Maya emerged, gasping for air, her boots sinking into the damp earth. A chill clung to the air, carrying the faintest scent of damp earth and decaying leaves. Beneath the dark skies, she felt oddly… comfortable.
She took a tentative step forward, the crunch of dry leaves beneath her boots the only sound in the vast, silent space. A large lake stretched before her, and as she drew closer, a flash of crimson caught her eye. It was her reflection, staring back at her from the water's surface.
The person staring back seemed familiar enough at first. But her eyes seemed to have been altered significantly. They were no longer the warm brown she knew, but crimson orbs burning with an unnatural intensity. Once, she could swear that she saw her pupils glow from black into a brilliant white light before fading back into their usual color again.
Maya reached out with trembling hands, as if to touch her reflection. But as her fingers brushed the water, the image dissolved, leaving behind only the unsettling reflection of the black sky. She could see quite clearly despite there being no light source nearby.
Regardless, after a few moments of staring blankly at her reflection, Maya stood back up and figured that it would be wise to figure out how her Relic Class functioned. She tried to move her hands in ways she imagined spellcasters would to no avail. She then decided to try blurting out some commands, starting with [Status check] which showed the Shapestealer her base stats and abilities.
She then tried blurting out several other commands such as "explain" and "help"; after a few more tries, Maya struck gold with [Relic Class Status]
Relic Class: Shapestealer
Relic Class Ability: Copycat
Basic Description: To use Copycat, the user must be able to see their intended target. If the user fulfills the prerequisite knowledge requirement about the target, Copycat can be activated at will and allow the user to take the form of the target.
But as she finished reading the description of her ability, Maya heard the sound of a booming howl. This one was much fiercer than the ones Maya heard before. As she turned her head, she instinctively braced herself to run away as she saw a gigantic wolf whose fur was charged with sparks of electricity growling.
The beast let out another howl, shooting out a pillar of lightning from its mouth as it did so. At that very instant, Maya ran towards the nearby woods. Though the sound of the beast's paws slamming against the ground made her heart beat faster, the girl felt that her body was much lighter than before. As she weaved around the trees, she noticed how her muscles seemed less tired and that she could make much more agile maneuvers than ever before.
Despite this, Maya's heart pounded fast against her ribs, echoing the thunderous rhythm of the approaching beast. The scent of smoke stung her nostrils as the wolf unleashed a torrent of lightning, each bolt slamming against the trees around her, turning them to ash in an instant.
Just ahead, she saw a narrow opening behind some thick brushes. A small cave, just big enough for one person to squeeze through. Immediately, she pushed her body to its limit and forced her legs to run faster.
As she reached the opening, she ducked inside and squeezed through. The girl yelped in pain as she felt rocks press against her skin.
The Thunder Wolf roared in fury, slamming against the cave mouth, shaking the very earth. Sparks flew from its fur as it unleashed another volley of lightning, the bolts crackling against the rock face but unable to penetrate it.
Panting, Maya pressed herself against the far wall, burying her face in her hands. Her body trembled, the adrenaline slowly draining away as she took quick breaths to calm herself.
Outside, the enraged beast continued to batter the cave entrance. But when it realized that its attempts were useless, the wolf gave up, turning away with a loud snarl.
Figuring that she was safe, Maya used the opportunity to climb back to the cave entrance and saw that the wolf was now a good distance away; she then activated [Copycat]. Unfortunately, a discouraging notification appeared: [Target invalid: knowledge threshold not met]
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
"Damn it." Maya muttered to herself. The Thunder Wolf would have made for a great target for her ability, but apparently getting chased around the woods wasn't enough for her to gather sufficient information about the beast. She thought about copying the dire wolves instead, but they seemed far too weak compared to the Thunder Wolf to matter.
But just as she was about to slip back deeper into the cave, the Shapestealer heard a loud howl in the distance. She exited the cave entirely and stood to check what was going on.
