V2 Chapter 166
After a very strenuous exercise, Cian and Amadea rested quietly beside her tree, when Cian lightly touched his rumbling stomach.
Amadea turned towards Cian with a smile, “Hungry?”
“A bit…” Cian shrugged.
Well, fighting against Amadea was indeed quite exhausting. Now that he recalls, he still hasn’t eaten anything since he fell into the ruins. Although he had eaten snacks along the way, it was not a proper meal. He then withdraws some monster flesh from his storage ring and started munching on it. He tried to offer some to Amadea but the latter refused—she’s a being with the tree as her main body. She was not hungry at all, as she could receive energy coming from it, filling her. Not to mention, Cian's essence was much more vigorous and rich in life-force that she felt extremely filled to the brim.
While eating Cian, slowly regained his energy, though he didn’t feel satisfied- as if he was consuming drugs to regain his energy, rather than properly eating a meal. But that is not what bothers Cian… he looks at his hand, clenching it. The loss of his [Vector Body] made him somewhat feel strange.
Usually, he wouldn’t feel or sense any danger…as all the time, he was being protected by [Absolute Defense]. Even if he sleeps, he was certain he was safe and protected. But now, with it gone… his vigilant senses seemed to have reawakened from a long slumber, and were always ringing within his mind…
The danger of this forest is finally creeping up to where he was!
That’s what he felt…
It’s as if, there were countless needless pricking his skin all the time, it felt uncomfortable.
When did he stop being vigilant…?
When did he last felt the sensation of death buzzing around him?
Even though he tried not to rely on it, but it seems like he had still heavily depended on it without him knowing—now that it was gone, he immediately realized the difference.
…Cian couldn’t help but sigh.
I had changed...so much, mom and dad would surely be disappointed if ever they would see me.
“Is something wrong?”
Cian shook his head.
“I just felt how fragile I am, despite thinking I was very strong…it’s a strange feeling,”
“If you are fragile… then there would be no tough people in the world!”
Amadea rolled her eyes.
To her, Cian’s power was among the strongest she had seen in her entire life, even before he had obtained the Ten-Tailed Fox inheritance. Even a group of Manticore and Silver Scaled Ape that were going around bossing this Forest was dealt with by him single-handedly.
If he was weak, then there would be no strong people in the world!
However, Cian only smiled wryly at her and didn’t explain. Losing his [Vector Body] is like losing one of his arms and reliable armor. And only he knows of it. His overall capability was currently crippled…best to be extra careful from this moment on. In any case, it would return after a year.
I’ll just treat this as training for me, not relying on the [Vector Body] and the protection of [Absolute Defense]… though, I would surely get a lot of wounds and death moments for this…
“…What happened to your ears?”
“What?” Cian snapped out from his thinking when he heard Amadea’s voice.
“Your fox ears… they disappeared…” she muttered, with slight regret.
What? Did she like them?
Cian chuckled in amusement. “I can retract them as I wish, you know. Though it’s kinda uncomfortable having them, so I prefer my normal ears. The sound and feeling were different. Or perhaps, I’m just not used to them. They are extra sensitive. And besides, I’m a demon; it would be strange for me to have animal ears…”
…a royal demon prince having an elf bloodline is already unusual—normally, they would not be able to inherit the throne as only purebloods can do it.
Demons have such strange quirks within them, that they are too loyal to their blood. If not for his mother, he and her sister would have been ostracized and Lucifalion would get the throne in a silver platter. Sadly for Lucifalion, Mother was horrifyingly strong and still alive, kicking. She also has many loyal subordinates that would die for her, such as the Vampire Queen. So the current Demon Empress reign could be said to be untouchable.
Now… if it was known that he had a bloodline of a beastman, he would be surely be doubted. After all, Sitana didn’t have any relationship with a Beastmen. Aanuel’s sperm donor was an Elf, not a beastman. Even if he claimed that he had obtained an inheritance by chance, other people would still suspect him.
