His first reflex after waking up was to jump up and stretch. Ikaris wanted to sit up normally, but by gently pushing the mattress with his fingertips his body lifted off 20 centimeters. He was so surprised that he toppled forward, but instinctively he restored his balance with a front somersault.
'Weird.'
He then inhaled sharply to oxygenate his brain and hundreds of different smells flooded his olfactory nerves. The scent of wood, pheromones, his own sweat were magnified, but most of all he smelled a nauseating stench coming from a sticky substance coating his body.
'What the hell happened to me?' He paused in puzzlement. It wasn't like this the last times.
Soundlessly, he headed to the bathroom and filled the large wooden tub with cold water and jumped in. He scrubbed himself energetically with soap to remove the grime, but the smell still stung his nose and eyes. Within minutes, the clear water became cloudy and he had no choice but to give up.
'I'll bathe in the lake tomorrow at dawn.' Ikaris relented with a dispirited grimace.
After drying off he tiptoed back to his room and now that the stench covering him was no longer so pervasive he realized a crucial change.
"The floor seems a little further away and the ceiling a little closer..." He muttered uncertainly.
When he was about to enter his room, a tantalizing fragrance took over his mind and he froze in place. A golden glow pulsed from his irises, his heart rate shot up and he began to salivate like a starving dog who hasn't eaten in three days over a piece of fresh meat. At the same time, he had a painful erection.
Subconsciously, he took a step in the direction of the room shared by Malia and Ellie before suddenly pulling himself together and biting his lip.
"I...Am...Me." He pronounced in a hoarse, dehydrated voice.
It was only after he had kept the spell active for half a minute that he regained full control of his body. A cold sweat dripped down his neck as he realized he had almost jumped on the two sleeping women.
Once in his bedroom, he flopped down on his bed and blurted out in a jittery tone,
"These bestial urges are almost as hard to suppress as those of my Crawling-Thrall Bloodline."
"It's a full moon tonight." Magnus pointed out with concern. "Most new Werewolfs cannot indeed control themselves without the close supervision of their Alpha."
Aware of what this could mean, Ikaris finally activated his System Spell and consulted his Status.
[Human Dire Black Werewolf:]
[Dire Black Werewolf Physique(43%):
Human Form: Magic Defense +14.3-43%, STR/AGI/CST/VIT +14.3-43%, Body Optimization, Sense of smell +860%.
Semi-Bestial Form(locked): Magic Defense +0.14.3-0.43 pts, Magic Defense +85.8-258%, STR/AGI/CST/VIT +85.8-258%, Werewolf's Venom, Bond of the Pack.
Beast Form(locked)
Side effects : Heightened emotions, bestial instinct, attraction to the flesh of one's own species. The pros and cons of this bloodline are at their weakest on a new moon and at their strongest on a full moon night. Unpredictable effects can occur during an eclipse, red moon or super moon.]
Ikaris was taken aback by the rapid progression of his transformation. He thought about it for a moment and surmised that it must be due to Liam's venom already in his system. Absorbing the bloodline from this second Bloodspark had just sped up the process. He wasn't going to complain about it.
The benefits and drawbacks described were in line with his feelings and what he had observed in other lycans. But why Dire Werewolf and not just Werewolf? When he shared his concerns with Magnus, the old Vampire showed a tinge of surprise.
"A Dire Werewolf? That's unexpected. Dire beings exist in most bloodlines, including humans. It's a designation generally used to refer to the chosen of a species. They are usually taller, smarter, more athletic and more talented than their fellows. Their lifespan is also a bit longer."
"Is that a good thing for me?" The teen asked uneasily.
"It should be fine yep." Magnus slowly confirmed. "But it could explain the severity of your symptoms. Your beastly instincts will naturally be stronger."
Ikaris then turned his attention to the description of his semi-bestial form. He was not surprised that it was locked. As long as he hadn't completed his mutation into a Dire Werewolf, attempting this transformation would probably have hazardous results.
Either way the good news was that there was no mention of him being part of Liam's pack. He was his own pack and therefore owed obedience to no one.
The boy then checked the changes in his attributes and finally understood why the floor seemed more distant and where his increased strength came from.
[ATTRIBUTES:]
[Bloodline(s): Human Crawling-Thrall(defective), Nephilim of Faulch (5%), Dire Werewolf(43%)]
[Age: 15 years old]
[Height: 1.73>1.85m.]
