"Converge. Purify. Dominate."
The mantra rolled through Lin Hao's mind as Dragon Ape blood seared his esophagus. Five drops of golden-red essence swirled in his dantian sea, each particle resisting assimilation like molten lead. His spiritual energy formed containment lattices—precise hexagonal patterns glowing cobalt in his inner vision.
Crack.
A spiritual vein ruptured. Lin Hao's left eyelid twitched involuntarily as pain receptors fired warning flares. Through Four Treabytes' overlay, he watched essence purification progress crawl from 12% to 12.3%. The numbers glowed accusingly in his augmented reality display.
"Insolent mortal filth..."
The Dragon Ape's ancestral memory surfaced as auditory hallucinations—guttural growls vibrating through bone marrow. Lin Hao's molars ground together, tasting phantom iron as his molars threatened to crack under pressure.
Clink.
A spirit stone shattered between his palms. Concentrated yang energy flooded meridians gone necrotic from overexertion. The Dragon Ape essence recoiled—its bestial consciousness recognizing the cleansing properties of pure solar qi.
"Suppression matrix active. Essence volatility decreasing."
Four Treabytes' notification arrived as olfactory relief—the stench of burning fur receded, replaced by ozone-crisp air. Lin Hao's spiritual sea stabilized into concentric rings of control, his three main meridians now resembling Damascus steel cables under electron microscope magnification.
Little White watched from the windowsill, nostrils flaring at the scent of its own primordial blood. The young Dragon Ape's regenerative cells already reproduced the lost essence—a process visible through infrared as golden motes coalescing in bone marrow.
"Master's skin is cracking," Four Treabytes observed through shared neural link.
Lin Hao glanced down. Diamond-shaped scales pushed through his epidermis—hybrid formations blending Dragon Ape's keratin plates with his own mutated dragonhide. The fusion burned like molten glass being poured into open wounds.
"Essence harmonization at 87%. Commence bloodline integration."
The command triggered autonomic responses. Dragon Ape cells swarmed Lin Hao's circulatory system—golden invaders rewriting DNA helixes with brutal efficiency. His bone density increased by 9% in three breaths, marrow cavities flooding with nanoscale armor plating.
Thud.
A storage ring rolled across the floor—Yang Chengji's plundered wealth spilling forth. Spirit stones clinked like wind chimes as their energy drained into Lin Hao's evolving form. The room's temperature dropped 11°C, frost patterns blooming on the walls from rapid qi consumption.
"Essence purification complete. Initiating..."
The notification froze mid-sentence. Lin Hao's spine arched as twin growths erupted between his shoulder blades—proto-wings sheathed in liquid metal feathers. His vision fractured into predator-tier spectrum analysis: Little White's heat signature pulsing crimson, Four Treabytes' mechanical components glowing ultraviolet.
Crunch.
Lin Hao's remodeled jaw dislocated with a sound like glacier calving. New molars—serrated diamond edges capable of chewing through enchanted steel—slid into place with oily smoothness. His vocal cords vibrated at 3 Hz, producing subsonic growls that made Four Treabytes' lenses fog with condensation.
"Integration successful. New parameters logged."
The system display updated:
- Bone density: 18.7 g/cm3 (Human baseline: 1.5 g/cm3)
- Muscle fiber tensile strength: 9,400 MPa (Exceeding spider silk)
- Metabolic rate: 890% baseline (Requires 17kg meat/hour sustenance)
Lin Hao flexed his claws—obsidian talons extending with pistol slide precision. A casual swipe left five parallel gashes in the stone wall, each cut glowing faintly from friction-heated stone.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
"Master resembles proper apex predator now," Four Treabytes hummed, its lens array cycling through celebratory color filters.
Little White sniffed the air cautiously. The Dragon Ape pup's instincts recognized the transformed Lin Hao as both kindred and overlord—a duality triggering conflicting submission/attack impulses.
"Regret?" Lin Hao's voice emerged as layered harmonics—human speech underlain with tectonic rumble.
The Dragon Ape shook its head, pupils dilating in fractal patterns. "Pack leader strong. Good."
Yang Chengji's decapitated head chose that moment to roll from an overturned jar. Dead eyes stared accusingly as frozen blood crystals tinkled against the floor. Lin Hao's enhanced olfactory receptors cataloged 217 individual scent markers from the severed head—including traces of jasmine perfume from its final mistress.
"Dispose of that," Lin Hao commanded, claws retracting with oiled precision. "We visit the spellcraft division at dawn."