Unless he possesses power like his mother, that can shut them up without any problem. Cian cannot carelessly reveal his Beast Bloodline. Moreover, his Beast Bloodline was currently weak, only enhancing his attributes by a bit. If this was a game, the Nine-tailed Fox power he had managed to obtain would have reverted into Lv0 or Lv1 at most. And three are still many things he has yet to discover in this newfound power.
What made Cian happy though, was the additional power of [Night’s Eye].
Now, aside from [Soul Eye], [Magic Eye], and [Precognition], he was able to inherit the power of the Ten-tailed Fox; [Eye of Enchantment] and [Mind Reading]…
With this, I can now seduce women much easier compared to before~
Cian couldn’t help but feel happy and excited by the power. Although, unlike when he was overload with magic power, activating the [Eye of Enchantment] and managed to affect Amadea, but these two abilities; [Eye of Enchantment] and [Mind Reading] depends on his level of power and mastery of the Fox Bloodline powers.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
If now, without the overload of magic, even if he used [Eye of Enchantment] against Amadea, there would only be a 10-15% chance of success and will be prone to failure. It’s also the same with [Mind Reading], though the success is a bit higher than the former, especially if it’s against women.
Now he has five different useful abilities he can use with [Night’s Eye].
What made Cian even more ecstatic were several useful abilities of the Fox Spirit he could use at the moment. Although, with a single tail, he could only exhibit several of them. Just like the legend in Earth, even Fox-type Monsters in this world, such as the rare Nine-tailed Fox, the mortal self of the Ten-tailed Fox, are also rated in power by the number of tails they have.
Aside from normal enhancement in physical attributes, and the illusion power of his [Night’s Eye] greatly enhanced, making it almost no different than that of reality, he also obtains the abilities; [Shapeshifting], [Fire Element Affinity], and most of all, one that interests Cian… [Gender Transformation] ability.
Using [Shapeshifting] ability, he can become anything found in nature. Trees, forests, rocks, water, or other people. Though it wouldn’t give him the innate abilities of the form he had taken, and he is vulnerable to what can harm that form. Still, it’s a good ability used for his disguise. Now he doesn't need his former method of disguise as he can use this instead without a problem.
Now, for his magic power, aside from [Death] and [Lightning], he can now also use [Fire] Magic.
And lastly—[Gender Transformation].
This was different from [Shapeshifting] or any illusion technique. It truly changed him to the biological level, not like an illusion or magic. Even if a magic eye tried to see through his shapeshifting powers, nothing could be discerned from it. Cian could alternate into a male and female form as he wishes.
Later, when Cian turned into his female form, even Amadea was gobsmacked.
In her female form, Cian became a beautiful young woman with white skin, blue and red eyes and a buxom figure that would not even lose against Amadea. Her most distinctive feature is her long, beautiful ash-colored hair that reaches down to his thighs with a single hair strand sticking out from the top. Though, he can change his hair color through the magic disguise, and make it black. Now, his hair also has loose bangs covering his forehead and side bangs framing his face. Though, he notices that he seemed to look a bit like Oriel or Sitana as well.
When, in a fox female form, there would be large fox ears at the top of his head, a bushy fox tail behind, and whiskers on his cheek.
And for some strange reason, when in his female form, his charm seemed to skyrocket that it even affects both genders, beasts or humans, after seeing that even Amadea and the Manticore was smitten by him, where the former almost attacked him. Perhaps because he still can’t fully control the power of the Fox Spirit, he cannot switch off his charm…
Still… this is interesting. Seducing women with her female form, and then suddenly showing his spear in the middle of the deed, shocking them…would surely be interesting~
Cian couldn’t help find that idea humorous.
Nevertheless, he finally has another trump card in hiding his identity…!
Even Sitana or Oriel would never be able to recognize him that easily.
It was truly amusing!
… …
“…don’t just eat these kinds of things, it’s disgustingly unsightly,”
As Cian was filling his stomach with bloodied flesh, while giving some to the Manticore that had thoroughly turned into his pet, lying beside him, Amadea suddenly slaps away the snakehead Cian was slurping with relish causing it to drop in the ground, dirtied by the earth.
“What are you doing?!”
Cian furrowed his brows, glaring at Amadea.
