New Guy in Town

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"ARRRRRGH!!!" Reign cried out in pain as the transformation gripped his body.

He felt a searing pain radiating from his insides. It was like nothing he had ever experienced before—as though thousands of needles were piercing him all at once.

He heard a sizzling sound emanating from deep within him, making him wonder if he was being cooked alive.

Moreover, hot air, in the form of mist, started escaping through the pores of his body. Though he lacked a sense of smell, if a human were present, they would catch a whiff of the pungent and spoiled odor of a frying corpse.

But then something strange began to happen. His decaying body started to recover, with fibers forming and filling up the cavities until they formed black muscles that bulged beneath his skin.

His legs got longer and stronger, and his hands turned into sharp claws that gleamed eerily in the moonlight.

Finally, his whole body underwent a complete metamorphosis, evolving into a sleek, crawling variant reminiscent of a deadly hunting creature. 

He could still stand straight if he wanted to, just that he would be able to run faster using all his limbs.

His muscles and sinews joined together, shaping a streamlined body that gave off a menacing vibe.

Now, he resembled a feral beast, his face still retaining a human semblance, but his jaw had undergone a refined and protruding transformation.

His hair had grown longer, and his skin had turned black due to the effects of black putrefaction.

He attempted to stretch out his arms and legs, sensing his muscles extending. A surge of power filled him, making him believe he could sprint at a high speed with these elongated legs.

"I need to test this," he said aloud to himself, grinning wickedly as he scanned the graveyard .

At first, he felt awkward because he wasn't used to walking on four legs. He stumbled a few times before eventually finding his footing and starting slowly and steadily.

He moved his right hands first, then the left, then the right legs, then the left legs, until finally, after a couple of tries, he began adapting to his new body .

His movements became faster and more precise, and moving became second nature.

Without knowing it, he found himself leaping from one grave to another like some kind of tiger, ready to pounce if there was prey nearby.

"I'm fast!" He let out an exhilarated snarl as he tested out his new legs by running across the graveyard with ease. 

He couldn't help but let out a chuckle of excitement as he leaped across the tombs. His new body enabled him to move effortlessly and silently; his legs were perfect for muffling the sound of his steps.

And yet, there was still something missing.

He wasn't sure what it was exactly—maybe it was companionship or something else to do? But those were just silly human emotions that didn't belong in his world.

Still, the feeling persisted and left him feeling wistful.

Shaking off his thoughts, he continued to explore his new body's capabilities.

He ran faster than ever before and jumped higher than he ever thought possible.

It was exhilarating.

***

A day passed by just like that.

Underneath the moonlight, he sat atop the roof of his tomb, preparing for the worst.

He had anticipated the police arriving to investigate the disappearance of six people, but none of them showed up.

Maybe the families of those people didn't want to report this to the police, considering grave digging was illegal.

Or, perhaps, it wasn't uncommon for the people he killed to be away from home for extended periods.

Nevertheless, it gave him some time to prepare.

At this point, he pondered whether it was time for him to leave the cemetery.

He wanted to get stronger and evolve faster. Maybe he'd look more like a human.

He didn't dislike his current form; he just felt it would be easier if he turned into something like a vampire. Then, he wouldn't have to hide all the time.

"Forget it. I'll just take a quick look and come back here," He finally gave in to his curiosity.

Even though he might have turned into a monster, he was human before, and he wanted to see the world outside of this place.

It did not take him long to get out of the cemetery with his speed. 

As he looked into the horizon, he realized that this place was actually situated in the mountains, and the city was a distance away.

Seeing the light, he felt tempted to check out the city and observe the differences in this world compared to his old one.

However, he remained calm-minded and simply started following the road down the mountain.

Making sure he stayed hidden in the bushes, he was careful not to be seen. He didn't want people talking about him like he was some kind of mythical creature and getting unwanted attention. 

After walking for 3 miles, he could see a small town just below.

The town was nestled among trees, with houses made of wood. It was only 10:00 p.m., but all the houses were already closed for business.

The streets were empty except for a few stray dogs roaming aimlessly.

They kept barking at him, but just one growl was enough to make them scatter. Their instincts must have kicked in, deeming him dangerous.

As he crawled through the small town, he noticed that there seemed to be some nightlife activity in this place. A faint sound of music drifted through one of the windows nearby.

He approached a small bar on one corner of an intersection and peeked inside through its dusty windowpanes.

Inside were a few patrons sitting at tables, drinking beer, and chatting loudly.

He felt tempted to attack the whole place for the sake of leveling up, but it seemed too dangerous.

The area was filled with people, some even carrying weapons. He chose to wait outside and observe before making any moves.

Suddenly, his attention was drawn towards an alleyway where two men were arguing heatedly over something.

One man pulled out a knife and stabbed the other. 

The wounded man fell to his knees, gasping for air as blood gushed from his wound. 

Reign witnessed the brutality of the attacker, who aimed to finish off the wounded man.

SWOOOOSH!

So he sprinted towards the alley to intervene, grabbing the attacker's hands.

However, he forgot about his clawed hand, so the attacker's arm was accidentally punctured.

"AHHHH!" The attacker wailed in pain. 

"Shut up!" Reign panicked as he attempted to cover the man's mouth, but, to his shock, the same thing happened—his clawed hand pierced the man's neck instead.

'I need to learn how to use my claws,' he sighed.