The monstrous bird let out a piercing screech—a thunderclap of feathers and fury—as it dove like a razor from the canopy.
"SHIRAYUKI, RUN!" Cian shouted, grabbing her paw and bolting through the brush.
The bird wasn't just fast—it was relentless. A blur of feathers and glowing eyes, it swooped down with talons flaring, and with a flap of its massive wings—
"Wind Slash!"
A crescent blade of compressed air blasted toward them, splitting a tree behind them clean in half. The shockwave knocked both of them forward—dirt flying, grass sheared.
Cian gritted his teeth.
"She's too fast. We can't keep running forever…"
He turned, eyes sharp, and shouted:
"SHIRAYUKI! QUIIIILL BARRAGE!!"
With a flick of her small but fierce body, Shirayuki's fur bristled—and then launched a flurry of gleaming, silver quills. They shot in a wide cone, slicing through the air like a shimmering storm, each one humming with kinetic energy.
The air trembled as dozens of them struck the charging bird. The creature shrieked and recoiled mid-flight, wings scattering feathers as it struggled to keep balance.
System Notification:
[Skill Used: Quill Barrage]
Effectiveness: High!
"Target was too cocky. Now it's got a porcupine haircut."
Cian: "Good girl, Shirayuki! Now let's—wait, is it still flying?!"
The bird wobbled midair… then let out another guttural screech.
It wasn't down yet.
The forest seemed to hold its breath.
High above, the Plumefeather Kazaard flapped its massive wings once—twice—and then let out a cry that shook the canopy itself. A sharp, bone-rattling screech that felt like it pierced through skulls and nerves alike.
SKRRREEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!
Cian and Shirayuki crouched low, peeking past the underbrush to follow the beast's movements.
"There!" Cian hissed. "I see it! Maybe if we're quiet—"
System Alert:
WARNING: MONSTER SKILL 'SKYSHARD RAIN' ACTIVATING
> "Thousands of razor-feathers will be hurled from the sky. Run. Not joking. RUN."
Cian blinked. "Th-thousands?! Like plural thousands?!"
Above them, the Kazaard's radiant tail feathers spread wide. Each plume shimmered with blue-green light. The sky itself began to glitter—beautiful, if it weren't trying to kill them.
System:
> "You're about to get turned into forest shish kebab. MOVE, herb hoarder!"
Cian grabbed Shirayuki's hand, panic flashing in his eyes. "Run first, cry later!"
They bolted through the trees just as a wave of shrieking, glowing feathers rained down like divine punishment. Branches shattered. Rocks cracked. One feather missed Cian's head by a hair and embedded into a log like a dagger.
Shirayuki squeaked as she ran, glancing upward.
Cian glanced back. "Why does that thing sound like a car crash and look like a parade float?!"
System:
> "Nature has style. You have none. Now duck!"
Cian tripped, slid down a muddy slope, and crashed behind a mossy boulder just as another volley peppered the forest.
System:
> "Congratulations. You've unlocked: [New Status Effect – Almost Dead But Still Sarcastic]"
Cian wheezed. "Is this the part where I reflect on my choices in life?"
Shirayuki dove in beside him, eyes wide, breathing hard. She looked at him like he was crazy.
"I'm starting to think," Cian gasped, "maybe picking weird glowing fruit wasn't worth it…"
Cian peeked carefully over the mossy boulder. The Plumefeather Kazaard circled like a vulture of death, its eyes gleaming with murder. The feathers on its tail flared again, trembling with wind magic.
Cian narrowed his eyes.
Not yet.
He raised his hand behind him, signaling Shirayuki to wait—palm open, calm, decisive.
Except…
His hand landed squarely on something soft.
Squish.
"…?"
Shirayuki's eyes shot wide. A pink flush bloomed on her cheeks.
Cian blinked. "Huh?"
"Nn—!"
Before she could let out a high-pitched moan, Cian panicked and slapped his other hand over her mouth. "Shhh! It's still above us!!"
His hand, however, didn't move from her chest.
Shirayuki let out a muffled squeak, eyes misty, both flustered and glaring.
System Prompt:
> "So brave. So bold. The battlefield is your bedroom now, huh?"
Cian internally screamed.
He froze.
Still gripping her.
Still covering her mouth.
And the bird was still flying overhead.
System:
> "New Bond Level reached: [Shirayuki – 50% Affection Unlocked]
You absolute degenerate."