“You’ve been eating nothing but meat all this time. Are you not afraid to hurt your stomach?”
“…I should have stopped long ago if it had.” Cian scowled angrily. However, knowing Amadea was just worrying about him, his anger vanished; “… Anyway, my body is different than normal. No matter what I eat, they would become my energy…”
“A wonderful ability. However, you are okay with it or not, is not the problem. Think about the people watching you eat these…disgusting stuff,” Amadea sigh, reigning her anger; “It makes me feel sick,”
“Then, what do you want me to eat? Cooking right now is not a particularly, wonderful idea…” He some food inside his storage rings, but most of it was actually sweets, snacks, and pastries like cakes and cookies. Something he would never be able to acquire in places like this, thus, he made sure to stock them up. Though, not for him, of course, but for Sibylla. Since that little girl like to eat sweets and cakes so much.
Still, Cian can't also foolishly cook right now. If he makes out a fire or cooks good meals without care right now, it would be like presenting his existence on those dangerous monsters. If it was before when he had his [Vector Body], Cian would not care. But now, he was basically wearing thin leather armor rather than heavy armor. If the smoke and smell attracted something it should not, Cian would be the one to suffer.
Although he was not afraid of battle, being careless now would cost him tremendously.
Cian never likes acting foolish.
And besides, eating raw meat is much better and has a higher chance of obtaining skills using [Plunder] compared to cooked meat. Perhaps due to the fact that its essence had diminished due to heat and fire. But looking at Amadea’s expression, it seems like Cian could only concede. Although he didn’t like someone commanding him, he was not a narrow-minded person. He had a soft spot to all those he acknowledges as his person…and Amadea was now one of them.
Not only because her body was practically his, but also because her attitude and manner she gave towards him, had some of this—‘Wife’ kind of flavor. Kind of ironic and complicated, since she was a stranger not too long ago, and he basically raped her, though, she seemed to give her consent. Even still, he more or less forced himself on her.
Her circumstances were unlike that of Sibylla, since he and Sibylla were, after all, engaged so he already had some kind of relationship with her, one way or another. And also, with Sitana or Oriel, which both actually, at first he just lusted upon them, desiring their bodies. As well as completely different from his relation with Ezra Redhawk, where they are basically enemies.
Amadea and Cian have something like a clean slate, with both parties didn’t really have any gratitude or grudges before. So, rather than changing their relationship plate with different colors, it’s more of a giving it color personally, which makes it somewhat special…
I guess…?
So Cian’s feelings towards this strange Dryad are somewhat…complicated…
Well, he was an adult and she was just a little girl who had not seen or encounters an intelligent humanoid before, making her somewhat naïve in the form of relationship between people. Hence, he shouldn't argue with this kind of innocent women. Cian silently convinced himself as he stopped eating meat and drinking blood, giving remaining ones towards the Manticore.
"So, what do you want me to eat then? I’m still starving… did the Crimson Blood Fruit ripened already?"
“Of course not… even if I gave it more of my magic power, even with your help, it would still take at least two to three days at most. However, if you are really hungry, then you might as well eat this,” she said with a sigh as she raised her hand, and then the root beneath her suddenly moved, coiling towards a few grass and flowers hidden in the bushes and then bringing it back.
“I might not mind vegetables…but you want me to eat…grass…?” Cian felt his mouth twitched.
“Shut it! This is better than that unappetizing stuff!” She grasped the plants and gave them to Cian who accepted it with a bitter smile.
“These plants successfully absorb the magical energy in the air and store them inside their bodies. They were originally ordinary plants, but some have managed to absorb the magical energy around them and store them within. Hence, if you want to recover faster, eating them is better. Though, some were poisonous so you can’t eat everything you see." Amadea explained.
“…especially magical plants like this. This grass is called Rarami Grass, it has healing properties…while these flowers are called Rain Dew Flowers, like Rarami Grass it also possesses healing properties, and of course, much better and potent than Rarami Grass. Besides, the dew squeezed at its petals can also be used to create an antidote for poison…well if it is you, eating them raw is fine as well,”