I couldn’t move. My head lay on the cold floor, separated from my body, and all I could do was stare at my own lifeless form strapped to the table. The horror and pain were overwhelming, and for a moment, all I could focus on was Roctiv’s wide evil grin that was wider than it had ever been before.
Orange’s voice broke through the haze, firm yet gentle. Rina, you need to focus. We can get through this, but you need to stay calm. Remember who you are. Remember what you are capable of. You can survive this.
He cut my head off!
Roctiv strutted towards me. “Still alive? I can see your head is the secret. Although, I wonder what you’re feeling right now.”
What kind of twisted freak is he?
Focus! Your body isn’t restrained anymore.
That’s because my body isn’t attached!
We’re rebuilding your body right now. You just need to earn yourself a couple of minutes.
How? I have no body!
You still have magic. You lost none of your mana, just your battery. Also, you still have your hair. Your mana is recovering. Stop focusing on what you don’t have and use what you do have. Remember, what did Killa tell you was the secret to magic?
She said that visualization is key. If I want something strong, I need to focus on the strongest thing I can think of.
Roctiv grabbed my head and held me up. “What’s in your pretty little head? It looks like you’re rebuilding from your brain outward. Let’s get you restrained again.”
If you want to live, create your shadow magic field now!
I…I want to live. I’m going to live!
My shadow magic exploded around me.
Shadow Power: Manifestation leveled up.
Shocked, Roctiv dropped my head. “What? Why can’t I see?”
I bounced against the ground and felt that most of my shoulders had been reconstructed. It’s not enough. He must be stopped. He’s not a person; he’s a monster—a monster that tortured me and threatened those closest to me. I have to kill him. There’s no time to free Shadara to kill him.
It has to be me.
My body wasn’t rebuilding fast enough. I shifted so that I could see in my shadow field. Roctiv stumbled backwards with a look of horror.
My magic isn’t enough. I need stronger magic. I need more mana.
My hair grew at my will, stretching out to an incredible length. The longer it grew, the faster my mana regenerated. It surpassed the rate at which I was spending it.
I need a body now. I can’t wait for mine to finish regenerating.
Roctiv’s hands started sparking with electricity. Even if I do have my body, he knows my weakness and can exploit it. If I were something other than what I am, this would be much easier.
A memory ran through my mind. It was my fight with my werewolf self on the previous floor. She would be able to kill him, no problem. But she is me, or I could’ve been her. No, I can become her whenever. Even now.
I focused, pushing my mana into the shape of a body, willing it to solidify and take form. My mind centered on the image of the large werewolf body. I imagined how the body would feel—her fur, her tail, her muscles, and her claws.
“What are you doing? This was your plan all along?” Roctiv’s voice shook as he raised a hand.
The shadow magic around me fitted into the shape of the body I imagined. What remained of my actual head, shoulders, and half my torso fitted into position in the shadow body.
Shadow Power obtained: Infusion Level 1.
Shadow Power Infusion level up.
Shadow Power Infusion level up.
Shadow Power Infusion level up.
Shadow Power Infusion level up.
Shadow Power obtained: Solidify Level 1.
Shadow Power obtained: Shadow Lycan Form.
I stood over the madman, standing taller than I remembered. My stinger arms grew out of my collarbone and were instantly enveloped by shadows, turning into massive wicked claws to match my hands.
Roctiv threw out a bolt of lightning at me. The electricity danced over the shadows of my body.
I chuckled. Time slowed down even further as I bolted on top of the man and dug my claws into his neck. With a quick tug, I ripped his head off. I felt a surge of power like never before.
Blood poured from the stump as Roctiv’s body crumpled to the ground. I tilted the head in my hands to look down at the body as I brought it up to my face. My HUD showed I earned ten stat points and 1,716,183 shards.
“Does this answer your question?” I whispered. “How does it feel?” I looked at the horror on his face. “Who’s nothing now?”
I drop his head and see my mana plummeting. I extend the growth of my hair. It touched the ground, finally leveling out my mana drain.
I looked down at my werewolf form. Everything felt stronger, faster, and more responsive.
Shadow Magic Power—Infusion Level 5:
This power allows the caster to infuse their body and objects with their mana. It requires the caster’s concentration to hold the infusion. Infused objects or one of the caster’s stats are improved in relation to the caster’s arcane state. Increased levels will allow the caster to increase the percentage of their arcane but also increase mana costs.
Level 5: Stat is increased by 50% of arcane.
