a look of utter shock. His mouth opened and closed wordlessly, like a fish out of water, as the realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Oh no," he whispered, his eyes widening in horror. "Oh no no no no NO!"

David's face contorted in a mixture of anger and disbelief. He'd messed up. He'd messed up bad.

"You idiot!" he yelled at himself, startling a nearby flock of bird-like creatures into flight. "You absolute muppet! How could you screw this up?!"

He began pacing back and forth, wings flailing dramatically. "All that planning, all those mental gymnastics, and you still managed to botch it! Ability plus Mutagen equals Mutagen, you doorknob!"

The Cuddlebugs watched in bewilderment as their master continued his tirade.

"Now I'm short a Mutagen slot and have an extra Ability slot just hanging around like a useless... thing!" David groaned, his vocabulary failing him in his frustration. "Argh!"

In his agitation, David rubbed his eyes with his wings, immediately regretting the decision as he smeared mud across his face. "Oh, for the love of— Really?! Really?!"

Grumbling and sputtering, David used a few bursts of Echolocation to locate a nearby pool of water. He trudged over, chittering as necessary with the Cuddlebugs following at a safe distance, clearly unsure how to handle this new, grumpy version of their master.

Reaching the pool, David dunked his face in the water, swishing it around vigorously. When he emerged, sputtering and shaking water from his ears, he flopped down dramatically in the grass with a groan that would put soap opera stars to shame.

"I can't believe I screwed this up," he muttered, rolling onto his back and staring up at the canopy above. "All those Fusion Tokens, all that potential... and I get carried away like a kid in a candy store."

The Cuddlebugs cautiously approached, chittering softly in what might have been an attempt at comfort. David sighed, reaching out to pat the nearest one.

"I know, I know," he said, his voice softer now. "I just... I was doing better, you know? Thought I was finally starting to get a handle on things. But nope, still the same old David, rushing in without thinking. Claire would have caught that instantly, but I just wanted to use my new stuff."

He sat up, looking at his tiny companions with a wry smile. "Tell you what, guys. Next time you see me about to do something stupid—which, let's face it, is probably going to be soon—feel free to bite me on the wings or something. Consider it your solemn duty as my fuzzy conscience."

The Cuddlebugs tilted their heads, considering this new directive. The clever one, in particular, seemed to take the suggestion to heart, its tiny eyes narrowing in concentration as if already planning the best wing-biting strategies.

"Oh god," David chuckled, realizing what he'd just suggested. "I'm going to regret that, aren't I? Well, at least it'll keep things interesting."

He stood up, shaking off the last of his self-pity along with a good amount of swamp water. "Alright, enough wallowing. Time to make the best of this mess."

David took a deep breath, centering himself. "Okay, so we've got an extra Ability slot and we're short a Mutagen slot. Not ideal, but not the end of the world either. We can work with this."

He began pacing again, this time more thoughtfully. "Let's see... we've still got Metabolic Surge, which is a game-changer. And hey, maybe having an extra Ability slot isn't such a bad thing. I can always grab another Pack Ability for now… ugh."

The Cuddlebugs squeaked in what sounded like agreement, seemingly relieved that their master was back to his usual problem-solving self.

"As for the Mutagen situation," David continued, his mind racing, "well, it's gonna have to be the Bloodline, isn't it? Quality over quantity, right?"

He paused, a slow grin spreading across his face. "And who knows? Maybe this'll teach me to be more careful in the future. Although, knowing me, probably not."

The clever Cuddlebug made a sound that was suspiciously close to a snort.

"Oh, laugh it up, fuzzball," David said, rolling his eyes. "Just remember, you're the one who's supposed to bite me next time I do something dumb. Hope you've been flossing those tiny teeth of yours."

As the sun climbed higher in the sky, David felt his spirits lifting along with it. Sure, he'd made a mistake, but it wasn't the end of the world. He was still alive, still evolving, and still had a chance to make things right.

"Alright, team," he announced, clapping his wings together. "New plan: we're going to make the most of what we've got. No more rushing to use things without testing stuff first. Maybe talking it through with Claire, she’s probably better at this than I am anyway."

The Cuddlebugs chirped enthusiastically, clearly on board with this new, more cautious approach.

"But first," David added with a grin, "I'm going to need you to watch my back for a bit. I've got a mini vision-quest slash acid trip to deal with."

With a few powerful flaps of his newly bulked-up wings, David glided over to the fruit tree one last time. As he approached, he couldn't help but eye the improvised visual aids he'd scratched into the bark earlier. The sight of his error there, stark and unmistakable, seemed to mock him.

He resisted the urge to claw it out, settling instead for shooting it an evil glare that would have withered a lesser tree. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," he muttered to the offending scratches. "We can't all be geniuses."

With a resigned sigh, David wedged himself into the thickest part of the tree's canopy. The dense foliage enveloped him, his fur rippling to provide a natural camouflage that would have made a chameleon jealous. Only the occasional twitch of a wing or the glint of an eye betrayed his presence.

"Alright, fuzzballs," he called down to the Cuddlebugs gathering at the base of the tree. "Keep your eyes peeled and your tiny, adorable ears open. If anything bigger than a breadbox comes sniffing around, chase it off. Preferably before it decides to make a bat sandwich out of me. This should only take a few minutes."

The Cuddlebugs chittered in affirmation, spreading out in a protective circle around the tree. The clever one even struck what it probably thought was an intimidating pose, puffing out its chest and narrowing its eyes at the surrounding swamp.

"Right then," David muttered, settling in and closing his eyes. "Time to see what this Royal Bloodline business is all about. Here's hoping it's more 'revelation' and less 'Lovecraftian nightmare fuel'."

With that, he took a deep breath and prepared to incorporate his final upgrade, bracing himself for whatever wild ride the System had in store for him this time.

I want use the Royal Bloodline.

–Confirm absorption of Bloodline: Royal–

–Bloodlines will occupy 1 Mutagen slot–

Uh-huh.

–Bloodline: Royal integration beginning–

–Estimated time until total absorption: 2:59–

He tried not to fidget too much as he watched the timer start to count down as the world began to slowly lose its color.

Here we go again…I wonder what ‘Royal’ is gonna look like?