4 Chapter 3: Adapt

Salem pov

It's been eleven days since I came to this world and I been dropped in this forest and I've been slowly and slowly getting used to the current situation. Most trees in this forest were really big and dense and so I used some incredibly sharp and big spikes of a monster I found when savaging the area, to curve a large hole inside the bottom middle of the tree making a shelter for myself. I always covered it not to alert any nearby trouble.

I needed to get a lot stronger to survive where ever the hell I was as a lot of creatures here were very big and powerful. Of course, the thoughts of taking over most of them did cross my mind but I was currently too weak for that now.

Speaking of magic, I won't lie the aspects of my abilities really confused me to a capital T. First when using my owl form, I looked like an owl version of a harpy instead of aa actual owl, next was the ant form it transformed me into and anthroponomic bull ant. Then I remembered that it depends on me as the user to full transform or transform parts of my body.

I admit I don't know how the magic system of Earthland truly works like so I had no idea in how I could increase my magic control and power. I just decided to use ideas from the power systems in other anime to help me out a little. So, I treated my magic like a muscle and the more I train and use it, the stronger it will get. I also tried the previous failed experimentation of meditation (huh sort of rhymes), anyway I wanted to increase my control to keep myself from blowing up or something. This was done by me feeling and absorbing the ethernano in the air and trying to control the flow and condensation of it in my body.

Not to mention turning it off and on again repeatedly. Like in mathematics you don't get good at solving sums without practicing them over and over.

Next was my workout. I started with the basic pushups, sit-ups, squats, and to help my agility and flexibility it mostly tree hoped.

On day four I found and took over managed to take over a hare just for the heck of it. At day six when I was sure I was a little stable enough I began to fighting back instead of running on some creatures of the forest and it did boost my strength a little and because that was the go-to of most characters when they were in forests, but let's just a say the first one didn't go hundred percent.

Flashback

"Hm damn six days of being in this forest and am only been eating fruits I need some meat in me" I whined as I was just looking at my fruit scavenge for today in a little dissatisfaction. "Fuck this I need some protein man!" I than got out of my tree hole and closed it using a circular make shift wooden door. I scanned the day skies and noticing it was all clear it was time to take flight.

"Animal sou: Owl!" And with that I transformed into my owl harpy form and took off into the skies. "Man this is always so cool." I flew over the forest and enjoyed ever feeling of it. I would have used this form to find some human settlement but I every time I tried some monster bird would always chase me down cutting my search.

After two minutes of flying, I spotted some prey, so I completely transformed into the form of the white owl I took over and perched on a tree a little further away not to alert the animal this took a lot of practice but I at least managed to pull it off. The creature seemed to be some sort of large wildebeest but instead of hooves it had claws, horns where extra sharp, its eyes red, mouth blooded chewing meat with its sharp teeth and nose emitting steam.

I made some 270 degree turns with my owl head to scout the area for any sudden inconveniences and seeing it was all clear it and notice some other big wildebeests close which might be a problem. I transformed fully into the hare and went close to the beast and made hare sounds to get its attention. Seeing it look at me as I was the next and charged at me. I run luring it away from its friends and thanks to magic giving me additional physical boost so I was faster than a normal hare and was fast enough to keep the chase going.

I was a little fast but not enough as it caught up to me as this little form did little form wasn't all that and so I quickly transformed back to a human startling the creature a bit giving me the opportunity to get some distance. I took out a make shift knife I made from the sharp remains of an unknown animal.

"Animal soul: Ant" I transformed into my anthropomorphic ant form as the beast charged at me. I had severely underestimated its strength as I tried to stop its charge with my increased strength. And so, I was flung to the ground and before I began to stomp me to death I rowed out of the way and grabbed it by the horns and slammed it to the ground causing a large crack beneath it. I could tell this creature was strong and resilient so it quickly got up but I began stabbing it continuously with my knife.

I couldn't hold it in place so it screeched in pain trying to get me off it by running around slamming in to things all over the area but I remained in place still stabbing its neck repeated and its blood gushing all over me. After some minutes the stubborn animal finally dropped and I had long deactivated my ant form to save power.

