by Ivan Kal
“We started down immediately, crossing over the bridge to the tower. Those bat monsters that threw you down attacked us constantly, but we managed to reach the tower. And then we had to fight our way down to through a horde of short creatures called the ratmen.” Vallsorim shuddered.
“Nasty monsters,” Borodar said.
Morgan hadn’t encountered them in the city, so perhaps they lived in the towers.
“It took us days to get down,” Vall added. “The tower was a maze; sometimes we had to go up in order to go further down. And then yesterday we got to the base we decided to wait and see if you will show up. We set up camp, and were attacked by the monsters in the morning. We decided to head to the center and left you a message.”
“I took some time experimenting with my body, as otherwise I might’ve even reached the tower before you.”
“We’ve scouted a bit ahead, and saw those…Rzan? They were killing monsters and collecting their corpses. We saw a larger group raising the dead monsters and heading for the temple in the middle. We wanted to avoid them, but ended up running into another one of their forces.”
After that, they settled into a silence. Morgan could tell that the effects of the fourth floor were still heavy in the air around everyone. Even Morgan found himself looking for his dwarf friend every once in a while, before catching himself and remembering. Finally, Ta’elara poked him in the arm and he turned to frown at her. “What?”
“How do we know that you are the real, Morgan? For all we know, you could be his hand, who devoured its host and is now trying to get us to lower our guard so that it can devour more of us.”
Morgan blinked as everyone around the fire shifted. “Uh…” Morgan tried to think of something to say that could prove that he was himself. “I can tell you something that an impostor wouldn’t know?”
“Ah, but what if you have Morgan’s memories?” Ta’elara argued.
Fuck, I didn’t think of that. “Well I don’t know, inspect me and see? I mean you can probably see the truth that way.”
Everyone around the fire leaned forward and then Ta’elara grinned. “I did it the moment you joined the battle.”
Morgan blinked, he hadn’t even noticed that she had done that.
“And?” Borodar asked once she didn’t continue.
Ta’elara’s eyes glinted in firelight. “It’s Morgan.”
Everybody relaxed and he narrowed his eyes at her. “Ha, ha, ha. Very funny. You shouldn’t joke about things like that, it’s how people end up burned on the stake.”
“Wow, you must’ve come from some pretty dark world, Morgan. They burn people alive there?” Ta’elara asked.
Everyone chuckled, even Ves.
“Okay, that was a couple of very ignorant and evil people and it was a long time ago!”
“Wait,” Ta’elara blinked. “You were serious? People in your world got burnt on the stake?”
Morgan grimaced. “We should change the subject.”
“Wow,” Ves said. “I guess that it was a good thing that you died and was transported here. This world is a much better place.”
Everyone nodded at that and Morgan grumbled obscenities too low for anyone to hear, but the gloomy atmosphere around them all pulled back just a bit.
“So,” Ta’elara asked. “Aside from being able to turn into a winged giant, what else can you do?”
Morgan put his arm out and turned it around. “The same things I could do before with my arm, only now I can do it everywhere. I can change any part of myself into anything that I’ve consumed in the past.”
Hexna frowned and spoke up. “So what? You can change your entire body to some metal you consumed before?”
Morgan turned to look at her. “Sure, but I wouldn’t do that, as metal doesn’t have muscles or tendons. I would be basically turning myself into a statue that couldn’t move.” He had been thinking about that, and had even done some small experiments before while he still used Klyn. Using smaller amounts of minerals and metals could work, as could small plates and braces inside his body, but not just changing his muscles themselves into a solid metal. Although, now that he thought about it, he probably could survive as a statue as long as he had energy. Without his body to provide some if it he doubted that he would last long before his core drained and he fell apart.
“What kind of upgrades have you done?” Ta’elara asked. “Even this form now is improved, isn’t it?”
Morgan nodded his head. “Yeah, I gained a new trait. I can modify my body however I like, but I can no longer increase my three physical stats when I level.”
