Stepping through the portal, Jake was immediately hit with the smell of rot. Even through his mask, the stench of decay all but encompassed him, albeit muted. Not just that, the air itself seemed hostile, akin to that of knives.

Pushing the sensation aside, he made his way out of the stronghold, ducking between warped forest and jagged stone. As the sound of people began to fade away to the wheezing of old branches, he noticed something. Everything around him, from the blackened trees to murky waters, it all seemed…abnormal. At first glance, it seemed like it was like a rather large swamp-like area within Northwater territory. Moat monsters of the more malicious and undying were often to be found in similar areas. However, the surroundings seemed to be different. Certain flora seemed to excel, their roots covering the ground, intertwined with those of the trees. Not only that, they seemed to be carnivores, considering the occasional bones of minor creatures around them.

Strange, but not exactly surprising.

‘This is enough,’ he thought, stopping. Finding a large enough stump, he sat down before letting out a small breath and closing his eyes.

Wield.

Opening his eyes, he looked down to see the familiar pale metal wrap his limbs. Getting up from the stump, he flexed his fingers, the black membrane between the metal serving a bit like cloth or skin. In fact, he could make out what seemed to be his veins. Making his way towards a nearby tree, he let out a small breath before slamming his fist into the wood, ripping out a heavy chunk. As he flexed his hand, looked into the pale metal, a pair of familiar serpentine eyes looking back at him. Rather than the usual white surrounding them, the sclera was pitch black, like that of a starless night sky. Putting his hands in his pockets, he made his way through the forest, slowly picking up speed.

As he made his way through the forest, he was suddenly met with the sound of wheezing and the smell of rotting carcasses. Bringing himself to a stop, he turned his gaze to the source, his eyes landing on what could only be described as shambling corpses. Gaunt skin draped over their skeletons like a sheet, their talons made of sharpened bone. Glassy eyes that seemed to give a faint glow of malicious apathy, looking over everything in front of them. As he watched the Ghouls idle around, he felt a slight tug at the back of his mind. Something about them seemed strange, as if they were different from the usual Ghoul.

Might as well test it.

Bolting forward, he slammed his fist into the skull of one of the creatures, shattering it like glass. Twisting his body, he landed a kick on the chest on another, its rib cage collapsing in on itself. Watching the corpse crumple to the floor, he turned his gaze towards the other Ghouls. Instead of becoming active at the bloodshed, they simply stood in place, their bodies swaying.

Strange.

Making his way towards the rest of the Ghouls, he began to notice differences. Their gaunt skin seemed to be too fresh, seemingly still flushed with blood. Their eyes were similar to that of pearls, their eyes reflecting the sun. Most notably was their clothing, all of them dressed similarly. Swinging his claws through the necks of the Ghouls, he watched as their bodies began to decay, skin turning into that of ash.

Observe.

As the bodies began to glow, he watched as the mana controlling their bodies began to disperse. However, rather than leaking into the air and dirt, all of it began to go into the woods, weaving through trees. As he began to follow the mana to what he assumed was the creator of the Ghoul-likes, he watched as his surroundings began to change, turning from gray to a bright green. However, something about it seemed off. It was like everything around him was…hungry, somehow.

As he passed through the foliage, he found himself in what seemed to be a garden of sorts. Cobblestone paths seemed to weave in and out of each other, wrapping flower beds of a myriad of colors. Making his way through the various flowers, he came across a small pond, about the size of a small hot tub. Kneeling down, he looked into the pond, only to pause. He had seen these fish before, at the final arc of the game.

Black Fanged Cod.

‘This is a demonic cult base,’ he thought as he continued to explore the area. A still active one, considering that everything seemed maintained. How it was able to keep hidden from being reported to the Wardens, he could only vaguely guess. Most likely, it was due to something with the plants, considering the sheer abundance of them. As he continued down the labyrinthine paths, he watched as the plant life slowly grew into a small forest. Each flower became a head taller than him, their stems as thick as his leg.

As he continued his way through the dense foliage, he paused as began to hear a low buzzing. As it slowly became louder, he watched as something appeared from the foliage. About the size of a small child, it was a mix between a hare and a mosquito. Chitin plates covered its head and body, crimson fur poking from between them. Numerous eyes lined its face, each one glowing a crimson light.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Stepping forward, he saw it suddenly snap its gaze towards him before growling, its wings turning into a blur.

Might as well not waste time.

As soon as it came off the ground, he bolted forward before jamming his fist through its skull. As he watched the body of the creature twitch and writhe, clinging onto the last vestiges that could be considered life, he noticed something. The body began to shrivel up, bone seemingly shattering under itself and sink into the pallid metal. As the last of the carcass melted into the metal, he suddenly felt…different. It was small, it being a minor change to his muscles, but still notable.

