Chương 4: Ambushed

CH 4 - Ambushed After gathering everything they needed for their journey ahead, Jim and Grey left their apartments. As they stepped outside, light temporarily blinded Grey. He focused on the light entering his eyes, and intuitively adjusted the dilation of his pupils with (Shapeshifting). Allowing less light into his eyes let him see more clearly in the morning light. Grey focused on his ears next, hoping to pick up any sounds. All he could hear were distant sirens and the burning of nearby buildings.

"There's a creature nearby," Jim whispered. Grey dropped into a crouch. Jim stepped quietly and swiftly to a cross-alley and tensed his muscles, ready to strike. A giant mutated squirrel turned the corner and found itself met with a diabolical strike from Jim. With two closed fists, Jim brought his hands down as if he were slamming a hammer into the creature's head. Grey almost wanted to stop him. The squirrel had shown no hostility to them. The squirrel's quick jump at Jim's legs returned Grey to reality.

He dashed forward, summoning a cartilage horn to stab the squirrel. His strike landed viciously into the beast's side, and Jim punched it unconscious, ending the fight.

"Don't hesitate." Jim said.

"That was just a squirrel. Worst-case scenario it isn't aggressive, but we still caught ourselves dinner." Grey looked back at the prey before him. He still felt bad about ambushing the beast, but agreed with his friend. Hesitating would get them killed. [You have slain Mutated Squirrel (F): lvl 5: +5 exp]"How'd you know it was there? I couldn't hear anything." Grey asked.

"Not sure. I can almost sense things around me with whatever power my wish granted me." His stomach rumbled as he looked at the squirrel corpse before them.

"I'm starving. I have to eat it." It took quite a long time to butcher the giant squirrel to an edible quality. Grey nearly spilled its intestines on the meat, which would have ruined it.

"Who knew gutting a squirrel the size of a dog would be so difficult?" Using lighter fluid and a lighter, they created a grill in Mrs. Jensen's sink.

"This will definitely attract beasts. So we have to eat and leave." Grey bit into the grilled squirrel. They even got to use plenty of seasonings from the apartment, which he was sure to add several to his collection. By now, his belonging were embarrassingly many.

"Delicious," Grey let out between bites. The emptiness in his stomach was filling, but nowhere yet satiated. He continued eating, tuning the world out around him. (Shapeshifting) uses an incredible amount of energy, and each bite refilled him. Before long he got to the end of his half, and Jim just silently offered the rest of his own. Grey ate most of the squirrel. Where did the food go in his stomach? He wasn't sure. However, at a certain point, he felt his energy stores filled.

As he lifted his shirt, he confirmed to himself what he suspected. His new six-pack looked fuller, and the rest of his body felt tighter. Stats showed he had increased his END, STR, and DEX by 1. Once he had filled his energy stores, he worked on building his muscles throughout his body with the excess.

"Perfect! The more I eat, the stronger I get! And I don't even have to work out!" he blurted aloud. Jim's eyes dropped into a glare.

"Well, good for you. Let's go." Grey looked at his mess. He was so absorbed in eating he didn't realize he had eaten most of his friend's portion.

"Thanks Jim. My ability uses up calories."

"No problem. I'm just jealous you can eat as much as you want without getting fat."

"Oh..." Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators! Grey remembered his buddy from before the integration. He started going to the boxing gym in the first place because he was fat. Just like me, he loves good food. As they stepped back outside their apartment and into the alley, the two friends were met with more company. Two giant dogs immediately noticed them step outside. On their necks were collars, but any owner they might have had were long gone.

"Hey puppies," Grey said nervously. He wasn't sure if all pets were aggressive now, or if Mrs. Jensen's cat just hated her… Probably the latter. The dogs sniffed in their direction. Both of their pointed ears pivoted in the direction behind Grey, and they took off in the opposite way. Grey turned to see another dog.

"Hey buddy ar-" Around the furry beast's neck was no collar. Its size was much larger than the dogs before. That's when he realized it wasn't a dog.

"Grey that's a wolf""Yes. I know that now. I-" Grey's words ended as the wolf snapped its maw towards him in a dash.

"He's fast!" Grey felt a chill run down his spine. The big white wolf had pure red eyes. He felt them staring down at him as if he were their prey. The unfamiliar feeling didn't sit right with him. Jim's fists glowed red, and the suppressing feeling lifted slightly. The wolf's aura wasn't overpowering, but it made him feel weaker. It didn't charge forward mindlessly. It had a specific look in its eyes. One of joy. It had just found an easy dinner. It slowly crept towards Grey, looking for an opportunity to lunge.