Shadow Magic Power—Solidify Level 1:
This power allows the caster to manipulate their mana into a physical object. It requires the caster’s concentration to hold its density. Increased levels will allow the caster to create a denser material.
Level 1: Density is equivalent to 100% of arcane.
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Shadow Magic Power—Shadow Lycan Form Spell:
The caster’s body is enveloped in shadows and becomes a large, powerful werewolf. It costs 100% of the caster’s mana capacity per second and increases all the caster’s stats except arcane by 150% of their arcane stat.
Increased levels of Solidify and Infusion will increase the stats.
After putting my points into agility, I stood over Roctiv’s lifeless body. My real body finished reconstructing itself, yet it stayed under my shadowy shell. I felt so strong. But my attention turned to my still headless body strapped to the steel table.
What do I do about that? Are there nanites in there?
Unfortunately, there are. We could not react in time to pull all your nanites into your head. Minimally, we suggest that you extract the mana battery. It still contains the mana you’ve collected before.
I don’t want anyone finding the body.
You have to destroy the body completely.
Options?
The most effective, given known assets, is consuming it.
Are you serious? You want me to eat my own body? There’s so much wrong with that I can’t even begin to tell you why.
Unless you can find powerful acid or fire, you don’t have good options. But you should still collect your old mana battery and use it to fill your new one. But is your concern with the body or with the nanites inside? If it is the nanites, a direct connection will allow us to connect to them to reabsorb them.
Good enough.
With a swipe of my claw, I opened up my palm underneath the shadows. Then I shuddered as I drove my hand into my old body’s chest, gripping the mana battery. I siphoned the mana from one battery into the other.
We’ve collected all your nanites.
I extracted my hand and took one last look at Roctiv. He was dead, but it didn’t feel like enough.
He didn’t suffer nearly enough.
I stomped on his head, splattering bone, blood, and brain matter across the floor.
With a sigh, I let go of my magic. My body was whole and back to normal again. I took a deep breath. It’s time to free Shadara and Killa and get off this godforsaken island.
I strode through the compound until I returned to my sworn sisters. The relief was palpable as we all locked eyes. Their cages still hummed with electricity. I frowned as I enveloped my body in my shadow werewolf form.
Shadara flinched as the change took hold, and I gained almost a foot of height. I gripped the bars around her. The electricity danced over the shadows covering me, not touching the metal skin below. With a heave, the metal groaned, and I tore the cage door off.
Not wasting a second, I did the same to Killa’s cage. The slime woman backed away as much as she could before I slammed a punch, breaking off a chunk off the glass. Killa flooded out of the small opening and wrapped me in a coiling hug.
Shadara crawled out of her cage and did the same. As I released the magic, my body shrank back to normal.
The panther woman was on the verge of tears. “You’re alive. I thought he was going to kill you.”
“He was close.” My voice felt hollow and detached. “He should’ve. For a moment, I wish he would’ve.”
Killa formed her head. “So, where is he?”
“I killed him.”
Shadara sighed. “I’m sorry.”
I pushed them both off me. “Let’s get out of here and off this horrible place.”
Killa hurried over to the crate with our stuff. The ground shook with a tremor. It’s been a long time since we felt the last one. But then I heard some heavy footsteps. The gorilla lumbered towards us.
Killa dove into the crate, and Shadara stumbled backwards as I pushed her back. I charged the creature as I activated my Shadow Lycan Form Spell.
Time slowed down to a ten-to-one ratio. The gorilla moved as if it were stuck in slow motion. I ran straight into and through the creature.
Gore and blood splattered around and on me. I felt the creature’s bones and organs tear apart at my claws and hands. I ripped the beast into three large chunks of meat.
The creature dropped to the ground and died. Five stat points that I put directly into arcane, and 82,333 shards were my reward.
Shadara and Killa stared at me in horror.
I felt so good. So powerful. So…right. I took a deep breath, and I released my magic.
I looked at my sworn sisters. They were both scared of me.
Shadara took half a step forward. “Rina—what was that? How? When?”
I turned to Killa as she approached us with her arms full of our stuff. “You told me that I needed to see something strong. My werewolf form and Tasha were the two most powerful things I could relate to. It is a very powerful spell. It increases all my stats by one and a half times my arcane.”
“What’s your arcane at?” Killa asked.
“330.”
Shadara’s jaw dropped. “465 to all your stats?”
I nodded. “It more than doubles all my stats except quickness. But it cost a substantial amount of mana. If I didn’t have my hair as long as it is, I wouldn’t be able to use it for longer than a second.”