"Fuck man this thing is going to be a bitch to carry back." I sighed getting the blood of my face and I looked at my only clothes in disgust as they where stained again and it was a bitch to clean them. "Likely I helped kill burn animals for meat back at home as this would have been traumatizing". I than caught my breath and waited for a about three minutes to regain my energy.

I noticed something in the forest and saw golden eyes than I knew it was time to leave. I transformed into my harpy owl state and grabbed the wildebeest fast with my talons as the thing pounced at me. Good thing I took the skies with this extremely heavy animal before it got me. I took a good look and it looked like a lean and strong humanoid cheetah wearing loincloth, it looked directly at and I flew away.

"ROAR!!" I noticed that the ware cheetah thing was chasing after me and damn was it fast with it also showing some pretty good agility by navigating through the forest. If I was flying lower, it would have caught me by now even if I was flying at max speed.

It also made some extremely high jumps attempting to catch my kills and kept evading but with how heavy this thing was I it was a losing battle as I was getting lower due to the weight. The cheetah finally caught the beast and we began struggling for it. It climbed up and tried to claw me but evaded just in time making almost lose my grip. It tried clawing my talons but I smacked its face hard with my wings but it never let go.

"SQWAK!!" A loud screech got my attention and I saw a wing creature flying straight for us. Its fur/feathers were brow in color, large wins with a large claw at the end, its bell had black amour, a long with some sort of pitch fork at the end, and finally its head had a black beck and fur was pink at the top.

'Oh man.' I grimaced as the thing hit us as it tried to snatch my kill so it became a three-way tag of war. The combined weight sent us downwards and before we hit the ground, I let go of the prey to avoid getting hurt and flew gently on the ground while the other two hit the ground creating a making a cloud of dust.

The ware cheetah came out flying and almost crushed into me but I got out of the away. The dust cleared revealing the winged creatures near the dead wildebeest basically making a claim over it. The other one got up and was ready to go for the attack.

'Hell to the no I caught and killed that thing first and am not going to let that these motherfuckers take it!' I thought in fury as I didn't like anyone steeling my food as it was the reason, I went crazy on those giant chimps a few days ago. 'My magic reserves aren't all that so I should finish this fast as I've been using it a lot in these recent events.' The cheetah charged at the bird at high speeds that I couldn't keep up, its claws grew as it slashed the bird.

The slash was aimed at the stomach layer of the bird which really was armor as it didn't take any damage. The bird-tired biting the cheetah but it just dodged and kicked its head but the thing barely oved as it took airborne and tried to claw the cheetah but the cheetah countered with its own claws. The cheetah than started zooming around the bird but it flapped its wings making a forceful gust of wing to through its opponent of balance, the cheetah than jumped at the bird its aiming for its head but the bird somehow dodged and used its beak to pierce the cat's arm but it was undeterred.

Seeing that the two were busy I snuck to my kill ready to sneak away but the two noticed and came at me fast. I flapped my wings at them making a gust of wind it just slowed them down a little but then my feathers came off and shoot them like darts. The cheetah dodged and countered with its claws while the bird just bounced it off with its amour.

When the got close enough it all most mange to connect a slash at me which was aimed for my chest but it still grazed a hell a lot causing to hiss in pain. Its attack wasn't done as it tried multiple slash attacks but I went in the air before it could begin as they were to fast for me to track. The bird came after me in the air and we began to clash with our talons.

'Okay so obviously to put this thing down its either critical hit on the head or back.' I flung mt dart feathers at it a diversion which it took to block and I noticed the cheetah about pick up the kill but I flung my feathers at it precising its left leg making it fall before it could run the bird the grabbed my wings using it talons digging them deep drawing blood and slamming me to the ground.

It was going to rip y face off using its beak but I transformed back to a human than to my hare form as fast as I could as I needed to go to my normal form transform into other animals for now. My non full hare form replaced my normal ears with the long ones of a hare's, its tail, my legs became furry and grow more muscular, my arms became furry paws. Thanks to my smaller structure and the fact my legs weren't pinned I double kicked the bird of me. The kick was so strong the bird was sent flying a few dozen feet hitting a tree cracking it.

The cheetah than creeped towards me looking at me with anger and hunger, guess I was also a bonus meal for it today, its leg looked healed.

