Morphling

With both the beast’s arms free, the fight took a massive turn.

The black monstrosity was still faster, but its attacks were more easily intercepted and countered by the great beast. Many times, the monstrosity took heavy blows that left its limbs completely ragged.

The difference in weight and size would normally not be a problem, but the changeling’s resilience and vitality were too unworldly.

The monstrosity had been in this plane for decades, hiding and consuming a great plethora of creatures in its time. It was lucky early on and managed to consume a weakened humanoid of this world, which gifted it the knowledge it needed to ensure its safe growth.

When it was at the cusp of transitioning to its final stage, it could no longer properly hide its growing strength, so it leaked a portion of it in order to mask the true level of its growth.

Its expectations weren't wrong when it sensed beings that were observing it after detecting the energy it gave off. They believed they escaped its detection, so it saw them as foolish, but it also knew their lack of caution would only give it an advantage when it would choose to escape.

In time, it made no mistake when it was surrounded and took its would-be exterminators by surprise. It wanted to attack the settlement of these beings, but the closest one was too dangerous due to its size and how quickly they would be able to recuperate.

That was why it chose a smaller one in the south that it learned about when consuming one of the beings.

Completely taking them by surprise by manipulating its shedding, it was successful in acquiring captives that it would use to deter their attacks and to add to its growth once it would find safety.

Finding the changeling, it became greedy since not only was it beneficial for its growth, it could only sense a little of the plane’s energies within it. Never could it have imagined the true power of the changeling.

It went against all the knowledge it had gained of this plane. The amount of the energy known as “mana” was an absolute indicator of the power one held within this world. That was why the very entities that were atop of this plane were the gigantic beings known as Dragons, Titans, Ziz, Behemoths, and Leviathans; gargantuan creatures that were almost completely made of mana.

This was why this creature it was facing was a complete anomaly. Its energies constantly shifted from threatening to nonexistent amounts. Similar to itself, and yet possessing no vital energies given off by the overrealm, or as the beings of this world call it, the Outrealm; the vast plane of the void it originated from.

The monstrosity’s true body was an overworld being. An entity that existed beyond the shackles of the material planes.

This was why it looked down upon the beings of this world; that their existence was limited by the physical realm and that their potential was gauged and restricted solely by a power that could only exist here.

That was also why it decided to prey upon this world; to consume it from within and raise its existence to that of the level of the oldest and truest of the outer beings.

But its many years of planning were made almost meaningless. This creature before it was an existence beyond its knowledge of this plane and the overrealm. It couldn’t understand how such a creature could even exist.

Playing with the physical forms of this plane’s inhabitants through its manifestation and having sampled some of the changeling’s flesh and blood, its physical existence was completely unknowable and unstable. All it could determine was that this creature wasn’t a product of this world.

This it believed was the reason its poisons didn’t seem to work. Having traced and incorporated this plane’s Evolutionary Tree of Origin, with enough time the poisons it could concoct would render even the greatest of its creatures, such as Titans, into powerless sacks of meat.

Thus, whatever this creature is, it no doubt came from a different material plane.

Another overworld being encroaching a physical plane was one thing; such as the workings of the Scarlet King of Corrosion it had sensed upon its entry, but for a physical entity of a material plane to have stumbled on the coordinates of another material plane was simply the height of improbabilities.

For the first time, the overworld being was truly angry. That its painstaking work could be simply undone by an unknown creature that by some random coincidence of the smallest variable was simply there at the wrong place and the wrong time.

It didn’t consume the creatures hanging off its body as a deterrence against any large external manifestations of mana that these creatures call “spells” or “magic”, but its current situation is pushing it to the edge of using them to speed its growth.

It was left with little choice. If it was going down, then it will force its metamorphosis by consuming everything within sight.

Even if it is unsuccessful, then it would only make the beings here attack it more ferociously and seal its fate. However, it didn’t matter as it would eventually have the last laugh. In time, its main body would create another fragment and send it through the plane. It would grow quietly and more assured until eventually it would have its revenge.

These were its irrational thoughts seconds before its skull was caved in by another massive fist.

***

“This… huh…”

The blonde-haired hooded man tried to say something, but no words could describe the sight before him.

Everyone all around were as stunned as Geral. The monster that caused so much pain and death; that toyed with their warriors so easily… was being thrown around like a ragged corpse.

When the Fallen fought their warriors up close, it took advantage of its multiple limbs, superior strength, and its lethal poison that manipulated their dead. It was also blindingly fast and took advantage of sudden movements that shouldn’t be possible with its anatomy.

Now that its other hand was free, the beast completely ignored all attacks it received and simply fought with pure physical force. Whenever the Fallen struck, it simply took the blow head on and retaliated, almost as if it couldn’t feel pain. This was further made stranger due to how little blood was spilling on the ground, and how the wounds never remained on its body.

If the Fallen tried to attack its blind spot, it simply avoided it or countered it without the need to look, almost as if it had eyes all over its body. It was even able to perform throws, counters, and even holds.

The beast somehow knew how to fight like one of the enlightened races. The moves it executed, while mostly unknown and appearing amateurish to some, showed a certain degree of understanding of close combat.

Scratching his head, Uruwan looked towards Jortus. “Intelligent, was it? That was quite the understatement, old boy.”