I turned to see my hair, which was pooling on the ground behind me, soaking in the gorilla’s blood. Folding my stinger arm around, I sliced off more than half of my hair. I don’t want that thing’s blood on me.
Killa handed everyone their belongings. “Are you okay? Do you need any food?”
I looked at my energy for the first time since my head was cut off. I was down to seventy percent.
“It can wait until we return to the ship,” I said with a wave of my hand as I started getting dressed.
Shadara and Killa nodded before they got dressed too.
We walked out of the facility without saying another word. Our wordless march continued even as we made it back to the beach and on to the rowboat.
Captain Webster left us alone as we headed back to our cabins. I sat with Shadara and Killa and told them everything that happened with Roctiv.
Tears ran down Shadara’s face. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t strong enough to help.”
“No,” I said with a shake of my head. “My unique body gave me the chance to do that. He made the mistake of cutting off my head.” I hung my head. “That’s a sentence I never want to say again.”
Killa grabbed my hand. “Let’s hope you never have to. And with your little werewolf trick, that’s going to be much harder to do.”
I hung my head and scratched the back of my head. “About that. Do you know what it’s like having that kind of power? It’s intoxicating. Yes, I was powerful, but I could see that it would take the simplest mistake and I’d leap into something I wouldn’t be able to handle. I didn’t feel in full control.”
Shadara pulled my other hand. “No! You were in control. It surprised me at first, but no, I could tell you were in control. You just need a little practice with it.”
I smirked. “Thanks for the vote of confidence. But I think if I keep using it, it’ll only make things worse for me in the long run. I’ll get complacent, and you two won’t be able to keep up. So, for the time being, I’ll keep it for emergencies.”
Killa laughed. “Thanks for making us feel better. But did you have any plans for all those shards?”
I nodded. “Yeah. But to do my upgrades, I’m going to need a hand from you, Killa. Maybe half your arm, I don’t know.”
Killa laughed even harder. “Only a hand? Oh, wow. I remember a time where you turned green at the idea of eating one of my fingers.”
I blushed. “Times have changed.”
Shadara bit her lip. “Speaking of which, would you mind if we stayed with you while you did your augments? It’ll be easier to accept them and a lot less of a shock.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Are you sure? I know how you feel about it.”
Shadara put a finger to my lips. “It’s fine. Watching you go away and come back completely different hurts a bit more now. And, well, it’s who you are. Maybe changing yourself can lead to incredible new experiences.”
I pulled her hand down. “Shadara, you don’t have to change for anyone else but yourself. You decide for yourself what’s best for you. Remember that.”
A single tear rolled down her face. “I do. Maybe my transformation magic isn’t evil. It’s a tool like any other. It’ll be how and why I use it that determines whether I am evil.”
Killa extended an arm and wiped the tear from Shadara’s face. “We’ve only known each other for a short time, but we’re far closer than most people get in a lifetime. And because of that, I know there’s not a single ounce of evil in you. If you ever want help, just say the word, and I’ll help you find your way back.”
Shadara nodded and smiled.
Killa then severed her hand into mine. “Now, eat up.” She pointed to Shadara. “You too. Don’t tell me you’re not hungry.”
Shadara and I laughed together. “Yes, mother,” we said simultaneously.
Name: Rina Lone Augments: Level: 42 Cellular Reconstruction Agility: 421 Synthetic eyes: lvl. 2 Arcane: 330 HUD Power: 160 Mana battery (shadow) integration Quickness: 600 Additional Stinger Arm X2 Resilience: 305 Arm blade (right), Retractable Toughness: 315 Synthetic tendons (legs) lvl. 2 Unassigned Points: 0 Synthetic muscle (legs) lvl. 2 Shards: 1,872,668 Synthetic bones (legs) lvl. 1 Synthetic bones (arms) lvl. 1 Shadow Powers: Synthetic tendons (arms) lvl. 2 Manifestation lvl. 8 Synthetic muscle (arms) lvl. 2 Shaping lvl. 6 Epidermal plating (arms) lvl. 2 Distance lvl. 1 Epidermal plating (legs) lvl. 2 Anchoring lvl. 1 Epidermal plating (torso) lvl. 2 Infusion lvl. 5 Synthetic muscle (torso) lvl. 1 Solidify lvl. 1 Nanobot Blood Replacement Shadow Lycan Form Spell Nanoweave Hair lvl. 1