Everyone was surprised at that and asked him how he would get stronger, then. “By consuming things that are more and more powerful, and upgrading my body. This body now has muscles and bone structure of the younger version of the behemoth you fought earlier. It nearly doubled my stats just from that.”
“Oh,” Ta’elara said. “So, the more powerful a monster you kill, the more powerful your body becomes.”
“In essence, yes. I can mix and match different body parts from different monsters. But I guess that the drawback is that I can only consume beast-type monsters.”
“Yeah, that could limit you a bit,” Vallsorim said with a nod.
“Not that much,” Ta’elara mused.
“I think I can probably get a bit stronger now, after I consumed the parts from the larger behemoth. I just need time to experiment with it.”
He hadn’t tried to consume the entire behemoth, mostly because it was too large and he would need to constantly drop mass as he consumed. He didn’t want the others to see that, as it wasn’t pleasant. But also he didn’t need to consume everything—he only needed samples of the chitin that covered its body, as well as some of its muscles and tendons and bones. He already knew that those body parts were stronger than the ones of smaller variant, but not by much. Most of its superior power came from its size, and not something drastically different with its body structure.
“So, you can change anything, huh?” Ta’elara asked.
“Yes?” Morgan said cautiously. He recognized Ta’elara’s tone.
She glanced down to his lap and then raised her eyebrows.
It took him a moment to figure out what she was thinking about. Once he did, Morgan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
“That’s a yes—so congratulations, Ves!” Ta’elara yelled, and everyone started laughing.
Morgan opened his eyes, and focused on his Body Manipulation to prevent his cheeks from heating up. Ves, sadly, didn’t have that option, so she hid her red face behind her hands. Too bad her long half-elf ears turned red as well.
***
A while later, Morgan was in his and Ves’s tent. They had somehow survived the hollering of some of the others as they went inside, while Vall grumbled in disgust. But once inside he and Ves started talking and he explained all of his changes to her in depth. He wasn’t surprised that she didn’t feel disgusted or weirded out, as she did have a class called the Eldritch Warden. Weird stuff was her forte.
“This is your skin?” Vestella asked as she pinched his clothes.
“No, it is still made out of the same material as my gear was before. It’s night-prowler sheep wool.”
“But it is a part of you?” Vestella’s brows furrowed.
“Yes, technically, if you want to say that. I can’t feel it, but I can control it.”
“So it is attached to you?” she asked.
Morgan nodded and then pulled at the tunic’s neckline and showed her where it was attached to the skin of his shoulder.
Her eye went wide and she poked at the seam. Morgan giggled as she caressed over to his skin. “That tickles.”
“So how do you take it off?” Ves asked.
“Well, I don’t have another free slot for a naked form, so I generally just use my bracelet to destroy my clothes.”
“Destroy them?” Ves asked.
“When I transfer mass to my bracelet, I destroy the o
bject that I pull mass from. Even when I’m removing mass from my body, the original object is destroyed. It just becomes indiscernible matter inside the bracelet. I have no idea what it is, really.”
“Oh, right. You told me about that before.”
Morgan didn’t mind. He knew that his changes were a lot for anyone to accept quickly. He was glad that Ves wasn’t just anyone, so he could forgive her forgetfulness.
“So, under your skin, you’re a monster?” she asked.
“I guess that that depends on what you mean by that,” Morgan said slowly. “All ascended have bodies that are different than the bodies they were born with. For me, most of my organs and muscles are improved versions of monster parts. My bones are, too, but it’s all in a human shape. And I do have a few things that I haven’t touched.”
Ves raised an eyebrow. “A few things?”
“Like my brain, some nerves, and so on,” Morgan answered.
“So, about what Ta’elara said…”
Morgan blinked at her and then glanced down. “Wait, what? Are you trying to tell me that it’s been inadequate?”
