Born in Blood



Liam felt a million different unpleasant sensations vomiting over him, crawling across every orifice and striation of his body.

It was a nauseating feeling. Everything felt disproportionate and unsettling. Like he was no longer the same person. 

No longer the same thing.

But as his thoughts slowly grew clearer, and his overwhelming and hectic sensations stabilized, Liam felt like he could finally examine what he ended up becoming.

He could feel the number of people in the basement. Without his mental energy or Shadow Sense.

Even if he closed his eyes, he could perceive them.

They were like burning stars in a black void to his mind. An eighth sense. He could feel the warmth of their breaths, the quick beating of their hearts.

But first, Liam had to break through the chains binding him down. 

Muscles at Liam's hands and feet started to transform and weave into a superior build.

Thankfully, Transfiguration was still with him. 

He hadn't lost it to the procedure. 

Transformations felt insanely fast now that he had a Shifter's body.

Before, it felt like shaping clay when transforming muscles or bone. 

Slow and dull, but got the job done.

Now, it felt like reshaping liquid. 

Fast and effective, like the latest update to an already modern software.

That was no small difference. 

Liam's strength tripled at his hands and feet. 

His Ashura strength hadn't regressed or lessened, either, which was just a lovely addition to an already ridiculous body.

Liam's arms and legs didn't bulk in size as he tripled the strength in them. 

They simply condensed. 

CLINK!

With a wide yanking motion, the chains snaring his limbs sharply clinked apart one after the other.

They were peak Rank 3 inscribed chains. 

Fortified with rigidity and made with one of the hardest metals by cultivation standards.

Snapped.

Liam rose to his feet and examined what he'd become.

He'd lost his sanity more than once during painful moments, but he was strangely calm now.

The Elders watching felt awe at his sight. 

It was like watching a new species being birthed. 

And it was.

There was no term to describe what Liam now was.

Unlike humans who needed to be nurtured, developed and taught since they were born, animals and critters knew their job from the get-go.

This was basically what Liam had become. 

An animal. And an Ashura. But also a human. One with sharp instincts and malicious urges, but a keen mind to keep both in check.

Thus, despite feeling enough pain to make someone desire death, he'd thrown the experience in the back of his head and focused on himself.

Firstly, his skin was uneven and ink-black in color, since the skinsuit was still in its base form.

His eyes were red and golden.

He had no hair, but that could easily change.

Everything in his body felt liquid. Not in the literal sense. His insides were indeed solid and perfectly rigid.

But it was all so… mendable.

Liam felt in control. 

Unbound and free. 

Liam breaking the chains weren't just literal, but figurative, as well.

In an instant, Liam's skin went through a series of rapidfire transformations. 

From fishy black skin, it morphed to a furry white, then to reptilian green scales, before reverting back to a human form.

These weren't actual transformations into creatures of a different species. 

He was still a Human/Shifter/Ashura.

But Liam was simply changing the color of his skin, and the roughness and anatomy of his flesh.

Meaning his 'scales' weren't actual scales. It was colored, hardened skin.

Usan, and the Elders watching with wide eyes, simply said nothing and absorbed the sight.

This was a marvel of its own kind!

A revolutionary discovery!

Usan had a broad smile on his face, pouring himself another mug of ale. 

Seeing his heir attain more strength was a win to him, and a cause for celebration.

Liam outstretched both arms. 

Slowly, both limbs started to stretch and morph... turning into octopus tentacles!

The Elders were... confused. 

Then, more octopus tentacles protruded from Liam's body!

From his back, his chest, his sides. 

Now that was just... unsettling. 

But then, those octopus tendrils suddenly erected and hardened, turning as sharp as a blade!

Then, some of the blades burst with dark flames!

Right after, a few of the tentacles surged with volatile red energy!

Following that, spikes made from blood burst from all over him!

Right now, Liam resembled a multicolored spiky sea urchin.

"Fhoooooo..."

Liam let out a long exhale. 

The octopus tentacles, blood spikes, and blades retracted back into his flesh.

Now, he resembled himself again, with a few modifications. White hair was too catchy. 

Liam chose to don short, raven-black hair instead.

"How does it feel?" Usan asked with a smirk. 

Liam let out a short laugh. Unsettling and a little deep. 

"Wonderful."

***

After the initial success and small experimentation, Liam tested out the limits of his new body on his own.

Unfortunately, he still couldn't significantly alter his fixed anatomy.

He had gained new structural abilities, like what he did with the octopus tendrils. 

Only, organs like his eyes, ears and heart were still fixed and unchangeable. 

He could change the location of his eyes and bring it around the back of his skull, or anywhere else.

He could split his bones and turn them into a wieldable shard, and could even expel things from his body.

Poison would no longer affect him, that was for sure.

In fact, Liam could actually change the location of his centers of power!

Both his Chaos Pearl and core were at the very center of his body — the safest and most protective place they could be.

But Liam couldn't duplicate his eye or sensory organs. He could change their shape slightly, but that was it.

Despite his amazing bodily capabilities, Liam still didn't have 'ultimate' control. 

But eventually that would change.

At the same time, Liam attempted Admit. He was a bit afraid of using Expel, but he'd only try it if Admit worked.

There wasn't enough time for a proper, conductive test, but he simply absorbed a small piece of a Rank 4 lizard's flesh to add to his own.

As soon as the lizard's scaly meat made contact with Liam's body, it slowly sank through.

Admit had gotten significantly stronger. 

And it worked.