The next morning in Virelia, Kaelen awoke in his room, sunlight streaming through the windows. The city was bustling as usual, the memory of being recognized as a hero still fresh in his mind. Yet, despite the mundane routine, something in the air felt… off.
He sensed it first as a flicker in the mana currents surrounding the city. Nothing tangible, but enough for him to notice—the faintest disturbance, almost like a ripple in the collective consciousness of humans nearby. His eyes, already attuned from his true dragon's heart, narrowed.
Something is watching. Something intelligent… and it's close.
Kaelen stood, adjusting Axiomfall on his back. He stepped outside, walking the streets as people noticed him again. Children waved; adults bowed slightly. Yet the more they looked at him, the more he realized their gazes weren't the only ones observing him.
Across the city, John sat in Karveth, reviewing reports from his network of agents. Subtle irregularities had begun appearing—missing individuals, discrepancies in identification records, families reporting strange dreams and behaviors. At first, John thought it might be standard criminal activity, but the patterns were too systematic. Someone—or something—was learning. Evolving.
He tapped his temple with a gloved finger, using Koketsu Stage 2 to probe deeper into the anomalies. Within moments, he frowned.
Not human. Highly intelligent. Mimics perfectly… this is a Metamorph.
Elsewhere, in Arkion, Alzwalt was testing Kael's abilities when he noticed a similar disturbance. Kael's reflexes had been subtly triggered, as if an unknown predator had brushed past the edge of his perception. Alzwalt's eyes narrowed.
"Kael," he said quietly, "stay close. Something is in the human settlements. Something… clever."
Kael, still learning, frowned. "Master, what is it? A monster?"
Alzwalt's lips curved into a slight, grim smile. "Not just any monster. A predator that doesn't need brute force. One that can become anyone. Watch, learn, and stay alert."
Back in Virelia, Kaelen had reached the city square when he noticed the first sign of the Metamorph's work. A man—seemingly ordinary—was walking among the crowd, yet Kaelen felt the subtle resonance of alien intent. The aura was faint, masked perfectly, but to him it was like a distorted note in a symphony.
Kaelen slowed, eyes narrowing as he followed the man's movements. From the corner of his vision, he saw it—small gestures, micro-shifts that weren't entirely human. A hesitation in a handshake, a fraction too quick in a glance, a blink pattern slightly off.
This isn't human.
He stepped closer, careful not to alert the crowd, and observed. The man's pulse, his energy signature, his subtle manipulation of ambient mana—it all screamed "predator." Kaelen's grip on Axiomfall tightened.
So you're the one causing all this disturbance.
Meanwhile, in the Liones estate, Tessandra was beginning her day. The servants had noticed strange occurrences at night—family members reporting missing items, subtle changes in behavior, even dreams that seemed… invasive. Tessandra frowned as she activated her Apex Martial Circuit to sense disturbances around the estate.
Her instincts screamed at her. Something had infiltrated—not with force, but subtly, surgically. She leaned back, eyes scanning, and whispered, "It's not just here… it's learning. Adapting. Someone is watching every move."
High above Kael'Ar, Arata had already sensed the shift. Floating outside his dimensional observatory, he observed the world below, his gaze sweeping from Virelia to Arkion to Karveth.
The Metamorph has arrived… clever, patient, and hungry. Perfect.
Arata smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. This will be fun.
Back on the streets, Kaelen decided to test the man. With a subtle pulse of gravitational manipulation, he shifted the weight of the air around the Metamorph, attempting to nudge its balance and gauge reaction. The Metamorph stumbled slightly—just enough for Kaelen to confirm his suspicions.
It noticed immediately, snapping its head towards Kaelen. For a split second, it revealed its predatory instinct, its eyes glowing faintly with a color that didn't belong to any human spectrum. Then, as quickly as it had reacted, it assumed composure again, smiling as though nothing had happened.
Impressive, Kaelen thought. But not enough.
He stepped closer, coiling Axiomfall in hand. "I know what you are," he said, his voice calm yet radiating authority. "And I don't think you'll last long in front of me."
The Metamorph tilted its head, analyzing. Then, in a flash, it vanished into the crowd, blending perfectly into the humans around it.
Kaelen's eyes narrowed further. You think blending in will save you?
At the same time, John in Karveth sent mental instructions to his network. Through telepathy and Koketsu Stage 2, he began scanning for any anomalies in human thought patterns. The Metamorph, having consumed its first humans, had left residual signatures—minute, almost imperceptible echoes of memory that didn't match the current vessel.
Ah… clever, John mused. "But no creature can hide from Koketsu forever. Not from me."
He activated a mild projection of his Soul Circuit in the city, scanning for intelligence patterns that were too coherent, too adaptive for normal human minds. Slowly, he began to isolate the Metamorph's current location.
Meanwhile, Alzwalt and Kael, still in Arkion, were performing routine martial exercises when Alzwalt sensed the subtle manipulations in the ambient mana currents. "Kael," he said, "something called a metamorph is on Kael'Ar. Not just monsters this time… something that thinks."
Kael's eyes widened. "Something smart, master?"
Alzwalt nodded. "And it will try to learn faster than we can predict. Pay attention, Kael. Intelligence can be deadlier than raw power."
By nightfall, the Metamorph had already consumed the memories of multiple humans in the city, weaving a web of knowledge. It had learned family structures, work patterns, city patrols, even hidden caches of mana and weapons. With each consumption, it grew more adept at hiding, more precise in its mimicry, and its hunger was insatiable.
Kaelen, however, was always one step behind. Though the creature was clever, its integration into society wasn't perfect—subtle vibrations in its mana, imperceptible to most, gave it away to him. He stalked it silently, a shadow among the shadows, watching, waiting for the perfect moment.
You will reveal yourself soon, Kaelen thought, gripping the hilt of Axiomfall. And when you do… I'll make sure every being that you've consumed is avenged.
In the Liones estate, Tessandra prepared defensive wards around the property, activating her Apex Martial Circuit and blending it with subtle martial aura traps. Even the smallest intrusions would trigger alerts, and she could track them instantly. Her eyes glimmered with focus, her mind analyzing every pattern.
This is no ordinary predator, she thought. It learns from us, adapts, mimics… but it hasn't faced someone who can see the truth behind the mask.
Far above the continent, Arata observed everything. He muttered under his breath, "This will be a true test. Let's see how humanity reacts when a predator thinks like them, lives like them, and yet wants nothing but their extinction."
The night deepened, and Kael'Ar held its breath. Every hero, every protector, every master and student would soon be forced to face something that could think, adapt, and strike from within.
The Metamorph had arrived.
And it would not stop until it had learned everything… and consumed anyone—or anything—that stood in its way.