"Congratulations, Father."
"Congratulations, Ancestor."
The sheep observing him undergo his metamorphosis congratulated him.
Their customs had changed considerably—now, only the elder sheep could call him "Father," while the younger ones addressed him as "Ancestor."
"Thanks," Skye said, canceling the skill and politely acknowledging their words.
He used the occasion to guide them on their mutation technique. The insights the sheep provided also helped him refine his own understanding.
As he looked at the sheep surrounding him, a thought began to take shape in his mind, 'What if...?'
Time passed. A month after his breakthrough, Skye discovered a method to solidify the energy from the Sheep Enlightenment gemstone. After numerous trials and errors, he successfully shaped the energy into coins. He gave the currency a simple name: gem. By varying the energy intensity, he created denominations of 1 gem, 5 gem, 10 gem, 20 gem, 50 gem, 100 gem, 500 gem, and 1000 gem.
Four years later.
'It's finally complete', Skye thought as he stood over the corpse before him. What was once a normal giant lizard had now turned into something unrecognizable. It had six limbs, seven eyes, and a body covered in thick, hardened scales.
Boom!
The corpse exploded.
Unfazed Skye manipulated the corpse of a giant lizard the size of five meters, making it hover toward him.
He touched its skin and cast the new skill he created during these years:
Monstrification.
His transformation began. The hand he placed on the corpse morphed first, growing sharp claws. Scales spread from his arm to the rest of his body. Slowly, his entire form became armored in tough, black scales. His limbs turned into powerful claws, while a dark, helmet-like mask covered his face. The horns on his head became jet black and sturdier than before.
'The effects are impressive', Skye thought as he examined his new form.
The Monstrification skill allowed the user to permanently modify their body and soul by mimicking traits of another creature. The strength boost was significant, it also had the hidden effect of extending one's lifespan based on the creature the skill was used on.
'It's a pity', Skye mused. The current level of the skill only allows for a single transformation. For now, Skye didn't plan to develop the skill further as it took too much time.
A while later, Skye walked toward a pile of corpses not far away. Nearby, a few sheep dragged fresh bodies to add to the mound.
"Is that you, Father?" Misty Sheep asked, standing by the corpses and barely recognizing him.
"Yeah, it's me," Skye replied. He used the Sheep Enlightenment gemstone to turn the corpses into gem coins.
"What's the current situation?" Skye asked.
Misty Sheep nodded and began to explain.
In summary, the sheep community had undergone rapid changes. There were now three Stage 2 individuals: Skye, Big Sheep, and Fiery Sheep. Their population had grown to around ten thousand, and they had claimed a vast territory.
Once Skye finished converting the corpses into gem coins, Misty Sheep made them float and gathered them into a large leather bag.
"Let's go. I want to see how much progress you all have made," Skye said.
"Really, Father?" Misty Sheep sounded excited.
"Yeah, let's go," Skye replied, beginning to walk.
Misty Sheep hurriedly followed, dragging the oversized leather bag filled to the brim with gem coins.
At the foot of the hill, sheep were gathered, selling items displayed before them.
"Who is that? Do you know him?"
"Why is Sir Misty Sheep following behind him?"
The sheep whispered among themselves as Skye passed, but he ignored them.
Eventually, they arrived at a small group of sheep.
"Is it done?" one of them asked.
"Here. After taxes, this is your total," Misty Sheep said, nodding as he made coins float out of the leather bag and distributed them.
Skye silently observed. He was the one who had introduced this system, entrusting Misty Sheep with its management. After the sheep hunted, they handed over the corpses to Misty Sheep, who paid other sheep to transport them to Skye. Once enough corpses were collected, Skye converted them into gem coins, and Misty Sheep redistributed them, deducting taxes in the process.
Once the transaction was complete, the sheep departed. Although curious about Skye, they refrained from asking questions, knowing his importance from they way Misty Sheep acted.
"Continue your work. I'll explore on my own," Skye said.
"Um, okay, Father," Misty Sheep replied reluctantly, clearly wanting to guide him.
As Skye walked through the streets, he quietly observed the various items the sheep were selling.
Eventually, he stopped in front of a stall. The sheep tending to it glanced at him curiously but wasn't alarmed, having seen him earlier with Misty Sheep.
"How much for the soul stones?" Skye asked.
"Five gems for the small ones, ten for the medium, and twenty for the large," the sheep replied, making the stones float in demonstration.
"Give me the large one," Skye said. He formed a 20-gem coin in his closed fist using the Sheep Enlightenment gemstone and sent it floating toward the seller.
The sheep inspected it and nodded.
"Here," the seller said, sending the large soul stone toward Skye.
Midway, Skye took control of the floating stone and grabbed it. After that he walked away.
Absorption.
The energy from the soul stone was drawn into his body, leaving the stone to crumble into dust. The energy flowed into his soul, purifying it. Though the stone wasn't powerful enough to strengthen his soul, the purifying effect was valuable.
Skye continued wandering around, hoping to find something of interest.