Chapter 166: Forced Change

"Drake! Drake!!! Dr..k.e…!!!?!?" Natto screamed out desperately at the lifeless body on the floor, struggling to shake him awake.

Her voice was suddenly caught in the back of her throat as she felt an overwhelming presence in the room.

"Rather rude, is it not? To ignore your benefactor."

Natto broke out into a cold sweat, her body shaking uncontrollably as she turned toward the voice.

"It seems that the monkey has passed out from blood loss. Here."

Natto fully faced the being that spoke, her body shivering at every word as her hair and tail stood on end.

In full view standing in front of her was a woman with porcelain skin, in a flawless white robe that draped over her perfectly. Its long sleeves reached the floor. Adorning her body were golden streaks of lightning reaching up her arms, exposed leg, and neck until it convened in a golden circle around her neck.

Upon her head laid two magnificent ivory-like antlers jutting out from her glistening silver hair.

The eyes that looked back at Natto were a fierce golden hue, with slitted pupils of a predator. Her thin lips curved into a slight smile as a single fang protruded from her sealed rose-colored lips.

Reaching out the woman held a clear vial with a golden choker. Red liquid filling it. A Health Potion.

"Take it," the woman said softly.

Natto was forced into shock, her mind both stumbling over itself and going blank out of fear instantaneously.

"W-what do you want… in return..?" Natto asked, struggling to force out the words.

The woman's smile broadened her fangs on full display.

"Why? Must I need something in return for helping a promising participant?" she mused.

Natto looked down at Drake, his body turning cold under her hands as she ground her teeth with indecision.

"Hurry now, the poor thing is going to perish soon if you do nothing. And you along with it."

Natto bit her lip and lunged for the potion, her fright disappearing as she snatched it from the woman's hand.

Immediately popping the cork she forced it down Drake's throat and poured the rest onto his open stomach wound. His body mending instantly as both the color and warmth returned to his body.

"Who are you…" Natto asked, turning again to the woman.

The woman raised a brow and her smile disappeared as she waved her arm.

"Your insolence is noted, Assistant. Now sleep, I have much to discuss with my little toy."

—-------------------------

Drake's body felt heavy. Worse than any other time he had been injured. His consciousness returning slowly, as his eyes struggled to pry open. But once he realized he was not dead, he shot upwards with a painful gasp.

"Fuck!! Mother… God that hurts! Where is that fucking bug! I'll kill it!" Drake growled as he winced, his hand nursing his stomach.

"Now, now…" a soothing yet horrific voice cooed from behind him.

Drake suddenly felt the air chill, his breath and blood running icy cold. The presence of whatever else was in the room choking the life from him.

"Oh. I forget sometimes how fragile F-Ranks are."

The choking presence soon receded and Drake's breath returned to him.

Coughing as he gripped at his throat and chest, blood came up in chunks with every heaved cough.

"You are getting my floor dirty. At least your Assistant had the decency to not bleed all over it…"

"My assistant..?"

Drake suddenly remembered Natto, scanning the room quickly. His eyes finally found her in the corner of the white room leaning up against the wall, her eyes closed.

"Natto!" Drake shouted trying to get up but collapsed under the weight of his own body forcing him to crawl over on the floor.

Finally able to reach her, he checked her breathing seeing her chest moving up and down normally.

She's asleep…. 

"What did you do to her" Drake growled finally turning to the voice, his eyes flashing colors.

"I put her to sleep. This is a private conversation. At least for now."

Looking at the owner of the voice Drake saw a woman like none he had ever seen in reality or fiction of any medium. It blew him away. Looking at her was blinding. As if looking at the sun.

"The… sponsor…?" Drake mumbled his mouth agape.

"Mir'phyra. It is incredible how you are so ill-informed," she said softly.

Drake tried to identify her, his eyes turning blue.

[W121nC@tn]

Drake clicked his tongue unable to identify anything.

  That means she's got some sort of interference item..

"Sit down," Mir'phyra commanded, sitting at a table, "I have much to tell you."

"Wait. If I'm here, does that mean I died?" Drake asked, "And what about Bjorn?! The others. Claire!"

"Quiet," Mir'phyra growled, Drake's mouth snapping shut.

Mir'phyra stood from her seat, the pressure returning as the air began to be squeezed from Drake's lungs. Hiss hands reached for his throat as he struggled to breathe under the pressure, his body buckling as he slumped to the floor. Saliva dripped from his mouth as he started to asphyxiate.

"I tire of your questions. This is a space created by me. Your tutorial is of no concern. Listen well and do as I say, you will return soon enough," she smiled.

Drake clawed at the floor doing his best to resist the pressure and speak.

"S-sc-screw! Y-you!" he growled.

Mir'phyra's smile broadened, "I love a toy that is a little rebellious. Worry not, I will train it out of you soon."

Mir'phyra snapped her fingers sitting down once more. The pressure in the room vanishing.

Pushed to a fit of coughs once more Drake stood, refusing not to look the terrible woman in the eyes.

"What do you want," Drake coughed.

"Sit."

Drake reluctantly moved to the table and sat down. 