[Weight: 69>64kg]
[Magic Power: 0.006 points]
[Magic Defense: 0.00256 points]
[Stamina: 18(+42%) points.]
[Strength: 5.1 (+42%) points.]
[Agility: 4.4(+42%) points.]
[Constitution: 4.7(+42%) points.]
[Vitality: 31.3(+42%) points.]
[Soul Strength: 101 points]
[Dark Element Affinity/Resistance: 0.5%]
[Death Element Affinity/Resistance: 0.5%]
[PRIMARY SPARKS:]
[Life Spark lvl1: 18 points.]
[Soul Spark lvl1: 101 points]
[Divine Spark lvl1: 0.06>0.07 points.]
[SKILLS:]
[System lvl2: 3.16>3.28 points. Passive Effect: The System can now be accessed subconsciously at the cost of immense concentration]
[Appraisal lvl2: 2.65>2.96 points. Passive Effect: It is now possible to roughly Appraise the targets of your choice]
[See-Through Vision lvl2: 1.38>1.55. Passive Effect: It is now possible to peer slightly through objects with proper focus]
[Stealth lvl2: 1.47>1.72. Passive Effect: Presence can be consciously increased or decreased to a certain extent]
[I Am Me lvl2: 1.12>1.26. Passive Effect: You are anchored, and your personality is less vulnerable to external or internal mental alterations whether magical or physiological].
[Black Veil lvl1: 0.67>0.99 points]
[Heart Puncturing: 0.55>0.71 points]
[Necromancy lvl1: 0.5 points]
[Black Magic lvl1: 0.5 points]
[Self-Healing lvl1: 0.02 points]
[Enhanced Strength (30>35%) lvl1: 0.01>0.25 points]
[Assimilation lvl1: 0.011>0.013 points]
"No wonder I feel hungry." Ikaris commented with a bitter face.
In addition to having grown 12 centimeters in a few hours, he had lost over 5 kg in the process. If he had nearly lost his mind earlier it was because his Crawling instincts had also kicked in.
Because of the impending full moon, his physical attributes were boosted by 42%. And although on the surface his basic Strength of 5.1 hadn't changed, because he had grown taller he was definitely a bit stronger. It should not be forgotten that he was the benchmark for his own stats.
His Magic Defense attribute, which he shouldn't have unlocked until he became a bona fide Sorcerer, was ridiculously low and after a quick mental calculation he was able to ascertain that it was very precisely 42% of his Magic Power.
While reviewing his status Ikaris also noticed that his Black Veil Spell was also close to leveling up. In just one round of use, this Spark's power had increased by almost a third.
This made him realize that casting spells foolishly, no matter how hard he focused, was not the most efficient way to improve his Sparks. Thanks to his Black Magic Knowledge, he had instinctively managed to draw on the Dark Particles stored within him and thus the power of the spell was greatly enhanced.
The night was still young and with his increased stamina Ikaris was far from exhausted. However, he had almost lost control earlier and so he decided to play it safe for the rest of the night.
He unwrapped the remaining Rank 4 meat in his bag and after he had eaten his fill spent the rest of the night practicing his Self-Control Spell. He was no longer in danger of involuntarily transforming in any case.
Good for him, because around midnight the moon became completely full and he felt his bestial urges flaring up again. After this peak of discomfort, his urges gradually abated and soon he entered a meditative trance. When he opened his eyes again hours later, the sun was already up.
"For the next Bloodspark, I'll make sure I have enough food nearby before I start." Ikaris declared as he jumped up from his bed.
"Then, you'll need blood next time." Magnus cackled eerily in anticipation. "Unlike Crawlings or Werewolves, a Vampire truly needs blood to operate at its full potential."
The boy flinched at his words. Wasn't Malia half Vampire? He had never seen her consume a drop of blood.
When he reached the living room he found that the two women were already up and he asked the Kitsune Vampire directly, trying to ignore their gaping mouths in response to his miraculous overnight growth spurt.
"Blood? I get it from red meat." She honestly revealed a few minutes later after calming down by chewing on a hearty piece of meat. "I have few memories of my father, but he taught me early on not to give in to that urge. It only takes a few times to become irredeemably addicted."
'Magnus?" Ikaris mentally probed.
'... She's right.' The old Archmagus reluctantly admitted. 'Human blood is very addictive to Vampires and learning to wean oneself off of it is a skill that every Vampire worth their salt must master.'
"Ugh, a Spark so..." Ikaris realized he had asked a silly question.
In this world, there was no problem that a Spark couldn't solve.
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