Before Cian could defend himself mentally—
DING!
---
[New Skill Unlocked!]
Skill Name: Beast Shift
Grade: Legendary
Type: Passive (Essence Absorption) + Active (Transformation)
---
Description:
You have earned the right to consume and transform. With each monster you defeat for the first time, you claim its essence—its instincts, its skills, its soul.
Become the beast. Channel its might.
---
Effect:
Essence Absorption (Passive):
Defeat a monster species = Automatically store its essence.
Includes its strongest skill (auto-evolves), instincts, and racial perks.
No storage limit. No duplicates.
Beast Shift (Active):
Transform into a humanoid monster form.
Gain x5 stat multiplier.
Use the monster's evolved signature skill.
Duration: 10 minutes.
Cooldown: None.
Side Effects: None. (Except maybe looking hella cool.)
---
Cian's eyes widened as the info flowed through his mind like wildfire.
"I… I can turn into monsters now?"
System:
> "Yeah, now go collect 'em all, Pokémon boy. Just don't grope them too."
Shirayuki was still red-faced and glaring daggers.
Cian, whispering: "Okayokayokay… accidental… totally accidental…"
The Plumefeather Kazaard blurred toward them, slicing through the air with feather darts trailing like razors.
Cian froze.
Too fast. Too deadly.
But before he could move—
Shirayuki slid in front of him, her hedgehog ears twitching, face deadly serious.
She stomped her foot. Magic sparked from her chest.
"Aura Prickle."
A soft chime echoed as glowing silver quills bloomed around her like a halo, spinning in midair, sharp and shimmering with energy.
System Notification:
> [New Skill Registered: Aura Prickle]
"Yo! Hedgehog-chan unlocked a trap-layer skill. Respect."
Aura Prickle – Surrounds the user in reactive kinetic quills that hover like angry glitter. Any enemy entering close range triggers a sharp magical explosion.
Great for defense. Bad for hugs.
Cian's mouth dropped. "Damn… you're actually…"
BOOM!
The first of the Kazaard's feather darts hit the quill barrier—
BOOM–BOOM–BOOM!
Each impact detonated, sending blasts of silver energy into the sky.
The Kazaard screeched and veered off, smoke trailing from its wings.
Shirayuki didn't flinch. Her tail twitched once. She exhaled slowly.
System:
> "Look at her, out here dropping traps like she's in a magical landmine commercial. Meanwhile, you're still in tutorial mode."
Cian narrowed his eyes. "You just wait…"
He looked at Shirayuki.
She turned her head slightly, quills still humming, and said softly without looking,
"…Stay behind me."
Cian grinned.
System:
> "He's simping. Somebody get this man a leash."
Cian stood stunned.
Eyes wide, heart pounding—not from fear, but from shock.
"She can talk now?!" he blurted, staring at Shirayuki, who was still shimmering with quill energy, tail swaying with attitude.
System Notification:
> "Calm down, Shakespeare. It's not permanent."
"Hedgefolk like her can speak… but it drains their essence. Don't expect bedtime stories."
Cian frowned. "So what, she's got a talk cooldown?"
System:
> "Basically. Now stop gawking and do something useful."
The Kazaard was circling again, its wings glowing, preparing to dive.
Cian clenched his fist.
"It's counter time!" he yelled. "Shirayuki, use Tunnel Dash!"
Shirayuki blinked once—then vanished, diving underground in a sharp thump, sending a tremor through the earth.
System Notification:
> [Skill Activated: Tunnel Dash]
– The user dives underground in a flash and erupts beneath their target, delivering a quill-charged uppercut with devastating force. Bonus damage on airborne enemies.
"She's literally a landmine now. Run it."
As the Kazaard swooped—
BOOM!
Shirayuki erupted beneath it like a missile, her fist colliding with its underbelly, quills bursting on impact. The bird let out a choked squawk and flailed midair.
Cian took a deep breath.
"Alright… System," he muttered, "Can I borrow some long-range magic spells?"
System:
> "…Why?"
"You planning to miss from a distance now?"
"Come on," Cian groaned. "Just this once. I swear I won't mess it up."
Shirayuki, floating back down, gave him a puzzled look. A single blink.
That expression again: what is this guy doing now…?
System:
> "Ugh. Fine. Finding suitable skills…"
[Searching Available Long-Range Magic for Incompetent Users]