Chapter 13

The Metamorpher

Twelve Formars including Chieftain Ishul sat around in a circular formation. However, I sat in the middle of the circle facing Chieftain Ishul.

“Isshan.” Ishul said.

Isshan standing outside the formation handed a black cup to her father.

Ishul then turned all of his attention to me. “You can still change your decision young man.” Ishul said then he raised the black cup to the air. “If you drink the contents of this cup, there’s no turning back.”

I nodded.

“If you fail here, you are not allowed to take it again. If you understand that, come here.”

I stood then looked to Isshan. She gave me a worried look before she turned her eyes away.

“Drink this.” Ishul ordered.

“What is this?” I asked.

“You need not to know, young man. Remember, you chose this path.”

I took the cup from his hands and drank whatever was in it.

“You may return.” Ishul ordered.

Ishul then held both of his hands and the two Formars beside him grab his hands. Soon, their interlocking arms formed a close circle.

Ishul said nothing and closed his eyes. A minutes passed and nothing happened.

Where’s the shouting, the weird sounds, the inconspicuous dance? This is one boring ritual.

They didn’t say to close my eyes so I tried to look around. They all looked scary. They all have dark brown complexion and a muscular build. They wore sleeveless jackets parted in the middle without buttons or any zippers.

A dark clouds seeped into my peripheral vision and all of a sudden, I can’t see a thing. A drip of water is all I can hear.

“Hello?” I shouted.

“Hello, hello, hello, ello, elo, o, o” Echoed my voice.

Another minute passed and nothing happened. If Danetos doesn’t appear then I failed this quest. Either way, this path is the most efficient one and time saving. Even if I passed all the trials, there’s no guarantee Danetos will appear, since I don’t think the completion of the trials is the only criteria for him to appear, or else someone in the Spectre Division had already finished this quest.

“Is there any petty gods here?” I shouted.

“Here, here, here, ere, er, er, e……......”

The ground shook violently and I almost lost my balance. The tremor stopped and a tiny light from far away seemed to be getting bigger every second.

*Wooosh*

A figure stood before me and his face was few breadths away from me.

“Who are you calling petty,” he paused, “BOY?”

Majority of his red vest with golden buttons was covered with his unhooded black cloak. The complexion of his face was the perfect blend of a brown rich soil, not too dark and not too light. He has a tattoo around his right eye that extended onto his right cheek down to his neck and probably to his body. He has also a black ear cuff and an earring of small skull hanging on to his right ear. He has shoulder length hair that looked like it was dyed in blood.

“Oh, I am sorry I meant puny.” I said.

He placed his cloak to cover his face and then he vanished in front of me. I was surprised when I saw that I was actually standing on a floating rock in the middle of the cloudless sky.

“Haha, you impudent human. You speak as if we are equal.” He said.

I looked around but there was no sight of him.

I smiled. “We may not be equal but at least you think I am worthy enough to grace me with your presence.”

He appeared again in front of me “Don’t get cocky, BOY!”

He was twice my height. His narrow neck suggests he was lean.

Oh, god. I hate it when he say BOY, he sounded like he was spitting a spoiled food from his mouth.

“Oh, then Great god of Change, the thirteenth son of the Maker, the Champion of lesser beings, to what do I owe the

pleasure of you seeing me."

He flew, but more like he floated fast, and his black cloak fluttered with the wind. “I have a debt to settle and I always pay my debts.”

“Whose debt?” I asked.

He flew around and I heard his descent behind me.

“To you, of course. You saved Isshan and she prayed to me to help you pass the trial or at least come to meet you.”

I knew that Isshan played a role on this quest, now the question is, how big of a role? “Then you are just here to meet me.”

“You catch on quick, for a human.”

“And now that you met me, what are you going to do?” I asked.

“I have no more obligation to stay here.” Then the rock I am standing on shook.

“Wait!” I shouted. “I saved the reincarnation of the woman you hold most dear.” I said. “Don’t you think you owe me an explanation?”

He appeared instantly in front of me again and said nothing.

I was right. Isshan is Krishta's incarnate.

"Speak BOY! How did you know that?"

"They say Krishta's beauty even surpassed the goddess of beauty herself."

"That is true."

"Isshan is very gorgeous and you went to the trouble of meeting me here, as her request."

He flew away from me. "Speak, what do you want to know."

“I want to know the purpose of your trials.” I asked.

“To look for my champion, of course.”

“You know for a fallen god, you’re too choosy. The twelve beings before me who took the trials, could easily fill the role as your champion. ” I said this to bait him to give me his reactions to the other Spectre members.

He laughed. “Cheeky human. Those mortal beings are quite interesting, but they all lacked something. They does not have what it takes to be my champion.”

