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After the words stopped flashing in front of Arkham, a stream of darkness started to erupt from the scorpion tattoo on his arm.
"Aaargghhh!" Arkham screamed as he felt his body starting to morph and change physically. He starting to grow in size, enough to that he would soon be bigger than the cavern to the entrance.
Arkham looked at the Crown and the Centipede, both were most likely powerful artifacts though his hands were starting to change too. His left hand was starting to fuse in the form of a claw, with only his right hand normal for god knows how long, Arkham had to choose between the two.
Arkham grabbed the centipede, if the scorpion had changed him maybe the centipede could too. At least it didn't affect him like the Crown of Souls did.
'I'll come back for you!' Arkham thought with firm resolve as he took one last look at the Crown, it was after all the symbol of an Emperor.
He managed to get outside of the entrance after just getting the centipede into his pouch. It was just in time too, his right hand started to change as well. After 30 more seconds, words popped up again.
Arkham had fully transformed into a large, black scorpion like monster. His entire body was covered in heavy, black exoskeleton like armor. His hands had transformed into claws like a scorpion or a crab's.
The worst part was that he could feel what had gained to his face! His mouth had turned into two small claw esque-like pincers and a horror show of teeth behind those. To top it all off he had also gained a large curved tail with a venomous stinger at its tip.
'Damn it! What in the world is this!?' Arkham panicked as he stumbled from his newly added bulk and weight. 'Can I turn back?'
'Well when can I!?'
'How do I get that?'
After Arkham saw those two evil words, he heard a sudden shout from his right.
"Monster!" A Frebran yelled to his other able bodied comrades across the sand.
As soon as Arkham saw him, something in him changed like a switch being turned on. He let out an unearthly screech at the man and started to charge at him.
'Hungry, so hungry!'
"Ahhhh!" The Frebran screamed in terror as he fell back onto the sand.
Arkham raised his right claw and brought it down violently on the man, cutting the man in half. When the man died, Arkham saw a white wisp-like mist come from his body and form into an ethereal sphere. On instinct, Arkham opened his mouth and ate the soul.
<+50 Satisfaction>
"No, no! Stay away!" The second Febran shouted as he held up his sword, all the while shaking fearfully.
'What in the world did I just do?' Arkham wondered as he felt the urges die down and looked at the scared man. 'There's no way…'
Seeing him momentarily stop moving, the Frebran decided to take a chance. He couldn't just leave his comrades to die while he cowardly ran away. He ran forward and slashed at Arkham with his sword.
"Argh!" Arkham yelled as he felt the blade go diagonally across his chest. It didn't penetrate his armor but that didn't mean that it didn't hurt. "Enough!"
Arkham swung at the man's hand that held his sword, driving him back.
"Aaaaa!" The man cried out as his arm was turned into a bloodied stump.
"It seems like I can speak in this state after all." Arkham said in a deep and monstrous voice, it was quite fitting for the terrifying thing he had become.
"Wha...What what do you want!?" The man struggled to get his words out as his arm was bleeding onto the sand.
Arkham didn't really want to kill an unarmed man, especially if they were in such a state. But there would be consequences if they did survive and go back to their comrades. Although, eating souls was really detestable to him, he didn't know if he could get used to it. No, it was something he shouldn't get used to since he was able to do it so easily.
"I'm sorry, but you cannot live."
"Aaagghh!"
Arkham had swung a claw down into the man's skull and silenced him for good. When his soul came out, Arkham quickly ate it with great guilt. He felt bad but it was something he couldn't do anything about right now.
<+50 Satisfaction>
'It's better to think of them as mercy kills' Arkham thought as he turned his attention to the three remaining Febrans. One man's head was busted so he was most likely going to be dead in a bit, meanwhile the two with sprained ankles were trying to limp away.
As he finished off the unconscious man, Arkham reached a conclusion. It was different as a human killing and fighting since it was his life or theirs. But now they posed little threat like this, he had an almost warrior like pride against slaughtering the weak so easily.
"Aaaaaaaahhhhh!"
It would be hard to resist the power consuming him, since that would make him arrogant and that would spell trouble.
"I guess I have to suppress my feelings in the end. In order to become human again. In order to get my revenge!"
Arkham slowly walked up to the last man trying to get away, he was finally starting to find his stride for moving in his new bulky body. He then casually put his claws in the man's legs and neck.
"Aaaaaaaaa!"
With his strength, Arkham had ripped the man in half allowing yet another soul to form in front of him.
'Oh?'
Arkham suddenly felt like something changed in his brain, it was like he just had a revelation..
"Of course it wouldn't be that easy." Arkham sighed as he let himself fall onto the sand.
'I'm going to have to consume way more souls. Where am I going to…'
Arkham suddenly had a realization as he got back on to his feet. He made his way to the top of a dune And looked around until he saw the mountains in the distance. After that, he started walking in that direction.