As the two left the building, they entered a literal wasteland. As if a twister had decided to wreak havoc on the city.
The only object still readable was the old squeaking sign above Noirs door, the shop seemingly spared completely as everything around it had been reduced to ruins.
"So, Marc, what is it you see here?"
He asked, hoping for his apprentice to be sober enough for them to actually understand what was going on.
"Everything is destroyed, in ruins, and absolutely wrecked. How are we supposed to find the beast from yesterday if we can't even know where we are headed?"
The boy asked, his tone scared at the sight before him.
"Don't worry." Noir comforted him.
"I have a suspicion where he is right now."
And he did, a feeling in his gut leading him through ruins and debris as he followed an instinct, as if reeling in the hook of a fishing rod.
'He is a part of us.' Warper announced, his voice ringing in Noirs head as the man tried to ignore the feelings associated with that message.
'If we actually manage to take this down, I will believe you and your story. Just... help me tear this bastard to shreds.'
He answered, the conversation in his head more natural to him than he expected.
It took them half an hour of walking until they heard the sound of claws scratching on the street's asphalt, and the gigantic cloud of darkness flowed right where the sound was coming from. Four people were running from it, trying to escape the abomination, as some things began to smoke around them.
Noir dashed forward at that, almost instinctively holding his hand out and touching the creature beneath its jet black cover.
At first, a stray movement of his opponent's arm almost hurt him, lines in his vision telling him how to optimize his movement as the safest future was calculated. The Nightwalker like Monstrosity didn't seem to care, though, their attention drawn to the heat emanating from the building in front of him, a fire so bright it was visible even inside the black fog.
This created an opportunity Noir would not pass up on, using a simple slap against the beast's tail suddenly connecting the two of them.
'You claimed this creature last time, and like a disease, your influence has spread. Now, allow me to teach you how one works with a claimed creature.'
He felt his essence inside the monster as Warper drew upon it and began to take the creatures' tumorous flesh.
'Unrefined, your essence causes cancer within those you touch, their tumor a part of your body. Now, you can take this essence and fuse it to your own body, though it might be uncomfortable at first.'
And it was. As he took the flesh of his opponent, every single cell of it was drawn outside. Slowly, Noir walked away, taking a slimy black mass with him and leaving a gigantic bleeding hole in his opponent's back.
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In this situation, the darkness around them receded into the beast, healing the wound as Noir felt his influence in the flowing meat.
Warper had told him to enhance himself with it, but he decided to disobey and do what he did best.
"I have grafted these beasts since the day I turned eight. I slaughtered ants and sewed carcasses together. I wanted to work with the living as a doctor of the flesh and mind. And today, my dream will come true."
The thing in his hand began to take shape, a heart and blood vessels forming, while musculature began to wrap around and in between them.
"I studied the Anatomy of Monster, Beast, and Person. This is the first creature I ever thought about."
He made it similar to a squid but took away the eyes to make space for even more brains and tentacles while coating it in a snail like mucus.
He put sensory hair on some of the tentacles, his every word thrumming with power.
"I have lived without a Familiar for long, but I am in need. My body is not merely confined to this one, and thus I task you, Warper. Take this form of meat and blood to feast upon our enemies."
It was a simple creature, a mixture of squid tentacles, a tarantulas sensitive hairs, thirty brains working in tandem, and two stomachs akin to those of an ant. He had made great plans to make this beast, and it had cost him his degree, but he never stopped dreaming. This was a gatherer, meant to supply him with ever more biomass. And as he pushed the spirit of the Warper inside, he knew it to be a perfect fit.
As the house burned with flames hotter than what should be possible, and the spirit he dubbed gazer showed him that his every move in that situation would be dangerous, he did the stupidest thing he could think of.
"Citizens, welcome to the age of magic. At least one of you has talents beyond the mundane, and I am willing to teach you to work with them. Marc, try to control the Rotten power you are offered and follow my teachings in regard to drugs on this one."
And thus, as Warper jumped at the giant of a monstrosity, and the people inside calmed down at the weirdness of his words, the flames began to die down, and in their stead, a skeletal construct rose from the dead. Noir allowed himself to smile as the horned creature stepped on the spider, slipping and breaking their neck as Warper gathered every bit of meat in the ever expanding secondary stomach, while Marc took the beast's skull and pushed it on his head.
Noir was quite proud of his performance, accepting the weird moment as something that was probably still part of a trip or forgetting his pills, even though the squelching sound of his newest creation made it seem very realistic.
Just as they were about to turn around the corner, they heard steps following them, and as they turned around they almost froze.
"You told us we could learn to control our magic with you. While the others think you are shady, I believe you."
As she ran towards them, it was hard to distinguish her hair from flowing embers, black and red locks framing her face.
"I am Mia, and the spirit in my head is called Ifrit, and she teaches me to burn things. May I know your names?"
As Noir searched for the proper words, he once again fully slipped into a role, Gazer groaning as she read his intentions.
"My name is Marc, and the spirit is currently referred to as the rotten thing, I might give it a name once it works the way I want to."
His apprentice chimed in happily, his welcoming attitude greatly contrasting the amulets, rings and the deer skull on his head.
"You may refer to me as the Grafter, I extend my self beyond this body, and read the rivers of time itself. After the awakening I have once again been contacted by spirits to help me in my work, one of them is Warper over here. In my store, we will be safe, just make sure you don't steal or destroy anything. We might have to seal your fire, should you ever go on a rampage. And don't give in to your power too much, it will change you into a beast similar to the one we just fought."
He told her, continuing his walk alongside Warper while Marc decided to walk with Mia, explaining to her the basics of their findings, and exchanging stories. Meanwhile, Noir began to use the weird sense he had unlocked during the fight, a hunch on the success chance of every possible action invading his mind.
"Yeah... I got a feeling that a flesh warper, a Necromancer and a infernal girl will make a great team."
Noir mumbled, smiling for the first time in years as he quickly directed his gaze towards their base. He wouldn't be caught dead being happy, after all.