Chapter 47: Becoming a Monster

The trees around the lake appeared slightly blurred, the distance became unclear, and Anna's view decreased significantly.

Her body felt different on every conceivable level. A subtle craving for water, a lack of speaking ability, and the small limbs that still seemed to hold outstanding power within their muscles.

She became a Goblinfish… no—Anna could actually take over bodies!

When she awakened her Apex Sigil a year ago, she immediately knew it was something like that—turning her whole being into a ring, then willing it into a target. From there, she could begin the parasitizing process and take over the body.

However, among the mysteries of her ability was the soul and the technicalities of it.

The first of which was that two souls cannot naturally control the same body.

He's dead, I don't feel his… soul… anymore. He must have died the moment I went inside.

The light she used to guide herself into the Goblinfish wasn't there anymore. At first, she thought it was just being suppressed by her ability, but she instinctively knew better. It was dead. Most likely, its soul was simply too weak to put up a fight.

With absolutely no control, she couldn't try and exist alongside the Goblinfish nor simply suppress its soul. So, her ability defaulted to killing it. She learned with Hyper Enhancement that abilities always defaulted toward a specific factor until they could be thoroughly controlled.

She felt terrible… even though the Goblinfish terrorized her for over a week. Accepting that it was a possibility and seeing it happen wasn't the same, as she learned. 

Before she decided to use it as a test subject, Anna asked herself what would have happened had the Goblinfish been friendly. Would she still try her ability? She wasn't sure she could say no.

Spending so long alone often brought such thoughts.

She shook her head… or tried to, but the Goblinfish's body was still paralyzed. Shockingly enough, she was gaining control much faster than she thought. The Goblinfish swallowed a huge chunk of the fish! It should have been out for maybe even days.

Pretty soon, she might even be able to use its mouth to speak, though she expected it to just be incomprehensible growls.

Her ability seemed to work quickly then—she already felt like the Goblinfish's body was hers, and she was the one paralyzed. Seamless, other than feeling odd due to the differences.

Unfortunately, she also inherited the body's desires. The feeling that she needed to submerge herself in water intensified every passing minute. She didn't feel like she'd die from it, but it was very uncomfortable. Not only that, but the sun felt highly unpleasant.

Hurry up and wear off already!

Simultaneously, a low, guttural growl released from the Goblinfishes—her—mouth.

And she promptly sealed it shut.

That's so weird! This is me?!

That dreadful sound came from her mouth! Screw gaining physical control over the body; her real worry should have been the psychological impact! She was a literal monster!

Small but powerful arms, four fingers with talons over an inch long, webbed feet, a long shark-like fin, gills, a blueish-green body…

I'm really a Goblinfish now.

But she did have some solace, something that prevented her from worrying too much.

And to get out… yep, still there.

From the beginning, Anna felt a tether—something akin to a rope she could grab onto. It was like somebody was throwing out a lifeline to save her from drowning in the ocean. All she had to do was pull it, and she'd be out. That provided immense relief.

She couldn't imagine trying to figure out how to get out without it.

Wait… isn't it slightly… weaker?

The tether felt slightly dimmer than when she first entered the Goblinfish's body.

Of course, it can't be that absolute.

It's not like she wanted to spend her remaining time on Sorana as a tiny monster anyway.

After what seemed like a few agonizing hours, she was finally gaining some control over her facial muscles. Its recovery time was remarkable! Maybe it was just her race that made the berry so effective.

Another hour later, she could move again.

She clenched and opened her four fingers continuously, feeling the power she could exude with the seemingly feeble body.

These claws could literally tear me apart!

Her Goblinfish body shivered at the thought.

A couple minutes passed before total control returned to every part of her body, allowing her to freely move it as though it were her own. After a few tumbles and uncomfortableness, it began to feel natural.

She moved its small arms around, kicked the half-eaten fish, and clawed at the grass.

Finally, she squatted to gain as much power as she could.

Here we go!

Anna launched off the ground, reaching a height that was easily as high as two of her stacked together!

Amazing!

She softly landed on the grass.

I've never felt so strong before! It's different than enhancements, which feel like a drug. Like I'm just a naturally powerful being!

Was that what Thagrin felt like? A silly thought, but that Barbarian could probably explode mountains with his fist!

It felt fantastic to just have that power readily available, magic or not.

Her ability granted her the same physical capability as the original soul! Furthermore, she could activate Hyper Enhancement or on herself at any point! She even still had access to her storage!

What about my barrier? My human enhancements? So many things to test!

With this, wasn't she technically immortal? What would happen if she moved switched bodies at the point of death? It was grim, so she shook those theories out of her mind.

Suddenly, an overwhelming urge slammed into Anna's body. It was like the sun had suddenly multiplied in intensity, shining its deadly rays onto her small body. Her skin felt like sandpaper, her breathing stung, and she could barely muster enough strength to flick a finger.

Water! I need water!

She stumbled over to the lake, heaving growly-esuqe breaths as she hopped in with a loud splash, disturbing the serene body of water as she dived into the depths of the lake.

The moment her body was engulfed, it felt like she had just entered an oasis.

Life returned to her body immediately. It didn't just return—it seemed to multiply every feeling she had.

Anna looked at her arms and legs, feeling just how much power she had gained from the lake.

I… I feel so much stronger… my senses are so sharp, my vision is…

She squinted, and she could easily see beyond the lake and into the trees through the surface of the lake!

Not only that, but she felt as though she was connected to the surroundings. If someone were to enter the vicinity of the lake, she'd probably notice it immediately! She wasn't even sure how that worked.

