Beyond The Unknowns

Human Again

As he had done previously while performing mana allocation, he assumed a meditative position. Folding his legs and closing his eyes, he tried to feel the demonic aura inside of him.
[What are you doing?]
"Trying to feel the demonic aura"
[So are you feeling it?]
"No, I've just started it. So how can you expect me to feel it right away?"
[Well, I hate to break it to you when you're working so hard but even if you stay like that for your whole life, you still won't be able to feel it.]
Zan opened his eyes as he heard the remarks of the Leviathan. He unfolded his legs and rose up from his meditative state.
While dusting his hands, he asked;
"So how do I unlock the demonic aura inside of me?"
Leviathan scorned while reminiscing the moment when Zan acted rudely towards it.
Despite knowing the answers to his questions, he delayed his response and remained silent, while Zan continued to pester it to teach him the method to unlock the demonic aura inside of him.
"Why aren't you speaking anything?"
Zan asked looking all annoyed.
[How about you start to treat me politely before you ask something from me?]
It wasn't the response that Zan was hoping for. He furrowed his eyebrows as he revealed a look of displeasure on his face.
"Please teach me the method to unlock my demonic aura, sire"
Zan hesitatingly spoke in a polite tone.
[That's better, but it's still not from your heart.]
Leviathan continued to toy with him.
Zan who was putting up with it's act was getting pissed. His moderately fair complexion face was turning red like a tomato.
In any moment he would have snapped at the sword had it continued to toy with him.
Leviathan sensing the furious anger in Zan, quickly dropped it's act.
It then started to guide him on ways to unlock the demonic aura inside of him.
[Just follow my instructions without missing any word]
Zan nodded his head in agreement and followed through it's guidance without missing a single step. His focus peaked as he instantly entered into a hyper-focused zone.
First he was required to violently move his body. That would increase his heartbeat and allow his blood to flow more rapidly. After getting accustomed to increased blood flow, he was required to imagine the aura inside of him and swing his fist as hardly as he can to get a better feel of the demonic aura.
[It might not be the most effective way to unlock the demonic aura but it's the only way for you to feel the aura.]
Naturally the demonic and mystic beings born with demonic aura could feel the aura without performing any kind of ritual. They were naturally able to feel the demonic aura. Involuntarily they could use the demonic aura as smoothly as breathing.
But Zan who was not born with demonic aura was required to feel the demonic aura first, before he could use it. And demonic aura contrasting from mana was violent in nature as well.
Thus if one was required to maintain peace and stability while feeling the mana, then to feel demonic aura one was required to do the complete opposite.
Zan followed through the instructions of the sword without missing a single step. He clenched his fist and continuously performed countless strikes. Each one being more destructive than the previous.
His whole body started to sweat profusely and soon he was completely drenched in sweat.
Even after countless strikes and even after completely soaking in sweat, he showed no signs of tiredness.
Infact the shockwave from his fist only intensified as he punched through the air.
Finally after countless strikes, a powerful energy flew from his fist, hitting a massive boulder ahead of him. As it hit the boulder, the boulder crumbled down and was completely flattened out.
With that strike, Zan could feel a gust of energy seeping from within him. Unable to believe the ethereal moment unfolding before his own eyes, he glanced at his fist. His heart raced like crazy. He could feel the violent aura raging from within him.
He looked at the sword overjoyed with happiness. The sensation of getting stronger, the sensation which he had never felt before, enthralled him.
Mesmerized by his new found power, he performed series of strikes, blowing one boulder after the other.
[Well, well, well. That's enough]
Zan as if hypnotised by the aura, ignored the words of Leviathan and blindly performed one strike after other.
Finally after blindly blowing numerous boulders, he stopped. While heavily gasping his breath, he looked around him.
Smoke rose from the place, hit by his attacks. Crumbles of boulders scattered all over the place and several craters created by his attack covered the entire region.
The whole place looked like a severely war inflicted battlefield with several cracks and craters.
[Now that you've finally stopped and can feel aura. Shall we check on the attributes you gained by consuming the bead?]
His heartbeat returned back to normal as he took deep breaths in and out.
"How are we going to check that?"
[Just naturally feel your aura and try to imitate the creature you just fought]
Zan could effortlessly feel his aura.
The first thing he did was to try to imitate the spit attack that the creature performed.
He tucked his stomach and spat at a distant rock. But nothing happened. He continuously spat, yet nothing happened.
Leviathan who was observing him from the distance couldn't retain it's laughter.
[Hahaha.... Sorry about that. I simply couldn't held myself from laughing after seeing your embarrassing state.]
Zan ignored it's mockery and carried on with his task. After a while he realised that he hadn't gain it's ability to melt. Thus, he moved on with another of it's ability.
He then tried to extend his claws just like how the creature did, but he still couldn't do it. After failing to acquire two of it's skills, he sulked.
Just then he realised about the creature's massive stature. Assuming that as one of it's skills, he tried to magnify his stature. But that failed as well.
Disappointed by the continuous failure, he concluded that he may have not gain any of it's abilities and thus was unlucky somehow.
[Wait... wait... you look different somehow. Your facial feature has changed]
"Ahh.. Don't give me that false hope."
He scowled.
But he was unaware of the change in his appearance. One of the major skill of the creature which Zan was unaware of was the creature's ability to shapeshift.
Originally it had no distinct appearance of it's own and was only moulding to the desires of the person who encounters it.
But Zan being unaware of that wasn't able to figure out it's skills.
Thus, when Leviathan mentioned the changes in his appearance, he had the negative impression of it mocking him.
[You don't believe me?]
"Not even a single bit"
[Then why don't you come closer and look at your reflection?]
Zan hesitated, but still walked closer towards it, unwillingly.
Just as he held the sword and brought it closer to his face. His eyes widened and his jaws dropped.
He didn't anticipate the sword to tell him the truth. But somehow it was speaking the truth.
The face which he was seeing the reflection, was his original face as a human being.
Brown eyes, dark black hair, rosey red lips, with a fair skin tone and most importantly no horns in his temples.
Unable to believe his eyes, he touched his cheeks. He could feel the smooth puffy texture of his skin.
As he felt his skin for the first time after a long period of time, tears started to roll down his eyes.
A cheerful smile appeared on his lips.
[Why are you crying?]
Leviathan questioned while looking at his weird behaviour.
After seeing his human face, he couldn't care less about the words of Leviathan. Thus, he blatantly ignored the words of Leviathan.
While caressing his face, he let out a huge roar;
"Finally I am back. Finally I'm no more demi-human. I'm human once again"
Just when he was joyously dancing while yelling he turned back to human, Leviathan interrupted;
[Uhh.... The skill will wear off after sometime]
"What?"
He couldn't listen properly to the words of Leviathan due to his ecstasy.
[I said the skill is only temporary. It's not permanent]
The smile on his face quickly faded away. And he stopped jumping as well.
He then slowly walked toward the cave without saying a single word.
"Take that you F****** sword"
He abruptly bashed Leviathan at the walls of the cave. He then continuously slammed Leviathan at the wall while cursing it for ruining his joy.
[Oii... Oii.. Oii.. Stop you piece of shit. I just told what's the truth.]
But Zan couldn't care less about the truth, he was simply happy gaining his human form back. Alas! truth is always bitter.
He couldn't digest the truth.
And neither could he control his rage after Leviathan ruined his moment of ecstasy.