At the corner of her vision, in the middle of the woods, she saw a pack of dire wolves surrounding the Thunder Wolf. This was it, a chance for her to observe the Thunder Wolf's abilities and maybe fulfill the knowledge requirement for ability. Maya followed the wolf, careful to go from tree to tree to make sure she wasn't detected.
From her spot behind a large tree, Maya's eyes came into their own. They cut through the darkness, allowing her a panoramic view of the standoff.
The dire wolves began the first strike. They snapped and bit at the Thunder Wolf's flanks. In response, the larger beast swatted the dire wolves aside with its massive lightning-clad claws: sending them flying.
Yet, the dire wolves continued their assault undeterred. Even as the Thunder Wolf maimed and killed more and more of their pack, they persisted until the larger wolf began to show signs of exhaustion.
Backed to a corner, the Thunder Wolf unleashed its ultimate attack. With a booming howl, it opened its maw and unleashed a torrent of pure lightning. The blast ripped through the air, incinerating several of the dire wolves instantly.
The few remaining dire wolves fled, leaving the Thunder Wolf to lick its wounds in peace.
As Maya began to edge away from her cover, her attention was caught by a loud cracking sound above her. A large branch, set ablaze by the Thunder Wolf's lightning, was teetering dangerously; it soon broke off and fell towards her. Instinctively, Maya cried out as she dodged, the branch crashing down where she had been hiding just moments before.
Unfortunately, her cry caught the attention of the Thunder Wolf. Maya sweated profusely as the monster's eyes were now fully focused on her. It was now or never. As the wolf charged at her, she eyed the creature and tried to use [Copycat]. The Shapestealer felt a heat pool in her eyes as a different set of runes flashed in front of her this time:
[Target Identified: Thunder Wolf]
[Knowledge Threshold Sufficient]
[Displaying Status]
Level: 10
Physique: 4
Dexterity: 3
Magic: 3
Unique Skill: Thunderstrike Blast
[Initiating Transformation]
Maya staggered back as a bright light enveloped her body as she morphed rapidly. Her field of vision grew higher as her body became much taller and larger as her visage twisted into a monstrous canine form. Dark blue fur sprouted all over her body as she felt the very essence of lightning course through her veins.
[Copycat Successful]
[Tier 1 form unlocked: Thunder Wolf]
[Updating Status]
Level: 10
Physique: 4
Dexterity: 3
Magic: 3
Unique Skill: Thunderstrike Blast
The forest floor trembled as the two Thunder Wolves collided. Maya met the enemy wolf head-on with her fangs bared. Though she still retained her mind, an overwhelming sense of primal rage began to overtake her.
At first, Maya's movements were unsteady, her powerful limbs responding with a force and speed she wasn't quite used to. Her senses were heightened to such a degree that it overwhelmed her. She stumbled a few times and missed several attacks due to this, causing her to receive painful bites and claw strikes from her opponent in return.
As the battle raged on, however, Maya's movements became more fluid as she grew into her abilities. She found herself reacting instinctively, with a natural grace and ferocity that matched, then overpowered her foe. Each attack from the enemy wolf now seemed slower, almost predictable. Where her opponent's strikes merely grazed her, Maya's own assaults tore through their fur and skin, leaving deep, searing gashes.
It didn't take long for the opposing Thunder Wolf to grow weaker, its howls turned into a pained shriek as it stumbled back: weakened and wounded. Seeing its vulnerability, Maya focused the lightning within her body, gathering a torrent of electricity in her jaws. Then, with a vicious roar, she unleashed her [Thunderstrike Blast].
A bolt of pure, white-hot lightning erupted from Maya's maw with a deafening crack. It slammed into the enemy wolf with the force of a volcanic eruption, engulfing it in an explosion of blinding light.
The shockwave tore through the air, ripping leaves from the trees and sending tremors through the earth. The ground itself seemed to convulse, spewing forth sparks and smoke as the energy of the blast dispersed.