Chapter 2: A Big, Crackling Cat

I decided to leave the cave, sure that I knew everything I wanted to ask. I left via one of the holes on the top of the cave, scraping my side as I forced my way through.  

 

I was met by a breath-taking sight. Trees of purple, orange, green, and every other color on the spectrum grew side by side. Mountains with cavernous entrances similar to the one I had just emerged from littered the forest.  

 

I began walking slowly, carefully stepping down the hill to ensure I didn’t trip and fall as I was distracted by the view. I reached the beginning of the forest, eventually, and spotted a small rabbit hopping by my feet. 

 

“Hey there little guy,” I began, crouching down beside it and extending a hand, “how’re you?” My voice shocked even me. Despite my demonic appearance, my voice still contained a softness to it. The small, white rabbit bounced into my hands. 

 

It felt warm as it snuggled into my hand. I carried it like a fragile object, nestled in both hands near my stomach as I traversed the forest some more. I saw a few more creatures on my travels and admired the natural beauty of all of them. 

 

I was enjoying my walk through the forest, the grass at my feet tickling my bare soles. It was only now I realized I was covered by what looked to be the medieval version of a shirt and trousers. I heard a rustle in the brush nearby and saw a leopard’s face protrude from it. 

 

I gulped, stopped mid-step as I saw the beast slowly continue towards me. Crackles of electricity popped an inch above its fur. I watched as it licked its lips, a sense of fear I had never felt before washing over me. 

 

‘How can I fight a leopard?’ 

 

[You have no offensive skills. 

Only Transform would be viable.] 

 

‘What’s Transform?’ I inquired, the predator circling me slowly, each paw movement silent as its electricity continued to crackle, seeming to get louder as it teased its prey. 

 

[Transform allows the host to morph their full body, or a single body part, into the Leviathan’s Ancient form.] 

 

‘But how would I use that?’ Even my thoughts held a sense of urgency, but the system continued at its slow, purposeful pace. 

 

[Simply think the name of the skill, which limb you would like to transform, and then you control it like the limb it changed.] 

 

I attempted to steady my breathing, and once I did, I turned my body to face the beast, causing it to growl. An abundance of electricity converged to its mouth. 

 

‘Transform!’ 

 

As soon as I thought about this and which limb to change, my right hand turned into a tentacle-like appendage. It wriggled uncontrollably as me, the rabbit, and the leopard stared in confusion at it. I tensed, in hopes of controlling it. The tentacle calmed down a little, allowing me to see the bulb at the end of the limb.  

 

The tentacle felt like second nature to control, and when I followed the same thoughts to open and close my hand, the bulb opened and closed. It came to a sharp point at the end when I had it closed, similar to a scorpion’s stinger. When it was opened, however, the insides were lined with teeth as sharp as swords.  

 

‘What is this?’ 

 

[This is one of the Leviathan’s tentacles. 

It has been downsized to match the humanoid form.] 

 

I admired the appendage for a few moments longer, the girth and rhythmic fluidity of it seeming more understandable by the moment. I was interrupted by the leopard shooting a small line of electricity towards the tentacle. Due to the wobbliness of it, though, it was unharmed. The shot of lightning instead hit a nearby tree, causing a small hole to penetrate through it seamlessly. 

 

I saw the beast crouch down to lunge, watching as it bounced through the air. I felt my body move on its own, a sort of ingrained reaction occurring as I swung the tentacle around, slapping the leopard’s body with the girthy midpoint of it. 

 

The slamming sound and the accompanying flying animal caused my eyes to shoot open. I watched as the animal got up slowly, and dragged itself towards me once more. I realized the rabbit was still in my left hand, nuzzling and unharmed. I put the small animal down on the ground, my thoughts scrambled by the continuous surprises that were occurring.  

 

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This short moment of confusion and blindness was enough for the animal to reach me, and bite onto my side. I yelped in pain, the scream sounding more like an orca’s bellowing than a human. I felt my body jolt multiple times as short bursts of electricity were passed through my body.  

 

Slowly, but surely, I managed to get my tentacle up, the distracted animal draining its strength as it relentlessly bit and shocked me. I brought the bulb of the wriggly appendage down onto its tilted head and heard as it pierced its skull and brain. 

 

Blood ran from the beast’s head and my side, blending on the floor to create a massive puddle of red. I stood still, staring into the sky, for a long moment, the pain that was running throughout my body unbearable. After what felt like long enough, I pried the animal off of me, using the knife-lined insides of the tentacle and my pale hand to do so. 

 

‘How do I make this go back to normal?’ 

 

[Think of the skill and the same limb, and it will be undone.] 

 

‘Transform.’ 

 

The purplish-spotted and writhing, muscly outside of the tentacle retreated into my body, revealing my normal arm. I brought my hand close to my face and closed it just to make sure it was working.  

 

A sharp pang on my side distracted me from the bewilderment, and I clutched at the deep gash created by the animal. I breathed in sharply through my teeth as I sat down on the ground. I used my dead opponent as an aide when I was lowering myself, causing the system to suggest something. 

 

[Devour this beast’s skills and stats? <Yes / No> ] 

 

‘Yes.’ 

 

The answer was obvious. As soon as I agreed, I felt my right hand get warmer, and then the warmth traversed up my arm, finally coalescing into the center of my chest. 

 

[2 Levels Gained. 

Skills Gained: Electric Discharge, Electricity Resistance.  

Wounds and fatigue are being healed from the consumption.] 

 

I ran a hand over where I was bitten and felt my skin closing in, knitting together on a molecular level. I allowed a crazed, elated laugh to escape as I rolled on the grass. I had done it. I killed my first monster and got my first skill. 

 

“Aye, boys,” a rough voice called, “I think it was this way.” A brigade of footsteps approached, causing me to dart to my feet and hide behind a nearby tree. I peeked out from behind the tree’s body and watched as several bearded men appeared from the same bush the leopard had. 

 

“What the fuck’s done that then?” Inquired the first man to step out of the bush, sporting a fur hat and black beard. He looked to the scene in front of him before turning to his teammates for confirmation. 

 

“Some beast. That’s for certain,” agreed a burly man with a sword strapped to his back, “cause there’s no way a human’s got this strength.” He ran his hand over the deadly wound I had inflicted on the beast, flicking the blood off of his calloused hands as he stood. 

 

“What’ll we do then, Murdoch?” The black-bearded man asked the burly man, having to raise his voice to be heard over the rest of the party’s gawking and gasps of awe. 

 

“Back to the village. Naught to do, the bastard’s dead.” Murdoch sighed, rubbing the handle of his sword in a way that showed me he was itching for a fight with the monster. He motioned for the rest of the men to return to the village, moving his hands in a scooping motion. 

 

After his followers had left, Murdoch sighed as he once again crouched down next to the beast, muttering to himself as he examined the wound further. He even stuck his sword through the wound and chortled when he saw how much thicker the hole was than an ordinary sword’s blade. 

 

[Name: Envy.  

Species: Leviathan.           

Level: 3 

Magic Skills: Devour, Electric Discharge, Electricity Resistance. 

Physical Skills: Transform.] 

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