Four Treabytes deployed cleaning drones—mechanical scarabs that dissolved organic matter into neutralized gray sludge. The AI's behavioral subroutines noted Lin Hao's transformed psychology: 34% reduction in empathy centers, 81% increase in tactical aggression.
As moonlight filtered through frost-rimed windows, the hybrid creature that was Lin Hao studied its reflection in a polished breastplate. Human eyes stared back from a demigod's face—the last tether to mortality flickering like a guttering candle.
The Humanoid Beast
The dormitory reeked of burnt ozone and primal musk. Lin Hao's spine crackled like roasting bamboo as his vertebrae realigned. Three spiritual veins glowed beneath his skin—cobalt circuitry conducting energies that made the air taste of lightning. Little White's severed claw twitched in its jade dish, regenerating nerve endings sparking with golden bioluminescence.
"Integration complete. Bloodline purity 89.7%."
Four Treabytes' analysis scrolled across Lin Hao's retinas as his remodeled larynx produced subsonic growls. Muscle fibers snapped taut with the sound of overstressed piano wires. Through infrared overlay, he watched his bone marrow flood with nanoscale armor plating—Dragon Ape genetics rewriting human biology with brutal efficiency.
Crunch.
Lin Hao's new molars sheared through a steel dagger like aged cheddar. The metallic aftertaste carried traces of vanadium and regret—Yang Chengji's decapitated head still leaking cerebral fluid in the corner.
"Master's epidermal modifications exceed projections."
Four Treabytes extended a chrome proboscis, sampling shed skin cells. The AI's chemical sensors logged 17 new enzyme types—including a keratin variant harder than synthetic diamond.
Lin Hao flexed his claws, obsidian talons extending with hydraulic precision. Moonlight refracted through their serrated edges, casting prismatic death-threats across the walls. His remodeled optic nerves now perceived ultraviolet spectrums—Little White's regenerative aura pulsing like molten gold.
"Strength amplification factor 12.3x. Recommend stress-testing."
The suggestion arrived as synaptic command. Lin Hao's tail—a whipcord of articulated bladed segments—smashed through stone flooring with the sound of detonating porcelain. Dust motes hung frozen in aftermath luminescence, each fragment mapped by enhanced depth perception.
Little White chirped approval, its own nascent horn glowing with sympathetic energy. The Dragon Ape pup's pheromone receptors detected kinship in Lin Hao's transformed scent—burnt amber layered over glacial iron.
"Perimeter breach alert. Unidentified energy signature approaching."
Four Treabytes' warning coincided with window frost patterns rearranging into defensive runes. Lin Hao's tympanic membranes registered ultrasonic vibrations—17.8 kHz, matching imperial messenger bats' navigation pulses.
A paper talisman materialized midair, its rice-paper fibers impregnated with violet phosphorus. Purple flames outlined Ziye's spectral message: "Proof required. Golden Sea Pavilion at moonhigh."
Lin Hao's laughter rumbled like avalanche precursors. Yang Chengji's preserved head rolled from its preservation jar, frozen features still locked in terminal surprise. Four Treabytes deployed cleaning drones—mechanized scarabs that dissolved organic evidence into neutralized slurry.
"Prepare the authentication specimen."
The command triggered preservation protocols. Cryonic mist enveloped Yang's severed head as molecular stabilizers locked cellular decay. Lin Hao's claws retracted with oiled precision, human guise reasserting itself through conscious effort.
Dawn's first light found him striding toward the spellcraft division, Little White perched on his shoulder like a gargoyle. Students scattered unconsciously from his path—primal hindbrains sensing apex predator pheromones. The cafeteria's breakfast scents curdled as he passed: porridge grains fermenting in his presence, tea leaves wilting from residual radiation.
"Focus required. Academic protocols dictate..."
Four Treabytes' reminder died as Lin Hao's enhanced nostrils flared. Twenty-three distinct magical auras registered ahead—instructor signatures ranging from novice sparks to contained supernovas. His restructured sweat glands released pheromonal countermeasures: biochemical warfare tailored to each detected threat level.
The lecture hall doors loomed like sacrificial altar gates. Lin Hao's palm left smoldering fingerprints on the bronze handles—a side effect of incomplete energy containment. Inside, forty-seven heads turned in unison, their pupils dilating with instinctive fear.
Professor Qin's voice cracked mid-incantation. "This... this is an advanced..."
"Apologies." Lin Hao's words vibrated at 7.8 Hz—a frequency triggering mammalian submission responses. "Merely auditing."
He took position by the western window, sunlight refracting through his semi-translucent skin to reveal subcutaneous armor plating. Little White's claws dug into his shoulder—a comforting anchor against the metamorphic hunger gnawing at his reforged soul.