Chapter 6

[ Fusion with a new race may now commence. ]

[ Races available: brown bear, lynx, sparrow, raven, squirrel, spider... ]

[ Comparability with dissimilar species may lead to inherent flaws. The most compatible species are: bear and lynx. ]

Contentment stirred within me as I saw the brown bear listed amongst the species available to fuse.

The growth paths available to me through the red flame were vast. The thought of fusing a different species rather than the brown bear had occured to me on multiple occasions.

Birds could soar through the skies and spiders could weave intricate webs; either of these abilities could greatly enhance my survivability.

Wings in particular had immense charm. Escaping to the treetops could avoid the pursuit of an unintelligent vicious beasts, but humans were far more cunning.

Traps and sharpened steel were useless to an enemy hundreds of feet above the ground. So long as I didn't descend to the ground, wings would make me an almost untouchable foe.

'For the moment flight will have to wait. In the future I will be sure to pay a visit to those regions that dragons inhabit.'

On earth flying monkeys were a fantastical concept depicted in many tales. Unfortunately the red flame, despite its magical features, believed firmly in the laws of motion and gravity.

The wings of a raven or sparrow could propel it through the skies because it's body weight was extremely low compared to its size. Birds were capable of flight because their bodies had evolved to be as aerodynamic and light as possible.

While my large size provided me with plenty of raw power and agility, I could not escape the inevitable increase in weight.

The sparrow's song was beautiful, but it's wings were simply too weak to generate the lift I needed to leave the ground.

Recklessly fusing an incompatible race could only lead to dire consequences.

[ The race of brown bear has been chosen. Due to the influence of a unique energy, some unknown mutations may occur. ]

[ Abnormalities have been found in the makeup of the brown bear. The race will now be known as brown bear ( giant ). Subsequent changes to the fusion may occur. ]

Familiar drowsiness assailed my rapidly ebbing consciousness. I noted with some intrigue that I was able to remain awake for a few moments longer.

I was eager to see what changes would take place while I slept.

...

...

...

'I'm awake.'

The duration of time I spent in slumber while the red flame remodeled my body would vary depending on the race chosen for fusion.

Fusing the bloodline of the brown bear ( giant ) had only taken a single night, but as time passed and my prey became increasingly strange and deadly, the duration of fusion would rise.

I got to my feet.

Immediately I noticed that my viewpoint was significantly elevated. Every step I took was also accompanied by a sense of incomparable heaviness. Shockingly despite the huge increase in body weight my footsteps made no sound in the silent forest.

'So the red flame prioritises the beneficial characteristics of certain species in fusion? The fleet-footed nature of wolves is undoubtedly more advantageous for hunting than the thundering footsteps of a bear.'

I stepped out of my den and inhaled deeply. Cold air filled my lungs. Moments later it was exhaled as thick plumes of white smoke.

The length of my body had increased to a staggering 12 feet. Standing on two legs I was no shorter than the largest land mammal on earth, the African elephant.

The integration of multiple skeletal systems was perfectly controlled by the red flame. Neither walking on all fours, nor two legs, felt uncomfortable in any way.

Transitioning between the two was effortless and came naturally to me.

Thick black fur covered my enormous body. After fusing the brown bear my defence had reached an astonishing level. Sharpened blades would struggle greatly to pierce my hide.

I was not yet impervious to the weapons of man, but on a battlefield no human could stop my charge.

I smiled.

'It's time to leave.'

Fusing the brown bear had caused me to lose some of my human like facial features. A bear like snout now took the place where my lips had once been. This made smiling drastically more menacing.

The loss of my human features bothered me very little. I regarded myself as a unique creature with complex emotions and a different perspective and understanding of the world; retaining a human appearance was not important to me.

I chose to travel on all fours through the snowy forest. Towering over living things was intimidating, but noticeably cumbersome in an environment full of densely packed tall trees.

Deep footprints revealed my path as I journeyed along the route I had mapped out to leave the forest. I didn't care whether I intruded upon the territories of other creatures and any potential challengers were easily scared off with a growl.

In order to fill my stomach, the souls of a few arrogant wolves were naturally fed to the red flame. Other than a ever so faint flicker it showed no reaction.

Satisfying the requirements for the next fusion with ordinary creatures alone would require thousands of souls. The ecosystem of the snowy forest would be destroyed in a matter of weeks.

'I wonder how the red flame would respond to a human soul.' I thought to myself.

Humans were greedy and fearful creatures. Given the opportunity countless numbers of them would wish to tame me or mount my corpse in their houses.

Slaughtering humans disagreed with my moral code. So long as they did not attempt to harm me I would tolerate their existence and maybe even cooperate with them.

'If only you all weren't so greedy.' I scoffed.

I had experienced the two-faced nature of humanity and I knew well that a creature such as myself would infatuate the hearts of many.

Even if I tried desperately to avoid it, bloodshed would follow me.

The snowy forests were vast. Finding traces of human activity was extremely difficult. The constantly falling snow made the search even more challenging.

Fortunately humans held little respect for nature. They would cut down trees to fuel their fires and carelessly leave their rubbish behind. Usually this was scraps of metal or damaged items rendered useless.

My sharp claws and extraordinarily powerful limbs made digging in the snow effortless. I had discovered a pair of leather boots, a shattered carriage wheel and even a pot of frozen stew.

The freezing cold preserved these things almost perfectly from the moment they were left. It was difficult to judge how long they had been buried for.

Over several weeks, as I strayed from the deeper regions of the forest, traces of human activity became more prominent.

Broken swords and arrowheads appeared with increasing frequency. Even the temperature decreased slightly.

I continued to collect the souls of various creatures as I travelled but I was still far far away from satisfying the red flame.

I hoped an interaction with humans could develop my understanding of the world. Relying on luck alone to search for legendary creatures and monsters was a foolish and ignorant idea.

With the unquenchable curiosity of humans, if seemingly magical creatures existed in this world they would surely know where to find them.

'Let's hope they don't react too fearfully to my appearance. It would be a shame if they trembled too violently to share their knowledge with me.'