Chapter 8: Chapter 8 - Transformation

*Plop*

Alright, what is it this time? The bird has been eating a lot more lately. I don't know why it is doing that but I suppose it might have something to do with how I'm constantly emptying the contents in its stomach.

It took me a while to get to where I am. For a very long time, the process of constantly absorbing and passing out was frustrating. However, the efforts paid off when I was finally able to move the things I absorbed outside of me. Although I was still unable to move on my own, it was a huge improvement from not being able to influence the things around me directly.

It was an accidental find but one that was totally worth the troubles. I wasn't making much progress with the training and was idly thinking if I could transform a part of myself to conveniently grasp and absorb whatever that fell before it hit the liquid, I would be able to absorb a greater variety.

Before I knew it, something that resembled the sand I absorbed appeared for a brief moment and grabbed hold of the falling frog. Granted, it may have just been the head but it was still a frog. Upon contact with the frog, it was automatically absorbed by the sand into my system. Something strange happened after that. It might have been due to the fact that the frog was a more intelligent creature or that I absorbed enough of it, but I found myself viewing its memories after I fell into food coma.

It was a strange feeling to be waking up after living the life of the frog. For a moment, I could not understand how my home in the forest smelled so bad and looked so dark. Understanding came to me after I remembered that I wasn't a frog.

It was through the accidental finding that I could now manipulate what was absorbed in me. Apart from training my stamina for absorbing things in quantity, I trained to extend my 'transformation' timing. It was rather hard at first, I could not form sand properly and often, it fell apart before I could catch the newcomers.

Right now, I could hold the sand just enough to reach the prey when I see it falling. With this method, I've now received the memory of two crickets, five shellfish, two frogs - one tree frog and one poisonous frog, one worm and four butterflies. From their last moments, I could now roughly make out the size of this bird and it was rather intimidating.

The bird had five different colours of feathers, yellow eyes with a long pointed beak that was very sharp. That beak was as long as its neck and its feet were about the same length as its body, fully armed with deadly talons. From wing to wing, the bird could easily fit thirty large shellfishes!

*Guuu*

There it was, the sound that alerted me to look out for a new creature. What was it going to be this time? My sand was ready for it, whatever it was.

Just as the mysterious newcomer made its appearance, I froze. Maybe I shouldn't have spoken so soon. How was anyone going to be able to absorb that?!