As his senses flooded back, the old woman's head was almost pressed against Jenkins's face. Beneath it, the tallic body of the Scarlet Ephera, complete with its gossar wings, had fully erged from the house.
Unlike the tallic Beasts of Calamity he had encountered in previous Mysterious Realms, the Difference Engine hadn't fashioned the Scarlet Ephera into a colossal monster. It was roughly the size of an overgrown wild boar.
Snapping out of his stupor, Jenkins swung a fist and smashed the old woman's face. With a spray of red blood, the head burst open like a shattered waterlon, revealing the tallic head of the ephera hidden inside.
A deafening crash echoed as his fist struck the tal insect's head. Jenkins had yet to fully adapt to the power from the ascension of his body and soul—a force equivalent to a full-power strike from the World Tree Seedling itself. The aggressive insect's head imdiately caved in under the blow.
The Difference Engine's special alloy, which even the White Bone Holy Sword couldn't cleave, had just been caved in by Jenkins's bare fist.
An ephera doesn't technically have eyes, but for so reason, two human eyes were embedded in its tal surface. They hadn't been hard by the punch. Jenkins t the gaze of the eyes on the dented insect head, and the Beast of Calamity's influence over bloodlines imdiately took hold of him.
His body writhed, but showed no signs of transformation. The Beast of Calamity's essential power was altering the genetic information in his body, but he was now the complete World Tree. The World Tree itself is the origin of all things, so no matter how he was changed, he would remain the World Tree.
Instead of retreating, he grabbed the ephera's body and pulled it into an embrace. The tal insect struggled violently, its surface rippling like liquid tal. Then, dozens of red alloy spikes shot out from beneath its brass-colored shell, piercing straight through Jenkins's body.
He remained calm, placing his open right palm on the insect's head. The Savior's Emblem corresponding to his [Stranger] ability materialized at his feet. The circular emblem expanded continuously, the evolution and ascension of his physical body amplifying the power of his abilities. Soon, the flawless, circular blue emblem enveloped the entire town.
Crimson light erupted from the town, shooting toward the sky. Under the influence of [The Stranger], the restless townspeople grew even more frantic, yet surprisingly, none dared to leave their hos. They sensed a power potent enough to kill them instantly.
The bell ringer beneath the clock tower looked up at the sky. The nun in the church left her seat by the altar to stand at the doorway, gazing in Jenkins's direction. anwhile, the ghost nurse at the hospital clung to the fra of a third-floor back door, secretly watching the scene unfold.
Although the [World Tree Seedling] hadn't grown as a result of the [Four Seasons] ritual, its power had undergone a fundantal transformation after absorbing six of Jenkins's abilities.
Almost as if actively triggered, [The Stranger], combined with the [World Tree Seedling]'s control over life force, drew all the crimson light in the town toward Jenkins and the tal ephera. Under the emblem's brilliant glow, the light condensed into a tangible curtain, enveloping both man and insect.
The unsettling sound of twisting tal echoed continuously from within the curtain, interspersed with piercing, ultrasonic screeches.
Soon, however, Jenkins had absorbed all the crimson light. Even the bloody hue of the town's sky began to fade, returning to the pitch-black sky typical of a Mysterious Realm.
All that remained in his arms was a tallic husk; the power of the Scarlet Ephera had been perfectly absorbed. For a mont, a crimson glow in his eyes even suppressed the faint purple light, but it quickly receded, signifying that he had completely mastered his newfound strength.
Because he had no empty bubbles left, no new ability was generated. However, the Scarlet Ephera's power had been absorbed by the essence of the World Tree. He had already grasped all he needed, so it didn't matter that a formal ability didn't manifest.
Just as abilities like [Titan's Power], [Cat's Grace], and [Dragon's Kiss Venom] had been absorbed before, he could still use their powers at will. They had beco talents as natural to him as lifting a hand or taking a step—powers that, in the truest sense, could never be erased.
The power of the World Tree encompassed many aspects. In terms of bloodline, Jenkins now possessed the talent to absorb the power of any non-human creature he touched and make it his own. This was an inherent characteristic of the [World Tree Seedling], a power already inscribed upon his very body and soul.
Unfortunately, among all the Beasts of Calamity, only the Scarlet Ephera's power was so similar and compatible with that of the World Tree. Had it been any other beast, Jenkins would have likely been forced into a head-on battle.
The Difference Engine had likely intended for Jenkins, as "The Stranger," to fail to leave this town and be forced to stay, thereby becoming a "local." This would have served as a ritual to reverse the effects of [The Stranger]. But unfortunately for the Engine, Jenkins was victorious once again.
"This isn't bad, though."
He lted the ephera's alloy shell in his hand, forming it into a tal block that he stuffed into his backpack, rging it with the alloy from the old butler of the Shadow Castle.
He clenched his fists, feeling the astonishing power coursing through him, then leaped into the air. As his backpack and the magic sword, still encased in its tal cocoon, fell to the ground, Jenkins transford into a ball of golden-purple light in mid-air before landing softly on the ground as a small mouse.
Even though his [Malicious Transformation] ability was gone, his tamorphosis had made shapeshifting an instinct, a natural talent. He could now transform freely and without restriction within a Mysterious Realm. And while he hadn't practiced enough to instantly beco the powerful creatures he'd encountered—like titans, vampires, unicorns, or dragons—he could now turn into ordinary animals like mice, cats, squirrels, or fawns whenever he pleased.
In high spirits, he changed back into his human form. Jenkins casually tossed the dice—a twenty, the exact number he needed to reach the white portal of exit. He smiled, gathered the remaining dice into a small cloth bag, and pulled the drawstring tight before turning to look toward the third floor of the hospital.
The door wasn't fully closed, and through the narrow crack, the ghost nurse was peeking at him.
"There aren't many left. They're all yours."
He tossed the bag into the air, and it landed perfectly in front of the door.
"Will you co back?"
The ghost opened the door, asking the question as she reluctantly stooped to pick up Jenkins’s “relics.”
"Probably not. The Stranger is leaving. I have people waiting for at ho."
He waved goodbye to the ghost.
"Then... be careful on your journey!"
the ghost said dejectedly. Seeing Jenkins turn toward the gate out of town, she called out another farewell, even pulling a transparent handkerchief from sowhere to wave it high in the air.
"Have a safe journey! Wherever you're going, I know you'll succeed."
Jenkins smiled, gave her one last nod, and then stepped through the increasingly unstable portal.
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