I sat in my study, looking out the window at the grimy streets of the slums, nonchalantly watching the denizens of my territory go about their business, for most that business happened to be pickpocketing. I let the dirty vista sink in as I waited for Mr Wizard to report back, I ordered him to find the best combat instructors to train me. I had finished the morning’s paperwork; the clan’s name had been changed to “Dragon’s Nest”. Oddly enough, it was Kyler who suggested to change the name. Mr Wizard supported the idea claiming that it would influence morale and symbolise new leadership.

There was a unanimous agreement between all the executives, even the ones I don’t trust agreed with ugly smiles. I thought the original name, “Wolf Pack”, was good enough albeit ironic since it was led by the Hunt family. I couldn’t come up with anything initially, but eventually while I was admiring my ring I decided to simply replace “Wolf” with “Dragon” – or so I tried; Apparently “Dragon Pack” sounded weird so I begrudgingly changed it to “Dragon Nest”. That suggestion was once again met with complaints about how dragons were supposed to be solitary creatures and “therefore don’t form ‘nests’ with their fellow dragons, at best they would own a nest for their young.” After that argument, it became “Dragon’s Nest”. I suppose that makes me the dragon, cool.

There was a knock on the door.

“Who is it?” I asked, making no movement more than turning my head half way and glancing at the door, feeling incredibly dramatic.

“Mr Wizard” replied the voice of a man who was presumably wearing a pointy hat.

“Enter”, I responded and turned back to the window, still feeling overly dramatic as I tried to find something to look at. It seems that Mr Wizard caught on after he entered the room and played along.

“Mistress, I have successfully managed to get in touch with a few of my old contacts. Several people are willing to comply with your demands, but after sorting through their intentions I believe there is only one person who we can enter an agreement with, an arms dealer named Jack.”

“One would usually give themselves a more intimidating alias, does he truly have the experience I require?” I ask.

“It’s a name that becomes intimidating only after you learn the reason behind it, he’s more than skilled enough for the job, and even if he wasn’t, he has powerful friends and a lot of power over them.”

“I see… when will we be meeting?” I asked.

“Tomorrow at noon. I know the way, I’ll guide you there, but once you’re inside…”

“I’ll be on my own then?”

“Yes, he has a test, that will determine how he treats you… rest well tonight, you’ll need your energy.”

“Indeed…” I said thoughtfully, “You’re dismissed.”

“Thank you, milady.” He said, stifling a giggle as he left. Our conversations were always entertaining.

I tried to look out the window again, but simply couldn’t, the dramatic mood was gone. I found that fact very disappointing and just started surfing the net meaninglessly until night fell, I started off researching different weapons and the styles associated with them but just before I went to bed I found myself laughing at cats doing stupid things. The internet is a mysterious place, capable of misleading and distracting even the most disciplined users.

Meanwhile, standing atop a stone tower sprouting out a sea of shadows, a man shook with laughter as he eyed the lowly being in his displayed in the orb seated on a pedestal. A small creature hissed in the dark as he reached for the dusty book and started to page through the shady book.

“Well, well, well. It seems this parallel universe has an interesting creature to entertain me,” he said, pausing to stroke the scaly lizard as he thought, “why don’t we bring her here and have some fun as well” laughter erupted out of him as he hastily stood up.

Day had just arrived and he headed out to hunt. He stepped out from his small hidden cave into a grassy field with wild flowers dancing along the roots of old trees. The ground shook as a winged beast left the mountain that was slowly starting to appear with the rising sun, creating a whirlwind beneath its wings with every flap. The man walked casually, watching the gigantic beast roam the area without a care in the world, almost as if it was an everyday occurrence.

“Let’s see who the real ‘Mr wizard’ is!” he shouted into the sky as he burst into a mad laughter.

After the man eventually calmed himself he made his way back down the tower, muttering “this will take some time to prepare” as a wicked smile spread on his face.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

I woke up to a lovely night vista feeling both refreshed and disappointed; refreshed because I slept well, and disappointed that the slums existed in perpetual night. I was looking forward to meeting Jack in the afternoon. Until then I planned to occupy myself with a modest workout, lightly testing my limits so I would understand what sorts of weapons I would be able to use.

I discovered myself to by rather weak, incapable of pulling up my own body weight. After a few minutes of stubbornly trying to perform a single pull up I eventually gave and lay on my back hopelessly. As I lay there I felt the pain in my muscles slowly receding, and once the pain had completely disappeared a voice appeared in my mind.

