Ch. 69 - Polymorph
Tang Qi drew his curved blade and immediately stepped forward to shield the two young women, saying alertly,
"Very realistic. At least I couldn't detect any flaws."
He had heard the story of that innocent hunter.
So when the hunter before him displayed such familiarity with everything about Starberry Town, and as a Beastfolk who lived secluded in the mountains, conducted himself with such measured propriety, Tang Qi had almost believed him.
Not to mention that he hadn't intended to enter the camp at first.
It was only because he had lost his companion 'Wolf' and gotten disoriented in the eerie mists of Dawnmist Forest that he had circled back here.
Looking back now, this all seemed to be tricks he had prepared in advance—
Precisely because he had appeared harmless, he could hide his true purpose.
"That makes it even stranger."
The hunter stroked his full beard and touched the realistic gray-white fur on the back of his hand, standing straight and elegant.
"I even went to the trouble of disguising myself as a hunter. If you had known this hunter, you should have been even more convinced."
"But how could Dad not recognize me!"
Anbi gripped Catherine's hand tightly, shrinking behind her and Tang Qi, her fangs bared on both sides along with the fierce light beneath her vertical pupils.
The hunter blinked, looked at the girl who had hidden her face under a hood, and only then reacted, slapping his forehead:
"So he had a child?"
He smiled and bent slightly in a bow.
"Sorry, I didn't expect him to be so cruel. To actually bear letting his own child come into this world carrying a curse."
"Don't you talk about my dad!"
"I'm stating facts, child. Letting one's offspring forever suffer the torment of bestial nature and the cold stares of others—that's not what a father should do—"
"Rather than standing here passing judgment on others' choices, why don't you tell us why you're impersonating someone?"
Tang Qi interrupted.
Because Father Lynn hadn't been able to finish the story at the time, Tang Qi only just now realized.
That hunter who had been abandoned by the nobles and forced to fight the werewolf was actually Anbi's father.
This way, everything made sense—
As a famous hunter in Starberry Town, during Lord Merle's hunt, he was forced to become a sacrificial pawn when the werewolf attacked.
Even though he worked together with the guards who stayed behind and cut off the werewolf's head, he inevitably became infected with the Beastification Curse.
So he couldn't immediately return to Starberry Town, but instead made a detour to Father Lynn's church and confessed the entire truth—this charitable priest was the only person who could treat him and be trusted.
Anbi's Beastification Curse should also have been inherited from her father.
And this hunter, the moment he entered the camp, had treated Anbi and Catherine no differently than strangers.
In their eyes, this was clearly a 'father' explaining his own 'origins' to his daughter while talking only to himself.
He even looked exactly like 'father.'
Too bizarre.
No wonder their expressions were so tense.
The only pity was that although Catherine, sensing something was wrong, had immediately held Anbi back and not made too much of a scene.
This action itself hadn't escaped the other party's eyes.
Due to the information asymmetry that caused the disguise to fail, the hunter could only resign himself to bad luck and raise both hands:
"Alright, I confess."
Immediately after, Tang Qi saw his coarse hair, beard, and even the wolf-like 'beastified' claws all retreat back into his body as if in reverse.
His skin began to pale, his shiny scalp almost reflecting the firelight.
His torso gradually withered, his face became gaunt, like a skeleton merely hanging human skin.
Only those eyes remained bright and spirited, radiating vitality.
He was like a scholar who understood propriety yet displayed arrogance:
"You know, I didn't want to cause trouble. Otherwise I wouldn't have wasted a spell slot just to fool your eyes and infiltrate this camp."
Seeing the 'hunter's' true face, Anbi couldn't help but shout:
"What did you do to my dad!?"
"He's already dead, of course, child. If you want to know some details of how it happened, I'm sorry, but if I had to deliberately memorize every person's death, then my limited brain probably wouldn't have room for anything else."
The man tapped his sunken temple with withered fingers, even revealing a peaceful smile.
"Roar!"
A low growl squeezed from Anbi's throat. She was about to release Catherine's hand and pounce on that withered face, to scratch through his skin with her claws—
But Catherine held her firmly:
"Anbi, don't cause trouble for Tang Qi!"
"But, but—"
"Listen."
Her tone brooked no argument as she pulled Anbi back two steps.
Thinking calmly, this 'skeleton' was an exalted spellcaster—
And Anbi's little claws couldn't even hurt the dead Jackal.
Unable to provide help, the only thing they could do in this temporarily safe moment was not to hinder those who had the ability to do something.
"Everyone, return to your tents!"
Tang Qi first shouted to those commoners who had been attracted by the commotion and were now confused and anxious, not understanding the truth.
Old David immediately picked up his pitchfork and was about to rush toward him.
But Tang Qi glared at him, making him retreat back to his tent in fear.
Seeing the camp gradually become empty and quiet, with only the faint sound of wind audible.
And since the other party had revealed his true appearance, Tang Qi hesitated:
"Disguise Self?"
"Polymorph."
This answer itself represented a threat, so the 'skeleton' didn't mind explaining a bit more.
Sure enough, Tang Qi's brow furrowed even tighter—
Both being spells used for disguise, the difference between Disguise Self and Polymorph, due to different schools and spell circles, had fundamental distinctions.
As a first-circle spell of the Illusion school, Disguise Self was actually more similar to the Silent Image that Kuru often cast—
It covered the subject with a layer of false imagery.
This made it appear to change the subject's clothing and weapons, but it was difficult to withstand physical examination.
When touching the subject, one could still see through the illusion.
Polymorph, however, was a second-circle spell of the Transmutation school—a power sufficient to alter the form of matter.
It could easily make the subject grow things they shouldn't possess, such as giving humans gills and webbed feet to adapt to underwater movement.
Or physically change one's appearance, weight, voice, and even mimic another race.
Even a Beastfolk's fangs and claws could be easily transformed.
And being able to use a precious second-circle spell slot on a transformation spell that could only last one hour already indicated something—
The 'skeleton' before them should have very abundant spell slots.
Thinking of how Black Snake had stumbled at the hands of that old goblin, who was merely a warlock with meager spell slots...
Stonecrusher had already raised his tower shield, ready to charge forward with his hammer at the slightest misstep.
And Tang Qi faintly felt cold sweat about to soak his back:
"So? You went to such great lengths to infiltrate the camp—it shouldn't be just to show off that you can change size at will, right?"
"No need to harbor such great hostility, Mr. 'Hero.'"
The 'skeleton' rubbed his palms together, staring intently at the dwarf Stonecrusher—
Perhaps the only person who made him feel apprehensive:
"I said, I don't want to cause trouble. I just have my eye on something here. If you're willing to give it to me, I'm also willing to pay a corresponding price."
Tang Qi didn't think it was something that could be easily handed over.
He subconsciously glanced toward the tent, where his journal was still in the dimensional bag:
"What have you set your sights on?"
"I need a head."