Shifter - Infinite Transformation-Chapter 68: Testing The Cursed Power

The Forea Alliance was a devious place. It was smaller than the Zetrian Empire and much weaker, yet the most devious races of the realm gathered there to fight against the most righteous of all empires – the Zetrian Empire.

Or so I was taught when I was young. The clerics of the Temple shoved so much knowledge and history up our asses that I actually believed everything they said. There was no reason to distrust them, after all.

Now...Now I wasn’t so sure about that any more.

"The Forea Alliance is smaller than the Zetrian Empire, right?" I asked, sitting beside Fern and leaning against the ancient tree.

Her hand rested in mine as she let out a sigh.

"The alliance is smaller, yes. It is also true that the Forea Alliance is weaker." Clove was first to answer, which earned him a stern glance from Fern.

"Theoretically, the Forea Alliance is stronger, but while the empire is led by one family, the Houses of the Forea Alliance are split. Every major decision has to go through several votings before it will be relayed to the Council." She shook her head slowly. "The details don’t matter. What matters is that not all parties of the Forea Alliance work together. There is a lot of intrigue and other issues in the Forea Alliance."

Clove nodded vigorously. "That’s why we were here in the first place. Nobody bothered us in the Eserian. We might have been outsiders of the Forea Alliance, but in the grove we’re a big family. Somewhat, in a way, I guess."

The fae’s faces darkened at the reminder; the grove was no longer there. Their home was no more, and they would never get it back. After all, the Eserian would transform into a massive battlefield. The dungeon entrance made that much fairly obvious.

"Clove, you are a...what was the name again?" I studied the young fae, head tilted. He looked up at me, hesitation crossing his features.

I snapped my fingers when I remembered. "An Inugami, right?"

He grimaced but nodded. "The Elders always said I belong to one of the Houses, and that I was just unfortunate enough to be born on the wrong day. I am an Inugami, a disgrace and outsider. My birth is considered a big blemish to my family’s honor."

"I don’t get it." I spoke the truth.

There was no need for me to lie. Trying to console Clove wouldn’t help anyone either. Not when many fae considered consoling as pitying or worse, as a sign of weakness. Sure, not everyone was like that, but the fae culture was still a little confusing at times.

"But what I understand is that being born is not your fault. I, for one, am glad that you’re an Inugami. If not for that, I would never have met you." I winked when he met my eyes. "You helped Fern out of the grove, which I am sure she is thankful for as well."

Fern nodded at the reminder. "I would be dead if not for you. Thank you."

Clove’s eyes flicked toward Fern, back to me, and once more to Fern. "Really?"

"You know what?" The corner of my lip curled upward. "How about we show your House how stupid they’ve been for leaving you behind? All you need is a little power – just enough to attract their attention – and then, when they want you back, you show them the middle finger."

Both Clove and Fern looked at me confused.

"Middle finger?" he asked.

Did they not know what that meant?

"It’s just a gesture you show people you don’t like. You flip them off, telling them that they’re jerks or assholes...in a way. It’s an insult and, in your case, a clear rejection."

Clove let out a low chuckle at my explanation. "I like that."

"There is only one problem," Fern said. "Houses are not that easy to impress. Nor is it a wise decision to reject them, let alone insult them."

That was probably correct. Honestly, I hadn’t considered what would, or could, happen if Clove returned to the Forea Alliance with a boom, impressing everyone, only to insult a House. Would they kill him for that?

If Houses are remotely similar to nobility, they might just do that.

"One step at a time." I backpedalled without saying so out loud. "First, we need to get to the Forea Alliance. Once we’re there, I need to make sure they won’t behead me for being a human. Then, we can tell them about the dragon mother, the dungeon entrance, and what the Zetrian Empire has been up to."

Fern nodded when I listed everything. "The Forea Alliance doesn’t care about your heritage. You will find out that the Zetrian Empire is not the only place for humans. The Forea Alliance may not have a House led by a human, but there should be no less than a hundred human members in the Houses."

"The only issue is that you’re from the Zetrian Empire," Clove pointed out, whereas Fern added,

"That should be quickly resolved by an interrogation. They will have you drink a concoction to unravel the empire’s spies. Since you’re not a spy that won’t be an issue." She waved dismissively, which helped me retain my calm. Then she froze and turned to me. "Just make sure you tell them nothing about your Power. You don’t want to attract the Houses with your Cursed Power, whether it is interest or fear. You want neither."

"Cursed Power?" Clove narrowed his eyes on us. "What’s that?"

Fern’s lips parted then snapped shut. Her eyes quivered as she realized that she’d messed up, but she calmed when I squeezed her hand.

"There is something you deserve to know," I said before telling Clove about Shift, how it turned the Orb of Power pitch-black, and what Elder Taria told me a while back.

Clove regarded me for a good while before letting out a "Damn, that’s cool."

Was it? I certainly didn’t feel like it was cool. Well...maybe, a little.

"So that’s why you can transform into so many monsters. There’s no limit to your Power, is there?" he inquired, to which I shook my head.

"I don’t think there is."

"In that case," Clove licked his lips and lifted his arms. His hair grew longer by an inch or two as power rippled out of him. Then his fingers cracked and extended into long claws. "Can you do that as well?"

I was about to shake my head and say that I couldn’t. That I could only complete a full transformation. But that wasn’t true. Who said that I could only use Shift that way? My Power certainly never mentioned anything like that. If anything, it clearly showed me that a partial Shift was possible.

Because that was exactly what I did when I touched the Trickster Demon’s egg. Shift pushed me into a partial transformation, which led to the demon’s birth.

"I don’t know," I answered quietly even when it sounded more like a question. "Probably? As long as I have a suitable Shift, it should work."

Could that really work? To use Shift to transform my arms into wings, or turn them into liquid with a partial Blue Slime shift.

All kinds of possible uses of Shifts emerged in my mind. Each one was greater than the one before. Some even showed me images of myself shifting partially into several different monsters at once. That...was that possible as well?

Multiple Shifts.

That sounded wondrous. But first...

Shift triggered at my will. A moment later, my fingers cracked and broke. Pain surged from my hands up to my forearms and further, yet I didn’t grimace.

I smiled gleefully at my hands.