Chapter 524
The moment the crystal was absorbed felt like being caught in a violent storm inside his own body. Chief’s veins burned as if filled with hot metal, his muscles jerked and twitched uncontrollably. His bones felt like they were being reshaped from the inside, a horrible symphony of cracking and reforming. He cried out, a choked sound that was part human, part something completely different.
Then, just as suddenly as it started, the violent change calmed down. A heavy stillness settled over his body, a feeling of profound transformation. He pushed himself up, his limbs feeling heavier, yet strangely more powerful. His vision blurred for a moment before focusing, showing a world subtly changed. The magic around him pulsed even stronger, its flows and swirls now clearer and more complex.
He looked down at himself, and a fresh wave of horror hit him. His skin now had a faint, hard shine, darker in places, with fine, almost invisible hairs that prickled when he touched them. His two new arms were longer, thicker, their claws sharper and more defined, able to flex with unsettling strength. His chest seemed broader, his posture more hunched, his balance slightly different.
His face, too, had gone through a disturbing change. His features were sharper, more angular, his eyes larger and with many facets, reflecting the light in a creepy, insect-like way. He knew without looking that his mouth now had sharper, more numerous teeth. He could feel a faint twitching around his jaw, as if new mouthparts were trying to come out.
The strength that flowed through him was undeniable. He felt a raw, basic power thrumming beneath his skin, a sense of physical ability he had never imagined. He flexed his new limbs, and a ripple of dark energy ran through them. The urge to test this new power was almost impossible to resist.
He looked at the lifeless bodies of the Ogres, the empty shells now just remains. A cold, detached indifference washed over him, a stark contrast to the horror he had felt moments before. The goddess’s gift had not only changed his body but seemed to be altering his very emotions, dulling his empathy, sharpening his killer instincts.
The demonic spider within him stirred again, no longer a fearful presence, but an eager partner. Its whispers were stronger now, mixed with the thrumming energy inside him, urging him to embrace this change, to enjoy his new power.
Chief clenched his fists, his new claws digging into his palm. He was stronger, yes, but he was also becoming something... else. Something monstrous. The goddess’s reward felt like a curse, tying him further to her will, twisting him into a tool for her unknown plans.
Chief let out a weary sigh, a sound that was now raspier, more guttural than before. His new appendages, twitching with a life of their own, extended outwards. With an almost instinctive grace, they began to extrude shimmering strands of web, the sticky filaments weaving together with surprising speed and precision. In moments, a large, silken robe formed around him, a grotesque yet functional garment that concealed his altered form. The web-silk was surprisingly strong, clinging to him like a second skin, hiding the chitinous patches and extra limbs from casual observation.
He glanced down at the empty husks of the Ogres, a reminder of the power that now resided within him, a power he hadn’t asked for and barely understood. The Empire’s pursuit would intensify. His transformation wouldn’t go unnoticed for long, especially with the demise of two of their elite warriors. Their methods would undoubtedly become more sophisticated, their tactics more ruthless. Mages, specialized hunters, perhaps even more formidable ogres – the thought sent a shiver down his spine, despite the strange dulling of his fear.
Yet, a sliver of grim satisfaction flickered within him. The Empire’s inevitable reassessment of his threat level bought him time. Time to disappear deeper into the wilds, time to understand the changes wracking his body, time to perhaps even learn to control the terrifying power that now coursed through his veins.
With a flicker of his old habits, Chief reached down, expecting to feel the familiar straps of his roller skate boots. His hand grasped empty air. A wave of disappointment washed over him as he remembered. His legs had changed too drastically; his ingenious contraptions were now useless relics, likely scattered in pieces where his transformation had taken hold.