< [Try again.] >

I didn’t question it, she must have had a reason for telling me to foolishly do something I had already tried and failed. I approached the bar, stepped onto a box, and wrapped my fingers around the bar. Preparing myself, I pulled up with all my might and lo behold, I rose till my chin met the bar.

… How?

< [Simple, I slightly altered your body structure. The idea came when Dawn altered your perception speed during the attack. I suspected that Dawn and I had more abilities than simply talking to you. It would appear my hypothesis was correct.] >

What was your hypothesis?

< [You were not originally human, that was a form you developed from being fed human flesh and assimilating human bodies. I hypothesised that it would be possible to alter the body at will. Some of the other subjects that came before you grew into mixes of multiple species which would indicate that it should also be possible to mix and match various sources.] >

So, you can turn me into a massive and muscular man then?

< [Not quite, while it should be theoretically possible I do not have that level of control. Earlier I only managed to construct some arm muscle by deconstructing cells from elsewhere on your body. This will require more experimentation before we can utilise it properly, though I suspect we can probably use food you take in as a source of materials.] >

I see… That’s a rather useful ability.

< [Indeed, and it seems that I can also reverse the process… however the process does not appear to be flawless, a significant amount of energy was consumed during the conversion process.] >

Well, that won’t stop us from gradually refining my body to perfection.

< [Surprisingly, we may even have the ability to surpass ‘perfection’.] >

… Seriously?

< [Yes, it seems I can condense and improve your muscles, potentially beyond what human bodies can, and I’m certain there are other things I will be a do once I gain more control too.] >

How about you, Dawn?

< (I’ve already in accelerating your thinking speed, I seem to have similar abilities to Nova… but in regards to the brain instead of the body. Why did I get the harder one?) >

I don’t know, maybe because you’re the better one?

< (Huhu. That makes sense. Hear that Nova? I’m better than you!) >

< [I suggest consuming lots of meat, that way I can try upgrading your body and helping you grow up more.] >

Fair enough. I can agree with that.

< (Hey!) >

< [Yes, I’ll practice control… also, would you mind looking in the mirror for a few minutes every day? I believe it would affect your appearance, so let’s pay attention to that.] >

< (Heyyyyy!!!) >

Be sure to make me beautiful then.

< (Muuu…) >

< [You’re already beautiful, although that’s mostly from the odd… softness of your features, it allows everyone who looks at you to see their own ideal.] >

I see… well, should I do some research on the net about beauty?

< (*sniffle*) >

< [Please do, it will be useful to know. Additionally, I believe it is almost time for your meeting with Jack.] >

Will do… and I should probably take a shower, appearances are important after all.

With all that concluded I decided to prepare myself for the meeting. I had a shower and decided to dress into something I wold can move around in, just in case there were any tests. Once I had chosen my outfit I stepped in front of a full body mirror to inspect myself.

The outfit was tightfitting overall, the shape of the cloth looked like it could be a military uniform but the colours and my tights betrayed the thought. The shirt looked like a formal vest or overcoat worn on top of a casual shirt, the overcoat was light and colourful while the undershirt was dark and sleek, there was some light additional protective plating on the shoulders and the sides. The tights were Dark brown with some light plating on the outer sides of my thighs, I also wore sturdy boots that matched the colours of my shirt and had some plating on the front and sides. I also wore a pair of gauntlets, the left one had an inbuilt Digita and the right was an extension of the left.

A Digita is a device which acts as a personal holographic terminal, the modern cell phone. People used to have Digitas implanted into their bodies for convenience but after a particularly large incident the safety of that practice was called into question, you can still get it done but there’s a bad stigma related to the practice so very few people do it. Most Digitas come in the form of gloves, bracelets, rings, and other jewellery for convenience but bulkier versions like mine typically come with more functions.

Armour plating became a fashion statement after the invention of energy shields. Despite the archaic origin of armour. society has picked up the old habit of using armour to show power. It is for this reason I chose to wear numerous armour plating, especially here in the slums. These will be my standard ‘going out’ clothes. I swung my arms around to test the range of motion, I felt satisfied by the lack of resistance.

A maid appeared as I was finishing off to inform me that my convoy was ready to go. I thanked the maid and started making my way to the entrance. As I stepped out of the front door I was met by the sight of two rows of thugs bowing to form an arch, leading to a black limousine parked out front. I confidently walked through the tunnel down to the limo where a man was holding the door open for me.

I sat down in the car, the door was closed for me as I made myself comfortable. Mr Wizard sat opposite me in silence as the car started moving. Soon I was going to meet the supposedly infamous “Jack”.