Chapter 22: Metamorphosis

Adam had given up trying to understand everything that was happening to him. Well at least not all at once. Libby and the others tended to give very detailed explanations when really he just wanted to know what they could do and would he live. Evidently, Libby had just unlocked shadow teleportation by combining phasing into the shadow realm and some kind of shadow movement ability.

Libby explained it’s not instantaneous as that would as Bones said lead to instantaneous death, eventually. I am apparently phased into the Shadow realm then transported in a shadow field to the destination, then phased back into the physical plane whilst still in a shadow field. The shadow field allows for a check to be made as to whether something exists at the point I’m appearing at. As it happens so fast now they’ve hardcoded the skill,

I have to take their word for all of this. It doesn’t make any difference to me. I thought it seemed a bit over cautious if I’d looked before I leapt, so to speak. But Bones assures me there could be a hidden trap or person. Also someone else could be doing the same thing as me. This makes sense if I was trying to grab some loot at the same time as someone else, we wouldn’t just bump heads but eradicate each other. Yes, better safe than sorry. Fair point, Bones.

And if that weren’t enough she created another skill, again on the fly, it seemed: Shadow Enhance. Libby had been flustered and had said she actually had hours in Adam’s spirit sea to complete the tasks But Adam knew genius was genius and a bloody miracle was a bloody miracle. He was sure glad they were on his side. For it was indeed true, as people had foretold, AI had the potential to be as scary as hell.

She of course wanted to find out how far she could teleport him. And as getting the hell out of there was the plan. All out of mobs, evil combatants, whatever. And with his legs and body regrouped, it seemed like a swell idea. And he was gone.

Libby chose a direction following their pods original trajectory, away from the blast radius. Talking of which their pod led to a certain dilemma. They didn’t want to leave it behind for someone to discover. But also they didn’t want to carry it around with them, unfeasible at the moment. So they parked it in the shadow realm. To collect at a later date. Do they even have parking fees in the shadow realm?

They had been able to see massive plumes of smoke still from the area of forest they had started off at. The return to the physical plane would take them to an area which had been seen as grassland, on their entry into the planet’s atmosphere. This time it was such a distance that Adam had time to actually experience the shadow realm. Well kind of, if being thrown down a refuse shoot, counts as an experience. It was just a blur.

Bones and the others did spot there was one eyewitness left but cutting him down was not their style. Not out of humanity but because they shared Adam’s traits. It was a useful lure to get all that tasty prey to come to them. Agro wins the prize.

Arriving near the edges of where the grassland met a forested region, Adam began his hunt. As instructed by Echo and Trey, he would need to kill Ore beasts. And Quick. They had the best opportunity presented to them now. A chance rarely seen. As Ore beasts, as the name suggested spend their time searching for Ore. Underground.

Only the recent blast had brought them to the surface. A natural instinct. Like worms coming to the surface when it rains to avoid drowning. Ore beasts come to the surface when there are sufficient seismic shocks. So they are not buried underground, when an earthquake hits. This causes problems for mining operations, but was a boon now for him. The Ore is rock or metal which has a sufficient amount of energy stored within it, to interest the beasts. Different species of Ore beast feed on different ores.

Adam has been told he needs to find as many different species as possible for enhancing his physical structures. Something about ‘channels’ was mentioned and mana flow. He didn’t really get it, and besides he was excited. Mobs! All he knows is he needs to keep hunting until he can find ones with suitably high level materials to enhance him.

Libby had identified this as the quickest way, currently of Adam growing in power. Stronger channels equated to the potential for a bigger mana pool. Libby had told him this was equivalent to tempering your body in the races whose practitioners were cultivationists.

As far as spell casters, these did exist apparently, she had knowledge, as yet as to how they increased their mana pools. And had very limited information to go on. Perhaps test subjects would help with this? But information she had was held about cultivationist. She would probably go that route as it was the best mapped out. For the time being at any rate.

Libby couldn’t increase his fire power but without the mana to back it up, it would just lead to a very short fight and potentially a very quick death.

At least it wasn’t hard to find Ore beasts. Well not the ones Adam had set his sights on. He figured the bigger the better. Easier to find, he reasoned. Up ahead a bit taller than some of the trees was his first unsuspecting prey.

Getting in range I aim and fire.

Ten shadow bolts zing across the distance between us. There is a haze of darkness as they each hit their mark and detonate. Then nothing. What happened? Nothing is what happened. The dam thing doesn’t even seem to have noticed.

“Ok. Libby, smaller beast or can you give me more bam for my buck with these bolts?” I quiz Libby.

At this moment I realise that I’m not the only one interested in the Ore beasts. Not making any pretence at stealth are several figures. They appear to be only equipped with spears.

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I stand and watch them for a while, intrigued and also in hope of getting a few tips on how to fight these beasts. However as I watch I see it looks more like a strange version of bull fighting. Though I have to say slightly more dangerous, as this particular Ore beast is the size of a small house. They manage to get its attention by repeatedly running in close and jabbing it in particularly sensitive areas. Around its eyes and ears. They have to fling their spears a few times. Not bad aims. They retrieve them and repeat until the beast finally takes notice and…charges. Oh god. I am in its path although out of sight of these people. Tribesmen?

They are dressed in various furs and black feathers decorate their apparel with some serviceable looking pauldrons of bone. A few have long whips but no weapons that I can see that will do any damage. Maybe they are planning to send it into a pit or something. Either way I’m in its way.

