Chapter 5

A translucent screen appeared hovering in front of him, displaying his new "ability."

He zeroed in on the new skill notification. With a tentative touch, he selected it. The screen shifted, the text glowed softly, and new letters appeared.

Ability Available!

Morph!

Description: Allows user to transform a single limb. Transformations are limited to basic inanimate forms.

Andre read the description twice, trying to comprehend the potential of this ability.

"Shape-shifting, huh?" he muttered to himself, still trying to wrap his mind around the surreal experience.

The pain in his ribs and the dull ache in his legs were reminders of his recent battle and how useful this skill could have been.

The screen provided more details further down.

Basic Transformation:

The user can shift one limb into simple forms such as a blade, hammer, or shield.

Cost: 10 mp

Andre nodded, feeling a surge of determination. This skill was his ticket to survival, a way to even the odds against any other creature he might face. He knew he needed to practice and understand its limitations before relying on it in critical moments.

Deciding to give it a try, he focused on his right hand, imagining it transforming into a blade. A warm sensation spread from his core to his hand, and he watched in amazement as the transformation took place. It started with his fingers melding together into a single knub, then it reached his wrist and eventually shaped the entirety of his forearm, only finally stopping at the joint.

The transformation made his eyes expand into saucers, his forearm was now fully transformed into a black knob a few shades darker than his already brown skin.

The experience, although having caused no pain, felt incredibly uncomfortable. A feeling that lasted all of half a second before another change took place. The knob elongated, growing slender before sharpening into a gleaming edge.

The blade was rough and not as refined as the ones he saw on tv, but it was real. Roughly two feet long, it was a deep shade of black, nearing that of obsidian.

He swung it experimentally, feeling the weight and balance, it was light but not so much he couldn't feel it. It was average at best. A blacksmith could probably make a blade of higher quality but it was perfect all the same to Andre.

The blade felt sturdy, Surprisingly so. For some reason,unknown to him he knew it'd take a lot to destroy it, as if his body was telling him so. Deciding to just chalk it up to Nexus magic he took a few more seconds to admire the blade.

"Not bad," he said, a small smile playing on his lips.

He let the transformation fade, his hand returning back to its normal state. The effort left him drained, a reminder of the skill's gluttonous cost. It had used up all his MP just to transform one of his arms. Although feeling some fatigue, he couldn't help but to let out a goofy smile.

He'd always dreamed of having superpowers, and now it was finally a reality. He basked in the feeling of awe he felt for himself. Refusing to let the fact he now found himself in an apocalyptic hellscape dull his joy,

'Is this what it feels like to be a narcissist?.. Wow! superpowers, actual fucking superpowers…'

Andre examined his hand more closely, it was as rough and heavily Calloused as he was used to.

Grumbl~~

His smile vanished as quickly as it came and his train of thought came to an abrupt stop. The hunger he felt was ravenous; it was as if he hadn't been fed in months.

He staggered out of the washroom into the kitchen.

Swinging open the fridge door, he took one look before promptly closing it back shut. He then walked back to the washroom, turned on the sink, and splashed some cold water on his face.

It had been a long day. He had woken up to a destroyed and abandoned city, ran into a creature that defied all former logic, one which gave him wounds that served as a reminder this was no dream.

After all of that, he must've just been seeing things. Yes, that must've been it. It was the only reasonable conclusion he could come to.

Turning off the faucet, he wiped his face with a nearby towel, and shook off the droplets that landed on his locs. He walked back to the kitchen and swung open the fridge door with the fervor of a type 2 diabetic.

When his eyes confirmed he wasn't simply seeing things, his heart sunk into dread.

Maggots, flies, and gunk filled the fridge. Any semblance of food had been thoroughly rotted or fused with the gunk that covered the walls.

"Arggh!"

He let out a scream of frustration. He couldn't believe his luck.

"How is this even possible?? I was asleep for one day, One!"

The anger fueled yells stopped as he thought deeper.

'Wait, I was only asleep for one day …right?'

When he awoke, he assumed he had slept through a whole day, but now that he was giving it more thought…

He remembered the scene of destruction he first saw out his window. Buildings wrecked,cars dismantled,shredded,or burnt and almost rusty.

But above all, there was a severe lack of people or anything organic.

He saw no squirrels, rats, or even birds flying around. Most of the trees were also bare of leaves and looked dried out. Frankly, the city looked like something out of fallout.

"How is that even possible?...actually the real question is how I managed to live through all that." Andre sighed and shut the fridge and moved to his room before abruptly stopping.

'wait, one more thing, I need to check'

Limping over to the balcony, Mindful of the lack of railing, he tried regaining more of his balance to avoid falling over. After ensuring he wouldn't slip, he carefully looked down.

Three Aberrants stared back at him, all trying to scale the building. Their grotesque forms twisted unnaturally, sharp claws gouging into the stone, creating all kinds of unsettling noises that previously went unheard.

He also noticed two more on the ground level, hunched over a black mass.

Taking a closer look, he realized it was the corpse of the one he killed. They had been feasting on it. It seemed their description had been correct, they really were failures in all ways that mattered, even willing to resort to cannibalism.

'Though, humans are no different'

A frown appeared in his face as he thought of a memory he had buried a long while ago. Deciding not to dwell on it any further. He took a deep, calming breath and walked back as quietly as he could manage.

He had expected this. After all, the commotion he made fighting the creature was anything but silent; it wasn't too far-fetched to think something would come to investigate.

He sped towards his bedroom and changed into more comfortable clothes. A black jacket over a plain gray shirt with black cargo pants and his running shoes to finish the outfit. He was fond of the color, Black, it looked nice, simple, and went well with almost anything.

He considered taking his boots before quickly disregarding the thought. Although they provided more protection, He couldn't afford to be slowed down, and the noise they made when walking wouldn't help him much, either.

He regained focus, he was starting to hear something scratching against the building; the creatures were getting closer.

He briefly considered fighting, but a quick look at his status swept away all notions of the idea. His mp was 6/10, not enough to form a weapon.

Besides, he had almost died fighting off one, and only managed to survive off of pure luck. Now that he was unarmed and injured he couldn't entertain the idea of facing all three at once.

Stuffing down the inflated ego he grew since discovering his ability, he exited the room and went towards the washroom. Grabbing his first aid kit, he noticed It being too bulky to take with him. Though that didn't mean he couldn't salvage some items from it.

Bang... Screech.

The noises were closer now. He hurriedly stuffed two rolls of medical tape, a pack of gauze pads, and a pair of scissors into his pockets.

He rushed into the kitchen and filled two empty water bottles with the sink, which was still somehow working.

Kieeekkk... keiik.

The creatures were laughing now, no doubt from the joy of being close to prey.

With no time to contemplate the seemingly indestructible pipe system in his building, he shoved the filled bottles into his cargo pockets.

Clang.

A black hand that resembled knives appeared on the balcony floor. The sharp, talon-like appendages sank into the stone floor, the sudden appearance scared him shitless but he couldn't stop now.

Andre cupped his hand full of water and splashed it on the floor, hoping to slow the beasts, even if only for a moment.

Taking one last look at the small luxury apartment he had grown to love, he turned and ran out the front door, making sure it was locked behind him.