Finally having a moment he looked down at his attire. His robes were thrashed, a bloody hole going through them. Opening up his inventory he saw that the item armor was grayed out, indicating it was useless. His set bonus also gone.

"Damn it.." he mumbled.

"Enough of that. I will get straight to the point," Mir'phyra said resting her arm in her hand, her elegantly long fingers resting on her cheek.

"You have something you should not. I would appreciate it if you would relieve yourself of them."

Items... The Necromancer Stones? Drake thought.

"No. Why should I?" Drake snapped, remembering how the sponsor threatened both him and Theodore.

"This is not a discussion," she sneered, the pressure of the room bubbling, "I will give you the only Legendary Stones provided in the Tutorial Shop for them. Free of charge."

Mir'phyra waved her hand six stones dropping on the table, each one a fiery crimson, the color of blood with flecks of orange as radiant as the sun appearing and moving within the glass stones.

Drake's eyes widened.

"Do you seek power…" Drake mumbled, "Why are they so important to you?" Drake asked.

"It isn't your business," she sneered, her arms dropping to the table to push the stones forward, "Bring out the Necromancer Stones, now."

Drake paused for a moment unsure of what to do.

She's willing to give me six stones for the price of two? That doesn't make sense. Drake thought looking down at the stones to identify them.

[Sub-tree Stone: Asuran's Warbook] [Legendary]

[Unlocks Asuran's Warbook Sub-tree branch]

[Requirement: Have one or more empty Sub-trees. Have A Warrior Main Class-tree unlocked.]

[Skill Stone: War God] [Legendary]

[Unlocks a random skill from the War God tree.]

[Requirement: Open Skill Slot and have at least 1 Warrior-based Main Tree or Sub-tree Branch Unlocked.]

"Asuran Stones? Not Dragon?" Drake asked curiously.

Mir'phyra bared her teeth in a snarl, the room chilling, and the oppressive aura coming down more potent than before, slamming Drake to the floor through the chair.

"You think I would give a filthy monkey the ability to turn into one of the Grand Races?! You receive more than you deserve! And yet you still question it?! You will bring out those stones now or I will crush her like the worthless trash that she is."

Somehow Mir'phyra lifted Natto from the corner, never leaving her seat at her chair.

"N-no!" Drake shouted from the floor, his head struggling to turn so that he could see her, "Fine!"

Drake used his shawl to summon the box from his inventory, falling to the floor with a clank.

The pressure remained as Natto was lowered to the floor, Mir'phyra getting up to pick up the box as it disappeared into what Drake could only assume was her inventory.

"Good," she said tersely moving to lift the Stones on the table.

"N-now, l-let me go.." Drake growled trying to resist the pressure.

Mir'phyra smirked, pulling the Subtree Stone from the pile hovering in the air.

"Oh, but the fun is just beginning my pet. For all the things you took from me, you will pay me back handsomely. After all, you are a promising Dual Class as well…. Play along with me and I promise you will have no trouble in the future. That is… until I come to collect," she snickered.

"Fuck you," Drake sneered from the floor.

"Unfortunately, I was not asking. You seem to have not realized within your small monkey brain, that you have no choice in the matter. Thankfully for you, I will be turning you into another mud-brained pet. Asurans are a joy to watch..."

Mir'phyra's eyes glowed as the world constricted under her power, Drake being pushed to the floor as it cracked around him. Mir'phyra showed no sign of putting effort into doing so, putting on display just how large the gap in power between them was.

"Try not to break my little pet," she laughed, licking her thin lips with an elongated tongue.

Mir'phyra gripped the stone as it began to radiate in a red brilliance as she kneeled down, thrusting it into Drake's back.

[You have consumed, Subtree Stone: Asuran's War Book [Legendary]

[You have unlocked the Secondary Subtree: Asuran's War Book [F Rank]

[Passive effects have been applied]

[You have unlocked 5 new skill stone slots in Asuran's War Book]

[Subtree Stone Potency has forced a change]

[Your Race will be changed in accordance with the stone]

Drake roared in pain, his body suddenly free from the pressure of Mir'phyra's gaze. Instead gripped with unfathomable pain as he felt his body light on fire like never before. His ears drummed as he heard his heart race. The sound of snapping as his bones cracked and muscles tearing reverberated in his ear.

He screamed in agony his body contorting in pain as he scrambled on the floor, gripping and clawing at anything he could.

The pain felt like it lasted days to Drake, pools of sweat and black excrement covering the floor.

Until it finally stopped.

Drake was barely conscious, his breath shallow and ragged.

[Congratulations. Your race has changed from Human [F-Rank] to Asuran [F-Rank]

Drake saw the outline of what he could only think of was Mir'phyra in his blurred vision as new notifications flooded his vision.