Something to make note of.

Putting the thought at the back of his mind, he continued down the path, cutting down the monsters he came across. With each one he slew and consumed, he felt a slight change in his body. It was as if newer parts were placed in a pre-existing design. better gears, a newer hydraulics system, all of it intended to make the machine better.

'Pretty useful,' he thought as the last of the demonic carcasses was consumed. While not having access to materials is a detriment, the ability of consistent growth more than made up for it. However, there were still some drawbacks, one of them being a clear stipulation; he was unable to use any sort of weapon while transformed. While not a drawback that was debilitating or crippling, it did leave him on the backfoot.

Wouldn’t be the first time.

As he continued down the stone oath, he found himself in a courtyard of some kind. Statues of marble lined the stone pathways, each one depicting what seemed to be their leader, a type of crocodilian monster accompanying them. Various flora seemed to thrive around and between the statues, the stems and roots , from Black Swamp Rose to Weeper’s Tail, with each of the colors blending into one another.

He stepped closer to the body of water, only to be met with a pair of crimson eyes arising from the murky waters, its gaze a mix of both malice and caution.

Tossing his bag onto the ground, he let out a small breath before stepping forward. As he did so, the beast broke water, its open maw aimed to split him in two.

Destroy.

Side-stepping the now grayed out maw of the beast, he slammed his fist into its plated underside, launching it onto the stone floor. However, the beast quickly recovered, a low growl echoing through the rock as it got back to its feet. Its onyx scales seemed to warp the mist around it, with faces seeming to form and disperse on its body.

Bolting forward, Jake quickly closed the distance before launching a few strikes at its side. Instead of his fists coming into contact with hardened scales, it seemed to hit a type of cushioning. Stepping back, he quickly ducked as steam seemed to burst between the scales, sounding like an echoing scream. Bolting underneath the stomach of the demon, he slammed his fist into it, only to be met with that same cushioning.

Break.

dashing out from under the beast, he twisted his body before launching another bolt towards it. As the bolt flew through the air, it slammed into the same wall, breaking it before dispersing.

Break.

Launching another bolt, he saw the eyes of the beast widen in surprise. The bolt slammed into the hide of the beast, its scales cracking under the force. Almost enraged, the beast let out a roar before a jet of water spewed towards him. Rolling out of the way of the attack, Jake dashed across the courtyard before diving behind a nearby pillar. As he felt the water smash into the stone, he closed his eyes before letting out a small breath.

He only had a small window to get close enough and finish it.

As soon as the torrent of water began to lessen, his eyes snapped open as he felt the world come to a crawl.

Now, Break.

Jake bolted out from behind the pillar before launching a bolt of energy towards the creature's body. As it flew towards the beast, Jake saw the mist begin to wrap around its body, forming a type of armor before the bolt shattered it.

Now, Advance and Wound.

Bolting towards the beast, he felt his arms become wrapped in frost as he closed the distance. He slammed the blade-like claws into its body, puncturing through its scales. Not wasting time, he quickly dashed across the beast's stomach, blackened blood coating his arm. As the beast roared out in pain, Jake ripped his claws from out of its stomach before jamming it into the beast's head. As the demon slowly collapsed, the last echoes of life seeping from its wounds, the pallid quickly began to consume the carcass of the beast. As it did so, he suddenly felt a wave of nausea come over him. As the body was consumed, he felt himself become racked with pain. Muscles were torn and resewn, bones shattered and remade. It was as if he was being unraveled to the very atom, only to be put back together.

As the pain began to fade, he felt…changed. It was as if his body and mind were made lighter, a faster connection. Turning his gaze to the pale gauntlets, he was met with a new sight. Rather than mechanical fists, he was met with blade-like claws. His arms and legs were covered in stark white scales, each one almost like a mirror. As he flexed his arms, he felt…off. It was as if the arms he had weren’t the only ones on his body. Closing his eyes, he felt…something began to wrap his arms as the pallid armor began to form in his mind. Focusing his attention on the mechanical gauntlets, he felt the air cool and still, as if bending to his will. Mentally pushing the images away, he opened his eyes to see not the pallid metal of the gauntlets, but the black cloth of his gloves.

'This could be useful,' he thought as he flexed his hand. Having the ability to switch between different styles of combat, even if only limited to his bare hands, would be useful during the main story. Grabbing his backpack, he quickly slung the bag over his shoulder before he made his way to the exit.

He had some extra time that he could kill, so might as well make his way out.