“What does it take anyway?” I asked.

“Kindness, compassion, humility and a pure heart.” He smiled.

I gulped. I am the exact opposite of those qualities if we’re going to base it on my previous actions in Lost Earth.

He laughed and disappeared again. “If you think you have those qualities then you are not what I am looking for.”

I sighed with relief. “Then you are in luck. Here I am.”

“Oooooh?” He said out of nowhere.

“You have been watching me from the start I took the quest, how did I know that? Because you know I saved Isshan. That means you should know that I have neither of those qualities.”

He appeared to my right side. “Yes. You are very cunning, ruthless, efficient and quite manipulative.”

“Don’t you think those qualities will greatly help you in the coming war?” I asked.

“Coming war? What are you talking about, human?”

“Oh please, why else you needed a champion? You need me and I need you. If you let this opportunity to select me as your champion, then you will have to wait for another 100 years for someone equally as good as me. Why? Because I am a phenomenon than only happens once in a century, you know.”

He laughed so hard. “You think too highly of yourself, lowly human.”

“For you 100 years may seem like a fleeting moment, but how about Isshan?”I said. I knew he cares about Isshan.

He stopped laughing. “What about her?” He said sternly.

“I have no idea about the enormity of the incoming war, but to think that even a fallen god like yourself needed a champion, then it must be a very significant war and probably it will greatly affect the fate of this world, and Isshan is a part of this world. Don't you think?”

He fell silent.

I got him. One more push. “We both have things to protect. So I propose we worked together to achieve that.”

“You don’t even know what I wanted to achieve, Human. And. You. Dare. Speak. For. me.” He growled.

“Surely, you longed for vengeance.”

“I am not some vengeful god.” He replied.

“But you say you always pay your debt.” I said.

“I know what you are doing, human. I am a sentient being that had lived for a thousand of years. You think such lowly tricks will work on me.”

“For a god who had lived for a millennia, you’re quite naïve.” I said.

He disappeared again then suddenly a continuous strong gush of wind was gradually pushing me back. I raised my hands to protect my face from the strong winds.

“Who are you calling naïve, BOY?” he said but I couldn’t see him.

I was still being pushed back. “You pathetically lost in the great battle between gods." The wind getting stronger and I was forced to take a step back. "The beings you swore to protect doesn’t even remember you" A strong gush of wind struck me that I was almost swept away by it. "and worse of all, you couldn’t even protect the love of your life. You are weak.”

The strong wind stopped and when I looked behind me I was already at the edge of the rock.

“Help me, help you. I am the thirteenth mortals to challenge your trial for a reason, I believe fate has brought us together and together, we could grant each other’s desires. If you desire vengeance, I’ll help you." I said while panting.

“What do you desire?” he asked.

“Power.” As I said this, the scene in my father’s smithy when I was able to walk for the first time in the Lost Earth flushed before me.

“Ha ha ha ha.” He said then another strong wind came and pushed me out of the rock.

“AAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrgggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh.”

I was falling.

Then I woke up, with the same feeling you got when you woke up from a dream that you are falling. I saw Ishul and other Formars with their right knee and right hand touching the ground with their head held down.

Ishul then looked to me. “All hail Danetos!”

"Yuheeeeh"

Then simultaneously they all looked at me.

“I am not Danetos.” I said.

“You are not, but the egg you are holding is the embodiment of our god.” Ishul said.

What egg? I looked to my hand and I was holding an egg the size of a football. It has the same color of an ordinary egg. “What does this mean?”

Mystery EggType:???Durability:?? / ??Quality:???????

“It means you passed.”

Ting!

You have changed your Class.

You graduated from being a novice.

Ting!

You are now a Level 1 Metamorpher.

Ting!

You have learned Morph Class.

Morph Class

Level 0 (Passive)Ability to switch to any classes you want. As long as it was acquired using Morph touchor it was stored usingMorph Storage

Synchronization rate depends on your base level and Morpher Class level.

Ting!

You have learned Morpher Touch.

Morph Touch

Level 0 (Active)Ability to copy the target's class.

Cooldown: 25s

Requirements: You need to touch any part of the target's body to copy their class

Retaining period: 5s (You only have five seconds to convert to the class you copied or you can store it using Morph Storage for later use.

Ting!

You have learned Morpher Storage.

Morph Storage

Level 0 (Passive)Ability to store the class you have copied for later use.

Cooldown: 20s

Storage Capacity: 1

Current Class Stored: None

Ting!

You have learned Morph Stats.

Morph Stats

Level 0 (Active)Ability to manipulate Attribute points. (e.g converting Strength points to Agility points or to Intelligence points or vice versa.)

