( Impure?.... What can be impure about them. Is that an indication of crossbreeding?)
I thought as I trudged over to the dragon ape.
" I never got your name. But I won't need it either. After what you've done you dont need to be remembered by history." I swiped my claws across the back of his exposed neck. There was a small spray of blood and the smell of iron filled the air. The dragon ape didnt shrink oddly enough. It retained its size instead of returning to dragon man form. ( I guess when we take these forms we die in these forms.) I thought slightly saddened but at the same time intrigued. " I might be able to get a few skills from you." I muttered as I picked up the now severed Kong head. I filled my mouth with flames and charred the head to ash and bones. I crunched on it and slowly gained am understanding of why the fight was so easily won.
/ Host has consumed the ash and bone of a contaminated bloodline. Seperating and purifying for diagnostics. Host has consumed lower level Destruction Class Scaled Kong. Host has consumed Destruction Class Earth Dragon. Host has superior skills and abilities as well as bloodline. System requires more for further analysis and extraction./
( Well..... that's a slight bust.) I thought as I turned back to the corpse and started burning and chewing. This tastes awful. Like charred brickets that the fuel smell is on. It was nasty. But it was better than eating it raw. I even found and ate his beast core.
/ Host has consumed materials able to benefit muscle structure greatly. Host has gained the passive skill: Power of Kong. Upper body strength is greatly improved and any muscle in the body is always being trained. As such hosts strength will always be rising. Materials are currently used to enhance leg and wing strength./ The system chimed.
( Nice! A really good skill.) I thought excitedly.
The thugs on the ground began to stir. I quickly found my bag and stored the bones of the dragon ape inside. ( Time to go get bunny man.) I thought as I lightly chuckled. ( My luck is good today.) I opened my wings wide and flapped into the sky. I had dropped off the rabbit man a fair distance away. He had indicated a mine was around that area so all I needed to do was find the mine. I touched down at the spot I had dropped him off and used my earth sense to track which way he went. I shifted to my smaller form and started in that direction. I started hearing sounds of shouting and laughing as I climbed a slightly rocky slope. As I reached the peak I found a bunch of draconic ruffians beating and kicking on something in the middle of their group. I drew closer and saw a pair of bloody bunny ears I knew all too well. My tail swung without warning into the group catching a few off guard and causing the others to retreat.
" Well, well, well, the Rabbit brought a friend it seems." One of the guys said. " Must be a guy who does charity cases. Why don't you give us some charity by giving us your valuables and leaving before we screw you up too." He said as he licked one of his clawed fingers. He didnt even bother caring about what I just did to his buddies. ( He must be a sub leader of some kind.) I thought. He fit the stereo type of not caring about his subordinates and using them like cannon fodder. His thugs surrounded me and instead of reaching for one I took a stance that Sam had taught me for hand to hand combat. My claws began to glow purple with red and gold sparks flickering between them. " He's not a charity case. He hired me to take you guys down. I upheld my end of the deal. Your leader is dead and your band will be dispersed to the four winds." The guys brows furrowed.
" Your telling me my pops is dead. Ha! You must be delusional! Nobody can beat my pops! Nobody! Boys.... Get him. Well entertain ourselves with him like we did the bunny." One of the guys jumped at me first his right hand was outstretched with his claws ready to take across me. My claws and form flowed like waves of the sea. I deflected his attack and grabbed his wrist with my right hand. My claws energy crackled and sizzles across his skin making him scream in pain. My left hand pierced his chest and the energy flooded him causing his body to burst into a blaze of flames and crackling electricity. His corpse fell to the ground as his body was reduced to nothing but charred bones. The others continued to charge at me. Some used weapons and others used their natural born abilities. One expanded and grew to look like a gorilla like the boss while another grew black scales and his eye bulged like a chameleon. His body shifted into the background invisible to the naked eye.