She immediately backed up, her eyes going wide as she shook her head furiously. “No, no, I didn’t mean—”
“Ha! The look on your face is priceless. I’m kidding!” Morgan laughed as she grew red again before slapping him on the shoulder. “And yes, if you really want to know, she was right.”
It took Morgan only a couple of seconds to remove his clothes layer, and then they experimented.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The next morning Morgan woke feeling more rested than he had in a while. He stretched and left Ves sleeping as he activated his Main Form and had his clothes grow back, as well as revert the changes he had undergone last night. He walked out of their tent and, seeing Borodar and Hexna sitting around the fire preparing breakfast, he walked over and took a seat next to them.
“How are you guys doing?” Morgan asked.
They exchanged looks, and then shrugged. He knew that Hexna wasn’t someone who talked a lot about her feelings, but Borodar had always been honest and open. Seeing him closed up like that made Morgan sad. He missed laughing with his friends. They’d made jokes last night, sure, and they laughed, but he could see it in everyone’s eyes, in the way that their bodies would stiffen from time to time. None of them had gotten over the previous floor. Nor should they have been. They had lost people, and that would hurt for a while. But Morgan didn’t want to lose the friends that were still alive. He knew that Borodar and Hexna had lost more than he had, that they had been closer with Grav and Jelara, they had been a team for years before Morgan met them. And it had to sting seeing that Morgan’s team lost no one on that floor, that they were the only team who had somehow managed to get through intact. Morgan knew that they weren’t better—they had just been luckier on that day.
“We didn’t get the chance to speak about the others… Grav, Jelara. I can’t imagine how the two of you are feeling, but I want you to know that I am here for you now if you want to talk. They were my friends, too.”
To his surprise, it was Hexna who answered him. “Thank you, Morgan,” she said, making even Borodar look up. “We, both of us, appreciate it. But it will take time. We’ve been a family for a long time, and without them… I do not mean to diminish your connection to them, I am certain that you miss them too, but we lost Vrshar on the first floor, and now Grav and Jelara. It makes me feel like it was our fault, for not being strong enough.”
“It wasn’t your fault, though. It was chance,” Morgan said.
“I know.” She gave him a half smile, a rarity coming from the almost always gloomy Hexna. “It doesn’t change how we feel.”
“I’m sorry, Morgan, but she’s right,” Borodar broke in. “We must all grieve in our own manner. I apologize if I made you feel like you had no place in our grief.”
Morgan waved it off. In truth, he had felt a bit like that, but he knew that it was childish and so he tried not to focus on it. He glanced away and saw Clara walking out of her tent. He stood and walked over, intercepting her. It had been a while since he bothered her.
“Heya, bestest buddy!” Morgan grinned at her.
Clara looked at him sleepily, and narrowed her eyes. Morgan prepared for an insult, and tried to think of several good comebacks. But then Clara took a step closer and hugged him.
He blinked in surprise. “Uh... Clara? Are you alright?”
She shook her head against his chest. Morgan relaxed and then put his hands around her too. “I missed you too buddy.”
“Don’t you ever do something so stupid like falling from a balcony again,” she whispered.
“What if it wasn’t that far from the ground?” Morgan asked.
She hit him in the stomach.
“Kidding! I’ll try my best,” Morgan said.
Clara nodded and took a step back, her face clearing and her expression turning back into her regular scowl. “Did you make your regular form taller too?”
“Uh, yeah?” Morgan answered.
“Really Morgan? Do you need to tower over everyone else?”
“I mean, I needed room on the inside to put in muscles and... stuff.”
Clara gave him a droll look. “Yeah, it had nothing to do with you wanting to look down on people.”
“What?” Morgan exclaimed. “I assure you, the thought didn’t even cross my mind.”
“Sure thing Morgan,” Clara patted his hand.
“You are just jealous, you would’ve done the same thing if you had the chance!”
“Would not,” Clara defended.
“Hah, would to. You are like barely tall enough to be considered an adult.”