No wonder you found me so easily every single time!

The lake itself was beautiful, alien fish in the distance, a world of oddly-colored and shaped plants, rock formations, and hundreds of holes scattered throughout the bottom around her. Holes that could fit her Goblinfish body easily.

Are these where your species lived?

Anna easily and naturally swam through the lake as she approached a small congregation of the holes, but nothing occurred. They were simply holes dug into the ground with no signs of residency. It was all pointless—she knew that. If there was another Goblinfish nearby, she'd sense it.

Were… were you really the last of your kind? That made Anna's heart sting. Did she really just kill the last of an alien species?

None of the holes had anything, not even a bone.

There are definitely more in other bodies of water, right?

But despite those words, she felt worse with every area she checked. There truly didn't seem to be any other Goblinfish in this lake, with no indication of what happened to them. The lake was vast, with more to explore, but she knew and felt the likelihood was minimal.

Not seeing any type of bones or death did assuage her fear that she killed the last one, but that gave way to another depressing feeling.

Why was there only one in such a large lake?

A deep sense of dread washed over her as she sat on a rock. It was a feeling she felt often when she entered the tree homes to check for supplies. An abandoned world. Homes where people laughed and played, where they felt sad or happy… empty.

But for that to even extend to the waters? It made emotions she fought with for a long time during her first few months—emotions that still returned frequently—worse.

For the abandonment to even extend to the waters… why? Then, an odd, dark green fish swam past in her peripheral vision. She had an instinctual urge to swipe it for a meal. Before she swiped her hand out, she paused. Wait…

She felt a little dumb!

Why did the lake have fish at all?

Furthermore, why have a Goblinfish?

The abandonment of the Titan Forest was so thorough that Anna long ago theorized that some obscenely powerful magic was to blame. It didn't even have bugs! Whatever once lived on Sorana decided there was a reason to leave the otherwise beautiful planet. But leaving behind Goblinfish plus what they liked to eat didn't fit with that at all!

Unless they had a purpose that required them to stay alive, an isolated existence in an abandoned world.

Protecting the lake? Maybe guarding the forest around it? Anna shook her head. But there's not a single home in any of the trees surrounding this lake. What's to protect?

She left her rock and took to searching the area once more, hoping to find even a slight clue. Anything would do, even if the mystery was mundane. After a year on Sorana, the only thing of note she found was the tree tower—but that reignited her withering spirit.

Solving the mystery was what kept her going for so long. Yet she discovered nothing after finding that tower. After months of searching, she had nearly fallen back into that hopeless phase.

The Goblinfish mystery was just what she needed!

But after what seemed like a few hours, Anna had checked every nearby nearby capable of holding a Goblinfish and each interesting area.

Each hole only made her feel worse. She even went back and looked again at a few, just to catch the fleeting hope there was something for her to find.

Her indication to stop came when her monster stomach released a terrible groaning sound.

Ugh… I wish I could eliminate the body's needs… wait, does this mean I'm gonna have to— She stopped that line of thinking immediately.

Turning her attention to the tether, she felt that she should have a few hours left before it became dangerous to stay any longer.

That tether was another mystery. What would happen if she stayed too long?

I think it has been at least 6 hours.

It would either force her out of the body… or make her trapped in it forever. But what was actually happening? Did that tether represent something?

There were so many things she wanted to test.

But first…

Time to eat!

She wasn't looking forward to tasting raw fish or the disgusting texture it would likely have, but she needed the energy!

It was actually quite scary how easily she adapted to the body.

Was it a part of her ability—dampening the dysphoria she should have felt?

Of course, some things still didn't sit well with her, but that was mostly due to gender and the idea of doing natural processes in a body that wasn't her own.

Anna looked around, expecting finding food to be simple.

Yet the lake appeared empty.

Why can't I see any fish?!

She had just seen a weird green one a few hours ago! But she didn't see anything anymore.

Were they afraid of her presence? They did have plenty of time to swim away… and she wasn't exactly subtle with her actions.

Another disturbing growl from her stomach urged her to search for something to eat.

You can't hide from these senses of mine!

Luckily, it was a relatively quick hunt.

The Goblinfish's body had incredible senses when it came to movement within the water. All she had to do was get in tune with it. Partnered with its silent, swift movements and incredible vision, finding the fish proved far easier than she thought.

From her senses, she could tell they were all headed behind a large rock covered in plants and scratches.

They definitely were fleeing from her. The original Goblinfish probably stayed idle within one of the many holes until it was time to strike, but she made quite the show.

Wait…

That rock was on the edge, a rocky wall. Those fish were behind that large rock, but she should have seen or felt them leaving from the other side! Instead, she felt them getting further away!

Her heart quickened in anticipation at what that signified.

Bingo! Finally!

Behind the rock and almost completely hidden by swarms of blue-like seaweed and green coral was the small, smooth entrance into what appeared to be a deep cavern! Furthermore, there was a light within that corridor. A cyan light bright enough to illuminate the tunnel!

No way was this made by a Goblinfish!

Whatever was within those walls—likely a whole system of caves—could provide a clue into the nature of Sorana! Her adventurous spirit ignited once more.

She checked the tether once again, confirming her estimate that she'd have a bit before she would have to start worrying about getting out of the body.

Just in case… Anna used her claw to mark the rocky wall, easily leaving a noticeable indentation. Perfect!

Anna's Goblinfish body growled at her again, this time bringing with it a subtle, sharp pain.

But first, raw fish for dinner.