Chapter 28 - Shift

For a few brief second Asd felt the mana wash through him, for some reason it was clearer here, extremely concentrated in such a way that his skin tingled with the feeling. All beings on Boria could feel mana, but some are more connected to it than others bringing about the existence of mages. For Weres they ambiently absorb it, naturally using it to temper their bodies. Up until himself Asd has never had of a were that was a mage before, and that was because they couldn't store enough mana in their body and control it enough without their bodies passively absorbing it.

But he had a theory, with the slave seal that the Weres have had for generations shackling their true abilities. It might have given Weres the chance to grow or rather evolve to the point where they could also store magic. This was only just a hypothesis, but Asd didn't think him being able to use magic was just a lucky occurrence, especially when he heard that Lucian was able to shift even with slave seal present. A seal that wasn't really so powerful that it couldn't be suppressed by just a little bit of mana, but something that was impossible for Weres who had no idea how to control it especially with the seal in place.

But Lucian did, which makes him even more of a talent than Asd himself. Being capable of using Mana to suppress his slave seal must take a degree of control and connectivity that is above the norm. and Asd could tell because he was looking as six-foot-tall white wolf with red streaks crushing Zaragite with ice around his claws and fangs. From what he could see, Lucina had even more of an achievement in magic than he did, and he was also and alpha, the very position gives him a supernatural power to lord over most Weres, unless facing and alpha stronger than him. And with his magic in place, Asd doubted if there was an Alpha stronger than Lucian.

But there was no time to dally and hang around like a fool. Asd burst forwards, his sword out of its sheathe as he took a massive leap, going up almost 8 meters in the air before crashing down onto the back of an unsuspecting Zaragite, his weight crushing it to a pulp just as his sword found purchase in the head of another. Gaia winked into existence just in time to cast [Create Sand] and cause the earth sediments to spread around him like sand storm. Though small, her, he's its control over the sand was impeccable, blinding the eyes of any Zaragite that drew close to Asd.

He stepped back dodging a wild strike from a Zaragite before punting it, removing it's head off its shoulders with his above average strength and then slicing a leaping one in half, making sure to avoid letting its bodily fluids touch him. Asd growled, his form growing bulkier as fur spread out from his whole body and his mane became even more wild, covering the whole of his back like some sort of covering. He sheathed his sword and gave in to the animal in him, letting his Lion take the reins of his half transformed form.

"Hahhahhahaha this is going to be fun!"

The dark tone of his line made him shiver, but this was a partial transformation which meant that they were both in control. His claws flashed through the air rending a garish hole in the abdomen of Zaragite that was flying above him. He narrowed his eyes and decided to take a play out of Lucian's play book. [Hot Hand] he felt the man flow as his hands began to glow and sizzle with smoke. His control was abysmal, but he poured as much of the solar fire mana as he could in his hands to his claws, making them leave streaks of golden orange light as it sliced through the body of Zaragites in reckless and wild abandon.

"Rooooooaaaaaarrrrr!"

His roar seemed to release a rippled that jarred the hearing of everyone within his current vicinity, it was strange but in that moment Asd could feel the wind. He could feel how tightly it was intertwined with the mana, the sounds of hearts beating and labored breathes. The wildlife that moved about not caring for the battle that was currently going on. And in that moment he could see it, he could see runes, or better yet it would be easier to say he could feel them. they settled at the base of his throat, glowing a bright green and blue as within his mind space another spell formula began to take shape. But this was unlike any magic that has ever been created before, there was an imprint to it, one that could only be matched to the primal nature of were, and not just any were…. a Werelion.

[Spell Module Complete! You Have Created The 0 circle Wind Element Spell Roar]

[Roar 0 circle: Release Wind Element Man from the base of your throat in a Loud roar to cause confusion.]

But there was more to it, Asd could feel it. This spell wasn't complete, or better yet it would be easier to say that he was not yet powerful enough to bring it to bear at just the 0 circle, he could feel it, like a whisper in the wind of a power that was to come, even the 1st circle would not do it justice. This was the power of his bloodline, of authority and wind. He might not have had an epiphany or enlightenment like he did with Solar fire and Earth summoning, but the wind was different. Somehow what he gained was intrinsic understanding of it beyond what his other two elements could give. Air/Wind was not just one of the prime elements, it was the first of them all.

[Roar]

Practically everyone excluding the tied up human here had sensitive hearing. And for the Zaragites that were probably sensitive to light and were dog like in nature. They had powerful hearing using it to track vibrations in the ground and within the tunnels. This roar was not just torture, even as a 0 circle spell it immediately turned out to be the most powerful spell in Asd's arsenal as quite a few of the Zaragites sustained brain damage from burst ear drums, their assault completely fell apart as they scattered about, whining and rolling on the ground from the sheer pain they were feeling.

This spell would probably never see use in his un-shifted form, but in his partial form or his full form. Where the roars of a lion are not something to overlook, this would be devastating, especially in a large scale battle. But back to the battle at hand the larger Zaragite did not seem too affected by his roar, but it had already identified Asd as the person responsible for taking out its brethren. It let out a massive roar of challenge that Asd matched with his own. The beast moved for him, and as it did so Asd gave in completely to his Lion.

During the full moon you can never control or resist the change, and it took most were years, at least 60 to 80 before they become capable of shifting at will with a few exceptions…. the Alphas and above all else… those of royal blood. Bones creaked and shifted, elongating and breaking as mouth gave way to snout and legs to hind legs, for bipedal to quadrupedal. Primal animalistic with mane the color of deep rustic gold and eyes so red they seemed to bleed death and bloodlust. A king, a beast, a monster…. a Werelion.

"Rooooooaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrr"