My six eyes open to the sight of sunrise apanied by the rumbles of movement. I blink several times as I allow the warmth to wash over me.

  Nice! Looks like I’m alive.

  Leaning up, I take a gander of my surroundings.

  Looks like I’m still on top of the crab’s shell. That’s good. I was afraid I might have fallen off.

  Standing up, I’m immediately bombarded with different stimuli. My body reacts faster but alser. Sight, smell, touch, and hearing are slightly improved too. Gng at my body, the first thing I notice is the ge in color of my fur.

  Huh, I’m violet now. I guess that makes sehe scorpis venom was turning that Buxon’s skin purple before he died. Maybe my fur turned purple during my transformation? Or is high mana regeion causing the color purple?

  The ground rumbles again as the crab takes another slow step.

  Right. I figure that out ter. First, let's see what other ges.

  Moving my body further, I immediately notice more ges.

  I’m an inch taller. Muscles are tighter but my bones seem rger too.

  I create a fist and feel a bit of tightness.

  Gaus are a bit tight now- but still workable. Hopefully Emma modify them for a better fit.

  Extending my cws, I find that they are slightly thicker, longer, and sharper. They also seem to have some kind of sheen on them.

  Are my cws poisonous now? I scratch people and ihem with scorpio venom? That would be useful.

  Then I see the shadow of myself. I reach up on my head and feel another set of horns.

  Damn. I was hoping to wear a hat and vizor so as to e off as a wolven. These horns are going to make that idea impossible. Then again, I don’t think wolven have naturally violet fur. Maybe I dye them?

  The ground rumbles again.

  Right. I should start moving soon. What else has ged?

  Further testing reveals that my tail has more spikes and muscles, allowing easier movement. I also notice that all my scars are gohe ret punctures, cuts, bruises, and even the big scar over my biceps are pletely gone. In essence, my body is in perfect dition.

  Looks like that's all the ges for now. Time to move.

  I look about, check my position, and find the unmoving spiral that is my destination.

  I could head there straight, but I wouldn’t be able to make it in time before dark. And traveling through the dark involves fighting swarms of scorpions. I’m stronger norobably immuo their venom, but I doubt I deal with armies yet.

  I g a spiral between my current position and my final destination.

  I guess I’m crab hopping.

  I bend my legs and take position. As soon as I feel the crab take a step, I extend my legs. Like a bullet, my body accelerates away from the crab, traveling an easy hundred meters before I touch sand. But, when I do, I hear the crab stand up. Large powerful legs turn the crab's mouth in my dire.

  Hmm. Seems like it sense vibrations.

  I start to sprint away with my head slightly turned so that the eye on the side of my head has vision of the crab.

  As soon as I see its tongue escape its mouth, I hop to the side and dodge the projectile. I do this several more times until I am outside its range. Once I’m outside its range, I slow my speed to something of a fast jog so as to serve energy.

  After several hours of running, I feel a rumble. Not a rumble of an enemy or some kind of earthquake.

  No, it is far worse.

  I wonder how long Fenrimorphs survive without food.

  ____________________________________________________________

  Looking up, Irmgard stares at Valentine ship. A massive Battleship that dwarfs all other ships at port in both size and especially firepower. Forty ons dot a single broadside, with each on having three barrels, and each barrel is rger and lohan Timbergroves ons.

  In a single broadside, the Bohan swarm a single enemy with over a hundred powerful projectiles, decimating a singur target until nothing remains. How Myers expects to create a viable distra against such a ship is beyond her.

  Taking a breath, she checks herself to make sure she is properly presentable. Her coat is , hair is pinned, and the raven cutss is perfectly io be uhed. Not that she expects to win any fight if there is a need.

  Head held high and spiraight, she walks up the pnk to the deck. Several [Pirates] notice her presence, but most turn away except for the one guarding the pnk.

  The [Pirate] g her and stops leaning on the railing. He retrieves a gold engraved pocket watch, and then whistles. “[Captain] said evening, and you’re here o.” He looks her up and down with a griops wheices the raven cutss head.

  “Heh. [Bounty Hunter], eh. Nice coat, I don’t suppose I could get to know you without it on?”

  Irmgard looks the man up and down. A mere [Pirate] he may be, but the man is higher in level and his gear is all ruoo. Still, she ’t help but y a hand on her cutss.

  “I believe I have a meeting with Valentine.”

  The pirate chuckles. “I’m sure the [Captain] wait.”

  She stares at him for a moment, then removes her hand from the raven head.

  She half turns around. “I see. If Valentine wait, then I’ll return tomorrow. If there is a problem, I’ll inform him of your words.”

  The [Pirates] panics.

  “Wait! Shit, alright. I’ll take you to him. .”

  She turns back around and allows herself to be led.

  The inside of the Bohan Is well-lit, homely, and spotless. The walls are made of ivory bone and a dark wood. The dark wood is covered in ruhat glow and illumihe walls. As she gets deeper, she ’t help but be impressed by how the inside is. It reminds her of her own prison, where every particle of dust would be met with severe punishment.

  Eventually, she is led to the [captains] quarter. The [Pirate] knocks at the door.

  “[Captain], the girl is here.”

  “Send her in.” Valentine calls.

  The [Pirate] grabs the handle and opens the do on.”

  Irmgard gives him a look, and theers through. The door shuts behind her. With a slow turn of her head, she looks at the room in its ey. The [Captains] quarters are a good fifteen hundred square feet. The walls of the room are twelve feet tall and are smothered in the heads of monstrous beasts. To the right of the room is a couch where a naked womas. The woman is Min Daiyu, the Lightning Toss. Notig Irmgards presehe woman licks her lips and spreads her legs erotically.