Cooldown: 10s

Requirement: 10 Mp = 1 attribute point converted.

Ting!

You have learned Morph Overlay Assault.

Morph Overlay Assault.

Level 0 (Active)Ability to add effect on your attack depending on the Highest Attribute.

Strength - Every strike has a chance of stunning your target for 2 seconds.

Agility - Every strike has a 20% increased damage.

Dexterity - Every strike has an increased Critical Chance of 7%

Intelligence - Every strike will be imbued with elemental damage depending on the second highest attribute. (Fire, Wind, Earth, Metal, Water, Lighting, Nature, Spirit, Dark, Light/Holy)

Wisdom - Every strike has a chance of paralyzing the target for 2 seconds.

Vitality - Every strike has a chance of converting the damage you dealt to your enemy and add it to your HP.

Cooldown: 40s

Works on any weapon(Spear, Bow, Sword, Claws, Dagger, Staff, Mace, Hammer, Axe) and any offensive spells.

"Character info." I whispered.

CHARACTER INFO

NAMECrippleLevel1ClassMetamorpherTitleNoneFame250HP

MP100/100

50/50Physical Attack

Magical Attack2-3

1-2Stamina45/100Defense6AttributesStrength5Intelligence5Agility5Dexterity5Vitality5Wisdom5Remaining Attribute Points: 0

SKILL WINDOW

Morpher Class

Level 0 (Passive)Ability to switch to any classes you want. As long as it was acquired using Morph Touch or stored usingMorph Storage

Synchronization rate depends on your base level and Morph Class level.Morpher Touch

Level 0 (Active)Ability to copy the target's class.

Cooldown: 25s

Requirements: You need to touch any part of the target's body to copy their class

Retaining period: 5s (You only have five(5) seconds to convert to the class you copied or you can store it using Morph Storage for later use.Morpher Storage

Level 0 (Passive)Ability to store the class you have been copied for later use.

Cooldown: 20s

Storage Capacity: 1

Current Class Stored: NoneMorph Stats

Level 0 (Active)Ability to manipulate Attribute points. (e.g converting Strength points to Agility points or to Intelligence points vice versa.)

Cooldown: 10s

Requirement: 10 Mp = 1 attribute point converted.Morph Overlay Assault.

Level 0 (Active)Ability to add an effect on your attack depending on the Highest Attribute.

Strength - Every strike has a chance of stunning your target for 2 seconds.

Agility - Every strike has a 20% increased damage.

Dexterity - Every strike has an increased Critical Chance of 7%

Intelligence - Every strike will be imbued with elemental damage depending on the second highest attribute. (Fire, Wind, Earth, Metal, Water, Lighting, Nature, Spirit, Dark, Light/Holy)

Wisdom - Every strike has a chance of paralyzing the target for 2 seconds.

Vitality - Every strike has a chance of converting the damage you dealt to your enemy and add it to your HP.

Cooldown: 40s

Works on any weapon(Spear, Bow, Sword, Claws, Dagger, Staff, Mace, Hammer, Axe) and any offensive spells.

Are you kidding me? I'm back to lvl 1? Noooooooooooooooooooo, my hard earned stats.

Ishul stood. "Come young man, you must be tired and hungry."

I stood while still holding the egg and followed Ishul.

Chieftain Ishul raised his hands. "Tonight, we feast. Our god Danetos had finally chosen his champion." Ishul shouted.

"Huyeeeeeh!" Every one shouted in unison.

The other Formars brought out two cask of wine, the others prepared a fire and started to roast some meat. I was impressed on how fast they set up everything.

"Come, sit here." Ishul said.

I went to where Ishul was and sat down in an empty log.

"Say, young man. You were out for quite a well. What happened there?" Ishul asked.

"Danetos and I just talked." I answered.

Everyone gasped then they murmured with each other.

"You were lucky young man."

Not really. I lost all my stats.

"Yeah, we talked for a while. I thought I was going to fail during our conversation."

"Oh, young man. You misunderstood, the moment Danetos appeared before you, you had already passed the trial." Ishul said.

What? Seriously? Then what's with the dialogue between me and Danetos?

Isshan came and handed out a cup of wine to me.

"Thanks Isshan. Thank you for your prayers. Danetos heard them."

She just smiled.

"Drink, young man." Ishul ordered.

I drank. "Any idea what to do with this egg?" I asked.

"You take care of it until it hatches, young man." Ishul answered.

I looked at the egg and thought how many people can it feed when cooked. Ala Scrambled style.

Isshan sat down opposite to me, near to her father.

"Isshan, your responsibility as a seeker will probably get tougher now. You should not neglect your training." Ishul said in his stern voice.