Clara narrowed her eyes. “Do you want me to hit you with my staff?”
“What? I’m just telling the truth!”
Clara made as if to hit him, but Morgan danced away. “Fine, fine! I’m sorry, I’m not going to make fun of you.” Morgan said, then he met her eyes and spoke in a lower tone of voice. “For that, deserts on the other hand... those are fair game.”
Clara’s eyes widened. “She didn’t?”
“Oh, yes she most certainly did!” Morgan laughed.
“I’m going to kill her,” Clara said.
“Ha, maybe you should try and fill in the gaps in your knowledge first. I mean, what kind of a simpleton thinks that deserts aren’t a thing?”
Morgan ran as she tried to hit him with her staff. Ves had told him last night that Clara had been so convinced that deserts weren’t a thing that she asked Ta’elara if she knew who invented them. And she did it in front of everyone.
Morgan laughed as she ran after him and threw insults his way. But with his new body it was hard for her to catch him.
Before he had a chance to speak again, one of the people on watch duty shouted an alarm. Morgan and Clara immediately sobered. In moments, their entire camp was up on its feet, their weapons ready. Ves jumped out of their tent, her shield and mace in her hand as others all converged on the source of alarm.
They reached Nesseya and saw her looking down a street where a tall building threw the entire length of it in shadow. Morgan activated his Night Eye Form and looked in the direction she was looking. He saw three people walking toward them. A human was in the lead, and just looking at him made Morgan shiver. There was something in his eyes as they met his from hundreds of meters away: a sense of deep power that was both familiar and terrifying. Behind him followed two more, another human, a man that had a two handed sword fastened on his back and an elf woman that wore elaborate robes and had rings adorning her fingers.
They approached slowly, not looking at all worried at the dozen people waiting for them with weapons ready.
Ragnor Raam stepped forward as the three drew closer. “Identify yourselves!” he shouted.
The man in the lead paused as he stepped out of the shadow of the street and into the light of the square. Morgan blinked and switched back to his normal eyes. The man paused an
d looked around the raid group. He was a strange-looking man; Morgan couldn’t quite put his nationality down, like with most humans that he had met in this new world. But he did have some East Asian features. He wore a battle robe and had no visible weapons anywhere on him, but Morgan didn’t think for a second that that made him any less deadly.
“Who are you, and what are you doing here? Answer my questions, or we will consider you hostile!” Ragnor asked again.
The man finally turned to Ragnor, looking up at the taller Shara Daim, and then the man bowed over his fists. “I greet you, ascended. I am Kai Zhao Vin, Master of this Tower.”
His words sent a ripple of shock across the raid group. Morgan’s mind immediately went blank.
“I apologize for interrupting your climb,” the man said. “But there are matters that I must discuss with you.”
Ragnor Raam removed his hands from the pommels of his swords and tilted his head. “I don’t wish to offend, but is there a way for you to prove your claim?” he asked as respectfully as he could.
The man nodded his head, then Morgan saw him raise his wrist up and blue light appeared over it. Morgan blinked as he recognized it as some kind of hologram tech, and then the man’s name appeared above him.
Kai Zhao Vin LVL ??? — Tower Master
Ragnor immediately bowed, followed by the other members of the raid group. The system was the same as the word of god to them, which in a way it was, but Morgan wasn’t really into all that god worship, and it was kind of hard to be when you knew that the said god was a prick—and also your father.
The man met Morgan’s eyes, and something about the look that he gave him made Morgan move. He inclined his head at the Tower Master, which seemed to be enough, with the Tower Master returning the gesture more shallowly. Morgan blinked and looked at the other two present. With his human eyes, he could see color again, so he noticed that the human man had deep, red-colored hair which made Morgan blink…and there was something about his face that looked familiar. Both the human and elf were looking next to Morgan with intensity in their eyes. He turned his eyes up and read the names above their head as the others around him straightened.
