“So, you feel that I haven’t been treating you right?” Maximus asked, clearly amused.
“Hmph, taking me to swim more often wouldn’t kill you, and when was the last time we hunted something truly tasty? Those wolves of his were disgusting.” Silex complained, flicking his tail irritably.
“What did you just say?! I dare you to repeat it!” Vesper rose, still holding a half-eaten troll arm between his fangs, eyes blazing.
“Come at me, pup, I’ll show you what I dare and do not dare to do!” Silex growled back, baring his teeth.
“Enough, both of you! You are grown beasts, not cubs. You will work together from now on, and I expect you to behave. Understood, Silex?!” Maximus raised his voice as his head abruptly shapeshifted into that of a crocodile.
“Yes, mother!” Silex stiffened instantly, his entire body going tense.
“Mother?!” Maximus gasped, while Vesper broke into loud laughter before coughing up bloody phlegm mid-chuckle.
“Dying beast acts all high and mighty, even eating my prey,” Silex muttered, glaring at the troll’s arm in Vesper’s mouth.
“Silex… Did your mother look like me when I shapeshift?” Maximus asked, his left eye twitching uncontrollably.
“You are the spitting image. She was fierce, firm, and beautiful, just like me.” Silex nodded proudly.
No wonder he obeyed me when I shapeshifted before… Well, that is an unpleasant realization. Maximus shook his head, half amused, half disturbed.
“Here, don’t say that I treat you poorly, but I need the rest for the blood,” Maximus sighed as he summoned the troll’s corpse again, cutting off another arm and tossing it toward Silex.
“Thank you, mother,” Silex said solemnly as he began snapping the limb into pieces with audible crunches.
Maximus shook his head and quickly shapeshifted back into his human form. He had no intention of listening to Silex call him “mother” any longer.
“Vesper, how dangerous are the Wildlands? And why did you leave, anyway? Shouldn’t you have been the strongest one there?” Maximus asked, shifting back to business as he gathered information.
“All the beasts there are of similar strength, well, at least the leaders are. The entire region is divided between powerful beasts. My territory was invaded by damned ants, and we lost; I had to flee with what remained of my pack,” Vesper explained, his tone steady but heavy.
Hmmm… So, the leaders should be around level 30, and their subordinates at least 25… I should gain a few more levels before entering, just to be safe. Maximus concluded inwardly.
“Hah, mighty beast you are, running from ants,” Silex mocked through a mouthful of meat.
“Do not test me, you oversized gecko! These ants are as large as you, and some are twice your size, and there are hundreds of them. I did my best, but I could not allow them to devour my pack one by one,” Vesper replied sharply, sorrow threading through his voice.
“I was meaning to ask, despite the hunger, you seemed to retain some control. How is that possible? I thought the curse drove all beasts there into complete madness,” Maximus questioned.
“I am not certain. From the moment I evolved into this form, I have been locked in constant battle with hunger. Most days, I was not in control, but sometimes brief clarity would return and allow me to decide… Just like when you saved me,” Vesper said, gratitude clear in his tone.
“Interesting… Very interesting. Do you know how long it would take to cross the Wildlands heading straight east?” Maximus asked his final question.
“It will not be easy, dozens of days, I would guess, especially if the ants have expanded further. They are truly suicidal monsters,” Vesper sighed.
“Thank you. That gives me much to consider,” Maximus said with a reassuring smile before turning inward. So, roughly twenty to thirty days, depending on what we encounter… That leaves me with just over thirty days to spare. It should be enough… I hope. Maximus already began forming a plan, one that likely involved stealing someone else’s prey.
Then he opened the notifications. He had reached level 26 thanks to the quest rewards and was now rich with points. Time to see what I can get.
Level: 26
Talent Points: 31
[Sanctuary (C) 8TP], [Cyclone Shell (E) 3TP], [Tank Form (D) 5TP], [Feral Roar (F) 2TP], [Solar Pyre (C) 6TP], [Stoneguard (E) 3TP]
[Sanctuary (C) 8TP] – Create a sanctified 4-meter radius area around you where spirit energy is abundant. The designated area will move with you, heal you and your allies for 3% of your maximum health every 30 seconds for 10 minutes, and increase Spirit regeneration by 3%.