Isshan lowered her head. "But, father. I think I am ready now."

"Enough!" Ishul roared.

Isshan was shocked and instinctively raised her shoulder. When she saw me looking at her she gave me a smile, though, it felt like forced.

"Young man, where will you go now?" Ishul asked.

"I'll return to Mercia City, after that I have no idea, O' mighty leader Ishul." I said.

"Ishul. Call me Ishul, young man. You have earned it. Wherever you decide to go, you need to get strong as fast as possible, young man. There's a big war brewing." Ishul took something that was hanging from his belt. "Here take this, young man."

Formanticore HornType:AccessoryDurability:IndestructibleRarity:MythicalIn times of great need, blow this horn and the people of Forma Tribe will come to your aid.

Limited use: 5

"If you ever need help, don't be afraid to call us." Ishul said.

"Thank you, Ishul."

He nodded. "I take it you will leave tomorrow then." Ishul asked.

"Yes." I said.

"S-so soon?" Isshan asked.

"I am afraid so, milady." I said.

"You can stay for a while, Cripple. I could teach you everything I know about our god, Danetos." Isshan said.

"Isshan! if he wanted to go, you must not hinder him, for it is not our duty." Ishul shouted.

Isshan then stood up and ran away from us.

"Isshan!" shouted Ishul. "Forgive her, young man. She was not like that before." Ishul said.

"What happened?" I asked but quickly regretted it.

Ishul's smile dropped and his eyes sank. "When her mother," Ishul paused, "my wife died. She started to change."

Uh-oh, I touched a sore spot. "I am sorry, Ishul."

"Nevermind that young man, we are here to celebrate. Let me go get some food" Ishul said then he stood.

I sighed. There was a heavy feeling in my chest that I can't explain. I should probably contact Yunjee or Lt. Kino that I finished the quest. Nah, I'll just surprised them.

This sucks, I am back to lvl 1 and all of my stats are gone. Metamorpher, huh. What a weird name for a class.

Ishul returned with a big piece of roasted meat. "Here young man, eat."

"Should we call Isshan or something?" I asked.

Ishul sighed. "I'll call her, wait here."

I stood. "Oh no, let me call her."

I went to find her but she found me instead.

"Who are you looking for?" Isshan asked.

"Your father is looking for you, milady. We should get back." I said.

"Why are you still calling me lady? Isshan, please call me Isshan." Isshan said. "Were you really going to leave tomorrow?" Isshan asked.

"Yes." I said.

"Will you take me with you?" Isshan asked.

I was startled. "W-what do you mean?"

"My father thinks I am not ready to be a full pledged seeker. One of the seeker's responsibility is to travel around the world and experience different way of living, so that we can serve Danetos better."

"But your father won't allow you." I said.

"Yes, but If I am with you, Daneto's champion, maybe he will reconsider." Isshan bit her lips. "I am sorry, please forget everything I said." She ran.

I went back to the feast and Isshan was not there.

"Hey, young man, come here, you have to drink more." Ishul said while raising his cup.

I drank another cup of wine before sitting.

"How long for Isshan to finished her training?" I asked Ishul.

"She has a long way to go to become a proper seeker, probably two more years." Ishul said.

"That won't work." I said.

"Hmmm? What will not work, young man?"

"Danetos requires a seeker to accompany and help me in my journey." I said.

Ishul fell silent. He then turned to one his men. "Call Isshan here." Ishul then looked at me. "Will you please take care of my daughter, young man?"

"Yes, I will, Ishul."

"If Danetos requires her then I have no choice but to accept Daneto's wishes, young man."

"You asked for me father?" Isshan said.

"Pack your things, Isshan. You will go with Cripple to help him. It's Danetos' wishes." Ishul said.

Isshan's eyes grew wide. "Thank you father. I will not let Danetos and our tribe down." She said then walked away.

Ishul sighed.

"Don't worry, Mighty leader Ishul. She is far stronger than you think. After all, she takes after her father." I said.

Ishul looked at me then smiled. "No, young man, her strong nature, she takes it after her mother."

When sun rose and peered between the mountains. Isshan and I stood at the entrance of the Forma tribe.

"Take care of my stubborn daughter, Young Cripple." Ishul said to me.

I nodded.

Isshan ran to her father and hugged him.

"Take care of yourself." Ishul said to his daughter.

"You too, father. Please try, as much as possible, to avoid fighting monsters, father.."

Ishul laughed. "Haha, that is a difficult request, fighting is in my blood, Isshan. Its in our blood."

After we said our goodbyes, Isshan and I started our journey together. Our destination, the heart of the UAN territory.

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