I try thinking Shadow jump looking at a spot behind them where I’d like to be and I appear almost instantaneously. Libby, you’re brilliant!

I keep at a distance from now on but nothing much changes. They keep provoking it and getting almost trampled to death but each time avoid it be a hairs breath. They clearly must do this a lot. Maybe its their idea of fun. Clearly not something to do when drunk though.

Time is ticking, so I must either engage this beast and risk having to deal with these unknowns. As they are not a hostile threat unlike those at the mine. I have no reason to have any conflict with them.

So I move on to find more prey. Taking several glances behind I move away from the group and it isn’t long before I find what I’m looking for.

“How long exactly do I have?” I think out loud.

“Huba predicts, you might have a few days to a week before all the ore beasts have returned underground.” says Bones

I keep jogging along, near the tree line to avoid being spotted by any unwanted interest. I’m tempted to shadow jump but it costs me over a thousand mana, to jump about a 100 metres. That’s not something I’m going to be using much for now. Mores the pity. After about 10 minutes I see another king sized Ore beast ahead.

“I can give you something with more power to take it down. But you’ll need to get closer for a clean shot. I could actually target the vital organs based on previous analysis of the Ore beasts you digested before. Although there may be some discrepancies.” Libby says ponderingly.

Libby New Skill Created: Mana Piecing Round Level 5 Bolt density x25

Above my head the usual shadow looking crown forms but the bolts look more like little voids, sucking in the light.

“As soon as you get close enough they will automatically target and fire. Let’s try this. I have to warn you there is very high mana consumption on these though. You will only have 4 chances. Before you'll have to lay low for a while to recharge.” Says Libby thoughtfully.

I run towards the beast hoping it won’t turn round and sit on me. Making it through the trees, I come up against the wall that is its towering body. I try to flank it jogging through the undergrowth and make it to its head. Libby never fails. A bolt flashes from over my head detonating seemingly instantly. Hitting the beast straight in one of its eyes. That figures. It goes berserk. Oh, shit. I try to get out of its way but am pinned in by to many trees. I try to scramble but feel my ankle twist. The undergrowth was to dam thick. I stumble and am hit by first its flailing head then by the rest of its gargantuan body as it topples over dead. Splat, I presume.

Libby and Bones look on in horror and relief in that order. “Well it could have gone worse. Now if you and Echo are ready. Let’s patch the kid up.” Says Bones.

Libby New Skills Created: Mana field Level 10 density 50 Mana Enhance Level 1

Libby creates a field around Adam that also encompasses a large portion of the Ore beast. This allows her to control all energies within the field. She decided to use pure mana as they have found , shadow mana seems to degrade most things it comes into contact with.

For the second time they reconstruct Adam using now Mana Enhance. But the same methodology as before. This would be equivalent to “tempered body level 6” for his channel, Libby is pretty sure. Although his skin and tendons will be “tempered body at level 4” only, as they are also going to use the toughness of the ore beasts skin to enhances Adam’s.

There is obviously loads of Ore beast left and Libby is not really sure what they could use it for until Meca and Trey make a suggestion. They both want to carry out some experiments with regard to shadow energy. So we dump most of it into the shadow realm. Then as they had planned they have a little surprise for Adam.

Everything seems to have worked perfectly Acclimatization being phenomenal at utilising the resources given to it. Enhancing each of his features with the corresponding ore beast parts. There were of course two downsides to this. One major and one minor. Neither of which they had broached with Adam, as yet.

Firstly, the minor one: Ore beasts consume ore not food per say. So Adam would eventually have to survive on ore rather than his normal dietary requirements. The major one was that Adam’s brain would be effected she hoped that Acclimatization had something built it to stop this happening but it was still a fear of hers and the others.

Adam awakes in the flattened clearing.

“What the hell, I’m not naked, for once. Kind of a unique experience.” Adam says in stunned amazement. Bones chortles as of all the things he could be amazed about, Adam chooses it to be clothes.

Adam looks down at himself, clad in leather from head to foot. He gives his arms a stretch and waggles them and rolls his shoulders, theatrically. The garments fit perfectly. Leather pants, waist coat, bracers of a thicker leather and a hooded cloak and boots. Durable and practical. Although maybe, just maybe not stylish. He doesn’t care. This is like Christmas!

“You guys are amazing! Thanks.” Says Adam a bit choked up, then adds. As, he finds he also has a leather satchel with a full water flask and a bag with…

“What the hells in this bag!?” Adams squeaks in a high pitch voice. Bones is by now rolling on the floor metaphorically.

“Ah, maybe, don’t look in there. We just need you to keep it handy for carrying out experiments. Meca and Trey have some great ideas but they need some time to test them out.” says Libby trying to cover as best she can for Meca.

“Be thankful you aren’t carrying the whole carcase. And you don’t want to know where it’s gone I can assure you. Let’s just say don’t go doing any shadow jumping near here.” Bones is having to much fun.

Adam sagely switches topics. “Do they have any magical properties or anything?” Adam says hopefully.

“Sorry, Adam. Not yet we have no idea how to do that yet but don’t worry you will be the first I tell when I figure that out.” says Libby hoping she has not done, to bad a job.

“No. No this is perfect. I just wondered. I can never tell what you will come up with next, Libby. By the way killer ability those piecing mana rounds.” Says Adam trying to make Libby feel better. He is truly grateful after all.

Libby is radiant. She’s not counting, but if she was she’s pretty sure that’s about 7 to 2 now in terms of wins compared with Bones. Just what is Bones up to with his time she wonders?