Enemies within the area will be assaulted by sprouting thorn whips, and seeds will detonate beneath their feet, dealing moderate damage. Spirit Cost: 500 Spirit. Cooldown: 6 Hours.
[Cyclone Shell (E) 3TP] – Powerful winds wrap around your body, forming a dense shell of swirling air. Physical damage received is reduced by 15%, while ranged damage is reduced by 30%. Spirit Cost: 150 Spirit.
[Tank Form (D) 5TP] – Channel the power of the ancient beast Ankylosaurus and transform into a walking fortress. A quadrupedal armored beast with a horned head, a spiked back, and a devastating hammer-like tail. Increases defenses by 50% but reduces speed by 25%. Ideal for close combat and defensive scenarios. Spirit Cost: 200 Spirit.
[Solar Pyre (C) 6TP] – Channel the power of a solar star to strike a designated target. A beam of radiant light descends instantly, dealing heavy purifying and burning damage. Dark attuned beings receive double damage.
If Nature’s Wrath is cast on the same target within 30 seconds, it deals 20% increased damage. Cooldown: 5 Minutes. Spirit Cost: 350 Spirit.
[Feral Roar (F) 2TP] – While in feral form, unleash a roar imbued with spirit energy and your willpower, causing enemies to flee in fear and empowering allies, increasing their overall speed by 10%.
[Stoneguard (E) 3TP] – Command the earth beneath you, raising a two-meter-tall and wide wall for protection. Costs 150 Spirit to cast.
These C-ranked skills are starting to cost a lot. I’ll have to start saving my points going forward, though I can afford to splurge a little for now. I’ll take all of them.
The Feral Roar will be useful in the Wildlands, Tank Form as well. The rest… There isn’t even a question. Sigh… I hope Astrae gives me more quests.
Maximus chuckled to himself as he purchased every skill, leaving him with just 4 points remaining.
Excellent. I’ll test them later. Now then… Let’s see what those Skill Stones the two despicable humans carried contain, along with the one that dropped from the assassin.
Maximus felt his expression darken. He despised Skill Hunters more than anything else he had encountered in this new realm, humans hunting other humans who were already struggling to survive, all for the slim chance of gaining a Skill Stone. It wasn’t even guaranteed… And yet they still killed.
For a brief moment, a flicker of the old Aurelius surfaced within Maximus’s gaze, ancient, cold, and filled with something far heavier than anger, as he slowly took out the stones.
[Skill Stone: Ethereal Daggers (C)]
[Skill Stone: Thorn Whip (F)]
[Skill Stone: Lightning Arrow (C)]
[Skill Stone: Critical (C)]
[Skill Stone: Bind (E)]
[Skill Stone: Raise Ghoul (D)]
[Skill Stone: Double Jump (F)]
This is it, huh… I guess it’s not bad. They sure have killed all sorts of people, despicable, utterly so. Maximus sighed and appraised the ones that looked interesting enough.
[Skill Stone: Ethereal Daggers (C)]
Contains skill Ethereal Daggers (C) – Create a copy of the dagger you are currently using. The weapon will be formed from pure mana and will retain all the properties of the copied weapon. Costs 100 mana per dagger and lasts for 20 seconds.
Requires a Class proficient in wielding daggers.
This is very unique. It reminds me of the Conjuration school of magic, though this is far more efficient and could become immensely powerful if paired with a high-grade weapon. I suppose I could sell this at some point. Maximus noted before storing it away.
[Skill Stone: Critical (C)]
Contains skill Critical (C) – Allows you to enchant your next physical attack to deal critical damage. Critical damage deals double the normal damage. Costs 800 mana per enchant and has a 1-Hour cooldown. Higher levels increase the number of enchants per cast.
Current: 1/1.
Curses… If only I had mana. I will keep this one for myself, then.
[Skill Stone: Double Jump (F)]
Contains the skill Double Jump (F) – Your next jump will create a small translucent mana platform beneath your feet at the peak of your motion, allowing a second jump. Costs 150 mana per cast.