The old mage could only shake his head in response. “I’m as stumped as you are, Uru. This thing’s no beast. I wouldn’t even be surprised if it was actually a man cursed into this form.”

“Are there such curses capable of doing so, old man?” Geral asked out of curiosity.

“Not that I know of. Curses are a different thing entirely and aren’t exactly my specialty.” Shrugged Jortus as he prepared some spells.

Hearing footsteps and incessant whining and barking sounds, the others looked towards Rakai as he approached them from the side, still watching the beast while carrying a young wolf pup.

Among the others, he was the only one who didn’t show a stunned expression and kept observing the beast, as if waiting for something.

Rikarn stepped forward and patted his brother on the shoulder. “Good work out there, Rakai. I never expected saving the young pup would work so well in our favor.”

Rakai kept staring at the beast, then looked towards the pup barking at it. It kept struggling in his arms trying to free itself and run towards the beast.

Feeling his brother nudge him again, he looked towards Rikarn. “Despite the danger, this little one still wants to go.”

“Hmm. I don’t know what that beast and this little pup have gone through, but I can see they both really care for each other.” Rikarn crossed his arms as he looked at the little wolf.

Rakai frowned as he turned to stare at the beast. “It took a risk… by trusting us. And yet, it didn’t hesitate. If I…”

“No.” Rikarn strongly said as he turned his brother to face him. “Again, nothing would have changed. And even if there was a way, no one would’ve known what would’ve happened. You need to stop blaming yourself about Urumar.”

Letting out a deep sigh, Rakai turned towards the fight and remained quiet.

Rikarn could only shake his head and sigh at his brother, thinking him foolish. He turned to face the monsters when they heard a call from their elder.

“Everyone, get ready! It seems our turn is coming! As soon as that abomination is restrained, go!”

***

The beast was careful with its attacks, always making sure the injuries it caused were only enough to maim or stun.

As strong as the black creature was, it was far too lacking in mass that the beast could easily hold it by the tail or legs and simply slam it onto the ground. The creature also possessed poison, but most biological warfare was useless against the beast as it could easily decipher and deconstruct the chemical structures of natural toxins as per its genetic design.

As they continued to fight, it focused on concussive blows to the black creature’s skull-head, hoping it would keep it dazed enough that it wouldn’t be able to think properly.

Seeing the monstrosity’s movements wavering, the beast thought it was finally time to end it. To the surprise of the humanoids surrounding it, it grew an extra set of arms above its shoulders and another pair under the original set.

This was pushing the beast’s biomass to the limit. Any more alterations and it would start to destabilize and be forcefully changed to its passive jelly-like state.

Getting behind the black monstrosity, the beast used one set of arms to fully hold onto the creature’s four skinny limbs. Another set was used to hold onto its legs. And the last set was used to forcefully pry open the armor on its torso.

With great effort, the beast strained as it pulled on the chitin-like armor that was as hard as solid metal. While this was happening, the creature didn’t keep still and lashed at the beast with its razor-edged tail. Terrible gashes started appearing on the beast’s torso, arms, and face, but it ignored the damage and continued to pull.

*CREAK*

The sound of something metallic giving way sounded out. With a mighty roar, the beast tore open the chitin and threw the pieces away.

It then used its free hands to hold down the black creature's tail and grip its neck tightly to hopefully weaken its control over the rest of its body by crushing part of its nervous system.

Seeing the opportunity, the horned humanoids yelled out and started moving. They threw bladed objects that were attached to long tendril-like things that appear to be braided fibers that they pulled tight once the bladed ends anchored onto the creature.

With incredible nimbleness, the bipedal creatures ran up the braided fibers and started surrounding the creature’s body. Their targets were the exposed hanging masses of flesh, and moving with dexterity and precision, the beast saw that they managed to remove dozens within seconds.

Things seemed to be finally going smoothly as only a few dozen flesh masses were left, but suddenly the creature trembled with an eerie cackling noise that it made before when it mocked the beast.

Not knowing what it was planning, it tried to pull it away and shake off the bipedal creatures, but it was too late.

The black creature’s flesh suddenly broke apart then exploded out into tendrils, stabbing through some of the humanoids and pulling it within itself. Its flesh then began to expand while trying to assimilate the beast’s hands.

The beast tried to use its six arms to forcefully compress it, but then there was a sudden sharp explosive lash of a tendril.

Sharp pain lanced through one of the beast’s arms as one of its hands were severed from the elbow and flew at a distance.

The creature’s cackling grew louder as white vapor rose from its body and the remaining masses of flesh started to slowly shrink all at once.

The black creature was finally desperate. As a final act, it seemed that it was going to consume everything within it and everything it could touch.

Seeing the creature’s plan and not knowing if the other little pup was among the rescued flesh masses, it took the beast's entire willpower not to panic. Looking at its remaining options, it believed it only had once choice and decided to risk its life once more.

Pulling back its remaining extra arms within itself, the beast converted all the remaining biomass it possessed and directed it towards its head.

Its jaws expanded to a terrifying degree. It became so large, it could completely engulf the writhing black mass of what used to be the entity it fought.

One horned humanoid screamed and ran towards it, but the beast didn’t stop.

With all the strength of its remaining arms, the beast pulled the black mass into its massive maw, biting it down and swallowing it whole.

***