Shifter - Infinite Transformation-Chapter 71: Integration?

Even after all my experiments and a short break spent with Fern, I was still nowhere near done.

"Are you done?" I asked Clove, slapping his upper arm when he wouldn’t stop making choking noises.

"Are you done?" Clove asked intensely, the crimson of his eyes glinting faintly.

"I was done, yes. However, if you keep going like that, I might as well continue." I called out only to be interrupted by Fern clearing her throat.

Her cheeks burned red. That made me want to resume the break once again. "Only if Fern wants to keep going."

She looked like she was about to say something but her face turned even redder instead.

"I can’t. This makes no sense!" Clove threw his arms into the air. "Why am I stuck here with a lovey-dovey couple?!"

"You’re just jealous." I called out before turning back to my experiments. To figure out how to acquire more Powers and a racial trait. That was certainly more efficient than teasing the young fae.

Blade of Astor from Loverboy Two sounded like an interesting Power to have. So was Words of Truth. Burst and Ignite were also quite useful. The former would require some more care than the rest but as long as it didn’t break my bones, I’d be fine.

There was no way I could postpone my experiments with so many useful Powers that were only waiting to be claimed.

Transforming to Loverboy Two, Oarf Ter, once more, I used his Power. As soon as Blade of Astor activated, I felt a pull from deep within me. Holding out my hand, I felt something that was warm and cold at the same time travel down my forearm and into my hand.

A sheen of energy coalesced in my palm, not unlike Conjure Bread had worked, yet I was faced with something far more lethal than a loaf. The blade’s handle was not long. It was relatively short, yet it fit perfectly into my palm. There was no crossguard nor could I make out a difference between the blade and the handle as I regarded the shimmering energy that had coalesced into a sword.

Tapping the blade ever so gently, I quickly realized that the blade was dull. That, as it turned out, was not the case when I lowered the blade and it carved through the grass around us. It even nicked an ancient tree’s aerial root, which earned me a death stare from Fern.

Blade of Astor was incredibly sharp. It was just that it didn’t hurt me. And it was quite obvious with all the shimmering and all. Just as the thought flashed through my mind, the Blade of Astor dimmed. Willing it to glow brighter or to grow even dimmer, it didn’t take long before the weapon’s versatility was clear as day and night.

The blade grew longer at my behest, it turned wider, and it even curved when I wanted it to.

"Cool." Clove called out, which I seconded in silence.

The Power was cool and relatively versatile, yet it had limits. I could shrink it to a dagger’s size or grow massively with the corresponding energy consumption, but it always remained a blade.

I could use it as a glaive or spear with some effort...maybe.

That would require tens of hours of practice, possibly hundreds. Testing Blade of Astor for a few minutes had already been incredibly draining, and I wanted nothing more than to sleep. And eat. And continue practicing. And a lot of other things.

Closing my eyes, I tried to feel what was happening when I activated, modified, and retracted the Blade of Astor, but there was no response. I couldn’t tell anything... just yet.

Thus, I turned into the Airborne Archaeopteryx. The goal was simple: find out where the racial trait, Sonic Boom, was coming from. Then replicate it without killing myself.

It felt like using Shift extensively could end up in a premature death – my premature death – but ample research was needed to make full use of the Power. It was crucial, or I might die to an opportunity or trap I would have escaped if only I had studied Shift a little bit more.

The Airborne Archaeopteryx was my next target. Its racial trait was nowhere near as important as the Powers but if it was any easier to acquire than a Power, I’d rather have Sonic Boom than nothing.

The first Sonic Boom was a regular one. My attempt at studying the processes required to release the trait failed quite miserably. The second was just as much of a failure as the first. However, I managed to stall Sonic Boom a little. The energy moved slower through my avian body before it gathered and released.

Feeling like I was getting somewhere, I slowed down the process even more. Big mistake. The Sonic Boom exploded in my maw, nearly taking me out for good. Pain assaulted me mercilessly even as I hurriedly shifted to the Blue Slime form. Only when the transformation completed did the pain fade from existence.

In its stead came the darkness. It consumed me, forcing me into a deep slumber.

The next time I woke up, Fern shouted at me as soon as I transformed into my main form.

"How could you be so reckless? Do you want to die? Are you that tired of me already?!" She hollered at me, and not even Clove came to my rescue.

If anything, the young fae retreated far away, looking like he was unsure if he should glare at me or feel sorry for me.

"I am sorry." I said as soon as I was sure that the Blue Slime had fully recovered the physical body. My head still hurt a little, but that was probably Sonic Boom’s doing. "I am not tired of you, nor will I ever be. I...was just a little impatient and thought it was a good idea to break down the Archaeopteryx’s racial trait."

That wasn’t exactly a good excuse, but it was the truth. It was stupid, and I acknowledged that.

Fern let out a deep, resigned sigh. "I get it. You want to learn more about Shift. These experiments help you understand the Cursed Power, and they might even help you do something ridiculous down the line." She looked up, and it was only now that I saw how wet her bright golden eyes were. "But you won’t be able to do any of that if you’re dead."

"I get it."

"Do you really?" She narrowed her eyes on me.

"I do," I nodded. "But I think I cannot promise you to stay out of danger or anything. Just like you don’t want me to take care of you when you’re injured, I don’t want to have to rely on you or Clove. I want to be strong enough to stand by your sides and fight alongside you. To do that, I need to understand Shift. And that means I need to do more experiments, some of which – many of which – are prone to being dangerous."

I didn’t want to be weak. I didn’t want others to have to sacrifice their own safety to protect me.

Was that really so much to ask for?

Fern’s lips parted and closed. She thought about my words, and even though she looked displeased, she ended up nodding.

"I understand where you’re coming from." Fern sighed once more. "Just try not to get yourself killed."

"I will." I planted a quick peck on her cheek. "Just for the record, that counts for you as well. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do either."