The first one I dealt with was the invisible one. I found him through earth sense. He had moved behind me to spring a surprise attack. My earth magic rose around his position and encased him in a stone coffin to keep him till I was done. Mini Kong attacked me with brute force sledgehammer strikes downward. I simply dodged out of the way. Some of his teammates got caught in the middle trying to hit me. I ended up grabbing them and throwing them at him. He smacked them aside as though they were just garbage. He was doing all the work for me. Finally there was only the other him and the other guy. He stood there huffing and obviously very tired.
" Why you always dodge?" He shouted in a very caveman-like manner. I shrugged at him.
" Why you always miss?" I responded. His veins bulged as he got angry and charged at me again. His arms were crossed in an X and he lowered himself to be like a football player. I went to dodge and found my foot was pinned by something. I looked down and found a shadow claw holding my leg in place. I pulled but it wouldn't let go. I couldn't get away in time for me to dodge so I took the hit. I didnt raise my shields but grabbed his arms and dug my feet into the ground. My claws held the earth but I was forced back leaving several claw wide trenches in my wake. He slammed me into the stone wall behind me where a massive dust cloud rose obscuring us from view.
Marco's POV
I watched Tank plow that goody two shoes into the mountain with a grin as I rose to my feet. My shadow returned to me seeing as it did its job. I held the guy in place with shadow magic so Tank could kill him. It was a cheap shot but so what. I gotta eat. In order to do that I gotta play by my own rules which are... There are no rules. The smartest and strongest one wins. I looked at the smoke cloud knowing the guy should've died by now and heard Tank roaring.
" Tank if he's dead you should stop roaring and get your sorry ass back in the mine so Pops doesn't get mad." I shout at him.
Suddenly a large arm comes flying out of the mist. One problem... It's not attached to anything. And it looks like one of Tanks arms.
I still hear roaring coming from the mist as I hear a sickening tearing noise and the other arm comes flying out. Then the roar gets cut short. I wait away from the cloud of dust and see a shadow approaching. " Tank! You alright man!?" It was tank alright. but both of his arms were gone and blood came from his mouth. (That ain't good.) I thought. Suddenly he burst into flames and fell to the ground. The guy he had bulldozed into the wall was standing behind him with a little blood dripping off his face around the hairline and a couple of scrapes on his body.
" No way.... " I whispered. " How?!"
Ignis's POV
( That hurt.) I thought as I rubbed my shoulders a little. ( Didnt think he would pack that much of a punch.) I walked around the burning body towards the guy who was the gang leader. He fell to the ground cowering.
" Stop! I'll give you anything you want! I'll do what ever you want!" He shouted out in fear. I continued approaching him steadily. I crouched when I got close enough.
" You know what I want?" I asked inquisitively and with a smile. He shook his head slowly.
" I want you dead." I stated flatly. His face paled and he tried to say something. Unfortunately Ghost Fire took him before anything could come out. I stored the bones just like the others. All that was left was the Chameleon man. I turned to the coffin but something felt off. I released it and found a massive hole had been dug. " Damn." I said. (He must be a couple miles away by now. Not much point in going after him.) I thought as I turned to the injured rabbit man. I quickly tore a couple strips of cloth from some rags close by and bound his wounds. " They really gave you a beating didn't they." I said under my breath. His breathing was steady and the blood had stopped. I slowly moved him to a better place to lay down.
I did night watch for the remainder of my time. He rested peacefully until dawn when he woke and tried sitting up. " Hughgggg" He groaned out in pain. I turned quickly. "Best not to move in your condition. They gave you a beating if ever I've seen one. Best to rest and get some strength back Rabbit Man." He groaned.
" You know I have a name right? It's Arcelus. Use it." He grunted out. I nodded a little. " Very well... Arcelus." I said as I stared at the coals in the firepit. I transformed my head into that of my dragon form and pulled out a bone from the storage pack. I started gnawing it to pass the time.
( I wonder if this is considered cannibalism considering I evolved from a salamander....) I thought woefully as I continued knawing in boredom.