  Irmgard ighe woman and instead focuses on the tral desk. Behind the desk sits Valehout his coat. o him is Gazania the Hurrie, clothed, uhe Lightning Toss.

  “Sit.” He points at ay chair in front of him.

  She plies with the requests and takes a seat.

  Valerieves a pocket watch, opens it, and then raises an eyebrow.

  “You are very timely. I’ve only barely finished with Min.” He closes the watd puts it in his pocket.

  “I hope that is not a problem.” Irmgard answers.

  “Problem? On the trary, I’ve respect for those who respect time.” Valentine leans bato his far more extravagant chair. “Now, Irmgard Von Braun. Quite an iing name. Very fn. I’ve never heard anything about it. Mind telling me where you’re from?”

  Without showiion, she makes eye tact with Valentine. “I was informed my presence is only required so that my css has not ged.”

  “Oh, it is. But now I realize your name is rather fn. You’ve peaked my i, and good or bad that may be, it has peaked. Of course, I 't force you to talk, but do uand that I merely need you alive. In what way, well,” he grins. “That is for you to decide.”

  Irmgard nods. “I uand. I am from the Uates of America.”

  “And where is that?”

  She pauses for a moment, thinking of what respoo give, but decides that dishoy is far too dangerous to risk.

  “Not from your world.”

  Valentine frowns. “Gaza.”

  “She tells the truth.”

  He grins. “So, that fug cat was hiding such a jewel. And I already made a deal with him. If only I’d known there is another one of those gods champions. Well, that's fiell me, what is the name of this god that chose you?”

  “I am not chosen.”

  Valentine g Gazania.

  “Truth.”

  “You're not? But you ehe tower?” Valentine questions

  “I have not tried.”

  “Truth.” Gazania answers.

  Valerokes his beard. “I see. Then, when you return tomorrow, I will expect that you have tried.”

  “Am I free to leave.”

  Valentine chuckles. “You are aionless one just like Gaza. It’s quite endearing. You’d make a good part of my crew. Too bad your fate is either to be left alone or killed.” He waves his hand. “Now go, leave.”

  She stands up, turns, and starts walking away.

  “Min, e here. My urge is back.”

  She opens the door and steps through. Just as the door closes shut, she hears a woman squeal.

  _____________________________________________________

  The day passes ufully. I traveled the desert, ehe fresh dry air, and arrived at the crab just as the sun was setting. Upon my arrival, the crab awakens when I am a certain distance from it. After a shame of dodging tongues, I nd upon the crabs shell.

  Immediately on my arrival, I activated [Shift]. My Fenrimorph form disappears and is immediately repced by a cat. A quarter sed ter and my runed gaus ctter on the shell floor.

  Holy hell, Fenrimorphs get really hungry. I guess those muscles have a big caloric cost. Though, I’m quite surprised that thirst isn’t a problem yet sidering I’ve been traversing an arid desert. Then again, maybe Fenrimorphs don’t use water to stay cool. For all I know, they burn energy to reduce heat.

  I yawn and stretch. I g the nearly set sun- a ball of fire slightly rger thah's star.

  O is fully set and the sky is now shrouded in darkness, I prepare to sleep. I push the gaus into a crevi the shell, and then I y o them.

  Then I hear it. The grumble of my stomach. My current stomach to be exact. The thing about my transformations is that they exist iuity. Eating as a cat only fills the stomach of said cat. Eating as a Fenrimorph only feeds that form. The form currently not in use is pced in a kind of stasis where no growth or healing takes pce.

  “Damn. I thought I ate right before Valentine showed up… no, wait. I was going to eat but I didn’t get the ce.”

  Fuck me. I guess I’m sleeping hungry tonight.

  I yawn again, y eyes, and then allow sleep to take me

  ______________________________________________________________________

  The moment the sun reveals itself, I return to my Fenrimorph form and rush to my st location. Unlike yesterday, I feel more of a struggle. My body feels heavier and my energy levels have dropped. Regardless, I ’t slow my pace or risk not making it in time to my destination.

  Every hour that passes, I feel the struggle. Three quarters of the day through and after asding a particurly tall mound, I see the base of the tower. Just like the crabs, the tower mimics the spiral shells of the crabs. But uhe crab, the one I see now is made of metal and is sitting on a mound of stone.

  tinuing on, my pace slows as my limbs bee heavy, but I do not allow it to slow me down too much. With the sun beginning to set, I ’t risk being too far from the tower, otherwise I’ll o deal with the scorpion, of which I’d rather not tend with in my weakeate.

  Just as darkness smothers the sky, I finally reach the tower. Relief floods my being the moment my hand touches the tower- but only for a moment. Just because I’ve reached the tower doesn’t mean that the test is over.

  Ign the exhaustion and gnawing hunger, I walk around the spiral until I reach the tower's entrance. More specifically, a locked metal door with a single rge keyhole.

  It’s locked? Why is it locked? Where the fuck am I supposed to get a key?

  My mental inquiry is immediately interrupted by a loud rumble behind me.

  I turn around to find a mound of sand shifting apart. The sand cascades and s to reveal the mother of all scorpions. Where the usual scorpions are the size of sedans, this one in front of me is as rge as a private jet. It has four pincers instead of two, eight stingers instead of three, far too many eyes to t, and a bck carapace that looks to be more than twice as thick.

  To make matters even worse, right on top of the monster's carapad ied several inches into its armor is a very shiny key.