Jim stood defensively beside him, preparing for the beasts incoming attack. Grey bent his knees, readying his fists. Nothing he had fought so far seemed as dangerous as this. The wolf leapt at him. He swung his fist out, hoping to deflect himself away, but the beast swatted him to the side. Grey somersaulted over the pavement and slammed into the stone alley wall.

"FUU-" He screamed, a massive slash in his shoulder stabbed him with pain. Aww shii- With the last of his strength, he rolled to the side. CRUNCH. Grey felt the wolf sink its teeth into his shoulder. He barely dodged enough to avoid getting his neck ripped open, but the wolf's bite was strong enough to break bones. Grey screamed as the wolf flailed, trying to throw him off balance. Jim slammed a fist into the side of it, prompting him to let go of Grey. Grey grew his cartilage horn from his fist.

It grew much faster now; he had practiced more and got plenty of food earlier. He punched the wolf in the face, gouging out an eye with the horn. It leapt back and lowered its head in a defensive posture. Hackles puffed out and a murderous snarl curled up its lips. Grey jumped back and let his now-broken left shoulder hang limply at his side. The wolf stared threateningly and began moving in a semicircle, looking for opportunities to strike. Grey tried thinking of solutions as fast as he could.

He slowly healed his shoulder wound, but the most he could do was stop the bleeding; he wasn't confident in mending bones yet. He did what he could to heal himself and raised his fists. If only I had a better weapon. Grey stared at the horn and retracted it. Then, from his palm, a skinny bone katana grew from the bone. The pain was unimaginable. Like growing pains mixed with surgery, but he finished with only sweat on his neck. It's now or never.

He raised his new bone katana in front of him and readied himself for the boss-mob in front of him. [Ability: Bone Manipulation has evolved from (F) to (E)]"Dude that was way too cool." Jim whispered as the giant wolf lunged again. He had gotten used to the wolf's presence by now. Its aura was full of bloodlust and aggression. Instead of worrying about the wolf's aura, he met the wolf in the eyes and stared back. Grey hadn't felt very fearful since the integration.

Sure, he was worried about dying, and he hoped his family was ok back in his hometown, but he never let those fears cloud his vision. Grey had little to live for before the integration, and now that he and the world were changing, he would not let his life be cut short. A feeling inside of him flared up. Defiance. A will for change. Fearlessness. He stared back at the wolf with an aura of unmoving will. Something he had never felt before. He felt ambition for the first time since he was a child.

An ambition to become stronger, to survive. He wasn't sure if this feeling would make him happy one day, but it felt natural. As if his body was forcing him to evolve past his shortcomings. The wolf hesitated and, for a moment, looked away from Grey. Without thinking, Grey lunged forward and swung his sword in a huge overhead arc towards the wolf's skull. Energy flowed through unknown meridians in his body to enhance his movements to their peak.

The wolf returned Grey's gaze only before the bone katana connected with the top of its head. Before its death, Grey saw a look in the wolf's eyes that resembled fear and reverence. For a moment, Grey felt bad for the creature. This is a new world. I have to kill, or I'll be killed. The wolf's body slumped over, a fountain of blood formed a pool quickly beside it. [Direwolf (lvl 6) slain: +7 exp] I used whatever ability the wolf was using... The same one Jim uses. And where the fuck did a wolf come from?

Grey fell to his knees and focused on mending his wounds. During the battle, he could stop the bleeding, but he had major fractures and breaks throughout his body. That was close. I need to become stronger… What else is out here? He started healing up his shoulder and fusing his bones. The process was painful and healing made him hungrier and hungrier. He sat cross legged for a while, focusing with his eyes closed.

[New ability: Regenerative Cells (F): Regenerating lost cells as they were previously, costs reduced energy.] The new ability immediately took effect, and the burden of calories on his healing was immediately lifted. Still, he looked at the wolf carcass and decided he would eat it to recover his energy. Across the multiverse, deities scoured the newly integrated 75 th universe for potential talent to recruit to their side. Much focus was on Earth, but more importantly, on Grey.

A man with a cowl embroidered in shadows sneered at the wasted talent. A woman held in the embrace of moonlight smiled at his innocence. And most importantly, an old craftsman, one from the ages of old, smiled as he saw the blade Grey had summoned. For this was no ordinary craftsman. The feat inspired him to walk over ot his forge, to create his own blade from bone. In a dark workshop in a world between worlds, the old deity began to work. His right palm opened face up, and a bone emerged.

Let's see what else you're capable of. (New Titles) Beginnings of Aura: Unlock Aura Effect: +2 WIS, +1 LUCK (Noticed) Noticed: Draw the attention of a God within the five days of a universe's integration. All stats +1