[Your race has interacted with Primary Skilltree Elementist [F-Rank]

[Your race has interacted with Secondary Primary Skilltree Shield Miller [F-Rank]

[Your race has interacted with Secondary Skilltree Internal Mastery[F-Rank]

[Your race has interacted with Secondary Skilltree Soul Mastery[F-Rank]

[Your race has interacted with Secondary Skilltree Weapon Mastery [F-Rank]

[Your race has interacted with Skill Magic Sight [F-Rank]

[Your race has interacted with Skill Heretical Mind [F-Rank]

[Your race has interacted with Skill Multiplicative[F-Rank]

[Your race has interacted with Skill Elemental Endowment [F-Rank]

[Your race has interacted with Skill Elemental Conflux [F-Rank]

[Your race has interacted with Skill Warrior's Stamina [F-Rank]

[Your race has interacted with Skill Guardian's Reprieve [F-Rank]

[Your race has interacted with Skill Aura of Command [F-Rank]

[Your race has interacted with Skill Martial Strike [F-Rank]

[Your race has interacted with Skill Ruler's Consitution [F-Rank]

[Your race has interacted with Skill Of the Apex[F-Rank]

[Your race has interacted with Skill Weak Point [F-Rank]

[Your race has interacted with Skill Tempered in Flames [F-Rank]

[Your race has interacted with Skill Tyrannical Aura [F-Rank]

[Your race has interacted with Skill Tyrant's Indomability [F-Rank]

[Your race has interacted with Skill Mana Manipulation [F-Rank]

[Your race has interacted with Skill Atrophy of the Mind [F-Rank]

[Your race has interacted with Skill Cower[F-Rank]

[Your race has interacted with Skill Sound Body and Mind [F-Rank]

[Your race has interacted with Skill Purity of the Soul [F-Rank]

[Your race has interacted with Skill Hoarder[F-Rank]

[Your race has interacted with Skill Fully Loaded [F-Rank]

[Your race has interacted with Skill Weapon of Choice [F-Rank]

[Your race has interacted with Skill Adrenaline Acuity [F-Rank]

[Your race has interacted with Skill Magic Exposure [F-Rank]

"Oh, this is going to be most fun!" Mir'phyra snickered.

Raising her hand she gripped the remaining five stones. They began glowing in a similar light before she thrusted her hand once again into Drake, forcing the stones on him.

Drake writhed in agony, twisting and screaming in pain on the floor as he tore and ripped at his body, begging for the pain to end.

[You have consumed, Skill Stone: War God [Legendary]

[You have learned Skill: War God's Battle Right [F Rank]

Drake roared once more, his voice becoming hoarse.

[You have consumed, Skill Stone: War God [Legendary]

[You have learned Skill: Asuran's Constitution [F Rank]

Screaming Drake's voice became ethereal, echoing in the room as Mir'phyra looked down in joyful curiosity.

[You have consumed, Skill Stone: War God [Legendary]

[You have learned Skill: Asuran's Punishment [F Rank]

[You have consumed, Skill Stone: War God [Legendary]

[You have learned Skill: Line in the Sand [F Rank]

Drake howled in pain, the ground shaking around him, as he slammed his fists into the ground as he turned over lashing out in an attempt to lessen the pain in any way.

[You have consumed, Skill Stone: War God [Legendary]

[You have learned Skill: War God's Battle Fervor [F Rank]

The last of the skills settled within Drake, as he drooled on the floor his every breath pushing steam from his loosened mask.

Finally, it was over. And Drake could feel his body's heat slowly reduce, but his anger spilled over.

He surged forward his hands reaching for Mir'phyra's neck in an attempt for retribution of the forced change.

Drake howled and shouted as he clawed at her, only to be held back at arm's length. Mir'phyra's face suddenly scowling and uninterested.

"Did I break him…? Pity."

Mir'phyra was playing with Drake like a newborn, despite his race and skills changing and blooming into something incomparable to before as a now Primordial Race. But it meant nothing in the face of the Dragon Matriarch.

"I look forward to how well you will increase my returns mud pup. You are now that world's problem."

Mir'phyra snapped her fingers and Drake disappeared from the room along with Natto.

—----------------

"That was entertaining." the chittering of bones said from behind Mir'phyra.

Mir'phyra didn't turn, knowing who it was. She sighed in disappointment more than offense.

"How did you know?"

"I have my ways. Everyone owes the God of Death a favor or two… or twelve…"

Mir'phyra scoffed turning to face the voice.

In front of her was a hideous creature. Beggars clothing draped over bones, a crown adorning its head. The only High Lich in existence.

"Vandelu. What lovely clothing you are wearing today…" she scoffed.

"Oh, this old thing..? I had to move in a hurry, no time to change Mir'phyra,"  Vandelu teased, "The stones," he demanded, reaching out with bony fingers, each one covered in numerous jeweled rings.

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Do not play this game, we both know who will win."

"They are property of the Dragon Race. Why should I release them to your wretched ilk?" she sneered her lip raising and revealing her teeth.

"You wouldn't want to go to war over this would you, old friend?" Vandelu mused, "After all I have done for you. And your son?"

Mir'phyra flinched, her anger vanishing as she clicked her tongue, a box dropping to the floor and snapping open.

"Take them, you snake. We are even-handed after this."

Vandelu moved to the box, picking up the two stones as he looked at them in the air.

"Yes. But of course. And as you say… This is going to be most fun…."