Come on, heavens, toss something my way for once…He frowned before sighing, Calm yourself, old elf. What is the point of greed after all these years?
Maximus let out a chuckle despite himself and stored everything away.
“Well then, boys, let us test my new skill. Try not to be too frightened now.” Maximus smiled as he invoked Tank Form.
***
A heavy, suffocating dark light enveloped Maximus, the sheer pressure cracking the earth beneath his feet. His silhouette expanded, shifting into a four-meter-long armored behemoth.
Thick obsidian hide rippled across his frame, while dark silver spikes, glinting with a cold metallic sheen, erupted in jagged rows along his back and flanks. A tail sprouted and elongated, ending in a massive, organic hammer. It bore the rugged, uneven texture of natural bone, yet shimmered with the unyielding sheen of dark, living metal.
From his skull, four sharp horns tore through his flesh, two arching toward the heavens and two curving like talons around his piercing black eyes. Finally, a razor-sharp beak snapped into place where his mouth had been, releasing a low, tectonic growl that trembled through the air.
“What do you think, boys?” Maximus asked, his speech flowing uninterrupted thanks to his new trait.
Vesper instantly lowered into a combat stance, muscles coiled tight as he snarled. “Boss… Is that really you?” He asked coldly, his teeth glinting under the moonlight.
“Max, you smelly chief, you are beautiful. We can march through our enemies together now, leaving mangled corpses in our wake! Nobody will be able to stop the cold-blooded duo of terror!” Silex spouted nonsense as he approached, circling Maximus and observing his new form with unrestrained fascination.
Even Sprout leapt from the shallow waters and landed before Maximus, studying him with wide, innocent eyes before squealing happily and clapping its small vine-like hands.
“Vesper, only you disapprove?” Maximus asked teasingly.
“Boss, forgive me, but it is an ugly form. It hurts my eyes… It needs more fur.” Vesper admitted bluntly as he finally relaxed.
“Don’t listen to that walking corpse, you are majestic!” Silex declared proudly.
Maximus turned slowly, eyeing Silex with suspicion as the croc’s eyes shimmered with genuine admiration. “Calm down, Silex. Go eat your arm before Vesper steals it,” Maximus ordered, trying to redirect him.
Silex immediately spun around and rushed to grab what remained of the arm, tearing into it with renewed enthusiasm.
Let’s see the skills and call it for today… I’m starting to feel a bit off. These transformations are affecting my personality; while I’m shifted, I should look into that. Maximus noted as he opened his status.
Tank Form Skills:
Horned Charge (E) Level 1 – Charge forward with unstoppable momentum until you collide with a target, dealing crushing and piercing damage. Damage increases with distance traveled; for every 2 meters, damage increases by 3%.
Thornskin (E) Level 1 – Reduces incoming damage by 15% while active and reflects 5% of damage taken to the attacker.
Hammer Smash (F) Level 1 – Using the power of your powerful tail, smash your hammer-like growth into your enemies, dealing serious crushing damage and adding a 10% chance to shatter armor and shields.
If used after Horned Charge, the skill will create a small shockwave that can knock nearby enemies off-balance.
----
Tank Form Body Traits:
Walking Fortress – Movement speed decreased by 25% and physical defense increased by 50% while in Tank Form. Physical damage is increased by 60% compared to human form, and you gain Crowd Control resistance.
Other skills become locked while transformed.
----
Indeed… It truly lives up to the name Walking Fortress!
He quickly committed everything to memory and shifted back into his human form.
Maximus clenched his fists and took a deep breath. It feels good to have my hands back.
“We should find shelter and rest for a while. I’m quite spent,” Maximus said, letting out a tired yawn.
“I’ll go scout upstream!” Silex volunteered eagerly.
“You just want to swim, don’t you?” Maximus sighed. “Sprout, go with him, make sure he doesn’t do anything reckless, and if anything happens, come back immediately,” Maximus ordered.
Before Silex could protest, Sprout hopped onto his head, wrapping its vines tightly around the croc’s neck to hold on, like makeshift reins.
“This feels… Degrading,” Silex growled before slipping into the river, gliding upstream with only the top of his body visible. Sprout perched proudly atop his head, cheering.