"That's going to be a problem." The speedy cat pounced towards me but it was slower so thanks to my hare form I kept up with it and borrowed in the ground and avoided it. I came out behind it and surprised kicked it hard but it blocked though I still broke its guard and twisted and kicked its face hard.

My chest was in pain and it was making loss concentration a little which was bad cause that's what helps me keep up my forms. Thanks to my boosted hearing I heard the bird coming and grabbed its talons. It tried to stab me with its tail but evaded and grabbed the tail and used it to stab the sneaky cheetah behind me in the stomach and dragged it to its upper chest.

The bird wasn't done though as it pierced my ears using its sharp beak causing me to shriek in pain a little. It glared at it hard as I went with a full powered round house straight to its neck maybe breaking it and making a large gust of wind blowing it back making it slam through about five trees. I focused it to heart beat which wasn't present. I than felt an impact to my back knocking off my feet.

I looked back and saw the ware cheetah panting and healing a little slowly but not much and began punching the air fast but thanks to my super hearing I heard something coming my way but could really pin point them fast enough to dodge as five air punched made impact and I spat out blood and a few ribs bruised almost knocking out of my form and consciousness but I stood my ground all the damage I had taken thus far getting to me.

The animal charged at me going for the kill but I could see it coming easier as I ducked kicked both its two legs hard temporary immobilizing it and making it roar in pain and anger as it was on its knees. Finally fighting through my own pain, I jumped high in the sky flipped and dived leg first at high speeds into the cheetah targeting it's still healing stomach causing a loud boom and dust cloud.

The area beneath us had a crater a least three times bigger than the a few cracks on the floor board. To my surprise the animal was still alive and it healing factor very very slowly seem to be kicking in so I transformed form a hare to a human to a hybrid ant to keep it in place as it struggled against my grip.

"Your pretty tough my nigga I could use you." I smirked than began to take over the ware cheetahs' body with little resistant's since it was near death at this point. After about a minute I fully manage to take it over.

I reverted to my normal state and went to my prize. I was tried, hurt, and extremely low on magic power but I still dragged the wildebeest to my area. Luckily there weren't much predatory animals around to cause more problems and two my area was very very close to where we were fighting. After I made it back, I brought the thing into my hide out covered it with a lot of leaves and went to sleep immediately.

An hour later I made a fire a ate the thing all there was left were bones and some other stuff.

End of Flashback

After that incident I used my new werecheetah form and at first, I thought it would be hard to control as I thought I would go insane and believe me it was but I managed to pull my mind out of the fog and by the third day I had it and continuous practice I had it under control. The form was really useful if I want to heal when coming from either a hunt, training or fighting off some creatures off my tree home.

Hunting become easy as I used my full rabbit or owl form to lure unsuspecting carnivorous animals in a trap for food or it just use my owl harpy form or new werecheetah form.

"Man, day elven and still stuck here." I said to myself as I stocked some deer herd in my owl-harpy form up in a tall tree I perched on. It was nighttime and thanks to my excellent night vision I could see them clearly and flew down at high speeds and snatched one using my talons easily crushing its neck and flew fast to my tree.

A few minutes later I was by my tree cooking the deer by a large fire for my supper as my appetite seemed to have increased.

"When and if I do get out of here, I wonder where I should go join guild to help some income?" If I find a village, town or city I would need income and, in my situation, either I would have to work as an independent mage or join a guild but the later was easier since jobs are found faster and easier.

"Oh, somethings coming." I sensed something approaching so I hide in order to gain the element of surprise and got my little knife ready. It got to my fire obviously attracted by my food and was about to take it but I pounced on it knocking it down twisting its arm and my knife on its neck but thanks to my improving senses I saw it was an adult human male who was a little roughed up.

The man was dressed in a classic bet well equipped explorer get up hell he even had a bag which looked to be full of supplies. Hid build was a little lean that he exercised, brown hair and had square glasses.

"P-please don't kill me." He said really terrified. The mans was sweating a river and his eyes were flooded.

"Well this is unexpected." I smirked in a little amusement showing off my sharp teeth scaring him more and he seemed to have fainted.

"Oops."